The Slender Waist

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, the Prince of Qin proclaimed himself Emperor in Xijing, inaugurating the Tian Shou era; his foster mother, the Noble Consort, was honored as the Empress Dowager.

Sitting in Xijing, the Empress Dowager issued her first imperial edict to capture the Prime Minister Li Zongxun.

He was accused of forming cliques to usurp power, falsifying imperial decrees to seize the throne, and after his plot was exposed, he set fire to the Imperial Palace in Central Capital, destroying the Li Family’s legacy. Without any sense of shame, he fled to Yecheng, colluded with the Military Governor Ge Pei of Xiangzhou to rebel against the Imperial Court, and was denounced as a traitor to the nation, whom all should condemn and execute.

The second edict was to commend the Prince of Yonghuai, Pei Jue, for raising troops to protect the Emperor and escorting him out of the capital, a merit vital to state and society. A date would be chosen to bestow upon him the Nine Bestowments, and acknowledging that the Emperor was too young and she had no experience in court affairs, she earnestly requested Prince Yonghuai to act as regent for the Young Emperor.

Almost simultaneously, Li Zongxun supported the Prince of Runan’s son, Yuan Shuo, in proclaiming himself Emperor in Yecheng, adopting the Chunde era and honoring Li Sangruo as Empress Dowager. He claimed to inherit the great mantle of the Emperor of Xinghe, and similarly issued two edicts.

One declared the Western Capital Dynasty a "false court," and Pei Jue a "treacherous subject and a traitor," who disregarded the vast territory of Dajin, coercing the prince to rebel. Warning of a purge of old factions, he promised to eradicate the rebels and unify Dajin’s lands.

The second edict was a call to arms for the old loyalists of Dajin, promising high ranks and rich rewards, waiting for "a return to loyalty from the masses to jointly attack the rebel Pei Jue."

One country with two Imperial Courts, each telling their own story.

Two Young Emperors, each governing separately.

As the news spread, the world was in an uproar.

The civil strife within Jin was naturally more a cause for joy than worry to Qi; a divided Dajin provided an excellent opportunity for Xiao Cheng’s court to expand internally.

In the streets and alleys of Tai City, the sound of firecrackers was more intense day by day, as people played drums and gongs, leaping with joy, and there was no shortage of expressions of fortune on the court, each waiting to flex their muscles.

Meanwhile, the cries for the execution of treacherous officials and the elimination of villains echoed throughout the Northern Yong Army. The people under its rule were busy cursing the Li Dynasty cort for "lacking both integrity and virtue" while giving themselves a facade of glory.

People believed that Pei Jue would take immediate action and attack Li Zongxun.

Unexpectedly, after organizing the Western Capital Dynasty and deploying troops for defense, without a moment’s rest, he led fifty thousand elite troops to the northwest to fend off the invading tribes of Northern Rong.

Pei Jue’s letter arrived in Andu ten days late and was personally delivered by Zuo Zhong.

When Zuo Zhong arrived in Andu City, Feng Yun was sitting in Yutangchun, separated by a curtain, listening to the conversations of the guests outside.

"Prince Yonghuai is truly remarkable. Ten thousand Northern Yong troops overcame one hundred thousand Imperial Guards, relentlessly forcing Li Zongxun to flee to Yecheng, where he had to beg for help from his previously scorned brother-in-law, Ge Pei..."

"What a disgrace, what a disgrace."

"Li Zongxun has been thoroughly defeated this time. From now on, our Andu can consider ourselves safe from crisis..."

"Exactly, Andu County has always been a thorn in the side of the Li father and daughter. If the puppet emperor he supported truly took the throne, would we have any way out? We’d have been doomed eventually..."

"This is very good, very good indeed."

"Brothers, let’s drink a few more glasses and celebrate the ascension of our new sovereign."

"I advise you brothers, do not be overly joyous too soon. Look around and you’ll see the vast lands adjacent to Yecheng still under Li Zongxun’s control. The old fox is clever, and Ge Pei is no ordinary man. The two of them unitedly possess territory and troops; just wait and see, the real drama is yet to come..."

"So what if they have land and troops?"

"With land and troops, holding the Empress Dowager and the Young Emperor in his grasp, Li Zongxun will be regarded as having a legitimate claim to Dajin. Which court is legitimate, Xijing or Yecheng, is still up for discussion."

"Legitimacy is determined by fists. The Northern Yong Army is not vegetarian; Prince Yonghuai was able to drive Li Zongxun away from Central Capital, and he can march to Yecheng and push him onto the Netherworld Path..."

"That will require a united front from the Western Capital Dynasty, won’t it? Have you not seen the truth yet? Do not be fooled by the Dynasty still bearing the name Yuan; even a six-year-old Emperor in dragon robes remains a puppet. The true ruler of the Western Capital Dynasty is Prince Yonghuai, so what’s the difference from the Yecheng Imperial Court?"

"Brother, one can carelessly eat but not speak carelessly. Prince Yonghuai protected the lifeline of our nation and achieved the highest merit; you turn it all into selfishness at your peril. Be careful, or misfortune may spill from your mouth!"

"My words were careless, so careless..."

The voices outside grew louder.

As people became more animated in their discussion, spittle flew and they seemed almost ready to climb atop the tables to persuade one another...

