Who Cares – Chapter 108
Chapter 108 Ask for Advice
All of a sudden choked by Madam, Emperor Sheng Yuan was speechless for a long time, and it was hard to think of coaxing words. When he was about to continue speaking, they arrived at the Main Hall. This was the place where the important officials of the court and the imperial family kowtowed. They were all powerful figures in Yanjing. Old Master Guan and Guan Father were sitting in the first row, holding manuscripts in their hands, talking with Master Xuan Guang about something.
“This minister has seen the emperor.” Seeing that the Son of Heaven was coming, everyone hurriedly stood up and saluted, and when they caught sight of Madam Guan, who had retreated to the side, they couldn’t help but showed a surprised expression.
“Your Majesty, this is?” Old Master Guan hurriedly asked.
“Zhen want to personally write a sacrificial eulogy for the late imperial mother, but because of limited knowledge, Zhen didn’t dare to write, especially asked Madam Guan to teach Zhen. Madam’s sacrificial eulogy breaks the law of parallel rhythm, and it appears loose and yet condensed, it seems to be easiest to grasp for amateur like Zhen who have never learned the rhythmic format..” Emperor Sheng Yuan explained in earnest.
Old Master Guan suddenly realized and agreed, “If letting Your Majesty write a parallel poem, it will be really difficult for you. This minister just discussed with Master Xuan Guang that the sacrificial eulogy was originally written in remembrance of the deceased. The sincere feelings should come first, and the graceful rhyme is not as important, there is no need to pay too much attention to, just need to express all the emotions. This minister and others are best at policy theory, but if want to express emotions of the scenery, we are a little inferior, and do not dare randomly give advice.” After the words fell he looked at his granddaughter, and whispered, “Yiyi, properly teach His Majesty, don’t hide your secret.”
“How can granddaughter dare?” Guan Suyi hurriedly clasped her hands in salute, and at the end she bowed down to all the ministers, with a graceful attitude, neither humble nor arrogant.
“Madam Guan is a great talent!” The ministers said in unison, praised again and again, and then watched the emperor walk away before gathered together to speak again, without any other thought. On the contrary, Guan Father chased down the corridor and looked at them for a long time, saw the emperor deliberately slowed down, turned to let his daughter walked side by side with him, a light quickly flashed across his eyes.
When the two came to the back hall, several palace servants were carrying a huge bathtub, and another servant was adding spices to the copper stove, and wisps of green smoke swirled up, exuding a delicate and pleasant fragrance.
“Zhen was bathing and burning incense just now, and immediately rushed over when Zhen received the news that the Empress Dowager intended to embarrass you.” Emperor Sheng Yuan raised his hand, as if he wanted to draw Madam, but in the end he didn’t dare to make trouble, so he had to take her to the inner room, and invite her to the guest seat.
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for rescuing this subject woman. This subject woman is grateful.” Guan Suyi had a clear distinction between gratitude and grudges, immediately thanked him.
The two sat cross-legged on praying mats covered with thick blanket, and in front of them was a table with two sets of four treasures of the study. Perhaps because it was the sacrificial ceremony of the late Empress Dowager, Emperor Sheng Yuan’s attitude was very solemn, they had been alone for a long time, but he never done anything outside the boundaries, so Guan Suyi slowly let go her hanging heart.
“Look, Madam, this is the result of Zhen’s writing for half an hour.” He pointed to a piece of rice paper on the table. There were only two lines of words on it, and one line was scribbled out, which looked very messy.
“Zhen sat for a long time, but still don’t know what to write. Zhen don’t even know what the late imperial mother looks like, so how can Zhen write a memorial?” His resolute face showed a hint of fragility, and he sincerely cupped his hands in obeisance, “Please, Madam, teach Zhen.”
