Nightfall

“It’s a pity there are only five characters, it isn’t enough to satisfy me.” The emperor held his wife’s hand and said with a sigh and face full of regret. “They did not dare to say it to my face, but you know well that I have only the ability to appreciate good works. But… I am lacking in the writing department.”

“I tried the Double-hook method yesterday, but it’s not even close enough to those five characters.” The empress smiled and suggested, “Your Majesty, if it pleases you, you can get every official proficient in calligraphy to try it.”

The emperor patted her hand and laughed gaily before shaking his head. “It seems that you’re the only one who understands me. I have already forced those old fogeys to stay back after court. They are writing in the imperial study right now. I have said to them, it mattered not if their granddaughter was having a birthday celebration or if their son was marrying today. I will not let them leave until they can write the characters exactly as the way they are.”

Some rather interesting events had happened in the palace recently for the seven words, “The flower blooms on the shore astride”. However, no matter how much the emperor had enjoyed the calligraphy; it was simply a pastime for him. In order not to get the censor harping on him, His Majesty had not ordered any of the departments in court to join the search, but only sent out men to search secretly throughout Chang’an. He had also told a few subjects that he was close to and ordered for them to keep a lookout for him.

Several months had passed and the most famous bookstores and galleries of Chang’an had already been searched. The most famous calligraphy artist had been summoned and questioned, but yet, the secretive calligraphy artist who had left those words could not be found. In fact, several famed calligraphy artists could not even understand the style the phrase was written in.

The main reason for the situation at hand was that these people could not think out of the box.

From the Emperor of Tang, the officials studying the calligraphy in the imperial study to the calligraphy artists on the streets. Everyone looked at the masterful strokes of the brush, the imposing characters, the quiet strength and beauty with hidden pride in the characters that looked almost alive in awe. To these people who could not stop praising the work of art, the author of this mysterious piece must be a calligraphy master who had been living in seclusion. Someone who could write a piece of such caliber must be a cultivator who had come from a long line of calligraphers. Why would he sell his works on the streets?

And because they already had this impression, no one visited the Scent Workshop and questioned the poor scholars who sold their calligraphy writings there. Nobody visited the streets and alleys and asked for newly opened galleries as well. As such, nobody connected the dots between the recent ruckuses in the imperial study with the Old Brush Pen Shop in Lin 47th Street.

One day, tourists from the Great River Kingdom detoured into Lin 47th Street in the Eastern City after visiting the Chang’an Palace. They walked into what looked like a normal shop selling normal calligraphy.

They stood with their hands behind their backs and looked at the average looking works hanging on the walls and could not help but furrow their brows and shake their heads. It was then when their eyes brightened and one exclaimed, “It is true that they say there are hidden masters everywhere in Chang’an of Tang. They have such quality writings even in a random small shop by the streets… Young lady, is your boss around?”

Sangsang was eating her chicken noodles. She lifted her tanned face and smiled, “My boss isn’t around. If you’re asking for the price, this Zhongtang calligraphy is worth three thousand gold pieces. No discounts.”

This was a shop that sells a normal Zhongtang calligraphy piece for three thousand gold pieces with no discounts. What kind of style was this? This was the style of Master calligrapher Wang of the Great River Kingdom at his peak! The tourists were stunned and could only smile. They did not say anything but left the shop with their robes billowing behind them.

“They say that the people of Chang’an are generous and friendly… I think they must have gone crazy from being poor!”

As a certain boy and his handmaid got richer, someone’s calligraphy got progressively more expensive until the price became exorbitantly high. These days, the Old Brush Pen Shop saw many customers leaving the shop complaining or in shock.

Sangsang was already used to this and could no longer bring herself to feel anything in particular about this scene. She just continued to keep her head down and slurped her chicken noodles. She finally understood that for the price of a bowl of chicken noodle soup, she could buy six bowls of hot and sour noodle slice soup. But the chicken soup glistening with oil was very flavorful indeed.

Ning Que played with two shiny silver balls carved from silver ingots and entered from the house behind and leaned against the shopfront like the scion of a wealthy family. He looked the retreating backs of the customers and laughed at them, without noticing that he was dragging down the reputation of Chang’an, saying, “Don’t ask for the price if you can’t afford it. Sangsang… close the doors, let’s have hotpot!”

As the spring passed and autumn retreated, winter came to stay. It was the middle of winter in the thirteenth year of Tianqi. Ning Que and Sangsang had been in Chang’an for almost a year.

Having been ignored by his peers in the Academy, he had more time to cultivate and chat with Chen Pipi. Sangsang stayed on the Lin 47th Street and minded the shop with declining business. Sometimes, she would answer to the Princess Lee Yu’s invitation to visit and the two became close. Ning Que could not understand the burgeoning friendship between the two, and could only accept that the two were probably fated so.