Feng Yun sat poised, picking up a slice of bamboo shoot, when Ge Guang rushed in, whispering:

"The Left Guard has arrived."

Feng Yun looked up: "Where is he?"

Ge Guang responded reverently, "Tying up his horse outside."

Feng Yun made a noise of acknowledgment, paused for a moment, and then placed the bamboo shoot in her mouth.

It was rehydrated dried bamboo, still maintaining its fresh and tender texture. She chewed slowly, eyes slightly narrowed, very content.

Upon entering, Zuo Zhong saw her leisurely demeanor, and even before he did anything, he began to feel uneasy.

"This subordinate pays respects to the Princess."

Thinking of Pei Jue’s instructions before leaving— that the Princess must not be displeased—he suddenly felt his throat dry up, and all the words he thought of along the way were now useless.

Meticulously, he presented Pei Jue’s letter with both hands, uttering only one sentence.

"The ruler’s letter, for the Princess to review."

Feng Yun uttered an "oh" and glanced at the table.

"Leave it."

The Princess forbade anyone from taking it, leaving Zuo Zhong somewhat embarrassed. He hesitated, then slowly approached with his head down, placed the sealed letter on the desk, secretly twisted his fingers, and stood up to say,

"The King has led the troops to the northwest and instructed his subordinates upon their return to tell the Princess not to worry and to await the victorious news."

Feng Yun laughed at this and called Xiaoman over.

"Left Guard has endured the fatigue of travel. You must be tired from the road. Take him down to have something to eat and rest for a moment."

With her cheeks blushing, Xiaoman responded and looked up at Zuo Zhong, who was clad in iron armor, her heart fluttering like a little deer.

"Big Brother Zuo, follow me."

Zuo Zhong opened his mouth as if to say something but eventually bowed his head and saluted Feng Yun before retreating.

Having been separated for so long and with such a significant upheaval having occurred in Central Capital, he thought Feng Yun would have many questions for him. Such as what happened that night, or how Pei Jue cornered Li Zongxun into burning down the palace and leading the remnants fleeing Central Capital.

And why, at this critical juncture, Pei Jue would lead his troops to the northwest instead of pursuing the victory and completely annihilating Li Zongxun and his daughter...

It was all too strange.

Zuo Zhong thought about Feng Yun’s smiling face and involuntarily shivered on Pei Jue’s behalf.

Noticing this, Xiaoman turned towards him.

"Big Brother Zuo, are you cold?"

Zuo Zhong was taken aback, "Not cold."

Xiaoman’s brows knitted slightly, "Dressed so thinly and after riding such a long distance, how could you not be cold?"

Zuo Zhong forced a smile, not saying much, as his thoughts were entirely on Feng Yun’s demeanor, worried that he hadn’t completed his lord’s task adequately.

Xiaoman’s thoughts, however, were entirely on him. She invited him into the elegant hall and had the waiter bring food from the kitchen. Then she turned and went to the backyard, bringing back a sample winter garment that Ying Rong had made for the Cheng Yi Workshop, her cheeks flushed as she thrust it into Zuo Zhong’s hands.

"Put this on later."

The shyness of the little girl was evident on her face.

Zuo Zhong also felt somewhat awkward, "Thank you, Xiaoman."

"No need for thanks. Eat up quickly. There’s more in the kitchen if it’s not enough," Xiaoman said, blushing and looking down as she left.

Zuo Zhong watched the swaying curtain, taking a while before turning back to devour his meal.

When Xiaoman returned, the letter on Feng Yun’s desk was still unopened. She was leisurely eating as if not in a hurry at all.

"Princess, shall I open the letter for you?" Xiaoman asked, seeing the unopened letter lying there, feeling restless, her pores opening in such an atmosphere.

Her eager offer earned her a cold look from Feng Yun.

"Has Big Brother Zuo finished eating? Why aren’t you taking care of him instead of meddling with my letter?"

Xiaoman nearly died of embarrassment from her words, pouted, and then looked down, the picture of a young girl touched by the first stirrings of love, bashful and shy.

Feng Yun curved her lips upward but refrained from teasing her further. After finishing her meal, she took the letter and left.

What Pei Jue had to say, she didn’t need to open the letter to guess—it would be just telling her not to worry, that the Northern Rong tribes could be easily crushed, and he would soon return to the Imperial Court in triumph.

But in reality, when was war ever without danger?

The last time she left Andu, she had expected to be separated from Pei Jue but hadn’t thought that the separation would last so long...

An affair of a dog and a bitch, to say there wasn’t the slightest longing would of course not be true.

Yet her heart was very calm, devoid of any of the concerns Zuo Zhong had, and lacking any of the sorrow or melancholy of young love.

Because the developments of the entire affair had far exceeded the best outcome she had anticipated...

Pei Jue and the Li family had split.

The future would be a long-standing adversarial relationship...

The grudges from her past life, at least one arrow’s worth had been avenged.

By now, Li Sangruo should be crying in Yecheng, right?

That was for her to cry about, but Feng Yun wasn’t in a hurry to rejoice.

The long winter still hadn’t passed, and she had to face the first calamitous year of the new dynasty. There were many things that needed to be done. Moreover, with no more restraints, it was a prime opportunity for her to greatly develop Changmen, expand her troops, and enrich her own power...

There would be no better era than this.