General Xu Xiao left the Xiama Wei Inn with only a few attendants from Beiliang, traveling in an extremely modest manner. During the sweltering summer heat, the capital city was stiflingly hot, the incessant buzzing of cicadas irritating people’s tempers. The air shimmered above the rooftops, a misty haze wavering in the distance. The roads were so hot they scorched the soles of one’s feet. Disguised as a wealthy old man, Xu Xiao strolled along, occasionally pausing to rest. At one small stall, he ordered a bowl of tofu. The small porcelain bowl was refreshingly cool, providing a pleasant sensation as he held it in his hands. The snacks in the capital were much like this almond tofu—exquisite in flavor, clearly distinct in taste. Cold dishes had to be icy cold, almost with frost, while hot dishes had to be scalding, never lukewarm.
Slightly hunched, Xu Xiao sat at the stall alongside common citizens who spent a few coins for a large bowl of icy almond tofu to beat the heat. He was entirely unremarkable. With a spoon, he scraped out a small piece of translucent tofu from the porcelain bowl and placed it into his mouth. Savoring the authentic flavor, he smiled slightly. This almond tofu disregarded wealth and status; it wasn’t better simply because rich households poured more osmanthus syrup onto the tofu. It had to carry a faint bitterness, in line with the ancient saying, “Summer brings much bitterness.” Xu Xiao ordered two bowls and finished both completely, then stood to pay five copper coins.
Three coins per bowl, two bowls for five.
Xu Xiao continued walking, for a full hour, until he could see the Siting Platform under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. In the past twenty years, as the only non-imperial prince in the dynasty, he had visited the capital only a few times, and never once had he come to this bureau responsible for observing celestial phenomena and issuing calendars for the emperor.
The entrance was heavily guarded by elite imperial guards. Commoners could not only not enter, but even approaching too closely would result in arrest and interrogation. Behind Xu Xiao were three attendants, including the younger apprentice of the spear master Wang Xiu. As Xu Xiao approached the bureau, his aura suddenly surged, and the guards hesitated to act rashly. Only when Xu Xiao was within ten paces of the gate did a guard silently block his path with a spear. Xu Xiao did not speak, but Liu Yanbing, one of the greatest spear masters in the world, shouted angrily, “How dare you!”
To wield spears before Liu Yanbing was truly a joke. To block the Beiliang King, who was permitted to carry a sword into the palace, was an even greater joke.
However, bound by their duty and the strict discipline of the capital, the guards at the Astronomical Bureau were accustomed to visitors showing utmost respect. Even after being reprimanded, they remained firm with spears raised, and some slowly drew their swords. The Astronomical Bureau was a place of utmost importance in the empire; even high-ranking officials and noble families dared not recklessly intrude.
From a group of visitors similarly modest in their entourage emerged a woman of unremarkable appearance, dressed as a middle-aged lady. She spoke gently, “Do not be disrespectful to the Beiliang King.”
Once the guards recognized the woman, they dared not look any further and immediately knelt. Just as they were about to speak, the woman softly said, “Rise.”
Xu Xiao turned his head slightly, surprised. Whether he bowed or not was unclear due to his hunched back. He spoke indifferently, “Xu Xiao greets the Empress.”
Moreover, Xu Xiao did not turn to look at this woman, the most exalted figure in the entire empire, but instead shifted his gaze to a young lady. She had a few cute freckles on her nose and smiled brightly, stepping forward to take Xu Xiao’s hand. “Uncle Xu, do you remember when you took me for almond tofu last time? I asked the palace kitchen to make it for me after I returned, but it just wasn’t the same. I wanted to come out again to find it, but without Uncle Xu to guide me, I couldn’t find it. I was so upset back then!”
Xu Xiao laughed heartily, deliberately exhaling, “Smell this—just had two bowls. Can you smell the almond tofu?”
The Princess pinched her nose and huffed, “Doesn’t smell good! Uncle Xu is lying!”
Xu Xiao’s manner toward the most renowned woman in the empire was remarkably indifferent and abrupt, yet he was unusually affectionate with this famously mischievous little princess. With Xu Xiao’s status, if he liked someone, he simply did; if he disliked someone, he might even scold them. Only those with some seniority could earn a reprimand from the “Butcher of Men.” Xu Xiao had once scolded the current Prime Minister Zhang Julu’s mentor, the old Prime Minister, and had scolded General Gu Jiantang. He had also scolded the Prince of Huainan and even beaten the Prince of Jing’an with the sheath of a sword. As for this visit to the capital, the official he had beaten senseless outside the palace hall was still lying on his sickbed, barely alive. Yet, his reputation had risen sharply throughout the empire, with all praising him as a loyal minister essential to the state. Previously, he had been criticized by the literati of the capital and thirty thousand scholars of the Imperial Academy for improper conduct, but now they all spoke in unison with great praise. It seems that being scolded or beaten by Xu Xiao, the Beiliang King and Grand Duke, could bring profit as long as one survived.
Xu Xiao allowed the Empress to enter the Astronomical Bureau first, then entered with Princess Sui Zhu. Glancing upward at the imperial plaque inscribed with the words “Tong Wei Jia Jing” (Penetrating the Subtle and Entering the Sublime), he mocked, “Penetrating what subtlety!”
The Empress slightly furrowed her brows but merely smiled faintly.
Holding Xu Xiao’s arm, Princess Sui Zhu nodded vigorously, “Entering what sublime state indeed!”
