Niao Ni
Chapter 534: The Cicadas' Chirping in Kyoto
(However, recently I've been thinking about an issue: technique still has its place... So I will continue to work hard, humbly accept criticism, resolutely not change, for a hundred years.)
(ps: Really tired, still have a cold, didn't watch the semi-finals...)
(I will enter Five Bamboo mode again. Because although the book reviews can't influence my thinking, they will influence my mood, and I am a panda-like writer who needs a happy mood. Recently and in the future, there will be many comments that should be highlighted that won't be. Please forgive me.)
(This book is still long, I will try to finish it before the end of the year.)
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The late summer of the seventh year of the Qingli era was hotter than usual. The first autumn rain was late in coming, and the accumulated heat of the past three months was all trapped in the residential streets, the wind unable to disperse it, making Kyoto seem to be wrapped in a heated quilt.
The residents of Kyoto would feel their bodies covered in a highly concentrated residue of sweat upon waking up. After a brief wash, another wave of sweat would erupt upon leaving the house. Throughout the day, one would feel incredibly sticky all over, making it extremely uncomfortable.
The cicadas, however, were delighted, desperately screeching at the top of their lungs, but without the exhausted, desperate, final cry of life from summers past. Instead, it was a high-pitched sound with energy to spare. The *zhī le*, *zhī le* sound echoed back and forth between the clumps of green trees inside and outside Kyoto, disturbing people's sleepiness and mocking their discomfort.
Suddenly, a green bamboo pole parted the leaves and accurately struck a certain spot on the tree trunk. The cicada, who was singing at the top of its lungs, felt a flash of white before its eyes, and its face felt like it was covered with a layer of something. It could no longer open its mouth. In desperation, it tried to use its antennae to scrape it off, but even its antennae were covered, and it could no longer break free. It sighed in its heart, thinking that it was indeed unwise to be complacent too early.
A young eunuch looked triumphantly at the tree. He retracted the gently flexible bamboo pole, removed the cicada bound by the gluten, threw it into the large cloth bag beside him, and was about to continue when he caught a glimpse of the figure sitting on a bamboo chair next to the courtyard wall, enjoying the cool air. He quickly ran over, like he was trying to take credit, and whispered a few words into the person's ear. He then pulled open the cloth bag to show the other person.
The eunuch lying on the bamboo chair was Hong Zhu. He glanced askance at it, grunted to acknowledge that he knew, thought for a moment, frowned, lowered his voice, and said, "How many times have I told you? You're supposed to stick the wings, not the cicada's head... How many have you stuck in this half-day? If the Empress Dowager is awakened, you'll be the one to take the beating."
The young eunuch quickly apologized, leading the dozen or so eunuchs who were standing dazed under the green trees to continue sticking cicadas.
Hong Zhu leaned against the bamboo chair, squinting at the young eunuch's figure. For some reason, he was reminded of his own situation when he first entered the palace. There were many trees in the palace, and naturally there were many cicadas. Especially this summer, which was so hot that it lasted until this month, the nobles in the palace were extremely annoyed by the cicadas' chirping. Fortunately, Hong Zhu came up with the idea of sending several groups of young eunuchs to the various palaces to stick cicadas.
No wonder the Emperor and Empress liked him. Such a thoughtful and considerate servant was rare.
Hong Zhu smiled wryly. He thought that this method was taught to him by Little Fan, Fan Xian. Little Fan should be at Da Dong Shan now. He wondered how the Emperor's ceremony to worship heaven was going.
The Qing Kingdom's Emperor left the capital to worship heaven. Instead of following the ancestral custom of having the Crown Prince oversee the country, he invited the Empress Dowager to rule from behind the curtain, the political implications of which were very obvious. The people in the palace were cautiously awaiting the day the Emperor would return to the capital, their hearts in a flutter, with all kinds of rumors spreading. The Empress Dowager was ruling from behind the curtain, while the Eastern Palace had already lost power. The entire harem had not a single noble willing to take the lead, and the tranquility within the palace walls involuntarily revealed a sense of panic.
