Chapter 201

I Truly Am Not a Wise King!

1.

My name is Da Hei.

Of course, I didn't have a name at first. The dogs in the kennel had a unified name, 'Zuozuo'.

Because of my good looks, I gave birth to several litters of pups.

However, these pups were not kept by my side for too long. Once they reached an age where they wouldn't easily die, they would be taken away by the two-legged beasts.

Fine, take them away. The pups I fed were very sturdy and could survive anywhere.

When I was seven years old, I gave birth to my last litter of pups. After feeding them for a while, I was thrown into a cage.

Those two-legged beasts said I was 'old' and useless.

I stayed in the cage for several days until an unfamiliar voice came from outside.

He was looking at me, so he was definitely calling me.

I approached, finished the meat he gave me, and sniffed his palm. He was a two-legged cub, still smelling of soft baby scent.

A frail cub that felt like he wouldn't grow up.

I thought, big two-legged beasts really don't know how to raise cubs. If he were my pup, I would definitely raise him to be very strong.

That day, the two-legged cub took me away and became my little master.

Just as he smelled, he was always sickly. I made up my mind to raise him well.

I played throwing games with him, the kind only little pups like. He thought he was playing with me, but actually, I was playing with him.

The little master had a small cart and loved sitting on it, letting me pull him around to catch the breeze.

Once, he came out of the bad guy's palace and told me to pull him and run fast. I ran like the wind. The bad guy chased us from behind but couldn't catch up.

I was very useful. I wasn't old at all.

Da Hei could protect the little master.

Later, the little master, who used to run around everywhere, got a home.

He had a mother, an older sister, Consort Guo, and several brothers he was close to.

I was very relieved and very happy.

Because in my memory, for many nights when the little master still lived in the Zichen Palace, he would hold me, sit on the steps outside, look at the stars, and babble, "Da Hei, oh Da Hei, I miss home so much, so much."

"I super, super, super miss home..."

Occasionally, his eyes would well up with tears, and I could smell the scent of sadness and loneliness on him.

I didn't know how to make the little master happy, so I could only wag my tail to comfort him.

Now that the little master had a home, he probably wouldn't miss it anymore.

But strangely, even with Consort Xuan's Shunning Palace, the little master would occasionally still say he missed home.

He just said it less often.

Sigh, the minds of cubs are really hard to guess.

During the New Year, I found that the little master was missing. I anxiously looked everywhere for him, and Consort Xuan sent me outside to the Sword-Bearing Marquis's Manor.

I gradually learned that the little master had new family members again.

This place outside was also the little master's home.

I became happy again.

A total of two homes—this way, the cub would be even happier, right?

There were more two-legged beasts like me to love him and raise him.

When he got a little older.

I went with him to school at the East Garden's Sixth Hall, keeping an eye out for bad guys on the way.

The little master and his older sister made little snacks for me to pass the time while waiting for him to finish school. Actually, I wasn't bored; I could sleep with one ear perked up.

Liuliu was the little master's friend hiding in the dark.

Sometimes I could smell his scent, but I couldn't find where he was.

He was also there to protect the little cub. With him around, I could let my perked-up ear rest too.

The little master seemed to really like teasing Liuliu. I thought this was what a cub should be like.

Over the next few years.

The little master gradually grew up. He especially loved making his dad angry. Seeing his dad angry, he would laugh out loud and run incredibly fast when he was about to get beaten.

He also got an uncle and two good friends to play with.

He was very popular. Whenever a festival came, he would give gifts to this one and that one, leading me all over the imperial palace.

I watched him bustling about, living a regular life, and growing up freely.

Everything was great, except for one melancholy thing—

The little cub grew so slowly.

I felt myself getting older, but he was still just a little bit taller.

Even though he tried hard to drink cow's milk every night, he still looked like he couldn't grow tall.

He was the weakest among the cubs of his age. Every time I realized this, I felt worried. Without me, the little master wouldn't have anyone to protect him on his way to school every day.

In short, I had my worries, and the little master had his joys.

His brothers, although noisy and always arguing, were generally okay and didn't really bite.

When did things start to change?

It started on a cold, rainy autumn night.

Something happened outside.

The little master was going to his fifth brother's residence, and of course, I had to accompany him.

We didn't find the fifth brother in the Changxin Palace, so we went to the Zichen Palace. The fifth brother was kneeling outside. The little master told me to stay with him, so I sat next to the fifth brother to block the wind for him.

