Nightfall

If life gives you lemons, and you cannot overcome it, you can only make lemonade. If you’re not really against lemonade, you can drink it. It would make life easier. Armed with this knowledge, Ning Que extricated himself from his shock and despair quickly. He scratched his head and looked over Xu Chongshan’s sturdy shoulder. His gaze landed out of the windows as he said, “Can I ask another question?”

Xu Chongshan replied without hesitation, “I will answer you if I can.”

“Why me?” Ning Que asked.

Xu Chongshan replied, “Old Chao thinks highly of you. He thinks if you are lucky, you may end up scaling to heights beyond him. Chang III and Chen VII think highly of you after the incident last night… According to the rules of the guards, the opinions of seniors are held with high regards no matter whether you’re in the open or in the dark.”

“General…”Ning Que held his face in his palms and said, “If so many people know that I’m a guard in the shadows, how do you explain the shadow in the term shadow guard? Should I light some firecrackers in Lin 47th street and hang a notice informing everyone of this?”

Xu Chongshan could hear the anger and dissatisfaction in Ning Que’s words. He furrowed his brows gently and explained, “The Tang empire is a country with rules. Nobody would dare to anger the emperor by exposing you even if all the palace ladies knew of your identity. As for Chang III and the rest… they have proven their loyalty long ago.”

Ning Que released his forehead from his palms and shook his head. “Time will tell. It is the only test for truth.”

“They have used the past ten years of their life to prove this.” Xu Chongsan said this without any expression on his face. “But I like these words of yours. It is a pity that you’re about to enter the Academy and can only work in the shadows. I would like to cultivate you as my successor just because Old Chao thinks highly of you and my great admiration for your words.”

“While I am in the army, I am still human. I can’t be as wild as Old Chao and leave my life in your hands without knowing who you are. After all, we guards are in charge of His Majesty’s safety. That is why we have traced your history and your family’s.”

It is a pity your records started at age seven and only stated that you are an orphan. We couldn’t trace your family members or ancestors. What we are certain of, is your performance in the army in the city of Wei. We are very impressed with you.

Xu Chongshan extended a meaty palm and patted Ning Que’s shoulder heavily. He said, “Your deeds and efforts in the army are more than enough proof of your loyalty to His Majesty and the Tang empire.”

Ning Que did not panic upon hearing that the guard had done a background check on him. He knew that Sangsang and the deceased darkie were the only ones who knew of his identity

He fiddled with the damp pass in his palms and continued after a moment of silence. “According to what you’ve said, it seems that no one will approach me. How am I supposed to report any situation? I don’t think we will meet in the palace again? I have never thought that such things can occur right out in the open.”

“Why not?” Xu Chongshan said with pride, “There’s nowhere in the world that’s safer than the Palace of Tang.”

Ning Que sighed and accepted the fact helplessly. He raised his head with a face filled with anticipation and asked, “I can’t let anyone know of my new position. When can I… meet His Majesty?”

Xu Chongshan looked at him, wide eyed before issuing a shout of laughter. He rubbed at his round tummy and said laughingly, “You rascal… Did you think you entered the palace to meet His Majesty today?”

“Am I not?”

“How old are you?”

“16”

“And your surname?”

“Ning”

Xu Chongshan looked at him seriously and asked, “You’re not a centenarian or a distant relative of the royal family. Why would His Majesty meet you then?”

Ning Que rubbed his somewhat delicate face and shook his head.

Xu Chongshan sighed as he watched the lad shake his head. “Chang III and the others have not met His Majesty in years. What makes you think you are qualified to meet His Majesty alone?”

Ning Que thought about it seriously before replying, “I write pretty well. If His Majesty likes it, he might think it’s a pity for me to be a bodyguard and call for me to enter the palace as a writer or something.”

Xu Chongshan wiped the smile off his face and said sarcastically, “Other than bodyguards, the only people who can stay in the palace year round are eunuchs.”

Ning Que’s expression stiffened before smiling awkwardly, unwilling to continue with the topic of conversation.

Xu Chongshan was the deputy commander of the Tang imperial guards and was very busy. He had taken the time and spent even more time to meet this lad alone, showing how highly he regarded Chao Xiaoshu. After their conversation, he chased Ning Que away before serving at the Palace of Counsel once more.

Ning Que walked out of the empty guard duty room. As he was worrying about how he was to leave the palace, he imagined several scenarios. Would he be in the same situation as when he had entered the imperial study mistakenly? Would he enter a random palace by mistake and meet an angry palace lady who had little opportunity to serve the emperor and create a ruckus? Or would he meet the fourth princess whom he thought was an idiot but still thought of regularly? Before he knew it, the little eunuch who had brought him into the palace appeared beside him like an apparition.

While he would have liked to demand an explanation on why he had been left to be tempted by the ink and paper in the imperial study and endure a scare, he decided not to after much consideration for his own safety. He shut his mouth tightly and followed the eunuch through a path scattered with flowers and through the stone gates. He boarded the cramped horse carriage, drove through the laundry station and towards the city.

As they were about to reach the laundry station, Ning Que had a sudden epiphany. His chest felt tight. Ignoring the eunuch’s glare, he lifted a corner of the curtain and looked out of the window.

He looked out afar across the cramped alley. Over the sounds of maids doing laundry and the scent of soap permeating the air, his gaze landed on nine beasts carved on the eaves in a crouching position. The cerulean skies became a backdrop against the majestic palace.

