Chapter 72: Moonlight Bright, Shining on the Hall

Night.

Ziwei Ward was adjacent to the Imperial City, and its residents were either officials or nobility.

In such a prime location, one mansion occupied nearly a quarter of the entire ward’s area.

It was rumored that this residence was originally the temporary residence of His Majesty when he served a former dynasty’s old official. Later, when His Majesty rose up to overthrow the former dynasty’s Emperor Li and established the Great Wu, he bestowed this residence upon the former Crown Prince.

Further on, the former Crown Prince contended with the Second Prince, King Jing, resulting in both of their deaths.

This residence, holding such special symbolic significance, was unsuitable to be bestowed upon any of the other sons, so it was subsequently granted to Princess Xingguo, where she has resided ever since.

The Princesss Residence covered a vast area and had hundreds of servants and maids, yet the movements within were utterly silent.

A glimpse into the leopard through the tube revealed extremely strict discipline.

The Side Hall of the Third Entry.

“Aunt, on the journey back North, that Ding Family Young Master was peerless in both wisdom and courage. In my humble opinion, let alone being a Dutou, he could even manage to be a Battalion Commander.” Chen Yi cheerfully promoted his sixth younger brother.

Seated in the main seat of the side hall was a graceful woman in her early thirties, adorned with pearl and jade hairpins, wearing a bright yellow robe embroidered with phoenixes, and a skirt with ten panels of moonlit fabric below.

Her face was like a jade plate, and her eyebrows resembled distant mountains.

Her beauty was exquisite, yet it was a beauty devoid of sharpness or aggression; it was gentle and soft.

It gave people an exceptionally warm and approachable feeling, much like a kind Aunt who often resided in deep chambers, possessed a gentle nature, and especially loved children.

However, those who knew her true identity would never think that.

She was precisely Princess Xingguo, Chen Tang, who had managed the West Yamen for many years, her informants and eyes spread throughout the court.

Princess Xingguo smiled upon hearing her nephew’s words. “Yi’er, do not be so insatiable! Others are not deaf. Do you think people cannot inquire about the relationship between you and Li Baicheng? Because you promoted him to Commander of the Vermilion Bird Army above his rank, your Second Brother came to me several times to complain. If I were to promote another nineteen-year-old Battalion Commander, would your other brothers not accuse me of favoritism?”

The ‘brothers’ Princess Xingguo spoke of did not refer to the seven people of Chongyin.

They referred to Chen Yi’s paternal cousins.

The so-called’Second Brother’ was his second paternal cousin, the second son of the former Crown Prince, the Imperial Second Grandson.

The former Crown Prince and Chen Yi’s father had both perished in conflict years ago.

It was easy to imagine that his relationship with his Second Brother was not very good either.

Chen Yi’s expectation was originally to secure the position of an Imperial Guard Dutou for Ding Suian. The Battalion Commander position was like taking a long shot when the opportunity arose. Seeing his Aunt speak, he stopped dwelling on it and just chuckled, “Nephew’s recommendation of Yuanxi does have selfish motives, but he truly is a talent. Nephew also wishes to recruit talent for the nation.”

After speaking, without waiting for his Aunt’s response, Chen Yi looked up and noticed his Aunt was slightly distracted, so he called out softly, “Aunt?”

“Oh.” Princess Xingguo’s gaze shifted slightly, her smile remaining gentle. “This person is too young. Let him hone his skills a bit more first.”

“Yes, I obey Aunt’s command!” Chen Yi readily agreed, then brought up another matter, “Aunt, about the matter I mentioned last time concerning the Princess Consort of Lanyang returning home to observe mourning rites.”

“Yesterday, this Princess already sent an Imperial Edict via a palace attendant. I presume she has seen it today.”

“Heh heh, thank you, Aunt! Commander Lin has been alone since his wife passed away. The Princess Consort of Lanyang returning home allows father and daughter to rely on each other, which is some comfort.”

Chen Yi deliberately explained, worried his Aunt might misunderstand. Princess Xingguo’s gentle gaze fixed on his face, offering no comment, but she suddenly sighed softly, “Alas, poor my Yi’er, such a fine face, now it is just…”

Chen Yi was silent for a moment, but then said, “Nephew only lost one eye. Compared to the entire loyal family of the Duke of Zhenguo…”

Princess Xingguo naturally understood the hidden meaning in his words. Her gentle expression turned solemn, and she solemnly reminded him, “Yi’er, this matter is not something you can interfere with. All imperial favor, whether thunderous or gentle, is the grace of the Sovereign. How it is to be decided is for your Imperial Ancestor, the Sage, to decree.”

Just then, an elderly Eunuch walked silently to the doorway and stood waiting with his hands lowered.

“Eunuch He, what is it?” Princess Xingguo inquired.

Eunuch He entered upon hearing her voice, bowed, and presented a neatly folded piece of paper.

Princess Xingguo took it and scanned it with her eyes. After a moment, she involuntarily stood up.

“Aunt, what’s wrong?” Chen Yi asked curiously.

