Translator: ayszhang
Proofreaders: Gwen, krabbykabbi, Luzo, Mecca, Pau & Red
Cold Sands ch 39
XXXIX A New Era
The Sixth Year of Nan Jing. There has been a lot of snowfall,
forming a thick blanket over the dark red dirt. Feathery flakes of snow flutters
in the air and the entire world seems to be white. Thick quilts cover the doors
and windows of the palace. The maids keep adding beast-shaped coals to the
censers around the room. The fire crackles and the warmth entices me to sleep.
I recline on the ta with my chin on my left hand. I yawn
carelessly and the maid beside me quickly lowers her head and curls into
herself. I frown. I was just yawning. It’s not that scary, is it?
I nod at her and she
obediently holds up a cup of tea. Then, she starts massaging my legs. I take a
sip and I feel the drowsiness coming back.
Someone starts coughing,
not loudly, but I can hear the displeasure. I open my eyes and smile. “Don’t be
mad, Master. Go on. I’m listening.”
Master Liao is sitting in
the lower seat with a face that says ‘what do I do with you?’
“Your Majesty, even though
the Yan have retreated, it would be best if You have a grasp of the situation
in Yongjing.”
I shrug. “You have already
said what needs to be said. What more could I add?” I say as I hand the cup back to the maid. “Plus, you just
came back from over there, you must know more than me.”
He sighs and shows the
same frustrated expression as when I used to slack off and try to skip classes.
He could still hit my hands with a ruler back then and punish me as much as he
wanted but now he can only sigh quietly.
I snicker while he clears
his throat.
“Why don’t You take a stab
at the current situation in Yan?”
I’m a bit reluctant but I
still answer him. “What else is there to say? The eldest prince rushed back at
the last minute and foiled the second prince and other princes’ plans. The
emperor woke up on his deathbed and gave the eldest prince the power to govern
the country in his place.” I take a pause. “Which basically means that the
eldest prince is going to be the next emperor.”
Contrary to my retelling
the story in a few short words, the reality was much more complicated:
Yongjing fell into a
tense, anxious state while Murong Yu was racing nonstop back to Yongjing. The
second prince and the right minister had already deployed most of the troops in
the capital but made it seem like they hadn’t. The empress ordered the imperial
guards to shut the palace gates. They were waiting for Murong Yu to walk
into their trap.
Eighty thousand
lighthorses and thirty thousand Blood Mounts arrived at Yongjing. Murong Yu
proclaimed that the second prince and the right minister were plotting against
the crown and threatening the empress in an attempt to take the throne. Although
most of the capital’s troops were being forced to obey the right minister,
Murong Yu had a strong footing in the army. Many generals laid down their arms after
hearing that the eldest prince had returned. The second prince’s shiny,
spotless imperial guards were nothing when faced with the bloody, victorious
warriors. The left minister’s forces within the palace suddenly moved out. The
empress admitted to her crimes. All imperial guards in the palace surrendered.
That night was horrendous. The skies above the
towering palaces glowed red from the roaring fires. The palace gates swung open
and Murong Yu entered, stepping on the blood running on the ground. The second
prince placed all his chips into one last bet and attempted to assassinate his
older brother with his personal guards. However, the distance of just a hundred
zhang became an uncrossable divide.
Deadly arrows shot out from the crooks and corners and his guards used their
own bodies as shields to protect him as they pushed forward. The moment the
prince drew out his sword, a wolf-tooth white-feathered arrow went straight for
him and took his life.
The death of the second prince ended the fight
between the princes. The third prince accepted Murong Yu’s conditions and knelt
down as his subject. The royal palace’s gates opened wide and the thousands of
Blood Mounts surged into the palace in the midst of the faint, early morning
rays. Murong Yu was brought to the main palace building by the soldiers and
there, the royal families and the officials were awaiting their new ruler under
the watch of the soldiers. Some were still unwilling to give up and accused
Murong Yu of harming one’s own blood, to which Murong Yu replied with a stack
of letters exchanged between the second prince and the enemy state. Instantly,
the nobles and officials were silenced.
