Pleasing the young sovereign was an absolute priority that could never be abandoned – after all, for the officials of the Imperial Household, this was precisely the core of their work.
However, how they should proceed in practice was a matter worth some discussion.
According to Wen Yanran’s expectations, the people of the Imperial Household would surely increase their efforts, continue developing all sorts of amusements, and strive to produce something that would genuinely catch her interest as soon as possible.
But in the mind of the Director of the Imperial Household, the situation was quite different: at present, the Emperor’s interest in state affairs far outweighed her interest in entertainment of any kind. If they continued their previous line of research, it was clear that the gains would not justify the cost.
An eunuch ventured tentatively, “Since Her Majesty is of a temperament that prefers quiet over activity, perhaps the Imperial Household could present some more tranquil amusements.”
Hearing this, the Director first frowned, then seemed to recall something from the past, and nodded thoughtfully.
The emperors of Great Zhou inherited their throne through bloodline, and their temperaments and preferences often shared certain similarities. Recalling the late emperor’s tastes, the Director soon had an idea. A few days later, he specially sent a batch of tales of the strange miscellanies to the Western Yong Palace.
Wen Yanran looked with interest at the books being presented, picked one up, and opened it.
After skimming the general contents, Wen Yanran quietly closed it again – vertical text without punctuation was still a handicap she could force herself to endure, but even less entertaining than the various toys of Great Zhou were its so-called novels.
And according to Wen Yanran’s standards, these didn’t even count as novels. Perhaps due to the limitations of the era’s literary development, these texts had much in common with the Classic of Mountains and Seas in style – leaning heavily toward expository description. Most entries simply described strange creatures or environments; actual plot was scarce. In summary, it was always something like: so-and-so went to such-and-such place, saw some strange phenomenon or ate some divine object; some stories ended right there, others concluded with sudden ascension to immortality – in any case, none had the kind of plot development that interested her.
Having already accepted that “winning imperial favor with modern cooking skills” was a perfectly reasonable transmigration trope, Wen Yanran now also felt that those stories where a transmigrator rose to fame by writing novels in ancient times… were actually quite plausible.
Chi Yi noticed that the young sovereign seemed somewhat disappointed and offered consolation. “When the weather warms, Your Majesty will be able to leave the palace for the spring hunt.”
Great Zhou imposed no strict requirements on an emperor’s hunting skills. Given how monotonous life inside the palace could be, Wen Yanran thought that the reason successive emperors maintained the tradition of hunting in the suburbs was very likely because it allowed them to get out and breathe fresh air.
Wen Yanran smiled. “The year’s end has not even passed, and Ah-Yi is already thinking about the spring hunt?” She gave a slight shake of her head and set the book aside.
Chi Yi asked, “Does this book not suit Your Majesty’s taste?”
Wen Yanran neither confirmed nor denied it, and said slowly, “The world speaks often of spirits and strange beings…”
She had only spoken halfway when she suddenly stopped.
Chi Yi fell silent – those who served at the Emperor’s side were never reckless sorts; they knew when to speak and when to remain quiet.
Two palace maids approached, intending to tidy away the book Wen Yanran no longer wished to read. But just as they picked it up, Wen Yanran pressed it back down.
Realizing they had misunderstood the Emperor’s meaning, the palace maids immediately knelt to beg forgiveness.
Wen Yanran waved her hand, signaling that it was of no consequence. She picked up the book again, flipped through a few more pages, and let her gaze linger on a spot for a while. Then she suddenly smiled. “You may put it away now.”
A moment ago she had been focused only on the content, not on the physical condition of the book itself.
These collections of supernatural tales were clearly not new publications, yet they were well preserved. Between the pages lingered the scent of camphor and rue – both commonly used in the palace to keep insects away.
Aside from the camphor and rue, Wen Yanran also noticed specks of benzoin resin pressed into the pages – a sign that the book had been stored for a very long time.
