The Mountain Palace was situated to the south of the mountain.
Jingyi Mountain wasn’t a large mountain, so not enough of it could be levelled to build the whole palace on flat ground. The palace buildings were therefore built around the mountain’s natural terrain, with some parts of the palace higher and lower than the main palace. It was an unusual piece of architecture.
The Crown Prince’s residence in the Mountain Palace was called Ganquan Palace, and was so called because there was a mouth of a mountain spring in the palace grounds. A tall maple tree thick with foliage stood majestically in front of the Ganquan Palace, shading its grounds from the glare of the noon sun, its leaves rustling softly when the wind blew. The leaves on the tree had completely changed to autumn colours, with some deep yellow leaves scattered in the mass of scarlet.
The leaves in the Mountain Palace were not swept in fall so as to allow the occupants to enjoy the fullest extent of the autumn scenery. The pretty red leaves were scattered all over the bluestone path that wound up to the entrance of the main building of the Ganquan Palace. Next to the path, a clear mountain spring gurgled out of the gaps between the rocks, and merged into a clear stream that flowed down the mountain. Maple leaves floated on this stream, bobbing prettily on the clear water.
“People say that maple trees are the Yellow Emperor’s sword, and turned red because it’s washed in Chiyou’s* blood,” Lou Jing said, picking up a maple leaf from the bluestone path and toying with it in his hand.
*T/N: Chiyou is a mythological warrior who fought the Yellow Emperor. He was the leader of the Jiuli Tribe.
“Chiyou died, but the Jiuli Tribe did not. The work of the Yellow Emperor remained unfinished,” Xiao Chengjun said. He stood by Lou Jing’s side, looking in the direction of the tall maple tree. Great northern geese were flying in the sky above the tree, forming a “V” shape against the white, puffy clouds.
The legends held that the Yellow Emperor fought a bloody war with Chiyou, and both their tribes engaged in fierce battle. The Yellow Emperor fought Chiyou personally, killed him, and his weapons were stained red with Chiyou’s blood as a result. These blood-stained weapons then became scarlet maple trees. What Xiao Chengjun meant was that even though Chiyou was dead, his Jiuli Tribe was still alive; the enemy was not vanquished, the world was not at peace, and there was still much to be done.
Lou Jing walked over to the Crown Prince, took his hand and pressed the maple leaf he was playing with into his hand. “Since you’ve managed to steal some time to come here to relax, don’t think about those troubling matters,” he said.
Xiao Chengjun looked down at the little red leaf in his hand. “I’m killing the mood, aren’t I?” he said with a small smile.
“Not at all,” Lou Jing said, smiling gaily as he took Xiao Chengjun’s hand in his. “The great northern geese are flying south right now, and it’s the best time to hunt them. Come on, let’s go find a bow and some arrows.”
“Hunting…?” Xiao Chengjun asked dubiously. There was all this beautiful scenery around them, but all this fellow thought about was shooting and eating some geese? Who was the one killing the atmosphere here? He let himself be pulled off by Lou Jing, however.
The Mountain Palace had bows and arrows, of course. Lou Jing excitedly hauled the Crown Prince off to hunt some geese.
“You’re still injured. It’s best that you don’t move around too much,” Xiao Chengjun said, looking at the longbow in his Consort’s hand and furrowing his brows.
“My injuries are on my legs. I don’t need my legs to shoot arrows,” Lou Jing said, climbing up on a platform chiselled out of a huge rock. He aimed at the flock of geese in the sky, and drew the bowstring on the three-jun bow with ease.
*T/N: A jun is an ancient measure of weight in China. Baidu says 1 jun is equivalent to 30 jin. 1 jin is a ½ kg. That makes 1 jun 15kg, so this bow is 45kg?! What is this bow made of, adamantium?
Thirty jin made one jun, so this bow was ninety jin in weight, but Lou Jing was able to pull it as easily as he pulled a slingshot. Xiao Chengjun watched in awe, finally understanding how powerful an Internal Martial Art* could be.
*T/N: Martial arts are usually divided into “Internal” and “External” martial arts. The Internal Martial Arts are those that are passed to exclusive people within families or sects, and are not taught to all and sundry. The gongfa in Internal Martial Arts is usually guarded jealously by the family/sect. The External Martial Arts are taught to all and sundry, and are usually far less powerful than the Internal Martial Arts.
Poor Le Xian was in charge of holding on to the quiver of arrows, and had to scurry up the platform to Lou Jing to hand him another arrow the moment he stretched out a waiting hand.
Lou Jing pulled the bowstring again. He pulled it so far back that the bow and the bowstring looked like a round full moon. He pointed the arrowhead at the heavens. The taut bowstring creaked, and Le Xian instinctively gripped the quiver of arrows tighter in anticipation. The arrow suddenly whizzed free like a streak of dark lightning, shooting straight into the flock of geese.
Everyone watched with bated breath. A loud, anguished bird cry rang out, and the last goose in the “V” formation dropped out of the sky.
“You got it! You got it!” Le Xian said in glee.
