It was midnight.
When the lights of Wan'an County gradually went out and everyone entered their dreams, Central Capital, a thousand li away, was still glittering with scattered lights. The pleasure boats on the Ziwei River shimmered in a riot of colors, while songs and dances flourished at the end of the Heavenly Street, in Mortal Descent Tower.
At the heart of Central Capital, the Undying Palace Lamp in Eternal Bright Palace shone with a brilliance like daylight. Seen from high above, the entire Central Capital City resembled a plate of dazzling jewels, with Eternal Bright Palace as the most radiant pearl among them.
Behind that pearl was a small patch of blackness. The light of Eternal Bright Palace illuminated the four directions, yet could not reach the palace hall nestled right beside it. Compared with the brightness of Eternal Bright Palace, the darkness was not jarring at all. Instead, it blended in with extraordinary harmony.
Outside Quiet Contemplation Hall, a line of palace eunuchs and maids stood silently beneath the long corridor, watching one another with their eyes and forbidding even the slightest sound. His Majesty, usually so amiable, had rarely encountered a troublesome matter and had gone to Quiet Heart Hall for some peace and quiet. They absolutely could not let some blind brute disturb his mood.
A ceremonial procession wound its way over. At its center was an eye-catching Phoenix Carriage. The golden phoenix feathers on the carriage blazed like a mass of fire. They had not been crafted by human artisans; the clan leader of the Phoenix Bird Clan of the Myriad Demon Kingdom had personally plucked them from his own body and presented them to Great Xuan.
A smile immediately appeared on the face of the Head Eunuch, Hou An, who was guarding the entrance to Quiet Contemplation Hall. He hurried over to the Phoenix Carriage, bent forward, and said, "I respectfully welcome the Empress."
The Phoenix Carriage came to a stop. A richly dressed woman stepped down from it. She glanced at the meals held by several young guards outside Quiet Contemplation Hall and frowned slightly. "His Majesty still hasn't eaten?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, His Majesty has refused all food since leaving court. This servant has already instructed the Imperial Kitchen to stand by at all times."
The Empress shook her head slightly. She casually took a plate of pastries from the tray, picked up a jug of fine wine, and pushed open the doors of Quiet Contemplation Hall herself before walking inside. Hou An hurriedly closed the doors again from outside and stood guard there.
The Empress entered Quiet Contemplation Hall. Several candles flickered within, and shadows swayed in their light. She saw the Emperor of Great Xuan seated before a low table, holding a scroll of scripture and reading it. Covering her mouth, the Empress chuckled. "Your Majesty, you're holding the book upside down!"
The Emperor sighed, set down the book in his hands, glanced at the charming Empress approaching him, and said, "Zitong, don't make fun of me. My heart truly aches."
"Is it because of that Immortal Literary Heart?"
The Emperor gave a bitter laugh. "The one who knows me best is indeed Zitong. Come to think of it, it is rather laughable. I have been Emperor of Great Xuan for forty years, yet I've actually become so distraught over a treasure that I can neither eat nor sleep. The late Emperor was right. The scope of my vision is simply too narrow; I lack a true emperor's boldness."
The Empress walked over and sat down beside the Emperor, leaning against him. She poured him a cup of the fine wine she had brought and consoled him. "Your Majesty suffered much in your youth, so naturally you cannot compare with the bearing the late Emperor developed growing up beneath Emperor Qi's knee. Besides, if not for Your Majesty's diligence over these forty years, how could the Great Xuan Dynasty enjoy its present stability? Your Majesty must not belittle yourself."
"As for the Immortal Literary Heart, it is no ordinary treasure. Only a Literary Heart Great Scholar who has cultivated and accomplished the Three Immortalities of Establishing Virtue, Establishing Merit, and Establishing Words can condense one. In the six hundred years since Great Xuan was founded, only eighty-six Literary Hearts passed down through the ages have been condensed..."
The Emperor downed the wine before him in one gulp and exhaled deeply before nodding. "That's right. Of these eighty-six Literary Hearts, some have masters, and some belong to lineages. Those that truly belong to the Imperial Court number no more than can be counted on both hands. It is rare for an Unclaimed Literary Heart to appear, and now it is being given away just like that. I truly cannot bear to part with it."
"If that is so, why did Your Majesty agree to Minister Wen's request and let the Literary Heart choose its master?"
"Old Minister Wen has devoted himself to the nation and protected me for many years. Since he personally asked, how could I refute him? Besides, having an Unclaimed Literary Heart choose its master is precisely what the ancient rites prescribe. I could hardly obstruct it."