Her first thought was that this must be a volume from the palace library, yet it bore no markings to indicate it was official archival property.
If so, then the book was most likely a personal item left behind by the late emperor, now stored under the care of the Imperial Household.
Wen Yanran rose and smiled. “The weather is pleasant today. Come, walk outside with me.”
The Taiqi Palace covered a vast area and housed many suitable places for banquets. For example, the Zhier Pavilion was a spot where the emperor often drank with ministers; it was surrounded by groves of green bamboo and pine.
Ever since the late emperor had chosen to reside long-term in Yao Palace and Gui Palace, the Zhier Pavilion had remained unused. The eunuchs and palace attendants responsible for maintaining the area were nearly scared out of their wits when they saw the imperial procession approaching. They hurried to prepare decorations befitting the Emperor’s status, but the Emperor stopped them.
Wen Yanran said, “No need. It’s fine as it usually is.”
She stood in front of the pavilion, gazing for a moment at the oldest, largest ancient tree in the courtyard. Then she spoke to the attendant by her side, “Pines and cypresses are evergreens… Who knows how many generations of emperors this tree has witnessed standing here?” Suddenly, she chuckled and mused lazily, “Those who say they have seen an evergreen have likely truly seen it before; but those who speak of meeting someone who lives forever… have most likely only heard others talk about it.”
As the Grand Tutor and regent minister, Grand Tutor Yuan had always paid close attention to affairs within the palace.
However, as the young sovereign’s methods grew increasingly firm, Western Yong Palace had become tightly controlled, like an iron fortress. Grand Tutor Yuan could only gather information from other sources.
Recently, he had heard rumors that the Imperial Household intended to curry favor with the emperor. He had even prepared a memorial advising the young sovereign not to become overly absorbed in various entertainments. Yet Wen Yanran had merely gone through the motions that day, giving the Director of Imperial Household a bit of face before promptly leaving, showing no intention of indulging in anything at all.
When many ministers learned of this, they immediately engaged in some self-reflection – and could not help feeling ashamed. Forget being thirteen or fourteen, an age naturally inclined toward mischief and play; even now, many among them did not necessarily possess the Emperor’s level of self-discipline…
Not wanting others to discover that he had originally drafted the memorial in order to earn praise for himself, Grand Tutor Yuan had no choice but to revise it into a memorial praising the Emperor instead. After reading it, Wen Yanran became even more determined that one day she would have this most loyal regent minister of Great Zhou retire.
“Grand Tutor, something has happened!”
As a senior minister of the court, it was normal for people to come to Grand Tutor Yuan after hours with official matters; this was one of the reasons he was able to keep himself so well-informed.
But the news the visiting minister brought today made Grand Tutor Yuan frown – the Dong clan was planning to recommend a Daoist priest to the palace.
The Dong clan was also one of the great families of Jianzhou. A daughter of the Dong family had once been the mourning emperor’s – that is, Emperor Li’s – mother and Emperor Wen Yanran’s grandmother’s second empress. Although that Dong lady died not long after entering the palace, she was still counted as a legitimate imperial in-law and held a noble title.
The minister said, “If it were any other Daoist, it would be easy enough to block. But this time, the person the Dong clan has found is Great Master Xuanyang.”
When Yuan Yanshi heard the words “Great Master Xuanyang,” he couldn’t help but grow solemn.
If the Dong clan had intended to recommend someone else, Yuan Yanshi might have dismissed the person as a charlatan. But Great Master Xuanyang was someone who had long moved among the nobility; many had praised the efficacy of his arts. There were even quite a few proper officials who, after meeting him once, abandoned their homes and offices to follow him, serving him with the courtesies owed to a disciple.
Everyone knew that in Great Zhou, the only state-recognized preceptor was Wen Jingmei. But if one were to set aside titles and ask whom the common people trusted more in matters of the occult, Great Master Xuanyang was unquestionably the most revered.
