Jinting Han people

Chapter 5 Butterflies at the Audition

It was the twelfth lunar month of the previous year, and unlike the unexpected storms of the previous year, the twelfth lunar month of the ninth year of the Taishi era was more peaceful. Not a single cloud could be seen in the sky, and the air was quiet, allowing the winter sun to quietly shimmer across the houses and streets. The shadows of the roadside willow trees were picturesque, and only the faint ripples of the flowing water in the streets could be seen, making the Anle Mansion seem particularly peaceful.

Because the three-year mourning period was over, the mansion began to decorate with lights and colors again.

A dozen gauze lanterns, embroidered with beautiful designs resembling clouds and waves, were hung on the eaves to either side of the mansion's gate. These were all hand-sewn by Madam Zhang Ximiao. When the lanterns were lit inside, they cast a hazy glow, evoking a feeling of intoxication. When they were first hung, everyone in the mansion was filled with praise, saying that no one in the capital was more ingenious than their madam.

When the news reached the neighboring residence of Zhang Hua, the Minister of State for Central Affairs, his wife, Liu, was very dissatisfied and went to the then Empress Yang to ask for twenty imperial lanterns to decorate their front door. The exquisite workmanship and gorgeous embroidery of these lanterns naturally made them incomparable to the Anle Mansion. Seeing this, other high-ranking officials also followed suit, and every household displayed gauze lanterns on their gates to show off their wealth. As a result, the Anle Mansion, the first to hang lanterns, seemed a little plain and simple.

But in Ximiao's opinion, it didn't matter. Firstly, as long as the life was carefully prepared by herself, she could be happy no matter how simple it was. Second, the test of Xiao Biji would come soon.

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, infant life rituals were not as rich and varied as they would be in later times. Ceremonies for specific milestones, such as the third day of the lunar calendar, the third lunar month, the full moon, and the hundredth day, had not yet taken shape. However, the infant anniversary ceremony, known today as "grabbing the week" (zhua zhou), then called "testing the child," began during this period.

People at the time believed that a person's fate depended on divine protection, but it also couldn't be determined solely by luck. Throughout history, Duke Huan of Qi was undoubtedly the most blessed monarch, able to meet wise ministers like Bao Shuya and Guan Zhong, unite the feudal states, and achieve hegemony. Yet, even with such good fortune, he ultimately died trapped behind high walls, alone in old age, a consequence of his inherent limitations.

Therefore, people pay special attention to the quality of the person himself.

When a baby turns one year old, parents and relatives will place all kinds of silks and treasures next to the baby and let the baby choose from them, hoping to see the baby's greed, integrity, stupidity, intelligence and plan a suitable future life for him or her.

Of course, whether contemporary or later, the "Zhuazhou" ceremony has always been a formality. At the "test child" ceremony, guests offer their best wishes for whatever the child grasps, and the host then sets out a feast for the guests. But for Zhang Ximiao, or rather, for her mother, anything related to the child filled her with anxiety. For a month before her son's birthday, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, constantly pondering what to prepare for the ceremony and anticipating what gifts the guests would give him.

This is not to say that she is afraid that the child will not be successful, but she is afraid that she has not done her best for the child, and will regret it many years later.

Fortunately, she was a lovable woman. Except for her husband, everyone in the mansion knew her thoughts and wanted to satisfy her request as much as possible.

On the day of the trial, the weather was beautiful, the sun so bright that even shadows were clear. The gates of the mansion were flung open early, revealing the well-sweeped hallway and the vibrant plum blossoms. The servants lit incense in copper censers, attempting to make the occasion more formal and grand.

As host, Duke Anle Liu Xun and his brothers came out to greet the guests. Following etiquette, they invited their former ministers, current dignitaries, and even informed the current emperor. However, Liu Xun's popularity was evidently lacking; the emperor did not respond, and the neighboring dukes also failed to return the invitation. Only his former ministers, out of respect for their friendship, arrived to offer their congratulations. Even so, the arrival of the guests, accompanied by their families, expressed their closeness, bringing a long-awaited sense of bustle to the Duke Anle's residence.

