Chapter 126: Empress Xiao Gu, Part Two

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The reality was far more wretched than Luo Gan had imagined. She had, after all, once been the empress of the previous dynasty, yet nowhere along the way had there been the slightest sign of her status. The phrase that sprang to Luo Gan’s mind was, “When the tiger falls into the plains, even dogs dare to bully it.” There might have been a more fitting expression, but this one suited the scene well enough.

The crumbling dirt road had never been repaired. The passersby showed no reverence whatsoever, let alone any sense of happiness. Their faces were sallow and gaunt, their lives plainly ground down by hardship. There were no guards stationed outside Empress Xiao’s residence. A servant was merely sweeping snow from the doorway.

Xiaozhi and Yanshan asked several pedestrians to confirm that this was indeed the empress’s residence. Only then did Luo Gan reluctantly believe it.

The dignified old woman wore neither grief nor joy upon her face. When she heard that visitors had arrived outside, she seemed only mildly surprised.

Though Empress Xiao was already in her sixties, her speech remained extraordinary. The royal bearing within her had not been extinguished by poverty; what impressed people most was her unyielding composure and quiet dignity.

“Were you sent by my eighth brother?” Empress Xiao asked.

Luo Gan was somewhat puzzled, but Yanshan answered on their behalf.

“Yes. The Duke of Song sent us.”

Empress Xiao smiled faintly and instructed her maid, Wan’er, to bring them hot water at once and warmly receive these honored guests who had come from so far away.

“I never imagined that, in my lifetime, there would still be someone who kept me in his thoughts.”

A dim light flickered in the old woman’s eyes, mingled with tears of emotion.

Luo Gan thought there was no time to lose and presented the envelope to Empress Xiao. A servant beside her rose to receive it, but Empress Xiao stopped her.

“No need. My guests have traveled a great distance, surely enduring heavy snow and the threat of the northerners. It cannot have been an easy journey. I will take it myself.”

The envelope passed from one hand to the other. In that instant, Luo Gan seemed to sense the old woman’s sorrow, conveyed through the lingering warmth in her hand.

Empress Xiao gave Luo Gan a courteous smile. Unsure what expression to wear, Luo Gan looked thoroughly flustered and hurriedly withdrew. Empress Xiao then settled herself beside the armrest table and began reading the letter.

Before long, the lines between her brows eased slightly. She let out a long breath. The servant watched her face intently, and Empress Xiao nodded.

“It is all right. Anyone who comes to the dwelling of a fallen old woman like me cannot be here to harm us. What storms have we not weathered?”

“Is it good news from the Great Tang?” Wan’er asked.

Empress Xiao nodded. “My eighth brother has always been this way. He reports only good news, never bad. He says that all is well, and that the Great Tang will send an envoy to do everything possible to mediate and bring peace between the two sides.”

“We are still the imperial family, whether in the past or now,” Wan’er said.

Empress Xiao rebuked her sharply. “You have eyes of your own. Surely you understand how great the difference is between our imperial family then and now. The emperor has been reduced to the Prince of Sui, and with the Prince of Sui, Sui itself has perished. What remains is only an empty name. Is that not the height of irony?”

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Luo Gan found herself in an awkward position and did not wish to say too much. She only felt that seeing the two of them quarrel was far from pleasant.

“There are many former officials of the Sui dynasty now serving in the Tang court, and quite a few have been entrusted with important positions. In my opinion, seeking refuge with the Tang is not necessarily a bad choice.”

Wan’er looked deeply aggrieved and turned her reproach on Luo Gan.

“It was all because of people like you! Now you want to pretend to be kind and take us in. Hypocrites!”

The servant spoke without restraint. Although Empress Xiao repeatedly tried to stop her, she never ordered her to leave. Luo Gan wondered whether the servant’s words reflected the very concerns that troubled Empress Xiao herself—concerns she could not voice openly.

“The realm has been torn apart by endless conflict. I imagine everyone understands the truth. The only questions are who delivered the final blow, and who will become the next master of the house. If blame must be assigned, it should be placed on Yuwen Huaji. That is the true enemy with whom we share an undying hatred. The Great Tang has risen to defend the state and its people. I believe it is acting in accordance with Heaven’s will; otherwise, the hearts of the realm would never have turned toward it.”

