Nightfall

It always rained during the Qingming Festival .

As time pa.s.sed, Chang"an had calmed down . The people who had pa.s.sed away were not forgotten . They had been placed in the depths of people"s hearts . There was an invisible power that had been peacefully acc.u.mulating in the streets that was going to burst out at any time .

There were officials fiercely discussing political affairs at the court meeting, then some military officers came forward with a new proposal, which prompted another new round of discussions . Shangguan Yangyu, who had been promoted to Grand Secretary by the prefectural magistrate of Chang"an City a month ago, narrowed his small eyes and stroked his thin beard as he was about to argue with the officers of the Ministry of Revenue .

A little boy was sitting on the throne, listening to their debates . Apparently, he could not totally understand what they were talking about, but he remained calm . His small hands tightly gripping his bright yellow clothes was the only indication that he was nervous and confused .

The ministers were all satisfied with the young Emperor"s composed performance because he would have just been a naughty boy if he lived in a normal family . When they thought of this, they could not help admiring the man in the wheelchair next to the throne .

The wheelchair was very ordinary but unsightly in the solemn palace . However, it became less unsightly because of the scholar who was sitting in it .

He was wearing an old cotton jacket and holding an old book in his hand . He quietly read the book as usual as if he could not hear any noise in the room . However, most of the officers could not help focusing on him and trying to figure out his thoughts even when he just frowned due to fatigue .

So did the little Emperor . He quietly sat on the throne, enduring the boring political affairs, and tried to be focused and calm, just because his teacher was sitting beside him .

That scholar was his teacher .

He was the Eldest Brother of the Academy .

After the meeting, the relevant memorials to the throne and files were all sent to a side hall in the depths of the palace instead of the imperial study, where the little Emperor also went .

This was Li Yu"s residence . When the Empress pa.s.sed away, the party struggles ended and all the officers concentrated on political affairs and armament . Moreover, the Academy had no interest or ability in state affairs . As the Royal Sister, she was the most suitable candidate for that .

Therefore, she had to review the memorials and files every day, and the most important job for her was teaching the young Emperor how to handle government affairs . Just as the Empress had said before her death, he was her only brother left .

The Academy had not restricted her at all, but for some reason, since she moved back to the palace, she seldom stepped out . And as for the courtiers who were loyal to her, she never saw them .

The spring rain fell on the palace while the officers went out of the main hall . They could not help looking toward the depths of the palace and sighing . Most of them nodded toward the imperial study before they left .

After a long time, the door of the imperial study slowly opened . Ning Que washed his hands in a copper basin carried by a maid before he entered the rain, holding an umbrella .

Although the spring rain at this time was no longer cold, it was continuous . It was so light that no one needed an umbrella, but it felt different this time when they were walking into the rain .

Ning Que could not leave the city, so he had gotten used to walking around it on his feet . He went to the Old Brush Pen Shop and found that its walls had been fixed, but the old cat had gone . Then he went to the house on the bank of Yanming Lake, looking at the willow and lotus . He fell silent for a long time .

The Eldest Brother was staying at the Imperial Palace while the Second Brother was protecting the Academy . The Third Sister had gone but he did not know where to . Master Huang Yang had not yet recovered since being injured by the Abbey Dean, but he had left the day before yesterday . He said he wanted to go to the Xuankong Temple to seek advice from the Buddhist Sect disciples about some questions in his heart .

Many people died or left and there was always someone who would be concerned about or missing them . However, as Ning Que expected, besides the cat in the Old Brush Pen Shop and the lotus in Yanming Lake, few people still remembered Sangsang .

She was easy to forget—yellow-haired, black-skinned, hard-working, frigorific, and plain-looking . She was so inconspicuous, even being Yama"s daughter, the successor of Light, or Haotian . She just vanished .

Ning Que received a letter from the maidservant and opened it . It was a receipt from the post office, in which there were notes that had been rejected . He looked at the notes and was reminded of a lot of things . He closed his eyes . He was feeling like a prisoner in Chang"an who was even unable to breathe .

He thought for a long time before he walked out of the courtyard . Looking at the coachman in front of the black carriage, he said, "What a waste it is for you to be my coachman . "

The coachman was w.a.n.g Jinglue .

He had delivered the message of General Xu s.h.i.+"s death and worked in the Military Ministry since then . n.o.body knew why he had become Ning Que"s coachman .

w.a.n.g Jinglue said indifferently, "If you can do as you promised, I will do anything you want . "

Ning Que said, "Of course . "

w.a.n.g Jinglue asked, "Where are you going?"

Ning Que replied, "The Southern Gate . "

The black carriage moved forward quietly in the rain .

They reached the Southern Gate in a short time .

They stopped at the gate for a long time until the raindrops on the walls of the carriage had already evaporated . It seemed that the man inside the carriage had no idea of whether he should leave or enter the city .

All the soldiers and peddlers around the gate were already familiar with this carriage because it could frequently be seen stopping at the gate for a long time recently .

Many people focused on it, wondering if it would leave the city today .