"I can't believe it! After two years away, there's already a son in the mansion. The late master's bloodline has another successor!"

This is Zong Ming, the son of Zong Yu, the former General of the Shu Han Army.

"If you don't mind, my lord, you can hand the young master over to me. I will teach him the skills of archery, lance, horse riding, and archery. I guarantee that he will become a dignified warrior who stands tall and proud!"

This is Zhang Tong, the former palace governor who accompanied the old Duke Anle to Luoyang when the Shu Han Dynasty was destroyed.

"My lord and his wife, are you all well? Time flies. The old lord has passed away, but the young master is now one year old. If possible, I really want to watch him grow up."

This is Deng Liang, the son of Deng Zhi, the former General of Chariots and Cavalry of Shu Han, who is about to take office as the prefect of Guanghan.

Besides these, there are many others, though of varying ages and habits, who are undoubtedly descendants of the founding fathers of Shu Han. However, after the fall of Shu Han, these people, like many descendants of slaves, have been gradually forgotten by the world, and in the near future, they too will be lost in the dust of history.

But this is a long process, so long that they themselves are unaware of it. They only feel that they are happy now.

While these people were nominally guests, to the Anle Mansion, they were more like family reunited after a long separation. Though there were many complaints when they first met, they vanished upon their arrival. Liu Xun and the others, meeting at the gate, were unwittingly swept up in the lively atmosphere, welcoming the guests into the mansion with laughter and conversation. Xi Miao, busy in the hall, felt a sense of satisfaction simply listening to their conversation. She understood everyone's earnest wishes and was confident that today would be a successful day.

So when Fei Xiu came in carrying the child, Zhang Ximiao couldn't help but scratch his nose and said to him with a smile, "Little Biji, do you know how much love and care you have?"

Bi Ji answered with a look of ignorant curiosity. At one year old, he had grown a thin layer of hair, but it could not cover his high forehead and his pair of black eyes that seemed to be shining.

Every time he saw these eyes, Ximiao would calm down his emotions. Even if Biji didn't make any sound and just stretched out his small fingers and waved them in the air, Ximiao would still feel calm.

She placed her palm against the child's and said to Fei Xiu with a smile, "Sister, Bi Ji can't wait!"

"What can a one-year-old understand?" Fei Xiu disagreed with Xi Miao's opinion, but she was doting on Bi Ji from another perspective: "He hasn't even learned to walk yet. I hope he doesn't get into any accidents and fall down."

"With so many people watching, how could anything go wrong?"

Just as the two women were discussing the child, the noise in the doorway suddenly died down, as if a large basin of snow water had been poured down, dousing the fire until only sparks were left.

What happened? Xi Miao went out to see what was going on, and found out that a distinguished guest had come, and an unexpected one.

The arrival of Zhang Hua, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, was unexpected. He was a renowned scholar in the capital, universally recognized as a capable assistant to the emperor, a leading figure in the literary world, and a highly sought-after newcomer at court. Trusted by the emperor and frequently summoned to the palace for official duties, Zhang Hua was even dubbed the "modern Zhuge Liang." Later generations would have suspected that such a prominent figure, so closely tied to the Western Jin court, would have had nothing to do with the declining Anle Mansion.

But in reality, Zhang Hua lived closer to Anle Mansion than anyone else. As mentioned earlier, they were neighbors, their two residences separated by only a wall, so much so that in the evenings when the moon was bright, Xi Miao could often hear Zhang Hua playing the qin.

Zhang Hua's zither music is crisp and lingering, like the sound of flowing water under a small bridge or the cry of mandarin ducks. It has a charming charm, like a woman's, and one might mistake him for a hermit like the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. However, he is actually a typical Confucian scholar.

When Zhang Hua stepped down from the carriage to greet him, he was wearing a white silk hat, a blue gauze robe, and a mink coat to protect him from the cold. He was meticulously groomed, and a faint scent of incense could be smelled. At first glance, one could tell he was a scholar with a keen eye for detail and etiquette.

