CCWAD – Chapter 44

Chapter 44

The Deep Courtyard of Phoenix Trees Locks in the Clear Autumn

Epigraph:

“She wrote the epitaph of ‘Emperor of All Ages’ for me in the annals of history, yet carved ‘My Love, Qing Qing’ all over the palace walls. When I discovered those love poems hidden within the memorials, she declared with righteous indignation: ‘Achievements must be recorded in history, and deep affection certainly should be too.'”

—

The seventh year of the New Dynasty, and the autumn chill deepened. The phoenix trees in Bianliang began to shed their leaves, scattering golden foliage across the bluestone paths of the palace. On this day, while organizing the memorials from past years, Yan Qing inadvertently discovered a peculiar booklet. It was a copy of memorials that Li Shishi had reviewed, and in the margins of each, tiny characters were hidden.

“Qing Qing is troubled by the disaster victims again today; I wish I could share her worries.”

“Those people in court are truly detestable, daring to question her decisions.”

“Seeing her smile is like seeing the spring mountains.”

Yan Qing flipped through the pages, witnessing the journey from the trepidation of the first year of the New Dynasty to the composure of the present. Li Shishi had used this method to record the years they had journeyed together. What moved her most was a note written in vermilion ink next to a memorial concerning the reform of the Grand Canal transport: “If history is ever written with meticulous detail, I will ensure future generations know that I love her more than I love this vast empire.”

“What are you looking at?” Li Shishi’s voice suddenly came from behind.

Yan Qing hastily closed the booklet, only to be embraced from behind by Li Shishi. Her warm breath brushed against Yan Qing’s ear, “So His Majesty is secretly peeking at my private thoughts.”

“These…” Yan Qing pointed to the characters, “If the historians were to see them…”

“What is there to fear?” Li Shishi chuckled, took the vermilion brush, and wrote next to the latest memorial: “Today she discovered my secret, and the way she blushed was exceedingly charming.”

Before Yan Qing could say anything more, Li Shishi had already swept her up into her arms. “Since His Majesty has leisure today, why not accompany me in doing something else.”

Deep within the imperial bedchamber, there was a peculiar wall. Yan Qing had never noticed it before, but this wall was densely covered with carvings. Examining them by candlelight, Yan Qing saw nothing but the four characters “吾愛青青” (My Love, Qing Qing). Some were neat, some were hasty, some were deep, and some were faint.

“This is…” Yan Qing traced the carvings, her fingertips trembling.

“I carved them every time I missed you,” Li Shishi embraced her from behind. “One for happy moments, one for sad moments, one for moments of missing you.”

She pointed to a barely visible carving at the deepest point: “This was carved the night of the first year of the New Dynasty, when you were besieged by ministers for promoting the Women’s Examination. I carved it that night, watching you sleep, exhausted.”

Then she pointed to a deeply etched carving: “This was carved last year when you caught a cold and had a persistent high fever.”

Only then did Yan Qing realize that every carving on this wall corresponded to a shared moment they had experienced together.

“You always keep everything bottled up inside,” Li Shishi sighed softly. “So I will use this method to record every detail of our lives.”

Just then, an attendant announced from outside: “Your Majesty, the historian requests an audience.”

Li Shishi frowned in displeasure. “Tell him to come back tomorrow.”

“Wait,” Yan Qing adjusted her robes. “Let him in.”

The aged historian entered, holding a historical record. He respectfully presented it: “Your Majesty, this is the chronicle of the seventh year of the New Dynasty. Please review it.”

Yan Qing opened the historical record and saw that the opening lines read: “Empress Yan Qing, who initiated an unprecedented era and established eternal achievements…”

She continued to read. In the chapter detailing Grand Tutor Li Shishi, the historian wrote in veiled language: “The Empress and the Grand Tutor, ruler and minister in harmony, governed the world together…”

“This needs to be changed,” Li Shishi suddenly spoke. She took the vermilion brush, drew a line through the four characters “君臣相得” (ruler and minister in harmony), and wrote next to them: “Deep affection, inseparable bond for a lifetime.”

The historian was greatly alarmed. “Grand Tutor, this… this is not in accordance with propriety!”

“How is it not in accordance?” Li Shishi raised an eyebrow. “Achievements must be recorded in history, and deep affection certainly should be too.”

She looked at Yan Qing, her gaze burning. “I want people a thousand years from now to know that we were not only wise rulers and capable ministers, but also the deepest lovers of each other.”

Yan Qing gazed at her determined eyes and suddenly smiled. She took the vermilion brush and added a sentence to the historical record: “Meeting Shishi is the greatest fortune of my life.”

The historian stared, dumbfounded, at the two women rewriting history. Finally, he sighed and respectfully withdrew.

“Are you satisfied now?” Yan Qing asked.

Li Shishi shook her head. “Not yet.”

She pulled Yan Qing to the window and pointed towards the Imperial Academy. “I want this prosperous era to bear witness to us.”

At this moment, the Imperial Academy was brightly lit, and the faint sound of students reading could be heard. Half of these students were women. They no longer had to be confined to deep courtyards like their predecessors.

“Do you remember our first meeting?” Li Shishi asked softly.

How could she forget? Back then, she was still the “Cold, Enchanting, Arrogant, and Useless” figure on Liangshan Marsh, while Li Shishi was the renowned courtesan of the capital. Who could have imagined they would walk hand in hand to this day?

“Even then, I knew,” Li Shishi continued, “that you were the one I was looking for.”

She suddenly knelt on one knee and took a jade pendant from her sleeve. The pendant was carved with a phoenix in flight, its warm luster shimmering in the candlelight.

“This is?” Yan Qing looked at her in surprise.

“The Phoenix Pendant,” Li Shishi looked up at her, her eyes holding an unprecedented solemnity. “I commissioned the finest craftsman in the land, and it took a full year to carve.”

She tied the Phoenix Pendant to Yan Qing’s waist. “From this day forward, you will rule the empire, and I will protect you. For all eternity, we will never be separated.”

Yan Qing touched the Phoenix Pendant at her waist and suddenly remembered something. “And you?”

Li Shishi smiled slightly and took another jade pendant from her embrace. It was an Azure Luan Pendant, a perfect match for the Phoenix Pendant.

“The Azure Luan and the Fiery Phoenix are destined to be a pair.”

At this moment, Yan Qing suddenly understood. What Li Shishi had always desired was not a title, but to be forever intertwined with her name in the vast tapestry of history.

As night deepened, they lay embraced on the soft couch in the bedchamber. Li Shishi gently stroked Yan Qing’s long hair, saying, “When we are old, I will write all of this down.”

“Write what?”

“Write how we met, how we came to know each other, how we fell in love,” Li Shishi’s tone was filled with longing. “And write how we changed this world.”

Yan Qing nestled into her embrace, finding a more comfortable position. “Then you must write it truthfully.”

“Of course,” Li Shishi chuckled. “For instance, right now, I must write: Qing Qing is particularly docile today, like a content cat.”

“You…” Yan Qing glared at her playfully, but her lips were sealed by a kiss.

The candlelight flickered, casting their silhouettes onto the wall carved with “My Love, Qing Qing.” At this moment, achievements and deep affection could finally coexist openly in the sunlight.

And the historian, holding the amended historical record, stood outside the palace gate for a long time. Finally, he shook his head and chuckled softly. “So be it. Such a love deserves to be remembered by history.”

He dipped his brush and added a line of small characters in a blank space of the historical record: “The Empress and the Grand Tutor, their deep affection a truly timeless tale.”

—

(End of Chapter 44)