For the emperors of old, the Fengshan Sacrifices were the highest honor.
As far as Chi Wan knew, the First Emperor of Qin, Emperor Wu of Han, and the Great Magician had all performed the Fengshan Sacrifices at Mount Tai. After all, they were the titans among emperors.
However, ever since a certain Zhao, the significance of the Fengshan Sacrifices had diminished.
But in this world, there was no certain Zhao, so for an emperor, the Fengshan Sacrifices were still one of the highest honors.
Only an emperor with commendable achievements in both civil and military affairs could ascend to that highest peak to perform the grand ceremony.
It was the ninth year of the Zhengtong era. Yu Jiuzhou had been on the throne for nearly ten years—about the same if you counted from the twenty-ninth year of the Shengyuan era. She had been in power for even longer, but they would count it as nine years.
During the Zhengtong era, she had reformed the laws, the military system, the imperial examinations, and education. She had achieved military victories and expanded maritime exploration.
Numerous countries came to pay tribute, creating a magnificent scene reminiscent of all nations coming to court. Such a prosperous age was unprecedented.
Throughout history, there had been emperors outstanding in civil governance and emperors outstanding in military might, but few had excelled in both.
Examples included Emperor Wu of Han before his middle age, as well as the Second Phoenix and Zhu Di.
In truth, the current Zhengtong era of Great Zhou was quite similar to the Zhenguan era, and it had also opened up the seas.
Such accomplishments were more than enough to warrant the Fengshan Sacrifices.
At the suggestion of the ministers, and after Chi Wan confirmed that no emperor like that certain Zhao existed in this world, she felt that performing the Fengshan Sacrifices was a very worthy endeavor.
In the end, Yu Jiuzhou decided to perform the sacrifices at the highest mountain, not for any other reason than for the honor of Great Zhou.
It was like how the common people felt a sense of glory when they referred to themselves as people of the Han or Tang dynasties.
The Great Zhou of today had many foreigners, and being a citizen of Great Zhou carried a strong sense of superiority. The Fengshan Sacrifices would be the jewel in the crown, strengthening the people’s sense of belonging.
Moreover, Yu Jiuzhou felt that she and Chi Wan had done all they needed to do. Once the children were grown, they could abdicate the throne.
Her perspective had changed from before her rebirth to after.
At first, she wanted to be emperor to prove herself—to prove she would do a better job than those so-called heirs. Then, seeing the suffering of the common people, she wanted to make their lives less bitter. Now that she had achieved her goal, all she had to do was wait for her children to grow up.
Of course, they had another goal in mind: to conquer Beining and Nanyue.
On the way to the Fengshan Sacrifices, Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou had little to do. They either read or studied sand tables for amusement.
After all, certain activities were not very convenient in a carriage.
But they weren’t always in the carriage; arrangements were made to receive them at every stop.
Before their departure, the Imperial City Division had sent people to clear the route. Naturally, there were imperial lodges for them to stay in along the way.
Thanks to the construction of previous dynasties and the emperors of Great Zhou, there were numerous lodges on the route to the highest mountain. If not, they could stay in a large local residence or the government office. It was rare for them to spend the night in the carriage.
However, even if they had to, it wouldn’t have mattered. They were not people who couldn’t endure hardship.
It was just that the journey was boring, and without things like mobile phones or computers, they couldn’t play games.
Out of boredom, the two could only play chess, read, and chat.
They even had a small sand table moved into the carriage, where they discussed how to annex Beining and Nanyue.
Compared to Nanyue, they were more interested in Beining.
Looking at the sand table, Chi Wan believed that conquering Beining now would be easy, but governing it would be difficult.
“We can work to divide Beining over a long period. With prolonged separation, there will no longer be a Beining, only various tribes. Then we can win over one group and attack another. These people will either submit or leave.”
Yu Jiuzhou nodded. “But the Beining people who remain will be difficult to govern.”
Chi Wan thought for a moment. “Then we relocate them. We can move the people of Beining to different regions and move people from other places in. Finally, we’ll send civil officials to govern and push the border garrisons forward.”
“Beining is a natural pasture. It’s time for another internal conflict to arise in Beining,” Yu Jiuzhou mused.
Dongli Wu of Beining was a puppet. Their agents had used her to occupy a significant amount of territory in Beining. After all these years, no one recognized the Beining royal family anymore.
At this juncture, Dongli Wu could conveniently submit to Great Zhou.
She was a puppet. Rather than remaining in Beining as a ruler in name only, she could come to Great Zhou, be granted the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Obedience, and live out her life with her daughter.
Expanding one’s territory was a considerable temptation for any monarch.
