Chapter 28 Part 2

He was actually a distant branch member of the Xinshan Zhang family. The Zhang clan wasn’t particularly prominent, and he was from a collateral line—a minor figure among minor figures. Entering officialdom through recommendation was difficult for him. But back then, Her Majesty had accepted his poem, indirectly helping him make a name for himself. Now, when people mentioned him, they recalled him as “the man who wrote a rhapsody for Her Majesty before her ascension.”

Whether that description was praise or a veiled insult was debatable, but Her Majesty had shown him kindness.

And perhaps because his act had indeed been quite bold, Tian Fen took a liking to him. He successfully became Tian Fen’s student, effectively boarding a seemingly promising large ship.

Setting aside the fact that Tian Fen was Her Majesty’s uncle, he was also a renowned scholar of the age, deeply accomplished in the Classics and Histories.

Hearing Tian Fen’s words, Zhang Ling said angrily, “Now, vermin run rampant in the court, and jackals surround the sovereign. This era of chaos should fall upon their heads… But the Empress Dowager must be regretting it bitterly now. The land she just obtained for her nephew earlier this year—how quickly disaster struck. She barely warmed the seat. Truly, Heaven watches what men do. This is what they mean by ‘the unrighteous find few supporters’.”

Tian Fen glanced at him, slightly furrowing his brow. He sighed. “In the end, it’s the common people who suffer. There’s nothing to gloat about.”

Zhang Ling was startled, then bowed deeply. “Ling spoke out of turn.”

But the Empress Dowager was indeed distressed. Even Commandery Princess Yunping could see it.

“When I went to pay my respects yesterday, a huge swelling had erupted on the Empress Dowager’s forehead. Even with thick lead powder, she couldn’t cover it,” Commandery Princess Yunping told Fu Ping’an.

Fu Ping’an had seen it too. The bullet comments had even said at the time —【Is she using lead powder? Then the Empress Dowager won’t live long. Lead powder is so toxic.】

But since Fu Ping’an wasn’t knowledgeable about cosmetics, she hadn’t been sure. Now, hearing Commandery Princess Yunping mention it, she asked quietly, “Was it lead powder?”

Commandery Princess Yunping said, “Yes, it was offered by the Alchemists in the palace. You know those Alchemists in the palace don’t do productive work; they just refine elixirs. Since they can’t produce those, they’ve resorted to minor tricks like this.”

She paused, hesitant before adding, “But it does seem to work very well.”

Fu Ping’an quickly said, “You mustn’t use it. That stuff is poisonous.”

Commandery Princess Yunping blinked her eyes. “Really?”

Fu Ping’an nodded firmly.

Commandery Princess Yunping said, “Alright, I won’t use it.”

They exchanged a glance and suddenly smiled. As they smiled, their expressions turned bitter. Commandery Princess Yunping said quietly, “The Empress Dowager seems determined to make me leave.”

Fu Ping’an feigned nonchalance. “We also think it’s best for you to go back.”

Commandery Princess Yunping glared at her. “If you say that again, I’ll be angry.”

【Chang’an Flower: Little Ping’an, don’t say that. Even I’m getting angry.】

Fu Ping’an didn’t quite understand the reasoning, but seeing the other’s expression darken, she quickly nodded and fell silent.

In truth, she suspected the Empress Dowager’s rush to make Commandery Princess Yunping leave was because of her.

The night she had expressed her opinions during the council, the Empress Dowager summoned her.

To put it plainly, the Empress Dowager’s illness was insomnia, poor sleep, compounded by stress and fatigue, leaving her weak with a low fever. When Fu Ping’an arrived, she was already much better—looking even more rosy-cheeked than Fu Ping’an herself, in fact.

Seeing Fu Ping’an, however, she held her forehead, saying she felt miserable in her heart and had a terrible headache. Fu Ping’an had to ask the reason. The Empress Dowager said, “Why does Your Majesty speak of matters not before me, but deliberately when I am absent?”