As soon as he got off the car, Zhang Hua's eyes were still looking back and forth, but the corners of his mouth had already curled up, forming a smile that looked like a mockery.

"Oh, Lord Anle, I heard that your family is having a wedding banquet today. As a close neighbor, I can't miss it!"

This familiar remark was quite abrupt. Although the two families had been neighbors for the past few years, apart from polite greetings during festivals, they had never established a close relationship, let alone a proper banquet. Liu Xun didn't even know how many wives, concubines, or servants Zhang Hua had.

But Zhang Hua was the current emperor's confidant after all. Even though Liu Xun's title was far higher than Zhang Hua's, he could only respond with a smile at this moment, but he hesitated for a while and didn't know what to say.

Zhang Hua saw that An Le Gong's face was still full of embarrassment and teased him:

"Adding a table and a feast for me won't be a bother to Lord Anle, will it?"

Liu Xun finally woke up from his dream and replied:
"No, no! It is truly an honor for the Minister of the Central Secretariat to visit my humble abode."

The words were true, but the tone was insincere. However, sincerity is a quality that the world does not need. If people can use hypocrisy to cover up some minor unpleasantness between each other, then at least they can avoid some major unpleasantness.

The situation was handled in this way. When Zhang Hua arrived, it was almost noon. Everyone who was supposed to come had arrived, and the table in the main hall had been set up. There were about two hundred people sitting there, which was quite crowded. It looked like rows of rice seedlings in a spring field.

The place was originally bustling with activity. Everyone had grown up together in Chengdu, and seeing each other again, there was no end to the stories and conversations they had shared. However, with the arrival of Zhang Hua, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly dropped. Many who had been laughing heartily suddenly became as if their necks were being held shut, and they could only whisper.

Even Xi Miao, who was in the kitchen, could smell this strange smell. It was familiar yet strange to her: it was the smell of power, the smell of the emperor. It also gave her a bad premonition, because the emergence of power is often accompanied by destruction and pain.

As expected, Zhang Hua found a seat near the front and took a seat. He then pulled out a small box from his pocket. He looked around, carefully sizing up the people at the banquet, his smile remaining unchanged. He said in a very casual tone, "Duke Anle, this is a gift that His Majesty asked me to give to you after hearing that the young master had turned one."

"Your Majesty is so gracious, I am terrified!"

Liu Xun was shocked when he heard this, and immediately knelt down on the ground. Then he raised his hands high above his head and carefully took the lacquer box from Zhang Hua's hand.

Inside the lacquer box is a pair of huge East China Sea pearls, almost the size of walnuts. They can be said to be rare treasures that are currently in short supply.

But Liu Xun didn't feel honored. The moment he knelt, he regretted it. Everyone around him was watching, including the old officials in Chengdu. And he knelt so simply. As a descendant of the previous lord, he didn't even kneel before the current emperor, but merely responded to the pair of pearls bestowed upon him by the emperor! This wasn't a great favor, it was simply a disgrace! A feverish embarrassment washed over him, so much so that Liu Xun thought he heard a sneer, but when he looked up, he saw only pitying glances. These glances nearly drove him mad, and he wanted to throw the pearls in the dust at his feet.

But he didn't dare to do so. When Liu Xun stood up, he had to ask Zhang Hua cautiously:

"Your Majesty, do you have any other instructions?"

Zhang Hua was surprised when he heard this and asked:
"Today is the Duke's wedding banquet. Does His Majesty have any instructions?"

He then pointed at himself with an embarrassed look, and sighed in a light tone:

"His Majesty simply complained to me that he had been so busy with official duties recently that he was unable to congratulate us in person, which was a great pity. Therefore, he hoped that when he came down, he would convey his wishes to the Duke of Anle and return the joy of the banquet to him."

"I came here today and saw how bustling the Duke's Mansion is. If I report this to His Majesty, I'm sure he will be very happy."

As soon as the words were spoken, the hall fell into almost complete silence.

The words just spoken apparently expressed the emperor's concern for the Anle Mansion, but anyone with a little experience could hear that it was a warning to everyone present.

