The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 130 Golden Cicada
On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, the heavy snow gradually stopped and the wind died down.

An Yuanzhen's voice could be faintly heard in the distance.

"Get out of the way, don't follow me."

Xiao Yi looked down and saw that Li Hanmei in his arms hadn't noticed and was still speaking in a low voice.

After a while, he glanced out of the corner of his eye and met An Yuanzhen's shocked eyes. He turned to the side, blocking Li Hanmei's view, and focused on talking to her.

"I was born in the coldest time of the twelfth lunar month, and my parents named me 'Winter Plum' because of the plum grove. Do you know that only plum blossoms bloom in winter? When spring comes and all the flowers bloom, the plum blossoms will never bother to compete with them. Today, you have forced me out of this door, and for the rest of my life, I will only be a withered plum blossom. The plum blossom has its own pride. If you understand me, don't force me to spend my spring and autumn as a withered red. Let me have you all to myself this winter, okay?"

Xiao Yi was used to romantic encounters and never believed that two people who met once in love had to be bound together for life. He thought she had the same understanding, which is why he touched her.

Unexpectedly, she bit me in the heart with her death.

He finally agreed.

"it is good."

"It is easy to gain a country, but it is hard to gain someone who understands my heart. I thought that becoming the empress was a way to make amends for me, but in the end I realized that it was you who made me feel like Li Hanmei again."

Li Hanmei smiled and reached out to stroke Xiao Yi's face, murmuring, "Will you send me to Yuci?"

"meeting."

"Once you get there, you will get to know the complete Li Hanmei..."

for a long time.

Xiao Yi felt a chill on his lips. He opened his eyes and saw Li Hanmei still smiling. The last thing he saw in her eyes was not only deep affection, but also pride.

The plum blossoms brave the wind and snow, not vying for spring's favor with their faded red petals.

Xiao Yi knew there was no need to be sad; what he needed to do was to fulfill his promise and bury her back in her hometown of Meilin.

Suddenly, someone walked up behind him and gently patted his head.

Xiao Yi looked up, glanced at An Yuanzhen indifferently, and then lowered his head to think.

“You…you all…I…” An Yuanzhen stammered for a long time before saying, “I don’t know what to say. You…please accept my condolences. Well, the dead return to the sea, and the living are left to drift on the river alone. Don’t give up on yourself.”

"Her life blossomed amidst wind and snow, and ended with unyielding spirit; there is no need for sorrow."

An Yuanzhen said, "I just feel that it's not right that you haven't come out for so long. Don't worry, I came alone. No one else heard you talking, and I will keep it a secret."

Xiao Yi, however, was somewhat puzzled.

He and Li Hanmei had made thorough arrangements for their meeting; her men should be stationed at crucial locations.

Why did An Yuanzhen come here so easily?

He then asked, "Was no one watching you when you came?"

"Yes, Zhang Shangyi is at the palace gate."

"Shangyi? She let you in?"

"if not?"

"What is Zhang Shangyi's background?"

An Yuanzhen asked in surprise, "She wanted to marry you before, but you refused. Now she's thinking about it... I told you so, she's the illegitimate daughter of Zhang Yanchao, the military governor of Jinchang Army."

"She's a confidante of the Empress Dowager?"

"Yes."

Xiao Yi found it increasingly strange.

He admitted that he was not dazed or confused by Li Hanmei's death; he remained calm.

It seems that Zhang Shangyi wanted to marry him before his passionate affair with Li Hanmei. He thought they would abandon each other in the face of impending doom, but she…

An Yuanzhen suddenly waved his hand in front of his eyes and said, "Since I've kept this a secret for you, you'll safely escort me back to Xiangzhou, right?"

"it is good."

"Really?"

"This deal is fair."

"Then you deliver it yourself."

I said, I guarantee you'll get back to Xiangzhou safely.

"No, I mean..."

"Go and summon Wang Yan to the Zichen Palace."

Xiao Yi picked up Li Hanmei and walked towards the front hall.

An Yuanzhen caught up and said, "You...you...is it really appropriate for you to carry the Empress Dowager over like this?"

As soon as they reached the first palace gate, they saw Zhang Shangyi standing there somewhat apprehensively.

"General Xiao, the Empress Dowager, she..."

"She fell asleep."

"General, you probably can't carry the Empress Dowager out like this. Please put her down."

Zhang Shangyi paused for a moment, looked around, pushed open the door of a side room in the corridor, bowed deeply, and performed a full curtsy.

