Moma Liangshan

Chapter 117 Aspiring to be a Gentleman, Princess Embroidery

Li Shishi's words made Wang Hao feel a little ashamed. He sighed and said, "The emperors of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties for more than two thousand years, and the Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties for more than a thousand years, have all been emperors. But in these three thousand years, 'the people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important' was just a cry from scholars, never the pursuit of a monarch. I despise the intrigue in the court, I cannot stand the extravagance of the powerful, and I am even angry at the people's resignation to fate. Therefore, I would rather go to Jiaozhou and build a brand new city in the wilderness!" Li Shishi, filled with indignation, said, "If all you want is fertile land, beautiful houses, and three wives and four concubines, then you'd be better off being granted an official post and returning to your hometown, acquiring a thousand acres of land between Sichuan and Jiangnan, and living a mundane life. But if you aspire to high office and command the nation, then you must never hesitate or be shrewd; you must be resolute and unwavering!" For some reason, Wang Hao asked, "Why?" Li Shishi laughed even louder, her anger growing even stronger, and said, "The officialdom is like a high mountain; once you've climbed it, you must always strive upwards..." "Climb up, until you reach the summit." Wang Hao was not foolish at all; on the contrary, he was quite clever. He continued, "The path up the mountain isn't wide. The higher you climb, the narrower the path becomes, and in some places, it's only wide enough for one person to pass at a time. Behind you, there may be pursuers or followers, but in either case, you must never stop, otherwise you'll be blocking their path." Li Shishi's expression softened slightly as she said, "Not only are there countless people behind you, but there are also countless people in front of you. What if those in front of you hinder your progress?" Wang Hao struggled internally and said, "Some people in front of you were your guides; some behind you were your followers." Li Shishi shook her head again and said, "There are no eternal guides, nor unconditional followers. Sometimes you should take the lead, and sometimes you should retreat gracefully, but the boundaries and limits are very blurry and difficult to grasp!" Wang Hao smiled bitterly and said, "Therefore, no matter what the situation, you must never stop moving forward!" Li Shishi said decisively, "That's right!"

The rice was sweet, but tasteless in the mouth. A long silence followed. Li Shishi remained silent, while Wang Hao was lost in thought, repeatedly questioning himself: "The officialdom is corrupt, the people are disaffected, and powerful enemies surround us. Should I be subservient, seeking personal gain to please the emperor, or should I stand firm and uphold justice for the millions?" Thinking this, Wang Hao spoke: "When the country is destroyed, the family perishes; when the country is prosperous, the people live in peace. A gentleman cultivates himself, manages his family, governs the state, and brings peace to the world!" After a pause, he met Li Shishi's gaze and said, "From this day forward, I vow to be a gentleman!"

That afternoon, Prince Zhao Kai of Yun entered the palace to meet his birth mother, Consort Wang. Unexpectedly, Princess Roufu had already arrived, accompanying Consort Wang. Upon seeing Zhao Kai, Consort Wang asked, "My son, did you come to the palace today because of Xianmeng?" Prince Zhao Kai replied, "Mother already knows about this?" Consort Wang, her face full of affection, pulled Princess Roufu to her side and said, "Early this morning, Huanhuan came to my palace, trying to sell me on how excellent and fashionable Xianmeng's woolen fabric is! And this girl kept muttering that you stole a thousand strings of cash that should have been hers. Is that true?" Zhao Kai, quite helpless, said, "The thousand strings of cash was a reward that Brother Xianmeng publicly promised. Considering Brother Xianmeng's past behavior, I didn't refuse too much!" Princess Roufu retorted, "Xianmeng..." "The thing my brother asked Prince Yun to do is to ask Mother and the Empress to grant permission to hold a cloth exhibition in the palace. I, Huanhuan, can also accomplish this!" Consort Wang shook her head helplessly and said, "They say girls are more inclined to be outgoing. You're not even married yet, and you're already making plans for Wang Hao?" Princess Roufu blushed and whispered, "I didn't mean it. I just feel that Brother Xianmeng is being taken advantage of!" Prince Yun was also helpless and said, "It's all thanks to Brother Xianmeng's immense wealth. Otherwise, our Huanhuan would really be wronged!" Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Princess Roufu lightly stamped her embroidered shoes and said, "I'm going to find Sister Hu'er. I'm ignoring you all!" After saying that, she ran out of Consort Wang's bedchamber.

After Princess Roufu left, Consort Wang said, "Xianmeng is of good character and acts with integrity, but this child is always unconventional and is ostracized by the literati. You are a person with the country and its people at heart, so you should keep some distance from him. But he is ultimately Huanhuan's husband, so you should help him if you can, just be discreet." Prince Yun said, "Xianmeng governed Jiaozhou with outstanding achievements, and his courage in venturing into Liaodong was commendable; but why do the officials nitpick and even slander him unjustly? Now even Father Emperor is somewhat dissatisfied?" Consort Wang shook her head helplessly and said, "Xianmeng originally had no official rank; it was your father who bestowed upon him a title. These things were insignificant until later..." As his talent began to shine, even gaining fame throughout Tokyo, everything quietly began to change. News arrived before the new year that Xianmeng was heavily employing Mohists in Jiaozhou, while the registrar and county magistrate sent by the court were sidelined, holding only nominal positions. Prince Zhao Kai of Yun, puzzled, said, "Xianmeng is the magistrate of Jiaozhou, and the magistrate, registrar, and county magistrate are supposed to check and balance each other; how could they possibly be close?" Consort Wang said, "In ordinary prefectures and counties, no one would pay attention, but Jiaozhou is quite different. The officials in the court don't talk about the power struggles of officialdom; they only say that Xianmeng is close to the Mohists and distant from the Confucianists." Prince Zhao Kai of Yun understood and cautiously said, "Xianmeng is Father's confidant. If Father ignores the rumors and continues to favor Xianmeng, the world will think that Father is behind this!"

