753 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

The procession traveled through Zhengzhou, heading towards Kaifeng. The blatant passage through Kaifeng served not only as a testament to the well-paved roads leading there but also as a provocative jibe at the Murim Alliance that had settled in the locality. "You're not going to do anything as we take Ximen Qing away, right? Just watch. This is the true prowess of the imperial palace, the martial world is nothing special, right?" And so, the representatives from the Murim Alliance watched Qing’s procession with complex expressions. "Behold the young hero, Ximen Qing's march!" "The Emperor has bestowed great commendation, so Ximen Qing ascends the steps of the imperial path headed to Beijing!" 'Young hero Ximen Qing.' Not the Heavenly Sword Flower (천화검), but Ximen Qing. The intention was transparent. Not a hero of the martial world, but a hero of Zhongyuan. Speaking of Ximen Qing the individual, not the Heavenly Sword Flower. Witnessing the Heavenly Sword Flower sitting pathetically in the rain, a fury welled up even more. And amidst this, there was a bittersweet joy seeing familiar faces from the alliance faintly smiling, which only fueled the fire further. With such, the journey of the young hero to Beijing crossed the river towards Bupyeong. However. Humans are creatures that grow desensitized to stimuli. The indignity displayed at this exhibitor who arrived in a golden carriage, the kind that would make one kick off one’s blankets in mortification, becomes something else entirely when faced daily. Here is this crowd exhausting their funds to beat drums and blow flutes while shouting at the top of their lungs for Young Hero Ximen Qing. From my perspective, it feels humiliating, but isn't this such an honored position from the viewpoint of the Zhongyuan people? At first, even I thought they had rallied this many people just to slight me. But even the cantankerous Elder Weiba seemed to use basic courtesy and respect, and the guards and musicians, upon mere eye contact, appeared ready to kneel. Though Qing might not yet realize, these individuals belonged to the central army directly under the Emperor, and their precise mission was not merely escorting Ximen Qing the Young Hero, but the aspiring crown princess. This crown princess, whether later cast off under false pretenses or forced into a woman’s life abandoning martial pursuits, signified the downfall of the martial artist Ximen Qing. But who would ever have expected that the position of crown princess could be sacrificed just to remove one martial artist? Comparing to Qing's hometown, it was like luring the rival team's top prospect with a fifty-fold salary, only to bench them till retirement. It was a cunning plan that aimed to seize the greatest potential of the martial arts world and the highest late-blooming talent, while severing the martial life altogether. The escort team was oblivious to such intricacies. Perhaps mesmerized by mere beauty, they speculated if this person might one day rule a palace and become a noble like "Empress Westgate" if one were to fall out of favor with her, it might ruin not only their life but even disgrace their family. Just the thought of meeting her eyes might make their legs tremble with awe. Qing, notably sensitive to goodwill, tends to notice goodwill keenly, wouldn’t one agree? Maybe it wasn't about shaming me after all, but just the unfortunate weather. Even now, they're hastily setting up warming measures; though the crudeness of Zhongyuan's standards can't be helped, can it? Primitive ancient hand warmers, wrought-iron orbs filled with charcoal wrapped in cloth, or animal skins filled with hot water sewing wrapped with cloth. Though rain didn’t actually make Qing cold, placing them on her lap warmed her up and surprisingly improved her mood. Thus, the attitude of Qing, who had become lethargic leaning on her golden throne, gradually recovered its vitality. The hairstyle number five of the Ximen Surin style. Tie back the bangs but not completely, leaving a single strand, so that it clings when wet, captivating the world with unmatched allure like that of a sultry temptress. Along with a light bittersweet, troubled, ambiguous, or perhaps melancholy smile, it exuded a sensuality that pierced the heart of any Zhongyuan man. In addition, the silk clothes clung beautifully and fiercely to the body, wet in the rain! Thus the men who ventured out into the rain to pick up the money thunderstruck, mouths agape in awe, simply gazed upwards at the carriage. Even if pelted by the coins they stood frozen like wooden statues, unable to move. Men accompanied by wives or partners snapped out of it with painful pinches, looking back wistfully at every chance. But truth be told, women aren't so different either, commenting "Wow, Youth Amid Calamity! Is that a person, even?" This was because women too enjoyed appreciating beauty. Even