Chinese New Year

Chapter 1393 Let's Walk Together
Similar to the death of the retired empress, the funeral arrangements for the retired emperor were led by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, with assistance from multiple departments such as the Court of State Ceremonies and the Court of Imperial Banquets.

Shao Xun would light the lamps every morning and evening, sit silently beside the coffin for a while, and then go to the Guanfeng Hall to rest.

Empress Yu Wenjun also moved here to take care of the men's daily lives.

At that moment, Shao Xun was sitting by the window reading a book, while Yu Wenjun was personally tidying up the mourning clothes, memorials, books and other miscellaneous items.

She was like a hardworking little bee, doing everything herself without asking any palace servants for help.

While tidying up, she said, "Ayan has really grown up. He has been very well-behaved these past few days. Today he even said he would go to the vegetable patch to pick out the vegetables that his father likes to eat, and bring them over tonight after he has cooked them."

Shao Xun put down his book, put his hands behind his head, leaned back on the folding chair, and closed his eyes to doze off.

The red flowers outside the window had faded, and the bleakness of late autumn was palpable. After hearing Yu Wenjun's words, Shao Xun unconsciously imagined five-year-old Ayan picking vegetables in the vegetable patch, and suddenly this late autumn didn't seem so cold anymore.

“Huiwan came this morning.” Yu Wenjun added, “She went to pay respects to her grandfather alone, and the people from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices avoided her. She brought some new rice from Guangchengze and said she wanted to cook some porridge for you.”

Shao Xun's eyelids twitched, and he opened them.

Sima Xiuyi had been dead for more than three years, and Huiwan had been living in Suyu Palace for more than two years to observe mourning for her mother.

She had only been in mourning for a few months when Wang Yan passed away, so she continued to observe mourning for her uncle at Suyu Palace. Not long after the mourning period ended, her actual grandfather also passed away...

After reflecting on these events, Shao Xun sighed.

The children still need him, so he has to keep going no matter how tired he is. Moreover, this feeling of being needed gives him a sense of fulfillment, as if he has some kind of mission.

There were footsteps outside the door.

Shao Xun looked in the direction of the sound and saw Pei Lingyan and the others coming over, with Wang Jingfeng even carrying a food box.

"Knowing you're tired, Jingfeng specially cooked some rice porridge." Pei Lingyan first bowed to the Empress, then sat down next to Shao Xun and gently took his hand.

Wang Jingfeng's expression was somewhat strange, a mixture of displeasure and heartache. In the end, he still stepped forward and said, "Eat it while it's hot."

Shao Xun sat up straight and said, "What you make must be delicious."

In fact, Wang Jingfeng isn't very good at cooking, and hasn't cooked for many years. She's a very lazy person who hates trouble, but that only makes her thoughtfulness all the more precious.

Yu Wenjun felt a pang of sadness.

However, she was already used to these things, and besides, she had a good relationship with Wang Jingfeng, so she silently stepped aside, like a submissive wife rather than the mistress of the harem.

The porridge wasn't much, but it was still warm. Shao Xun picked up the bowl and ate, finding the rice smooth and delicious. He finished it quickly.

The female official stepped forward and took away the bowls and chopsticks.

Liu Xiaohe opened the porcelain tea caddy she had brought and brewed tea with Pei Lingyan.

Yang Xianrong, observing Shao Xun's expression, noticed that his complexion had improved considerably. She quietly stepped forward and massaged his shoulders, then whispered in his ear, "You used to coax us, but today we're all coaxing you. Look at yourself, how many women have you seduced? When they hear the news, all they think about is you."

"You'll have to coax me from now on," Shao Xun said.

"You're dreaming," Yang Xianrong said softly. "Being in mourning for my father, I cannot enter the inner room. You'll have to spend tomorrow alone."

Pei Lingyan gave Yang Xianrong a reproachful look.

Yang Xianrong was not afraid of her, but she didn't say anything more.

Shao Xun grasped Yang Xianrong's hand with his other hand, feeling that his life's efforts had not been in vain, and that so many people still cared about him in the end. It felt really good.

At the same time, there was a faint sigh. After all, I'm getting old. I didn't have these feelings when I was young. The days of being arrogant, cool, and domineering are gone forever.

However—this seems like a good idea.

******
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Emperor Emeritus's coffin was placed in a side hall of the Xianju Palace, awaiting burial several months later.

Within seven days, the Crown Prince's reputation for benevolence and filial piety spread far and wide, as he wept bitterly before the coffin every day and fainted several times.

After Shao Xun comforted him, the Crown Prince calmed down a bit and felt much better.

On the first day of the eleventh month, Shao Xun was already presiding over the grand court assembly in the Guanfeng Hall.

The emperor observes mourning for his father in days instead of months, and in times of emergency, he may even exercise expediency and disregard elaborate rituals. However, now that the world is at peace, there is no need to actively break these rites and regulations.

Shao Xun's attendance at the court assembly in plain clothes signified that state affairs would not be neglected. As for whether he would remain loyal or not, that was up to his conscience; the court officials, after all, could do nothing about him, the founding emperor.

When not handling state affairs, Shao Xun would sometimes come to Cuiwei Hall, and today was no exception.

When Nian Liu returned from Yinshan in mid-September, his demeanor was even more composed, which pleased Shao Xun greatly.

“Grandfather is gone, but he wouldn’t want to see his grandchildren wallowing in grief,” Shao Xun said. “Let’s leave it for this year. Next spring, Grandfather will establish a new prefecture. You can take on the position of prefect and hone your skills.”

"Which prefecture does Your Majesty wish to establish?" Shao Xu asked.