Princess Xingguo did not answer, but murmured, “Yi Qin E. Koujian Pass…”

She finished reciting the entire piece of over forty characters in an instant.

Chen Yi, however, remained seated in his chair, lost in a daze.

Having personally experienced the bloody battle beneath Koujian Pass, the first half of this poem, in just a few sparse words, pulled him back to that vast and sorrowful battlefield. The grim scene of iron hooves crushing the morning mist and the mournful sound of suona sending souls off seemed to reappear before his eyes.

If it had stopped there, it would not have been enough to move him.

The second half shifted its brushstroke abruptly, surging with passion.

“…” These fourteen characters struck Chen Yi’s heart directly.

It was magnificent and tragic.

Between the lines surged the unyielding tenacity and the heroic spirit of vowing to start anew, radiating with immense power.

The Great Wu, having just suffered a devastating defeat, desperately needed such an inspiring voice.

Princess Xingguo keenly perceived the value of the new poem and immediately asked, “What spirit! Which great master created this new work?”

The elderly Eunuch He replied, “It is said a Soldier of the Great Wu composed it in Yunshao Tower in a moment of inspiration.”

“A Soldier!”

“A Soldier?” Princess Xingguo and Chen Yi exclaimed in unison, both astonished.

Eunuch He continued, “That person inscribed the name ‘A Soldier of the Great Wu’ on the wall himself. It is said that a scholar from the Literature Institute and the newly appointed Commander of the Vermilion Bird Army who were present both achieved breakthroughs upon seeing the poem.”

“Second Brother Li broke through to the Yugang Realm?” Chen Yi was delighted again.

Princess Xingguo’s attention had already shifted to a grander level. After pondering briefly, she instructed, “Eunuch He, order someone to find this ‘Soldier of the Great Wu,’ and have this Yi Qin E printed and circulated among the entire army, and distributed with official documents to the various prefectures and counties.”

Ding Suian never discriminated against showing off.

Because showing off could unblock ducts, gladden the heart, and gain valuable emotional rewards.

It was truly beneficial for both internal and external governance, greatly aiding body and mind!

But tonight, this show-off act was perhaps a bit too forceful.

He had originally expected that the main hall of Yunshao Tower held no more than a hundred people.

Based on his past experience reciting ‘Jin Lian,’ absorbing the white radiance emitted by this many people should not have been an issue.

But when the white radiance truly entered his body, he discovered that the Protective Aura contained within the white radiance emanating from the scholars of the Literature Institute was far more abundant and pure than that of ordinary people.

Perhaps it was related to them being cultivators?

Sensing something was wrong, Ding Suian decisively ran out.

Halfway there, the scorching sensation, like his body was about to burst and his bones were being eroded by fire, had already overwhelmed him.

But this time, Zhao Yan was not by his side.

Seeing he wouldn’t make it home, Ding Suian simply walked to a secluded spot and jumped directly into the Jade Belt River.

The early summer river water was very cool.

It slightly suppressed his rapidly rising body temperature. Afterward, he meditated in the river, using the external low temperature to suppress the burning while striving to refine the energy.

He didn’t know how long it took, but eventually, exhausted, he fell into a drowsy sleep leaning against the slippery riverbank.

Near the end of the Chou Hour (1 AM – 3 AM).

It was already the latter half of the night, and even the city of Central Heaven, which never slept with its lights on, had quieted down.

A robust figure seemed to possess precise navigation, moving through streets and alleys, heading straight to the banks of the Jade Belt River.

Seeing his son half-submerged in the water, Old Ding did not seem surprised. He immediately extended the back of his hand and gently placed it on Ding Suian’s forehead to check his temperature, then bent down to listen closely to his breathing.

Sensing that everything was fine, Old Ding then carefully plucked away the water weeds clinging to his son’s cheek.

Then he squatted down and lifted him onto his back.

The weight of over a hundred catties pressed down, but Old Ding’s frame remained as steady as a mountain, showing no sign of strain.

But to allow his sleeping son on his back to be more stable, he leaned his upper body forward, his waist bent almost ninety degrees.

As if sensing his son’s discomfort on his back, Old Ding walked silently for a moment, then suddenly hummed an old lullaby he used to soothe his son to sleep over a decade ago:

“Moonlight bright, shining on the hall,

Shining on Mother’s gauze clothes,

Mother’s skillful hands, oh, threading the needle,

Stitching out a length of longing, fine and long.”

His voice was rough, and the tune was off-key, yet he tried his utmost to sing the nursery rhyme gently.

The night was still, the long street deserted.

A bright moon sinking in the west cast the silhouette of the father and son, merged as one, stretching out very, very long.

“Moonlight bright, shining on the hall, shining on Mother’s gauze clothes, Mother’s skillful hands, oh, threading the needle, stitching out a length of longing, fine and long. Hoping my child grows strong, hoping my child is well. Other children have new clothes, but my child has no mother. Father will learn to thread the needle, to sew clothes for the child. Moonlight bright, shining on the hall.”

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Volume One, Concluded.

Thanks to: Gu Yue oooo, for the tip ~

Thanks to: Ergou Zzr, for the tip ~