Guan Suyi couldn’t guard against an orphan who was heartbroken and missed his mother, let alone a student who humbly asked for advice. She took the manuscript and glanced at it, pointed out, “Although Your Majesty has never spent time with the late Empress Dowager, cannot write the sacrificial eulogy from her point of view, and let the world appreciate her through words, then how about changing the angle and start from yourself? Every moment you miss her, she also misses you in heaven; every achievement you achieve is her achievement; your greatness is her greatness; your nobleness is her nobleness, because you are the continuation of her life. So when writing about her, start from writing about you, and slowly bring in your thoughts about her, without considering whether the sentences is smooth or not, let alone whether the writing is beautiful or not, write down everything you can think of. When it finish, this subject woman will only polish it a little for Your Majesty, and that’s it. If the late Empress Dowager is still alive, what she wants to listen to is what you really want to tell her.”
Emperor Sheng Yuan thought for a moment, and suddenly realized, “What Madam said is true! The late imperial mother passed away when Zhen was just born. Zhen has never been with her for more than half a day, and Zhen has never seen her appearance and smiling face, but Zhen know that her love for Zhen is no less than any mother, no, maybe even heavier. Without her, there would be no Zhen. When Zhen was young, Zhen saw the mother wolf feeding the little wolf and the mother monkey hugging the little monkey, Zhen’s heart always felt stuffy and painful, but didn’t know why. It wasn’t until Zhen met imperial sister and learned that Zhen is a human, not a beast, only then finally realized that the feeling is called loss, pain, and yearning. Since that day, Zhen thought that in the future Zhen would go out of the mountain to find Zhen’s mother. What kind of character is she, what does she look like and why did she abandon Zhen? These obsessions troubled Zhen, and they also inspire Zhen. Zhen go on expeditions everywhere, isn’t it to find her?”
His eyes were slightly red, and tears were twinkling in his eyes, but it never fell. He crushed the rice paper with one hand, clenched the other hand into a fist, and pressed it on the table with extreme restraint, making the wood emitted a creaking squeak from heavy burden.
Guan Suyi couldn’t bear it, and quickly changed the subject, “Your Majesty, write, what you just said is very good. Instead of writing sacrificial eulogy, we will write a letter, record everything you want to say to the late Empress Dowager, and burn it for her. Over the years, the only person she has been worried about is you, and she must be very happy to hear from you. No matter how many scriptures you recite or how much sesame oil money you give, it will not be able to match your heart.” She then pour in some water on the ink stone, and slowly grind the ink.
Emperor Sheng Yuan turned to look at her, his clenched fists suddenly loosened, his grief-stricken expression softened slightly, and he said in a hoarse voice, “Madam is really smart and thoughtful. After racking the brain and sitting dry for half a day, Zhen still couldn’t even write two sentences. Zhen will write a letter for late imperial mother, after finishing the draft, Zhen will ask Madam to revise it for Zhen.”
“Your Majesty is overpraised, this subject woman will do her best.” Guan Suyi polished the ink, picked a sheep hair brush of moderate thickness, and handed it over with both hands.
Emperor Sheng Yuan took the brush and looked at her deeply before he began to write. At first, the writing was a little blocked, but it gradually became smoother. The more he wrote, the more his brush flew. His tide of thought was bubble up, once it gets started there’s no stopping it. Tears rolled down with the deep emotions, smudging the handwriting; In grief and anger, he gnashed teeth, the strength penetrated the back of the paper; In sorrow and despair, he had no more words and could only abandon the brush, he then cover his face with his hands, and stay still for a long time.
Guan Suyi didn’t know if he was crying, but she knew that he was definitely not calm at this moment, but she didn’t urge or comfort him in the slightest, just sat quietly and waited.
Baifu couldn’t stand it any longer, and went forward with red eyes, intending to comfort, but Madam Guan gave him a stern look, so he had to retreat.
After half a quarter of an hour, Emperor Sheng Yuan finally put down his hand, his face was expressionless, actually couldn’t tell whether it was sadness and joy. Guan Suyi then picked up the brush, dipped the ink again, and said softly, “Go ahead.”
Emperor Sheng Yuan didn’t say a word, but he took the brush obediently and continue to write. He abandoned the brush a few times after that, seemed to be difficult to restraint his sadness. But every time it was picked up by Madam, and put it back into his hand, repeatedly, After half an hour, the sacrificial eulogy was finally written.
