Extra: Later Days

The peach blossoms in the Capital City bloomed and withered. In the late spring of the twelfth year of Zhaoyuan, Qi Yan entered the Grand Secretariat.

After the beginning of spring, affairs became increasingly busy. Memorials from Jiangnan and Saibei were submitted to the Capital City, along with the accumulated government affairs from last year. Xiao Shao was so busy his feet didn't touch the ground. It wasn't until the last blooming season of this year that he finally had time to invite his little Tanhua out for a spring outing.

It was now April, and the weather was growing warmer. The peach blossoms in the city had already withered, but the flowers in the mountain temple in the northern suburbs were blooming brilliantly.

On this day of rest, a small sedan chair went around from the south gate, carrying the emperor and the Grand Secretary towards Fuyou Temple in the northern suburbs.

Xiao Shao lifted the curtain of the carriage. "This temple was built by my grandfather to pray for the blessing and peace of the Capital City. In its early years, the incense burned prosperously. Every first and fifteenth day of the month, there was an endless stream of pilgrims. But later, for some unknown reason, it became a place to imprison sinners. Deposed concubines and deposed crown princes were all sent here to rest. Over time, it fell into decline."

The deposed Crown Prince Xiao Yi was also imprisoned here. Xiao Shao was incredibly busy when he ascended the throne, so he didn't have the time to deal with him. He simply confined him here to be handled later.

It must be said that although Fuyou Temple was remote, there was no shortage of food and clothing. However, Xiao Shao hadn't expected that once the deposed Crown Prince fell from the peak, accustomed to arrogance, luxury, and debauchery, he wouldn't be able to bear the disparity. Not long after staying in the temple, he went mad and became demented. One day, he slipped and fell into a well. By the time the monks found him, he was already dead.

Qi Yan gazed at the temple in the mountains. The bright yellow glazed pagoda was hidden among the green pines and emerald bamboos, revealing only a tiny spire.

He turned to look at Xiao Shao. "Why come here out of nowhere?"

The deposed Crown Prince was already dead, and the past had dispersed like the wind and clouds. He had long since let go of these things.

Xiao Shao mumbled, "It's nothing really. It's just that now your nightmares have somewhat subsided, but I've started having them instead. I thought I'd come to the temple to pray."

In their past life, it was also this year that Qi Yan died in Fuyou Temple.

Perhaps it was because he was older, he kept dreaming of the past. In his dreams, Director Qi was nothing but skin and bones. In March of early spring, the cotton wadding was as thin as cardboard. He curled up on the bed, raising his eyes to look at Xiao Shao, and murmured with a sigh, "...If you have to choose, then choose me."

Xiao Shao would jolt awake from his dream, pull his little Tanhua into his arms, and hold him tight from head to toe. The body in his arms was warm, and some flesh had grown on his bones. Qi Yan would groggily wake up and wrap his arms around Xiao Shao. "Your Majesty?"

Xiao Shao: "...It's nothing."

If he only dreamed it once, it would be a coincidence, but recently he woke up in a panic every night. His dreams were filled with Qi Yan in that state, which left him distracted and uneasy. So he thought of coming to Fuyou Temple to take a look and pray to the gods and Buddhas of all the heavens.

The temple had been in disrepair for years and had few pilgrims. Except for a few scattered monks, no one guarded the place. Moss crawled all over the ground, mildew spots had corroded more than half of the white walls, and even the statues of gods and Buddhas in the hall were covered in bronze rust.

Xiao Shao stepped into the main hall. The Bodhisattva lowered its eyebrows and eyes, its face full of compassion. He took the incense from Li Dequan's hands, respectfully offered three sticks, lifted his robe, and bowed.

Qi Yan didn't understand the reason. With so many temples in the Capital City, which one didn't have more prosperous incense than Fuyou Temple? Why bump along dozens of miles of mountain roads just to come here?

But since Xiao Shao knelt, he also lifted his robe and knelt.

After Xiao Shao offered the incense and kowtowed, he placed a row of tribute fruits. He muttered under his breath, saying this and that, who knew what he was talking about.

His voice was too low to hear clearly, so Qi Yan asked, "What is Your Majesty praying for?"

Now the world was at peace. The floods in Jiangnan had been quelled, and the beacon fires of war in Saibei had been extinguished. If future generations were to talk about Zhaoyuan, they would surely call it a prosperous era of peace. What else could Xiao Shao possibly ask for?

Xiao Shao put his hands together and said mysteriously, "It cannot be said, it cannot be said."

