Spring in the imperial city always arrived later compared to the flourishing scenery of the south. After viewing camellias at Guanchen Palace, the cruiseship returned to the capital, just in time for late cherry magnolia season. Streets and towns were awash in blossoms, it was such a pleasant sight.
Yet however lovely the spring scenery was, Fengjiu's sentiments could not be moved into noble generosity. Ever since she returned to the royal palace, she regularly kept herself behind closed doors, wondering how her two sisters Junuo and Changdi were going to crawl back from the pit. They had conspired to send her to the Jiuqu Cage, then waiting until her spirit was low, Junuo had come to give her another kick of lovesick drug.
In all her life, this was the first time she ever got victimized by others again and again; it had given some blow to her pride.
Shangjun had placed the two princesses under house arrest. He did not say he would punish them, nor did he say he would not punish them. Considering Shangjun's affection for Changdi, Fengjiu reckoned this matter would be blowing over in a few days. Yet obviously she couldn't quit, and so she waited for the time when they would be released.
She carried this intention out with her whole body and mind, and eagerly counted each day on her fingers until her waiting was alas proven to be in vain.
On the 27th of March, a message issued from within the palace declared that Princess Junuo had not adhered to boudoir conducts, that she had committed fornication and begot with an illegitimate child, and as such she had greatly shamed the imperial family and was thus sentenced to be beheaded; her immortal name was to forever be erased in the book of merits and she was soon to be executed.
As for Changdi, although nothing was mentioned on the surface, a few vague private words had come from behind the curtains. It was said Princess Changdi had broken Shangjun's favorite lamp a few days ago and was to be exiled to the desolate frontier to reflect on her sin. Fengjiu was somewhat dumbfounded when she heard these news.
A pregnancy out of wedlock... yet the child in the womb seemed to have had the king and queen's favor. She had had some doubts at first, wondering if perhaps the Biyiniao folks were more broad-minded than their own Qingqiu. After asking Su Moye, she came to know that Junuo's conceived child wasn't an ordinary child, but that he was thought to possibly be the next Archmage of the clan. Throughout history, all Archmagi had been born from unmarried maidens who were impregnated through the absorption of divine essence. This was why despite carrying a child out of wedlock, Junuo could flaunt around righteously and was even able to invite Xize to leave the mountains to especially take care of her. Fengjiu could still remember the day when she had lamented that Junuo had been too blessed. But now somehow her unborn child was instead said to be produced from an affair.
Before she could send people out to inquire, Chacha had brought Su Moye into the room.
Ever since the lovesick spell incident, Mo Shao had rarely looked for her alone in order to avoid unnecessary rumors. Yet he came so suddenly today, showing that there must be some pressing matters.
Sure enough Mo Shao wasn't as calm as usual. He offered much fewer roundabout words, and after clearing his throat with the warm tea in his hands, he came straight to the point: “I said to you last month that there were several major events which decided Aranya's ending and that I needed you to make the same choices as she did, do you still remember these words?”
Fengjiu nodded.
Mo Shao was contemplative: “The first event is here.”
Fengjiu focused her concentration.
“Perhaps you won't be happy with this,” Mo Shao said with knitted brow, “but right now we must look at the big picture.” He looked at her and lowered his voice: “Save Junuo.”
Fengjiu widened her eyes at him.
In reality, Fengjiu had much of Qingqiu's strength of character. If you treated her with one part respect, she would treat you with ten parts respect. If you treated her with one part contempt, although not quite ten times the return, she would definitely pay back in some way.
Always trying to strive for virtue, the nine-tailed foxes of the Qingqiu Kingdom was never tolerant of shady business nor did they forgive treachery, still less did they use kindness to repay evil such as this.
Ever from birth, Mo Shao had been the smartest person in the West Sea, and also one of the best strategists among his immortal peers. He had cleverly found out that this world was operating according to the past. Junuo's beheading on the execution scaffold by order of Shangjun was only a matter of time. He cleverly considered that the queen had previously handled this matter inappropriately, leaving her without leverage and leading to the unmasking of Junuo's pregnancy. Taking this into account, he had thought to leave enough time for Fengjiu to first resolve her personal feud with Junuo and Changdi. Then when Junuo was brought to the scaffold, he would ask Fengjiu to keep her promise and save her. With her genial easygoing personality, this was going to go as planned.
