Chapter 5: Chapter 1

Jinling, the imperial capital of the Great Liang.

Rich in treasures and vibrant with royal aura, even the city gates here were different from those elsewhere, exceptionally towering and solid. Amidst the endless stream of people entering the city, a carriage with a green canopy and two shafts was inconspicuously tucked into the flow, swaying slowly until it came to a halt a few paces from the gate.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a young man in moon-white robes with a clear, refined countenance jumped down. He walked forward a few steps, tilted his head, and gazed intently at the two characters "Jinling" inscribed above the gate.

The two riders in front of the carriage noticed something unusual behind them. They turned their heads to look, then turned their horses around and galloped back together. Both were dressed like noble young masters and were of similar age. The one in the lead asked from a distance, "Brother Su, what is the matter?"

Mei Changsu did not answer. He remained in his posture of looking up at the gate, his expression frozen and still. His black hair was stirred by the wind, with a few strands falling loosely across his pale cheeks, giving his entire person an air of profound vicissitudes and sorrow.

"Is Brother Su tired?" The other man also rode up close and asked with concern, "We are almost there; you can have a good rest today."

"Jingrui, Xie Bi," a faint smile brushed across Mei Changsu’s colorless lips, "I just wanted to stand here a little longer... I haven't been here for so many years; I never imagined that Jinling City would remain almost entirely unchanged. Once inside the gates, it will likely still be a scene of splendor and high-ranking officials, won't it..."

Xiao Jingrui was slightly stunned and asked, "Why, has Brother Su been to Jinling before?"

"Fifteen years ago, I studied under the old master Li Chong here in Jinling. Ever since he was demoted and left the capital, I have never returned." Mei Changsu let out a long, melancholy sigh and closed his eyes, as if to wipe away the vanity before him. "Thinking of my late teacher, I cannot help but lament that the past is like smoke and dust, as if clouds have scattered and water has dried up—how could there ever be a day to return?"

At the mention of the great scholar, the late Master Li, both Xiao Jingrui and Xie Bi could not help but look solemn.

Li Chong was a grandmaster of unparalleled learning. Although he had been summoned to the court to tutor the princes, he never forgot to set up a lecture platform outside the palace walls. Those who studied under him included both the wealthy and the humble, without distinction, and for a time, his reputation was unmatched. However, for reasons unknown, he offended the Emperor, was demoted from his position as Grand Tutor to a commoner, left the capital in indignation, and died in depression. It was truly a pain in the hearts of scholars throughout the land. During their journey to Jinling with Mei Changsu, both Xiao Jingrui and Xie Bi had felt that this "Brother Su" possessed unfathomable knowledge and must have a significant background, but they had not expected him to have been a student of that old master.

"If the late Master Li knows of this in the afterlife, he would not want to see you grieving for him and harming your health," Xiao Jingrui whispered in persuasion. "Your health is poor, and we invited you to Jinling to relax and recover. If you remain so despondent, it makes us, your friends, feel quite uneasy."

Mei Changsu was silent for a long moment before slowly opening his eyes. "Do not worry. Since I have arrived at the gates of the royal capital, I simply had to mourn the bitterness of my late teacher, whose loyalty was thwarted and who was forced to leave the capital in sorrow. There is no reason to remain drowned in grief. I am fine; let us enter the city."

It was near dusk. The day markets had closed and the night markets had not yet begun, leaving the streets somewhat quiet. The three of them soon arrived in front of a magnificent mansion; the plaque reading "Marquis of Ning’s Residence" hung high and was very conspicuous.

"Oh, hurry inside and announce it! The eldest young master and the second young master are back!" It happened to be the time when the servants were busy lighting lamps everywhere. A sharp-eyed manservant turned his head, caught sight of them, and immediately shouted aloud while coming forward to pay his respects.

The three of them dismounted and stepped out of the carriage, entering the gates of the Marquis’s residence with the guests in front and the host behind. Upon entering, they were met with a spirit wall, on which the four characters "Pillar of the State" were written in the Emperor's own hand.

"Uncle Qin, where are Father and Mother?" Xiao Jingrui asked an old servant who had hurried out to meet them.

"The Marquis is in the study, but the Marchioness is observing Buddhist rites today and will be staying overnight at the Princess’s residence."

"Then where are my father and mother? And my eldest brother and sister Qi?"

"Master Zhuo and Madam Zhuo have already returned to Fenzuo, and Master Zhuo the younger and the eldest young lady have gone with them."

Listening to their exchange from the side, Mei Changsu could not help but laugh. "It really is confusing—all this talk of fathers and mothers, and since you don't share a surname with any of your brothers, anyone who doesn't know would be dizzy just listening."

"Anyone who doesn't know would certainly be dizzy, but Jingrui’s life story is a legend in its own right; there are very few who don't know it."

"Xie Bi, you are always so disrespectful. Call me eldest brother." Xiao Jingrui deliberately stiffened his face, and the three of them burst into laughter together.

However, jokes aside, Xie Bi was right. Because Xiao Jingrui’s background was so bizarre and involved both the noble Marquis of Ning’s residence and the renowned Tianquan Manor of the pugilistic world, it was indeed known to everyone in the court and the public.

Twenty-four years ago, the Marquis of Ning, Xie Yu, left his pregnant wife—the current Emperor’s sister, Grand Princess Liyang—to lead a military campaign in Xixia. That same year, Zhuo Dingfeng, the master of the pugilistic family Tianquan Manor, also sent his own pregnant wife to Jinling to be cared for by friends while he went to the Miao border to duel a master of the Demonic Cult. As fate would have it, a sudden outbreak of an epidemic, known among the common folk as "Throat-Lock," occurred. To escape the plague, the high officials in the city fled to nearby quiet mountain temples to avoid disaster, and the wives of the Xie and Zhuo families happened to stay in the east and west courtyards of the same temple.

Because the mountains were lonely, the two ladies began to interact. Finding each other to be of similar temperament, they often sat and talked together. One day, as they were chatting and playing chess, they both suddenly went into labor. Outside, thunder roared and a storm raged. The accompanying servants were in a state of panicked confusion until late at night, when the cries of infants finally rang out; the two boys were born almost one after the other.

Amidst the joy, the midwives carried the two precious young masters to a large wooden tub prepared in the outer room to bathe them.

It was then that the accident happened.

A hollow cypress tree in the temple courtyard was struck by lightning, and a thick branch snapped off with a roar, crashing onto the roof of the delivery room. In an instant, tiles shattered, beams twisted, and the window lattices were shaken loose. A fierce wind swept in, extinguishing all the candles in the room, and screams filled the air. The guards and maids scrambled to rescue the two ladies, and the midwives, terrified and falling to the ground, scrambled in the darkness to fish the infants out of the tub and flee.

Fortunately, there was no danger, and no one was hurt. After the mothers were resettled in another room, everyone had just breathed a sigh of relief when they suddenly discovered a major problem.

The two baby boys, who had been carried out in the dark, were naked, wrinkled in the same way, crying with their mouths open in the same way, of similar weight, and with similar features. Which one was born to Madam Xie, and which one to Madam Zhuo?

By the next day, the problem became even more grave, for one of the baby boys had died.

Since Madam Xie was the current Grand Princess, the matter inevitably reached the ears of the Emperor. The Emperor issued a decree ordering both families to bring the infants into the palace and sent imperial physicians to perform a blood-matching test. To everyone's surprise, the infant's blood was compatible with everyone's, showing no difference at all. Looking at the faces of the two pairs of parents, the Emperor knew the matter would be difficult to resolve.