The Empress smiled again. "Your Majesty is worrying too much. It is not as though our dynasty has never had a Literary Heart choose its master, but how many truly succeeded? The Establishing Virtue Literary Heart of the Kong Family has existed for five hundred years. During that time, they have repeatedly invited worthy talents from across the realm to participate in the ceremony of choosing its master. Yet isn't it still enshrined in the family temple? Minister Wen said that if it does not choose a master, the Literary Heart will be placed in the Confucian Temple."
"And what difference is there between the Confucian Temple and the Imperial Court?"
"Taking one step back, if a truly worthy talent enables the Literary Heart to choose a master, that means Great Xuan will gain another seed of a Great Scholar. As for whether a Great Scholar or a Literary Heart is more beneficial to a dynasty, that is difficult to judge."
The Emperor nodded slightly. "That is true. Zitong is right." Yet the tight furrow between his brows did not ease in the slightest.
Seeing this, the Empress pondered briefly. "Does Your Majesty have some other concern?"
The Emperor rose and paced two steps before speaking. "I do have a little selfish thought."
With that, the Emperor walked to a stone screen in Quiet Contemplation Hall. He waved his sleeve, and a stream of white energy shot from his hand and struck the stone screen. The screen flashed white, and an image of nine gigantic cauldrons slowly appeared upon it. Yet only six of the cauldrons brimmed with white light. The seventh held roughly one-third white light, while the rest of it and the remaining two cauldrons were dim.
"Your Majesty!" The Empress rose in shock.
This National Destiny Wall was the supreme treasure of the Great Xuan imperial clan, capable of reflecting Great Xuan's fortune.
"A Nine Cauldrons Prosperous Era, an Eight Cauldrons Imperial Dynasty, a Seven Cauldrons Strong Nation!" The Emperor looked at the National Destiny Wall before him and said softly, "When Emperor Qi ruled, fortune overflowed from the nine cauldrons. The Demons and Barbarians did not dare call themselves kings, and the myriad races came to court. When Emperor Qi died, two cauldrons of fortune collapsed with him. The late Emperor ascended the throne, governed with tireless dedication, launched the Northern Expedition five times and the Southern Campaign three times, beat the barbarians until they dared not look south, and the Demon Race until they dared not advance north. At last, he condensed another cauldron of fortune..."
"After I ascended the throne, I worked cautiously and diligently for forty years, yet only six and a half cauldrons of fortune remain, barely maintaining the appearance of peace. If our fortune declines any further, the danger of a lower-ranked nation tottering on the brink of collapse will arise."
The Empress walked to the Emperor's side and took his hand, speaking gently. "The late Emperor's Northern Expeditions and Southern Campaigns had already overdrawn our dynasty's national destiny. His sudden death further damaged its foundations. After that, the Three Kings fought for the throne, and Chancellor Huo abused his power. The realm fell into chaos for another ten years. I heard my father say that when Your Majesty ascended the throne, our national destiny had only four cauldrons left, already showing signs of collapse. It was Your Majesty who set things right, attending diligently to government affairs day after day for decades, and led Great Xuan from four cauldrons tottering on the brink to a five-cauldrons lower nation, then from a five-cauldrons lower nation into six-cauldrons peace. In my eyes, Your Majesty is no worse than the late Emperor Qi!"
The Empress's words were sincere, warming the Emperor's heart as well. He shook his head. "I possess neither Emperor Qi's great talent and grand strategy nor the late Emperor's soaring boldness. I have only diligence, barely enough to make me a ruler who preserves what he inherited. I am worried about the Crown Prince..."
The Empress's expression turned solemn. Remembering that headache of a Crown Prince, she hurriedly explained, "Our son has also been making considerable efforts lately..."
The Emperor waved his hand slightly and helped the Empress to her feet. "I am not blaming him. It is only that when I die, fortune will fluctuate. If the imperial clan has another Literary Heart to suppress it, our fortune will be a little more stable. That is my selfish motive."
The Empress was startled and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is in the prime of life. Please, never speak such inauspicious words again."
"An emperor has his Heavenly Numbers." The Emperor spoke indifferently. "But if that day truly comes, the Literary Heart will only be an aid. What we truly rely on will still be those important ministers."
After speaking, the Emperor looked toward the National Destiny Wall again. "If only our fortune could increase a little more..."
After the Emperor finished speaking, Quiet Contemplation Hall fell into silence.
The shrill voice of the Head Eunuch, Hou An, rang out beyond the hall doors. "Your Majesty, Minister Wen requests an audience."
The Empress's voice came from within. "His Majesty is tired. Have Minister Wen return. He can see His Majesty in court tomorrow."
Hou An seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying, "Minister Wen specifically instructed me to say that he has a method to increase the dynasty's fortune to offer!"
A burst of hurried footsteps came from within the hall. The doors were suddenly flung open, and the Emperor charged out.
The Empress followed behind, holding a pair of shoes and calling out, "Your Majesty, your shoes..."
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