Chương 24: Chapter 22 (R)

Seated in my old wheelchair, I watch as several handmaidens directed by Fei Yi Lingxi load several trunks with what remains of our belongings onto a few small carts waiting outside the courtyard. Once filled, these carts are taken by several servants to where I assume the wagons that will accompany us with our belongings into our exile are waiting. As I watch the bustle with nothing much else to do, my mind wanders back to the day of our trial, and how in the end, it was rather disappointing.

That day a small part of me had imagined a trial like something out of Ace Attorney, even though I knew something like that was absolutely impossible. But the reality was that, more than a trial, we were in a theatrical performance where everyone knew their role and what they had to say and do. I didn't utter a word, since my mother instructed me not to speak before the trial began, that she would say everything.

As in the trial over what happened to my half-brother, my father told the chief eunuch, Taijian Li Ming, that he would oversee the matter, and then he stated the charges. My mother spoke and declared us guilty while recounting my assassination attempt as a mitigating factor. Then my father weighed her words and added his own mitigating factors, and finally he handed down the sentence of exile, which for some strange reason seemed to make Taijian Li Ming happy, if I had to go by the look on his face.

The sentence provoked a great deal of murmuring among the members of the court present. From what I could hear, some thought it was fair and others that it was too extreme, but what I could definitely notice is that everyone was surprised my father did not strip us of our titles. And that was especially noticeable in the area where all the other consorts were gathered.

Although several of them seemed satisfied, some were not so pleased, and there was one in particular, the one who appeared to be the oldest, who was looking at us as though we had killed her puppy or something similar. A voice pulls me from my memories as Lianhua approaches and tells me "Zhāohuán Wen, Jiǎngshī Zhao Liang has sent a chair identical to the one he gifted you on your birthday."

"I don't think we had ordered any new chair, right?" I ask Lianhua, surprised.

"No, Zhāohuán Wen. According to the messenger who brought the chair, someone commissioned it urgently for you", Lianhua replies. I smile, imagining who ordered it, even if he didn't do it in person, and tell Lianhua "Have them load it directly onto a wagon. And while you're at it, get me out of this one and have them loaded together. We'll take this one along as a spare, and it's not worth delaying things given the time we have left."

Lianhua nods and lifts me out of the chair, seating me on a bench in the courtyard, before heading off with my wheelchair toward Fei Yi Lingxi, presumably to pass on my instructions. I continue watching lazily as they finish loading what appears to be the last cart when a pair of palanquins enter the courtyard pushed by two Nei Wei, and I hear my mother's voice behind me saying "Wen, it's our time now." I turn my head as best I can to look at my mother and tell her "Then let's not delay any longer.

We can't have those who are waiting to watch the spectacle grow tired, can we?" My mother raises an eyebrow at my scandalous words but doesn't refute them. She simply picks me up in her arms and heads for one of the palanquins, where she seats me before climbing in beside me. The palanquin begins to move, followed by the other, which I imagine carries Fei Yi Lingxi and Lianhua.

And my words prove correct as we see the little groups of people who have gathered to watch us pass while they whisper among themselves and point at us as we go through our own particular walk of shame, though fortunately we're clothed.

Watching how my mother sits straight and proud, ignoring the crowd without uttering a word, I decide to imitate her, and in silence we continue our journey through the Imperial Palace until we arrive at the enormous plaza that lies just behind the palace's main gates, which is filled both with Nei Wei and with Jin Wei, who are letting no one else into the courtyard. As we enter the courtyard, I see half a dozen wagons drawn by enormous horses which are finishing being loaded with our belongings.

There's no way that what we've been allowed to bring fills so many wagons, so I imagine the rest must be the things we'll need for the journey. Apart from the wagons, there is a carriage clearly intended for transporting people, drawn by six horses, and the palanquins carry us to where it is waiting. As we approach the carriage, I realize its true proportions, and it is large, very large. And not only that: seen up close, the horses are absurdly large and must stand nearly three meters at the withers.

As I blink in disbelief at the impossible proportions I'm facing, my mother steps out of the palanquin and picks me up, paying no mind to the absurd size of the carriage and horses. I quickly realize that despite my surprise, it is clear that in this world this is normal enough not to draw anyone's attention. I see that both Fei Yi Lingxi and Lianhua approach to where we are, and my mother waits with me in her arms while looking around.

I'm full of questions, but I prefer to stay silent since the journey will be long enough that I can pepper her with questions later. We don't have to wait long, since a guard approaches and introduces herself with a bow "Guifei Xiang, I am Nei Baihu Liang Xue. I will be in charge of your protection both during the journey and throughout your stay in the city of Xi'An." My mother looks at the Nei Baihu and asks "Where is the carriage in which our handmaidens are to travel?"

The Nei Baihu seems a little embarrassed as she replies "Taijian Li Ming has ordered that no handmaidens may be brought. We will see to your requests during the journey, and upon arriving at the Palace of the Celestial Lotus you will have to use the staff residing there." My mother narrows her eyes and tells the Nei Baihu "We were never informed of that."

"The order reached us suddenly this morning, Guifei Xiang", the Nei Baihu replies.

"It caught us by surprise as well, but those are our orders and we must comply with them." A vein begins to swell on my mother's head and she opens her mouth to begin protesting, but I tug at her sleeve to make her look at me and shake my head, which seems to calm her a little. After reflecting for a moment, she simply asks through clenched teeth "And when do we depart?"

