gnovel Chapter 9 Early Spring, A Song Containing Loneliness
Chapter 9 Early Spring, A Song Containing Loneliness
"The upper character is Li, and the lower character is Siyuan; this was the name of the late emperor before he ascended the throne."
After ascending the throne, he changed the emperor's name to Li Dan.
Gao Xingzhou finished his narration with a solemn expression.
After hearing about the battle that took place twenty years ago, the two children experienced several emotional ups and downs.
Gao Xingzhou and Yuan Xingqin fought fiercely for eight rounds without a clear winner. Their passion was high, and their eyes were wide open. However, Gao Xingzhou's warhorse stumbled and fell. Even though they knew their father was safe and sound, Ertong couldn't help but feel his heart race and clench his fists.
When Li Siyuan rode up to provide support, unleashing seven arrows in quick succession, the emperor felt his blood boil. Finally, he offered wine to release the enemy, and the two children praised the late emperor in unison for his generosity, magnanimity, and tolerance.
"What happened to Yuan Xingqin afterward? Which military governorship is he currently in charge of?"
When the older child asked, Gao Xingzhou's expression darkened slightly. The feud between Yuan Xingqin and the late emperor was another story altogether.
The two children listened with great interest and urged their father to continue.
Seeing that it was getting late and that he needed to entertain the imperial envoy who had come to deliver the imperial edict that evening, Gao Xingzhou sent his two sons away, saying he would talk to them another day. The two boys had no choice but to leave reluctantly.
Madam Gao had already instructed her servants to prepare a banquet. Gao Xingzhou sent someone to invite them, and soon the imperial envoy arrived and invited them to take their seats at the head of the table.
The envoy's surname was Meng, and he held the official position of Director of the Inner Palace Attendants, a sixth-rank official. He was in charge of ceremonies, delivering imperial edicts, and managing the register of ladies-in-waiting.
He offered a few words of polite refusal, and then the host and guests took their seats.
Gao Xingzhou raised his cup in welcome and politely asked, "May I ask how Eunuch Meng and General Meng are addressed?"
Envoy Meng had been waiting for this question, and answered in a shrill voice, "General Meng is indeed our godfather!"
Meng Hanqiong, a mere eunuch, was promoted to the rank of Grand General of the Cavalry within a month simply for welcoming the new emperor to the throne.
The eunuchs' power at the end of the Tang Dynasty began with Emperor Ming, flourished during the reign of Emperor Su, reached its peak during the reign of Emperor Dezong, and reached its zenith during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong. Their power only declined after Zhu Wen killed more than 700 eunuchs, but it was never completely eradicated.
The late emperor lived a very frugal life, keeping only one hundred women in the harem, thirty eunuchs, one hundred musicians, twenty falconers, and fifty imperial chefs. The rest were allowed to go wherever they pleased. He also abolished the military supervisors of each circuit, which finally changed the situation.
Now that a new emperor has ascended the throne, there are signs that the power of eunuchs is on the rise again.
Gao Xingzhou was inwardly unconvinced, but put on a smile and offered another cup: "It's good to take shelter under a big tree. With General Meng looking after you, Eunuch Meng's rise to prominence is just around the corner. You've had a long and tiring journey to deliver this imperial decree. I'll offer you some travel expenses as a token of my gratitude later, so please don't refuse."
When Meng Zhongshi heard him mention the gift of gratitude, he outwardly declined politely, but inwardly he was very pleased: "Serving the court is no hardship at all. Commander Gao is so loyal, I will certainly repay His Majesty."
After several rounds of drinks, the guests and hosts were in high spirits. Gao Xingzhou casually asked, "It is rumored that General Meng and Prince Lu have a close relationship. Is that true?"
Meng Zhongshi hurriedly denied it: "How could that be? My godfather and the Prince of Lu... I know nothing about it."
Gao Xingzhou swirled the wine cup in his hand, gazing at the rippling liquid within: "Years ago, when the Prince of Lu lost Hezhong, the late Emperor ordered him to return to his residence in Qinghua Lane in the capital to reflect on his actions. The Empress Dowager often sent General Meng to deliver imperial edicts to the residence, showing the Prince of Lu considerable favor. Does Eunuch Meng not know this?"
