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[01 - The Golden Platform]
When Bai Ying returned to the small courtyard, he first noticed a flash of canary yellow from a young maiden’s skirt.
He smiled faintly and called out: “Yuanjun.”
Li Yuanjun turned her head and joyfully responded: “Cousin!”
In one hand, she held a package of pastries—the famous cherry pastries from Yuanliang Shop at the back street of Bianhe. Every day before dawn, someone was sent specifically to queue for two hours just to get this package.
Bai Ying and her ate the entire package of pastries in the garden.
Crumbles of pastry remained at the corners of the maiden’s lips, but she didn’t reach up to wipe them. Bai Ying glanced at her, said nothing, and it was Li Yuanjun who burst into laughter first: “Cousin, I’m getting married soon.”
She sat on the stone table in the small courtyard, playfully swinging her legs, her gaze following the gradually setting sun: “I suppose you’ve heard about it—on the banquet the other day, I deliberately fell into the water and won my bet.”
Bai Ying slowly tightened his grip on the oil paper of the cherry pastry in his hand, unable to describe his feelings: “...Marriage is a lifelong matter for women. Even if Uncle has agreed to help me, you shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
Hearing his words, Li Yuanjun became even more cheerful: “You saying this makes me realize I made the right choice—do you know? Father didn’t know my plan at first. When he learned that the Crown Prince wanted to marry me, he didn’t even bother to ask if I was alright after falling into the water; he was overjoyed. He later inquired about my well-being but never mentioned whether this was my design or whether I was willing.”
“They don’t care about my ‘lifelong matter’ at all, Cousin,” Li Yuanjun sighed here, her smile not fading, “On the contrary, you are the most concerned...”
“Do you mind yourself?” Bai Ying interrupted her.
Li Yuanjun paused, then firmly answered: “No.”
“I hate owing others favors,” Bai Ying slowly said, “Because I have too much to do, no extra energy to repay them. I hope you don’t regret it yourself.”
Li Yuanjun stood up, the white silk scarf lightly brushing past him. She wore narrow sleeves and did not wear any jewelry, so her movements only produced subtle rustling sounds of fabric.
In his courtyard, there was a weapons rack—he had previously thought not knowing martial arts was inconvenient and wanted to learn some, but he didn’t know which weapon suited him best, so he gathered many.
Li Yuanjun casually picked up an iron spear. It was unknown how her delicate body could lift a spear that even soldiers might struggle with.
A maiden in intricate skirts wielding an iron spear.
Absurd and incongruous.
Bai Ying stared at her intently, recalling their early days when they first met, and he took Li Yuanjun’s pulse for the first time.
Her eyes were bright, full of expectation as she smiled: “Cousin must cure my frail condition.”
He found it strange and casually asked: “Yuanjun, if your condition doesn’t get a big shock, it usually won’t flare up. As long as you are delicately nurtured, you’ll be fine your whole life.”
But Li Yuanjun fell silent. She raised her face, gazing beyond the flower window where her two elder brothers were practicing martial arts outside, swords and blades slicing through the wind with sharp sounds.
“I’m no worse than them,” she said.
“Mother passed away early, and my brothers don’t like books. When I was young, Father didn’t send me to school, so I read all the books hidden in the pavilion—there weren’t many books in a military family. The remnants of the previous dynasty’s history, magical arts, and military strategy—I read them thoroughly, dreaming of Empress Zhou. Even if I can’t become such a figure, I should leave a name in the annals.”
Bai Ying was astonished by the girl’s ambition: “So you started practicing martial arts since you were young?”
Li Yuanjun laughed: “Yes, I always thought, the world is vast. If I could convince Father and practice martial arts with my brothers, I could also build achievements like men and shine through the ages.”
For women in seclusion, her condition wasn’t a serious illness. In fact, many women had this condition without ever realizing it throughout their lives.
But for her aspirations, this tiny ailment was cruel.
Bai Ying suddenly understood how she discovered her condition—every day she practiced martial arts at home until she finally persuaded her father to let her go to the martial field. But after just a few days, she suffered a great shock, and her frail condition flared up.
Words stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
He actually felt reluctant to tell her that this condition couldn’t be cured.
But Bai Ying didn’t know if she understood it herself because, after his prolonged silence, Li Yuanjun secretly held his hand under the brocade quilt and earnestly said: “So you must succeed, Cousin.”
Bai Ying slightly raised his eyebrows.
“I feel that heaven is unfair to me just because I have this weak condition, and my brothers are even worse... Heaven is unfair to you, but you’ve never complained. You use every method to retaliate and plan, never losing determination despite the difficulties ahead.”