“Madam, Zhen’s heart is so painful.” He clutched his chest and hissed.
Guan Suyi took out an embroidered handkerchief, stuffed it into his hand, and sighed, “Your Majesty, wipe your tears. This subject woman understands how you feel, and only by surviving this experience can you completely let go.”
Emperor Sheng Yuan clenched the cinnamon-rich handkerchief tightly, but was reluctant to wipe his tears. For some reason, he felt much more relaxed, and he no longer felt overwhelmed by painful memories.
Guan Suyi took over the manuscript and read it slowly. Although she had already learned of his tragic experience, she was horrified after getting a deeper understanding. There were purgatory on earth,
; There were also fathers and sons fighting against each other, betrayed and deserted; Even more there were tears of grief, foretell how he wanted to take his own life. If she hadn’t seen this manuscript, just from the appearance, she would always think that Hunnar was indestructible.But how could there be indestructible person in this world? Step by step from the dust to the top, the suffering and harm that he had endured were often unimaginable to ordinary people.
Through the manuscript, her perception of Hunnar was once again subverted. She pitied his painful experience, and admired his bravery and unyielding character. It was not by luck that he could have today. By the end, her cheeks were wet with tears, and she was unable to calm down for a long time.
Emperor Sheng Yuan hid the handkerchief that Madam gave him in his arms, and then took out his own handkerchief from his sleeve pocket and handed it over, comfortingly said, “Madam, don’t cry, everything is over. Zhen has already let go, can’t you let go too?”
Guan Suyi hurriedly accepted the handkerchief to wipe her face, and said in a hoarse voice, “Your writing is very good, very good, far better than mine.” She then stood up, walked to the opposite side of the table, and knelt down cautiously, “Your Majesty’s sacrificial eulogy is unparalleled in the world. If you asked this subject woman, there is no need to change a word or a sentence. However, you are the emperor, and this sacrificial eulogy is not only a sacrificial eulogy, but also an edict, so many places cannot be stated, and many places need to be embellished, even many words must be hidden.”
Emperor Sheng Yuan seemed to have anticipated it, and immediately went around the table to support Madam, and said softly, “You can change whatever you want. Zhen’s words are not only about oneself, but also about the country system, Zhen understand.”
Guan Suyi breathed a sigh of relief and comforted, “Then consider this manuscript Your Majesty, as a son, writing to his mother, and not as the emperor writing to the late Empress Dowager. After this subject woman copied it, you can burn it for the late Empress Dowager, and the words she wanted to hear have already been heard.”
Emperor Sheng Yuan finally showed his first smile today, stretched out his hand to help Madam up, invite her back to sit behind the table, with a respectful attitude, “Then troubling Madam to copy it again, and then modify and polish it.”
Guan Suyi nodded in agreement, spread out the rice paper and carefully copied it, her eyes began to turn red as she wrote, and star-dotted teardrops were hanging on her eyelashes, looking very pitiful and cute. Emperor Sheng Yuan’s painful heart had long since recovered, placing one hand on the table and the other on his forehead, staring intently at Madam through the gap between his fingers. He thought that recalling the past was the most painful moment, but because Madam was by his side, he tasted a lot of sweetness after the pain.
If can have Madam to accompany in this life, how happy will it be? Mother’s spirit in heaven will also be happy about it, right? She was so strong and brave, if she’s still alive, she would definitely like a daughter-in-law like Madam.
I like how in a way this chapter encompass companionship – the being there as one works through their emotions, the slight push so that you can let it all out, the silent support by ona another’s side…
Ahhh Hunnar is hopefully winning his girl over by his deep feelings and sincerity. He doesn’t demand benefits just because he’s the Emperor.
Thanks for the chapter
I don’t care how tragic the Emperor’s past was, it doesn’t make me feel any better about the way he treats Guan Suyi. Just further cements my belief that she should distance herself as far as possible from him.
Thank you for the chapter!
I think it’s better for her to be the Emperor’s bestfriend and confidant, but this is ancient china, not modern, so my hope is futile as there is no close friendship (and it’s also unacceptable) between man and woman in the ancient china.