"Yanchuan Prefecture is established at the northern foot of Hengshan Mountain, governing Baichi and Changze counties," Shao Xun said. "Shuozhou is formed by the seven prefectures of Dingxiang, Wuyuan, Shuofang, Hexi, Xinqin, Diaoyin, and Yanchuan, which is where you will take up your post."

"I see." Shao Xu nodded and asked, "Where is the administrative center located?"

"Where do you want to govern?" "I've heard that the Hexi Corridor is rich in water and grass, with plenty of fertile land. It seems like that would be a good place to govern. Heading southwest, there are the pastures of the Xiutu Hu and Qifu Xianbei. After crossing the river, there are the pastures of the Lushui Hu Juqu clan. It's not far from Wuwei."

“We must be careful, this place is surrounded by barbarian tribes,” Shao Xun said.

"Yes, I will be careful," Shao Xu replied.

Pei Lingyan brought tea to the father and son, but did not say anything.

While drinking tea, Shao Xun glanced at Pei Lingyan out of the corner of his eye, but there was nothing unusual on her face, so he had no choice but to give up.

Nianliu was born during the height of their love. At that time, he had won the Battle of Gaoping, the hearts of the people of Henan were with him, and no one could shake his position. He had returned to his wife and was reluctant to give up the joy of every night.

Hua Nu soon became pregnant and gave birth to Nian Liu, who is now twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

Their first child always carries a special significance.

He never explicitly said he wanted to bestow a title upon Nian Liu, but his actions couldn't be kept secret. He had hinted at it more than once, but Hua Nu hadn't reacted and pretended not to know, which made Shao Xun feel uneasy.

He thought about it and realized that he could only try his best to create better conditions for Nianliu and resolve any potential dissatisfaction through practical actions.

There are some things he doesn't want to bring up now. He'll wait a little longer, hone Nianliu's skills further, prepare more resources, soldiers, and craftsmen for him, do everything he can, and even create conditions to do things he can't, before finally revealing his true intentions.

"Your grandfather has passed away, so please be careful." Shao Xun added, "You now have one concubine and three wives, so you should be patient and wait until the mourning period is over before entering the inner chambers."

"Okay," Shao Xu readily agreed.

He already had a concubine, Lady Shen, with whom he had a son and a daughter. Last year, he took Lady Murong as his wife, who is already pregnant and will give birth around the first month of next year. Recently, his father also found two women for him, Lady Xue and Lady Yin, but he has not yet had any contact with them.

He wasn't particularly interested in women; he didn't have a strong desire for them. If he didn't go into the inner chambers, he would have more time to review the Kharosthi and Sufi languages ​​he had just learned, making himself more proficient in these two languages.

The enfeoffment to the Western Regions was a foregone conclusion; there was no need to deceive ourselves.

Kharosthi script became popular in many countries in the Western Regions starting from the Later Han Dynasty. It is best to master it yourself and not have it translated by others.

He even imagined pretending he didn't understand Kharosthi and then observing how the officials acted, which would be quite amusing.

Sogdian (Sogdian language) is popular among merchants and travelers, and it is also used in some city-states. Commerce is of utmost importance, and he mastered this language very early on, so he was already able to communicate fluently with Sogdian merchants.

It's always better to make some preparations in advance.

******
After having lunch at Cuiwei Hall, Nianliu left and returned to his Zhao Prince's Mansion, where he closed his doors to visitors.

Shao Xun, Pei Lingyan, and Liu Xiaohe strolled along the bamboo grove behind the hall, savoring the tranquil moment.

The three of them didn't say much, only exchanging glances and gestures, but a warm feeling lingered around them.

After walking around once, Shao Xun gently draped a fake clock over Liu Xiaohe's shoulders.

She had given birth to one son and two daughters for Shao Xun, but the son died young, leaving only the two daughters, Shao Fu and Shao Shu.

In June, Sima Wenyi, the military commander of Bianliang, married Princess Shao Shu of Yidu.

With this, Liu Xiaohe seemed to have fulfilled her last wish, and her life was complete.

However, her energy and spirit declined at a visible rate, but she seemed indifferent or unconcerned.

"You'll be going back to Luoyang next year, right?" Liu Xiaohe suddenly asked.

"Yes." Shao Xun nodded.

This matter is not a secret. Daliang has two capitals, but Luoyang has a greater symbolic significance. Bianliang is merely a transportation hub, facilitating communication with various places and the transfer of supplies. Now that the war is over, and after living in Bianliang for several years, it is time to go back. People of a certain rank know about this matter.

“I want to go to Mount Luhun to take a look,” Liu Xiaohe said. “Xunniang must be very lonely buried there. Before the world fell into chaos, we often traveled around Luoyang, and we couldn’t live without each other.”

After saying that, a slight smile appeared on her face, and she said, "Xunniang used to love reading, but it was all poems about palace grievances. She was actually a woman who longed for someone to care for her and pamper her, but as the mistress of the Fanyang Prince's Mansion, she couldn't show this side of herself to others, until you pried her open with brute force."

"How many things did you say in private that I don't know about?" Shao Xun asked.

Liu Xiaohe smiled faintly and said, "Many, many... I will take some books to Luhun Mountain to visit Xunniang. She will like them. I will also tell her about what has happened in the past three years. She wasn't very interested before, but now she will probably want to hear news about you."

Shao Xun stared blankly at Liu Xiaohe.

Liu Xiaohe gently tiptoed, cupped Shao Xun's face in her hands, and said, "I'm not crazy. I'm so grateful for the peace and stability I have in this life."

Upon hearing this, Pei Lingyan looked somewhat bewildered.

Shao Xun gently took her arm, and the three of them continued walking forward.

Pei Lingyan came to her senses.

Even as the people around her left one by one, even as she grew old and faded, at least he still held her hand and walked forward together.

This is life.

(End of this chapter)