“Brother, you must succeed. I’m willing to do these things for you. One day... you will be a wise ruler for generations, and I will be your supporting minister. Our wishes will all come true.”
Perhaps he could understand why Li Yuanjun treated him differently.
From a young age, the little girl harbored ambitions and flames destined not to be understood by the world. She was full of vitality, charging forward with her spear, but her illness restrained her, pulling her back to the tranquil inner chambers.
She felt wronged, unwilling, yearning for opportunities that would bring lightning to her life.
Then he appeared, like a miracle.
Initially, Li Wei refused to believe his absurd claims, but it was Li Yuanjun’s persuasion that convinced him to conduct the blood verification.
After confirmation, Li Wei wanted to immediately take Bai Ying to the palace to meet the emperor—a naive and immature move. Bai Ying sarcastically thought at the time that with his current status, he might not even make it out of the palace before the Crown Prince struck him down.
They had nothing, so they needed to endure and bide their time for years, finding the perfect opportunity before daring to play their cards.
Li Wei and his two sons were so mediocre, yet no one expected such a woman to emerge from the household.
The maiden performed a complete set of spear techniques in front of him, fluid and powerful, her elegant sash dancing in the wind, her elaborate skirt fluttering beautifully, strong and resolute.
She wiped the glittering sweat from her forehead and threw the spear over. Bai Ying reached out to catch it, hearing her say: “Brother, one day, if others are not up to the task, I will lead the troops for you.”
She meant what she said.
She endured ten years in the Crown Prince’s residence, humbling herself. Even when attending banquets, she always appeared timid and sickly. Occasionally, when he saw her passing by from upstairs, they would glance at each other indifferently and quickly look away.
After the Crown Prince seized power and rarely returned, Li Yuanjun finally found an opportunity. Learning that the Crown Prince intended to borrow troops from Xishao, she privately contacted Xishao, arranging for oil preparations.
Disguised as a man, she quietly persuaded her father’s subordinates who were already dissatisfied with him. When Song Shixuan and Zhou Yan brought troops into the city, she pushed her father and brothers out, thereby preserving the Li family’s army and bringing it under her control.
In times of prosperity, she couldn’t leave the house; in turbulent times, perhaps she could truly become the person she envisioned.
Unfortunately, later on, Li Yuanjun grew impatient—she was extremely intelligent, able to see through various military strategies, but ultimately lacked understanding of the ruthless political intrigues of the court. The books in the library hadn’t fully captured the cruelty of power struggles more brutal than bloodshed.
Zhou Tan handed over the biggest secret. Both Bai Ying and Li Yuanjun believed that even if he and Song Shixuan had unbreakable bonds, they couldn’t overcome the enmity of life and death.
Before the underground chamber of Changling, Bai Ying realized that this couldn’t be blamed on Li Yuanjun or himself. Saints like Zhou Tan were rare finds even in history books.
The cold blade pressed against her neck, and Li Yuanjun felt blood trickle down her forehead, her heartbeat accelerating—this was the precursor to her frail condition flaring up.
She didn’t show any sign on her face, merely glancing at Bai Ying.
Bai Ying’s hand holding the knife trembled uncontrollably.
In a daze, he seemed to see the little girl in canary yellow from back then.
The little girl holding an iron spear, her gentle dress fluttering in the wind, weaving her dream of being ennobled at Langju.
“Brother, now you have chips in hand, don’t hesitate for me. Why release me...?”
“You must live! Only by living is there hope.”
He understood her affection—not just romantic love, but also the bond of kindred spirits and shared ideals.
She desired his success more than he did himself, hoping he could prove to heaven that even though they were born at the wrong time and fate was lacking, they could still ascend to the moon and possess the power to dry up the four seas and overturn the heavens.
But she failed, and so did he.
Looking at her corpse, Bai Ying suddenly regretted not praising her.
You are better than the gentlemen of old.
To repay the intention on the golden platform.
To carry the jade dragon and die for you.
[02·Eternal Peace Verse]
Song Shiyan reached out to tease the parrot on the corridor, sunlight illuminating his pale gold and purple robe along with the parrot’s colorful feathers, creating a dazzling spectacle.
Bai Ying knelt expressionlessly before him and performed a deep bow: “Wishing Your Highness eternal peace.”
Song Shiyan turned his head upon seeing him and smiled: “Jing’an, I’ve told you there’s no need to kneel to me.”
He had many advisors in his mansion, but very few whom he trusted completely. This person had followed him since his wedding, handling many confidential matters for him.
When Su Huaixu came secretly with a foreign woman, only this person accompanied him.
Privately, he had also investigated his identity.
Bai Sanjing, the eleventh young master of Jinling Bai family.