Xu Xiao smiled and said, “You’re just like Uncle’s taste. These days, I’ve been surrounded by a bunch of annoying people. I didn’t even know where to rest my eyes just to avoid looking at them.”
The troublemaking Princess Sui Zhu grinned mischievously, making a throat-slashing gesture, clearly imitating someone, and whispered, “It would be great if Uncle Xu just got rid of them all.”
Xu Xiao sighed, “Too bad. If only I had a daughter-in-law like you, I’d have to punish Feng Nian when I return home for your sake. That boy not only lacks luck but also upset you on Wudang Mountain. He deserves a beating!”
The Princess nodded, “Since Uncle said so, whether it’s real or pretend, I won’t hold a grudge against that guy anymore.”
Xu Xiao said earnestly, “That’s right, Princess. Don’t hold a grudge against Feng Nian. Next time you come to Beiliang to play, don’t avoid the mansion just because it’s a few steps away. Let Feng Nian show you the sight of ten thousand carp leaping—it’s truly beautiful. Princess, Feng Nian has ‘phoenix’ in his name, and you have ‘wind’ in yours. That’s quite a connection.”
Princess Zhao Fengya giggled.
The Empress did not lead Xu Xiao to the observatory where officials of the Astronomical Bureau gathered but instead to the Sheji Altar, which was paved with five-colored earth—green in the east, red in the south, white in the west, black in the north, and yellow in the center. These precious soils now came exclusively from the territory governed by the Prince of Guangling, who was widely criticized as insatiably greedy, a living glutton. Yet, even he dared not keep even a handful of this sacred soil for himself.
The Empress softly called, “Ya’er.”
At her age, Princess Sui Zhu would still loudly demand the emperor to kneel and carry her on his back, and it was said that the Son of Heaven could only plead with a bitter face to his daughter for mercy. Yet, in front of her own mother, the Empress, she became obedient, immediately letting go of General Xu’s arm and leaving quietly without causing any trouble, claiming she was going to the observatory to study with the Director Nan Huai.
The Empress gazed at the modest Sheji Altar and spoke calmly, “In recent years, Ya’er has always remembered the General’s advice, walking barefoot in her room and often eating coarse grains. Her health has indeed improved greatly compared to when she was younger.”
Xu Xiao, his hands clasped behind his back, spoke calmly, “All that talk about ‘heavenly descent and earthly ascent’ and ‘gathering the grand energy of the earth’ is nonsense spouted by these useless scholars of the Astronomical Bureau. Xu Xiao only knows that those who go barefoot fear nothing. My children were raised this way from a young age, and that’s why they are lively and energetic to this day.”
The Empress remained unfazed, whether she truly did not understand the hidden meaning or simply changed the subject, speaking softly, “I’ve heard about what happened in the Jiangnan Circuit. The one who wrote ‘Nüjie’ has already been sent by the Emperor to the Chuncheng Palace.”
Xu Xiao did not respond.
Chuncheng Palace, though named for eternal spring, was in fact the cold palace of the dynasty. For the concubines within the palace, it was the most terrifying prison under heaven.
This woman who commanded half the palace remained as composed and expressionless as ever. The common people of the empire only knew of her gentle and virtuous nature, while the noble families understood her true power.
Xu Xiao turned his head toward the observatory, snorted coldly, “Sending Ya’er there—is it to prevent me from harming Nan Huaiyu, who was merely a minor eighth-grade official back then? Xu Xiao did not bring a sword today. Your Majesty is overly cautious.”
The Empress remained silent, seemingly acknowledging.
Xu Xiao turned and walked directly toward the observatory.
She did not turn around or look back but continued to gaze at the upper reaches of the Sheji Altar. Her voice finally carried a trace of emotion, “General!”
Xu Xiao did not stop, scoffing coldly, “Zhao Zhi, have you forgotten how she treated you back then, and how you treated her?”
Addressed by his given name, the Empress replied icily, “Enough! Xu Xiao, what does it matter if you lose the empty title of Grand Duke or the Liaodong territories? You have obtained the hereditary succession against our dynasty’s tradition!”
Xu Xiao, with his hunched back and limping legs, spoke calmly, “If the court wants Liaodong, if Zhang Julu wants reforms, let him be the pillar of the nation. I will hand it over without hesitation, even placing the title of Grand Duke into his hands. But what is Gu Jiantang? Does he think he can defecate and urinate on my head? And as for that madman Zhao Heng, without someone backing him, how dare he act so shamelessly toward a younger generation?”
The Empress spoke evenly, “These words will only be heard by me.”
Xu Xiao continued walking.
She did not stop him but instead ascended the Sheji Altar. Her cold voice drifted slowly, “When Xu Fengchu first embarked on his journey, Prince Yanke sent nine Jade Hook assassins. I personally used eighteen lives to stop them because, at that time, I still believed there was hope for a marriage between Xu Fengchu and Ya’er.”
Xu Xiao stopped walking, just in time to see the lively Princess Sui Zhu standing outside the pavilion’s corridor, leaning on the railing and waving.
Xu Xiao smiled.
He then left the Astronomical Bureau.
Empress Zhao Zhi sighed softly, standing in the middle of the Sheji Altar, gazing at the finally aged back figure, lost in thought. She faintly recalled seeing that still-young and spirited general, his face filled with Grinning foolishly, kneeling on one knee in the room, personally helping that incomparably graceful Lady Wu put on a pair of handmade cloth shoes he had sewn himself. The white-robed woman, already surpassing the divine level in swordsmanship, had smiled with boundless happiness for merely receiving a pair of rough cloth shoes.
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