After a sweaty hotpot session with four plates of lamb, Ning Que washed his feet in hot water and climbed into bed. He listened to the howls of the wind through the window cracks and rubbed his cold face angrily, “It hasn’t snowed, yet why is it so cold? Who said summer was bad in Chang’an? Who is so irresponsible to say that?”

Sangsang smiled and huddled into the other end of the blankets after removing her outer coat. She rubbed her icy red hands from doing the laundry and said, “Young Master, count your blessings. We are leading way better lives than we did in the City of Wei.”

This was a very honest comment. The bed the two were lying on had over ten thousand dollars worth of notes hidden under it. They also receive a healthy dividend from the casino in the Western city every month. In their hearts, they were chanting, “We don’t need no money anymore. We are rich. We are filthy rich…”

Since they had so much money, they decided they needed to improve their lives. While the two remained moderately thrifty, it was much easier going from being poor to having money. They ate chicken noodles instead of hot and sour noodle slices. They ate lamb instead of salted vegetables and porridge. It got colder previously and they built a bed-stove with quality charcoal. They drank good tea in a room that was as warm as the weather in spring. As compared to their lives ten years before, they were practically living it up.

Ning Que didn’t really mind even though he complained about the cold weather in Chang’an.

Now that he could see the enigmatic cultivation world and control the Qi of Heaven and Earth through Psych power, he could turn the silver balls in his hand and lift sheets of papers off the table as he wished. While the papers flew about messily and the balls moved slower than Chen Pipi due to the weak psyche power that he could force out of his body and his poor ability to control the Qi of Heaven and Earth, he did not mind it at all.

The northern winds blew urgently outside the windows and a silent night passed. When they woke up the next day, the streets and alleys were blanketed with a layer of fresh snow. The trees adorned with silver waved at the passersby walking past it. Ning Que put on a robe and stood outside the Old Brush Pen Shop with Sangsang. The two looked at the beautiful scene before them and thought about the eventful year they’ve had. The snow that they were so sick of looking at in the City of Wei took on an entirely different meaning.

“Our days are good.” he sighed in satisfaction.

Sangsang smiled and nodded.

…

…

They lived quietly and rather blissfully. There was no bloodshed over revenge nor was there boredom that bordered on bitterness. The two eventually grew up between the days at the Academy and the Old Brush Pen Shop. They eventually got forgotten by those around them and disappeared willingly into the peaceful days.

She did needlework and washed the dishes. He read his books and series he copied from the old library. In the repetitive days, time eventually made its presence known. As the hours ticked by, the bustle of the new year slipped away. The lamb hotpots, hot tea and ink faded away in the silence and the spring of the fourteenth year of Tianqi dawned upon the two.

It was yet another spring. Willow catkins fluttered in the air as the women of Chang’an who had been stifled by heavy winter robes emerged for breath. Ning Que left his curtains up on the way to the Academy in appreciation of the women who still shuddered slightly in the cold spring breeze but yet insisted on revealing their milky white chests.

He nodded at Situ Yilan who was seated at the front row before walking to his desk right at the back. There was no one else who would acknowledge him. He was used to the cold shoulder treatment and did not care. He sat down and retrieved notes from the Etiquette class and began revising.

They had an Etiquette class in the morning. The instructor of Classroom Three was the Assistant professor of Etiquette, Cao Zhifeng. He was also the Psyche master in Seethrough State from the Yan Kingdom who had hit the General’s grandson, Chu Zhongtian on the first day of school. No one dared offend this man with such a reputation.

The bell rang and Cao Zhifeng entered the classroom. What the students of Classroom Three thought was weird was that while their teacher did not look cold or stern like before. Instead, there was a hint of glee that could not be contained.

Something unexpected followed after that.

Cao Zhifeng looked at the students and took a moment to think. Just as the students thought that he would put down the heavy book tomes he was carrying and start lecturing, he coughed lightly and extended his fingers in the air and played a soundless tune with them. He said seriously, “There are changes in the Qi of Heaven and Earth. We shall not have class today. Class dismissed.”

He turned and walked out of the classroom after saying that, leaving behind a classroom full of shell-shocked students who erupted into discussion.

“What is this? The professor… what’s wrong with him?”

“Is he ill?”

“He could just take sick leave if he was ill. Why would he do that? What does it mean that there are changes in the Qi of Heaven and Earth? It changes at every moment. It’s not like it just changed suddenly today.”

“Pft, this one is good. Does this mean we can use this excuse if we don’t want to come for class in the future?”

Chu Youxian bumped shoulders with Ning Que and asked incredulously, “Why did Old Cao go nuts today?”