They had opened up the seas, but they had yet to expand their land borders.
The two of them put their heads together and began to plot how to expand their territory in the future, with the main goal of making the entire world learn the language of Great Zhou.
They didn’t know how far they could conquer or if they could hold the territory, but they would conquer it first and worry about the rest later.
After all, Great Zhou now had money, grain, and soldiers, and its internal affairs were harmonious.
Great Zhou transported less of its own military provisions now; most of it was outsourced to merchants. The merchants bore the losses during transit, but those who delivered the provisions to the border on time could obtain a license for salt, tea, or sugar for the following year, though they could only choose one.
As a result, merchants vied to transport grain. In Great Zhou, these three commodities were the most profitable, far more so than grain. Moreover, establishing a good cooperative relationship with the court had more pros than cons.
Who would have known that inside this carriage, the two most powerful people in Great Zhou were huddled together, whispering about matters significant enough to change the world order.
In the imperial lodge at the foot of the highest mountain, the procession had to rest, and many rituals had to be performed.
The preliminary preparations were already complete: announcing it to the world, confirming the highest mountain as the site for the Fengshan Sacrifices, preparing the ceremony and offerings according to ancient rites, crafting the necessary ritual vessels and jade tablets, renovating the imperial lodge and the sites to be used for the ceremony, and finalizing the list of participants.
The preparations alone took half a year, which was why they had chosen autumn for the ceremony.
Upon arriving at the foot of the highest mountain, everyone had to fast and bathe. Typically, fasting would last for several days, but the Ministry of Rites had set it at three days, which was the minimum requirement.
Three days later, they would ascend the mountain to worship Heaven, descend to worship Earth, and carve a stone to commemorate their achievements, followed by subsequent procedures.
In short, the Fengshan Sacrifices required a considerable amount of time.
Although it was Yu Jiuzhou performing the sacrifices, Chi Wan was to accompany her throughout, shoulder to shoulder. As there was no precedent for this, many had objected.
Yu Jiuzhou had suppressed all opposition, believing that Chi Wan had the qualifications and ability to stand beside her for the Fengshan Sacrifices.
Chi Wan had no opinion on the matter; she would, of course, listen to her wife.
That night, the two lay in the same bed, unable to do anything. Abstinence from carnal relations was part of the requirements.
It wasn’t as if they had to do something every night. They suddenly looked at each other and instantly understood the other’s thoughts.
“How about…”
“How about…”
They both got out of bed at the same time and stealthily took out their treasured jade tablets. There were some words carved on them, clearly not yet finished.
These jade tablets were not the ones to be read during the worship of Heaven, but separate ones. Later, they would bury these tablets along with the official jade slips in the earth.
The jade tablets could be thought of as a wishing bottle, to let Heaven know their desires. What if they came true?
Yu Jiuzhou also possessed internal energy. Though not as formidable as Chi Wan’s, it was enough for her to use it to carve words.
Not even Chun Gui, Xia Qu, Qiu Lai, or Dong Ying knew about them carving these tablets. This had to be done in secret.
By the time they finished carving, it was already late at night. They hid the jade tablets, stretched, and looked at each other, feeling not the guilt of having done something wrong, but only excitement.
“My lady, you say I’m naughty, but you’re just the same,” Chi Wan couldn’t help but tease.
Yu Jiuzhou was unconcerned. “Since the highest mountain is so efficacious, it’s only natural for us to make a wish.”
So this wasn’t a misdeed; they were simply making a wish. Besides, they had carved the jade tablets with their own hands, which showed their sincerity.
Chi Wan smiled, her eyes crinkling. As time went on, she could feel Yu Jiuzhou’s personality becoming more and more open. At least in front of her, she was soft, sweet, and even mischievous.
How wonderful.
Chi Wan thought to herself: My wife is so cute.
It was a pity they had to abstain from intimacy, otherwise they could have kissed. Chi Wan felt a slight regret, but thankfully, it was only for three days.
As everyone waited, the three days finally passed, and the day of the Fengshan Sacrifices arrived. On the summit altar of the highest mountain, the Ministry of Rites had already prepared the offerings, ritual vessels, and jade slips as required by the ceremony.
Yu Jiuzhou, dressed in a magnificent black ceremonial robe, led the officials up the mountain.
Chi Wan had also exchanged her usual red python robe for a black one, the kind with gold embroidery.
Standing together, the colors of their clothes were nearly identical. That’s right, they were wearing matching outfits.
Dressed like this, ascending the mountain was certainly not easy. Behind them, the civil and military officials wore ceremonial robes and armor, respectively, which were equally heavy.
