Chapter 39 - 38: Found a Big One, It’s Empress Taichu!
Chapter 39: Chapter 38: Found a Big One, It’s Empress Taichu!
Because right there, on the inner wall of the zither’s belly—the place he thought least likely to bear any markings—actual traces of history had appeared.
A tiny "Xie" character was etched into the wood, so minuscule it was invisible without a magnifying glass. Every zither made by Xie Qingshi bore this character, so the middle-aged man wasn’t entirely surprised by its presence. What shocked him was that beside the "Xie" character were two more words—Taichu.
"Xie Qingshi was indeed a historical figure from the era of Empress Taichu," the middle-aged man muttered, "but none of his other zithers bear the ’Taichu’ reign title."
Ming Chengli continued to examine it with the magnifying glass. After a moment, he let out a long breath. "Congratulations. You’ve made a massive discovery this time."
The middle-aged man’s heart skipped a beat at those words. "What do you mean?" he pressed.
"There’s an exact date here too—June sixteenth," Ming Chengli said. "The very day Xie Qingshi entered Mingjing and was appointed as Minister of the Ministry of Rites."
"Are you saying..." the middle-aged man blurted out, "that this zither was a gift bestowed upon him by Empress Taichu?"
"It has to be. Why else would this be the only zither bearing the title ’Taichu’?" Ming Chengli nodded. "However, we’ll still need to find corresponding historical texts to corroborate it."
"This really is a massive discovery!" The middle-aged man’s voice trembled with excitement. "A zither bestowed by the Divine Emperor holds entirely different historical and cultural significance!"
Ming Chengli let out a soft huff. "My daughter may have just mentioned it in passing, but she did you a huge favor."
"As expected of your daughter, Chengli. She has quite the knack for archaeology too." The middle-aged man changed his tune quickly, smiling broadly. "But speaking of Taichu, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t the era itself, but the Empress who left behind virtually no good reputation. If it weren’t for the sheer number of exceptional talents that emerged during her reign, the Xuan Dynasty likely would have perished much earlier."
Ming Chengli paused what he was doing. "Have you ever wondered why it was specifically during her reign that so many historically renowned figures emerged?"
The middle-aged man looked at him. "What are you getting at?"
Both he and Ming Chengli had graduated from Mingjing University. Back in their student days, Ming Chengli’s grades had been leagues ahead of everyone else’s, and the middle-aged man had always sought his old classmate’s advice whenever he had a question.
"Because Empress Taichu knew how to utilize people and was exceptionally skilled at unearthing talent," Ming Chengli said slowly. "Otherwise, how could a blind man like Xie Qingshi secure the position of Minister of the Ministry of Rites—a Third Rank Official—at just eighteen years old?"
The middle-aged man stared blankly for a moment before his expression turned grave. "Chengli, do you have any evidence to support that conclusion?"
Ming Chengli’s arm stiffened, his tone turning despondent. "No. But one day, there will be."
"Chengli, various historical records confirm that Empress Taichu didn’t appoint Xie Qingshi as Minister of the Ministry of Rites because of his abilities, but because of his appearance." The middle-aged man sighed. "That’s why people say she was just lucky and struck gold by pure coincidence."
Ming Chengli remained silent.
After a long pause, the middle-aged man patted him on the shoulder. "Chengli, I don’t know what exactly you went through the year we graduated, but if you’re willing, I have connections to help you secure a position. With your skills..."
"No thank you." Ming Chengli offered a faint smile, his tone breezy. "If I were to pursue the things I want to, I’d only be treated like a madman."
The middle-aged man faltered again. He was about to say something else, but seeing Ming Chengli already slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he grew anxious. "Chengli, at least stay for a meal before you go."
Ming Chengli declined once more. "This is Changying’s most critical year for her college entrance exams. I want to spend as much time with her as possible."
The middle-aged man stared blankly at his retreating back. What could have possibly turned such a high-spirited, prominent figure into a shell of his former self? What exactly happened twenty-three years ago, the year they graduated?
It took a long while before the middle-aged man finally snapped out of his daze. He pulled out his phone and dialed a subordinate. "Yes, review the relevant literature as quickly as possible. I need to confirm whether or not this Jiuyin Zither was a gift from Empress Taichu to Xie Qingshi."
***
By the time Ming Chengli arrived in Jianghuai, it was already late afternoon. Even though they had been brought back to the Xu Family and no longer had to worry about food, he still habitually bought some snacks for Shi Changying to bring home, just as he always did.
Shi Changying took the candied hawthorn stick from his hand and raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t you say you were coming back tomorrow?"
"That’s all thanks to my Changying!" Ming Chengli beamed with immense pride. "You did your old man a massive favor. You told me to check the inner wall of the zither’s belly, and when I did, I actually made a major discovery!"
"Oh? What kind of major discovery?"
"That Jiuyin Zither was a gift from Empress Taichu to Xie Qingshi."
Shi Changying let out a yawn and gave a slow, lethargic clap. "How amazing."
Ming Chengli was speechless. He had every reason to suspect that his precious daughter was openly mocking him.
Shi Changying languidly stretched her arms above her head. "You should get some sleep first. You’ve got terrible dark circles under your eyes."
"Really?" Ming Chengli immediately scrambled for a mirror in a panic. Seeing the prominent purplish-black bags under his eyes, he rubbed at them distressingly. When he looked up again, he saw Shi Changying heading for the door. "Changying, where are you going?" he asked.
Shi Changying slipped on her jacket. "I’m heading to school to grab a set of test papers."
She had underestimated her own speed at tearing through practice questions and had brought home one book too few.
Ming Chengli was indeed dead on his feet. The moment he returned to his bedroom and his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.
It was Sunday, and the school grounds were virtually empty. After Shi Changying retrieved her test papers from Class 17 of the senior grade, she found herself with a rare moment of free time to stroll around the campus.
The environment at Jianghuai High School was beautiful, boasting everything from manicured groves to scenic lakes. Shi Changying wandered toward the small grove, the area Lu Mi had proclaimed as the school’s "holy land."
Lu Mi had described it vividly: "Yingying, our small grove is like a spawn point for all sorts of couples. It’s the ultimate date spot!" But she had also added a warning: "However, the Director of Moral Education and the Dean of Academics also prowl around there from time to time. If you get caught, you’ll be penalized!"
As Shi Changying ventured deeper into the grove, she didn’t spot a single couple. Instead, she found several boys sitting around a stone table, playing a game of Aeroplane Chess. She quietly walked up behind them and watched their game.
Her footsteps were completely soundless. It wasn’t until one of the boys glanced up and realized there was suddenly an extra person standing right over them that he let out a terrified shriek.
"AH!"
Only then did the rest of the group realize she was there.
The boy patted his chest, taking a few seconds to catch his breath before stammering, "B-Brother Meng, look! It’s one of your admirers! You’re truly something else, Brother Meng—I’ve never seen such a stunning girl in my life!"
"I am the resident school bully of Jianghuai High, after all," Meng Qi’an replied with a cocky drawl.
He came from a good family, he was incredibly good-looking, and he was an excellent fighter. Wasn’t it only natural for girls to fall for him?
Meng Qi’an set down his game piece and turned his head, curious to see what this latest admirer looked like. If she was his type, he might just accept her confession. Plus, if he finally got a girlfriend, he would officially be one step ahead of Shaoyuan.
Having confirmed she had found the right person, Shi Changying calmly began rolling up the sleeves of her school uniform jacket.