Empress Xiao let out a long sigh, as though years of pent-up anguish had finally found an outlet.

“You say that, in those days, when that girl told Yang Guang that rebels had risen outside, she went to him because she wished to protect him, yet she was beheaded instead. She should not have been killed.”

“Mother told me about it,” Wan’er said. “She said that at the time you told the emperor he was troubled enough already, and that he should not hear anything that would add to his burdens.”

Empress Xiao gazed at the sky beyond the window, lost in thought.

“We were abandoned by our age. From the moment we set out upon that road, we all understood, without saying so, that we were walking toward our own destruction.”

The atmosphere grew exceedingly somber. Xiaozhi and Yanshan naturally had no place in such a discussion, yet Empress Xiao showed no intention of letting them depart early. Everyone present could already discern the true purpose of the letter.

“Since the Duke of Song sent us here, he must be concerned for your safety, Your Majesty. Please do not worry.”

Empress Xiao seemed very pleased, though a trace of sorrow returned to her expression.

“Back then, Princess Yicheng led us here out of a desire to protect us. Now I do not know whether that was a blessing or a tragedy. I am old and cannot travel back with you. I only hope that, within my lifetime, I may be reunited with my family. Wait here for a little while. I shall return shortly.”

Wan’er supported Empress Xiao toward the rear room. Luo Gan looked at Xiaozhi and Yanshan, and the three of them breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Our mission is half complete. All that remains is to make it safely back to the Great Tang.”

Xiaozhi sighed with emotion. “Empress Xiao truly is a tragic figure. In a single morning, her country was destroyed and her name stripped away.”

Yanshan said, “Brother Xiaozhi, you certainly have a way with words. Have you considered staying in Dingxiang City and pursuing an official title?”

“Stop making fun of me. Do you really think one can pursue office here? If the city falls one day, I will be among the first dragged out and executed as a warning to others.”

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As they spoke, Xiaozhi and Yanshan began shivering uncontrollably. The cold wind outside was biting, and drafts howled through the corridors.

The three men laughed together, and Wan’er hurried back.

“Please trouble the three of you to return this letter to the Duke of Song. Her Majesty says that you may rest here for a few days and resume your journey once the weather clears.”

Luo Gan was just about to refuse when Xiaozhi and Yanshan accepted the offer enthusiastically.

Elsewhere in Anping County, Physician Du received the news and hurried home. There he found Erhu and Uncle De rushing toward him in a panic.

“What has happened to make you so alarmed?” Physician Du asked.

“Physician Du, this is terrible!” Erhu cried. “A fire has swept through our village below Anping. The houses have all burned down!”

Physician Du was startled. He glanced at the sky. Fortunately, it was still winter. Had such a disaster struck during spring planting or the autumn harvest, it would have been utterly devastating.

“Why have you not reported this to Minister Liu? There is nothing I can do for you here.”

“We already went to see Minister Liu,” Uncle De explained, “but he was not at home. We were told he had gone to the capital on urgent business.”

“Then you should go to Magistrate Wang. Disaster relief is naturally his responsibility.”

Erhu and Uncle De looked troubled. Neither of them wished to undertake such a task.

“We were both once prisoners under Magistrate Wang. If we go to report this now, I fear…”

Physician Du desperately wanted to rid himself of the matter. Ever since he had earned Minister Liu’s favor, these uncultured farmers had come knocking on his door one after another. Did they truly think that becoming an official meant becoming their servant? They clearly had no idea of their own place.

Physician Du shook his head and explained, “You can certainly find someone else to help you seek justice. Since the village has burned, the cause must be thoroughly investigated, and the true culprit found and brought to justice as soon as possible.”

“We are not most concerned with catching the culprit,” Erhu said. “It is freezing out there, and our homes are gone. Where are we supposed to live?”

Physician Du shut the door. From somewhere in the distance came a faint voice:

“When you reach the mountain, a road will appear.”