But no matter how tired they were, no one showed it. They were thrilled. They were about to witness the emperor’s highest honor. As officials of the Zhengtong era, they would be recorded in the annals of history alongside Her Majesty.
At such a solemn moment, Chi Wan did not act as she would have on a recreational hike, constantly asking Yu Jiuzhou:
“Are you tired?”
“Are you thirsty?”
“Want to rest for a bit?”
She didn’t say a word. Her expression was the same as everyone else’s—filled with reverence and solemnity as she walked up the mountain step by step.
However, she would casually touch Yu Jiuzhou’s hand, using her internal energy to help her recover her strength.
In reality, Yu Jiuzhou was in excellent health, and her cultivation of internal energy was well-established. But Chi Wan just couldn’t help but worry.
Finally, the group reached the summit. Next, Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan ascended the altar together. First was the worship of Heaven, where offerings like livestock were placed on a pyre and burned.
The smoke rising into the sky symbolized that Heaven had received the offerings.
Then, the emperor would kneel before the jade tablet. They had changed this part; kneeling was out of the question. There were historical precedents of emperors not kneeling, so it wasn’t mandatory.
Standing on the high platform, Yu Jiuzhou announced in a loud voice, “I, Yu Jiuzhou, Emperor of Zhou, devoutly proclaim to the Supreme Heavenly Emperor: Since the time of the Grand Ancestor…”
“Today, the nation is prosperous, the seas are calm, and the rivers are clear. We have cultivated virtue internally…”
The literary skills of the Hanlin Academy had always been excellent, and the text was well-written. They had reviewed the draft and found no issues. Yu Jiuzhou quickly finished reciting it.
She then placed the jade tablet into a stone coffer, which was sealed and buried in the ground.
No one saw that besides this jade tablet, another one was buried alongside it—one the two of them had carved with their own hands.
The content was simple: Today, Emperor Yu Jiuzhou and Prince Chi Wan beseech Heaven to allow us to continue our fated love for three lifetimes.
Chi Wan had asked, “Why not for all eternity?”
Yu Jiuzhou had replied, “I am already content with this one lifetime. We shouldn’t be too greedy.”
If it were possible, she would of course want that. She was just worried that asking for too much would prevent the wish from coming true.
After the jade tablet was buried, Yu Jiuzhou led the officials in rituals such as bowing.
Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou bowed, while the officials below kowtowed. This was followed by a series of ceremonies including offering incense and libations.
After completing these rituals, they had to descend the mountain to worship Earth at the altar at its foot.
The Fengshan Sacrifices were about worshipping Heaven and Earth; one couldn’t just worship Heaven and not Earth.
At the foot of the mountain was the Shan altar. The process was the same as the worship of Heaven, except that the gratitude was directed towards the Earth, praying for fertile lands and bountiful harvests.
There was still the part where a relevant document was buried in the ground. Yu Jiuzhou once again buried their hopes for their relationship.
This time, they couldn’t help but be greedy after all.
May Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan be together for all of eternity, never to be separated.
Who said the Fengshan Sacrifices could only be for reporting to Heaven and Earth? Since they could make wishes, this was their wish.
The final procedure was to carve a stone to commemorate their achievements. On the highest mountain, the accomplishments of the Zhengtong era were to be inscribed.
But their accomplishments were too numerous. Yu Jiuzhou, with a flourish of her brush, wrote: Let her merits and demerits be judged by posterity.
Then, Yu Jiuzhou looked at Chi Wan.
Chi Wan sighed helplessly and used her internal energy to carve a few words on the stone. It was embarrassing, but it felt great.
Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou are a match made in heaven.
She could already imagine that future generations would surely judge them as being love-struck fools.
The ministers who saw it: “…”
They wondered if future generations would laugh at them for having encountered such a monarch—excellent in every way, except for being overly engrossed in matters of the heart.
What did these old folks know? Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan continued to be lovey-dovey.
As long as they didn’t display their affection on formal occasions, what they did in private was their own business.
After the Fengshan Sacrifices concluded, Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou returned to the imperial lodge. Others would handle the follow-up matters, allowing the two of them to rest.
But they didn’t rest at all; instead, they were preparing things.
As Chi Wan packed, she asked, “Wife, is there anything else you need?”
That’s right, they had decided to sneak out tonight to go camping—the overnight kind. According to her observations and the calculations of the Directorate of Astronomy, there would be a meteor shower tonight.
Meteor shower or not, the starry sky from the highest mountain was worth a nighttime trip.
A young couple under the stars—just thinking about it was romantic.
