As life in the Ju'an Hall gradually improved, some people began to grow restless.
The Astrological Bureau was located in the northeast part of the imperial city, its centerpiece a nine-story wooden pagoda.
Surrounding the pagoda were three palaces, representing the ultimate numbers of three and nine.
The founder of the Astrological Bureau was Zhang Shuchuan, who served under the founding emperor and was skilled in astrology and mathematics. Later, Zhang Shuchuan passed down the art of stargazing to the disciples of his own family.
The bureau was headed by a Chief Astrologer and a Deputy Chief Astrologer, positions traditionally inherited by descendants of the Zhang family. The remaining ten Astrological Officers were recruited from the common people.
This was the only place where both men and women could serve, granted an official post as long as they had the talent.
The status of the Astrological Bureau in the Great Zhou Dynasty was unique. If the emperor valued astrology, its standing was high; if he did not, it became virtually invisible.
At this moment, in the leftmost palace, Deputy Chief Astrologer Zhang Chansi sat quietly at a table brewing tea, her movements fluid and graceful, the aroma of tea misting the air.
Her voice was faint: "Has my uncle gone out?"
"Reporting to the Deputy Chief, a lowly little eunuch came for the Chief Astrologer not long ago. Shortly after, the Chief left. Judging by the direction, he was heading for the Qianji Palace."
Zhang Chansi took a sip of tea.
"The older my uncle gets, the more muddled he becomes. It seems he has completely forgotten the teachings of our ancestors."
Her subordinate hesitated. "Deputy Chief, if we go to stop him now, perhaps there's still time."
"Stopping him once won't stop him a second time," Zhang Chansi shook her head. "Besides, we failed to stop him the first time. The cause and effect are already set; let nature take its course."
She sighed softly, gazing out of the window towards the palace grounds.
On the stone stele of the Astrological Bureau, a thin layer of snow remained, carved with the ancestral admonition of its founder, Zhang Shuchuan:
Stargazing is not peering at ghosts, gods, demons, or buddhas; calculation only discerns fortune, misfortune, auspice, and inauspice.
If one harbors a heart to harm others, calamity will surely arrive in the end.
-
Zichen Palace.
Eunuch Yu entered to announce, "Your Majesty, the Chief Astrologer requests an audience."
Emperor Chongzhao paused slightly.
In his dream, the place where that pitch-black calamitous star fell was the Astrological Bureau. He hadn't deliberately mentioned this matter, nor had he summoned the Astrological Bureau to inquire, as it was, after all, just a dream. Unexpectedly, today they had come of their own accord.
His eyes darkened slightly. "Admit him."
The succession of Chief Astrologers was slow; it was only the second generation since its founding, now held by the current Chief, Zhang Fanming.
The current emperor ruled with strict discipline and did not believe in witchcraft or sorcery. Naturally, the Astrological Bureau had fallen out of favor. It was only after Consort Yun's death, when the prophecy concerning the reincarnation of the evil fetus came true, that the bureau's treatment improved somewhat.
Zhang Fanming knelt to pay his respects.
"May Your Majesty be at peace."
"What is the matter?"
Zhang Fanming raised his head with a grave expression. "I report to Your Majesty, it concerns the matter of Consort Yun."
The moment the words "Consort Yun" were uttered, Eunuch Yu's eyelid twitched.
Those two words were practically forbidden!
The Zichen Palace remained silent for a long time, so long that Zhang Fanming broke out in a cold sweat, before he finally heard a single word: "Speak."
Zhang Fanming: "There are still half a year until the young prince's third birthday. This is precisely the critical period for Consort Yun's peaceful reincarnation. By observing the stars at night, I have discovered that the karmic force from the previous life carried by the young prince has grown greatly, subtly affecting the stability of Consort Yun's next life."
What came to Emperor Chongzhao's mind, however, was the scene in the dream where Yueqing asked him what their child looked like. He rubbed the emerald green thumb ring on his finger.
"What must I do to ensure Consort Yun's peaceful reincarnation?"
"The Ju'an Hall where the young prince currently resides, although sufficiently distant from Your Majesty, the bond of blood kinship remains. That karmic force inevitably absorbs the imperial aura. No major action is needed. It would suffice, for the next half year, to have the young prince be placed a bit farther away."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Farther?"
Zhang Fanming: "Outside the imperial city, to a detached palace."
Another stretch of silence ensued.