Xiao Yi knew he couldn't actually carry Li Hanmei to the Zichen Palace, so he did as he was told and placed her on the bed in the side room. Only then did he say, "The Empress Dowager has passed away. Let's take care of the funeral arrangements."

"Wha...what?"

Zhang Shangyi panicked and collapsed to the ground, weeping bitterly.

The crying quickly alerted the other female officials, who all rushed over.

An Yuanzhen looked quite uneasy and gave him a wink.

"General Xiao, you should go to the Zichen Palace first."

Xiao Yi glanced at Li Hanmei one last time, seeing her lying there peacefully as if asleep, then turned and left.

As he walked through the small palace gate between the front court and the rear palace, Xihou and Lü Chou were still on duty. This was a special arrangement he made to make it easier for them to meet.

"General, could it be that something has happened...?"

"Go and gather all the brothers in front of the Zichen Palace."

"Here."

The last grand court session in the Zichen Hall was during Liu Chengyou's funeral; now, red silk banners are being hung for his enthronement ceremony.

Wang Yan has also arrived.

Xiao Yi announced the Empress Dowager's passing once again, saying, "Take down all the red silk and hang mourning curtains."

The palace servants wept bitterly.

Wang Yan slapped himself hard and cried, "The Empress Dowager has passed away?! It's all my fault! I was too soft-hearted and didn't persuade the General to imprison the Empress Dowager..."

"Shut up."

Xiao Yi shouted, "On the first day of the first month, the new emperor will enter the palace to ascend the throne. Before that, you must arrange the funeral properly. Take out the Han dynasty flags and crowns that have been put away. The proper ceremonies can be simple, but they must not be perfunctory."

"Yes, this old servant will certainly handle it well. However, all the civil officials have gone out of the city to welcome the new emperor."

"No need for civil officials, just invite the Li clan members."

"Yes."

"come over."

Xiao Yi waited until Wang Yan approached before whispering, "Investigate who sent wine to the Empress Dowager."

He actually knew that the wine had been placed in the hall before yesterday evening, because he was quite certain that no one had entered from last night until this morning.

Soon, the inner palace guards under his command gathered outside the Zichen Palace, lining up neatly.

Xiao Yi walked down the stone steps, looked at them for a while, and then spoke.

“I have failed in my duty! I am ashamed of the great trust placed in me by you, and I intend to resign from my position as Commander of the Inner Palace Guard. Those who wish to return to the Tianxiong Army with me, please step forward; those who wish to stay in the Inner Palace Guard will not be forced and there will be no resentment.”

"General, is it really necessary?"

"Shut up and obey orders."

"I'm going back to the 20th Camp with the General! I'm not going to be a gatekeeper anymore!"

"Me too..."

Soon, only the Imperial Guards who had been transferred over time remained in the queue.

It wasn't that they were reluctant to give up their Imperial Guard status; they asked, "General, we don't have military ranks in the Tianxiong Army, can we still follow you?"

Lü You quickly shouted, "Idiot! Come here!"

Seeing that his subordinates were all willing to be demoted along with him, Xiao Yi understood the situation.

He then summoned Lao Pan and instructed him, "Go to the Imperial Workshop and see which of the craftsmen who returned from Yingling last time can be trusted. Bring them to see me outside the Xuanwu Gate."

"Here."

Xiao Yi closed his eyes, plotting how to secretly replace Li Hanmei's body, cremate it, and then send her back to her hometown.

"General."

Wang Yan stepped behind him and whispered, "I found it."

"So fast?" "Yes, the wine was delivered by Wu Shangshi yesterday at noon. She...she also committed suicide by poisoning herself, leaving behind this note."

Xiao Yi took the note and saw that the handwriting was neat and beautiful.

“This servant has poisoned the Empress Dowager and dares not live on. I will follow the Empress Dowager to the underworld to preserve my integrity. I hope the authorities will not implicate the innocent.”

This served as an explanation for his duties. He put away the note, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Who is this Wu Shangshi?"

"I met the general not long ago."

"I only remember that she was quite tall and didn't like to talk much, but I didn't look at her closely."

"Wu Shangshi was a palace maid from the previous dynasty. When the Khitans entered the Central Plains... she suffered a lot of hardships and had a pitiful background. After being rescued, she attempted suicide several times, but the Empress Dowager comforted and supported her."

"Then why did she come to see me with Zhang Shangyi three days ago?"

"Perhaps the Empress Dowager couldn't bear to see them waste their time and let them find their own way out."

