Nirvana In Fire

Translator’s notes:

This chapter incorporates an earlier translation from dtriad. Because I couldn’t resist reading it in Chinese, I’ve edited it to better reflect my interpretation of the text. If you would like to read dtriad’s earlier translation and thoughts on the chapter, you may find it here.

On the 16th day of the 6th month, the new Crown Prince was crowned. In the early morning, the banners flew high and the ceremonial weaponry was brought out in full array, but because they were still in a state of national mourning, there was no music. Hundreds of government officials assembled at the Fengtian Main Hall as Xiao Jingyan, wearing the diadem of the Crown Prince, led by the ceremonial officer, entered the Danbu, then entered the Danbi where he was received by the interior assistant official to approach the throne and pay his respects. After the imperial edict to establish the Crown Prince was read out, the Liang Emperor took the Crown Prince’s seal to the Zhongshu Ling, who then descended the steps to give it to the new Crown Prince. Once the Crown Prince received the seal, he then handed it over to the book-keeping official from the Eastern Palace before bowing four times to thank the Emperor for his favour.*

After the court ceremonies were completed, the new Crown Prince took his seat and accepted the congratulations of hundreds of court officials, after which he entered the inner palace and paid his respects to the imperial consort. In the afternoon, the Liang Emperor brought the Crown Prince to the Tai Miao* to make an announcement to the ancestors, receiving the common people’s respects along the way. It was a spectacular scene.

*High Temple

Xiao Jingyan was a very physically fit young man. Due to his regular training, his tall, slim and graceful posture was very pleasing to the eye. His temperament was very different from the sinister and ruthless former Crown Prince, and the sleek and sophisticated Prince Yu. Whenever he dressed for court, it was vastly different from his usual casual attire or military uniform, as if he had amassed an air of nobility and long-repressed majesty that suddenly burst out, inspiring awe in everyone.

When the investiture ceremonies finally ended, the Liang Emperor declared an amnesty for everyone across the land, after which the new Crown Prince then helped him down from the Fengtian Tower. Perhaps he didn’t notice it, but from the bystanders’ perspective, the future emperor’s eyes were radiant, his body tall and straight like a pine tree, while the old Emperor’s hair was gray, his body stooped over and trembling with lethargy. This sharp contrast made it unavoidable for people to lament secretly in their hearts, and even somewhat disrespectfully speculate when the new dynasty would arrive.

Perhaps due to exhaustion from a full day’s worth of investiture ceremonies, two days after the Crown Prince investiture, the Liang Emperor fell ill and decreed a ten day absence from court. During this time, all government matters had to go through the Eastern Palace in advance, and the country was to be supervised by the Crown Prince.

On the 30th day of the 6th month, the Inner Court Bureau issued an edict. Since the former Princess Jing had already passed on, the position was vacant. The granddaughter of Zhongshu Ling Liu Cheng was specially selected to become the Crown Princess. The grand wedding day was fixed on the 15th day of the 7th month.

The secret passageway between Prince Jing’s Mansion and the Su Residence was completely sealed up shortly after the return from the Spring Hunt, erasing all traces of Mei Changsu’s dedicated support in the past year. Perhaps due to the indescribable disappointment deep within Xiao Jingyan’s heart, or perhaps due to the extreme busyness brought about by his change of status, he hadn’t visited the Su Residence in more than a month, though Lie Zhanying frequently visited to call on Wei Zheng.

After moving to the Eastern Palace, Xiao Jingyan’s style of handling government matters was vastly different from the former Crown Prince. He obviously liked to judge and discuss matters on their own merits and preferred people who were straightforward, agile and uncorrupt. In dealing with matters, he emphasized efficiency and cut back on procedures, but at the same time paid special attention to disallow anyone from using the terms “new policy” or “reforms” and so on, in order to maintain a kind of subtle balance.