“Fantastic archery!” Xiao Chengjun said, unable to stop himself from praising Lou Jing.
The guards standing behind them immediately ran toward the direction in which the goose fell. Unexpectedly, the goose managed to flap its wings and alter the course of its fall. It flew haphazardly toward the Mountain Palace, losing altitude as it went.
The guards got on their horses to follow the big bird. They had to find the goose before the other wildlife in the mountain got to it.
“I’ll roast the goose in a bit. Dianxia, you can try my cooking,” Lou Jing said, grinning happily as he threw the bow to Le Xian. He leapt off the rock, landed gracefully, and immediately circled his arms around Xiao Chengjun’s shoulders.
Xiao Chengjun looked at him quietly. “My Consort’s injuries seem to be all better now,” he remarked dryly.
Lou Jing froze. Damn! He was too elated earlier and forgot to put up his usual injured act. That rock had been about a foot above the ground, and he’d jumped down from that with ease. Now that his Dianxia knew that he was fully recovered, didn’t that mean he couldn’t sit on the same horse and hug him from behind any more? Or flop down onto the Crown Prince’s body at night on the pretext that his legs hurt? Thinking these thoughts, Lou Jing immediately draped himself over his husband’s shoulders. “Nope, I’m not fully recovered yet. I can walk without issues, that’s all,” he said winsomely.
The Crown Prince glanced at the fellow clutching his shoulders. “Stand properly. There are many people watching us,” he said softly.
Before Lou Jing could reply, the guards who went to collect the goose rode back. “Reporting to the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince Consort, the great northern goose fell into Changchun Manor. This servant does not dare to enter,” one of them said.
Xiao Chengjun’s smile faded when he heard this.
“Changchun Manor? Where’s that?” Lou Jing asked, his arms still wrapped around his Crown Prince. He tilted his head as he asked Xiao Chengjun this question.
Xiao Chengjun sighed. “It’s alright. My Consort and I will go in to have a look. You all stay here,” he said.
“Yes, your Highness!” everyone chorused, bowing in unison.
“Let’s go,” Xiao Chengjun said, pulling off the human taffy stuck to his back that was his Consort and hauling him off in the direction where the goose fell.
Changchun Manor was not in the Mountain Palace. One had to go out the west gate of the palace and walk through a small bamboo forest to get there. The exterior looked like a manor in Jiangnan, with a white-walled courtyard topped with grey tiles.
“I was originally going to bring you here tomorrow,” Xiao Chengjun said. He gestured to the guards and eunuchs, indicating that they should remain outside the bamboo forest. He only brought Lou Jing in with him. He knocked on the big door.
Before long, the black-painted door creaked open just a fraction. A man who looked to be in his fifties peered out. When he saw who the guests were, he immediately opened the door wide and kowtowed in greeting. “Greetings to the Crown Prince,” he said.
“Is your Wang ye* awake?” Xiao Chengjun asked, waving his hands to ask the old man to get up.
*T/N: A Wang is a king or a prince. In this case, it’s a prince. Ye is a respectful mode of address. Kind of like “sir”.
“He’s awake,” the old man said, standing with his hands respectfully folded in front of him. “Dianxia, this way, please.”
Lou Jing raised an eyebrow. A Wang ye? The Chunde Emperor’s brothers had all passed away. The only person who had the right to be addressed thus and live right next door to the Mountain Palace had to be the Second Prince, Xiao Chengjin. This prince had never appeared in the public eye.
“Xiao Chengjin has a weak constitution, and he lives out here for health reasons. Part of the reason I wanted to come here was so that you could meet him,” Xiao Chengjun said. He gripped Lou Jing’s hand tightly. Ever since they stepped past the great black doors, Xiao Chengjun’s hands had felt rather tense.
Lou Jing noticed that when Xiao Chengjun spoke about the Second Prince, he called him by his name, Xiao Chengjin, instead of the more formal “Second Prince”.
“This courtyard is really warm. It feels like spring in here. Are there hot springs nearby?” Lou Jing said. He massaged Xiao Chengjun’s palm, trying to help him to relax.
This Second Prince was a mystery to the people of the Capital. Very few people had seen him in person. The rumours said that he had been made a Wang* very early on, and had left the palace to set up his own residence. However, in all these years, he had never even attended a single palace banquet, let alone make an appearance in the Imperial Court. There were other rumours that said that he had actually passed away many years ago, but that the news had been suppressed because the Emperor was greatly saddened by his death and didn’t want people to talk about it.
*T/N: In ancient China, a prince that has come of age is called a Wang, which technically means “King”. This is a rank above a Duke but lower than the Emperor. Sort of like a vassal king, but not exactly; vassal kings usually were not related to the Emperor by blood. Wangs usually are part of the Imperial family. Being made a Wang also gives you independence – as a Wang, you can leave the palace to build your own residence.
Xiao Chengjun heaved a deep sigh, then allowed his body to relax a little. “Xiao Chengjin doesn’t take the cold well. He has no choice but to stay here, where it’s warm,” he said.
