Loyal Bones Lie Buried Across the North, Yet I Alone Love the Green Mountain

In the capital, on Jade Dragon Street, Xie Manor stood towering and majestic.

The imperial capital of Great Qing was as prosperous as brocade, every inch of land worth its weight in gold.

Streets and alleys wove together in perfect order, each keeping to its own place.

That Xie Manor could build a residence here on Jade Dragon Street showed at a glance the nobility of its status and the brilliance of its position.

The mansion gates on Jade Dragon Street saw guests like clouds, no lack of court dignitaries and frequent visitors before the Son of Heaven's hall.

The swallows before the old halls found it hard to enter the homes of ordinary folk!

At this moment, though the sky had not yet completely darkened!

Jade Dragon Street was already ablaze with lights, bright as day.

The shops, restaurants, and teahouses on both sides were brilliantly lit, forming a sharp contrast with the dim streets around them.

"Sister Xie, have you really decided to go to Mount Zhongnan?" A crisp female voice echoed through the deep courtyards of Xie Manor.

A woman in a palace dress paced inside the boudoir, deliberately putting on an air of maturity.

Her features were adorable, delicate as a painting.

But compared with the woman beside the table, head lowered as she read, she fell far, far short.

That woman gently set down the scroll, slowly raised her head, and revealed a face of peerless beauty.

Between her brows was an intelligent, graceful charm, radiant enough to dazzle.

She was truly lovely as spring plum blossoms blooming against snow, her spirit like autumn orchids cloaked in frost.

Her cheeks glowed warmly, rosy clouds reflected in a clear pond; her eyes shone crystal-bright, moonlight shooting across a cold river.

Against the lamplight by the table, the woman smiled faintly, and that smile was bright and moving, as though all the beauty in the world had gathered in this single moment, enough to intoxicate the heart and bewitch the soul.

The woman in the palace dress also lost herself for a moment.

"Sister Xie, you're simply too beautiful!"

The woman in the palace dress wanted to cry but had no tears.

"According to my original plan, I should have grown up looking like you."

The woman surnamed Xie spoke lightly, her voice melodious and pleasant.

"When next year's spring breeze turns to nourishing rain, at the start of spring, I will set off with my father."

The woman in the palace dress sighed softly.

"Ah, Sister Xie, once you leave, who knows how many talented young masters in the capital will be dimmed with heartbreak for you."

The woman's name was Xie Lingxuan. She was the eldest daughter of the Xie Clan, and also the "fiancée" whom Lu Chen's mother had arranged for him.

She had once been betrothed to Lu Chen when they were children, but after the north moved south, the matter had come to nothing.

The Xie Clan now belonged to the upright faction at court, close ministers of the Son of Heaven, deeply favored and trusted, often kept overnight in the palace to discuss affairs of state with the emperor.

In just three short years, he had been promoted four ranks in succession, a legend in the officialdom of recent years.

With such speed of promotion, even that Junior Guardian Lu who fought all the way to Huanglong Prefecture had needed six years.

He was a figure of burning influence at court.

From then on, the Xie Clan soared straight into the clouds.

Xie Lingxuan slowly rose and said lightly,

"What does what they think have to do with me?"

The woman in the palace dress hurriedly said,

"Sister Xie, don't you think the eldest young master of the Wang Clan is truly handsome? He is refined too, quite good at handling matters, generous in his spending, and extremely interesting as a person. Among this group of nobles in the capital, he is the one who can gather people around him."

The woman in the palace dress was named Su Yue.

Her father was the Vice Minister of the Bureau of Appointments, one of the Four Bureaus of the Ministry of Personnel, a high official of the Subordinate Third Rank.

When the court decree came down at the start of spring next year, Xie Lingxuan's father would be promoted to Left Vice Minister of Rites.

Among the Three Departments and Six Ministries of the court, aside from the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites stood foremost.

The Left Vice Minister of Rites, second-in-command of the Ministry of Rites, could already be called a dignity of a "Heavenly Official."

Compared with the Xie Clan of today, however, it was still far too lacking.

However!

Between Su Yue and the Xie Clan, there was a layer of kinship tying them together, which was why the two were close. By seniority, Su Yue should call Xie Lingxuan her older cousin.

At this moment, a trace of excitement appeared on Su Yue's face as she continued,

"And then there is the third young master of the prime minister's family. Last year, he passed the imperial examinations in one stroke as a jinshi on the first roll, and he is even proficient in calligraphy and painting, famous throughout the entire capital. How many people dream of obtaining one piece of his calligraphy or painting and cannot, yet in these three years, how many letters has he written to you, Sister? It really makes one endlessly envious."

"The second young master of the Minister of Works' residence can be called a leader in the art of poetry and lyrics. In the past, when his work 'Ascending White Horse Temple' came into the world, it drew countless scholars and poets to come because of its fame, seeking the Zen meaning and scenery described in the poem. He has admired Sister for a long time."

"The third-place scholar who passed the examinations this year has an imposing appearance and overflowing talent. During the palace examination, even His Majesty praised his mastery of state affairs. The Eldest Princess held a banquet in the capital to celebrate him, and he specially came to report the good news to Sister, a pity that Sister was unable to meet him."