The little master rushed into the Zichen Palace braving the rain.

I didn't know what happened inside. I silently blocked the wind for the Fifth Prince, feeling the chill of the rainy night and the sorrow and hope radiating from him.

I also didn't know if the little master succeeded in the end.

On the way back, after bidding farewell to the Fifth Prince and leading me, he didn't say a single word.

He was uncharacteristically quiet.

I knew he was sad.

When he was sad, he didn't like to talk; he would either pet my head or hug me without a sound.

After that incident, the little master and his brothers seemed the same as before.

But I could smell that their auras had changed.

The little master occasionally looked at them and sighed. He seemed to have things on his mind and gradually bid farewell to his carefree and happy life.

Was the little cub growing up?

Two more springs and autumns passed.

My ears gradually went deaf.

Going out became strenuous.

The little master no longer took me out often. I felt a little sad and lay down in the place closest to home. As long as the door opened, I could see him immediately.

When he went to school, I waited for him to finish; when he went out, I waited for him to come home.

Waiting was something worth looking forward to.

He would be happy to see me waiting for him when he came home, and I would be happy too.

During the winter.

I smelled the scent of death coming from within my own body.

I couldn't die next to the cub; it would attract predators. This was what my genetic instincts told me.

The little master stayed with me all this time, bringing me to bed to sleep and eating with me.

Whenever I tried to leave, he would gesture and talk to me. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I could judge his emotions through his anxious and sad expressions.

He didn't want me to leave.

I rested my chin on the little cub's palm and twitched my ears.

This was my good trick to make him happy.

Sure enough, he wasn't sad anymore. He was really easy to coax.

I thought, actually, a few years ago, when those two-legged beasts said I was 'old', they weren't entirely wrong. If I had been two years old then, could I have stayed with him a little longer?

I went to the kennel, picked a little pup born from my own child, chose the strongest one, and gave it to the little master.

This little pup could stay with him for a long, long time.

The next day, I played with the little cart with him one last time.

We ran through all the places in the imperial palace we had been to before.

I ran faster and faster, but I couldn't hear my little master's cheers like I used to.

When we came back from running, I had no strength left.

I wanted to leave, but I saw my little master's eyes.

So sorrowful, full of pleading.

...I couldn't bear to leave.

I collapsed into his arms, and he stroked my fur again and again. I saw his tears.

I accompanied him for seven years.

What a pity, I only accompanied his childhood and didn't see him grow up.

But.

The little master will definitely be loved by many people, always happy, and never lonely.

-

2.

My name is Yidianbai.

I was grabbed by grandma to take care of a two-legged beast.

The two-legged beast is named Xiao Qi; he is my master and also my dad.

In my heart, I call him Master Dad.

Before I was two or three years old, I liked to play by biting Master Dad's shoes, but he always beat me. I also liked to help him dig holes in the ground, and he beat me for that too. I was so angry that I spun in circles. He couldn't possibly beat me for biting my own tail, how annoying.

Master Dad was sickly and couldn't even catch a fish. What's the use of relying on a stick? Paws and mouths work much better.

I helped him catch fish, but instead of praising me, he grabbed my muzzle to see if I had eaten any mud from the pond.

Hmph.

Who eats mud?

I'm not a stupid dog.

Later on, we moved. We moved to a place called the Princes' Quarters.

When Master Dad went to school, I followed him. Occasionally, when he wasn't around, I would dig holes and pee in the vegetable patch, just to prevent any blind fools from running wild on our territory.

Master Dad often ate with his older brothers in the Princes' Quarters.

The one called Fifth Brother poured wine and picked up food for Sixth Brother; at a glance, he was clearly the underling of the dog pack. They all respected Master Dad, which meant Master Dad was the alpha of the pack.

As the son of the alpha, I, Yidianbai, was naturally also an alpha.

When Master Dad was thirteen, Princess Axiang returned to the palace.

Goodness, from then on, Master Dad became increasingly busy.

Not long after, the one called Third Brother had his arm broken! It really scared a dog.

Following that, Master Dad went to the Xiang River for disaster relief.

I was so bored waiting that I went to the kennels and hooked up with a little female dog. Oh my, she was so pretty! I, Yidianbai, Master Dad's dog son, must find such a pretty little female dog!

But things got delayed.

Master Dad changed after he came back.

Holding a piece of black brocade and petting my head, he asked me, "How about using this as your mouth-wiping cloth from now on?"

