When Ran Qingchen’s gaze fell upon the character "Jiang," her heart could not help but ripple.
She thought of her husband, far away in the Capital.
Ran Qingchen squatted down and reached out her slender fingertips to gently pick up that half sheet of yellow paper with its face down, wishing to piece together the complete na.
However, before her fingertips could touch the scrap of yellow paper, another fierce gust of wind suddenly swept through.
The half sheet of yellow paper was caught up by the wind, once more flying toward the boundless sky, fluttering and swaying as it landed in the bamboo house courtyard... gently caught by the broad and thick blade that had co to a stop.
Li Nanshuang, who was practicing with her blade, looked at the half sheet of yellow paper that had fallen upon the blade.
The characters "Shouzhong" were visible on the paper.
The young girl shook off the yellow paper, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, and looked up at the sky.
She thought of kneading dough.
The girl in the red dress atop the mountain cliff, the woman in the green dress at the top of the city tower, the girl with the blade in the bamboo house courtyard... Their positions were just like the points of a triangle, the yellow paper fluttering like butterflies, their sentints also scattering in the wind.
...
On the street, the rapid clatter of horse hooves struck the pavent, as a troop of armored cavalry galloped past and through the city gate with a roar.
The steeds galloped as fast as flowing clouds.
The young man racing at the forefront was handso and valiant, with a striking presence and sunlight reflecting a dazzling luster off his silvery-white armor.
It was none other than Qi.
Suddenly, he yanked on the reins of his horse.
The white warhorse lifted its front hooves high, letting out an exuberant neigh, instantly halting its furious charge.
The n behind him all pulled their reins tightly, stopping in unison with remarkable coordination and discipline.
The young man’s gaze turned toward the city gate, where there was an inconspicuous roadside stall set up by an old, white-haired Taoist fortune teller. Qi rode up to the stall, cracked a smile, revealing his pearly white teeth, "Old Taoist, is your divining accurate or not?"
The elderly Taoist stroked his whiskers and chuckled, "No charge if it’s inaccurate."
Qi cocked his head, his tone filled with dismissive teasing and sarcasm, "The Zhuge family is famous throughout the world for their divination arts, and you, as the ninth generation descendant of the Zhuge family, must possess no small talent in divination. Then please, divine a fortune for ."
Zhuge Xuanji, the ninth generation descendant of the Zhuge family.
The world’s foremost diviner.
Zhuge Xuanji, praised as soone who "comprehends the mysteries of the I Ching and discerns the truth in the depths of life," smiled faintly,
"May I ask you, Qi, oh no, I should address you as the Third Prince... that’s not right, now I should honor you as the Crown Prince. May I ask, Crown Prince, for what fortune do you seek?"
Zhou Yin, the Prince of Qi!
The third Prince of Dazhou, the future Emperor of Dazhou.
Zhou Yin, whose identity had been revealed, showed no anger or surprise but casually flicked his horsewhip and threw one of the sticks from the bamboo tube onto the table in front of Zhuge Xuanji, laughing, "Let’s see, when will this ’Heaven’s Mandate’ acknowledge as its master?"
Zhuge Xuanji picked up the bamboo stick, glanced at it, then nonchalantly returned it to the tube filled with nurous similar sticks.
As Zhou Yin watched in astonishnt, the old Taoist slowly began to pack up his stall.
He carefully placed each divination instrunt back into the large bamboo basket on his back and slowly stood up, seemingly ready to finish work and leave.
Two cavalryn tried to stop him, but Zhuge Xuanji’s figure shimred past them like an apparition, and by the ti they focused again, he was already ten feet away.
Zhuge Xuanji’s long sleeves fluttered as he chanted aloud:
"Heaven and earth are heartless, treating all living beings as straw dogs; saints are heartless, treating people as straw dogs. Between heaven and earth, is it not like a bellows? Empty yet inexhaustible, the more it moves, the more it yields. Much talk leads to exhaustion, better to maintain the central harmony..."
Zhou Yin narrowed his eyes, gripping the reins just a tad tighter.
"Better to... maintain the central harmony?"
——
[End of Volu One]
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