“That’s why it took several years to gather all the materials.” Eunuch Qian distributed the papers on the table among the assembled officials.
“These are the architectural plans and the materials required, all of which the Crown Prince and I organized. We spent these past several years collecting the rarest materials. A few of them were even found in several cities of Southern Yue.”
Only after examining the various architectural drawings and lists of materials did everyone finally understand why their wealthy Emperor had needed several years to gather everything required to build a temple for the Grand Preceptor.
Even the various rare woods alone were worth a fortune and nearly impossible to obtain. The stone was all the finest jade-bearing rock, while the floor tiles were golden bricks that took several years to fully form.
The Emperor had said he had been preparing for several years, and he truly had not exaggerated in the slightest!
Receiving his father’s cue, the Crown Prince took over. “After several years of gathering materials from various sources, most of what we need has already been prepared. We are only waiting for the Directorate of Imperial Astronomy to select an auspicious day before officially beginning construction.”
He turned to Lu Qi, Minister of Works. “Minister Lu, this matter will require your careful attention.”
Lu Qi accepted the order excitedly. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, rest assured. This humble official will certainly not disappoint the Divine Maiden!”
This was a temple being built for the Divine Maiden. What an immeasurable merit it would bring!
Such an enormous opportunity had landed right in his lap. Of course he would hold on to it with all his might!
Yu Chongshan, Yu Zhongchun, and the other members of the Yu family also stepped forward together and bowed. “This humble official and his sons thank Your Majesty on Fuguang’s behalf for Your Majesty’s gracious favor!”
“Your Majesty, looking at the plans, the Divine Maiden’s statue will be about three meters tall. Will the piece of jade General Xu obtained be large enough? If it is not, my family has another fine piece of material. Perhaps—”
“Why not use my family’s?” Wu Yuanjing’s father, Wu Yong, had not even finished speaking when Minister of Rites Zhang Zhongping interrupted him and directly suggested using his own family’s jade.
“Minister Wu, what do you mean, use your family’s? Who among us hasn’t seen that piece of yours? The material is good, but it’s far too small. It simply isn’t worthy of the Divine Maiden!”
When it came to competing for the honor of providing the jade for the Divine Maiden’s statue, Wu Yuanjing was not the least bit intimidated by Zhang Zhongping, whose official rank was higher than his.
His son had once ridden in the Divine Maiden’s flying carriage. Naturally, he had to do everything he could to contribute to the construction of the Divine Maiden’s temple.
“Can yours really be larger than the piece His Majesty recently acquired?” As Minister of Rites, Zhang Zhongping had now completely forgotten all about etiquette.
Contributing to the Divine Maiden’s temple was a great deed that would earn blessings for one’s descendants. At a time like this, who still had the leisure to worry about etiquette?
The others also came to their senses amid the two men’s quarrel. While secretly cursing them for their cunning, they all began declaring that their own families possessed fine materials and were willing to contribute a share toward the Divine Maiden’s statue.
In their eyes, taking part in the construction of the Divine Maiden’s temple was already a tremendous merit. But providing the material for the statue was an even greater merit within that tremendous merit.
Even if it meant incurring the Emperor’s displeasure, they were determined to get involved. With so many people speaking up, His Majesty could hardly refuse them all.
“You…” Emperor Mingxi was rendered both exasperated and amused by the faces of his trusted ministers. They were all old foxes, after all. Since he had taken the lion’s share, he did have to leave them a little broth to drink.
“Your Majesties—His Majesty and I are aware of the several ministers’ desire to contribute to the Divine Maiden’s temple. However, as for the statue…” He glanced at Emperor Mingxi before continuing, “The piece of material General Xu obtained in the mountains of Ye City is just large enough.”
This was something he had secretly written to his maternal uncle about shortly before the two nations went to war, asking him to keep an eye out in Southern Yue. Of the Six Kingdoms, if one were to speak of where jade was most plentiful, Great Yan could rank among the top three.
But if one were to speak of where the finest jade came from, then Southern Yue was unquestionably the best.
“This…” As soon as they heard this, everyone refused to accept it. What did he mean, just large enough? Wouldn’t a three-meter Divine Maiden statue be far less imposing than one four or five meters tall?
Xie Zhiyan raised a hand, signaling them to calm down. “Several ministers, please hear me out.”
He pointed to the drawing of the statue. “The jade for the Divine Maiden’s statue is sufficient, but the lotus pedestal beneath her feet still requires a considerable amount of fine jade.”
“Your Highness, my family has a piece of emerald-green jade, translucent and delicate in texture. It would be most suitable for making the lotus pedestal.” Cai Xian was the first to step forward, having learned his lesson.
Wei Ping followed close behind. “Your Highness, my family possesses a piece of white jade as smooth and fine as mutton fat. It is exceptionally warm and lustrous, making it ideal for the lotus petals.”
“Your Highness, my family’s piece is a smoky violet color. Count my family in for the petals.” Wu Yuanjing thought to himself that if he could not have the meat, he absolutely had to get a taste of the broth.
Zhang Zhongping’s thoughts were no different. “The piece in my family is ice-blue and as clear as frozen water. It would be most suitable for the petals of the lotus pedestal beneath the Divine Maiden.”
“My family has a piece of pale jade passed down from our ancestors. Count us in for one of the petals as well.” Ling Yinghua cupped her hands toward the Crown Prince. In order to be selected, she had even brought out an heirloom passed down through the generations.
“My family…”
One voice followed another. Before the Yu family’s father and sons could even speak, the lotus pedestal beneath Yue Fuguang’s jade statue had already been assembled from nine different colors.
Yu Chongshan said, “Your Majesty, shouldn’t the Divine Maiden’s statue be holding a precious orb? My family will provide the orb.”
Emperor Mingxi nodded in agreement. He could refuse the others, but he had no way to reject the Yu family.
“Your Majesty, regarding the carving of the Divine Maiden’s statue, this humble official dares to ask: Which master sculptor have you invited?”
Yu Chongshan was deeply worried that the sculptor Emperor Mingxi had chosen might not be able to capture even a fraction of his granddaughter’s spirit.
At the thought of what Fuguang had said the previous evening, he imagined that, in the future, whenever the Yu family’s younger generations wished to admire the bearing of their Immortal Great-Aunt, they would have one more place to visit besides the portraits preserved in the family collection.
Emperor Mingxi smiled faintly. “You all know this person.” He gestured toward the only person present who had not been competing to offer up his family’s treasured collection. “Master Xuanmingzi, tell the several ministers about it.”
“Yes. In my youth, I studied stone carving for several years.” He nodded slightly to everyone, particularly the members of the Yu family. “My teacher, Master Gu Yang, should be on his way to the capital by now. Judging by the time, he should arrive within the next day or two.”
Everyone understood.
So that was why Xuanmingzi had seemed so unconcerned earlier. They had thought him aloof, but it turned out he had accepted an assignment that would earn even greater merit.
Xuanmingzi cupped his hands toward Emperor Mingxi. “We are deeply honored by Your Majesty’s favor. My teacher and I will devote every skill we possess to restoring even a fraction of the Divine Maiden’s magnificence. We only ask that we do not tarnish the Divine Maiden’s illustrious name.”
Yu Chongshan nodded slightly. With Gu Yang—the finest sculptor in all of Great Yan—working on the statue, his family’s Fuguang was certain to be immortalized properly. However…
“Master Xuanmingzi, if I remember correctly, Master Gu Yang put away his carving knife several years ago because of his poor health.”