I tilted my head, opened my mouth, and bit it.

Master Dad laughed heartily, "Just kidding with you, silly dog. This is our VIP pass for a life of eating, drinking, and having fun for the rest of our days."

I couldn't understand the rest, but I understood "silly dog," which made me so angry I let out a howl.

However... seeing Master Dad happy, I just pretended to be mad for a little bit and then joined in his happiness.

But, not long after.

He went out with that black brocade, and when he returned, he was silent and utterly devastated. The emotional aura radiating from him smelled like black pepper mixed with bitter gourd.

I anxiously circled around him.

He said, "Should I regret it?"

He said it very, very softly, out of nowhere.

I licked his palms and arms to comfort him, wanting to lick away all those bad emotions.

Master Dad went out again to send off his older sister who was getting married.

Only then did I know that from now on, there would be one less person in the family. No wonder Master Dad was sad.

It's okay, there's still Yidianbai.

Yidianbai will always be Master Dad's Yidianbai.

For two years after he returned from the wedding procession, he hardly went out.

While I got together with Jinlai, I lay in the shade of the trees watching him.

He focused on cultivating, practicing martial arts, drawing maps, and studying weird things. When he got sick, he didn't call for the imperial physician anymore; he just endured it himself until he recovered.

He grew very fast in height these two years.

At sixteen, Master Dad left the palace to establish his own estate, and Jinlai and I also had our own little puppies.

This was our second time moving.

After that, Master Dad and I spent less time together and more time apart.

He attended court, suppressed bandits, and dealt with officials and brothers coming and going from the estate. The aura he exuded grew stronger and stronger, only his sickness remained as before.

But, it's so strange.

In just three or four years, the aura of a two-legged beast changes so much, unlike a little dog, who stays the same its whole life.

When Master Dad was sixteen and a half, he went to war. Once he left, it was for a long time.

I also lost the drive of my youth, yawning as I waited for him to come home.

He made great contributions, became a great hero, and brought his older sister back, but he went blind.

I was angry and anxious, but he had no mind to focus on me, much less on himself.

I stayed at home, unclear about what had happened. I only knew that when he took me and Jinlai out to play, his Second Brother, Fifth Brother, and Sixth Brother were all gone.

He wasn't willing to talk about it, so fine, I pretended I didn't want to know.

This period of traveling around could probably be considered Master Dad's happiest time in recent years.

When he was playing in the snow in Lingbei, Jinlai and I watched him from the side, worried he would fall since he couldn't see the road.

I accompanied him to watch the snow and admire the rain. The scenery along the way was picturesque. Lying at the front of the carriage, the wind from all directions blew through my fur. I rested on his lap, and his fingers stroked the tops of my and Jinlai's heads.

I heard the sound of his heart beating in his chest.

Beating together with freedom.

I moved for the third time, going to Yangzhou.

I originally thought this would be the place where Jinlai and I would retire, but after only a short period of quiet time, Master Dad left again.

To rescue the Emperor and save the state.

The night before he left, he pulled me out of my doghouse and forced me to chat with him.

Fine, fine.

I know there are some things he can't say to other two-legged beasts.

Master Dad said: "The scenery in Yangzhou is so beautiful. I really don't want to go back to that filthy place."

"Karma is karma, the cause of coming, the effect of going. It is destined that I must go back. What is promised must be done."

"Yidianbai, I'm a little tired."

I'm just a dog and can't speak, so I could only look up and lick his chin.

He pushed me away, looking very disgusted.

The next day, he left. After about half a year, he moved me and Jinlai from Yangzhou back to the capital.

Master Dad became the Emperor.

Wow.

From then on, I, Yidianbai, was the Emperor's dog!

My dog children and dog grandchildren are the Emperor's dog children and dog grandchildren.

He became the Emperor, and he looked no different from before. Almost everyone listened to him, but I could feel that he wasn't as happy as he was in Yangzhou.

In the third year of Yonghe, he was twenty-one years old and unified the world.

I had accompanied him for twelve years.

I went from an ignorant puppy to an old dog, and he went from a half-grown youth to an emperor ruling over the world.

His subjects grew in number, and his ministers became increasingly respectful and convinced.

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but my mind often recalls his lively appearance when he was a child, taking me strolling everywhere with his eyes darting around.

The fourth year of Yonghe.

Master Dad's little nephew was born.