The 5th day of the 7th month was Imperial Consort Jing’s birthday. Xiao Jingyan entered the palace early in the morning to convey his birthday congratulations. The Consort Jing of today was different from the Consort Jing of the past, so naturally, mother and son could no longer gather as privately and peacefully as before. After sitting with his mother for an hour and receiving some important court officials and imperial clan members, Xiao Jingyan took his leave and arranged to come again the next day.

Prince Ji and Marquis Yan also visited the imperial consort early that morning to congratulate her. They met at the palace gate and went in together. Because Xiao Jingyan was dealing with the inheritance and salary reduction of the imperial clan’s future generations, he wanted to hear the opinions of these two old men. Since he met them on his way out, he invited them over by the way to go with him to the Eastern Palace.

Salary reductions for the imperial clan members. Something nobody liked discussing over the generations. But because Da Liang had been around for a long time, the imperial family had multiplied, and the closeness of relationships had changed, so it was no longer possible to adhere to former practices. The Liang Emperor had always intended to make changes to this, but he didn’t want to offend anyone, so after the establishment of the new Crown Prince, when he was still flying high and was unstoppable, he threw the matter to him.

After half a month of planning, the salary reduction plan was more or less finalized. Prince Jing invited Prince Ji and Marquis Yan over because they were quite popular with the imperial relatives. He wanted to leverage their influence to explain and pacify the imperial relatives to minimize repercussions and complaints to the Liang Emperor. Since the Crown Prince requested, and the matter was indeed something they could both manage well, neither Prince Ji nor Marquis Ho declined. Not long after this was decided, they all sat down and had tea. At that moment, someone came to report that the Emperor had specially ordered Commander Meng to send over a soft pair of boots made from ice silkworms (冰蚕)* after hearing that the Crown Prince continued to train with the sword on a daily basis. Xiao Jingyan hurried out to welcome him, kneeling as he received the Emperor’s favour.

*MAY be a mythical creature, or simply a reference to silkworm cocoons

After Meng Zhi made the announcement on the Emperor’s behalf and handed the yellow silk-wrapped boots over to the steward of the Eastern Palace, he then knelt to make his salutations to the Crown Prince. Xiao Jingyan held his arm out to raise him up and smiled, saying, “Since Commander General came all the way here, of course you can’t just turn around and leave. Come in and have a seat. It just so happens that Royal Uncle Ji and Marquis Yan are here, and we’re having a chat.”

“I’m not deserving.” Meng Zhi hurriedly cupped his fist and said, “Your Highness is very kind. This servant accepts with honour.”

*polite term expressing humility in the face of someone of higher rank

After entering the hall and making his salutations, the steward brought the silk boots to Xiao Jingyan for a closer look. This pair of boots was a tribute from Yeqin, soft to the touch, cool and light, well suited for martial arts training in the summer. After everyone sang its praises, Prince Ji laughed and said, “Commander General, you are Da Liang’s top martial arts master. What do you think of his Highness’ skill in martial arts? Could he be listed on the Langya rankings?”

Meng Zhi was startled by this and was unsure how he should respond, but Jingyan smiled. “Royal Uncle shouldn’t make things difficult for Commander Meng. I’m a general in the army, which is not the same as a Jianghu master. If someone like me can get on the list, doesn’t that mean there’s nobody in Jianghu?”

Meng Zhi hurriedly replied, “Your Highness is too modest. The master of the Langya Pavilion has the final say as to whether or not one is ranked on the list, but with your Highness’ skill in martial arts, it would be more than enough whenever you decide to travel around Jianghu.”

“To be honest,” Jingyan’s gaze grew distant, “I have frequently imagined myself as someone from Jianghu, travelling with two or three good friends among the mountains and rivers. Wouldn’t that be one of life’s greatest pleasures?”

Yan Que set down his teacup and said in reply, “Not only your Highness, but for all the boys born into the imperial household and noble families, when they hear the legends of Jianghu, which one of them wouldn’t dream of roaming about there, carrying his sword over three thousand miles to deliver justice?”