Hong Zhu was an anomaly in this chaos. He had originally wanted to stay in the Eastern Palace to serve the Empress and the Crown Prince, but for some reason, the Empress Dowager transferred him to the Hall of Embracing Light. Half a year ago, a fire broke out in the Eastern Palace. Everyone in the palace knew that all the eunuchs and maids of the Eastern Palace and Guangxin Palace had died mysteriously. Although no one dared to discuss the matter, they had more respect and distance towards Hong Zhu, the only survivor.
Everyone died, but Little Hong survived. That in itself was terrifying.
Hong Zhu stood up, feeling a little gloomy. Yes, he was a servant, but he was a loyal servant. So at this time in the palace, he was a bit lost, and he felt some sadness looking at the desolation of the Eastern Palace.
He walked towards the Hall of Embracing Light, slightly hunched over. So young, yet he was already beginning to have the dead man's smell of Old Eunuch Hong.
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The soldiers of the Thirteen City Gate Department mustered their spirits in the sweltering heat, carefully checking the entry permits of the people entering the capital. The army of the Kyoto Garrison Division increased its vigilance at the Yuantai Barracks, and the thousands of imperial guards protecting the palace stood on the high palace walls, scrutinizing everything below with suspicion.
The entire defense force of Kyoto was controlled by these three parts of the army. In the current quiet and strange situation, a slight carelessness could lead to great chaos.
The three sides dared not slack off in the slightest, and the First Prince, at their head, forcefully suppressed everyone's dissent and movements.
The people of Kyoto, however, were not as nervous as the officials and soldiers. In such hot weather, the affluent citizens of the Qing Kingdom were unwilling to stay at home and endure the stifling heat. Instead, they were used to hiding in the shady teahouses, drinking inexpensive cool tea, enjoying the rope-operated large leaf fans produced by the Internal Treasury, and talking about recent events in the court and the trivial matters of their neighbors.
For the people of Kyoto, the Imperial Palace seemed to be not that different from their neighbors.
Cicadas chirped loudly in the trees outside the teahouse. Some, blinded, even stopped on the teahouse's green banner, turning the large character "tea" (茶) into "bitter herb" (荼). And these hissing calls conveniently covered up the discussions of the gossips inside the teahouse.
The discussions were naturally about His Majesty's ceremony to worship heaven. The rumors had been circulating for months, and everyone knew that His Majesty was determined to depose the Crown Prince this time. However, the Crown Prince's benevolent and stable behavior in the past two years was very different from his behavior in the past, so the officials and the people were confused. Why did His Majesty want to depose the Crown Prince?
Few people dared to ask these questions in person, but there were always some who dared to discuss them behind their backs. Overall, the people of Kyoto showed enough sympathy and comfort for the Eastern Palace's Crown Prince, perhaps because people have a spiritual need to sympathize with the weak, or perhaps because as common people, they always hoped for peace and were unwilling to see too much turmoil caused by the deposition of the Crown Prince.
Of course, the people of Kyoto at this time, including the civil officials in the court, did not expect that this storm in the late summer and early autumn of the seventh year of the Qingli era would sweep through in a way that no one had expected, like a thunderbolt from the blue, engulfing everyone and every inch of land in Kyoto.
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Suddenly, a gust of wind rose without warning from the wide streets and dense houses of Kyoto, passing through and sweeping over! The wind came too suddenly, blowing off the coolie hats of the fruit vendors who were dozing off in the street, revealing their dazed eyes, blowing fruit peels rolling all over the street, and blowing the cicadas on the green banner outside the teahouse so that they could no longer cling on, falling to the ground with a thud.
The character "bitter herb" (荼) became "tea" (茶) again.
The teahouse patrons sitting by the railing looked out curiously, wondering if the weather that had been stifling for three months was finally going to bring a timely autumn rain.
Then they saw that the sky, which had been a clear blue, was suddenly covered with layers of accumulating rain clouds surging in from the southeast. The entire Kyoto was as if covered with a huge lid, and coolness enveloped the city and its people.
