Thousand Autumns

Whether Yu Xiu was really entangled with Lord Jin, Shen Qiao wasn’t sure, perhaps Yan Wushi simply found him annoying, these were all trivial details, the important thing was that Yan Wushi’s words revealed a startling bit of news: that Tujue, the Buddhist sects, Lord Jin, these three were connected, it made Shen Qiao realize something he hadn’t before.

The current crown prince Yang Yong did not align with Buddhism, he preferred to converse and debate with Ru scholars, the Buddhist sects did not want to see their influence confined only to Yang Jian’s generation, so they had to hedge their bets on the next generation, they sent their best disciples to establish ties with Lord Jin, it was not an unusual gesture, if it wasn’t for the fact that Shen Qiao did not like Lord Jin’s character, perhaps he would have liked to see Shiwu and Yuwen Song friendly with the crown prince or Lord Jin.

The unusual thing was, Yu Xiu had Tujue blood, and the Buddhist sects likely had not realized this fact, which may lead people to wonder.

Shen Qiao, deep in thought: “Could it be a coincidence?”

Yan Wushi: “Yu Xiu lost his mother at age five, entered Tiantai Sect at age seven, Ronghe Village is separated from the outer regions by a mere wall, every year they’d be subject to Tujue’s skirmishes, Yu Xiu’s origins are no secret, the year he turned six, Ronghe Village suffered a massive drought, many people succumbed, those left were displaced, and it’s because of this that Bian Yanmei could follow the evidence trail to reveal all this.”

“What’s even more interesting,” Yan Wushi said, “when the drought happened, he was no longer in Ronghe Village.”

Shen Qiao knew there was more to the story, and patiently waited for the other to continue.

Yan Wushi: “After his mother died, the village people bullied him, one night he disappeared, even in the Ronghe Village drought after, he did not reappear, the villagers assumed that after he left he either starved to death or was carried off by wild beasts.”

Shen Qiao: “A small child, a thousand li from north to south, safely arriving at Tiantai Sect, this is quite an impossible task, unless someone helped him along the way.”

Yan Wushi: “The one who helped him, was Yuwen-shi.”

Shen Qiao: “Which Yuwen-shi?”

Yan Wushi: “Princess Dayi.”

Shen Qiao was surprised.

Princess Dayi was the princess of northern Zhou, at the time of the regime change she’d already been married into Tujue, as the wife of Tujue’s Ishbara Qaghan, at Yuwen-shi’s urging Tujue had a battle with the new Sui dynasty, Tujue lost, last year after Ishbara’s death, following Tujue custom she married Tulan Qaghan, currently she was still the Tujue Khatun.

Yan Wushi: “Yuwen-shi sees Yang Jian as the traitor who overturned Zhou, she wants him dead as soon as possible, but currently she doesn’t hold enough power, and had to bow her head to Yang Jian in the interim, plotting for the future in the dark, this Yu Xiu, is but one of her pieces on the board in the grand scheme.”

Yuwen-shi towards Yang Jian harboured personal and political resentment, fanning the flames of Tujue’s declaration of war against Sui proved futile, but her ties to Yu Xiu proved that she would not rest easy, she would only alter her strategy, using more covert tactics to shake up the foundation of Sui.

The current Sui was flourishing, if they were to declare war against Chen, leading troops south, victory would be imminent, the vision of Sui unifying the region was on the horizon, Tujue was undergoing internal strife, at the moment they had no potential to counter Sui, but the inner workings of Sui also had its weak points, for example between Yang Jian’s two sons, Yang Jian and Dugu-shi’s preference for the younger son, Yang Guang’s own ambitions, for the position of crown prince there would inevitably a struggle.

If Yu Xiu could stay by Yang Guang and plot a way forward, help him win the throne, he’d be certain to win Yang Guang’s trust, then gradually, step by step gain more influence with Yang Guang.

Logically, if Yang Jian’s generation could achieve unity in the region, then what the next sovereign should do would be to consolidate Yang Jian’s hard-won spoils, draw in the different factions, but with Yang Guang’s personality, it’d be unlikely he would settle for being a conservative ruler, if there was someone then that could fan the flames, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine the direction things were headed in.

Shen Qiao in these years had been immersed in all sorts of matters, and he understood the inner mechanisms of these events, now he was lost in thought, finally he inhaled sharply: “What a plan: every step measured, the water forms the canal!”