“I didn’t,” said Prince Ji bluntly. “Travelling in Jianghu means having to bear hardship, which I knew I could not. I never had that dream, and live a carefree life everyday that many envy.”

“Not many can imitate Your Highness’s straightforward manner,” said Meng Zhi with a laugh. “But what Marquis Yan said is the truth. Let’s not talk about rest. Just look at Yujin. He’s obviously a pampered son of a wealthy family. Hasn’t he always liked to roam about outside? I’ve often heard him say that he loves the happiness of travelling, the ability to fulfill his desires, free from all restraint.”

“As if that counts as roaming in Jianghu.” Marquis Yan shook his head. “He’s only having fun. Given his status as a Marquis’s son, when he runs into trouble others would back down. He hasn’t truly experienced Jianghu.”

Prince Ji looked up and said without thinking, “That’s true. Compared to the trouble you all got into, Yujin is really just having fun.”

“So in the past Lord Yan…” Xiao Jingyan raised his eyebrows, his interest piqued. “I’ve not heard this before. Earlier you said that Yujin, with his status as a Marquis’s son, is just having fun. Could it be, then, that you hid your identity at the time and changed your name?”

“Hehe, back then we were young and foolish. Best not to mention it, best not to mention it.”

“We?” Xiao Jingyan felt his heart jump. “Who else?”

The look in Marquis Yan’s eyes turned gloomy. The room went quiet. Who had been such good friends with Marquis Yan in the past as to travel with him, keeping their names concealed? Well, that went without saying.

“What is it that you can’t mention?” Xiao Jingyan gritted his teeth and said coldly, “Was it Commander Lin?”

Although it wasn’t appropriate to mention the name of a traitor like this, among those present, Marquis Yan and Meng Zhi had great respect for Lin Xie while Prince Ji had his own reservations about the Chiyan case. Now that the new Crown Prince had mentioned his name so openly, they no longer needed to treat it as taboo. Their expressions slowly became more natural, though they still held back from speaking freely. Only Xiao Jingyan continued in a fit of temper, persevering with the topic.

“Lord Yan is not a martial arts practitioner. I think if not for Commander Lin accompanying you, the old master* wouldn’t have let you go, right? In those days Commander Lin’s martial prowess was top-notch in Da Liang. Even if he hid his name, Jianghu wouldn’t have allowed him to run amok.”

*Yan Que’s father. He was from a line of imperial tutors.

“There are some things Your Highness is not aware of. At that time, we hadn’t even come of age, and were far from being capable of running amok. But for greenhorns like us who hadn’t encountered adversity at that age, a trip like that brought many new experiences.” Marquis Yan was influenced by Xiao Jingyan’s unperturbed manner, and continued to speak with assurance, “The customs and social relationships of the outside world, the people’s livelihood and local conditions, it is difficult to truly understand these by staying home and listening to others.”

“Then I imagine you must have visited many places?”

“We travelled all over the famous mountains and great rivers. Even now, when this old veteran still feels that he has benefitted a lot when he recalls those days.”

Prince Ji smiled and interjected, “Since you went to so many places, you must have met some heroes and beautiful women, right?”

“Jianghu is a place of hidden dragons, crouching tigers, so we met many people with strange extraordinary talent. After making our rounds, we made some good friends whom we really admired. As for beauties….hmm, we kept a distance.”

*hidden talents

Prince Ji burst into laughter. “So different, so different! This is where you’re different from Yujin. Xiao Jin would definitely meet beautiful women first and then only make friends!”

Xiao Jingyan couldn’t help smiling too. “What did you all use as pseudonyms? Did you make a name for yourselves in the Langya rankings back then?”

“Now I’m embarrassed,” Marquis Yan said with a smile. “We went to gain knowledge and experience, not to fight and surpass others. We had a few adventures, but avoided the limelight and kept a low profile.”

Prince Ji shook his head from side to side. “To be honest, I only knew that you were out there causing trouble for about half a year, I practically never heard you all mention anything after that so I thought that nothing interesting happened.”