The clouds kept churning and rolling, like countless dragons arranging their formations, and strands of clouds were sometimes pulled out, looking very terrifying. Such thick dark clouds naturally portended the coming rainstorm. Judging by these clouds, this heavy rain would be exceptionally fierce.
But the teahouse patrons were not alarmed, but rather delighted, thinking that God was finally willing to bring some clarity to this world.
With a crack of thunder, the rain finally poured down, and the people on the streets scattered to take shelter. The teahouse patrons squinted and happily admired the long-unseen rain and the somewhat different beauty of the damp residences.
The rain was not particularly heavy, but it was particularly cool. Before long, the teahouse patrons began to feel a slight chill, which surprised them. They thought that in previous years, the autumn rain would only fall gently, and it would take three showers to completely dispel the summer heat. Why was this rain so cool this year?
Given the knowledge of people at this time, they naturally did not know that a hurricane, the largest of this summer, had risen from the East Sea more than ten days ago. This wind disaster struck Da Dong Shan directly, dropping countless rain over the land within fifty miles of the coast. Then, its momentum undiminished, it continued to carry the evaporated water vapor and humidity from the sea straight into the heart of the Qing Kingdom.
This hurricane was very interesting. It did not cause too much damage along the way, but it brought immediate cooling and rain to the long-hot land of the Qing Kingdom.
The teahouse patrons rubbed their hands, drank hot tea, and cursed God for being too strange. Everyone had left the house without an umbrella, let alone a jacket, so they had to endure the slight chill in this teahouse.
"What's going on?" Suddenly someone looked in the direction of the city gate and said curiously.
Hearing this, the nosy people gathered at the railing of the teahouse and looked in the direction of the city gate. They could not see clearly what was happening over there through the distant layers of rain and fog, but they vaguely sensed a commotion and the soldiers' panic. The four city gates of Kyoto were guarded by the troops of the Thirteen City Gate Department, which were always under strict military control. It was rare to see the situation that was happening now, and all the teahouse patrons were a little curious.
Naturally, it could not be an army attacking the city. First of all, such an idea was absurd in itself. Even if there were an army attacking Kyoto, the outer Garrison Division would be the first to meet the enemy, and the lookout soldiers in the corner tower of the City Gate Department would sound the alarm at the first moment.
The sound of horses' hooves rang out, trampling through the rain on the long street, each sound urgent.
The teahouse patrons looked intently and saw a horse speeding out of the city gate. There was only one horse, and everyone understood that there must be an urgent message entering the city, and they all felt relieved.
But looking at the white foam at the horse's mouth and the rider's haggard face covered in dust, everyone's hearts tightened again, and they all thought that something must have gone wrong at the border.
The rain continued to fall. The exhausted horse mustered its last strength and galloped desperately against the wind and rain. The rider, with tattered clothes and a serious expression, did not care about the life or death of his mount, and lashed the horse in his hand, urging the horse under him to maintain the fastest speed. It passed through the long street under the teahouse, splashing water all the way, and charged towards the palace!
Fortunately, the heavy rain had come first, driving the pedestrians and vendors on the road to the eaves of the street. Otherwise, this rider's reckless gallop would have killed many people.
The teahouse patrons watched the man and horse disappear into the rain, disappear at the end of the long street, and involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief, digesting the earlier unparalleled tension. They looked at each other, wondering what had happened in the court.
"Wearing a white headband..." An older teahouse patron suddenly said in a trembling voice.
The teahouse became even quieter. Although the younger generation of Kyoto had not experienced the great war during the Qing Kingdom's expansion in those years, they had heard that in the most tragic of the three northern expeditions, ten thousand Qing soldiers were killed or wounded in one battle. The rider who flew thousands of miles to report the news back then... also wore a white headband!
"The rider who reported the news is..." Someone asked doubtfully, "Yan... The Grand Commandant, didn't he just win?"