In his sleeping quarters, the dying emperor
opened his eyes and flashed a tired smile at Murong Yu as he handed him the
decree he had written previously.
The land that is Great Yan shall
welcome its new ruler.
“The prince royal had a private talk
with me after the he received the position of acting-emperor.” He chuckles. “He
said I know too much and he should not allow me to come back, but he let it go
on the account of Your Majesty.”
I press my lips together as a curiously
depressing emotion appears for a moment.
“What do you think of this person,
Master?”
The smile on his face fades away and is replaced with solemnity. “The prince royal speaks calmly, but
his aura is rather fierce and one can feel the thirst for war and strive for
success from it. I would think that he will become a great lord.” His tone and
expression become harsh as he continues. “However, this person is extremely
ambitious and comes from the military. I’m afraid that the world is going to suffer
when he becomes emperor.”
I still remember what he
had once said.
The throne to an empire—now
which man wouldn’t want that?
I sigh out of melancholy
but flash a thin smile as I grow sorrowful.
Master Liao’s tone
abruptly takes a quick turn. “There is one thing I would like to ask, Your
Majesty, and I hope You will be honest with me.”
“Please, Master.”
“The prince royal said to
me, ‘I hope His Majesty has not forgotten what he promised.’” His gaze is
intense, not giving me room to hide. “If I may ask, what is this promise
exactly?”
I cough out of awkwardness
as I scream ‘crap!’ in my head. Master Liao has a straightforward temper. He
would jump up here and rip me into pieces if he knew the three conditions I have
promised to Murong Yu.
“Um, well, it’s okay if
you do not know.”
“Your Majesty!” he warns.
No matter what I do or
say, I won’t be getting away unscathed today so I can only dismiss the servants
and tell him in nervous stutters. As expected, he springs up to his feet and
glares angrily at me, flames of fury burning in his eyes.
“Your Majesty, the land of
Rui should not be trespassed, not even an inch, by foreign peoples. This is
what so many young men have bled and died for! How could You just hand over
seven hundred li of land to an
outsider?!”
Filled with anguish, I can
only pull a bitter smile.
The people all think the
Yan army retreated because they were forced to while Master thought we altered
the Yan’s plans solely with the disturbance in Yongjing. They would never know
that if someone like Murong Yu was angered, the end result would be even more
horrifying than a massacre.
I did everything in my
power, working within the constraints of each force of power, only hoping to
salvage my country.
Giving away seven hundred li of land is going to be an
unchangeable flaw in my section of the history books. But I know better than
they that Great Rui cannot withstand another hit. She needs time to recover.
Murong Yu still needs to
face the many parties within his country. He has too many people to soothe and
manage. He won’t have the opportunity to invade again within the next ten
years.
Seven hundred li of land for several years of
peaceful recovery is more valuable than going insane from fighting back against
the Yan army.
“All that I have learnt was taught by you,
Master,” I reply calmly. “You told me, ‘where there is life there is hope.’ I was unwilling to relocate the capital
because I wanted to tell them that
we cannot be conquered and now I am
parting with the country because I
want to tell them that we will have the chance to rise again if we endure the
present. The two messages do not contradict each other.”
Master Liao watches me
steadily while the emotions fluctuate in his eyes.
“They can call me spineless or they can call me weak
but the day will come when they understand me.”
I let out a deep sigh.
“Your Majesty,” Master
Liao lowers his head. “You speak rightly but if we really are to give the land
away, the court officials…”
“Sure, I will have to take a few bad words but I’ve had worse. It does not matter.”
He is bowed so low I
cannot see his face clearly, so I just let out a scoff. “It’s not just you who
are mad. I bet my dad and mom would disown me
if they heard of this down there. But, it is impossible to please everybody as the
emperor.”
Master Liao raises his
head and his expression changes slightly as he gets up from his seat.
I sigh, “I do not wish for Great Rui’s lands to
be divided either but what can I do?
Between annihilation and resting time, I
had no other choice but this. I’ve
already done all that I could.”
The hall is eerily silent
for a moment.
