That night, Chi Wan decided to experiment on Yu Jiuzhou.
Yes, an experiment, because she wasn’t certain if her idea was correct.
Before mastering the basics of internal energy, there were several cultivation postures one had to adopt. Internal energy had to be circulated in these specific positions.
Postures like the Huanyang Wo, Hunyuan Wo, and Wulong Panti were far more complex than simply sitting cross-legged.
Before Chi Wan had even gotten started, she had tried cultivating in the Hunyuan Wo posture and had fallen asleep within minutes, which earned her a beating from her grandmother to wake her up.
Yu Jiuzhou was unfamiliar with these postures, so Chi Wan had to demonstrate them for her to learn.
Some of the poses were manageable, but others were a bit more unrestrained, and Yu Jiuzhou felt somewhat inhibited performing them.
This required Chi Wan to frequently lend a helping hand. Unsurprisingly, Yu Jiuzhou fell asleep, and very soundly at that.
This gave Chi Wan a taste of the helplessness her grandmother must have felt watching her doze off during practice.
With no other choice, she could only position Yu Jiuzhou properly and circulate a current of internal energy through her body before lying down to rest herself.
This woman sleeps so soundly. Isn’t she afraid of what I might do in the room? She really trusts me.
Chi Wan pulled the covers up properly and, to prevent herself from being used as a bolster, placed a pillow between them.
But when she opened her eyes the next morning, the pillow had vanished, and she was once again in Yu Jiuzhou’s arms.
Who would have thought that Her Highness the Princess was so well-endowed beneath her loose robes?
Don’t ask how she knew. Not everyone has experienced the feeling of being smothered awake every morning.
Chi Wan employed her usual trick, rolling over to get some fresh air. After waiting a moment, if the breathing behind her remained steady, she would get up and go practice her forms in the courtyard.
She didn’t notice that the moment she stepped out, Yu Jiuzhou opened her eyes.
Aside from the first day of the prayer ceremony, they didn’t need to rise particularly early. Yu Jiuzhou had woken up the instant Chi Wan opened her eyes.
Perhaps it was because Chi Wan’s eyelashes were so long. When she opened her eyes, the brush of her lashes sent a sensation through Yu Jiuzhou’s thin nightgown that spread through her entire body, and the strange feeling woke her.
She watched as Chi Wan pretended to be turning in her sleep, extricating herself from the embrace, and then, seeing that she hadn’t woken, sneaking out of bed.
Yu Jiuzhou thought to herself that Chi Wan was quite the gentleman, but at the same time, she wondered if she held no attraction for her.
How could that be? She was the number one Kun Ze in Great Zhou, first-rate in both looks and figure. The only explanation was that Chi Wan was impotent!
Still, her mood was cheerful. The Chi Wan bolster was very comfortable. It had been a long time since she had slept so peacefully through the night.
She had thought that returning to Xuanyang Temple, the site of so many painful memories, would plague her with nightmares. But now, she was sleeping quite soundly.
They slept together for three days. Chi Wan was a very well-behaved sleeper; wherever she was before falling asleep, she would be in the same spot after.
In fact, when Yu Jiuzhou was young, her governess would bind her legs at night to ensure she had a proper sleeping posture. Over time, her posture naturally became what they called “ladylike.”
But she believed that one’s sleeping posture was innate. Why correct it? Was it merely to please a future husband?
She was the Grand Princess of Great Zhou. Did she really need to care about a husband’s opinion?
Once she was a little older, she grew dissatisfied with the leg-binding. At her cold and firm insistence, the practice was discontinued.
However, at most, she just liked to hug things while she slept; she didn’t roll all over the bed.
Clearly, the soft and warm Chi Wan was much better to hold than a bolster or a stuffed doll. She could even rest her thigh on top of her.
When Yu Jiuzhou woke up and found herself holding Chi Wan in her arms, with her leg draped over Chi Wan’s, she felt a pang of shyness at such a wild posture.