He was different from Bai Shating, who had been favored since childhood.
Bai Shating’s father was the next lord of the Bai family, while Bai Sanjing’s father was just an ordinary man among his generation. His mother wasn’t the main wife, but a merchant’s daughter who became a concubine only after giving birth to him.
Since childhood, Bai Sanjing and his mother weren’t valued much in the Bai family and faced many cold stares. By the time he was ten, his mother, who had been like a ghost, constantly shrinking in corners, passed away, leaving behind a pitifully simple funeral.
He packed his belongings and left Jinling, determined to make a name for himself and leave the home where no one cared about him.
So when Song Shiyan initially asked his name during their first meeting, he said his surname was Jing, named Jing’an.
Later, Song Shiyan was curious about his relationship with Bai Shating and vaguely asked his opinion on his distant relative Zhou Tan.
Bai Ying only sneered and calmly replied: “No one cared a word when I was young, so where does the affection come from when grown? Your Highness knows best about people’s hearts, doesn’t he?”
Song Shiyan naturally understood—he lost his mother at birth, though he bore the title of legitimate son, he grew up lonely in the palace. Emperor De was negligent, and he had suffered bullying before he grew up, feeling the same way.
Thus, he patted the young man’s shoulder, rarely speaking sincerely: “On the day I ascend the throne, I will surely let you return to your hometown in glory.”
Jing’an was his most outstanding advisor, not only skilled in medicine but also handling both major and minor affairs meticulously. He seldom encountered such a confidant, and before dying, he could only think of him to bury his remains.
Amidst the fierce wind on the city wall, Song Shiyan looked up at the sky, thinking of the ballad Bai Ying often hummed.
It was Bai Shating’s “Eternal Peace Verse.”
Bai Shating wrote such verses to find him, and they were sung throughout the streets. He clearly said he didn’t care about these connections, so why did he keep humming this song?
It seemed that the person he trusted most also had secrets from him.
Song Shiyan suddenly couldn’t smile anymore, clearly hearing the whisper Li Yuanjun had leaned in to say before leaving.
“Does Your Highness want to know who the person behind me is? Your Highness... although you don’t care about blood ties, you still have a brother in this world.”
Images flashed before his eyes—the parrot at the end of the corridor, the gradually brightening Candle Tower, the dim evening at Fanlou... when drunk, he embraced Jing’an, half-jokingly saying: “Sometimes, I really feel that Jing’an is my family.”
Bai Ying lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable, not answering, only saying: “Your Highness, Madam Qu wants to send her relatives to Jiangnan. I always feel something’s amiss... Let me follow her for you on this trip.”
“Alright, alright, if it weren’t you going, I wouldn’t be reassured.”
Ascending to the capital in daylight, the nine-layered Phoenix Mountain.
If the “Queen’s biological child” mentioned by Su Huaixu’s woman really exists in this world, who should it be?
“I’m leaving, Your Highness... You must guard Bianjing and wait for my return. Then you will be the Emperor. I will prepare the finest wine to personally congratulate Your Majesty on your ascension.”
Song Shiyan looked up in the haze of alcohol: “...If this plan fails, come back and prepare my body.”
The youth neither dissuaded nor consoled as usual but deeply bowed, calmly replying: “Alright.”
Sitting atop the city wall, Song Shiyan figured everything out and couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
Zhou Tan tried to grab his robe but failed.
The Eternal Peace Verse... indeed a gift from immortals.
Then escort me all the way, falling like a cold star.
[03·Treading Clouds]
Late at night, Bai Ying and Bai Shating got drunk and staggered arm in arm down the empty streets of Bianhe.
They swayed and laughed heartily, eventually unable to make it home and passed out on a black canopy boat on the Bian River.
Fortunately, Ye Liuchun had foreseen this and arranged for a boatman beforehand, instructing him that if the two got drunk, he could directly row them back to Spring Rain Tower.
With the sound of flowing water, Bai Shating lay on the boat deck, vaguely opening his eyes and seeing a few stars, immediately shouting: “...Where are the Big Dipper constellations now? Follow me to ride the wind to Penglai!”
Bai Ying leaned against the side, scolding him: “Arrogant! Arrogant!”
Bai Shating laughed loudly and continued: “Six divine dragons obscure the white sun... fear not, tread the clouds!”
He clumsily climbed up from the boat deck and moved closer to Bai Ying: “Eleventh Brother, tell me the truth—are you interested in Mrs. Zhou...?”
Bai Ying shuddered and pushed him: “What nonsense are you spouting!”
Bai Shating chuckled: “Loving beauty isn’t shameful.”