To the emperor, Duke Anle should be a puppet living in the palace. Although he is still a puppet now, it is better to be a puppet hidden in the closet covered with dust.

But now the congratulations from these former ministers of Shu Han are obviously not in line with the emperor's wishes.

Everyone knew this, but they had come with a sense of hope: first, hope that the emperor no longer valued the new Anle Duke, and second, hope that their own status was too low to attract attention. But Zhang Hua's arrival shattered this hope, and for a moment, everyone at the banquet was somewhat submissive and uneasy.

Liu Yao, who was standing by, had already noticed the embarrassment of the crowd. He quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, pretending to be confused in front of Zhang Hua while trying to appease the old officials and get them to sit down.
"The Minister of the Central Secretariat reported to Your Majesty, Your Majesty is so kind, and we are truly moved. We wish we could die for Your Majesty. I'm sure you all feel the same way!"

"It's time now, why are you all standing here? Xi Miao, bring Bi Ji out, it's time to begin!"

Even though Liu Yao had done her best to lighten the mood, and everyone else was trying their best to cooperate, the atmosphere of joy couldn't be forced. Sometimes, a forced smile could only make people sadder.

This was the mood Zhang Ximiao had when he entered the hall holding Bi Ji.

Xi Miao just wanted her child to receive sincere blessings from others, but she unexpectedly embarrassed others and herself. She had seen the embarrassment on her husband's face when he knelt down just now, and she felt humiliated. Thinking that the child in her arms would also inherit this humiliating situation, she felt even more confused.

The table for the "Zhuazhou" ceremony, held for the warding off illness, had been set up by the window. It was filled with various items, including a bamboo horse, Buddhist scriptures, and an inkstone. These symbolized the warding off illness's future destiny; each item the child grasped represented a connection to that destiny. In the past, Xi Miao had often imagined her child becoming a scholar or a warrior, but now, looking back, she suddenly felt how weak and ridiculous her ideas were. Under the shadow of the emperor's power, perhaps it didn't matter what she aspired to be, because someone else always controlled her fate.

This thought made her angry and sad. She didn't want to understand this fate. Especially when the child was just one year old, but as a woman, when her husband was powerless, what could she do? She just hoped that the child would not be affected by this oppressive atmosphere and would not become miserable.

Fortunately, Bi Ji couldn't read the atmosphere yet. When he was placed on the table, everyone's attention was focused on him, but he didn't feel nervous. Instead, he sat down on the table curiously and looked at everyone who came one by one.

Zhang Hua casually appraised the Anle Master. For him, the purpose of this trip had been achieved. While this reprimand was demeaning to his reputation as a distinguished scholar, as the current emperor's confidant, he had to share the emperor's concerns and anxieties. But in reality, in Zhang Hua's eyes, these people at the banquet couldn't cause any trouble and weren't worth his attention.

Just like the Anle brothers just now, although they tried their best to conceal their emotions, their joy and anger were inevitably revealed in their words. There was no trace of the sophistication and style of the former Lord Liu Bei. Such people are not a threat even if they hold high positions.

What about this child?

When Xiao Biji looked at him, this thought popped into Zhang Hua's mind, and he burst out laughing.

Maybe this is a smart boy, but a young master Anle born in Luoyang will eventually become a real young master Anle.

At this point, little Piji couldn't read other people's gazes. He simply clenched his tiny fists, leaving a small dent on the back of his hands. He would occasionally look up at the sky, then at the crowd around him, then back at Ximiao's ears. His eyes shifted constantly, and every time he looked up, he'd furrow his brow in a serious frown, all of which revealed the child's natural innocence and cunning.

But in the end, he was completely motionless. Half a moment had passed while he just stared at everyone, paying no attention to the objects on the table. Finally, he opened his hands and babbled to Xi Miao, "Mom! Mom!"

Xi Miao hurried forward and hugged him. Could it be that the child was hungry? But Bi Ji did not cry at all. He opened his arms and pointed at the air, and continued in his unique baby voice: "Mom! Mom!"