"It's a fast horse from the army." The old teahouse patron was clearly a member of the military in the past. His voice was still trembling. The messenger wearing a white headband means that something major must have happened!
The discussion in the teahouse suddenly stopped. Everyone, including the waiter and the shopkeeper, fell silent. They stood quietly by the railing, watching the street in the rain, secretly praying that their country would be all right.
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"Here comes another one!"
In the teahouse, a young man shouted in panic and helplessness. At this time, the city gate was no longer restless, but full of solemnity and vigilance. However, the second rider came faster than the first, flying past the teahouse like a wisp of smoke.
This rider was not wearing armor, only a dark black suit, holding the reins with one hand, kicking urgently with both feet, his face covered with black water stains from the rain.
He also wore a white headband on his left arm holding the reins, and his right hand held high a token-like object, rushing directly through the city gate, stepping across the long street, and speeding towards the palace in the same direction.
The people in the teahouse looked with anticipation at the teahouse patron who knew the court system well, hoping to hear some good news from his mouth.
The old teahouse patron's face was pale, and he murmured, "It's... It's the Supervisory Council."
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After some time, the third fast rider delivering a message from thousands of miles away once again forced his way through the city gate guarded by the Thirteen City Gate Department and stepped onto the rainy street under the teahouse. This rider, like the previous one, was also extremely haggard. It seemed that traveling thousands of miles, changing horses but not people, and reporting the news to Kyoto at the fastest speed was indeed a very difficult thing.
However, the rider did not feel tired. He only knew that if he could not report this earth-shattering news to the palace at the fastest speed, the Qing Kingdom might... have a big problem.
The rain washed over the rider's face, which had been cracked by the sun, and struck his bloodshot eyes, but it could not stop his speed. The horse sped past the long street, rushing towards the palace.
There was still a white headband on his left arm.
At this time, the teahouse patrons had been numbed by the shocks that had come one after another, and they opened their mouths, unable to say anything. Although they did not know which side this third rider represented in the court, they knew that the message that these three riders brought to Kyoto must be the same. Having received confirmation from these three sides, then... a disaster must have befallen the Qing Kingdom.
The teahouse was deathly silent. Everyone lowered their heads. The old teahouse patron, pale-faced, sat down trembling, but his eyes went black and he fainted to the ground.
Everyone rushed forward to help. No one noticed that the rain outside had subsided slightly. Although the rain had subsided, the coolness had arrived. Those cicadas that had been flaunting their power a moment ago finally began to feel the irreversibility of fate, began to feel the impermanence of life, began to feel the sadness of autumn, and began to burn their lives, constantly singing their final lyrics in the streets and alleys of Kyoto.
"*Sī la... sī la... Sǐ la... sǐ la...* (Hiss... hiss... Die... die...)"
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The entire Kyoto began to sink into an unknown fear and confusion. People did not know what had happened, but in the evening, they heard the bell in the corner tower of the Imperial City, slowly and heart-shakingly striking in the background of the rain-washed red twilight.
*Dong! Dong! Dong!*
In the deep palace, there were many people in the vast Hall of Supreme Harmony, but it was silent. The Empress Dowager of the Qing Kingdom, who was temporarily in charge of state affairs, had come out from behind the pearl curtain, wearing a phoenix robe and looking solemn and dignified.
The Empress Dowager stood coldly in front of the dragon throne, her right hand supported by Eunuch Hou. Hong Zhu was holding a pen and ink, waiting by her side, and he saw clearly that the Empress Dowager's hand was trembling constantly in Eunuch Hou's hand.
Three messengers with their mental state stretched to their limit were kneeling down in the hall. The rain on their bodies had wet the luxurious carpet, but they were still kneeling down with their heads lowered, not daring to speak, fearing that they, as ill-omened crows, would ultimately destroy the blessings of this palace that had stood proudly in the world for thirty years.
The Empress Dowager glanced coldly at the three of them, gritted her teeth, and said in a cold voice, "Why are you crying?"