By the time Chi Wan returned from her morning practice, Yu Jiuzhou was already dressed.
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
Chi Wan flashed a grin that showed eight teeth, looking incredibly happy.
Infected by her cheerfulness, Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved into a smile as well. “Go bathe and change.”
After a morning of practice, Chi Wan was covered in sweat and needed to wash up.
“Alright.”
Chi Wan washed quickly. Just as she entered the main hall for breakfast, she saw Yu Jiuzhou sitting there in a daze. She could feel a palpable aura of grief.
“Your Highness?”
She approached and called out. Yu Jiuzhou looked up, her eyes red, and then clutched at her sleeve. “Chi Wan, Great Master Jingchen has passed away.”
Although she had known this outcome was coming, when it truly happened, her heart still skipped a beat, and a wave of sadness followed.
It was especially poignant when a young nun told her that Jingchen had passed away during the yin hour of the night and had specifically instructed those beside her not to disturb anyone, especially Her Highness the Princess, and to wait until dawn to report it.
Chi Wan had no deep connection to Jingchen and wasn’t as grief-stricken, but she could empathize to some extent. When her grandmother died, she had been just as sad as Yu Jiuzhou was now.
She had kept vigil by her grandmother’s coffin, surrounded by relatives demanding she hand over her money.
They wanted not only her grandmother’s wealth but also what her parents had left her. A single sentence from her cousin nearly made her explode.
“You’re a girl, you can’t perform ancestral rites or burn paper money. A married daughter is like spilled water. Naturally, our uncle’s property should be inherited by us.”
Inheriting property from another family’s branch—at the time, she had used her internal energy to teach them a harsh lesson, and only then did she feel some relief.
So, whether it was the blow of Jingchen’s passing on Yu Jiuzhou, or the fact that so many had been considered for the position of crown heir, yet no one had thought that she, the emperor’s only daughter, could also be the heir—for either reason, Chi Wan’s heart ached for Yu Jiuzhou.
She reached out and pulled Yu Jiuzhou into her arms. “I’ve heard that many of the great scholars and eminent monks of our time are immortals and buddhas who have descended to the mortal world to undergo tribulations. To return to the immortal realm, they must wait until their trials are complete and they are freed from their physical bodies.”
Perhaps Jingchen had simply returned to the world where she truly belonged.
Yu Jiuzhou buried her face in Chi Wan’s embrace. There were no sobs, no tears. She just leaned there for a moment, then took a deep breath.
“Let’s go. We’ll see Great Master Jingchen off.”
“Alright.”
Chi Wan extended her hand. Yu Jiuzhou placed her own on Chi Wan’s wrist, using it for support to stand. But even after rising, she didn’t let go, continuing to lean on her as they walked toward Jingchen’s quarters.
When they arrived, many monks were inside, chanting scriptures. Jingchen was sitting on her bed, her eyes peacefully closed. If one didn’t know better, they would think she was merely sleeping.
“Your Highness, Fuma.” Abbess Huijue came forward to greet them. “Thank you both for coming to see my master off.”
Yu Jiuzhou gazed at Jingchen, her mind flashing back to their first meeting.
She had been only six years old, brought to Xuanyang Temple by the Emperor for a prayer ceremony. That was the first time she saw Jingchen.
Jingchen was in the back hills, knocking jujubes from a tree. She had been curious why someone so old was knocking down jujubes herself instead of asking a young nun for help.
More than a decade ago, Jingchen was already in her seventies or eighties. In Great Zhou, where living to sixty was considered a long life, seventy or eighty was exceptionally long.
The Shengyuan Emperor often sought out Jingchen to ask for the secret to longevity, as the average lifespan of the Great Zhou imperial family was rather short.
Watching the old monk knocking down jujubes, Yu Jiuzhou had walked over curiously and asked, “Old nun, why are you knocking down jujubes yourself? Do you need my help?”
“Thank you, Your Highness. This old nun is getting jujubes for my master to eat. Naturally, I must do it myself.”
“Master? You’re already so old. Is your master even older?”
“Of course. My master is already a hundred years old.”
Yu Jiuzhou nodded, then asked, “How did you know I was a princess?”
Jingchen countered, “Does Your Highness know why I know?”
Yu Jiuzhou thought for a moment. “I know. It’s because I referred to myself as ‘I’ (Royal Pronoun).”
“Your Highness is wise.”
“The old nun is wise as well.”
After that, the two became friends despite their age difference. One appeared innocent and carefree but was actually intelligent and decisive; the other seemed like a holy, eminent monk but was, in reality, not much different from a child.
Every year Yu Jiuzhou came to Xuanyang Temple, she would play with Jingchen. The old child and the young child would roam the back hills of the temple. Every visit to Xuanyang Temple was Yu Jiuzhou’s most relaxed and joyful time.
The old nun taught her many things. They often played chess together, and through the game, she came to understand many principles that helped her become independent and self-reliant.
Born a Kun Ze woman, her life was meant to be controlled by others, from birth until death. If a Kun Ze woman had no plans of her own, what was the difference between her and a walking corpse?
In this world, some were born to walk freely between heaven and earth, gaining access to all their family’s resources, receiving help in their careers, and inheriting everything.
But Kun Ze women bore the responsibility of being traded for resources. A high-status daughter married off to bring benefits to her family; if she failed to do so, it was considered her own failing. This was true for most, if not all.
From a young age, Yu Jiuzhou had thought about one thing: her imperial father had only one child, so the throne should rightfully be hers. But as she grew older, she heard the entire court urging the Emperor to adopt a Qian Yuan as the heir apparent.
This world was unfair. The old nun told her that if she wanted something, she had to fight for it herself.
If she had been raised according to her empress mother’s ladylike standards, she probably wouldn’t have even been able to act as regent. The Emperor wanted to use her, to make her a tool to consolidate his imperial power.
It was through her time with Jingchen that she found herself, that she learned that no one in this world could decide her life for her.
To her, Jingchen was both a teacher and a friend.
Looking at Jingchen’s body, Yu Jiuzhou took a deep breath, forcing her tears back.
She was the Grand Princess. A ruler must never show vulnerability to outsiders. A ruler must be unassailable.
In truth, it was normal for the great emperors of history to get drunk and cry in front of their officials, but no one thought these emperors were weak, because they had already demonstrated their capabilities.
Someone like the Shengyuan Emperor, who cultivated a suspicious persona, could also make the officials fearful—of course, he was genuinely suspicious.
Yu Jiuzhou, on the other hand, faced the officials with a cold and aloof demeanor, making them feel she was not to be trifled with.
Whether for emperors or officials, establishing a persona was essential. Whatever persona the court required, that was the persona one presented to the world.
Although Yu Jiuzhou didn’t understand the concept of a “persona,” she knew what kind of face to show the world to protect herself.
Chi Wan took in the sight of Yu Jiuzhou suppressing her emotions.
She took Yu Jiuzhou’s hand and squeezed it firmly, letting her know she was there.
She didn’t know when it started, but holding hands had become more and more natural for them.
“Your Highness, it is time for the prayer ceremony,” a ritual official reminded her.
For Xuanyang Temple, Great Master Jingchen’s passing was a good thing. It meant the temple would gain another śarīra.
Śarīra were supreme treasures, and all eminent monks had them. No one doubted that Great Master Jingchen would have one.
Xuanyang Temple believed that Jingchen’s passing was a recall by the Buddha, not a death. She had even left a supreme treasure for the temple—what could be better?
To the officials from the Ministry of Rites, nothing was more important than the prayer ceremony. Seeing that the time was approaching, it was their duty as subjects to remind their superior.
Chi Wan squeezed Yu Jiuzhou’s hand as a reminder. The ceremony had to continue. Otherwise, if anything went wrong this year, the court could blame it on Yu Jiuzhou’s lack of sincerity in her prayers.
