Mo Flower

Chapter 3

The scene from the past turned back to the present.

The Emperor decreed an edict, Li Cong Qing was assigned to do the Imperial Inspection, would travel to Chunan and Erhe Province to inspect. To directly check the people's condition as well as to listen to the voice of the people.

Many of the officials thought, The Emperor most probably was unable to endure this eat-for-free worm anymore, using this inspecting reason to kick him out. However, several high officials who happened to see Li Cong Qing in the Imperial Study that day had a different kind of opinion. Until now, they still had to resist with great difficulty, didn't dare to share with other people about this couldn't be told secret, they almost exploded from holding back.

For the court to dispatch an Imperial Inspection was something common, to represent the Emperor who couldn't often travel on a long journey to inspect the world. However, this time was rather special because The Emperor ordered Wei Xiao Miao to travel together with the representative.

Wei Xiao Miao since childhood had been chosen to be Third Prince's, ---currently The Emperor, personal attendant. The whole education and training he had to undergo was definitely different than with other Palace's attendants. Naturally, his status was not the same. Moreover, he was growing up together with the Emperor, it could even be said that they were inseparable body and shadow, always together.

He was not a mere personal attendant of the Emperor. He was also the Chief of the Palace's Internal Affairs. He held the highest position in the inner palace as a third rank level official. Although his rank was lower compared to the other high officials, and he was an eunuch, however, in the Inner Palace he had the control over essential authority. In the Imperial Court, more or less, he also had an influence. Most of the higher officials respected him to some extent.

Such an important attendant of the Emperor was given to Li Cong Qing to go along with him, of course it would lead to another theory. The one who was truly dispatched for the Imperial Inspection was actually Wei Xiao Miao. Li Cong Qing was a mere paper tiger1 to be used for outward appearance.

Indeed, it was the truth. Li Cong Qing was taking this task as to visit various scenic spots. All the relevance affairs were taken care of by Wei Xiao Miao. He was only in charge of sitting in the horse carriage and having fun in wherever place they arrived. Just barely having some respect, he was a rather irresponsible person, he only cared to lay idly and live leisurely, just the same as having nothing but this willful thinking.

The Emperor connived in his willful thinking to live comfortably as he pleased in accordance to his temper. But this time, to allow him to leave his side for this long, he couldn't help but have this reluctant to part with him feeling.

This time, the departure of the Imperial Inspection from the Capital was also not the same from how it used to be. Before, The Imperial Inspector, after the courtesy from receiving the Imperial Edict, would select the date of departure on one's accord. But to unexpectedly have the Emperor to see him off from the Capital until the Capital's outskirt personally, before Li Cong Qing left, The Emperor even entered the horse carriage to be alone with him. [To have a secret talk!]

Ehem, this [secret talk] was not the kind of prohibited for viewers under eighteen's vivid show that the adult readers expected. That kind of limited affairs had been performed coarsely and wildly three days ago. It was unnecessary to do it one more time in the horse carriage. Too tiresome!

"Truly unwilling to let you go to that faraway place." Song Yu was holding him in his arms, kissing him with his reluctant to part feeling.

"Then just don't assign me to go." Li Cong Qing disapprovingly said while yawning exhaustedly.

Because he was about to leave soon, the Emperor was half forcing him to stay overnight in the Imperial Palace. Spending the spring night* passionately three times in a row indeed exhausted him. Last night he was letting him having his way, to the point where the Emperor wouldn't let him off before early in the morning. Fortunately, because of the preparation for the Imperial Inspection, he wouldn't have to attend the morning court, so he could have his hard earned luxury of sleeping until late in the morning and to be up later than usual. He didn't need to suffer the drag and pull by Zhougong [2] in the Grand Audience Hall.

To speak the truth, he was not keen at all to go to the place where 'Heaven is high and The Emperor is far away'[3]. On one side, he had to suffer the travel-worn, on the other side, he had to part too far with his lover the Emperor. Despite he never said it out loud, from the bottom of his heart, he was also very much reluctant to part with Song Yu. After all, he had become accustomed in indulging himself in each other's company. Suddenly had to separate to go on a long journey, he really couldn't get used to it.

"There is some matter that you of course will understand." Song Yu as if had a profound meaning behind his words.

"Your Majesty has confused this humble subject."

"Cong Qing, I want you to firmly remember one thing."

"What is that?"

"Whatever might happen, I will always be here to wait for you."

"I will be back as soon as possible." Li Cong Qing was a little confused and couldn't comprehend his words, but didn't ask further.