As soon as she said this, the concubines who were crying non-stop in the hall forcibly stopped their tears, but could not erase the horror and fear on their faces.
Supported by Eunuch Hou, the Empress Dowager sat on the chair next to the dragon throne and said, "Close the palace immediately. Prince Heqin will preside over the defense of the Imperial City. Anyone who disobeys will be executed."
"Yes."
There was a chorus of voices in the hall, and the First Prince, with tears in his eyes, looked up at his grandmother in surprise, feeling the heavy burden on his shoulders. However, his mood was extremely agitated at this time, and he could not distinguish the meaning of the Empress Dowager's decree.
The Empress Dowager continued, "Summon Grand Secretaries Hu and Su to the palace."
"Yes."
"Summon Zhang Fang, the Commander of the City Gate Department, to the palace."
"Yes."
"From now on, close the city gates. Without my order, no one is allowed to open them without authorization."
"Yes."
"Postpone the presentation of prisoners by the Dingzhou Army. Order Ye Zhong to return within two days. The border is strained, and national affairs should take precedence."
"Yes."
The Empress Dowager frowned slightly. Although the old woman had been calm all this time, she finally felt her head begin to buzz. She gently rubbed her temples, pondered for a long time, and then said, "Summon Prince Jing, the Minister of Revenue Fan Jian, Qin... Heng, to the palace."
"Yes."
The Empress Dowager finally said coldly, "Let the Empress and the Crown Prince move to the Hall of Embracing Light... Consort Ning and Noble Consort Yi will also come over, and bring the Third Prince along."
The First Prince lowered his head, his heart tightening. He knew that his grandmother still did not trust him, but in his current state of grief, he did not want to dwell on these things.
The day was late, the bell outside had stopped, and the candlelight in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was flickering, looking so bleak and uneasy. At this time, the de facto ruler of the Qing Kingdom, the aging Empress Dowager, suddenly coughed twice, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, and she said faintly, "Order the Inner Court... to invite Princess Chang and Princess Chen to the palace to stay temporarily, and Fan Xian... that concubine who is pregnant should also come to the palace."
"Yes..."
The Empress Dowager had not been involved in affairs for a long time, but at this time, every decree was so clearly directed at the hearts of the people. She tried to isolate the entire Kyoto from the outside world in the shortest possible time and control the figures who might cause turmoil in the Imperial City.
Suddenly, a concubine with no children cried out wildly, "Fan Xian assassinated the Emperor! The Empress Dowager wants to confiscate his family's property and kill all relatives, how can she let his family enter the palace!"
As soon as she said this, the entire palace became silent. The Empress Dowager looked coldly at the concubine, as if looking at a dead person, and slowly said, "Drag her down and bury her."
Several guards and eunuchs stepped forward and dragged the concubine, who had fallen into a state of madness, down, not knowing whether this poor person would be buried in the soil under the flower tree in the palace.
The Empress Dowager coldly scanned the people in the palace and said in a cold voice, "Control your mouths and minds, and don't forget... there are still many empty spaces in this palace."
The people in the hall felt grief, but did not dare to say more. The sorrow and doubts in their hearts were the same as those of this concubine, but they were not crazy, so they did not speak.
"Where is Chen Pingping? Why hasn't he entered the palace?" The Empress Dowager asked with a cold face.
Hong Zhu stopped the brush in his hand, met the Empress Dowager's questioning gaze, and said in a trembling voice, "After Dean Chen was poisoned, he returned to Chen Garden to be treated by the imperial physician. I'm afraid... he doesn't know..."
The Empress Dowager's eyes turned cold, and she gnashed her teeth and said angrily, "Pass the order to this old dog, tell him that if he doesn't come to the capital, his mother and children will all die!"
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With people gone, the palace quieted down. After suppressing the grief and horror in her heart and making the most secure arrangements in the shortest possible time, the Empress Dowager of the Qing Kingdom suddenly seemed to have been drained of all her strength, leaning weakly against the back of the chair, slowly closing her eyes, and a drop of turbid tears wet the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes.