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Black Swan: an unpredictable or unforeseen event, typically one with extreme consequences.
Tainainai smiles. The Consorts titter. Yujin giggles distinctly in the background.
The Divine talent chokes a breath back as he tightly entwines his fingers around Nihuang’s. And Nihuang rages, flames of anger curling up her spine as this unknown man – dares take advantage of her weakness.
She looks up into Sir Su’s eyes. His eyes look stricken, like she is delicate, rare, the clearest shade of imperial jade and his hands have broken it.
It’s then when Nihuang knows – this man is more than just a simple scholar holding skewed ambitions.
He tries to drop his hand, but Nihuang holds on – adding a shy smile to comfort Tainainai and the Imperial Consorts laugh.
If he is more, if –
Then maybe he’ll be the stepping stone for Nihuang to be more.
He is more, Nihuang is convinced. Sir Su is noncommittal about his preferences among the royal princes, but he lays eyes on Prince Jing rescuing the servant boy – and it houses the same, acute heartbreak his eyes almost belied earlier.
Also, Divine Talents speak to Emperors and princes first. Su Zhe speaks to the servant boy who wanted to read, with a gentleness the boy would have never received.
The world is hard. A strategist must know that. Every step of the strategist must be cemented with strength, they have no time for the frivolity of impressing a criminal’s child.
Now Nihuang knows too. And she marks the next weiqi move in her head.
She visits Xie Yu’s Grand Manor’s Snow Cottage to see what miracles Su Zhe will wrought with 3 bare children.
Su Zhe receives her with kindness, and he has Fei Liu train the children, with absolute fondness in his eyes.
This is not the man who will lay scourge to countries willingly, Nihuang decides. But he has every ability to.
She is the same, is she not?
“Baili Qi is one of yours. No matter any of these nonsense mystical Jianghu techniques, these won’t get past me. Nor should they have gotten past Meng Zhi. So, Meng Zhi is also on your side, and he is not a stupid man,” Nihuang calmly speaks out while twirling a fresh bloom in her hand. So fresh, so fragile, unlike her.
But Su Zhe is definitely fragile because he sputters out his tea, his expression turning mulish, rebellious even.
“You’ve come to stir a deep, murky pot with the strongest ladle, you’re more than just Divine. You’re someone who has been here before, or you have a vendetta that runs deeper than putting a successor on the throne. No one has ever been able to buy Meng Zhi’s loyalty, and to defraud me into offering a favour so simply. You must underestimate me, think I am immature, or you really wish to protect me.”
Sir Su opens and closes his mouth. The pattern is the same. It’s too uncanny for Nihuang not to notice. She wants to splash water into that face because she doesn’t think he’s strong enough to withstand her slaps anymore.
She continues.
“I think it’s the latter, isn’t it? You wish to protect me. You wish to protect this boy, Tingsheng, who is worth nothing in the world, except to Jingyan-gege. You looked at Tainainai like she took a sweet to your lips and a blade to your heart. You looked at Jingyan-gege as if he’s the only water in a parched desert. You’re not very smart. You’ve never been very smart.”
She’s crying now, ugly hot droplets running down her face. It’s reflected in Su Zhe’s own eyes. He starts crying too.
“How did you know?” he asks, hoarse.
“How could I not?” And Nihuang lightly slaps him. The water can be damned, his weakness can be damned for hiding from her.
And she slaps him again, in the confines of the cottage, as they both cry.
“Don’t make Jingyan-gege the heir,” Nihuang tells Lin Shu after a full shi has passed, full of tears, of memories of betrayal, and flames that have extinguished the noblest hearts.
“He’s my only hope – and he’s the best hope for this nation, Nihuang, do you not understand?”, Lin Shu whispers, urgent, yet firm and resolved. “Who else will do this for us? For the death and betrayal of the noble Chiyan soldiers? And who else will cure the rot in this nation? This is the best solution for Da Liang!”
Nihuang has the answer prepared. She’s been prepared for a while, ever since the Divine Talent held her hand.
“The best solution for Jingyan-gege is not to cure the rot in this nation, but to cure his heart. And yours. The rot of the nation – I’ve been in the thick of it for the last ten years. Let me do it for you. Let me protect your hearts and let me build the bedrock for the next generation.”
Lin Shu’s eyes widen, and his breath stops. Nihuang smiles quietly, wryly. Since her father’s unjust passing, she has led the charge for the Southern Territories – ruled over in her brother’s stead, along with being a noble warrior. Nihuang was born to be a ruler. And she has already been a full ruler, compared to the silly games the inept, spoilt royal princes would play.
Xiao Xuan had never realized that killing his own worthiest successor, would not be the end of the threat. Another would rise.
But it would be a woman. And not his own.
“Will you support me, Lin Shu-gege? This is the only way to preserve Jingyan-gege’s heart, and that of this nation.” Nihuang’s eyes are hopeful. In her heart, a storm rages – crackling anger, and whispering nervousness all at once. This is a big move forward for her. Something that has been shimmering and bubbling beneath the surface for years even.
Lin Shu tempers his voice and closes his eyes.
“Yes, I will. The future of Da Liang, will now lie…with you, Mu Nihuang.”
And thus, it shall be so.
The intricate webs that arise out of Su Zhe’s planning are something that most can’t fathom, but are laid transparent and bare to Nihuang, because she is a Divine Talent in herself too.
Su Zhe ropes in ministers, plays the Crown Prince and Prince Yu off each other like fiddles, and adds Jingyan into the mix as the distraction.
Jingyan is in on it. As is Consort Jing. And Meng Zhi. When Nihuang visits them to plead her case, they accept her with honour, and realize that she will do greater things than could have been fathomed.
Nihuang rises in favour more than ever before, quieter, steadier, calmer. The Emperor is so alarmed when the silly Crown Prince and Prince Yu continue to fight and salivate over Nihuang’s hundred-thousand strong army – he decides to neuter their ambitions by engaging Nihuang to a third party who will never engage in court politics.
Jingyan, of course. Who is too strait-laced to be a proper, scheming heir, and who will ensure the power of the Mu never falls into the wrong hands.
If the Emperor heard this in quiet whisperings across his court and his Inner Palace, and the idea was solidified by the innocent Consort Jing, he doesn’t say.
Thus, Nihuang steps one foot closer to the throne as the future Princess Consort Jing and bides her time.
Incidents and events happen. Time ebbs and flows and Lin Shu, formerly bad at weiqi proves his newer, sharply honed chops, by removing stones that block their path. The Crown Prince is demoted and packed off to the hinterlands of Xianzhou. Prince Yu is confined, and also demoted, losing his sheen and five pearls in the process.
But a cornered animal is a hungry animal. Fear comes to Da Liang, as Prince Yu stages the rebellion during the Spring Hunt. It could be the beginning of the end. But Nihuang, awaiting in the capital this time luckily hears the news of the Capital Gates closing under the Empress’ orders, and quietly calls in the reserve troops from the South.
She kowtows at the Emperor’s foot with a bloody spear and the head of the rebel army.
“I wish I would have been able to resolve this amicably as a sister to Prince Yu and a daughter to the Empress,” Nihuang says, “but the danger to the Dragon Body was too immediate, hence I rushed.”
The Emperor nods, raises Nihuang to her feet, with so much relief, and pride in his eyes.
Even Lin Shu could not have expected Nihuang to pre-empt this cleverly. Jingyan isn’t even back with the Jingli army.
The Gods, after a long time, are working with them.
Time doesn’t ebb and flow this time but enters a whirlwind of curlicues as changes happen.
A new Crown Prince, a royal marriage, the strong and pleasing martial couple of Crown Prince Xiao Jingyan and Crown Princess Mu Nihuang, that revitalizes the nation.
And then, the Emperor’s birthday arrives, and along with it comes his meticulously planned fall. The Chiyan Case is revisited, the wrongs are brought to light, and the Emperor’s body and mind crumbles.
As do the borders of the nation, and when the call comes for generals to arise to the the mandate of defending Da Liang, the Crown Prince and the Divine Talent lead the charge. The nation effectively is left under the regency of Crown Princess Mu, under the aegis of the Imperial Noble Consort Jing, two women who have battled and held power through some of the murkiest times for Da Liang.