Emperor Chongzhao looked at Zhang Fanming's head, capped with his official hat. The scene from his dream of the black calamitous star falling onto the Astrological Bureau became even clearer.
He neither agreed nor refused, merely waving his hand. "You may withdraw. I am aware."
After leaving the Zichen Palace, Zhang Fanming belatedly realized he was drenched in sweat despite the cold weather.
The Ju'an Hall was already far enough. That young prince hadn't seen His Majesty's face in over two years; how much father-son affection could there be? Not the legitimate heir, not the eldest, not even firmly established, he posed no threat to the status of the other princes.
He didn't know why that person had suddenly sought him out, instructing him to move Consort Yun's child even farther away.
Zhang Fanming rubbed his twitching eyelid and looked up at the somewhat gloomy sky. Since the moment he made his choice over two years ago, there had been no turning back.
-
The tea by Emperor Chongzhao's side had grown colder.
Just as Eunuch Yu was about to replace it, Emperor Chongzhao picked it up and took a couple of sips.
"Now in deep winter, the detached palace must be very cold."
Eunuch Yu replied cautiously, "The detached palace is desolate, lacking clothing and food. It is likely to be cold."
Emperor Chongzhao rotated the teacup in his fingers. "Change the tea set. This cup is too gaudy for winter use."
Eunuch Yu: "Yes."
That Chief Astrologer really had quite the nerve, daring to mention Consort Yun before His Majesty.
He pondered, what exactly did His Majesty mean? He only asked if the detached palace was cold, yet the young prince's entire future rested on His Majesty's single thought.
After the Chief Astrologer left, Emperor Chongzhao sat alone in the palace until late into the night, turning his thumb ring, silent and wordless.
Eunuch Yu bent at the waist to replace a lamp for him.
"Tell me, should I really send that child to the detached palace?"
"I still don't know what he looks like."
Eunuch Yu wasn't surprised, sighing inwardly at Consort Yun's influence over His Majesty, and said softly, "This servant dare not comment."
Emperor Chongzhao's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table.
He clearly should send the child away; the three-year period was only half a year short, the final critical phase. Yet, that recurring dream made Emperor Chongzhao uncharacteristically hesitant.
He leaned back in his chair, which emitted a faint creak as it shifted slightly. The dim candlelight flickered, and the sound brought his thoughts back.
"Leave me."
Eunuch Yu acknowledged the order, gesturing to the other attending eunuchs in the hall, and they all departed.
Emperor Chongzhao tapped the table with his knuckles: one long, two short, one long.
A shadow appeared in the dimness, kneeling on one knee, silent.
Emperor Chongzhao said, "Select one from the Yi Division. Choose someone meticulous, and send them to the Ju'an Hall."
To see what the child looked like, what he did every day.
If the dreams continued, he wouldn't be unable to answer Yueqing's questions.
The lamplight flickered, and the shadow vanished again, having made no sound from beginning to end, as if it had all been an illusion.
-
Night enveloped the entire imperial city.
The emperor's shadow guards were named after the Heavenly Stems, each of the twelve stems having its own specialty. Each stem had twelve guards, the strongest among them being the division captain.
Among them, the Yi Division guards assigned by Emperor Chongzhao excelled at tracking, memory, and mimicry.
If the Emperor or the chief captain didn't specify a name, the guards within the division would hold a martial contest; the loser would be the unlucky one assigned to the extra duty.
The bruised and battered Yi Shier, clad in black and expressionless, with paper and brush tucked in his robe, was tossed by the Yi Division captain into the Ju'an Hall to watch over the young prince.
He landed on the bare elm tree in the courtyard, the scene outside the hall fully within his view.
Only the main bedchamber of the palace had a faint light; the side halls were empty and deserted.
Two clotheslines were strung beneath the elm tree. One was hung with the blue garments of eunuchs, the other with children's clothes, likely belonging to the little prince.
He soundlessly approached the bedchamber, drawing near the window from which light seeped.
Faint sounds of laughter and play drifted from within.
"...The pictures all three of us drew are so ugly, really, so ugly! Hahaha!"
Qu Dubian laid out the drawings they had made.
The picture he had drawn with his own right hand was already quite hideous, but he hadn't expected Ye Banban's and Xiao Chun's to be even worse.
The master and his two servants had produced drawings that were bizarrely ugly in their own unique ways. Looking at them, Qu Dubian couldn't help but chuckle: "Well, mine is at least a more attractive kind of ugly."