Being late was disrespectful to the ancestors, a perfect reason for an attack.
Yu Jiuzhou knew she couldn’t stay here for too long, couldn’t give anyone a handle to use against her.
She turned and said, “Let’s go. We mustn’t be late for the ceremony.”
The group headed toward the main prayer hall. Only Chi Wan, standing close to Yu Jiuzhou, could clearly feel the grief radiating from the person beside her.
Chi Wan said nothing, only tightening her grip on Yu Jiuzhou’s hand.
The next day, after the prayer ceremony concluded, news came from Xuanyang Temple: Jingchen had no śarīra.
After cremation, śarīra were certain to appear. If they didn’t, it could only mean Jingchen had done something before her death.
Huijue’s face was ashen as she looked at the people below her. “What is the meaning of this? This old nun does not agree to you moving my master from the Buddha hall.”
“But Jingchen has no śarīra. She cannot be considered an eminent master.”
“So many eminent masters are enshrined here. Do they all have śarīra?”
Huijue looked at them angrily and said again, “A śarīra is the crystallization of a master’s lifelong internal energy. That Master had no śarīra can only mean she exhausted her power before her death, not that she wasn’t an eminent master. She did so much for Xuanyang Temple, yet you say such things just because there is no śarīra.”
“Senior Sister Huijue, you are mistaken. The śarīra of past masters contain extraordinary energy, enough to allow a monk cultivating internal arts to advance an entire realm. This old nun and Junior Sister Huiding are both at the profound level of internal energy. If we obtained Great Master Jingchen’s śarīra, either of us could potentially reach the great accomplishment stage.”
“Ridiculous! This old nun is Master’s disciple. Even if there were a śarīra, this old nun would be the first to use it. If not me, there is still Huishen. It would never be your turn. Neither this old nun nor Huishen cares, so why are you so insistent?”
“Huijue! Xuanyang Temple cannot be without someone who has reached the great accomplishment stage of internal energy. Huishen does not understand Buddhist doctrine; she is a lay disciple. What right does she have?”
“Master has just passed, and you are already trying to deny her status as an eminent master for this matter, insulting her name. This is too much! If Junior Sister Huishen returns, let’s see how you will explain yourselves to her.”
“Who knows if Huishen died out there? Nine out of ten monks who travel die. She was supposed to return last year, but a year has passed and she’s still not back. She must be dead.”
The arguments in the Buddha hall were many. When the secret guards relayed the news to Yu Jiuzhou, she nearly wanted to draw her sword and kill those people.
But she could not directly interfere in the affairs of Xuanyang Temple.
However, Jingchen had exhausted her internal energy for her sake. She absolutely could not stand by and do nothing.
Chi Wan leaned over and asked, “Your Highness, I have a method.”
Yu Jiuzhou looked up at her, waiting for her to continue.
“Your Highness should consider using your power to pressure them. As long as Your Highness holds power, Great Master Jingchen will not be moved from the Buddha hall. After some time, this matter will blow over.”
Yu Jiuzhou shot her a look. “I never use my power to pressure people.”
Listen to that. What kind of talk was that?
“Then what about the Autumn Water Pavilion that was smashed?”
The Princess’s Residence had sent word: for every day the Autumn Water Pavilion remained open, people from the residence would go and smash it, until it was forced to close down.
Yu Jiuzhou was so angry she threw a pillow at her. “Who was I doing that for?”
“For me, of course. So Your Highness can also use your power to pressure them once for Great Master Jingchen,” Chi Wan said with a smile, returning the pillow.
This woman is getting more and more short-tempered. No, she’s getting more short-tempered with me.
Who throws things at their own Fuma like that? She was truly a pitiful soul.
Yu Jiuzhou shook her head. “It’s not that I’m unwilling to do this for the old nun, but Huijue is not in charge of Xuanyang Temple. The left and right guardians have already sidelined her. Even if I use my power to pressure them, what happens after I leave?”
Huijue still had some authority in Xuanyang Temple because Jingchen was there. With Jingchen gone, that authority vanished with her.
Even if she left people behind, the others would have plenty of ways to throw Jingchen out of the Buddha hall.
Xuanyang Temple was a royal temple; dealing with a few people was all too easy. Besides, it wasn’t just about the memorial tablet.
What worried her most was that Xuanyang Temple would slander Jingchen’s name. Jingchen was a martial monk, accomplished in internal cultivation, and had reached a high realm. She should definitely have had a śarīra. Xuanyang Temple could easily claim that Jingchen lacked virtue, which was why she had no śarīra.
Then Jingchen’s lifelong reputation would be ruined.
The deceased may not care about their posthumous reputation, but those they left behind could not be indifferent.
Chi Wan looked at Yu Jiuzhou’s smooth forehead and flicked it with her finger. “Is Your Highness so concerned about Great Master Jingchen that your brain has stopped working?”
Yu Jiuzhou: “!!!” Was I just hit? Did Chi Wan just flick my forehead?
Audacious. Utterly audacious.
Her mind exploded. The dignified Grand Princess—who had ever flicked her forehead? That such an outrageous thing could actually happen.
Yu Jiuzhou was so stunned that for a moment, she couldn’t even process that it was real.
Chi Wan didn’t think much of it. Yu Jiuzhou had flicked her many times; she had only done it once.
She continued, “This Fuma can borrow the tiger’s might, go and throw my weight around a bit. Then Your Highness can come and play the good person, stopping me while also supporting Great Master Jingchen.”
“Let me think of what to say.”
She organized her thoughts, mimicking Yu Jiuzhou’s tone. “His Majesty and Great Master Jingchen were friends for many years. Now that Great Master Jingchen has returned to the Western Paradise, His Majesty surely misses her. I shall take the master’s memorial tablet back with me.”
“Then I’ll say that taking the master’s tablet is against etiquette, and suggest taking some of the master’s belongings instead.”
“Then Your Highness can say that Great Master Jingchen spent her life helping all sentient beings. I remember Great Master Jingchen did many good deeds. Your Highness can list them all, set the tone, and then propose to have a stele carved and a biography written for Great Master Jingchen. I’m sure no one in Xuanyang Temple will dare to act recklessly after that.”
The only eminent monk in the temple to have a stele and biography was the founder of Xuanyang Temple, who was a figure who had assisted the founding emperor. If Xuanyang Temple produced another such figure, it would not only enhance its fame but also guarantee its prosperity for another hundred years.
Xuanyang Temple had declined significantly since the early days of Great Zhou. If not for the imperial family still coming for prayer ceremonies, it would have even less presence.
To secure another hundred years of prosperity for Xuanyang Temple, would they dare to treat Great Master Jingchen with malice again?
Yu Jiuzhou stared at Chi Wan sternly. “What you say is reasonable. But is that a reason for you to flick my forehead?”
“Huh?”
Chi Wan had expected praise, not a cross-examination from Her Highness the Princess.
She gave a dry laugh. “I didn’t, it wasn’t me.”
“Then did this red mark on my forehead appear by itself?” Yu Jiuzhou said in a low voice.
Chi Wan took a step back, still laughing dryly. “Maybe, perhaps, possibly.”
Yu Jiuzhou was so exasperated she almost laughed. She beckoned with her hand. “Come here.”
“Can I not?”
The smile on Chi Wan’s face became even more forced. She had an impulse to flee, but under Yu Jiuzhou’s threatening gaze, she dragged her feet forward.
Yu Jiuzhou gestured downward with her hand, indicating for her to squat. She could only comply.
The next second, Yu Jiuzhou cupped her hand and tapped her firmly on the forehead.
Once wasn’t enough; she returned the favor twice.
Chi Wan clutched her forehead and collapsed onto the bed, looking as if she were in too much pain to speak.
She didn’t lift her head for a long while, and Yu Jiuzhou started to worry.