Even through months of fierce battles, the lady regents hold Da Liang in place, strength to strength. People talk and secretly bow to them, knowing that the end for the Emperor is nigh.
In a few months, the Emperor passes. Soon after that, the news from the northern borders arrive – that despite a resounding victory – the Crown Prince Xiao Jingyan and the Divine Talent & Military Strategist Su Zhe, are no more.
The nation is in shock. The Court, much less so. After all, by now, they know who the real master is.
After the traditional three years of mourning, the regent rises.
Mu Nihuang removes her Phoenix Coronet to wear the Dragon Crown and sits on the Dragon Throne. Her adoptive mother, the former Imperial Noble Consort Jing, is declared the Empress Dowager.
The Xiao dynasty ends, quietly, respectfully, with a whimper. And the Mu Dynasty starts, with a new era, with a new canon. With a bold new perspective.
Epilogue : 10 years later
“You must marry someone from Bei Yan this year Imperial Mother, considering that they have been making strong overtures, and their iron mines may be essential to developing more of our weaponry,” Crown Prince Mu Tingsheng says, quietly looking at the list of suitors who have been advocated for the Emperor Mu’s Inner Palace.
As the heir to the throne and the Emperor Mu’s first, deeply beloved adopted child – Tingsheng’s Mother-Emperor has been involving him strongly in all decisions of state, so that he is well-educated in statecraft in the next few years and qualified to take the throne.
“You know how I choose the people I marry Tingsheng, I shall trust your judgement. But Bei Yan doesn’t interest me for a strategic marriage treaty – we’ve beaten down enough into their borders and those mines are well within reach, we can take them over whenever we wish to. Are there any other more, strategic concerns that can be addressed by these relationships?” Nihuang comments as she ponders deeply over a map of their nearby nations.
“Well, nothing pressing as of this year or what I foresee the next few. I see Uncle Yujin has entered the fray again for a joke, and has sent an application to be your Consort. He is still upset at not being selected as your consort all those years ago, while Uncle Jingrui was.”
Nihuang rolls her eyes. “When will that Yan Yujin learn! I need to have him as a future Prime Ministerial candidate, and hence I could not marry him to avoid a conflict of interest. Anyway, he and Gong Yu, spend so much time with me already – why do we need an official ceremony? And he is a fool if he is still sore that his soulmate got selected as a consort – how many times do you have someone of both Nan Chu and Da Liang imperial blood who I get along with?”
Tingsheng giggles at her frustration. “Well, moving on – there’s a letter that has come in from Uncle Lin and Uncle Jingyan at Langya Hall, saying this year you may want to solidify the connects with the military or the Jianghu. Uncle Lin has offered up Uncle Lin Chen, indicating that he needs relief from his hare-brained ideas, while Uncle Jingyan recommends Major General Lie Zhanying, who apparently has been writing secret odes to your martial skills since he was in his mere teens and is apparently still pining away, and not strong enough to display his real feelings towards you. They’ve also written some very…. graphically detailed information about Zhu’er’s growth, eating, burping and ablution habits.”
Nihuang clears her throat and her puts her face in her hands. “Those two have been disgustingly in love since they were children, now with a child, huh, I can’t imagine how adorably disgusting they would be as fathers. We should get them and Zhu’er on a secret visit here soon.”
“Noted, mother. And what of the alliances they have proposed?”
“Lin Chen, bless his heart, gives me a headache. I am not marrying that man even if he gives me all the gold and talents of Langya Hall. But as for General Lie…I am…possibly, not averse to reading…some of these poems…I mean…”
Nihuang’s face is pinker than ever, and Tingsheng starts giggling more loudly, as his mother’s interest becomes clear. He’s always known her soft spot for General Lie, good thing he advised Uncle Jingyan to play his part in connecting the red strings.
Tingsheng smiles at his Imperial Mother as she gets back into addressing the memorials in detail, eyes sharp, not missing a single beat and reading everything between the lines.
He is proud to be her child – a woman who has changed the future of Da Liang, revived the dreams of her people by living her own.
Mu Nihuang, the noblest Emperor of Da Liang.
Fin