"No need to rush. Just come back when you feel like it." Song Yu gazed at him meaningfully. "However, don't let me wait for too long, there will be a day when my patience inevitably will be used up."

"Your Majesty..." Li Cong Qing had the feeling even more that he wasn't like his normal self. Every word that he said seemed to drop a hint. What was he hinting at?

"Now go. Be careful on your way. Take good care of yourself. Don't let me feel anxious. Understand?"

"Mm, I know."

Both of them stepped down from the horse carriage together. Li Cong Qing once again paid his courtesy to the Emperor with a bow while clasping his hands in front of his chest as a farewell salute. Then slowly disappeared from the Emperor's line of sight. But, the several high officials who were accompanying the Emperor to see him off had gone crazy from their own wild disordered imaginations. Really wanted to shout to the heaven, ---The Emperor and the Ministry of Rites Assistant must have some kind of (affairs[4]) AAAAA.......... ---

The Imperial Inspection's group traveled with little luggage and few attendants, all together the group was made up of fourteen. Besides Li Cong Qing and Wei Xiao Miao, there were still two officials who followed them on this trip, four bodyguards on horses, three attendants, and three cart drivers ; The four bodyguards on horses were guarding them by lining up in the front, back, left, and right. The other passengers were divided to the three carriages.

Li Cong Qing and Wei Xiao Miao were together in a carriage. Their carriage's floor was paved by a layer of thick but soft carpet. To provide them an extensive comfort. The small table by the side was pinned with a piece of thin metal, to make the magnetic tea set stay safely set on the table.

"Xiao Miao, you already know, me, regarding other people's affairs I usually don't like to pry. However, this time I couldn't not ask. Why is it His Majesty wanted you to accompany me on this trip?" Li Cong Qing suddenly asked with an indifferent tone.

"His Majesty wanted his subject to serve Sir Li."

"It must be more than that."

Although this Sir Li ordinarily was careless and absent-minded in appearance, there would be times when he surprised people with his keen observation. Wei Xiao Miao couldn't help but become speechless, he didn't know what he should say, regarding the Seventh Prince's matter...

"Chunan...I have never been there before, I wonder what kind of place would it look like?" Li Cong Qing listlessly propped up his chin while speaking. "The Seventh Prince, three years ago, pleaded to be sent to Chunan. At that time, many people were extremely shocked. Why would a Prince go to a place where 'birds don't defecate and hens don't lay eggs?[5] It was practically asking for banishment on his own accord."

Wei Xiao Miao remained silent.

"Forget it, in any case, i will never understand these people of royal family's way of thinking. It is better if I take my sleep." Li Cong Qing made another big yawn, inclining his body to recline, to catch up on his sleep.

Wei Xiao Miao took a piece of silk cloth to cover his body, attentively he took care of his master's most beloved person. He entered the Palace when he was nine years old. At ten, he was chosen to serve his present Master, the Emperor. In a blink of an eye, fifteen years had passed. He had never seen the Emperor dote on someone to this extent. To the point that he no longer accepted new Imperial Concubines. He even made less Imperial Visitations to the Imperial Harem.

If one wanted to say who had the most understanding regarding the Emperor and Ministry of Rites Assistant's affairs, haiii..., romantic love life, then it would have to be none other than Wei Xiao Miao.[6] He quietly witnessed it from the very beginning until now. Silently, he helped them to keep this secret.

If you curiously asked him, what actually was the turning point, what kind of faithful encounter for these two people brought them together until now, he would say, it was roughly six years ago, at the Spring Festival with the incident of the assassination attempt.

*************************

Talking about assassins, one couldn't not say that the occupation as The Emperor was full of danger in his line of duty. At all times and all places, there would be possibilities of life threatening situations. That's because no matter whether what you had done was good or bad, there would always be people who tried to kill you with poison, burn you to death with fire, trample you to death with a horse, threw snakes to bite you to death, lifted the knife to chop you to death, took a sword to stab you to death...Persistently and dauntlessly, wouldn't be satisfied if not attempting to harm you to death numerous times. Didn't know which historian reviewer said these words because of this situation ---

'An Emperor who never met with an assassin, couldn't be regard as a real Emperor.' (Soft roar, without intimidation.) ---

After ruling by virtue for five years, nearly one year after the said Imperial exam.