“How would I know?” Ning Que could not comprehend this either. But not having class was good news for him. He’d have more time in the old library. He looked at the documents that he had laid on his desk and wondered why he had spent so much effort preparing for class last night. He shook his head, gathered his books and prepared to leave.

At this time, someone in front said, “Did anyone notice the joy in Professor Cao’s face? There is someone important visiting Chang’an today. The professor wanted to go welcome him. That’s why he gave such a lame excuse.”

“Who could garner such excitement from Old Cao? Last winter the minister from the Ministry of Rites came to hand out consolation money. It was three hundred taels of silver! The Minister of Rites! And yet, Old Cao looked as if the Emperor of Yan Kingdom had died.”

“You’re too mean. Those who come from defeated countries can’t help but feel like that.” The student in front smiled and replied, “As for whom the bigwig visiting today is, and why Old Cao would be so excited, it’s because it has something to do with him. While he is an experienced instructor from the Academy he is first and foremost, a man from the Yan Kingdom.

“Why would you say that?”

“The person visiting today is Prince Long Qing from the Yan Kingdom. How could Professor Cao not be excited?”

“Who would believe that? One would understand if he missed his country and was excited because he could see a royalty from his country. But the crown prince of Yan had been living in Chang’an. I don’t see Old Cao paying his respects to the prince every day.”

“You ignorant creature.”

Chu Youxian listened to the argument and muttered sarcastically to Ning Que, “The Crown Prince of Yan is but a hostage. How could they compare him to Prince Long Qing? To the people of Yan, having been beaten by Tang for hundreds of years, Prince Long Qing is their last hope for Yan. How could Old Cao not be excited at his coming?”

“Prince Long Qing?” Ning Que asked curiously, “The brother of the Yan Crown Prince?”

“His younger brother.”

Ning Que knitted his brows and said, “Why would the people of Yan put their hopes of revitalizing their kingdom on Prince Long Qing? Even if the Emperor of Yan passes on, the next person to succeed the throne should be the Crown Prince.”

“That’s where the issue is. From what I’ve heard, many in the internal affairs of the Yan Kingdom are not in favor of the Crown Prince succeeding the throne… Many believe that Prince Long Qing is a rare genius.”

Upon hearing the words “rare genius”, Ning Que’s knitted brows relaxed. He gathered his books and smiled, saying, “This one’s a genius, so is that one. I’ve only been in Chang’an for a year and I’m already tired of hearing the word genius. This genius musn’t be so rare if there are so many of them popping up this year.”

“Whoa…” Chu Youxian replied jokingly, “You seem really quiet usually, and I thought you didn’t mind that incident from back then or cared about the attitudes towards you. I never thought you’d remember that. You look like you don’t even care to give your attention to geniuses like Xie Chengyun and the likes. But take note, Prince Long Qing is not Xie Chengyun.”

Ning Que stopped what he was doing and looked at him, waiting to hear what he had to say.

“Prince Long Qing is a true genius.” Chu Youxian said seriously.

“You’re speaking true nonsense.” Ning Que replied before he was shocked by the debate that floated towards them.

The name Prince Long Qing had evoked several shouts of surprise and exclamation in the study room. There was yet another round of debate. Some who had lived in the frontiers like Ning Que had never heard of this name, however, they were the minority. Some had developed questions similar to himself. What kind of person was this Prince Long Qing whom all the people of Yan were placing their hopes upon for the revitalization of their country? Who was this person who could make Professor Cao as excited as he was just now?”

“He might be the prince of Yan, but since his brother was sent to Chang’an as a hostage, the royals of Yan Kingdom sent him to several countries to study. He stayed for several months in the Yuelun Kingdom, the Great River Kingdom as well as Southern Jin. He even entered the Revelation Institute in the West-Hill Divine Kingdom and took first place just after a year in the institute.”

The Academy of South Chang’an was the oldest, most renowned and respected academy out there. However, there are also other famed academies in other countries as well. The Revelation Institute of the West-Hill Divine Kingdom had instructors hailing from the divine hall and was one of the best. Being able to place first in a place like this was not easy. However, while this did not answer any questions, it did mean something to the proud students of the Academy.

In his third year at the Revelation Institute, Prince Long Qing traveled to different places with his teacher to do missionary work. That autumn at the Lanke temple of Wa Mountains, his teacher entered a debate with a Buddhist monk that could not be resolved. Prince Long Qing smiled and went forward to debate with his seven disciples for three days and three nights and won seven rounds of debates. The first disciple even vomited blood. He only smiled and shut up when the elder of the Lanke temple came out of seclusion to speak. The elder praised him for being so knowledgeable and his debate skills were second to none. He said that the prince could enter sacred grounds after ten years of training if he could enter Buddhism.