Fu Ping’an’s body stiffened involuntarily, and she almost failed to control her expression. Fortunately, the bullet comments had given her a warning beforehand, so she managed to keep her composure. Following the backup plan, she said timidly, “It wasn’t deliberate, Empress Mother. I just suddenly thought of it then.”

“Then why not call for the Imperial Censor? He is also your uncle.”

Fu Ping’an stammered, “Uncle… last time, Uncle said the locusts came because of a lack of virtue. I was somewhat frightened. Empress Mother, was he talking about me? Since I ascended the throne, disasters have been unending. Am I truly a ruler without virtue?”

This was, of course, feigning ignorance.

But the pretense was quite reasonable.

In the Empress Dowager’s mind, Fu Ping’an was just a child, not yet eleven. The current situation was obvious to adults, but not necessarily clear to a child.

The books only taught her that disasters followed an unvirtuous ruler; they didn’t teach her to judge the situation and deflect blame. The ministers argued in circles, and it was possible she thought they were criticizing her.

The Empress Dowager perhaps believed it. She even blurted out, “You don’t need to believe everything the ministers say.”

Fu Ping’an felt a flicker of surprise and glanced at her. The Empress Dowager changed the subject: “Are they teaching you Master Yan’s Spring and Autumn Annals lately?”

Fu Ping’an said, “…This was my own wild thinking. The Prime Minister mentioned nothing of the sort; I haven’t seen it.”

A trace of suspicion flashed in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, but she didn’t press further. She simply said, “Some things seem obvious just by thinking, but an Emperor must still read more books. But regarding the locust plague, don’t overthink it. During Emperor Gaozu’s time, there were frequent locust plagues everywhere.”

Fu Ping’an nodded in agreement.

For the next few days, Fu Ping’an diligently attended the Empress Dowager’s sickbed, and gradually seemed to allay her suspicions. Yet, inexplicably, life became difficult for Commandery Princess Yunping. Her palace servants were reprimanded, supplies were short, and her personal maid mysteriously fell ill and was sent out of the palace.

Both Commandery Princess Yunping and Fu Ping’an realized this was the Empress Dowager forcing her to leave quickly.

What the Empress Dowager wanted, she would get. If left waiting, she might resort to even harsher measures. Fu Ping’an suspected this was a consequence of her urge to show off that day. She didn’t even dare tell Commandery Princess Yunping about it.

“Moon Over East Mountain” never spoke again, even though people in the bullet comments kept mocking him. But through this event, Fu Ping’an learned that viewers could offer suggestions, but she had to judge whether they were correct, for she alone bore the consequences.

And what she couldn’t bear would spill over onto those around her.

That evening, she took her meal at Clear Spring Palace again. If she dined there, the food was slightly better. But she couldn’t come too often, as the Empress Dowager would “admonish” her—and more often, “admonish” Commandery Princess Yunping.

After the evening meal, Commandery Princess Yunping walked Fu Ping’an to the gate. Near the gate, she suddenly pulled Fu Ping’an along for a quick few steps, leaving the palace servants far behind. She whispered, “You mentioned before wanting to see that guard. I’ll think of a way. We’ll meet at North Palace then.”

Fu Ping’an’s heart lurched. She wanted to dissuade her, but the servants had already caught up. Fu Ping’an could only mumble, “Don’t do anything rash.”

She didn’t know what plan Commandery Princess Yunping had in mind, but she felt a growing unease.

Four days later, she woke to noise. Looking towards Clear Spring Palace, she saw flames shooting up into the sky.

Fu Ping’an’s hands and feet went ice cold. Qin He came in from outside, a cloak in hand, saying, “Your Majesty, don’t worry yet, we still don’t know what happened.”

Fu Ping’an snatched the cloak and rushed out the door.

She ran faster than ever before. The palace servants couldn’t react in time and were left behind. As she neared Clear Spring Palace, a thought suddenly struck her.