Zhang Hua, who was standing by, couldn't help but jokingly observed, "Young Master, you're so arrogant that you don't even care about anything on the table!"

Liu Xun remained silent at the side, and Liu Yao quickly responded, "Children are ignorant, how can they have such ambition? Xi Miao, put it down quickly and let the child choose one."

Zhang Ximiao suppressed her discontent. She knew her brother was right, but she couldn't help but feel a pang of blame: How could a relative have such power over a child's fate? But she could only put the Biji down. Then, she patted the child on the back and pointed to the items on the table.

Bi Ji looked at the table, then at Xi Miao, and finally, shakily, stood up. His face was filled with a blank smile, his hands waving casually in the air, and his trembling legs began to rise and fall as he walked forward. What would he choose?

Everyone followed the child's footsteps, but they were inevitably surprised to find that although the little boy stumbled, he passed by the bamboo horse, paper and inkstone and other items prepared in advance without curiosity or nostalgia, and then leaned against the windowsill in the sunlight with a "thump", grabbed the window sill with both hands, and stuck his head out to look at the sky.

Seeing this, the old ministers beside him felt even more gloomy. Right now, the young master probably didn't yet have a concept of freedom or meaning in his mind. He simply surveyed the world with curiosity. Even after living in the mansion for a year, he hadn't yet grown tired of it. But what about when he grew up? Would he be able to accept a life of house arrest in a small room?

Xi Miao's heart was already unbearable. She wanted to put an end to this situation, so she stepped forward, bowed to everyone, and said hastily: "My child is useless, I am sorry to have embarrassed you all. It's getting late, let's eat early!"

After saying that, she lowered her head to pick up Bi Ji, turned around and wanted to leave in a hurry.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Master Anle in his arms suddenly giggled, patted his mother's chest with one hand, and raised the other hand high, revealing a golden and black butterfly at his fingertips!

This scene was so abrupt that many people couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah!" How could there be butterflies in winter? How could a butterfly land on a young man's hand? Even Xi Miao, who was standing nearby, was surprised.

Perhaps this is a special butterfly, or perhaps the warmth of the winter sun made the butterfly mistakenly identify the season, but this butterfly was indeed standing on the back of Bi Ji's finger, its childlike wings slightly opening and closing.

Xiao Biji widened his eyes and stared at the butterfly's wings curiously. He gently raised the fingers of his other hand and poked it twice. The butterfly's dust made him itchy, and he couldn't help sneezing, followed by a smug smile.

The laughter startled a butterfly, sending it fluttering into the air. Like a floating yellow flower, carrying the fragrance and warmth of spring, it flew over the beams, over the eaves, over the faces of the people sitting around, and then disappeared into the sunlight outside the courtyard.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, as if they were in a dream. After a long while, Zhang Tong suddenly said:
"You are so lucky, sir!"

The old ministers all echoed the sentiment. They were all moved by what they had just seen, but it was difficult for them to express their joy. So they said to each other: How could the young master not be blessed to be born in a Anle family?
Zhang Hua, meanwhile, twirled his beard and bowed his head, his expression grave, his emotions unremarkable. He pondered slowly: Is this an omen? Or a coincidence? How should I repay the Emperor?

Zhang Ximiao didn't know what the others were thinking, nor did she want to know. Her previously empty heart was now filled with the child's smile. She held the child close again. The scene reminded her of the dream she'd had during childbirth, and the voice calling from somewhere. A premonition suddenly emerged: perhaps, no matter what difficulties this child faced, they could face them with a smile. Perhaps this was just self-consolation, but at least she had a reason to remember this day in the future.

But Biji in his mother's arms didn't know what his mother was thinking. After the butterfly flew away, he soon felt drowsy from his mother's warmth and began to yawn. In his drowsiness, Biji once again heard his uncle and mother talking. One of them said:

"I originally planned to name him Liu Yi, but considering what I've seen today, I think we might as well change it to Liu Xian."

Bi Ji didn't understand this sentence, nor did he remember what happened today. Soon, he fell asleep.

There, he holds green leaves and fans sparks with butterflies.

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(End of this chapter)