He really liked his older sister's child and teased him all day to call him uncle.

I knew Master Dad had gained another new person who could accompany him.

The sixth year of Yonghe.

I was fifteen years old, an old dog who struggled even to move.

This is already considered a very long life.

My grandmother died in a snowy winter, and I also died in a snowy winter.

The sound of cheerful laughter from my master's family came from inside the Wolin Palace. I listened to it, and it felt so good. A few days later, after a heavy snowfall, I never opened my eyes again.

I heard Jinlai whimpering, but I could no longer respond to it.

My master rushed back from the morning court, stroked my head, and said, "Go to sleep, my silly dog son. Go see Da Hei and tell him that you watched me grow up."

My master accompanied me for my entire life, but I could not accompany him for his.

I nuzzled against the palm of his hand.

Suddenly, I really wanted to go back to when my master was nine years old, when I would carry his shoes in my mouth and he would chase me everywhere.

He had not yet become unhappy, and I had not yet grown old.

-

3.

Although it is very strange to be placed together with Da Hei and Yidianbai.

But there is no helping it.

The rest of the story needs to be told by me, Qu Xiaobing (Little Pancake).

My mother is Zhiyi, the Grand Princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Because my father severed ties with his family to save my mother in the past, he married into our family, and I took my mother's surname.

My name was given by my uncle. From the act of naming me alone, you can tell that he is a very unique emperor.

My mother and father run all over Great Zhou. My mother, in particular, only has a three-minute passion for things. If she is not going to Lingbei to help, she is going to the Northern Frontier to manage desertification.

In short, they are very busy. It is considered a good thing if they stay in the capital for four months a year.

Therefore, I grew up following my uncle.

I admire him very much.

My uncle is the most amazing person in the whole world. He seems omnipotent and knows how to do everything. When problems come to him, they become simple.

I tried hard to become like him, but he called me a little pedant.

Hmph.

I know he was secretly hinting that I shouldn't manage his medicine-taking.

Speaking of this, I think my uncle is sometimes more childish than a kid. He would actually secretly pour his medicine away! He would also use various excuses to explain his behavior.

However, since I started supervising and coaxing him to take his medicine, he has been much more obedient.

As obedient as Qu Xiaobing (Little Pancake).

My uncle often took me to do hands-on crafts, farm, weed, and remove pests. Wearing plain clothes, he would take me to outside vendors to buy vegetables and meat, telling me the difference in the prices of meat, vegetables, and eggs between famine years and harvest years... He even let me calculate the bills myself.

He would explain the things Teacher Xi had taught me all over again. Although they were similar, I always felt there were subtle differences.

I studied even more seriously.

Worried that I would study myself into a little fool, my uncle made a fun little dog cart for me.

Below the steps of Zichen Palace, there was a large open space, big enough for a puppy to run around.

I was playing very happily, and I looked up.

My uncle stood on the steps of Zichen Palace looking at me, a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes seemed to be looking through me at something else.

He was smiling, but for some reason, I felt a little sad.

So I ran up the steps and hugged my uncle's legs. "Xiaobing isn't playing anymore, Uncle can play."

My uncle picked me up. "Alright, let's play together. Uncle will pull you from the front."

That afternoon, we both had a lot of fun.

In the eighth year of Yonghe, I was four years old.

My uncle appointed Zhang Chansi to enter the Ministry of Works as a female official, sparking a wave of opposition in the royal court.

Teacher Xi brought up Zhang Chansi's achievements in Lingbei and asked them if their minds and tolerance were so narrow that they could not accommodate a girl serving as an official.

I asked my uncle, "Why do they oppose women being officials?"

My uncle said, "Because it infringes upon their own interests."

"What interests?" I asked.

But my uncle didn't say.

He patted my head. "Xiaobing only needs to remember that men and women are the same. Do you think your mother should be trapped in a courtyard, assisting her husband and raising children for her whole life? Should capable women become someone else's appendage?"

I said, "Of course not. Teacher Xi said that anyone who can work for Great Zhou, regardless of whether they are a man or a woman, is equally useful."

My uncle laughed heartily, as if he was very happy.

In the same year, the inland navigation routes in Lingbei were opened.

Trade and commerce rapidly prospered. At the same time, this was accompanied by public security issues. My uncle was busy for more than half a year, holding meetings every day, with large and small meetings continuing uninterrupted.

Only after the navigation routes stabilized did my uncle resume holding court once every three days.