This Daoist, regarded by countless people as an immortal, was currently residing in the Dong clan’s estate.
After learning this piece of news, many court ministers did not rush to advise the Dong clan. Their first impulse was to see this “immortal” with their own eyes. From the moment Great Master Xuanyang arrived in the capital to now, only a few days had passed, yet the Dong family’s threshold had already been worn down in two places.
The minister said, “I saw him with my own eyes. Great Master Xuanyang is already in his sixties, yet he looks no more than twenty. Truly, he is a man of profound cultivation.”
In reality, Tian Dongyang – currently going by the alias Zhao Ju – was only thirty. But for a con artist capable of forging a flawless false identity, falsifying his age on top of his name was hardly difficult. He had always claimed publicly to be seventy years old, insisting that his youthful appearance was the result of devout cultivation.
Grand Tutor Yuan said, “Does this man truly possess such divine abilities?”
The minister nodded. “If I had not witnessed it personally, I too would never have believed that a person could communicate with gods, or turn iron into gold.”
Tian Dongyang was a tall and handsome man with a flawless command of the official dialect and a silver tongue. Step by step, he became a favored guest in the circles of many high-ranking officials and nobles. Moreover, he was exceptionally skilled at manipulating people’s minds, so much so that even those who initially distrusted him would eventually be swayed into wholehearted admiration.
Initially, he had believed Wen Jinming had the potential to ascend the throne and thus drew close to him, hoping to secure the position of state preceptor. However, after Wen Yanran succeeded to the throne, he had to adjust his plans and began placing bets on both sides.
Inside the residence of Marquis Dong…
The head of the Dong family, with earnest hospitality, personally poured a drink for his guest. “If the Master gains the favor of the Emperor, I hope you will not forget me!”
Tian Dongyang’s reply was every bit that of a charlatan. “If you cultivate sincerity, you shall surely reap its rewards.”
While the two were conversing, someone entered to announce, “My Lord, a court herald has arrived!”
Upon hearing this, the head of the Dong family could barely contain his exhilaration.
His decision had been correct – the revival of the Dong clan was within reach!
He personally went to welcome the herald inside. As expected, the herald had come to summon Xuanyangzi to the palace, and had even brought gifts of gold and silk, demonstrating the Emperor’s fervent desire to recruit worthy talents.
This outcome also confirmed the rumors previously circulating from the Imperial Household Department: although the current Emperor was still young, perhaps due to having once suffered a severe illness, she had actually begun seeking the path to immortality.
Tian Dongyang was equally overjoyed inwardly, but his self-possession ran even deeper than that of the Dong family. Not only did he show no delight, he instead wore an expression of complete indifference. Upon receiving the gold and silk, he directly cast the gifts aside in the presence of the court herald.
The herald asked, “What does the Master think?”
Tian Dongyang stood with his hands behind his back and declared sternly, “It is because Her Majesty lacks sincerity! Since Her Majesty bestows gifts as though they were mere dust and dirt, I shall treat them as such!”
When he first began his deceptions, he would never have dared to display such arrogance toward those in power. But as time went on, Tian Dongyang gradually discovered that the more aloof and superior he acted, the more he won the trust of the nobility. With this realization, his audacity grew day by day.
Three hours earlier.
News of the revered figure’s presence in the Dong household had not only reached the ears of the officials in Jianping but had also made its way to the Western Yong Palace.
By the Emperor’s side, aside from newer attendants like Chi Yi, there were also many seasoned veterans. Although Wen Yanran maintained strict discipline, preventing the inner attendants from divulging palace affairs, they were still willing to pass along messages from the Imperial Household.
Due to their appointments as Left and Right Vice Commissioner of the City Bureau, Chi Yi and Zhang Luo would inevitably have less time to attend to the Emperor personally. Seizing the opportunity while the Emperor was conversing with those nearby, a female official cautiously brought up the matter of Tian Dongyang, presenting it as an interesting anecdote for the Emperor’s ears.