during summer, rain doesn’t pour endlessly, and when it doesn’t rain, the frenzy erupts, and when Qing simply waves, they all raise their voices to cheer "Heavenly Sword Flower, Young Hero Ximen Qing," unexpectedly adding cries of "Long live the Emperor," etc., till their voices gave out. Entering deeper into Hebei, the rainy season began to subside, and even when rain fell, the clouds became thin, revealing the sun. The admiration Qing received in every town, being remarked as stylish, lovely, and praiseworthy, put her in exceptional spirits. Additionally, throughout the procession, gourmet meals were ever-present; amongst those favorably disposed towards her, Qing was savoring delicious meals thrice daily. Thus, at first Qing timidly picked out bits, but soon revealed her true colors, and that fearsome gluttonous nature could not be hidden. Baekyukhwaso, sliced boiled pork. Here, white pork refers to premium delicately-prepared pork with all tendons, membranes, residual bones, and large fat removed, a cuisine that poured all efforts into its preparation. And Qingjinroja-gye, essentially a variety of samgyetang. However, as it contained no glutinous rice, it felt a step lower than samgyetang. And most notably, speaking of Hebei, it must be Huangguayan! The enchanting twenty-course banquet made with huangguo, or cucumber, as it’s otherwise known. A twenty-dish assortment of cucumber creations. Hmm, it’s not that it lacked flavor, but indeed, a meal doesn’t feel like a meal without meat, it seems... The cuisine of Hebei, well, to rank it, it doesn't quite make it into the culinary rankings of Zhongyuan's regional dishes. Given that this is considered representative of Hebei cuisine, it fully explains why. Oh, without meat, eating and eating still leaves one feeling unsatisfied... "Heavenly Sword Flower, how much do you intend to eat?" "But there’s no meat! These greens and such are merely side dishes, after all." At that, Weiba Sun was momentarily taken aback. Not only because of the absurdity of the statement (for people of Zhongyuan, vegetables are ingredients just as equal to meat), but also because he'd once heard similar words from a certain princess. She had once said that without meat, it wasn’t a proper meal, lamenting if they intended to feed her grasses as if she were a grazing beast, like a cow or something. Though, truth be told, she did have a bovine-like demeanor, these days, it seemed her tastes had changed, and she quite enjoyed vegetables. "Can someone recuperating indulge in such an excess of food? Surely you can't be that comfortable; you should rest and recover." “But isn’t it true that one should eat well while unwell to recover swiftly? How can you not comprehend my determination to force it down for quicker recovery, and my sincere quest for wholesome meat?” Weiba Sun looked at the pile of dishes. Not just dishes, but large serving plates. The woman who had been dazzlingly eating and exclaiming how delicious it was led to a loss of words and a choked silence. "What kind of nonsense, hm?" “My dear,” Qing replied, “if you see someone who is ill but pretends to be well, don’t you think poorly of them for ostentatiously showing their illness? You might feel it’s irritating that they unnecessarily show it.” “What are you suddenly talking about?” “But when you see someone gritting their teeth, pretending not to be in pain, and enduring their suffering in silence, don’t you find it admirable?” “Isn’t that the nature of human emotion?” “But does the world work that way? If a sick person hides their pain, everyone assumes they’re fine and treats them as usual. The unwell person feels lonely and grows resentful.” With that, Qing pointed at herself. I’m hurting here, acting like I’m not. But if you just assume I’m not because I seem well, wouldn’t I be upset? To which Weiba Sun kept his mouth firmly shut. The audacious cleverness of that tongue, it made one inclined to believe just by listening, so avoiding it altogether seemed wise. Yet, after hearing it, it became amusing, felt drawn to listen. “Then, my dear, could you not order two more dishes, brimming with meat for nourishment? I’ll devour them to full recovery.” “What, even more to eat—is that so. Attendant!” In truth, Qing was someone who managed well, laughing and getting along no matter the situation. While Qing enjoyed her joyous days, the procession continued to traverse through Hebei, nearing Beijing. --- The Forbidden City, the Palace of Heavenly Purity. It was the emperor's residence, the most secretive, most challenging part of the palace to set foot in, far more so than any remote corner of Zhongyuan. In the heart of this Palace of Heavenly Purity, the individuals drinking tea were— The Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven’s premier consort, the Empress. And the heir apparent to the throne, the Crown Prince. So, what was so special about these three gathering to drink tea? One might