Time pa.s.sed slowly .

w.a.n.g Jinglue said, "There are some other places that you can hang out . "

Ning Que did not answer him . He sat inside the carriage, tightly holding the letter in his hand . He was once again reminded of that feeling he had when he saw the Empress jump down in front of him .

"Let"s go," he said .

w.a.n.g Jinglue was going to turn around, and lifting his reins, he asked, "Where shall we go?"

Ning Que said, "Leave the city . "

w.a.n.g Jinglue was stunned, then he asked again, "Are you sure?"

Ning Que said, "If I can"t leave the city, how can I kill people out there in the future?"

There was a pavilion to the south of Chang"an . Around it was a large field of weeds with a lot of cemeteries .

Ning Que first went to the joint tombs of the Emperor and Empress, then he went to the public cemetery of the Military Ministry . Many soldiers were buried there . At last, he went to Yan Se and Wei Guangming"s tomb .

"When you leave, you should be able to see much in the future . But why can people only see the future when they are dying? What is the point of that for the people who are living?"

Then he turned to his left . There was a new tomb .

It was small, just as small as Sangsang .

There were only some clothes, half a box of notes, and two boxes of cosmetic powder from the Chenjinji Cosmetics Store in the tomb .

The Zengs were standing in front of it, holding each other"s hand . Mrs . Zeng must have been weeping for a long time because her eyes were red and swollen . Servants were there cleaning the tomb .

Ning Que bowed and stepped forward . He said respectfully, "Father-in-law, you should take my mother-in-law back . "

Zeng Jing had not expected that he would see him outside the city, so he was shocked . Then he understood and cried out, patting him on his shoulders with relief .

Then they all went back home .

Ning Que stood alone at Sangsang"s tomb .

He took the letter out and tore the notes apart . Then he burned one half with the receipt in front of her tomb and carefully put the other half in his pocket .

Then he left .

The black horse carriage approached Chang"an .

Listening to the rain, he sat inside, silent .

Suddenly, a blast of wind came from the north .

Yellow soil came along with the wind, becoming mud after being drenched by the rain .

The rain beat down and flowed down from the walls to the ground like a yellow curtain, which reminded him of the walls in the City of Wei .

The notes were sent to the City of Wei .

Sangsang had been sending notes since they arrived in Chang"an .

On this receipt, it said: "No one was found" .

No one was in the City of Wei .

Neither was Sangsang .

Ning Que cried inconsolably .

He jumped out of the carriage and ran into the rain .

The rain fell on his face and dirtied his tears .

The black carriage followed him .

The people pa.s.sing by looked at him and asked inquisitively, "Why not get in the carriage? It is not a good time to enjoy the rain . It is too dirty . "