But despite calculating hundreds and thousands of things, Mo Shao miscalculated Donghua Dijun.
In the past, Junuo's pregnancy was uncovered on April 17th, but the outgoing message from the palace came all of twenty days early this time. A thought flashed across his mind in that instant. In the small kitchen Dijun had serenely mentioned to him something about tidiness.
Now that they arrived to this point, he finally knew what Dijun meant when he spoke of tidiness.
Dijun must have already known this secret behind the Biyiniao royal family.
There was power, there were women, there were disputes in this vast world, and thus there had also been secrets. There was always some sort of secrets like this in each monarchy, and there was nothing new about the secret of the Biyiniao clan. After everything was boiled down, there were but two things of relevance: power and women.
This tangled past was actually quite simple. Legends had it the incumbent Shangjun Xiangli Que had usurped the throne from his brother. His beloved queen Lady Qinghua was none other than the sister-in-law he had stolen from his older brother.
In stories passed down, Lady Qinghua had been faithful that year. She originally wanted to follow her husband in death, but since she was pregnant with Junuo, anxious with love, Xiangli Que promised he'd allow her to keep his brother's blood if she would only stay alive, and thus she survived. Qinghua gave birth to Junuo as wished and raised her like a precious treasure. Afterward, she gave birth to Aranya who was Xiangli Que's flesh and blood. But because she had hated Xiangli Que in those days, she personally threw the newborn child into a snake pit the moment she came out of her mother's womb. This was also the beginning of Aranya's pitiful fate.
Keeping Junuo was a reluctant tactic Xiangli Que used that year as a last resort. The more he saw how clever and beautiful the child was growing up each day before his eyes, the longer the thorn in his heart grew. Xiangli Que was soon determined to get rid of her. Unfortunately Lady Qinghua guarded her child almost too carefully.
Junuo was also to blame in this matter by having an illicit relationship with her writing teacher and begetting his child. The Biyiniaos had a unique constitution; it was difficult for them to conceive, and even more difficult for them to abort; a small mistake could take both lives. Abortion meant death, having Xiangli Que know also meant death. In order to protect the only blood of her ex-husband, after much mulling Lady Qinghua had no other option but to plant this blatant lie. Su Moye sighed. These things had really happened in the past; no matter how tightly covered a wooden box was, air flow still could not be prevented. If Dijun wanted to find out something which had a form and shadow such as this, of course there was a way to find out.
With his daily image of planting trees and throwing baits, Dijun had appeared to be unmindful of worldly affairs. Nevertheless, he had heard the universe's master once helmed the six realms with an iron fist, and naturally did not believe that after falling into this place, Dijun wouldn't question the causes and consequences.
To know everything without seeing anything, to know the end by seeing only the beginning. This was Dijun. Dijun had not said much that day in the small kitchen, but he had likely already foreseen today's outcome in his mind.
Su Moye stared at the cup of green tea. Junuo could never die; if she died, how would this opera be sung in the future? Since it was Dijun who called the shots and dangled Junuo's matter before Shangjun's eyes, it was Dijun who wanted to punish Junuo using Xiangli Que's blade. Then didn't this mean that whoever to come out and save Junuo would become Dijun's enemy?
Whatever the case might be, he unsurprisingly still had to rely on Fengjiu. When Mo Shao regained his mind, he saw Fengjiu sitting there staring at him, her brow creasing into a 川. She said in puzzlement, “Although Aranya wasn't as mistreated as I was, wasn't she at strife with Junuo in the past? Why would she want to save Junuo's life at this junction? I don't really get this logic. If you can convince me today, I'll do whatever you say, but if you can't convince me, I'll have to think about it.”
Mo Shao was pleased she actually understood his troubles. He pulled a stool over to sit, sipped half a cup of tea, and continued: “The one Aranya wanted to save wasn't Junuo, but rather Chenye.” He then asked her, “How much do you know about Aranya and Chenye?”
Fengjiu lifted her little finger, her thumb pointing to the tip of it to show Mo Shao. “Only this wee much.”
Mo Shao held the teacup, and after a long time said, “Then I'll tell you a wee more.”