The Emperor of Dashao would hold an annual memorial ceremony every spring, by the day marking the beginning of the forth solar system[7], to pray for the Heaven to bestow the year with favorable weathers for the crops to grow, for all five grains to have a bumper harvest. After the Spring Ceremony, what else but the routine Grand Banquet.

The Spring Ceremony's Banquet was the Emperor's important annual festival which allowed the commoners to have fun together in this joyful Grand Banquet. Not only the relatives of the Emperor, the kin of the officials and non-officials, this Grand Banquet also allowed the local commoners who were the native of the nation to participate. These local commoners had to go through a selection, they must possess some traits, ranging from benevolent integrity, filial piety, loyalty and righteousness. The people who had this quality, would be recommended by their local authorities to come. And even ones with a high honorable reputation, in their lifetimes only had this one chance to come to the Imperial Palace to sight-see. Not to mention having the opportunity to have an audience with the sacred countenance of the Emperor.

Obviously, there were also people who would like to spend lots of money to buy the place. Li Cong Yin also bought that one 'Kind and Charitable' place, in high spirit, he excitedly entered the Palace to participate, to entice more customers for the sake of his business. In short, if there were assassins mixed in with the commoners to get in, it also was not something that was beyond expectation.

It was told that from the beginning, Li Cong Qing who passed last year's Imperial Exam was assigned to assume the position in The Ministry of Revenue. A position that would dim the freshly graduated official's ring of light not long after he had assumed the position. A department in the Palace which had lots of third rank officials like himself. If one wanted to be promoted, wanted to make fortune, then one had to rely on their own actual strength.

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of administering for the whole nation's territories, farm lands, census register, taxes, the payments and the salaries, national treasury, as well as every financial arrangement. It was the busiest department among the Six Boards of Ministries. Their daily jobs included writing, copying, transcribing, counting this and counting that all day long. Li Cong Qing who had a listless nature was forced to work hard until he was badly battered and in terrible shape. How he wished he could resign from his official post and return to his original job as the shopkeeper of a bookstore.

If not, he hoped he could be transferred to another department that was more relaxing compared to this one. For example, The Ministry of Rites.

Although being busy, he should still rest when it was time to rest. The officials could partake in the Palace's banquet, this was his opportunity to seize the chance to take a break from work. At the very least, on that day, he didn't need to stay up all night to work overtime. Imagine, a person who only needed a cup of wine to become limitlessly drunk, could he properly calculate the exact amount of taxes, payments or the correct expenditure of funds to build a bridge and to pave the roads?

Li Cong Qing attended the Spring Grand Banquet. He who had zero tolerance for liquor drank a little wine, because if he didn't drink the wine, there was a possibility he might get caught and dragged back to work by the workaholic Assistant of the Revenue Minister, to accompany him in playing with the amusing everlasting layer by layer stacks, like little happy mountains of files.

A few cups of yellow rice wine down his belly, caused the usually loving to sleep Li Cong Qing all the more to lose his consciousness. However, the banquet had yet to end. His Majesty the Emperor still enjoyed the festival with the commoners somewhere far away. They were merely lowly officials, of course they couldn't leave earlier than the Mighty Emperor.

Using the need to urinate as his excuse, he freed himself from Geng Bai Zuo who constantly urged him to drink. Searching for a desolate place behind the Chinese Rose hedge, he enjoyed his undisturbed leisurely free time. Ever since he entered the Palace to work, it had been a long time since he had this kind of careless and sloppy time when he didn't have to do anything. He simply laid down peacefully on the soft and cold lawn of grass. Floating about during the snatched gap.

The half-moon in the mid-spring. The Chinese Roses were in bloom. The full bloom of the Liu Chao Jin Fen in the magnificence of multicolored splendor, filled the air with the luxuriant floating lush fragrances of the flowers.

Amidst the flowers and under the moonlight circumstances caused the drunken with bleary eyes Li Cong Qing to happily and care-freely recite a poem in scattered verse. The first half of the poem he recited << Hao Shi Jin >>: "Fei Yan Xin Zhuang, strived to dye the path between the field with its radiance of spring. The outstanding beauty of Xi Shi Zui Wu, drunk to its heart's content behind the sleeve." He recited another half verse <>: "Jiao Rong San Bian, filled the small hedges on the yard with its bustling spring color. Amidst the flowers and the wine, envy the carefree and leisure contented old man." Another poem <> "Happily drunk in the Jade Tower for a while, gazed upon the Su Yu Han Hong. Lazily wrapped in thin clothes to sleep in the cold night, the pillow of spring flowers fragrance' every night." --- (note)