Master Liao lifts up the
train of his robe and kneels down on one knee. “I cannot express my gratitude
for Your Majesty’s honesty. ‘Tis an emperor who endures that which others cannot.”
I crack a smile. That is definitely true.
“Ever since Your
ascension, I have witnessed You growing day by day and I feel relieved that I
have not let down His Lordship’s wishes. I have one favour to beg of You now.”
I nod. “Yes, please,
Master.”
“I am reaching old age and
Your Majesty does not need my assistance anymore. I beg that You grant my wishes
to retire and return home.”
“But I remember you said that you don’t have a home anymore, Master.”
“I beg that You grant the
Xiang Lu Academy to me. I will continue being a teacher.”
I’m slightly taken by
surprise. Xiang Lu Academy is the most accredited academy aside from the
Capital University. I can make a few guesses as to why he would ask for
retirement—it’s none other than for those reasons that cannot be spoken of—but
why would he ask for the academy?
He looks at me with a
smirk. “I think someone needs to teach those academics and students the reason
behind Your actions.”
I laugh along and wave my
hand. “Granted.”
Master Liao looks back
down in contemplation and asks after a while, “What do You want to do with His
and Her Lordship’s remains?”
“I asked some older servants in the palace,” I answer in a depressed
tone. “Mother was buried in a small coffin in the Empress and Cypress Garden in the south of the city.
I do not know about Father. Do you?”
He nods solemnly.
“Then I’ll ask that you please retrieve Father’s remains in secret. I will find a good time in the near
future to give him a posthumous title and build a temple in his honour. Then we
would have one less thing to worry about.”
He kneels down and touches
his head to the ground. “You have my gratitude, Your Majesty.”
I proceed to yawn. “This
is not all you came for today, right?”
“Two more things.” He continues
after a short pause. “First, You are of age to choose an empress and take in
consorts.”
I was in the middle of
drinking tea when he spoke and I almost spit it out. I take a handkerchief and
wipe my mouth. “Master,” I say with a frown. “Those old farts are annoying
enough. Why are you nagging at me
too?”
He frowns back at me. “You
are already twenty-one years old. Commoners this age would have many children
already. Furthermore, the royal family is the ruler of this land and Your
Majesty taking a wife is for the sake of the land. It symbolises the miracle of
birth and is the auspice of the people. The country is currently recovering
from chaos. Naming an empress and consorts is a good way to soothe the people.”
Here we go again!
I wave my hand at him to stop.
“Master, if you want to lecture me,
at least pick something new. Those old farts must have said it a hundred times
already. Leading a good example this, fulfilling an emperor’s duty that, blah
blah blah.” I get moody as I go on. “According to the ceremonial laws, the
emperor takes nine women’s hand in marriage. They just don’t want to see me live long, do they?”
He seems to heave a sigh, looking
helpless. “Great Rui’s ceremonial laws state that the emperor must take nine
women: one wife, the empress; two concubines, the royal consorts; and each one
brings along two accompanying concubines. Your Majesty does not have any wives
or concubines as of now, so it must be so.”
I grit my teeth because I
just want to turn and escape, not wanting to listen to what he has to say
anymore.
“This is Your
responsibility, Your Majesty. You must act appropriately.”
“All right, all right, all
right!” My head is starting to hurt again. “You just want me to get a wife, right? Let’s at least wait until spring.”
“If You want to marry in
spring, we must begin planning and settle on the proper persons now.” He drops
his smile and his eyes flash with wariness. “Inside the palace and outside the
palace as well, every party must be considered.”
My head is swimming with
thoughts and frustration and my heart feels constricted as though an invisible
hand is tugging at it.
Marriage, bleh. It’s
finally here. I thought I could stall it indefinitely but it seems I have no
chance of avoiding it now.
“His and Her
Lordship—bless their souls—would be delighted to see Your Majesty marry and
bear children, continuing the lineage.”
Annoyed, I interrupt him.
“Enough. I got it. Next.”
He watches me for a bit
before asking tentatively, “What do You plan to do with regards to the
Protector of the Seas?”