“That’s enough. Just bring Xia Qu and Qiu Lai,” Yu Jiuzhou said decisively.
True, with Chun Gui, Xia Qu, Qiu Lai, and Dong Ying around, they lacked for nothing. But this time, Chun Gui and Dong Ying had remained in the capital.
They hadn’t brought any of the children with them for the Fengshan Sacrifices. Chenchen, who was already ten, was acting as regent. They had chosen Chenchen for a reason.
Chenchen had always been more interested in political affairs. Having been exposed to it alongside them, she often made surprisingly insightful remarks and was more mature in handling state matters.
At their age, being regent was just a title; in reality, the Secretariat and the Grand Secretariat did the work.
Even though it was just a title, it still made a difference. Being regent basically meant being the future crown heir, even if it wasn’t absolute.
As for Guiyi, who had been the Imperial Heir during the Shengyuan era, she preferred military texts, riding, and archery. When it came to playing with sand tables, even veteran generals might not necessarily be able to defeat her.
However, that wasn’t the reason they chose Chenchen. It was mainly because of drawing lots.
Chi Wan had prepared a container for drawing lots. Whoever drew the lot would be regent; it was all up to luck.
However, Guiyi directly forfeited. She said that sitting in the court and listening to a bunch of ministers talk would be so boring she might fall asleep, which would be too embarrassing. She wasn’t going to be regent; she’d rather spend that time riding her horse for a few laps.
Additionally, they didn’t let… no, they didn’t overlook Yuyu, pulling her in to draw lots as well.
Yuyu: “Childish.”
Chi Wan: “? And you playing with bubbles isn’t childish? Yuyu-bubbles?”
Yuyu’s reason for refusing was that she was in a hurry to conduct an experiment: making her own colored bubbles. She was using soap, white sugar, and pigments (specially extracted) to create colored bubble solution.
In truth, Yuyu didn’t just like to play; she loved conducting experiments. She enjoyed both physics and chemistry, a typical science student. Her favorite place to go was the Research Institute.
The Research Institute worked on many things, from weapons and ammunition to daily life necessities. It was the birthplace of Great Zhou’s high technology.
The so-called high technology of Great Zhou was only in comparison to the other nations of the current era, not to later generations.
In the end, with two forfeits, the matter of being regent fell to Chenchen. A magical thing happened: Chenchen directly pulled a slip of paper from the container, and on it was a √.
There were three slips of paper: one √ and two ×. It was truly a display of skill.
What was infuriating was that Chenchen left with a flourish, not forgetting to mock Chi Wan on her way out, “Childish!”
Chi Wan looked at Guiyi with expectant eyes. Surely not…
“Childish!”
Alright, three “childish” verdicts, not one less.
Yu Jiuzhou stood by, trying to stifle her laughter. Although she knew Chi Wan was doing it for fairness, to prevent any problems from arising in the sisters’ relationship, who would have thought she would receive three “childish” verdicts.
The three little ones were getting older and becoming overly serious, not nearly as fun as when they were little.
Their attitude was a result of being tricked by Chi Wan too many times when they were younger.
After Chenchen was chosen as regent, Chun Gui and Dong Ying stayed behind to watch over her and make sure she wasn’t bullied. This allowed them to come to the highest mountain for the Fengshan Sacrifices with peace of mind.
So, they had two people left with them: Xia Qu and Qiu Lai, two individuals who were not quite reliable, yet quite reliable at the same time.
Just as Chi Wan finished preparing the camping supplies, the sky outside darkened. The four of them changed into clothes suitable for travel and snuck out of the imperial lodge.
With the martial arts skills of the four of them, sneaking out was… known to some. Someone had to stay behind in the lodge to deal with any officials who might come calling.
Chi Wan and the others climbed the mountain again. Given the height of the highest mountain, climbing it twice in one day was something else.
At the summit, they found an open spot and set up a tent.
Chi Wan laid a blanket on the ground and led Yu Jiuzhou to lie down on it together. The starry sky was beautiful, so beautiful it was hard to look away.
They lay on the soft blanket, gazing at the countless stars in the sky, their minds completely captivated.
After a moment of silence, Chi Wan suddenly spoke, “Legend has it that people who watch a meteor shower together will stay together forever.”
The legend was, of course, something she had just made up. Anyway, if she said it, it existed.
Yu Jiuzhou looked at her with amusement. “You want to be with me that much?”
“Yes, I do. Very much. I want to in this life, I want to in the next life, I want to for all of eternity,” Chi Wan answered without hesitation.
“If you forget about us in your next life, then you won’t want to anymore.”
“That makes sense. Then we must do the things we want to do many more times in this life.”