Bai Ying glared at him, looked up at the moon in the sky, and murmured: “Actually, I don’t know either...”
“When I first saw her... on the Flower Festival at Fanlou, I felt a sense of familiarity. I felt I should befriend her, even felt... as if I owed her something. This feeling is elusive, coming and going, and I can’t explain what it is anymore.”
Bai Shating hugged his thigh, catching only half of what was said: “You’re not getting any younger, and you don’t even have a close female friend. The only one you have feelings for is someone else’s wife. What to do about that...?”
Bai Ying laughed bitterly: “Stop talking nonsense.”
Bai Shating squinted and continued: “I’ve even thought of names for your children. If you don’t want to bear the Bai surname, fine, continue with the surname Bai... ‘Where to seek the Prime Minister’s shrine? Outside Jincheng, the cypress forest is dense.’ How about naming our nephew Bai Sen, quite cute, huh.”
Bai Ying paused for a moment, then slowly replied, “Alright.”
“Okay, I think it’s great too...”
“Why are you talking about my business? Weren’t we just talking about yours?” His antics sobered Bai Ying up by seven points. “What exactly are you going to do about Chun Niangzi?”
Bai Sating held his head and yelled loudly, pretending not to hear.
“What’s the use of escaping? If you truly repent, why don’t you enter officialdom and take the imperial examination, acquire some property, and marry her?” Bai Ying angrily retorted, “There aren’t many opportunities in one’s life to regret. The chance is at your fingertips, why do you never cherish it?”
There was no answer. Bai Sating had already fallen asleep on the boat, and it was unclear if he had heard anything.
The Spring Wind and Rain Tower, with only one lamp lit, was reflected on the river.
Bai Ying whispered, “Eleventh, with a brother like you, he’ll be happy in heaven.”
The first time he heard “The waters of the great river drift away,” he was sitting at the alley entrance, silently stopping for a long time. After returning, he copied the poem and read it word by word.
The waters of the great river are threefold.
The sun rising in the capital is a scene.
Some people, even after death, are remembered so fondly.
But some people, even while alive, never have a last lamp lit for them in the dark.
He and Song Shiyan were both pathetic, one knowingly lonely, the other a gilded decay.
It was hard to say who was more pathetic, but he was probably more so.
Because even in his malice, he wasn’t as pure as Song Shiyan.
Bai Ying swayed to his feet, gazing at the imperial city shrouded in night mist in the distance.
It was so, so far from him.
“I have never been able to be pure... perhaps I knew it myself, which is why I’ve always been... rejecting rising high.”
He chuckled, mimicking Bai Sating’s boldness, and recited the poem he had just improvised.
How wonderful it would be if one could live a life of unrestrained joy.
“Where are the Big Dipper and the three stars now? Let me ride the wind to Penglai... Six divine dragons shield the bright sun, my lord, do not fear...”
Treading on clouds.
________________________________________
04: The Heart of Plants
After Fu Qingnian’s death, Du Hui fled Bianjing with his family and died on a road in the countryside.
Bai Ying heard Song Shiyan “tsk” with keen interest and called out to him, “Jing An, come and see.”
He leaned in closer to see a craftsman’s sketch laid out before him.
It wasn’t the original; it seemed to have been hurriedly copied.
He looked at it for a couple of glances and exclaimed in astonishment, “Your Highness, this is...”
The Edict to Build the True Suchness Palace diagram.
Song Shiyan said, “When I was young, I once witnessed my imperial father forcing my imperial grandfather to his death.”
All the servants in the room discreetly withdrew. Bai Ying swallowed, hearing his voice tremble slightly: “Forcing to his death...”
“Don’t be afraid, Jing An,” Song Shiyan looked at him, smiling. “You weren’t in the palace, so you don’t know that before my imperial father ascended the throne, there were a lot of rumors circulating within the palace walls, saying that my imperial father didn’t seem to be my imperial grandfather’s bloodline, and my imperial grandfather had summoned Prince Jing to the capital with the intention of changing the heir.”
“My imperial father struck first, making my imperial grandfather sickly and unable to manage affairs, which is how he kept his position. At the time, he thought these rumors were groundless, but it was I who inadvertently overheard about the True Suchness Palace matter and then speculated.”
Bai Ying’s gaze shifted downwards, falling on the secret chamber beneath the True Suchness Palace.
“Why do you think he insisted on building the Burning Candle Tower? Fortunately, Du Hui took this item with him when he fled, allowing me to deduce one or two things. These imperial secrets are too many, and too dirty.”
Song Shiyan said this, but then shook his head, “However, after the Burning Candle Tower was built, I probed around and always felt that my imperial father never found a body beneath the True Suchness Palace. Why...”