“How could the West-Hill Divine Palace bear to have their prized disciple stolen away? When Prince Long Qing entered his fourth year at the Revelation Institute, the head teacher accepted him as his core disciple and even allowed him to start learning how to handle affairs of the judicial department in the Divine hall… I heard that Prince Long Qing is but one step away from the Knowing Destiny State. He’s very favored by the Haotian Taoism and is the second most important person in the judicial department. He specializes in guarding against devils and holds a key position in that too.”

“The second most important person in the judicial department of Divine hall?” A student said without care, “This sort of bigwig doesn’t even amount to much in the Great Tang. If he was in the Southern Jin or the Great River Kingdom, he would have been someone even the emperor wouldn’t dare touch. Why would he come to Tang, to Chang’an?”

“Because Prince Long Qing… will enter the Academy for further studies.”

“Enter the Academy? Is this bigwig about to become one of our peers?”

“Dream on, He has already been studying in the Revelation Institute for years and is already an important figure in the West-Hill Divine Palace. How could he be our peer? He came to the Academy for the Second floor.”

“Other than cultivating in on the second floor, he had also come to Chang’an for another reason. He is here to take over his brother as the hostage. The Emperor of Yan is old and dying. No one knows how much longer he can live. Our emperor places much importance on filial piety and has agreed to the crown prince’s return, but asked for a royal with enough power to take his place. After much consideration, who else but Prince Long Qing has sufficient power to do so?”

“The West-Hill Divine Palace has cultivated the prince for many years and has proven that this talent is indeed one to watch out for. The people of Yan places think well of his talents and think even better of his relationship with the West-Hill Divine Palace. They think of him as the hope for Yan Kingdom’s revitalization. In their eyes, this prince is much more important than the crown prince who had been a hostage for years. What I don’t understand is why they suddenly agreed to the Tang’s request.”

The discussion between these students from reputable families had painted a clear picture of the situation in the minds of the others. The young prince who was about to enter the Knowing Destiny State carried the burden and hopes of the people of Yan. The West-Hill Divine Palace would also like to cultivate this young talent whom people are depending upon to revitalize the kingdom. If he wasn’t a genius, who was?”

There were many complicated and conflicting emotions within the young prideful students within the study room as they thought about the prince’s accomplishments. Some were jealous and in awe while others were disbelieving. However, this disbelief was totally unjustified in the face of all the accomplishments of the prince.

The study room was abnormally silent. Chu Youxian looked at his classmates and smiled. He said, “You’ve forgotten to mention the thing he’s most famous for… The prince is extremely handsome. Some people say that he is the most beautiful thing on earth. He is well cultivated and elegant. When he entered the Yuelun Kingdom in his youth, he attracted many looks from young women on the streets. I heard that many pairs of shoes were torn, many vocal chords were screamed hoarse and a lot of girls cried that day.”

This was an extremely curious incident that many students in the study room would not know about. The boys who were talking confidently about the prince would not mention this fact. The moment the girls in the room thought about this piece of gossip, their faces brightened. Even Miss Gao who had been unhappy lately widened her eyes and had a curve on her lips.

“Ladies, it’s a little too late for you to moon over him.”

One of the things that Chu Youxian was best at doing was to deliver blows after delivering bad news. He smiled at the girls cheekily and said, “Prince Long Qing is already betrothed to the Princess Lu Chenjia of Yuelun Kingdom. She had the biggest crush on the prince. They fell in love when the prince studied Buddhism in the Yuelun Kingdom. The princess studied at the Revelation Institute just to be with him every day. What chance have you got? Everyone knows that Lu Chenjia is the greatest love-sick fool in the world. You are no match for her.”

The expressions on every girl in the class stilled upon hearing that, but no one could say anything to refute Chu Youxian’s claims. They lowered their heads. Situ Yilan looked at the expressions on the girls’ faces and changed the subject, washing away the love-sick expressions they had.

Lu Chenjia, the greatest love-sick fool in the world was also a renowned beauty. There were also two other girls who were often brought up when Lu Chenjia was mentioned. One was the disciple of the Master calligrapher Wang of the Great River Kingdom. She was quiet and vivacious and enjoyed calligraphy and was known as a calligraphy addict. The other was a disciple from the Revelation Institute whose identity was a secret. It was said that she was gentle and lovely but was only interested in Taoism. She was interested in cultivation and nothing else, which was why she was known as the Tao Addict.

“Everyone knows about the Flower Addict and the Calligraphy Addict. The other beauty has always been secretive. Everyone knows there’s a beauty in the West-Hill Divine Kingdom, but no one knows her name or where she is.”

Situ Yilan listened to the conversation and hesitated before speaking up. “It is true that nobody knows what the Tao Addict’s name is. But I heard that she is the most important person in the judicial department of the Divine Hall.”