Ink Burns

Chapter 281 Good Luck (Part 2)

The small, exquisite carriage was draped with a plain silk curtain. The shimmering light through the curtain revealed the thick twilight being left behind, while Xu Quyan beside him remained calm and composed, his eyes gentle, and a warm, gentle smile always perfectly placed on his lips.

Shui Guang turned her head to examine "Supervisor Fang".

Yes.

Examine.

I looked it over from beginning to end.

Having met this eunuch several times, I only saw him clearly today. He was extremely handsome, with eyebrows and eyes like a landscape meticulously painted on rice paper with very light ink, distant and gentle, like old silk, clinging to the skin without being irritating, only comfortable.

Shuiguang seemed lost in thought.

Xu Quyan felt a little uneasy under the gaze: Had he been exposed?
Xu Quyan subtly glanced at the interior of the carriage. It was made of very understated rosewood, avoiding bright yellow and dragon patterns. However, he could see the clues in the expensive Suzhou-style plain silk curtains.
Xu Quyan cleared his throat, but then heard the little girl beside him draw a circle in the air with her finger with great seriousness and doubt: "...Have all those close to the Sage been selected?"

"Hmm?" Xu Quyan frowned.

"Face?" Her round, watery eyes darted around, revealing nothing but seriousness.

As soon as she finished speaking, Shui Guang denied herself: "No, that's not true either. Just look at how wrinkled Wu Dajian's face is, like a shrunken lotus leaf. You can tell that the current sage is not one to judge people by their appearance."

Wu Dajian followed the carriage not far away, completely unaware that he had become a model of Emperor Yongping's unconventional approach to recruiting talent.

Xu Quyan couldn't help but chuckle and said softly, "The people around the Emperor are naturally carefully selected. They can't be particularly beautiful, because standing next to the Emperor might distract him. They also can't be ugly, because those who are unsightly cannot be near the Emperor, lest they offend his eyes. The best are those who are flat and ordinary, so that they can't be heard in a crowd. That would be the most suitable."

Shui Guang immediately retorted, "Then how did you get chosen? — You're so beautiful."

The little girl's words were as blunt as a club hitting an empty brick, making a "bang bang bang" sound.

Xu Quyan was momentarily at a loss for words: this was the first time in his life that someone had openly praised him to his face. Of course, his ministers often shouted "Your Majesty is wise," but those were all insincere words, and no one had ever truly acknowledged him. His birth mother, Empress Dowager Fang, never gave him a kind look, and his birth father, Emperor Zhaode, never paid him any attention. Emperor Zhaode was busy enough and concerned about his mother's humble origins, so he couldn't spare the time or energy to care about him. Therefore, he never believed that Emperor Zhaode would favor him or pass the throne to him.

His ascension to the throne could only be the result of a power struggle between Jing'an and Empress Ji, a result of weighing the pros and cons.

Emperor Zhaode held on for a long time before his death. He still remembered kneeling in front of his bed and seeing his father, whom he remembered, looking emaciated and with eyes that seemed to be trapped in a deep pit. His father was waiting for Consort Qiao to give birth, waiting for a child he truly loved and recognized. If the child was a boy, Emperor Zhaode would pass the throne to that baby without hesitation.

That baby who couldn't even speak, yet was the sole recipient of his father's love.

Xu Quyan lowered his eyes, and the polite and gentle smile on his lips gradually stiffened in the shadows.

Before half an incense stick's time had passed, the carriage stopped at the east side gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The two entered from a secluded spot. The timing was indeed very precise. Using the towering red-lacquered pillars of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, they avoided the night patrol guards and, led by Xu Quyan, entered the innermost palace of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The palace had a yellow glazed tile roof and nine rooms, with the emperor and empress's spirit tablets arranged according to the "Zhaomu system".

Shui Guang moved nimbly and scanned the memorial tablets and portraits in the hall by the candlelight under the eaves. The whole hall looked like the same old man!
She couldn't tell who Emperor Zhaode was!
Shui Guang turned her head and asked, "Is there that old man Zhao De?"

Xu Quyan's gaze fell on the last of the sixty-four golden nanmu pillars, and he slightly raised his chin: "The deepest part."