The twelfth year of Yonghe.

My uncle was thirty years old, and I was eight.

This year, my uncle's maternal grandfather passed away.

Xu Jin, the Duke of Zhenguo, had illustrious military merits. I heard Uncle Xia Fuyang... no, it should be Elder Uncle Xia Fuyang, I always mistakenly call him Uncle.

I heard him say that the Duke of Zhenguo's health had not been very good since the year the war broke out between the Northern Frontier and Great Zhou.

He had been well cared for over these years, which was how he gained these extra fourteen or fifteen years of life.

My uncle kept watch by the Duke of Zhenguo's sickbed. That was the first time I saw my uncle cry.

He cried without a sound, tears falling from his eyes drop by drop. The Duke of Zhenguo, with his head full of silver hair, felt deeply sorry for my uncle. "Why are you still like a child? As an emperor, shedding tears is not good..."

My uncle said, "Grandfather, I have never grown up."

The Duke of Zhenguo used his thumb to wipe the teardrops from my uncle's cheek and said something else, but I was crying too sadly and didn't hear it clearly.

I only heard one sentence: "Bury your grandfather in the Northern Frontier. I was stationed there for most of my life, and my ashes should be scattered there after my death. If anyone dares to rebel, your grandfather will turn into a ghost general and kill them before the Shanming Pass, guarding the ten-thousand-generation empire for my little darling..."

My uncle shook his head, his voice choking with sobs.

The Duke of Zhenguo said, "Your Majesty, Xu Jin requests orders and begs for your permission."

After a long time.

My uncle finally said a single word:

"Granted."

The Duke of Zhenguo smiled in relief and held his wife's hand to talk.

Not long after, the sound of weeping echoed in the room.

My uncle suspended the court for ten days and fell seriously ill.

That was the first time in my memory since I was born that someone had left my uncle forever in such a way.

Then.

In the fourteenth year of Yonghe, Grand Tutor Fang, Fang Hechuan, passed away.

He left with a smile.

The student he taught had created the prosperous age of Great Zhou, a prosperous age he had witnessed and participated in with his own eyes.

In the second year after Grand Tutor Fang left, Elder Uncle Xia Fuyang and Teacher Xi secretly came to find me, asking me to persuade my uncle to go out and relax.

I made a plan and explained to my uncle the benefits of traveling, suggested destinations, local specialty foods I had read about in books, and so on.

My uncle didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he agreed.

In the fifteenth year of Yonghe, my uncle went south to inspect the dams of the Xiang River.

In the seventeenth year of Yonghe.

My uncle's maternal grandmother, Old Madam Wu, Wu Siwan, passed away.

The silver-haired old lady did not fear death. She was reluctant to part with her grandson, but also looked forward to reuniting with her daughter and husband after death.

"Grandmother is leaving too. My little darling, you must take good care of yourself. Spend more time with Empress Dowager Xuan. The grace of raising a child is greater than the grace of giving birth... I really miss them, Yueqing, my old man..."

My uncle said, "Alright, go on. You will definitely reunite with them."

Perhaps because he had gained experience with parting, my uncle sent off Old Madam Wu with a smile.

My uncle took her on a trip to the Northern Frontier and similarly buried her there.

I saw blue Cangyan flowers in the Northern Frontier.

Flowers from the south blooming in the north, full of vitality.

It was said that these little flowers were even planted by my uncle. I asked my uncle if it was true, and he said that Grand Princess Axiang brought the seeds, and he just let them take root.

After returning to the capital.

My uncle took me on a trip to the Marquis of Chijian Mansion—it was still called the Marquis of Chijian Mansion here.

The mansion wasn't actually that large, but after everyone left, it felt empty. Uncle took me to the room where he lived as a child.

There was a pillar here, covered with a series of carved marks.

Uncle smiled and said, "I grew slowly when I was little. Every time I came to my grandparents' house, I would carve a mark on it."

I looked at this pillar, touched by the traces of time.

In my mind, an image naturally appeared of a short, young Uncle standing in front of the pillar, earnestly measuring his height.

Uncle walked ahead, talking about his childhood as he went.

He was really quite mischievous when he was young, being disciplined everywhere, and was even chased and beaten by Old Madam Wu wielding a cane.

As he spoke of the past, I stood behind him, looking at his back, and for the first time, I felt that Uncle was very lonely.