—If there really were gods and Buddhas of all the heavens, then the little Tanhua who had suffered so much in his past life should also receive some kind treatment.

Xiao Shao earnestly finished reciting his prayers. They worshipped in the main hall and then toured the temple together.

This Fuyou Temple had no incense, and the peach blossoms in the courtyard were left unpruned. Each one grew freely, their branches and leaves slanting, swaying left and right like they were drunk. Although it couldn't compare to the grandeur of a royal temple, it was full of rustic charm and had its own unique appeal.

Xiao Shao plucked a fresh flower from a branch and tucked it behind Qi Yan's ear.

Qi Yan was stunned at first. He raised his hand to block it but didn't dodge, saying helplessly, "Your Majesty, I am no longer a youth."

In his thirties, wearing flowers in his hair, what did he look like?

Xiao Shao smoothed his temple hair for him. "Do not laugh at the white-headed wearing flowers. Even after another ten or twenty years, you'll still look beautiful."

He wasn't joking. After entering the Grand Secretariat, Qi Yan shed the childishness of a youth and gained a bit more of a scholar's character. Perhaps because he had Xiao Shao's backing, he didn't need to form cliques for personal gain. He only needed to learn from his father and be a pure and upright official. His footsteps had traveled from Saibei to Jiangnan. Time hadn't changed anything except adding steadiness to his face. Like a pot of good wine that became mellower the more one tasted it, his age was just right at this moment, and the aftertaste was sweet.

Looking at him, Xiao Shao could completely no longer connect him with the Lord from his past life. He couldn't help but be slightly stunned, thinking to himself, 'If the one from the past life could have been nurtured well, he probably would have turned out like this too.'

It was his older brother who had poor judgment, mistaking a pearl for a fish eye, delaying so much time.

The two dismissed their attendants and began to stroll leisurely through the mountain temple.

It had drizzled last night, and the temple was quiet and secluded. Somehow, they wandered to the monks' quarters in the backyard. Only a few old monks were left here, and most of the courtyards were already barren and dilapidated. Xiao Shao bypassed a corner gate covered in moss and couldn't help but stop in his tracks.

He recognized this courtyard.

Plum blossoms were planted in the corner of the courtyard, which had already withered by now. No lamps were lit in the room, leaving it dark and dim. Only a low bed and a small square table could be seen. The teapot on the table was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the bedding on the bed was full of mildew. When the early spring wind blew, the dampness surged up from the soles of his feet, desolate and bitterly cold.

At that time, Qi Yan must have huddled under this blanket, his long hair falling from the bed, pooling on the floor.

How cold must he have been back then?

Xiao Shao's heart skipped a beat. He raised his hand and grasped Qi Yan's fingertips, gathering them in his palm and rubbing them a few times. Qi Yan turned to look at him. "Your Majesty?"

Xiao Shao: "Qi Yan, are you cold?"

Qi Yan: "Huh?"

Xiao Shao: "Are you cold?"

Qi Yan hesitated. "Not cold?"

But in the next second, a warm cloak was already draped over him.

Then, he was pulled into an embrace.

Xiao Shao hugged him completely, his chin resting against his shoulder blade, his arms wrapped around his shoulders, rubbing against him again and again.

Qi Yan hugged him back. "Your Majesty?"

Ever since entering Fuyou Temple, Xiao Shao's mood had been off. Qi Yan thought it over and could only attribute it to one thing. "If Your Majesty is feeling uncomfortable, just go offer a stick of incense to your older brother. After all, he is your brother of the same branch, and blood is thicker than water. I don't mind these things."

Xiao Shao was holding him tight, feeling the heartbeat and pulse where their necks touched—steady and strong, beat by beat. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. The person well-nurtured in his arms was not the Lord from his past life, who had one foot in the grave and breath as weak as a thread. Just as he was about to let go, he heard Qi Yan mention Xiao Yi.

Xiao Shao: "?"

He instantly felt as disgusted as if he had eaten a fly. "Who wants to pay respects to him?"

To hell with blood is thicker than water.

Xiao Yi was naturally suspicious and loved playing power games above all else. In their past life, he had forced Xiao Shao into a corner several times. If it weren't for that, Xiao Shao wouldn't have usurped the throne. They were said to be brothers, but in reality, they were bitter enemies.

