The Study

"Ah, Hong Yi, your family's Langhuan Library is enormous! It's even bigger than Prince Rong's. You must have at least sixty or seventy thousand books here. It's a pity I can only look around today—I still have to go to the palace tonight." Luo Yun gazed at the many redwood shelves filling the vast library, the air rich with the fragrance of books. Becoming relatives by imperial favor with the Marquis Wuwen's Mansion would raise the Marquis Mansion's standing, too. Hong Yi finally saw the Falling Star Bow his father had used in his youth. Lady Fang remained silent. In the Marquis Mansion, where rules were strict, Lady Zhao held absolute authority. Stroking the little white cat in her arms, Lady Zhao looked unnervingly composed. "And what about Hong Yi?" Madam Rong still hadn't given up. On the desk lay the books Hong Xuanji often read, stacked a foot high. Then his gaze fell on the desk. "Wait for the Marquis to return and decide. Have a maid go to our own apothecary and get some medicine for injuries and tonics, so Hong Gui and Rong Pan can recover." Lady Zhao beckoned. A maid knew her habits and hurriedly brought over the snow-white kitten she was holding, placing it in Lady Zhao's hands for her to stroke. "Miss, why go to all this trouble? Just give the word, and I guarantee Hong Yi will fall gravely ill and return his soul to the underworld without anyone knowing how. I saw it coming—this boy was bound to cause trouble. We didn't take him seriously before, but now he's making a real fuss. If he grows into a force to be reckoned with, where will that leave us?" the old servant said darkly. "This matter is of the utmost importance. Until the imperial decree arrives, no one is to discuss it. Everyone should get on with their own duties. After the Marquis returns from handling state affairs, he and I will discuss it in person." Buddhist martial arts emphasized sinews and bones; in training the sinews, bones, skin, and flesh, they were unrivaled. Daoist arts, however, emphasized breath control, and surpassed Buddhism in training the five viscera and six bowels. This was also done to balance the power in the harem. When a princess from another country married into the imperial family, she could feel utterly alone without her natal family's support, and might easily be persecuted in the struggle for favor. Such an incident could readily give another country an excuse to stir up trouble. "These notes say that a hundred years ago, at the height of the former Great Zhou dynasty, there were ten famous bows. The Sun-Shooting Bow ranked first, the Moon-Holding Bow second, and this Falling Star Bow third. I wonder how powerful the first two must have been?" Lady Zhao sat down again, her expression calm. No one could tell what she was thinking... Hong Yi had heard, though, that the bowstring was made from a giant python's sinew, soaked in glue for ten years until it had been properly cured. It was extraordinarily elastic and would last for ages. The bow had been one of the ten famous bows of Great Zhou, named Falling Star; at a thousand paces, it could shoot down an enemy as easily as swatting a fly. By now, she no longer had the mind to consider how to punish Hong Yi according to the family rules. Instead, she was pondering the significance of those words. Once they became relatives by imperial favor, the families of civil and military officials would also be connected to the imperial family. It was a special kind of reward, and everyone would be pleased. Steel used for a bow stave had unimaginable stability. More importantly, unlike wooden staves, it wouldn't crack as it dried or suffer insect damage. It was simply too heavy for even the great generals in the army to use in battle, so such bows were only used for testing. And this one was made of Ice Crack Patterned Steel, no less. Back then, Yunmeng had invaded Dagan after a princess who had married into the imperial family was banished to the cold palace and poisoned herself. They used it as an excuse to wage war and invade. The consorts and imperial consorts of the Great Gan Dynasty were not allowed to leave the palace, but the court governed by the principles of benevolence and filial piety. It had specially decreed that every New Year and festival, consorts and imperial consorts living deep within the palace could return home to visit their parents, to show the vastness of imperial grace. Consort Yuan had been a princess of the northern Yuantu Kingdom before marrying into the palace. She had not been there long, but she was deeply favored. Before the New Year, she had even been elevated to imperial consort, a rank second only to the empress. She was also a person of influence in the palace. This wasn't a matter of state, but an internal matter of the palace, so the order would not be issued as an imperial edict, but as an empress dowager's or empress's decree. The bowstring was as thick as a finger, pitch-black, and made of some unidentifiable material. "Go take care of it. I have my own plans." Lady Zhao waved her hand. Seeing her expression, Lady Fang and Madam Rong both took the hint and withdrew with their maids and old servants. But there were also princesses from foreign lands in the harem. They were certainly not allowed to return home for a visit, and could only spend their entire lives secluded in the palace. So the harem had a rule: the empress dowager or empress would issue a decree naming the household of a civil or military official as the princess's relatives by imperial favor. Then, during New Year and festivals, she would have a natal family to visit, just like the other consorts. "You've all been busy for quite a while. You can rest now. Later, we'll invite the princess to stay for a meal, then come out together. A little rest will help you have the energy to keep her company." When they heard Princess Zhennan Luo Yun's seemingly casual words—which were in truth no less shocking than a bolt from the blue—everyone in the main hall of the Marquis Mansion was stunned. The first to recover was Lady Zhao, that dignified and composed matriarch. "Sister, this is wonderful news—we should be making preparations! If Consort Yuan chooses us as her relatives by imperial favor, that's a tremendous blessing. We'll become kin to the imperial family. If Consort Yuan has one or two sons, even if they don't get the throne, one of them will at least become a prince. To be connected to them would bring endless good fortune." The two maids stared wide-eyed at the order, utterly bewildered. The library in the Marquis Wuwen's Mansion was called Langhuan Library. It covered a full five hundred paces on each side, with bookshelves two people high lining all four walls, every shelf packed with books. In the middle stood a large sandalwood desk, a jade paperweight, a purple-gold brush holder, and a square foot of purple stone carved into a landscape inkstone—all furnishings fit for a wealthy and illustrious household. After the two senior maids left, Lady Zhao beckoned again. An old servant came forward from behind her. The woman had silver hair, a high nose, and sunken eyes. She looked very old, but on closer inspection, her fingers were slender and utterly unwrinkled, like those of a sixteen-year-old girl. It was a Daoist breathing technique for training the internal organs. Hong Yi looked at the Falling Star Bow hanging on the wall and knew he had no hope of drawing it even a fraction. Hong Yi spotted the first book at a glance: Spirit Turtle Breathing Technique. A great bow hung on the wall facing the library entrance. It gleamed all over, clearly made of refined steel. More remarkable still, its polished steel body was covered in countless ice-like cracks. It was obviously made of Ice Crack Patterned Steel, worth its weight in gold. "Is Xi'er busy lately? Go to the Divine Machine Battalion and tell him to make time to come back. Also, write a letter to Kang'er." Once everyone had filed out, the Marquis Mansion's main hall fell silent. In the vast room, only the sound of the cat yawning remained. "Madam..." "Shuang'er, Tong'er, clean out the Osmanthus Chamber in the east courtyard. Have Hong Yi move in later, and pick four clever maids to attend him. Then go to the accounts office and draw three hundred taels of silver for him to buy what he needs. Tell him I'm providing for his imperial examinations." Lady Zhao instructed the two senior maids beside her. After the shock came a flurry of discussion. Madam Rong, quick-tongued as ever, immediately leaned forward to speak. "Consort Yuan wants to become relatives by imperial favor with our Marquis Wuwen's Mansion? Why hasn't word come out of the palace? Though Princess Zhennan moves freely in the palace, her news must be reliable. Perhaps the decree will arrive any moment. This is a momentous occasion."