Su Yue stood at the side, sighing long and short.

Xie Lingxuan seemed as though she had heard nothing. She leaned lightly by the window, her gaze fixed on the book lying quietly on the table.

It was not any poetry or song, nor a work by some literary master. Written on the opening page of the book was:

Essentials of Military Training!

It was written by Lu Chen in the Lu Family Army back then, with nine volumes of main text and six volumes of miscellany.

The entire book recorded the selection of soldiers, the organization of troops, the inspiring of morale, weapons and equipment, the cultivation of generals, and more.

On the other side!

The more Su Yue spoke, the more excited she became. Light flickered in her eyes as she brought up another person.

"And there is also the second young master of General Wang's family. He is accomplished in both letters and martial arts, possesses both talent and virtue, and his appearance is outstandingly handsome."

"Not to mention the current Sixth Prince. He is a true scion of heaven's lineage, unmatched in nobility. At a banquet, the Sixth Prince got drunk and vowed solemnly that he had two wishes in this life. First, he wished for his royal father's health and peace under heaven. Second, he wished to have Lingxuan adding fragrance to his red sleeves, enough to comfort him for a lifetime."

"In the capital, who doesn't know it?"

"And... and there are many more young talents... all secretly giving their hearts to Sister."

Seeing that Xie Lingxuan seemed to be lost in thought, Su Yue hurriedly pushed her and said,

"Sister Xie, are you listening or not?"

Xie Lingxuan smiled.

"Keep talking. I'm not listening."

Su Yue was helpless and asked curiously, "Sister Xie, so many young talents have fallen head over heels for you, but in your heart, which one exactly do you favor?"

At the mention of the past!

A faint trace of melancholy surfaced in Su Yue's eyes.

She had once given her heart to a poor scholar who had entered the capital for the examinations. That scholar had lived in poverty, yet played the zither beautifully, gentle and refined, with fine looks and talent.

She had not expected that after he met her cousin once, his entire soul would be hooked away.

The scholar had also proved worthy, passing the examination in one stroke. Now, in the Hanlin Academy, he could be said to be merely waiting to enter officialdom, the Fourth Rank already in his pocket.

But!

Even now, the scholar still longed for Sister Xie and could not forget her.

Su Yue shook her head, not knowing whether she should be happy or bitter!

Back then, it had been Su Yue who personally introduced the two to each other.

How sorrowful!

Her gaze fell on the military book on her cousin's desk, where the two characters "Lu Chen" were written in striking clarity.

Su Yue naturally knew that this Junior Guardian Lu and her cousin had a past engagement between them.

That piece of news had once stirred up a towering storm in the capital.

However, North Wind and Great Qing had long since been allies!

Lu Chen was nothing but a military man who only knew how to fight wars.

What did he understand of flowers before the wind and moon beneath the snow?

Now he was a Daoist on Mount Zhongnan.

All the less could he be mentioned in the same breath as those Three Dukes and Nine Ministers of the court who occupied high positions and held heavy power.

Her cousin was a noble daughter of the Xie Clan!

Her beauty and talent had long since spread throughout the entire capital.

A fairy-like figure.

How was Lu Chen worthy!

Was he worth Sister thinking of him like this?

"Sister Xie, you can't still be thinking about that Junior Guardian Lu, can you?"

"He can only count as a commoner now. He doesn't even have an official body anymore, just a plain-clothed nobody."

"And besides, you've never even met him."

Xie Lingxuan refuted,

"We met when we were seven."

Su Yue said helplessly,

"Who could still remember that? And besides, after all these years, what does he even look like now? Tall or short, fat or thin?"

"What if he's an ugly freak?"

Xie Lingxuan said softly, "I remember."

After saying this, she paid no more attention.

This noble daughter of the Xie Clan turned her gaze outside the window.

She saw!

Night hung low, lights had risen in every household, New Year lanterns were already hung, and Spring Festival couplets had been pasted up.

The capital was prosperous, moonlight like water, and the sound of clothes being beaten came from a thousand households.

A scene of peace!

But without him, Lu Shenzhou!

Where would the lights of ten thousand homes have come from?

Where would the bright sun over a thousand households have come from, always replacing old charms with new peachwood talismans?

Where would a moon over the capital and the sound of clothes beaten in ten thousand homes have come from?

Xie Lingxuan's eyes warmed faintly as she said,

"I have often envied the jade-carved gentleman of the mortal world; heaven must have begged for him a pastry-soft lady."

The original meaning of the poem was that people often envied a man in this world as handsome and graceful as jade carved and polished; even heaven pitied him and bestowed upon him a gentle, clever beauty to accompany him.

Xie Lingxuan placed her hand before her chest and said softly,

"Loyal bones lie buried across the north, yet I alone love the green mountain."

Thank you all for your support. For those who mentioned typos, when I have time I'll gather them up and take a look. Thank you, everyone!!

The new-book period really isn't easy. If you have time, please come take a look and keep reading. Thank you.