After leaving the Crown Prince’s Residence, Bai Ying immediately sought out his confidants and traveled between Ruozhou and Biandu, meticulously investigating for half a year.
He had this doubt the moment he saw the diagram—if the True Suchness Palace had a secret chamber when it was built, why did Noble Consort Zhao’s child appear only after the fire in the Southern Garden?
“When Master Gongshu built the True Suchness Palace, he clearly wrote in his notes, ‘What is True Suchness? It manifests without self.’ Neither real nor empty, neither born nor destroyed, neither square nor round... Therefore, he built the True Suchness Palace with a mutually reinforcing above-ground and underground structure. This underground palace is a replica of the above-ground True Suchness Hall, inherently part of the palace.”
“In those days, the late emperor and Noble Consort Zhao were deeply devoted to each other, and Noble Consort Zhao’s elder brother was a powerful minister. There was no lack of jealous people in the palace... I think this so-called ‘mistaken identity’ was likely fabricated and spread by those with ulterior motives to suppress His Majesty.”
Yes... Prime Minister Liu, who disliked Noble Consort Zhao’s exclusive favor, upon occasionally learning of the True Suchness Palace’s structure, immediately conceived a plan and exaggeratedly spread the story.
Rumors abounded and were highly successful. Even though Emperor Xuan knew full well that someone was doing this intentionally, he didn’t know how to refute it.
Noble Consort Zhao moved out of the True Suchness Palace, citing the noise.
The palace was abandoned, but the rumors persisted.
Emperor Xuan’s hesitation in establishing Song Chang as heir at the time was simply because he perceived his extreme personality, and had nothing to do with his birth. But those with ulterior motives could easily exploit this, turning it into a bargaining chip for infighting.
It also made sense: at that time, Song Chang had no real power. If his parentage was truly questionable, why didn’t Emperor Xuan directly issue an edict to depose him? Even if he was gravely ill, there was still Gu Zhiyan in the court.
Later, Fu Qingnian also saw the diagram and fabricated everything according to Prime Minister Liu’s scheme.
One rumor, two dynastic factional struggles—how much did they destroy?
Bai Ying dared not even imagine.
When Emperor Xuan was unable to refute and could only ultimately instruct Gu Zhiyan to keep the secret,
Emperor De was destined to learn of this matter.
When Emperor De decided to excavate the True Suchness Palace and build the Burning Candle Tower,
Regardless of whether he found a body or not, the shadow of doubt was destined to be planted in his heart for a lifetime.
Bai Ying pulled at the corners of his mouth, unable to smile. A chill crept up his spine.
Before today, he had never realized that the darkness and terror of these factional struggles far exceeded his imagination.
He had seriously considered whether, if he ascended to power, he could find someone he could completely trust to consolidate authority and put an end to these factional disputes for him.
After much thought, he felt he couldn’t do it.
Perhaps no one in this world could.
Until he heard Qu You’s words—
“My husband told Minister Su that he was willing to use his own reputation as a stepping stone to elevate him to a high position and control the court... Minister Su is already a clean official from an aristocratic family. By removing a corrupt minister disliked by the court, he can achieve a great reputation like Prime Minister Gu, helping him resolve factional disputes and nurture the populace.”
The world is bustling, all for profit...
What he couldn’t do, someone else could.
After hearing these words, Bai Ying knew that he had already lost.
Hatred had clouded everything for him, and the “Tao” he held in his heart was shattered. Because of these experiences, he could never become the clear and benevolent ruler he envisioned in this lifetime.
He and Song Shiyan seemed to be no different.
“I must be this way... otherwise, I’d be letting down my fate.”
Then, to die with abandon is better than to live in a daze, clinging to life.
He recalled when he and Qu You had first met, not long after, she asked about the origin of his name. Later, Zhou Tan and Bai Sating asked again.
In fact, there was no origin—Bai is impure white, and Ying is a scene in the dark night.
The first time, he vaguely brushed it off. The second time, he hadn’t thought of an answer yet when he heard Bai Sating suddenly slap his thigh and exclaim, “I know! It’s from the line ‘Water grass and duckweed intertwine, like the shadow of bamboo and cypress’! Isn’t it?”
Zhou Tan at his side praised lightly, “Night touring with a dear friend, a very good name.”
What night is without moonlight?
What place is without bamboo and cypress?
It’s just that he lacked close friends and had many worries... He might have people to hold candles for him on a night tour, but he would ultimately lose them.
Bai Ying smiled, tacitly accepting the explanation.
________________________________________
“Plants have their true nature... why seek a beauty to pluck them?”
“Today, let’s settle this.”
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