I heave a deep breath and
lie back down on the ta while rubbing
my temple.
“What else? He made the
highest contribution during the siege. It’s only natural that I promote him and raise his peerage,”
I say as I look right back at him. “I
know what he’s thinking and I know what
he wants.”
“Although this siege has
taken a toll on his power, he is not to be underestimated. It is wise to make
preparations now.”
For a moment, I’m not sure what to say. After some contemplation, I tell
him, “I have thought about it. I won’t make things sour between us as
long as he stay put for two or three years. Raising his peerage and his salary,
also those of all of his soldiers, as long as he doesn’t push my limit, I can turn a blind eye.”
He stays quiet so I continue after a while, “If it must be, I won’t hold back. It is not up to me, but Heng Ziyu.” I heave a sigh.
“This country cannot take another hit.”
He finally makes a sound, “The army and the officials need to be calmed
and soothed after this war. Why don’t You start with the Protector of the Seas?
Position and peerage seem rather conventional. If You would like, forming
familial bonds through marriage is also an option.”
“Do you mean marrying a princess off to him?” I confirm hesitantly,
“There are still two princesses not yet in wedlock. If possible, we can choose
one and I will request the empress
dowager’s blessings.”
“That is an option, of course. Your Majesty can also take someone’s hand
in marriage, especially a daughter of the military. I heard that the Protector
of the Sea’s younger sister has not wedded yet,” he speaks calmly.
I’m puzzled for a second but I realize right away. “Now you’re just not
playing fair, Master. You set me
up.”
“It is commonplace for the ruler and
subject to become in-laws. The Protector of the Seas seems to love his sister
very much. You must consider everything, Your Majesty.”
I purse my lips as I don’t know what
to say.
Of course it’s normal for the emperor
to reach an alliance and display friendliness with his subjects through women
and marriage. The subject in turn uses this to solidify his family’s power. If
she happens to give birth to a prince, then the child becomes another powerful
political leverage.
I sigh. “Once a teacher, always a
father, Master. Why can’t you be more considerate of my future happiness? Don’t just push whatever you see onto me. I still want to live a long life, okay?”
He stops and frowns at me, but finally
turns his head away and sighs.
Not getting married is probably just
my wishful thinking. I need to have an empress and consorts and continue the
royal lineage so long as I’m still the emperor. Master is right. This is my
responsibility. Whether I want to or not, I have to.
What about you, Murong Yu? You have to marry Xiao Qinyun in order to repay
the left minister, and you probably have to make her your empress after
ascending the throne, right?
Being loyal to one another is just the most beautiful illusion. Not to
mention, neither you nor I ever made such pledges anyways.
I let out a deep sigh as my temples
start stinging painfully like a spike.
The wisps of pain are slow but strong,
turning into a dull ache in the deepest part of my heart.
♚♔
Five days later, the military and civil officials in the capital gather at
the Yuanxiao banquet. Many military officials have brought their family. The
festivity has cleaned out the gloominess from the war and the capital, after
the storm, has begun to return to its original prosperity.
The glazed lanterns light up when
night falls, and the banquet begins.
Music fills the hall, sliding between
the seats. The opulence of the royal family is apparent. Silk veils and
lanterns hang high along the building and corridors, casting fuzzy, enigmatic
light and shadows. Maidservants adorned with pearl and jade stand behind the
guests, pouring wine with a coy smile. It is a picture of luxury.
I’ve never enjoyed loud and crowded
occasions. After drinking all the toasts from my subjects while sitting at the
foremost seat, I exit discreetly, leaving them to their fun and games.
Walking down the tiled steps covered
by a silk carpet, I notice a brightly lit chamber a little ways off. I can
faintly hear music and the shy laughs of girls. I ask Liu An beside me, “What
is going on over there?”
“That is Yao Guang
Hall. The female family members are
there.”
I nod as the winds pick up. I wrap the
fox fur cloak tighter around myself and lower my head. I just want to go back
as soon as possible. When I reach the corridor in front of the hall, I spot a
petit figure looking around.
“Who is it?” I call out.