Furthermore, Xiao Yi was unrighteous and unjust. Not to mention turning the state of the country into a chaotic mess, he even diverted the funds meant for flood control to build gardens, resulting in rivers overflowing and affecting millions of people. He also embezzled the border army's military pay, which caused a mutiny in Saibei. The barbarian tribes drove straight in, almost reaching the walls of the Imperial City. If it weren't for all this mess, Xiao Shao wouldn't have had to wake up early and stay up late, exhausting himself to death reviewing memorials.

In his past life, at the exact moment his head spun, his vision blurred, and his heart and lungs suddenly stopped, the last thing Xiao Shao did was passionately curse his biological brother: "Fucking bastard, don't let me ever fucking run into you in the underworld, or I'll skin you alive."

However, if there really was an underworld, Xiao Yi would have already been beaten to death by his father and his grandfather.

Although Emperor Jianning wasn't exactly known for being upright, he was still considered a emperor who brought about a resurgence. Having raised such an unlucky bastard, who knew if he could swallow this anger.

Under these circumstances, ask him to pay respects to Xiao Yi?

In his dreams.

Xiao Shao snorted and lifted his leg to walk forward. Qi Yan tried to follow but couldn't keep up. He was already wearing an outer coat, and with Xiao Shao's cloak draped over him as well, he was overly bulky, making even movement difficult.

With two layers of heavy coats pressing down on his body, he looked like a cone from a distance. Qi Yan felt like a pine tree weighed down by heavy snow, unable to even stand straight. He struggled to drape the cloak back onto Xiao Shao, stopping Xiao Shao's motion of trying to drape it over him again. "I'm not cold, really, touch me and see?"

As he spoke, he proactively offered himself up.

Xiao Shao pinched his fingertips, then pinched his cheek, and finally ran his fingers down his neck, sliding into his collar. Feeling ticklish, Qi Yan shivered, pulled Xiao Shao's hand out, and stood to the side.

He pointed to the exit. "Your Majesty, we've about finished strolling here, and the flowers up ahead are blooming better. Shall we go?"

Xiao Shao then said, "Let's go."

He stepped out of the courtyard and took one last look at the corner gate, reflecting the room full of dilapidation in his eyes.

Qi Yan: "What are you looking at?"

Xiao Shao pulled him along. "Nothing."

Qi Yan was right. Among the peach blossoms covering the mountains and plains, the ones up ahead were still blooming better.

They returned to the Capital City after dusk had already passed.

The streets of the Capital City were bustling with carriages and horses. The pedestrians were an endless stream, and everywhere were merchants traveling to and fro, making it extraordinarily lively.

Under Qi Yan's suggestion, Xiao Shao opened up trade and also dispatched envoys down the Western Oceans and out to the Western Regions. The two trade routes were successively connected. The porcelain and silk of the Daqian Dynasty crossed the oceans, while potatoes, pepper, and tomatoes from the Western Regions were successively introduced. Some of these crops were tolerant to moisture and drought, yielding large quantities and being filling. Now fully rolled out, they had greatly alleviated the food problem. Gold and silver surged in like waves. Today's Daqian Dynasty was abundant and prosperous, and the Capital City had already become a hub for merchant trade.

Xiao Shao disliked severe punishments, semi-abolished the Eastern Depot, did not suppress written words, and did not forbid communication. The atmosphere both in the court and among the people was unprecedentedly open, emphasizing inclusivity, presenting a true image of a first-class flourishing age.

Their carriage passed by leisurely. The candles and lanterns on both sides, as well as the night market stalls, had become lively early on.

Passing by a certain place, Xiao Shao suddenly said, "Stop."

He took the lead in jumping off the carriage. "Come on, little Tanhua, I'll take you up to have a look."

Qi Yan looked up. This was an extremely tall pavilion, a full six or seven stories high. With its red roof ridges and green tiles, upturned eaves and flying corners, faint sounds of strings and woodwinds could be heard from within.

Xiao Shao: "Can't recognize it, right? This is the singing pavilion."

The place where they had first met back then.

Xiao Shao rectified the pavilions and alleys of the Capital City. He allowed drinking and allowed singing and dancing, but other activities were forbidden. He also established a specialized agency to supervise dance and music, which was now managed by Lady Qi.

Qi Yan's older sister was equally brimming with talent, not losing out to any man. It would have been a pity to trap her in a pavilion doing embroidery.

This was the first step. If Lady Qi did well and could convince the masses, Xiao Shao would also continue to expand and select more talented and learned women to enter officialdom.

Qi Yan looked up at the small building, slightly surprised. "It's been built so high."