Actually, I occasionally had this feeling normally, but everyone often came to the palace to talk to Uncle, especially during the New Year and festivals.

When we gathered together, I didn't feel it, but no one could live in the imperial palace every day. The silence after the bustle is the most profound stillness.

Fortunately, Ye Banban and I were there to accompany Uncle.

But that occasional loneliness was never obvious.

Only this time, I felt a distinct loneliness radiating from Uncle.

The nineteenth year of Yonghe.

Uncle was thirty-seven years old, and I was fifteen.

I became the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou.

Actually, everyone could tell early on, and I also knew, that Uncle was grooming me as his heir.

Mother once asked me if I was willing to be the Crown Prince and later become the Emperor to rule the world.

I asked Mother in return, "Do you want me to?"

Mother said, "This is your own life. Mother can never make decisions for you."

I thought about it, and I was willing to be the Crown Prince.

When I was three or four years old, I wanted to become someone as amazing as Uncle.

Although I knew clearly that my personality was very different from Uncle's, and I still had a lot to learn.

After I finished speaking, Mother's eyes were both gratified and complex. She patted my head and told me, "Little Pancake, you must work hard and make things easier for your uncle."

I said okay.

The twentieth year of Yonghe.

Great Zhou opened its maritime borders, but was obstructed by the overseas State of Liu and the border barbarians.

Uncle used the excuse that they had injured Great Zhou's envoys to launch an expedition against them. The following year, the maritime borders were successfully opened.

Third Uncle is now helping Uncle handle diplomatic affairs. His speaking style... well, it's very infuriating, which is perfect for dealing with thick-skinned foreigners.

Sure enough, just as Uncle said, there are no useless employees, only bosses who cannot find the right use for them.

The twenty-fifth year of Yonghe.

Uncle began to try letting go of state affairs, allowing me to handle them alongside him.

I wasn't afraid because Uncle was behind me. If I occasionally made a mistake, Teacher Xi would correct me, and Uncle would help me review and fix the errors.

The thirtieth year of Yonghe.

Uncle was forty-eight years old and often fell seriously ill. Only when he rested did his spirits improve.

Ye Banban and Eunuch Wen were getting old and could no longer overwork, so Uncle sent them to Yangzhou to retire.

He handed over all state affairs entirely to me.

I was very worried about him, so I handled all my official duties by his side.

Uncle would often stand at the door of the Zichen Palace, looking out.

I thought, what is so beautiful about this square patch of sky?

The thirty-second year of Yonghe.

Uncle abdicated, and I ascended the throne as Emperor, changing the era name to Chengan.

After I held the enthronement ceremony, Uncle disappeared, leaving only a letter saying that he and Uncle Liuliu had gone to the martial world to roam freely across the world.

He asked me to take good care of Uncle Xia Fuyang and Teacher Xi.

I was going crazy.

Even though they looked young because they practiced martial arts, Uncle was already fifty years old, and Uncle Liuliu was in his sixties. Could they really run all over the world?

The entire imperial court went crazy looking for Uncle, especially Teacher Xi and Uncle Xia, but it was useless. With Uncle Liuliu's dark network in place, no one could find him.

Uncle had controlled the court and ruled the world for over thirty years. In the hearts of the courtiers, although he had a strong personality, he was a wise and holy monarch. After his abdication, he became as rebellious as a child.

I had a headache pacifying the old ministers who were crying bitterly until their eyes were swollen, Teacher Xi who was writing his resignation letter, and Uncle Xia who was howling, "He doesn't want me anymore, he doesn't want me anymore!"

I take back what I said before. Not only is Uncle a child, but all the civil and military officials in the court are children.

I grew up following Uncle and knew his personality.

I could also understand that these thirty-two years of imperial life were probably a restriction and a shackle for Uncle.

But I never expected him to throw it away so cleanly.

Fortunately.

Uncle still remembered his pitiful nephew.

A letter arrived every month, reporting what he had played and eaten. This barely pacified the courtiers, and slowly, they also accepted this sudden abandonment.

I also stood at the door of the Zichen Palace and looked out.

The red bricks and yellow tiles of this palace city remained the same as they had been for a century.

Birds glided across the sky, flying happily to any place between heaven and earth.

Where was Uncle traveling now?

Would he ever come back?

I did not know.

But I knew that he must be somewhere in the Great Zhou right now.

Living the life he had wanted to live thirty-two years ago.

Among the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, carefree and at ease.