“We’ll meet at North Palace then.”

The North Palace was actually the Cold Palace of the previous dynasty. But the Late Emperor’s consorts had already been buried with him, and the palace population was small, so the Cold Palace was currently empty.

Seeing no one around, Fu Ping’an turned a corner and ran towards the North Palace. There was no one on the path, everyone likely drawn to the fire at Clear Spring Palace.

Finally seeing the North Palace gate in the distance, Fu Ping’an spotted a familiar figure.

She was unprecedentedly disheveled, her face smudged with soot, dirty all over, her hair a messy tangle. She wore only an inner garment and stood barefoot on the ground.

In the night, the palace walls were black, the ground was black, but she was all white, as if glowing.

Fu Ping’an was panting roughly, about to speak, when she was pulled inside the gate in the next second. Fu Ping’an exclaimed, “How is this gate unlocked?”

“What’s there to lock? No one ever comes here. Why hasn’t that Chen Yan arrived yet? Surely she didn’t misunderstand my meaning?” Commandery Princess Yunping’s voice was slightly agitated.

Fu Ping’an stared at her blankly. Just moments before, her heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife, tears brimming in her eyes.

Commandery Princess Yunping glanced at Fu Ping’an’s expression and understood. She said sheepishly, “I set the fire.”

Then she stole a smile. “Fu Lingxian and the Empress Dowager will be very angry.”

Fu Ping’an answered with an “mm” but couldn’t help adding, “I’m very angry too.”

Commandery Princess Yunping looked at her and said softly, “I’m sorry. I just wanted to help you before I left. Actually, it’s okay if I die. I have no real attachment to life. If my life can help you, it would be a good thing.”

A fiery rage rose in Ping’an’s heart, even fiercer than what she felt when the Empress Dowager “admonished” her. Lowering her voice, she said through gritted teeth, “Why do you still not want to live? Even I want to live. I’m still poisoned, people around me are leaving one by one, but I still always want to live. Why don’t you want to? I, I…”

Commandery Princess Yunping looked at her, her gaze very calm.

Suddenly, Fu Ping’an felt too embarrassed to say the rest. She had wanted to say, “I still need you,” but instead, she said, “Don’t you want to know why the moon shines, or why the world is round? Don’t you like astronomy? The answers the books haven’t had time to tell you, don’t you want to know them?”

Yunping’s eyes lit up bit by bit. She murmured, “I want to know.”

She grasped Fu Ping’an’s hand, her palm cool with a little sweat. Her eyes shone as if fire had lit within them too. Fu Ping’an remembered the first time she saw her. Back then, looking into her eyes, she had thought the girl seemed like an old woman.

Suddenly, an exasperated voice came from behind. “You two are very bold.”

Fu Ping’an turned her head.

Chen Yan, carrying a sword, was crouching on the wall of the North Palace. Seeing them, she jumped down.

She wore the uniform of a palace guard, a red headband tied around her forehead, sweat on her brow, looking as if she had rushed over.

Commandery Princess Yunping said, “You’re too slow.”

Chen Yan curved her lips into a smile. “I was already extremely fast. After all, I had to conveniently deal with a few little tails along the way.”

She looked completely different from when they last saw her at Chaoyang Palace. That day, she seemed righteous and imposing. But tonight, walking out from the night, her gait and demeanor were casual, as if carrying an air of wickedness.

“Your Majesty is truly bold. Did you never consider that I might not be the person you were looking for?”

Fu Ping’an glanced at Commandery Princess Yunping. This was naturally Commandery Princess Yunping acting on her own accord.

But aloud she said, “We wanted to take a gamble.”

Chen Yan smiled slightly and suddenly gripped the sword at her waist. Fu Ping’an broke out in a cold sweat but resisted the urge to step back.

Chen Yan approached closely, knelt on one knee. Her posture was upright and respectful, but her words were flippant: “Your Majesty has won the bet.”