Xiao Yi asked, "What are the arrangements for Wu Shangshi's funeral?"

Wang Yan said, "Zhang Shangyi will make all the arrangements."

"What do you know about Zhang Shangyi?"

"Her name is Zhang Wan. She is skilled in music and dance and is also beautiful. She had the opportunity to serve the late emperor, but he did not like her. Instead, Li Ye took a liking to her. She was unwilling to serve Li Ye, but the Empress Dowager protected her. That's all I know."

"Have her come to see me in a bit."

"Yes."

As they spoke, two palace maids approached Xiao Yi from behind, curtsied, and said, "General Xiao, we have been ordered to leave the palace to order a coffin. Please provide a warrant."

Xiao Yi signed the warrant and, noticing that they looked somewhat familiar, asked, "Where have we met before?"

One of them panicked slightly and lowered her head, saying, "This servant is..."

"This servant sweeps and cleans the gate, and often sees General Xiao."

The funeral arrangements were quite complicated.

This was Xiao Yi's first time handling a funeral. He asked questions when he didn't understand something, but he was very opinionated and immediately cut any parts that Li Hanmei didn't like.

It was as if he truly had the authority to preside over the funeral.

After a busy morning, seeing no members of the Li family arrive, he summoned a palace servant to inquire about the matter.

"Reporting to the General, we have already sent people to invite them, but Li Hongyi and Li Hongjian are not in the capital."

"They went to Gaomen Village?"

"No, I'm going to the west of the city to pick up Li Hongxin."

"Li Hongxin returns to Beijing today?"

"Yes."

Xiao Yi knew a little about Li Hongxin.

This man was the eldest brother of the Li siblings. At the time, he was the military governor of the Baoyi Army. In his youth, he was skilled in archery and horsemanship and was a military officer in the Pengsheng Army of the Later Tang Dynasty. Sixteen years ago, when the young emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty wanted to kill Shi Jingtang, Li Hongxin switched allegiance to Liu Zhiyuan at a critical moment and saved Shi Jingtang, which enabled Liu Zhiyuan to begin his rise to power.

This is one reason why Li Hanmei believed that the establishment of the Later Han Dynasty was inseparable from her painstaking efforts.

As far as Xiao Yi knew, since the coup in the court, Li Hongxin had killed all the officials sent by the court to his side and submitted a memorial to clear his name, which showed that he was decisive and ruthless, and could be regarded as the current pillar of the Li family.

Li Hongxin's return to the capital was likely to celebrate Guo Wei's ascension to the throne. The new dynasty did not intend to touch him, lest something happen in Shanzhou.

In the afternoon, Xiao Yi ate something and saw the coffin being delivered. It was immediately carried by the palace servants to the Jinxiang Hall at the back. He then beckoned to the palace servants and asked, "What's going on?"

"General, the Lady-in-Waiting is changing the Empress Dowager's clothes and preparing her for burial."

Xiao Yi felt that there were many questions today.

If he were distraught, he might overlook it, but he is indeed very clear-headed.

So he started walking towards the Jinxiang Hall.

As soon as she climbed the steps, the palace maids guarding the palace gate immediately went inside, and soon after, An Yuanzhen came down to greet her.

She changed into mourning clothes, her face bare, and began performing as the Puppet Queen again, but this time her face showed some grief.

Xiao Yi was walking forward when she stopped him.

"You should pay your respects to me, the Empress."

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Don't go in. The ladies-in-waiting are helping the Empress Dowager change her clothes. They even reminded me that I am the Empress and the funeral arrangements should be my responsibility... Don't be too attentive, in case they notice."

Xiao Yi said, "I was originally in charge of the palace, but now it's Zhang Shangyi in charge?"

"Are you crazy? Have you forgotten about you guys..." An Yuanzhen snorted and said, "I'm still angry, and you're giving me that look."

"If the Empress doesn't want to cause trouble, she should stay out of it."

"You! You've taken my kindness for granted, I'm not going to bother with you anymore."

An Yuanzhen got angry and put on the airs of a pretty but useless empress, and went to the Zichen Palace.

As Xiao Yi walked to the front of the Jinxiang Hall and was about to push open the door, Zhang Wan hurriedly came out to greet him.

"General Xiao."

"I need to see the Empress Dowager one last time."

"No, the Empress Dowager is changing her clothes."

Xiao Yi was tall, and looking past Zhang Wan's hair, he saw that the coffin in the hall had already been covered, and said, "Wasn't it already prepared for burial?"