Ning Que wiped the dirty rain off his face . He pointed at the growing willow on both sides of the road and said, "It is spring, isn"t it?". . . . It always rained during the Qingming Festival . As time pa.s.sed, Changan had calmed down . The people who had pa.s.sed away were not forgotten . They had been placed in the depths of peoples hearts . There was an invisible power that had been peacefully acc.u.mulating in the streets that was going to burst out at any time . There were officials fiercely discussing political affairs at the court meeting, then some military officers came forward with a new proposal, which prompted another new round of discussions . Shangguan Yangyu, who had been promoted to Grand Secretary by the prefectural magistrate of Changan City a month ago, narrowed his small eyes and stroked his thin beard as he was about to argue with the officers of the Ministry of Revenue . A little boy was sitting on the throne, listening to their debates . Apparently, he could not totally understand what they were talking about, but he remained calm . His small hands tightly gripping his bright yellow clothes was the only indication that he was nervous and confused . The ministers were all satisfied with the young Emperors composed performance because he would have just been a naughty boy if he lived in a normal family . When they thought of this, they could not help admiring the man in the wheelchair next to the throne . The wheelchair was very ordinary but unsightly in the solemn palace . However, it became less unsightly because of the scholar who was sitting in it . He was wearing an old cotton jacket and holding an old book in his hand . He quietly read the book as usual as if he could not hear any noise in the room . However, most of the officers could not help focusing on him and trying to figure out his thoughts even when he just frowned due to fatigue . So did the little Emperor . He quietly sat on the throne, enduring the boring political affairs, and tried to be focused and calm, just because his teacher was sitting beside him . That scholar was his teacher . He was the Eldest Brother of the Academy . After the meeting, the relevant memorials to the throne and files were all sent to a side hall in the depths of the palace instead of the imperial study, where the little Emperor also went . This was Li Yus residence . When the Empress pa.s.sed away, the party struggles ended and all the officers concentrated on political affairs and armament . Moreover, the Academy had no interest or ability in state affairs . As the Royal Sister, she was the most suitable candidate for that . Therefore, she had to review the memorials and files every day, and the most important job for her was teaching the young Emperor how to handle government affairs . Just as the Empress had said before her death, he was her only brother left . The Academy had not restricted her at all, but for some reason, since she moved back to the palace, she seldom stepped out . And as for the courtiers who were loyal to her, she never saw them . . . The spring rain fell on the palace while the officers went out of the main hall . They could not help looking toward the depths of the palace and sighing . Most of them nodded toward the imperial study before they left . After a long time, the door of the imperial study slowly opened . Ning Que washed his hands in a copper basin carried by a maid before he entered the rain, holding an umbrella . Although the spring rain at this time was no longer cold, it was continuous . It was so light that no one needed an umbrella, but it felt different this time when they were walking into the rain . Ning Que could not leave the city, so he had gotten used to walking around it on his feet . He went to the Old Brush Pen Shop and found that its walls had been fixed, but the old cat had gone . Then he went to the house on the bank of Yanming Lake, looking at the willow and lotus . He fell silent for a long time . The Eldest Brother was staying at the Imperial Palace while the Second Brother was protecting the Academy . The Third Sister had gone but he did not know where to . Master Huang Yang had not yet recovered since being injured by the Abbey Dean, but he had left the day before yesterday . He said he wanted to go to the Xuankong Temple to seek advice from the Buddhist Sect disciples about some questions in his heart . Many people died or left and there was always someone who would be concerned about or missing them . However, as Ning Que expected, besides the cat in the Old Brush Pen Shop and the lotus in Yanming Lake, few people still remembered Sangsang . She was easy to forget—yellow-haired, black-skinned, hard-working, frigorific, and plain-looking . She was so inconspicuous, even being Yamas daughter, the successor of Light, or Haotian . She just vanished . Ning Que received a letter from the maidservant and opened it . It was a receipt from the post office, in which there were notes that had been rejected . He looked at the notes and was reminded of a lot of things . He closed his eyes . He was feeling like a prisoner in Changan who was even unable to breathe . He thought for a long time before he walked out of the courtyard . Looking at the coachman in front of the black carriage, he said, What a waste it is for you to be my coachman . The coachman was w.a.n.g Jinglue . He had delivered the message of General Xu s.h.i.+s death and worked in the Military Ministry since then . n.o.body knew why he had become Ning Ques coachman . w.a.n.g Jinglue said indifferently, If you can do as you promised, I will do anything you want . Ning Que said, Of course . w.a.n.g Jinglue asked, Where are you going?. . . . Ning Que replied, The Southern Gate . The black carriage moved forward quietly in the rain . They reached the Southern Gate in a short time . They stopped at the gate for a long time until the raindrops on the walls of the carriage had already evaporated . It seemed that the man inside the carriage had no idea of whether he should leave or enter the city . All the soldiers and peddlers around the gate were already familiar with this carriage because it could frequently be seen stopping at the gate for a long time recently . Many people focused on it, wondering if it would leave the city today . Time pa.s.sed slowly . w.a.n.g Jinglue said, There are some other places that you can hang out . Ning Que did not answer him . He sat inside the carriage, tightly holding the letter in his hand . He was once again reminded of that feeling he had when he saw the Empress jump down in front of him . Lets go, he said . w.a.n.g Jinglue was going to turn around, and lifting his reins, he asked, Where shall we go? Ning Que said, Leave the city . w.a.n.g Jinglue was stunned, then he asked again, Are you sure? Ning Que said, If I cant leave the city, how can I kill people out there in the future? There was a pavilion to the south of Changan . Around it was a large field of weeds with a lot of cemeteries . Ning Que first went to the joint tombs of the Emperor and Empress, then he went to the public cemetery of the Military Ministry . Many soldiers were buried there . At last, he went to Yan Se and Wei Guangmings tomb . When you leave, you should be able to see much in the future . But why can people only see the future when they are dying? What is the point of that for the people who are living? Then he turned to his left . There was a new tomb . It was small, just as small as Sangsang . There were only some clothes, half a box of notes, and two boxes of cosmetic powder from the Chenjinji Cosmetics Store in the tomb . The Zengs were standing in front of it, holding each others hand . Mrs . Zeng must have been weeping for a long time because her eyes were red and swollen . Servants were there cleaning the tomb . Ning Que bowed and stepped forward . He said respectfully, Father-in-law, you should take my mother-in-law back . Zeng Jing had not expected that he would see him outside the city, so he was shocked . Then he understood and cried out, patting him on his shoulders with relief . Then they all went back home . Ning Que stood alone at Sangsangs tomb . He took the letter out and tore the notes apart . Then he burned one half with the receipt in front of her tomb and carefully put the other half in his pocket . Then he left . The black horse carriage approached Changan . Listening to the rain, he sat inside, silent . Suddenly, a blast of wind came from the north . Yellow soil came along with the wind, becoming mud after being drenched by the rain . The rain beat down and flowed down from the walls to the ground like a yellow curtain, which reminded him of the walls in the City of Wei . The notes were sent to the City of Wei . Sangsang had been sending notes since they arrived in Changan . On this receipt, it said: No one was found . No one was in the City of Wei . Neither was Sangsang . Ning Que cried inconsolably . He jumped out of the carriage and ran into the rain . The rain fell on his face and dirtied his tears . The black carriage followed him . The people pa.s.sing by looked at him and asked inquisitively, Why not get in the carriage? It is not a good time to enjoy the rain . It is too dirty . Ning Que wiped the dirty rain off his face . He pointed at the growing willow on both sides of the road and said, It is spring, isnt it?