He did not know what these beasts were called nor did he know where they were from. He could feel his chest getting tighter as he thought about it. His heart was beating faster and faster as if it was about to rip out of his chest. As his heart pumped faster, the nine beasts grew clearer and clearer. The lines carved into stone had endured hundreds of years of the elements, but seemed especially deep and life-like. It felt as if they might become real life beasts any moment.

He harrumphed softly, clutching his chest. He could not help but think of that rainy day when he had first seen the vermilion bird of Chang’an with Sangsang. He stared at the carved beasts, refusing to tear his sight away from it even as his face continued to pale considerably.

…

…

An intense fight had broken out earlier in the imperial study. Deputy commander of the guards, Xu Chongshan, and the Deputy Head of internal affairs, Eunuch Lin stood like statues outside of the imperial study. Their faces were looked as if they had been carved out of granite, not showing any hint that they’ve heard of the fight within the room. These two men of power were very frightened, but could not help but respect the man in the study for his guts.

No one had seen the Emperor be so angry in all thirteen years of Tianqi. the emperor had only hit on the table really hard, uttered “imbeciles” for about thirty times after the Spring Breeze Pavilion Incident. However, His Majesty had broken several teacups and uttered several unmentionable cuss words in the imperial study today.

“Chao Xiaoshu! How dare you! I’m going to teach you a lesson!”

“What lesson? I… I… I don’t freaking know!”

“You stupid fellow, how can you not understand how the world works?!”

“Alright, I’ll call you second brother Chao from now on. Will you stay or not?!”

The imperial study fell silent. Outside the door, Xu Chongshan and Eunuch Lin turned and looked at each other. They could see their fear and jealousy reflected in the other face. They both turned around to look at the flowers and trees around them silently by tacit agreement.

The room remained silent for a long time before Chao Xiaoshu’s gentle yet firm voice rang within it.

“No”

There was a loud crash. the emperor had broken his favorite ink stone. Xu Chongshan and Eunuch Lin could no longer remain silent, especially as Xu Chongshan was worried that the emperor might do something in his anger that he would grow to regret. They both stepped forward and prepared to step in.

At this moment, the door to the imperial study opened with a creak. Chao Xiaoshu stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. He turned around, raised his long turquoise robes and kneeled on the ground before kowtowing three times gravely. It was a rite signifying his goodbyes.

He stood up and bowed slightly to Xu Chongshan and Eunuch Li before walking towards the palace exit. There was no eunuch or palace maid leading him and he walked alone as if he was touring the gardens. He used to visit this palace many times in the past and felt much affection for it. He hadn’t had much opportunity to visit in the recent years and had missed it so.

When he reached the lake called the Leaving Sea, Chao Xiaoshu looked at it pensively with his hands clasped behind his back. As he looked at the fish swimming happily in the lake, his lips curled upwards slightly, a smile illuminating his face like the sun.

The fish in the lake stopped moving completely as his smiling gaze landed on them. They looked like ornamental jade fish floating lifelessly within the crystalline waters.

Chao Xiaoshu mumbled to himself, “When I escape the cage, I return to the free.”

The heaven and earth were a large cage trapping men. The heart is a cage for the body. Upon breaking the cage of heart, the cage of the world will be broken.

…

…

Inside the imperial study, a crown had been thrown hastily in the corner. the emperor stared at the writing he had started earlier this morning with a face full of petulance and regret.

He did not know that at the corner of the shelf, laid the next sentence that would complete his writing.

He lifted his head suddenly and looked out of the window at the imperial gardens. His tightly knitted brows relaxed and he eventually calmed down. “Perhaps, you might be right.” He said self-deprecatingly sotto voce.

….

….

Somewhere else in the vast palace, a priest of about forty was feeling the pulse of the Empress. His brows raised violently and he made a long scratch on the Empress’s fleshy wrist rather rudely before turning to look behind him.

The Empress looked at him worriedly. The Master of Nation who had always been calm and friendly was acting unlike himself.

The priest looked out seemingly in shock. Suddenly, he thumped on his chest as he wailed, “I was wrong. I was really wrong. I should have advised His Majesty to release Xiaoshu earlier. Or to let him enter the Academy…”

“With the Academy‘s Headmaster’s ability and Xiaoshu’s state of attainment, The Tang empire would have become the strongest in the world. We might even be able to go against the South Jin Kingdom. What a pity. What a pity it’s ten years too late!”

…

…

In the alley near the laundry station, Ning Que sat in the horse carriage staring at the life-like statues. They looked as if they were about to come to life any moment. Ning Que’s face paled further and his heartrate rose. All his senses seemed to have faded away at that moment.

…

…

In front of the Vermilion Bird Gates…

A middle aged man stared at the stone beasts decorating the eave. He laughed gaily, his laughter sounding strangely carefree and bring. It was a laughter that was true and without any other thoughts nor intentions. The beasts on the eaves seemed to have understood his laughter and returned to their peaceful silent existence.

He left through the main palace gates with his turquoise robes flowing behind him, the air still ringing with his carefree laughter.

After today, there will no longer be a Old Chao from the Spring Breeze Pavilion leading Chang’an.

Instead, there will be one more person who had entered knowing state watching fishes in the lake.