Chapter Fifty-Seven: Compromise

“Reaching for the stars…” The Empress Dowager gazed at Renhuang Mountain beneath the moonlit night. The moonlight was like water, shrouding the snow-covered mountain paths; she could see clearly the temples perched atop the peaks. Even the high, hidden eaves with their blue-glazed tiles, the suspended roofs obscured in darkness, were all visible to her keen eyes.

The Empress Dowager understood what Pei Xiunian meant by “reaching for the stars”—it meant ascending Renhuang Mountain to find out what the Emperor Zhaoning truly desired. This was something that had to be done, but not yet.

She sensed, in the depths of her intuition, that the outcome of this matter could overturn the heavens themselves. Of course, one must prepare thoroughly before taking such an action; how could it be done on a mere whim?

She did not know exactly what Emperor Zhaoning did atop Renhuang Mountain. She guessed he was likely slaughtering children to refine elixirs, but it was only a guess. What did he seek from his cultivation of the path to immortality? And why did he pursue eternal life?

These questions could not be answered by speculation. To investigate Renhuang Mountain would surely yield some truths. Yet, Zhaoning was no fool. Even if no one questioned his activities on the mountain, that did not mean he would not leave precautions behind.

The Empress Dowager sighed despondently, “Nian’er, this matter requires careful planning, until…”

But Pei Xiunian stood up with a carefree air, pacing to the window. “Aunt Meng, we do not have much time left. Opportunities as perfect as tonight for Emperor Zhaoning to make his move will not come often in the future.”

Since the Emperor had already made several attempts on his life, it was clear that suspicions had taken root. And once a worldly sovereign harbored doubts, those doubts would only grow stronger with time.

Pei Xiunian did not have the luxury to further cultivate trust with the Empress Dowager. He could not see the whole chessboard, but every move he made so far had been with utmost effort—why would Emperor Zhaoning abandon the potential gains of planting a spy within the Empress Dowager, only to turn against him instead?

Pei Xiunian was desperate to know the reason behind the Emperor’s abrupt actions, and Renhuang Mountain concealed the Emperor’s deepest secrets.

Yet, the Emperor would surely have left measures in place atop Renhuang Mountain. Could Pei Xiunian openly marshal the Mechanical Corps’ automatons up the mountain? Or should he wait until his own cultivation reached a level of absolute safety? And how long would that take? How much time would Emperor Zhaoning allow him?

“But… Renhuang Mountain is filled with traps and mechanisms, a place of great peril. If we are not careful, we might alert the snake in the grass…” The Empress Dowager hesitated. Pei Xiunian’s worries were her own, and she could not afford to lose him—from a political perspective, at least.

A man as resourceful, brave, and cunning as he was, with his secrets in her grasp—where would she find another like him? Pei Xiunian was the key to her revenge. Now that Emperor Zhaoning’s murderous intent was clear, he would not easily withdraw.

Her hesitation revealed her own uncertainty.

Pei Xiunian knew she possessed cultivation. It was now almost certain she was the leader of the Yaoguang Sect. As a once-great master, how could she lack secret arts? Even if that battle had truly cost her all her power, so many years had passed—could she not have recovered at least a fraction? Even if only a tenth remained, she would still be a formidable force.

Turning, Pei Xiunian looked at the Empress Dowager and said, “If we do not ascend Renhuang Mountain, will Father simply let me go? Even after I pledged loyalty, he still acted so wantonly tonight. If we do not gamble, how can we break this impasse?”

“Tonight, the Second and Seventh Princes have just returned to the Forbidden City. They will both meet Father in the imperial study. Father would never publicize his alchemy, so aside from himself, no one else will know. As long as he cannot leave, no matter what defenses he has, they will be for naught. Tonight is a rare chance to ascend the mountain.”

Pei Xiunian looked directly at the Empress Dowager, then smiled, “To reach for the stars and gaze at the moon—reaching the stars may be far off, but moon-gazing is possible. Tonight the moon is bright and the stars few, and no snow falls from the heavens. Might I invite Aunt Meng to accompany me up the mountain to admire the moon?”

The Empress Dowager gave him a complicated look. No matter how tenderly these words sounded, as if suggesting a secret rendezvous, she knew Pei Xiunian had little interest in moon-gazing with her—his mind was fixed on Renhuang Mountain.

Suddenly, Pei Xiunian spoke softly, “Aunt Meng, you possess cultivation, do you not?”

Her long lashes trembled slightly at this. Before she could respond, he continued, his tone gently persuasive, “From your portrait in the Wen Zong Pavilion, so many years have passed but time has left little mark on your face. You must have cultivation. Now, facing the Emperor, it is best for there to be as few barriers as possible between us.”

The Empress Dowager sighed, her gaze still complex. In the end, she neither confirmed nor denied, only compromised, “We are only going to admire the moon.”

Pei Xiunian nodded with pleasure, naturally taking her hand. At her startled gasp, he led her out of Weiyang Palace.

There was no snow in the capital; overhead, the stars glittered brilliantly. The tenth day’s moon was not yet full, but its light was still clear and bright. Beside him was a beautiful woman of mature elegance, whose loose, plain brocade robe could not conceal her regal charm—even this simple moonlit walk seemed worthy of poetry.

“At least let me change my clothes…” The Empress Dowager withdrew her hand, though her gaze held little reproach. With a flick of her sleeve, a trail of golden dust fell behind them. She explained softly, “This is star sand. It erases traces, conceals shadows, and muffles sound.”

Pei Xiunian glanced back at Weiyang Palace, where their silhouettes still seemed present in the lamplight. But peering through the window, it was clear those shadows were lifeless projections. That, it seemed, was not the effect of the star sand.

The Empress Dowager appeared to notice his doubt, but merely smiled without explanation. Pei Xiunian did not press further, and the two made their way toward Renhuang Mountain.

The Forbidden City was still under strict guard. Patrols of the Imperial Forest Army and Jinyiwei were frequent, but as they passed by, it was as if the two were invisible.

Gazing up at the towering Renhuang Mountain, its temples still standing tall, Pei Xiunian asked, almost unconsciously, “Why has the temple atop Renhuang Mountain fallen into ruin?”

The Empress Dowager replied, “That was once the City God Temple. Before the late Emperor’s death, it was declared abandoned for inauspicious feng shui. A new, thriving temple was built to the south of the capital.”

Pei Xiunian voiced another doubt, “So the furnace is the work of the late Emperor?”

The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment. “That possibility cannot be ruled out.”

Both knew that time was short tonight, so they moved quickly, saying little more. Passing over Golden Water Bridge, the Empress Dowager quietly led Pei Xiunian past the tightly closed palace gates and out of the Forbidden City.