say, but isn’t this simply a family’s harmonious time, even if he is the Son of Heaven? “Do you know of the martial artist known as Heavenly Sword Flower?” At this, the Empress's teacup momentarily rippled. But was the palace woman’s ability to conceal her feelings not exceptional? Maintaining an untroubled appearance, she quietly took her teacup, leaving no one the wiser to the ripples inside it. Inwardly, she swallowed her unease quietly. Why bring up Heavenly Sword Flower now? I still haven’t uncovered any evidence of the vile enchantress from that dreadful land, nor her false magical identity. Outwardly composed, the Crown Prince courteously responded to the question. “I’ve heard she is a mere martial instructor from Jianghu.” “So you’ve heard of her.” “Haven’t her rumors been quite splendid?” “Yes, indeed.” Said the Son of Heaven, continuing as if merely noting a passing dog. “Marry Heavenly Sword Flower.” The Crown Prince hesitated. Pardon me, but what did you just say? “Your Majesty?” “So be it, we shall bestow the status of a lady upon Heavenly Sword Flower.” That moment arrived. The deep inhalation echoed. Both the emperor’s and the crown prince’s eyes twitched in unison; the father-son duo shared an identical expression, knowing the loud voice that was to follow. “Your Imperial Highness! You must not say such things!” The Empress’s voice rang sharply. “How can the choice of the Crown Prince’s consort be so lightly decided! If you wish to choose for the Crown Prince, shouldn’t you firstly conduct the HaeSun (first preliminary exam) and gather at least five thousand maidens? You’ll examine their parental qualities, their parents’ and grandparents’ qualities, ensuring none of their ancestors had uncouth lineage or unvirtuous deeds, selecting through proper procedures! After that, the ChoSun (second examination) would narrow it to four thousand, excluding those lacking upright demeanor and possessing wrongful attributes, a crucial process as the progeny will shine forth the dignity of the heavens for a thousand years! And even after that, you’d call upon every eunuch of the moment to gather opinions and narrow it down before it’s considered a minimum start! Then, there’s the BokSun (third examination) to assess appearance and voice…” The expressions of both the Son of Heaven and the Crown Prince soured. For the selection of a true consort involves eight stages, an exam encompassing eight steps. Surely, she didn’t intend to detail all that, did she? And, didn’t I (the king) already know all this (as well)? But alas, the expectation was correct. The aged imperial rules from Taehwangjo sorted things into the lengthy method for selecting future concubines. Coming from the Empress with every intention of reigning in her shocked heart, her voice was a cacophony, a fury empowering her, for she herself was stunned. What in the name of chaos was this ridiculous talk! For my own son and the daughter I bore to be wed—it is unthinkable! Even beasts do not consort in such a manner! To even utter it is disgraceful and makes the body shudder with revulsion! "Ahem, it's merely the selection of a lady, not the elaborate examination required for the crown princess..." "What did you say!? You would make the Crown Prince’s consort such a, a lowly woman who, who was rolling around in the streets, a woman who cuts people like a, a, butcher, that kind of woman! What will happen to the imperial throne then!" The Empress stammered because, even for the sake of her daughter, it was an arduous task to hurl such insults. Yet, from the perspective of the father and son listening, if the Empress, who had never uttered a harsh word, spoke such vulgar language, she must indeed be thoroughly angry. However, the Son of Heaven was firm in his resolve. “Ahem, Empress, please calm yourself. I have reasons for this decision, all for the greater good of the realm's peace.” “But, Your Majesty—” “Ahem, just know this is decided. Crown Prince, prepare to meet Heavenly Sword Flower.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” The dutiful son nodded quietly. And thus, the Empress raised her voice once more. “Your Majesty!” “My dear, calm yourself and we’ll discuss it later. For now, you and the Crown Prince must leave.” The Empress’s fist trembled in fury. The stubbornness of this man—once he makes up his mind, he adheres to it even if the sky splits apart, meaning he has resolved to act entirely according to his will. Given that the Palace of Heavenly Purity is the Emperor’s domain, even his wife and son must leave when told, and so they were both unceremoniously ejected from the palace. The Empress’s quarters are in the Western Palace's Changchun Hall, whereas the Crown Prince resides in the Southern Palace's Dangyeong Hall. As the Crown Prince bowed to his mother, preparing to depart, she spoke with a firm expression. “Crown Prince, come to Changchun Hall. I have urgent matters to discuss with you.”