Especially since her body was trembling, her shoulders shaking up and down, as if she were crying.
“Chi Wan?” Yu Jiuzhou called out softly.
She still didn’t look up.
“Chi Wan? Did I hit you too hard?” Yu Jiuzhou looked at her own palm doubtfully. She hadn’t used much force.
Chi Wan remained face down, silent.
“Someone, summon the imperial physician.”
Hearing this, Chi Wan quickly raised her head, a clear smile on her face. Crying? She was obviously suppressing laughter.
“Chi Wan!!!” Yu Jiuzhou grabbed her by the ear. “You’re becoming less and less afraid of me.”
How dare she tease her? She was going to… she was going to twist this person’s ear off.
But seeing Chi Wan clutching her ear and crying out in pain, she subconsciously let go.
Yu Jiuzhou knew that Chi Wan was afraid she would remain lost in grief, so she was playing along with her antics.
Otherwise, pulling someone’s ear was not something she, the Grand Princess, would do.
“Childish.”
Yu Jiuzhou huffed lightly and lay down on the bed.
Seeing this, Chi Wan also moved to lie down, but Yu Jiuzhou had only left her the very edge of the bed. If she lay down, half her body would be without support.
“Your Highness, move in a little.”
Chi Wan shifted her body, nudging Yu Jiuzhou inward.
Feeling the movement beside her, Yu Jiuzhou sighed and moved over a little, then closed her eyes.
The two of them lay shoulder to shoulder on the bed, both with their eyes closed, but neither was asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Yu Jiuzhou suddenly spoke. “Thank you.”
“For what?” It wasn’t a question. Chi Wan knew what she was thanking her for, so she was saying there was no need for thanks.
After another moment, Yu Jiuzhou spoke again. “Chi Wan, let’s consummate our marriage.”
Chi Wan’s eyes snapped open. She turned her head to look. Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes were still closed, as if closing them made it easier to say certain things.
She was stunned for a long while before asking, “Now?” Doing that in a temple was not proper.
“When we return to the capital.”
Chi Wan breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down. “Is Your Highness saying this on a whim, or are you serious?”
“I am very serious.”
Yu Jiuzhou had thought about this for a long time. She had already made her decision.
Chi Wan, however, had a question. “Why is Your Highness in such a hurry to consummate the marriage?”
She wanted to know the real reason.
Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved slightly. “Jingchen’s death has made me realize that I must be more aggressive in my fight. I must gain control of the Great Zhou court before His Majesty passes away. With an imperial grandchild, His Majesty will grant me full power of the regency. This is the fastest way for me to obtain it.”
“And I am willing to bear your child. Although it is for the sake of power, I can guarantee that I will love this child, protect her, and give her the very best.”
“You can say I am unscrupulous in my quest for power. If you do not agree, I will not force you.”
Yu Jiuzhou was baring her heart, stating her purpose with complete sincerity, holding nothing back.
Faced with such honesty, Chi Wan, who disliked using children as pawns for power, found herself moved.
But Chi Wan had one more question. “What if the child born is not an imperial grandson?” Who could guarantee the child would be a Qian Yuan? Of course, two women could only have daughters.
Yu Jiuzhou opened her eyes and looked at Chi Wan’s profile. “Then she will still be the future emperor.”
Footnotes:
- Huanyang Wo (还阳卧): A restorative resting posture in internal martial arts and qigong where the practitioner lies on their back with the soles of the feet together and knees bent outward. It is believed to help circulate energy (qi) and promote healing.
- Hunyuan Wo (混元卧): An advanced meditative posture where the practitioner lies on their back with legs crossed (often in a lotus or half-lotus position) and hands overlapping on the lower abdomen. This position is used for deep energy cultivation and achieving a state of primordial unity.
- Wulong Panti (五龍盤體): A literal translation of the term is “Five Dragons Coiling the Body”. It is one of several complex, introductory postures a practitioner must adopt to properly circulate internal energy before achieving basic mastery.
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