Yu Jiuzhou: “Hmm?” That sounded a bit strange.
The two of them smiled with a tacit understanding. The chirping of insects from somewhere unknown had a calming effect on the heart.
Their thoughts gradually drifted, thinking of all sorts of things, chatting idly.
Even the moon was exceptionally round tonight. Moonlight spilled onto the earth, not scorching like the sun, but gentle enough, doing its best to bring a beam of light to the dark world. However faint, it was trying its hardest.
Under the vast starry sky, humanity seemed so small.
Chi Wan was immersed in the dreamlike starry sky. She had never seen such a beautiful sky even in the games she used to play. How could something created by technology compare to the beauty of reality? It wasn’t that she had never climbed mountains and seen beautiful starry skies before, but they all fell short of tonight’s.
Perhaps it was because the scenery now was not yet polluted, or perhaps it was because the person she loved was by her side.
Chi Wan turned her head and looked at Yu Jiuzhou curiously. “I once found it hard to imagine that I would meet a woman I could love with all my heart.”
“Me too.”
Yu Jiuzhou had never thought she would fall in love with someone, let alone so deeply.
The twinkling stars in the sky seemed like the beating heart of the universe. Chi Wan covered her chest. “If I can grow old with you in this life, I will have no regrets.”
The evening breeze caressed their faces, and the moonlight poured down. Their gazes met, and all the memories of the past flooded their minds.
Their acquaintance had begun with one fearing and trying to please, and the other despising and wanting to kill. Such a beginning had somehow led to a happy ending, one that had made a heart fall completely.
“Then you must stay by my side obediently from now on. If there’s any sign of you running away again, I’ll tie you to my side.”
Yu Jiuzhou’s memory went back to the time Chi Wan had run away. She remembered every detail. Perhaps one day she would tell the story to her children’s children.
Chi Wan nuzzled her shoulder. “I won’t.”
That time couldn’t really be considered running away, and besides, it was because of amnesia. It would absolutely never happen again.
Their hands were clasped tightly, fingers intertwined. They huddled close, their gazes returning to the starry sky. Such a beautiful sight should be appreciated today; once they returned to the capital in a few days, it wouldn’t be so easy to enjoy.
“You’d better not…” Her voice trembled slightly. Just speaking of it still filled her with lingering fear.
Chi Wan squeezed her hand, responding with force, “I will definitely stick to my lady’s side from now on.”
“How will you stick to me?” Yu Jiuzhou asked curiously.
Chi Wan immediately wrapped herself around Yu Jiuzhou like an octopus, leaving no gaps. She even pressed her thigh against Yu Jiuzhou’s body.
“I’ll follow you every single moment.”
She wasn’t afraid of being laughed at. What was wrong with being clingy with her wife? Some people wanted to be clingy but didn’t even have a wife.
Yu Jiuzhou was amused, her heart melting into a puddle. There were so many things she wanted to say to Chi Wan, but she felt they were too sentimental.
“You said it. You’re not allowed to go back on your word.”
She also wanted Chi Wan to be clingy with her all the time. Though it was said that one was clingy to the other, they were clearly mutually clingy.
Chi Wan nodded eagerly. “Of course.”
She would never go back on her word. If she could be clingy with her wife, she would definitely be clingy forever.
Suddenly, Chi Wan’s eyes lit up. “A meteor shower.”
They both looked up at the sky. Sure enough, in the next second, a meteor shower streaked across the starry sky, as if about to fall, one after another.
The starlight grew even more brilliant. Under the starry sky, they held each other tightly, feeling the other’s warmth and tenderness in that moment.
Yu Jiuzhou was the first to make a wish: “I am the Emperor, you are the Prince. May we never be separated.”
In this tumultuous world, never being separated was easier said than done.
At that moment, Chi Wan also spoke, “I heard that if you confess under a meteor shower, the lovers will never be separated.”
Having said that, she immediately declared, “Yu Jiuzhou, I love you.”
Yu Jiuzhou’s heart jolted, her fingers trembling slightly. She opened her mouth, but in the end, she rolled over to half-press herself against Chi Wan and kissed her fiercely.
There were many times she wouldn’t say anything. There were some words she had never said.
On this starlit night, they held each other tightly, as if to merge into one another, never to be parted again.
Their meeting was filled with fantasy; it was truly two people from different worlds coming together.
As they kissed, Yu Jiuzhou felt tears of joy slide down her cheeks. Her voice trembled even more. “I… I love you too.”
A smile graced Chi Wan’s lips. See, her wife always gave her surprises from time to time. No wonder this heart of hers could never be taken back…
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