Due to the increase in merchant traffic, in order to entertain foreign merchants and Westerners, the singing pavilion was also expanded, changing from a three-story small building to a seven-story one. It stood beautifully in the middle of the main street, like a small pagoda.

He furrowed his brows. "If you were to look down from upstairs now, you wouldn't be able to see me, and I wouldn't be able to see you either."

Much less hear those two teasing laughs.

Xiao Shao laughed loudly. "True. Luckily, we met early."

He pulled Qi Yan. "Shall we go up the pavilion and take a look?"

The two of them didn't listen to music nor watch the singing and dancing. They went straight up the pavilion, and before long, they climbed to the top floor. Xiao Shao pushed open the door, and the vast night wind blew against their faces. They leaned against the railing, overlooking the entire Capital City.

In the farthest distance was the winding great river, and slightly closer was the silently standing Imperial Palace. The lights in the Wenyuan Pavilion were still on, allowing it to be seen clearly.

Even closer were the myriad twinkling lights of thousands of households in the city, shining like stars.

Xiao Shao: "Little Grand Secretary, the other Grand Secretaries are all reviewing memorials, and you're the only one who came out to play."

He took a pot of wine and leaned comfortably against the railing. "When you go back, will they scold you?"

Qi Yan was originally supposed to be reviewing memorials too; he was forcefully dragged here by Xiao Shao. Now that Xiao Shao was falsely putting the blame on him, he couldn't help but grit his teeth and snort.

Xiao Shao: "Hey, what excuse did you use to come out and play with me?"

Qi Yan remained silent.

Xiao Shao then went to tug at him. "Little quiet gourd, tell me, what excuse did you use?"

Having drunk two mouthfuls of wine, the emperor was already slightly tipsy. Grabbing the railing, he swayed unsteadily from side to side. Seeing that he was about to fall, Qi Yan hurriedly supported him and mumbled, "A stomachache."

As he spoke, his voice grew even more muffled. "It's not just an excuse either."

They had messed around too fiercely yesterday; his stomach genuinely hurt.

Xiao Shao laughed uproariously.

When his laughter subsided, he held the half-empty wine pot and leaned against the railing. The countless lights of the Imperial City reflected in his eyes. Xiao Shao suddenly said, "Pingzhang, do you like it?"

Qi Yan was clutching Xiao Shao's sash, afraid that he would fall down. Hearing this, a vein bulged on his forehead. "Like what?"

Xiao Shao: "This world."

He turned his head. "You said that back when you climbed the mountain with your father and looked down at the Capital City from the mountaintop, you also saw the Imperial Palace and Wenyuan Pavilion. The Capital City back then shouldn't have been like this, right?"

Qi Yan was momentarily stunned, then replied, "No, it wasn't."

At that time, all industries were depressed. Hedong and Jiangnan suffered from successive years of floods. The common people faced disasters and became refugees, gathering in crowds at the foot of the Imperial City, every one of them skin and bones. Moreover, lamp oil was expensive, and half of the people in this city couldn't even afford to light a lamp. Looking down from the mountain, it was far from its current appearance.

Xiao Shao was half-drunk. He reached out his hand from the railing as if to invite the bright moon. The moonlight fell into his cup, and the long wind fluttered his sleeves and robe.

Xiao Shao said, "I still remember studying with you in the Imperial Study. At that time, I didn't even like you yet. Old man Song tried every possible means to send me away just to cap you, and he even gave you a courtesy name, Pingzhang."

He patted Qi Yan's shoulder. "At that time, you even said you would never get to use this name, but now, Grand Secretary Qi is renowned across the four seas. Who in the world doesn't know you?"

...Who in the world doesn't know you?

Qi Yan paused and, following his movement, looked outwards. Inside and outside the Imperial City, up and down the palace gates, the surging great river, the dotted lights—all entered his eyes.

He stared blankly for a long time, then suddenly said softly, "Yes."

The emperor held court to discuss the Dao, ruling effortlessly to harmonize the state. Who would have thought that there would really come a day when he could stand with the emperor, jointly witnessing the peaceful seas and clear rivers, and the entire world shining bright.

The names of Qi Yan and Xiao Shao were bound to stand side by side. When future generations mentioned Xiao Shao, they wouldn't be able to bypass Pingzhang, and when they mentioned Pingzhang, they wouldn't be able to bypass Xiao Shao either.

On this night over the rivers and mountains, the long wind was vast and mighty.

—In the annals of history, both you and I shall remain together.