"General, respect for the dead is paramount."

"I need to see her one more time."

Zhang Wan suddenly grasped Xiao Yi's wrist and whispered, "General, the Empress Dowager only wants to pass away peacefully. How can you bear to disturb her? Please seal the coffin here, okay?"

Xiao Yi shook off her hand and went straight inside.

There were only two palace servants in the hall. Upon seeing her arrive, they hurriedly knelt down.

Zhang Wan caught up with him, trying to pull Xiao Yi back again.

His hand was already on the coffin; with just a push, it could be moved aside.

Xiao Yi didn't push him away; he just stood there, unmoved no matter how Zhang Wan pulled him.

After a long while, he turned around and said calmly, "Take me to see Wu Shangshi."

"Wha...what?"

"I want to see Wu Shangshi's body."

“But, but Wang Yan has already seen it.”

"I want to take another look."

Zhang Wan was taken aback for a moment, then curtsied and said, "Please come with me, General."

Without any other palace servants with them, the two passed through the many palace gates and arrived at the women's quarters in the northwest corner of the palace.

Throughout the journey, Xiao Yi became increasingly calm.

As they walked to a side room, Zhang Wan suddenly turned around and hugged him.

"General Xiao, I like you so much... Would you be my concubine? I don't need any title... Waaah..."

Xiao Yi thought to himself that this was indeed the case, but he shouted, "Get out of the way."

Zhang Wan hugged him tighter, clumsily but diligently rubbing against him and kissing his neck.

She had a different scent, like a faint jasmine fragrance. Her lips were initially cool, then gradually warmed, and her breath tickled his skin.

Xiao Yi shoved her away and snapped, "Stop pretending! I already know everything."

"General, I know my crime." Zhang Wan hugged his leg and cried, "But the Empress Dowager is sincere. She did this to avoid implicating you..."

"You're still hiding it from me? It's too late."

"I dare not lie to you, General. The Empress Dowager didn't tell you for fear of implicating you. Otherwise, we should have been more thorough. I didn't expect that when the Empress went in, the Empress Dowager was already lost in passion. If she wanted to use you, General, she would have had the opportunity last night when you were asleep at three-quarters past dawn..."

Xiao Yi lifted her up and dragged her to a secluded corner, saying, "Let's start from the beginning."

"General, you wouldn't harm the Empress Dowager, would you?"

"explain."

"Yes, the plan was made long ago and had nothing to do with the General. Guo Que'er went back on her word, saying she would establish Liu Shi as the heir, but then she sought an opportunity to lead troops away from the capital. The Empress Dowager was worried about being humiliated, so she asked General Li to take her to Shanzhou, intending for her to fake her death and escape before the General returned. Unexpectedly, the General suddenly returned. I was worried that the General would see through me, so I wanted to seduce him. I wanted to proceed gradually, but unexpectedly... After the Jinxiang Hall incident, the Empress Dowager's mind wavered, and she worried that this would implicate the General in the long run. General Li has returned to the capital, everything is ready, and the arrow is on the bowstring, so we have to release it. I originally suggested asking the General for help, but the Empress Dowager said, 'Whether he knows or not, there is a world of difference.' Waaah, the Empress Dowager's feelings for the General are so deep, I have never lied, I only beg the General to calm down."

"enough."

Xiao Yi feigned anger, but remained calm in his heart. He had already guessed the whole story with a high degree of accuracy. At this moment, the coffin in the front hall should be that of the deceased Wu Shangshi, while Li Hanmei was in a thin coffin in this side room.

He wasn't angry; he wanted to sit on the dragon throne himself, and she had indeed helped him set his mind on it. They had two nights of blissful intimacy, during which she was passionate and desperately sought his pleasure, and he had certainly enjoyed it. Their meeting was like a golden breeze and jade dew, after which they went their separate ways, which was also his understanding.

After a brief affair, Li Hanmei continued on her way. Unwilling to be taken to Taiping Palace, she carried out her plan—that was to be expected. He, too, should continue on his way, uncovering her plan and securing her credit—that was to be expected.

But that was too detached a thought. On second thought, she wasn't without sacrifice; at least she didn't involve him. Finding her own way out was less risky than him rescuing people from Taiping Palace.

Thinking of her uncontrollable trembling, tears, and breakdown at their final parting... he ultimately didn't push open that door again and turned to leave.

Today we part ways peacefully, and there's no need for us to meet again.

(End of this chapter)