Spring in the imperial city always arrived later compared to the flourishing scenery of the south. After viewing camellias at Guanchen Palace, the cruiseship returned to the capital, just in time for late cherry magnolia season. Streets and towns were awash in blossoms, it was such a pleasant sight.
Yet however lovely the spring scenery was, Fengjiu's sentiments could not be moved into noble generosity. Ever since she returned to the royal palace, she regularly kept herself behind closed doors, wondering how her two sisters Junuo and Changdi were going to crawl back from the pit. They had conspired to send her to the Jiuqu Cage, then waiting until her spirit was low, Junuo had come to give her another kick of lovesick drug.
In all her life, this was the first time she ever got victimized by others again and again; it had given some blow to her pride.
Shangjun had placed the two princesses under house arrest. He did not say he would punish them, nor did he say he would not punish them. Considering Shangjun's affection for Changdi, Fengjiu reckoned this matter would be blowing over in a few days. Yet obviously she couldn't quit, and so she waited for the time when they would be released.
She carried this intention out with her whole body and mind, and eagerly counted each day on her fingers until her waiting was alas proven to be in vain.
On the 27th of March, a message issued from within the palace declared that Princess Junuo had not adhered to boudoir conducts, that she had committed fornication and begot with an illegitimate child, and as such she had greatly shamed the imperial family and was thus sentenced to be beheaded; her immortal name was to forever be erased in the book of merits and she was soon to be executed.
As for Changdi, although nothing was mentioned on the surface, a few vague private words had come from behind the curtains. It was said Princess Changdi had broken Shangjun's favorite lamp a few days ago and was to be exiled to the desolate frontier to reflect on her sin. Fengjiu was somewhat dumbfounded when she heard these news.
A pregnancy out of wedlock... yet the child in the womb seemed to have had the king and queen's favor. She had had some doubts at first, wondering if perhaps the Biyiniao folks were more broad-minded than their own Qingqiu. After asking Su Moye, she came to know that Junuo's conceived child wasn't an ordinary child, but that he was thought to possibly be the next Archmage of the clan. Throughout history, all Archmagi had been born from unmarried maidens who were impregnated through the absorption of divine essence. This was why despite carrying a child out of wedlock, Junuo could flaunt around righteously and was even able to invite Xize to leave the mountains to especially take care of her. Fengjiu could still remember the day when she had lamented that Junuo had been too blessed. But now somehow her unborn child was instead said to be produced from an affair.
Before she could send people out to inquire, Chacha had brought Su Moye into the room.
Ever since the lovesick spell incident, Mo Shao had rarely looked for her alone in order to avoid unnecessary rumors. Yet he came so suddenly today, showing that there must be some pressing matters.
Sure enough Mo Shao wasn't as calm as usual. He offered much fewer roundabout words, and after clearing his throat with the warm tea in his hands, he came straight to the point: “I said to you last month that there were several major events which decided Aranya's ending and that I needed you to make the same choices as she did, do you still remember these words?”
Fengjiu nodded.
Mo Shao was contemplative: “The first event is here.”
Fengjiu focused her concentration.
“Perhaps you won't be happy with this,” Mo Shao said with knitted brow, “but right now we must look at the big picture.” He looked at her and lowered his voice: “Save Junuo.”
Fengjiu widened her eyes at him.
In reality, Fengjiu had much of Qingqiu's strength of character. If you treated her with one part respect, she would treat you with ten parts respect. If you treated her with one part contempt, although not quite ten times the return, she would definitely pay back in some way.
Always trying to strive for virtue, the nine-tailed foxes of the Qingqiu Kingdom was never tolerant of shady business nor did they forgive treachery, still less did they use kindness to repay evil such as this.
Ever from birth, Mo Shao had been the smartest person in the West Sea, and also one of the best strategists among his immortal peers. He had cleverly found out that this world was operating according to the past. Junuo's beheading on the execution scaffold by order of Shangjun was only a matter of time. He cleverly considered that the queen had previously handled this matter inappropriately, leaving her without leverage and leading to the unmasking of Junuo's pregnancy. Taking this into account, he had thought to leave enough time for Fengjiu to first resolve her personal feud with Junuo and Changdi. Then when Junuo was brought to the scaffold, he would ask Fengjiu to keep her promise and save her. With her genial easygoing personality, this was going to go as planned.
