xymnovel Chapter 4: A Conversation Between Mother and Son, Tales of Youzhou
Chapter 4: A Conversation Between Mother and Son, Tales of Youzhou
Inside Chang Le Palace, Consort Su had already dismissed her attendants and stood alone under the corridor, gazing towards the palace gate.
Today she wore a casual lake-blue palace dress, her hair simply tied up with a white jade hairpin, which made her look less dignified and more gentle than in her usual formal attire.
Seeing Tian Heng appear at the palace gate, she rushed forward and took his hand, her eyes reddening before she could speak: "Heng'er..."
"Don't worry, Mother." Tian Heng steadied his mother's trembling fingers with his other hand, feeling how terribly cold her hands were.
He helped Consort Su into the palace, briefly mentioning the tiger tally and the marriage, but vaguely glossed over the secret edict and the crisis in the court, as he did not want his mother to worry about him anymore.
Consort Su was an exceptionally intelligent woman. She entered the palace at the age of sixteen and spent more than twenty years navigating the complexities of the inner palace, developing a keen eye for detail.
Hearing Tian Heng's evasive words, she already understood most of the situation.
She didn't point it out, but simply pulled him into the hall and had him sit on the soft couch. She then stood in front of him, gently stroking the exquisite dragon embroidery on his ceremonial robe.
"The Imperial Guards are all veterans of countless battles," she said softly, her fingertips lingering on the cold embroidery thread.
"With them protecting you, I can feel a little more at ease. But that secret edict..." Her fingers tightened slightly, and she looked up, gazing deeply into Tian Heng's eyes.
"Never show yourself to others unless the world is turned upside down. Remember, sometimes, knowing too much and holding too much is more of a curse than a blessing."
Tian Heng grasped his mother's hand and solemnly replied, "Your son will remember."
When the topic of marriage was brought up, Consort Su finally smiled. She walked to her dressing case, opened a hidden compartment at the bottom, and took out a small box wrapped in brocade.
Upon opening the box, one finds a pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets. The jade is warm and lustrous like solidified fat, shimmering with a soft sheen under the light of the hall, and warm to the touch.
"This was given to me by your maternal grandmother when I got married." Consort Su placed the jade bracelet in Tian Heng's palm and gently closed his fingers.
She said that these bracelets accompanied her through the most difficult years, and now she is passing them on to me in the hope that I will be safe and well.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice was soft, "Take this and when Nan'er marries, put it on her yourself and tell her... I've kept in mind all the principles that a daughter of the Su family should know, and I will treat her the same way."
Tian Heng gripped the jade bracelet tightly, its warm touch penetrating his skin and reaching his heart. He nodded emphatically, "Mother, rest assured, I will."
Consort Su touched the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, pondered for a moment, and then her expression became serious again:
"There is one more thing. Before you go to Youzhou, you must visit the Su family to see your uncle Su Mu. Although he is surnamed Su, he is from a different branch of your maternal grandfather's family."
She sat down next to Tian Heng and lowered her voice:
"Back then, your uncle was just a minor captain at the border. It was His Majesty who promoted him exceptionally, which is why he is now the Governor of Youzhou."
He was grateful for the Emperor's favor and, although he had been in the Su clan for many years, he had always kept his distance from those clansmen in the capital who were vying for power and profit.
He had cultivated his power base in Youzhou for many years, and his old subordinates were scattered throughout the border troops, forming a solid foundation.
She looked at Tian Heng with a meaningful gaze, her tone serious:
"He will help you, that's for sure. But Heng'er, you must understand that the border forces are complex and intertwined, and even your own uncle cannot be completely trusted."
You must have your own people, your own eyes, and your own judgment. Sometimes, the hierarchical relationship between ruler and subject is more reliable, but also more dangerous, than blood ties.
Tian Heng solemnly agreed, his heart filled with trepidation: "Your subject understands. I will carefully consider your character and stance, Uncle. Regarding the matter of Youzhou, I will proceed with utmost care and daring not to slacken in the slightest."
Consort Su gazed at her son's face, which was gradually losing its youthful innocence and revealing its angular features, her eyes surging with a deep sense of reluctance.
She reached out and straightened his already perfectly neat collar, her fingertips trembling slightly.