Shui Guang immediately turned around and closed the door, then tiptoed to close the window, crouched down, and looked out through the crack in the window frame. The changing guards were already walking away with their swords in hand. Shui Guang quickly jogged inside, turning her head and calling to Xu Quyan in a low voice as she walked: "Hurry up! You just ate ginseng, why do you still look so sickly!"

He ate ginseng, but he didn't turn into ginseng. He couldn't possibly transform overnight into a slender, energetic ginseng doll with a red ribbon tied around its head.
Xu Quyan clutched his chest, quickened his pace, and followed closely behind Shui Guang.

"Shh-"

The sound of shoes scraping against the bluestone bricks.

The water suddenly stopped, and the person stood in front of the portrait of Emperor Zhaode. The old man in the portrait looked like other old men, with thin cheeks, which meant he died young. His hair was a bit gray, so it looked like he had a head of incense ash. His clothes were expensive, but it was unclear what kind of animal skin he was wearing. It didn't look like he was wearing clothes, but rather like an animal skin that had shed itself and attached itself to the old man's body.

Tsk.

It's upsetting to look at.

Shui Guang sat down with his legs crossed, took out a piece of paper from his pocket, read it carefully several times, and only after confirming that he had memorized it correctly did he stand up and tiptoe to bring the corner of the paper close to the candle flame. The flame burned the paper, and it soon turned into a handful of ashes.

Shui Guang took a deep breath, turned around and asked Xu Quyan, "What are your feelings towards this old man Zhaode?"

what?
Xu Quyan was still panting heavily when he heard the question. Fearing he would be exposed, he mumbled a "Hmm?"

“He’s not some enlightened ruler, you can’t be loyal to him too, can you?” Shui Guang tilted her head to look at Xu Quyan’s face: Loyalty doesn’t matter, we have to do it now that he’s here!

"Turn your back!" Shui Guang commanded. "It's not so bad if I don't look!"

Although Xu Quyan did not know what it was about, his body moved away as if on its own.

Without hesitation, Shui Guang immediately climbed up the shrine where incense and candles were offered, using both hands and feet. She stood on tiptoe, one hand gripping the golden nanmu pillar, the other stretching out straight out. Finding her cloth shoes slippery, Shui Guang simply kicked off her shoes and socks, climbing barefoot on the pillar. Like swinging across a pool of water while hanging on vines in the mountains, she tried many times and finally grabbed the scroll of Emperor Zhaode's portrait hanging high on the wall!

The water suddenly ripped open!
The portraits fell to the ground, piling up like stacked scrolls!

There was a "bang"!
Shui Guang jumped down from the pillar, grabbed the portrait, and precisely touched the right hand of the portrait of Zhao De Lao Er hanging down!

"Sizzle—sizzle—rip—hiss—"

It was the sound of silk tearing!

Xu Quyan turned around abruptly and saw that the portrait of Emperor Zhaode had been torn open with a large gash by the incredibly strong little girl!

Regardless of right or wrong, merit or demerit, emperors should all have portraits left to posterity for future generations to admire and judge.

Xu Quyan's pupils widened suddenly, filled with astonishment: "What are you doing—"

Before the words had even finished!

Then a thin, bright yellow silk cloth floated lightly through the gap, twirled a few times in the air, and landed on the ground.

Shui Guang was very nimble. With quick eyes and hands, she bent down and grabbed it. After seeing what was written on the silk, the little girl looked up in a daze, then looked down in a daze again.

Xu Quyan gathered the corner of his clothes and took two steps at a time, walking to Shui Guang's side.

On the silk, from left to right, is a string of extremely elegant and beautiful characters.

"Throughout history, emperors have always prioritized reverence for Heaven and the rites of their ancestors in governing the world. The essence of reverence for Heaven and the rites of their ancestors lies in pacifying distant lands and bringing peace and prosperity to the people. The fourth son of the Prince of Shou, Qu Yan, is of noble character and closely resembles me. He will surely be able to inherit the great lineage. Therefore, he is hereby appointed to succeed me on the throne and ascend the imperial throne."

In accordance with established regulations, the mourning period lasted for twenty-seven days, after which it was lifted. A proclamation was issued both within and outside the capital, so that all may be informed.

November 13th, 31st year of Zhaode

It is the edict of succession left by Emperor Zhaode, and the silk is printed with the imperial seal.

Xu Quyan's fingertips trembled slightly as he stroked the seven short characters: "Quyan, the fourth son of Prince Shou".