“After we returned to the capital, we were immediately drawn into the situation at court. With one challenge after another, Jianghu soon faded into the distant past without us realizing it,” said Marquis Yan as he sighed, “At the end of the day, we didn’t belong there, and were merely there as guests.”

“Hey, His Highness asked you what pseudonym you used just now?” Prince Ji reminded him with curiosity. “Did you choose the names yourselves?”

“Just names that we simply picked at random. At the time I chose a simple name, Yao Yiyan, one nobody in Jianghu would have heard of.”

“Your surname is Yan, so you picked the name Yiyan*. That’s really too simple!” Prince Ji couldn’t hold back his laughter.

*一言 – One Yan

“Anyway, it was just a pseudonym, nothing important. Someone even pointed to a tree and made it his name!”

Xiao Jingyan had just lifted his teacup to his mouth but suddenly froze when he heard this. He stared fixedly at Yan Que with his mouth opened. His throat had gone dry, and he could not speak.

Surprised by this, Yan Que asked, “Your Highness, is anything the matter?”

“What you just said….who pointed to a plant and made it his name?” Xiao Jingyan gripped his teacup tightly, swallowing as he strove to stay calm.

Yan Que sensed that something was off, but at the same time he couldn’t think of a possible reason. He hesitated for a moment before saying in a low voice, “Lin….”

“Commander Lin, what plant did he point to for his name?”

“At the time, there was heather growing in the garden^, so…”

Before he had even finished speaking, the teacup in Xiao Jingyan’s hand slipped from his fingers, fell to the marble floor with a sharp clinking sound and shattered into tiny pieces.

The three men present were startled and leapt to their feet in unison, asking one after the other, “Your Highness, what’s the matter?”

“Shinan…” Xiao Jingyan leaned on the table for support as he slowly got to his feet, his body swaying as Meng Zhi supported him with his arm. He was dimly aware of a buzzing noise in his ears, but he couldn’t make anything out. Many forgotten scenes from the past came rushing back to him one by one, cutting through his heart like a razor blades.

That man saying, “You are the one I have chosen to be my lord.…”

That man saying, “Tingsheng, I will rescue you….”

That man who had rubbed the quilt between his fingers when he was deep in thought, that man who had so naturally drawn his own sword…

That man who had built the secret passage so that he could exhaust himself for his sake everyday, that man who when in a delirium had said, “Jingyan, don’t be afraid….”

His mother had sincerely beseeched him, urging him time and again to “never mistreat Mister Su”, but he had never really paid attention; when he had believed that his eldest brother and good friend were watching him from heaven, his friend had always been by his side, doing his best to lay each step of the way for him…..Xiao Jingyan’s face was pale as he stood there, waiting for the blood that had surged into his very being to subside. When he could once again move his stiff, trembling limbs, he immediately charged out without a word, heading straight for the stable where he saddled and mounted the first horse he saw, then kicking it into motion, he dashed madly out of the palace.

Everyone in the Eastern Palace was stunned by this unexpected scene, and at first, nobody reacted. Only Meng Zhi rushed out, calling for the Eastern Palace guards to accompany him as he mounted a horse to follow closely after Xiao Jingyan.

Footnote:

*This is just an approximate translation. There were too many terms and details which I was unfamiliar with and I was more interested to get on with the storyline. PLUS, the drama does a better job with the visuals! “Danbu” refers to the red “carpet” leading up to the steps of the hall that houses the throne, while the “Danbi” refers to the red steps of the hall.

^The Chinese characters for heather is 石楠, which is exactly MCS’s father’s pseudonym, and the characters that make it up ARE the characters for “stone” and “Chinese cedar”. The Chinese character for “tree” (树) is also the same one for plants, so in this case, Lin Xie was pointing to a plant rather than a tree. I’ve used heather here (though inconsistent with the whole tree concept) because it’s probably more accurate, but when XJY asked his mother “Which Shi and which Nan”, it’s only normal for her to be specific about explaining each character. I hope that makes sense!