Consort Wang nodded and said, "That's exactly right! Your father is a devout Taoist, and has already been repeatedly advised by the literati. If another Mohist were to emerge, the historian's pen would be like a knife, and even an emperor could not bear it!" Prince Yun asked, "Who could be so insidious?" Consort Wang said, "If it were just a baseless rumor, that would be one thing, but I'm afraid it's true!" Prince Yun pondered for a moment and said, "The Mohists are mostly swordsmen and craftsmen, and Xianmeng is a merchant and trader. They have many connections, so it's quite possible!" Consort Wang sighed slightly and said, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it; if an emperor wants to secure his throne, he must gain the support of the vast majority of people!"

Princess Roufu arrived at the Empress's palace, where Princess Chengde, Zhao Hu'er, was reviewing her needlework. Princess Roufu said, "Sister Hu'er, would you like to come with me to meet Her Majesty the Empress?" Princess Chengde teased, "Huanhuan, you're always running around; be careful not to neglect your needlework, or you'll be disliked by your future husband's family!" Princess Roufu smiled casually and said, "How does Sister Hu'er know I've neglected my needlework?" Princess Chengde, feeling competitive, said, "How about we have a competition, and then have the Empress Dowager and Consort Wang comment?" Princess Roufu, not wanting to admit defeat, said, "Sister, you're only a year older than me; be careful I don't beat you!" Princess Chengde smiled and said, "With early spring approaching, how about we embroider a silk painting with the theme 'Two orioles sing in the green willows, a line of egrets soars into the blue sky'?" Princess Roufu said, "Good!"

Eunuchs brought in embroidery frames, and palace maids brought in white silk. Princess Roufu and Princess Chengde personally selected embroidery needles and colored threads. Emperor Huizong was fond of painting, and the palace had a wide variety of high-quality pigments. Beside the embroidery frames were fourteen kinds of red silk threads, eleven kinds of yellow silk threads, thirteen kinds of black silk threads, nine kinds of green silk threads, and nearly a hundred other kinds of colored silk threads. Emperor Huizong's painting of orioles and willows was placed directly in front of the two of them.

Princess Roufu, mischievous and clever, looked at Princess Chengde and said, "Sister Hu'er, are you ready? I'm about to put my needle to work!" Princess Chengde pinched the embroidery needle between her index finger and thumb and said, "Let me see if you've improved, Huanhuan!" With that, the needle darted about, and the outline of a willow leaf began to emerge. Princess Roufu also stopped smiling, closed her eyes in thought, and after a moment, put her needle down a quarter of the way down the silk, beginning to outline the strong roots of the willow tree. The palace maids unconsciously moved behind the two princesses, watching intently. Princess Chengde's skill was solid; she threaded the needle with ease, and every willow leaf on the silk was lifelike, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Princess Roufu's embroidery technique was flexible, her stitches novel and unique; the dull tree roots on the silk, though seemingly lifeless, possessed a rich expression.

Two hours later, countless willow leaves and branches covered Princess Chengde's silk cloth, yet upon closer inspection, each leaf and branch was meticulously crafted, without a trace of carelessness. Amidst the verdant foliage, two exquisite orioles dartedly, their beaks, eyes, and feathers clearly visible. One oriole's beak was fully open, its slender tongue faintly discernible, as if one could hear its clear call; the other's beak was slightly open, but its exposed nostrils were wide open, seemingly holding its breath, preparing to unleash a powerful cry. On Princess Roufu's silk cloth, aside from the clearly defined tree trunk, the branches and leaves were blurred and indistinct, resembling a wisp of emerald mist. To the lower right of the willow tree, two orioles, as small as dragonflies, chased and frolicked, the swaying branches seeming ready to envelop them at any moment. In the upper left corner, six egrets soared over the treetops, their wings outstretched. The lead egret's long beak pointed upwards, as if it were about to reach the heavens, while the last egret's slender feet brushed against the willow leaves fluttering in the wind, following closely behind. By the time the two finished their work, nearly three hours had passed. The two little girls seemed to have forgotten their fatigue and hunger, and ordered the eunuchs to carry the embroidery frame to Empress Zheng's palace.

Empress Zheng, seeing the two looking exhausted, asked, "I haven't seen you two all day, why do you look so tired?" Princess Chengde replied, "My sister Huanhuan and I had a needlework competition, and we would like to ask Your Majesty to judge!" The Empress looked surprised and said, "It's rare to see you two so diligent. Bring it here!" The eunuchs then placed the embroidery frame before the Empress. The Empress examined it for a moment and asked, "Did you two use Du Fu's quatrain as your theme?" Princess Chengde replied, "Indeed, it was based on the theme 'Two orioles sing in the green willows, a line of egrets flies up to the blue sky'!"