Envoy Meng gave a wry smile: "Commander Gao, you can't say things like that carelessly. If word gets out, it will cause a lot of trouble."
Those who can become military commanders of a region are all shrewd and calculating. Judging from Gao Xingzhou's words, Meng Zhongshi likely already knows something, and besides, the official gazette will reach all the prefectures sooner or later; concealing it is futile.
After figuring out the situation, Meng Zhongshi lowered his voice and said, "Prince Lu... Li Congke, he has rebelled."
Gao Xingzhou, having verified Li Congke's letter, felt his heart churning with turmoil, but remained composed as he continued, "The Prince of Lu and the court have a misunderstanding; won't the Empress Dowager intervene and mediate?"
His question, which touched upon the inner palace, was somewhat abrupt, and the envoy, Meng, was unaware of the reason. However, some things are common knowledge, and speaking them aloud is beneficial without costing anything; it might as well do him a favor.
After drinking several cups, Meng Zhongshi was already showing signs of drunkenness: "General Gao, what I'm about to say is just drunken ramblings, so just take it as it is."
Gao Xingzhou understood that he did not want to take responsibility, and nodded, saying, "That's natural."
Meng Zhongshi explained in detail: "The Empress Dowager had no children, so the late Emperor ordered Prince Xu to recognize her as his mother. This matter is known throughout the court."
He paused for a moment: "When the late Emperor passed away last year, Prince Xu was only four years old and had no connection with him. The problem arose because of his wet nurse, Lady Wang, the maid in charge of clothing."
"Because of the unspeakable crime committed by the Prince of Qin, Lady Wang uttered complaints. Rumors circulated in the palace that she and the Prince of Qin had an affair, so His Majesty issued an edict to execute her, which implicated the Dowager Consort."
Gao Xingzhou's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Prince Li Congrong of Qin was the second son of the late emperor. He served as the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces and commanded the Six Armies and Guards. He was originally the first choice to inherit the throne. However, he was impatient and, upon hearing that everyone in the palace was crying, he thought that the late emperor had passed away. He led a thousand men into the palace, intending to seize control of the situation.
Unexpectedly, the late emperor recovered and Meng Hanqiong donned armor and rode a horse, summoning Zhu Hongshi, the commander of the cavalry, to lead five hundred cavalry to attack him.
Upon learning that the late emperor had not died, who would dare to rebel under his powerful reputation? Li Congrong's subordinates scattered and fled, and he himself was beheaded by An Congyi, the imperial city commissioner.
Unfortunately, the late emperor's passing was merely a brief respite, and the death of his second son further troubled him, leading to his death a few days later. This is why his third son, Li Conghou, ascended the throne.
Meng Zhongshi failed to notice the subtle change in Gao Xingzhou's expression and continued, "His Majesty originally intended to move the Dowager Consort to De Palace, which would be tantamount to banishing her to the cold palace. Fortunately, considering that Empress Dowager Cao had always been on friendly terms with the Dowager Consort, he stopped the move for fear of offending her, but she is still treated very poorly." (Note 1)
Gao Xingzhou was even more displeased, and the scales in his heart gradually tipped to one side.
……
When Gao Xingzhou was entertaining Meng Zhongshi, the two boys found the girl from before and asked her what delicious food she had made that day.
"You're all just greedy eaters. You think the cooks in your mansion aren't good enough? You insist on coming here to beg for food."
Despite her words, when she heard her two younger brothers complaining that they were hungry, the young woman still ordered someone to bring out two large bowls of brownish porridge that looked like porridge, along with dried meat and several plates of refreshing side dishes, and placed them in front of them.
Although it didn't look very appealing, it smelled delicious. Er Tong scooped up a spoonful, tasted it, and immediately started eating it in big mouthfuls.
While eating, the young child complained to his older sister, "Brother sneaked out of the manor to play again today and almost missed his shooting practice. As a result, Father caught him red-handed."
The older child retorted to his younger brother, "When you arrive in a new place, of course I want to explore the local customs and culture. Besides, this is also to scout out the way for you guys."
"Tch, everyone knows you love to frequent brothels and theaters, and you'll throw money around as a reward when you're in a good mood. Back in Shuozhou, Gao Yanei's name was quite famous."