But despite calculating hundreds and thousands of things, Mo Shao miscalculated Donghua Dijun.
In the past, Junuo's pregnancy was uncovered on April 17th, but the outgoing message from the palace came all of twenty days early this time. A thought flashed across his mind in that instant. In the small kitchen Dijun had serenely mentioned to him something about tidiness.
Now that they arrived to this point, he finally knew what Dijun meant when he spoke of tidiness.
Dijun must have already known this secret behind the Biyiniao royal family.
There was power, there were women, there were disputes in this vast world, and thus there had also been secrets. There was always some sort of secrets like this in each monarchy, and there was nothing new about the secret of the Biyiniao clan. After everything was boiled down, there were but two things of relevance: power and women.
This tangled past was actually quite simple. Legends had it the incumbent Shangjun Xiangli Que had usurped the throne from his brother. His beloved queen Lady Qinghua was none other than the sister-in-law he had stolen from his older brother.
In stories passed down, Lady Qinghua had been faithful that year. She originally wanted to follow her husband in death, but since she was pregnant with Junuo, anxious with love, Xiangli Que promised he'd allow her to keep his brother's blood if she would only stay alive, and thus she survived. Qinghua gave birth to Junuo as wished and raised her like a precious treasure. Afterward, she gave birth to Aranya who was Xiangli Que's flesh and blood. But because she had hated Xiangli Que in those days, she personally threw the newborn child into a snake pit the moment she came out of her mother's womb. This was also the beginning of Aranya's pitiful fate.
Keeping Junuo was a reluctant tactic Xiangli Que used that year as a last resort. The more he saw how clever and beautiful the child was growing up each day before his eyes, the longer the thorn in his heart grew. Xiangli Que was soon determined to get rid of her. Unfortunately Lady Qinghua guarded her child almost too carefully.
Junuo was also to blame in this matter by having an illicit relationship with her writing teacher and begetting his child. The Biyiniaos had a unique constitution; it was difficult for them to conceive, and even more difficult for them to abort; a small mistake could take both lives. Abortion meant death, having Xiangli Que know also meant death. In order to protect the only blood of her ex-husband, after much mulling Lady Qinghua had no other option but to plant this blatant lie. Su Moye sighed. These things had really happened in the past; no matter how tightly covered a wooden box was, air flow still could not be prevented. If Dijun wanted to find out something which had a form and shadow such as this, of course there was a way to find out.
With his daily image of planting trees and throwing baits, Dijun had appeared to be unmindful of worldly affairs. Nevertheless, he had heard the universe's master once helmed the six realms with an iron fist, and naturally did not believe that after falling into this place, Dijun wouldn't question the causes and consequences.
To know everything without seeing anything, to know the end by seeing only the beginning. This was Dijun. Dijun had not said much that day in the small kitchen, but he had likely already foreseen today's outcome in his mind.
Su Moye stared at the cup of green tea. Junuo could never die; if she died, how would this opera be sung in the future? Since it was Dijun who called the shots and dangled Junuo's matter before Shangjun's eyes, it was Dijun who wanted to punish Junuo using Xiangli Que's blade. Then didn't this mean that whoever to come out and save Junuo would become Dijun's enemy?
Whatever the case might be, he unsurprisingly still had to rely on Fengjiu. When Mo Shao regained his mind, he saw Fengjiu sitting there staring at him, her brow creasing into a 川. She said in puzzlement, “Although Aranya wasn't as mistreated as I was, wasn't she at strife with Junuo in the past? Why would she want to save Junuo's life at this junction? I don't really get this logic. If you can convince me today, I'll do whatever you say, but if you can't convince me, I'll have to think about it.”
Mo Shao was pleased she actually understood his troubles. He pulled a stool over to sit, sipped half a cup of tea, and continued: “The one Aranya wanted to save wasn't Junuo, but rather Chenye.” He then asked her, “How much do you know about Aranya and Chenye?”
Fengjiu lifted her little finger, her thumb pointing to the tip of it to show Mo Shao. “Only this wee much.”
Mo Shao held the teacup, and after a long time said, “Then I'll tell you a wee more.”
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