Cuihuashan, on the outskirts of the capital, the two of them stood at the summit on a precipice, against the wind, they looked towards the capital.

Here there were strange rock outcroppings, the mountain inclined stiffly, no matter how beautiful the scenery on Cuihuashan, most nobles and officials had their residences built at the mountainbase or mid-way, so up here there were few signs of human life, but on account of the plentiful greenery, the distant birdsong, it didn’t feel forlorn.

Below them, the landscape was exquisite, since Yang Jian’s ascension, Chang’an grew increasingly prosperous, its golden era was in sight, Shen Yan these two however had already forseen what was to come in the next few decades.

Yan Wushi stood with his hands clasped behind him, said blandly: “This is no small scheme of Yuwen-shi, but even if she’s able to overturn Sui so what, there’s no one left in the Yuwen family that can restore their country, just by herself as a woman married off to Tujue, it’s an empty threat!”

Shen Qiao sighed: “For the populace this peace was hard to come by, I really do hope it isn’t disturbed.”

Yan Wushi: “Yang Jian is a capable leader, but Sui’s fortune will likely not persist past two generations.”

Shen Qiao, surprised: “How can you be so certain?”

Yan Wushi asked him instead: “A-Qiao didn’t say anything contrary, doesn’t that mean you agree with what I said?”

Shen Qiao: “Xuandushan as a hundred-year Daoist sect has some knowledge when it comes to the reading of faces, I’ve examined Yang Yong’s face, prosperous to be sure, but not the face of a sovereign, Yang Guang may have the emperor’s sign in abundance, measures of the same, but…”

He shook his head, and did not continue.

Yan Wushi smiled: “There’s no need for face reading, see, if someone wanted to overthrow Sui, they must find a way for Yang Guang to ascend the throne, Yang Guang’s character is very different from Yang Yong, after he ascends he will pursue grand ambitions, when the time comes it can be Yu Xiu or any other cat or dog, as long as a war happens externally, it will drain the country’s finances, leading to dissatisfaction at the lowest rungs of society, and with Yang Jian having revised the imperial examination system, the nobles are already offended, so when the time comes the nobles and peasants will rise together against the emperor, where would this dynasty find the luck to survive, a changeover is to be expected.”

Shen Qiao was struck by his description of the events to come, he was silent for a long time.

All of this sounded alarming, but it wasn’t impossible.

Yan Wushi had never taken up a role in court, but his judgement was scathing, it’d be rare to find an equivalent in the world, and the more advanced Shen Qiao’s cultivation, the more accomplished he was in divination, the strand of fate that he had caught a glimpse of matched up exactly with what Yan Wushi had said.

Shen Qiao: “A lifetime two fortunes three fengshui, fate cannot be altered, but luck comes later, it’s not all inevitable.”

Yan Wushi: “If Yang Guang is willing to stay honest, and not harbour any will against us, even if it’s him that ascends the throne, Huanyue Sect can continue to work with him, but if he resents us for not willing to establish close ties now, and seek out revenge, then all of the perils lying in wait around him now will sink their teeth into him.”

Shen Qiao, in realization: “So that’s why you haven’t moved against Yu Xiu!”

Yan Wushi smiled: “That’s right, looking at it from this angle, Yu Xiu’s origins, what does it have to do with you and I?”

Shen Qiao slowly let out a breath, and let his eyes wander back to the far horizon.

Huanyue Sect followed Yang Jian’s orders, but they had a working relationship, and not one of subordination, Yang Jian was very aware of this, so he and Yan Wushi worked well together, Yan Wushi was happy to help him eliminate inconveniences and threats, but if Yang Jian’s successor did not understand this point, Yan Wushi’s character was not one to dwell on past sentiments.

If possible, Shen Qiao hoped for peace in the world, that there would never be again the chaos of war and displacement, that commonfolk could live out their lives undisturbed.

But he was also aware that this was impossible.

Just as a person had a lifespan, dynasties had their own lifespan, Sui’s span was perhaps a hundred years, or fifty, this was not decided at its founding, but with the decisions made by each generation’s sovereign, fortune and disaster countering each other, that lifespan would start to change, affecting the rise and fall of this dynasty.

What Yang Jian left to his descendants, how would that measure up in the span of the Sui dynasty?

Shen Qiao couldn’t help but think.

He thought he finally managed to assist a capable sovereign to the throne, but perhaps this was only the beginning.