The person halts and quickly runs
over. With the light, I see that it’s a young girl wearing puce coloured palatial
attire and dangling trinkets. Her face glows healthily under the hazy lantern
light and her eyes are beautiful.
Wearing only thin indoor attire, she
seems to be shivering from the night wind. She looks at me with a careful
expression, “Excuse me, um, how do I get to Yao Guang Hall? I came out for just
a second and now I can’t find my way back.”
Liu An looks like he’s about to scold
her but I stop him. Seeing her shivering, I take off my fox fur and put it on
her. “Are you a family member attending the banquet?”
She pulls the cloak close and nods. “I
came with my brother. He’s in the hall over there.”
I think about it for a bit. She’s
probably what she says she is, so I tell her, “Yao Guang Hall is not far from
here. I, ahem, I will walk you
back.”
She stays still while looking me up
and down with her big, round eyes. She sticks her tongue out playfully. “I’m
holding you to that.”
She keeps studying me. “Are you a
duke?”
I’m not sure how to reply. “Something
like that.” She quickly adds, “Then have you seen the emperor?”
Before I can answer, she starts off on
her own. “The rumour goes amongst the civilians that the emperor is handsome
and talented. He is able as well, able to go up against the enemy army and
their marshall. Even the Yan army is afraid of him.”
I find this girl lively and innocent
and I start chuckling. “That is because he was lucky.”
She turns around when I say this and
glares at me with what appears to be discontentment. “How could you say that
about him? He is a hero who can ride into battle and wield his weapon, unlike
you who has peerage at such a young age and only lives each day idly, not
wanting to better yourself.”
I burst out in laughter and shake my
head. This girl really is naive. I wonder whose sister she is. What a funny
character.
With that in mind, I tease her, “So,
it appears you have fallen for him?”
A red flush appears on her cheeks as
she bites her lips. “I haven’t seen him yet. Earlier at the banquet, I heard
some noblewomen speaking about him, saying that he’s handsome and he’s a
gentleman…” Her voice trails off so that I can barely catch the end.
I fix the cloak for her and tell her
quietly, “You should not marry the emperor.”
She looks up with her bottom lip still
in her teeth. “Why not?”
“He will have many other women and you
will only be one of them. If he does not adore you and have you in his heart,
you will just stay in the palace, separated from your family for the rest of
your life.” I let out a scoff. “Spending the final days of life and dying alone,
is that not–”
“I don’t believe you one bit.” Her
brows furrow together.
I chuckle at her reply. She pouts and
doesn’t talk to me again. Thankfully, we have arrived at Yao Guang Hall. I
stand at the bottom of the stairs and say to her, “You go on inside. I will
take my leave.”
She looks back with a confused
expression. “You braced the cold wind for so long after letting me wear your
cloak. At least warm up inside before you go.”
I shake my head with a smile. “It’s
fine. Also, keep in mind what I said earlier.”
I have not yet taken a step when she
jumps down the steps and latches on my sleeve. “Wait. Tell me your name.”
I look at the girl in front of me and
reach up to fix the cloak. “It’s naught but a chance meeting.”
Before I finish, someone calls out
from behind me in a deep voice, “Watch your behaviour, Zixiang.”
Heng Ziyu walks over briskly wearing a
light cloak and casual dress with his hair coiffed. It gives a different feel
compared to the armour that he usually wears. Bewilderment flashes in his eyes
when he spots me and he tries to kneel down to perform the rituals but I stop
him with a signal.
The girl calls brightly, “Brother.” I
slowly turn to look at her. A-hah, I see.
“So this is your sister, Heng Zixiang.
What a rare beauty.” He and I smile at each other as I take back the hand
around the cloak collar. His expression returns to normal and he nods. “My
sister does not understand the rules of the palace. I ask…to forgive us.”
I ignore the weird emotion in his eyes
and flash a smile to the girl. “Your name is Heng Zixiang?”
The girl nods furiously while showing
a sweet smile. “Yeah, Brother usually calls me ‘Ah-Yao.’”
I sneak a glance at Heng Ziyu before
laughing meaningfully, “Ah-Yao, it’s a nice name.”