"It's over three thousand li to Youzhou, and the journey will take more than a month. The borderlands are bitterly cold; snow falls in September, and it won't be green until April of the following year... You must take good care of yourself." Her voice choked for a moment, but she forced herself to suppress it.
"Whatever you lack, don't suffer any hardship. Keep your mother informed at any time. I'm willing to give you all the savings I've accumulated over the years."
Tian Heng felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He had been used to his mother's cautious and timid manner in the palace since childhood, and this genuine expression of emotion made his throat feel choked with emotion.
He stepped forward and gently embraced his mother, which was against etiquette, but he couldn't care less at that moment.
"Mother, rest assured, I will take good care of myself," he whispered in his mother's ear, his voice firm.
"Once Youzhou is stabilized and people's livelihoods gradually recover, I will definitely return to the capital to visit my mother. At that time... perhaps I can take my mother to Youzhou to see the scenery beyond the Great Wall."
Upon hearing this, Consort Su's tears finally rolled down her cheeks. She hurriedly wiped them away with her handkerchief, then patted her son's back reproachfully: "Nonsense! How can a concubine leave the capital at will... Go quickly, lest you be late."
She stepped back half a step, carefully studying Tian Heng's face, as if trying to etch every feature into her heart.
"I also need to go to Mingjing's residence to tell Nan'er the good news. That child is very thoughtful; I'm afraid he hasn't slept well these past two days."
Tian Heng released his mother, took three steps back, and solemnly bowed: "Your subject bids farewell to Mother Consort, and earnestly hopes that Mother Consort will take good care of her health."
As he turned and stepped out of Chang Le Palace, the setting sun cast a long shadow of him.
The vermilion walls on both sides of the palace road stand tall, and the glazed tiles reflect the last rays of sunlight, still as magnificent as ever, yet inexplicably giving people a chilling feeling.
Consort Su watched her son's tall figure disappear around the corner of the palace path, remaining motionless for a long time.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast her long shadow, lonely against the vermilion palace wall.
She raised her hand and gently pressed it to her chest, where a secret letter she had received that morning was hidden. It came from the head of the Su clan, her own brother.
The letter was polite in its language, yet every word was cryptic. It inquired about Tian Heng's enfeoffment as a king, implying that the Su family could provide assistance, and also reminded her of the "interests of the clan."
"Heng'er..." she murmured softly, a resolute light flashing in her eyes, "Mother will not let anyone... anyone use you as a bargaining chip."
When Tian Heng walked out of Chang Le Palace, it was nearly dusk. Heavy evening clouds pressed down on the palace walls, turning the glazed tiles a dark gold.
He walked steadily through the long palace corridor, the warmth of the jade bracelet in his palm seeping into his heart through the brocade wrapping.
As he passed through the Imperial Garden, he unconsciously slowed his pace.
Deep within the plum grove, the familiar pavilion stood silently in the twilight.
Many years ago, it was here that he first met Mina.
She was only ten years old then, wearing a pale yellow dress, squatting on the ground feeding an injured bird, her expression focused and gentle.
"Does Your Highness know why it can't fly?" she asked, looking up at him with eyes as clear as autumn water.
Tian Heng crouched down to examine it carefully: "The wing is injured."
Minami gently shook her head and carefully picked up the bird:
"It's not just the wings. There's no light in its eyes. If a bird loses its will to fly, even if it heals from its wounds, it can never fly high or far again."
He didn't understand the deeper meaning in her words then, but now, looking back, it's like a sudden awakening. Within these palace walls, how many people have long lost their will to soar, willingly confined in golden cages, scrambling for that pitiful amount of food and water?
"Anan..." he whispered the name, and the picture in his heart about Youzhou, about the future, about responsibility, was gradually becoming clearer, stroke by stroke.
Youzhou is bitterly cold, and the northern frontier is rife with war; the journey ahead is fraught with peril. But he suddenly felt that perhaps leaving this magnificent yet corrupt cage was the only way to truly soar.
The distant bells rang again, their sound carrying softly through the twilight. Tian Heng gripped the tiger tally and brocade box tightly in his hands, took one last look at the palace buildings in the twilight, turned, and walked out of the palace.
His steps grew steadyer and more resolute. Ahead lay unknown territory, a heavy responsibility, and—his own world.