Shen Qiao felt some regret, but it abated quickly.

Tides waxed and waned, clouds curled and unravelled, flowers bloomed and withered, it had been thus since the creation of the world, facing it all with equanimity, one could stand undefeated.

“What are you thinking?” Yan Wushi asked.

Shen Qiao smiled: “I’m thinking of taking a trip down south soon, I hear at the southernmost tip there are interesting rock formations, as if they were the corner of sky and sea, a most remarkable view, one can even see the vast and majestic tides, it must be very beautiful.”

Yan Wushi raised a brow: “Shen-daozhang will go alone?”

Shen Qiao: “Would Yan-zongzhu be willing to accompany this poor one?”

Yan Wushi: “This venerable one will think about it.”

Shen Qiao found this extremely funny, his mouth curved into a smile.

In the distance, the broad and open skies, a bright vitality, the beautiful landscape continued on.

This was the beginning of a dynasty, and also the beginning of an era.

There would be struggle and chaos, but also burning brilliance.

…

A number of years ago.

Xuandushan.

“I’m older than you, you have to call me shixiong!” Yu Ai had hold of Shen Qiao’s clothes and wasn’t willing to let go, Shen Qiao tried valiantly to walk away, but Yu Ai was like a tail behind him, the two of them one in front one behind entered the hall.

“No, Xuandushan rules state the order is from the time the disciple enters training, I am the shixiong!” Young Shen Qiao was kind, but on this point he refused to budge.

A tearing sound, Yu Ai used too much force, and had torn Shen Qiao’s clothes.

The two of them were immediately struck dumb.

Seeing Shen Qiao’s rapidly reddening eyes, Yu Ai didn’t know what to do: “I, I didn’t do it on purpose!”

Shen Qiao choked back a sob: “These clothes were made by shizun…”

A warm hand settled on his head and patted it, the other knelt down, and embraced both Shen Qiao and Yu Ai.

“What happened?”

Like seeing a family member, Shen Qiao burrowed his head into the other’s shoulder, crying: “Yu Ai ripped my clothes.”

Yu Ai knew he was in the wrong, lowered his head and didn’t speak.

Qi Fengge, a comforting smile: “It’s ok, it’s only split in one place, this teacher will mend it for you, today your Lin-shibo’s disciple, Zhou-shixiong is headed down the mountain to train, you two go send him off on my behalf, wipe your tears quickly!”

Shen Qiao was a good kid, hearing this he hurriedly wiped his tears with his sleeve, he raised his head and asked: “Will Zhou-shixiong be in any danger going down the mountain?”

Qi Fengge: “No, your Zhou-shixiong’s wugong is enough for self-preservation, our Xuandushan doesn’t wade into external affairs, but if a disciple requests to leave the mountain for training, it’s up to them, it’s not mandatory to train on the mountain all the time.”

Shen Qiao Yu Ai hearing this, had expressions of envy.

In their eyes, if someone could leave the mountain to train, it meant they were very accomplished already.

“Shizun, in the future would I be able to descend the mountain to train like Zhou-shixiong?”

Qi Fengge smiled: “Of course, just wait until you are fifteen, then you can make a request to descend the mountain. When you leave the mountain, what would you both like to do?”

Yu Ai snuck a glance at Shen Qiao, then averted his eyes quickly, in a quiet voice he said: “I want to leave the mountain to make money, and buy tangren for A-Qiao, make him happy, so he’s no longer mad at me.”

Truly a child’s words, Qi Fengge couldn’t hold back his smile.

“And what about A-Qiao?”

Shen Qiao considered this: “I might use the wugong that shizun taught me, to help the good guys, beat bad guys. But can I only leave the mountain for a month before I come back?”

How to distinguish between the good and the bad, more child talk, but Qi Fengge wasn’t disappointed, instead he inquired warmly: “Why return after only a month?”

Shen Qiao was a bit embarrassed: “Because I don’t want to be apart from shizun and shixiongdi for too long, I want everyone to stay together happily every day, for a long time.”

The wind swept past, the blooming tree swayed, these words were left in the passing years.

Trees do not speak, the sentiments remain.

—The End—

The author would like to say:

The last section was a timeskip, like a memory, not its own extra.

Most likely, <Qianqiu> main text and extras will end here, thank you everyone who has walked alongside these jianghu hours.

Sword glint and shadow, we will not age, sentiment remains.

See you in the next.