Heng Ziyu’s face turns even sourer by
the second but I pretend as if I can’t see it. I lean in closer and lift up a
strand of her hair. “I am thinking of a folk song,” I say as I sniff it. “The Xiang splish and splash,
the Yao ladies twirl
and swirl; the beauties await their lovers by the hazy banks.”
Heng Zixiang immediately lowers her
head and drops her gaze, and blushes after hearing my words.
I glance at Heng Ziyu from the corner
of my eye while smirking. “You are here to pick Your sister up, right, Marshal?
I will stop being a bother now. The
night is dark and cold. Careful not to let her catch a cold, now.” Then, I let
out an ambiguous chuckle as I stride away.
I hear a yelp of surprise from behind
me and Heng Zixiang’s soft, shaky voice asking, “Brother…was that His Majesty?”
I chortle. This girl is indeed very
interesting.
♚♔
The beginning of April. Spring has brought back hope for the future and the
spirits of the people have settled down for now.
I release a decree, changing the era
name to Yan Xing,
making it the First Year of Yan Xing.
Heng Ziyu is given the title of Duke
of Huai Nan. Xu
Zheng is given the posthumous title of Marquis of Guang De. The ones who were brave and active in
the war out of the remaining officials and soldiers are all promoted and
awarded with a large amount of gold and silver.
I deploy twenty-five thousand
lighthorses to be stationed south of Rope Hill Creek, across from the Yan
soldiers on the other side. I also gather the refugees who have lost their
homes due to the war south of Rope Hill Creek and teach them farming techniques
to develop the land and recover production.
Master, on the other hand, has
secretly transported Father’s remains back to the capital. Father and Mother’s
remains are being kept temporarily in the underground hall of the Yi Xin Temple
until the appropriate occasion comes along for me to give them posthumous
titles. Under my request, Master has not immediately gone to Xiang Lu Academy,
but instead returned to Father’s enfeoffment, the County of Feng Hai, to
secretly prepare for war.
♚♔
The month of May in the First Year of Yan Xing, the Yan Emperor passed away
to heaven. The country mourned. The princes, dukes and the officials cried
until the night in Feng Zi Palace and Chong De Hall. The next day, a decree was
announced and the prince royal ascended the throne. The Archduke of Zhen Guo, the Left
Minister, Xiao Yong, and the Marshal of Jian Wei, Yuwen Yuan were to assist the emperor in
governing the country.
Soon after, the new emperor changed
the era name to Tian De.
♚♔
Hundreds or thousands of years later, all that will be left in the
historical records are a few lines of words like this, erasing the disaster and
bloodshed that accompanies every ascension of a new emperor. With the skilled
brush of a historian, all that is left is the peace between each word.
I close the official letter from Yan
and crack a smile to the kneeling officials below me. “Do not forget, everyone,
that this is only the beginning.”
They all raise their heads and look at
me with worry.
Holding my smile, I glance at Heng
Ziyu. He is now wearing the Nine Ornaments Panlong Regalia stitched with gold
befitting of a prince. The air he gives off is mighty and overwhelming, making
it hard to look directly at him.
His gaze is not sharp and intrusive
but rather dark and bottomless, and on his lips dances a calm and collected
smile.
♚♔
The month of September in the First Year of Yan Xing, delegates arrive in
the capital from Yan to deliver another official letter requesting the meeting
of the emperors of the two countries at the border of Rope Hill Creek to
discuss the ownership of the seven hundred li
of land.
The letter has caused a controversy in
the court when many auditors expressed strong opinions against the emperor
personally attending the meeting, but I cast aside all the arguments and make
up my mind to go.
Murong Yu, if you dare invite me then I dare accept!
__________________
ayszhang: It's the beginning of the end OAO It's so sad to see that this project will be over soon! My baby has grown up *wipes tears* Ahem. Anyways, I've finished with chapter 41... Then there are the extras after that... Wow, one year has passed really fast huh!
And of course, the author left us at a cliffhanger once again...
Chapter 38

Cold Sands - English Translation by ayszhang is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.