Ye Xiaoyuan smiled. Wen Xiaochun, who seldom spoke much, also had the corners of her mouth upturned.
"Yes, Your Highness's drawing is the best-looking."
Truthfully, they had initially been reluctant to waste paper on drawing. But the prince said that drawing would help with brush control later on, and that it would be more fun if they joined him.
At that, they couldn't bring themselves to refuse and simply followed along.
Qu Dubian yawned. Such was the nature of a young body. Moreover, the original owner had suffered from malnutrition due to starvation, leaving his constitution somewhat deficient and his blood energy insufficient. One moment he was chatting and laughing, the next he was growing drowsy.
Ye Xiaoyuan deftly scooped him up from the table: "It's time for Your Highness to sleep."
Qu Dubian struggled slightly, then gave up on the idea of walking himself.
Ye Banban could be quite stubborn about certain things—like worrying he might bump himself climbing onto the bed, or fall and get hurt. So, he never let the prince climb into bed by himself.
Qu Dubian took off his clothes and slipped swiftly under the covers. It wasn't cold inside; a warming pan had been placed there, making it very cozy.
Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun did not leave. The prince wouldn't allow them to sleep in the icy-cold side chamber. Instead, he made them bring their bedding to sleep by his bedside.
Both Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun had objected at first. How could servants, except when on night watch, sleep inside their master's room?
But then the little prince's eyes reddened, and with a pitiful, aggrieved tone, he said, "I don't want you to get sick from the cold. What would I do if no one could stay with me later?" That made them lay down their arms and surrender.
Naturally, Wen Xiaochun's expression didn't change much.
But Ye Xiaoyuan distinctly noticed that the next day, when sweeping, she did so with more vigor, as if determined to sweep away any pebble that might trip the little prince.
"Would Your Highness like to hear a story?" Qu Dubian was half-cradled by Ye Xiaoyuan, his cheeks rosy from the warmth of the heating pan, his hands and feet all toasty.
"Yes."
"Alright, then close your eyes."
Wen Xiaochun was nearby, spreading out the bedding by the bed. After arranging it, she sat down, hugging her knees, chin resting on them, leaning against the nearby charcoal brazier, listening to Ye Xiaoyuan tell the story.
Today's story was about Ye Xiaoyuan's great battle with Eunuch Fu.
That minor steward in charge of portioning meals from the main kitchen, who had since been dealt with. Ye Xiaoyuan had always tried to get a bit more of the good stuff from him, employing thirty-six stratagems and seventy-two methods in the process.
In his telling, Eunuch Fu became a villain from a storybook, and he himself was the brave warrior who defeated the villain to obtain food. Eunuch Fu's mean and petty demeanor was described so vividly and amusingly that the little prince loved it.
However, Wen Xiaochun knew how difficult it had been to secure food under the main kitchen's deliberate making things difficult. It was nothing like the easy and fun way Ye Xiaoyuan made it sound.
But then, the hardships of the past were past. Looking back, one could afford a smile and turn it into a story.
None of that mattered now, it was all of no consequence.
Having fled all the way to the capital, then being sold into the palace to become a eunuch, she was used to a life of bullying and wandering. But now, gazing at the darkness outside the window, her once empty heart felt an unexpected sense of belonging and solidity.
The chamber was peaceful and warm, made even more serene by the soft storytelling.
Wen Xiaochun thought to herself.
No matter what the actual situation had been, anything, as long as it could make His Highness happy, could be turned into an amusing tale from a storybook.
The story finished. Qu Dubian's breathing became even. Ye Xiaoyuan waited a little longer before laying him flat, then carefully got down and moved to the bedding next to Wen Xiaochun.
"Sleep now."
"Mhm."
After a rustling sound, the two soon fell still, maintaining a state of light sleep.
Qu Dubian wasn't actually asleep yet. He was merely maintaining the original owner's habit of falling asleep to stories, but he himself wasn't accustomed to someone coaxing him to sleep.
After several minutes of trying to drift off, hugging the cloth tiger Ye Banban had sewn for him inside the quilt, his consciousness gradually sank into darkness.
Yi Shier slipped in through the window, landing without a sound.
The next second.
[Character available for befriending: Yi Shier
Favorability: 0]
A cold, mechanical prompt sounded in Qu Dubian's mind, instantly scattering all traces of drowsiness.