"All you do is practice martial arts and study. Be careful not to end up like a schoolteacher and become a bookworm."
"You two, you're not allowed to talk while you're eating."
The girl tapped on the table, and the two children, who seemed quite afraid of their older sister, immediately lowered their heads and ate their rice, not daring to make a sound.
"I heard there's chaos outside the manor, with people being kidnapped and sold into slavery. You're running around everywhere, so be careful."
"Don't worry, Sister Xuan, my two attendants will follow me wherever I go. It'll be fine."
The older child changed the subject, his mouth full of food as he asked indistinctly, "Sister Xuan, what is this? It's delicious."
The girl watched her two younger brothers eat with relish and smiled, saying, "This is called 'money rice'."
"What kind of money-making meal?"
"It is said that several hundred years ago, during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, there was a king in the north named Shi Le. His army was short of food and supplies. In order to prevent his soldiers from robbing the people, he ordered that elm seeds be collected, mixed with millet, and cooked into rice to fill their stomachs."
"And then?"
"To commemorate him, the people built a temple dedicated to the King. Elm seeds are not common, so you ate black beans instead, which you soaked all day and then mashed flat; don't they look like little copper coins?"
The two children were eating so fast that they didn't pay much attention. When they scooped up a spoonful, it was indeed there. It seemed that their older sister had put a lot of effort into preparing this meal.
"From now on, when you follow your father to lead troops into battle, learn from this King Shi and don't bully the people."
"Sister Xuan is so kind-hearted. God bless her, she will definitely marry into a good family in the future."
After the two children finished their meal, they started showering each other with compliments. The girl spat out, "Stop talking nonsense. After you finish eating, practice the piano with me for a while, then go and rest early."
After the meal, the servants cleared away the dishes and chopsticks, and a maid brought over a zither table, a copper basin of warm water, and lit a censer of incense.
The young girl calmly washed and dried her hands, put on her nail polish, and sat gracefully before the zither.
Soon the room was filled with a fragrant aroma, and the lingering smell of food was gone. Only then did she begin to pluck the strings of her zither, playing a timely and fitting piece called "Early Spring."
The sound of the zither pattered softly, and the drizzle on the street was as gentle as silk. It seemed as if the grass was still pale, appearing green from afar but not upon closer inspection.
Then it chirped a few times, sounding like the cheerful song of an oriole.
A young girl plays the zither with her delicate hands, while two children sit quietly listening, creating an elegant and harmonious scene.
The older boy listened for a while, and when the girl finished playing, he said, "Sister Xuan, the scenery in early spring is just right. How about we go out for a spring outing another day?"
The girl wanted to agree, but hesitated.
Seeing that his sister was tempted, the boy urged her on, "I've heard that there's a pagoda mountain here that enshrines a Bodhisattva, and it's extremely efficacious. It's less than ten miles outside the mansion. Just tell him you're praying to the gods and Buddha, and Father will definitely agree."
The girl thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "Alright, I'll inform my father and mother, and you can come with me."
The two children nodded eagerly and accompanied their sister out, taking the opportunity to enjoy the scenery. How delightful!
After her two younger brothers left, the girl sighed softly, "De-di, did you sense that the music, besides the vibrant spring, also contained loneliness and melancholy, which is why you invited me out for a stroll? If I weren't a girl, I would also like to study literature and martial arts with you."
The Gao family had strict rules; the art of marksmanship was passed down to the daughter-in-law, not the daughters. Education was limited to texts such as *The Book of Rites for Women*, *The Admonitions for Women*, *The Analects for Women*, *The Classic of Filial Piety for Women*, and *The Book of Poetry*. Besides helping her mother with household chores, the young girls spent their time doing needlework and playing the zither for relaxation.
Gao Xingzhou was busy with official and military affairs, while Madam Gao managed the household and entertained guests, leaving her with very little time to care about her daughter's feelings.
As the eldest daughter of a military family, her responsibilities at home were very clear: to assist her mother, take care of her younger brother, and eventually marry into a family of equal social standing.
Fortunately, the bond between the siblings somewhat made up for this regret. The fact that her brother thought of her when he went out to play made the girl feel quite gratified.
Then I'll wait until tomorrow and tell my father.