They passed through a few small pavilions and went into a room that had doors on both ends. Tendrils of steam rose steadily from the far end of the room, likely from a hot spring outlet there.
“Qieshen greets the Crown Prince,” a woman dressed in a plain-coloured dress said. She came forward to bow to Xiao Chengjun, and the maids trailing behind her all knelt and kowtowed.
“Sister-in-law, you need not be so formal,” Xiao Chengjun said, politely holding her forearm as he helped her to rise. “I’ve brought my Consort here to see Chengjin.”
He introduced Lou Jing and the Second Prince’s Consort, Mdm Zhang.
“Greetings to the Crown Prince Consort,” Mdm Zhang said. She was dressed very plainly. The only accessories she wore were a pair of silver hairpins, and a cat’s eye jewel hanging from a thin silver chain in the middle of her forehead. Her facial features were dignified and elegant, and she gave off a trustworthy, personable air.
Lou Jing returned the greeting, after which Mdm Zhang brought them into the inner residence. She spoke softly and delicately, and if one didn’t pay close attention, it was difficult to make out what she was saying. “Wang ye has been quite energetic these past few days. He was just asking yesterday why Dianxia hadn’t come to visit,” she said.
Lou Jing felt the hand that was pulling at his gently relax completely upon hearing this. He looked up at the Crown Prince. His eyes were glowing softly with happiness. Lou Jing knew right then that the Second Prince was definitely someone special to Xiao Chengjun. He was curious now as to what kind of person could make Xiao Chengjun, who was usually as immovable as the mountains, care so deeply about him.
They strode over a stone bridge and onto a water pavilion made of stone. Steam rose from the hot spring below the water pavilion. A soft mattress had been placed on the pavilion, and a man in plain robes was reclining on that mattress, smiling at the approaching guests.
“My butler said that a goose injured by an arrow had fallen into the manor, and I immediately guessed that my brother Crown Prince would be here to visit,” the reclining man said. This was Xiao Chengjin. His voice floated over to them before Lou Jing could even start to make out what he looked like.
“I can never slip anything past you,” Xiao Chengjun said, pulling his Consort forward. They sat on short stools next to the mattress.
Mdm Zhang instructed the maids to pour some tea, then went into another pavilion next to theirs as etiquette demanded.
Lou Jing was surprised by how casual the two brothers were with each other. They were both princes, members of the Imperial royal family, but they treated each other like regular siblings. Lou Jing looked curiously at Xiao Chengjin.
Xiao Chengjin looked very weak and wan, likely because he had been ill for many years. The top half of his face looked very similar to Xiao Chengjun’s, only softer and gentler than the latter. His face was deathly pale, but he had well-defined, good looking features, and a pair of deep black eyes. Looking into them was like looking into a deep, ancient well. His eyes looked like they could see through all things, and there was a desolate bleakness to them.
“I can see the family resemblance between Prince Jing and the Crown Prince,” Lou Jing said. He went along with the casual atmosphere between the two brothers and didn’t stand on ceremony, though he did speak more softly than usual, afraid to startle this sickly prince.
The Second Prince’s title was “Jing”, which meant quiet. Perhaps the Emperor bestowed this title because he wanted him to rest quietly and nurse himself back to health.
“My older brother and I were born of the same mother. Naturally, we look alike,” Xiao Chengjin said. He seemed very pleased that Lou Jing had said this, and happiness bubbled up in those placid eyes of his. “Saosao, didn’t you know this?”
Lou Jing was surprised. He turned to look at Xiao Chengjun, a question in his eyes. They were brothers born of the same mother? He’d never heard this before.
Xiao Chengjun felt Lou Jing’s gaze on him, and nodded slightly.
“Is gege here at Jingyi Mountain because something’s happened in the Imperial Court?” Xiao Chengjin asked. He couldn’t help smiling faintly when he saw the couple’s nonverbal method of communication.
“I’ve been accused of embezzling silver meant for the Qinghe River Dike repairs, so I’m here to ride it out,” Xiao Chengjun said simply. He didn’t seem to want to dwell on this subject. “Rui’er is three months old now, right?”
“Bring the little prince out,” Xiao Chengjin instructed one of the waiting maids. He wasn’t intending to let Xiao Chengjun avoid the subject of the Qinghe River Dike. “He made you get married so quickly – it must have been precisely for this purpose. Even if you ran to the ends of the earth, what’s meant to happen will happen… cough cough cough…” Before Xiao Chengjin finished speaking, he started coughing slightly.
Lou Jing was even more surprised now listening to the content of the brothers’ conversation. Earlier, when Xiao Chengjin talked about the goose falling into his yard, he thought that he’d just been joking when he said he thought the falling goose meant that Xiao Chengjun would be coming to visit shortly. However, it really did seem that this Second Prince was brighter than most; he could deduce all sorts of things just from Xiao Chengjun’s one sentence.
“I will manage the situation in the Imperial Court. Don’t bother yourself with these trivial things,” Xiao Chengjun said, frowning slightly. He pulled the rug up to cover his brother more securely.