The Nei Baihu seems relieved that my mother isn't pursuing the matter and quickly replies "As soon as you board your carriage we'll set off, Guifei Xiang." My mother huffs in response and without answering turns around to head for the doors of the enormous carriage, which is so large that it even has steps to climb up. We go up, and upon entering I can't help noticing that I've had rooms smaller than the interior of this carriage. At a glance it must measure about five meters long and three wide.

And the interior, while not especially luxurious, is exquisitely decorated. Though its contents surprise me, since there are small beds at the ends, and in the center there are a few small sofas and a table, I suppose to sit during the day. Seeing all this I wonder how the devil they plan to move such a monster, no, let me rephrase, I wonder how the devil it can support its own weight without breaking. I suppose more mysteries to solve during the journey.

I ask my mother to seat me next to a window, which she does before sitting beside me, with Lianhua and Fei Yi Lingxi on the sofa opposite. After we've settled in, the door is closed from outside and I hear the Nei Baihu shout her orders to depart. I watch as all the Nei Wei in the courtyard take formation around our carriage and the wagons, after which the enormous palace gates open and the procession begins to move out of the Imperial Palace.

The carriage starts to move with a gentle sway, signaling to me that we have left behind the Imperial Palace's courtyard. As we approach the enormous gate, the first thing I can notice is the change in smell, from the more uniform scent of the Imperial Palace's interior to a heavier and more varied smell of what I suppose must be a great city. The first sight I have upon emerging from the palace walls is that of a broad avenue, wide and straight, flanked by imposing buildings of Chinese-style architecture.

The curved roofs, with their carved eaves decorated with figures of dragons and phoenixes, jut out majestically, while the facades are adorned with intricate engravings and balconies of dark wood. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I also see people dressed in silk robes of vibrant colors going about their daily tasks, but all of them stop what they are doing as our procession passes. Their faces are a mixture of curiosity, fear, and respect.

Some bow as we pass and others pause in groups as they whisper among themselves. Clearly the area just outside the Imperial Palace is a high-end commercial zone. The shop windows that line the street are filled with exotic spices and fine silks, and going further, framed calligraphy, carved jade, and all manner of artifacts whose function I cannot fathom.

It seems that news of the procession, which is advancing slowly through the city with the Nei Wei clearing the way for us, has spread throughout the city, since I see more and more people on the sides of the street watching us with various attitudes, from those who bow with respect upon seeing us to those who simply stand gawking at the spectacle while chatting with their friends.

As we continue advancing down the street, I can clearly see that the distinction of social classes is dictated by the distance from the Imperial Palace. As we move further away from the palace and despite the fact that it is clearly the city's main street, the decorations become less ornate and the shops stop being luxury establishments to start offering more everyday goods, such as ordinary clothing or simpler, more utilitarian furniture.

One thing I notice as I observe the crowd around us is that all the adults have clearly completed Skin Tempering. And judging by the loads some of them carry, it seems that Muscle Tempering isn't unknown to ordinary citizens either, or at least to those who reside in the imperial capital.

I'd like to analyze more thoroughly how this cultivation business affects social dynamics in places with large populations, but there's little I can do from my seat in the carriage, so for now I'll have to make do with what I have. We continue advancing down the long road and as the decorations become increasingly simple, we enter an area where the smells are more varied and start to make me hungry.

In this zone I see numerous establishments that are clearly restaurants, as well as several street food stalls, though right now they're empty since people are more occupied watching us go by than eating, though I notice many of those present are carrying drinks in their hands despite the hour. This area passes quickly and we enter what I assume is the outermost part of the city, since in the distance I can make out what looks like a wall.

This city is absurdly large, as seems to be the case with everything in this world. This area is even more packed with people, and from the buildings surrounding us, it is clearly a residential zone, though not exactly the slums, perhaps a zone of what would be the upper middle class. The residents, who would normally be going about their daily tasks, have halted their activities.

I see children running to get as close as possible to the street, their faces shining with excitement, while their mothers call them back urgently, fearful of what might happen if they get too close to the imperial procession. Even some old folks, their faces weathered by the years, watch us with serious expressions as their eyes follow the procession. Finally, the city walls appear on the horizon between the houses, imposing and sturdy, with the great main gate at the center, flanked by watchtowers.

As we approach, I see that between the wall and the first houses there is an empty zone where no building has been allowed. This seems strange to me, since normally every area within city walls is incredibly valuable and thoroughly developed. We pass the strange empty zone, and as we approach, the enormous wooden gates reinforced with iron are slowly pushed open by the guards, revealing the vast expanse of lands stretching beyond the capital.

As we cross the threshold of the city under the gaze of the guards in the watchtowers, a strange sense of freedom takes hold of me. Behind me I'm leaving what is supposed to be the protected life of the palace, but which for me was more a source of problems than anything else.

We pass through the city gates and immediately I notice the change in the ambient smell, shifting to something more characteristic of the countryside, something that in my previous life could only be found in zones far from the great urban centers. As I enjoy that smell, we continue moving away from the city, and what I see through the window is an endless expanse of cultivated fields.

In the nearest fields I see what appears to be wheat, but in more distant areas I notice other types of crops and even zones of what look like fruit trees. The paths between the fields are full of peasants, many of them pulling carts that clearly should be impossible to move, in yet another demonstration of how widespread cultivation is in this world, or at least the initial stage of it. But regardless of what they were doing, as we pass, they all stop their tasks to bow as we go by.

Here there are no whispers or gathered groups, only people bowing in silence as we pass. Finally, I can't hold out any longer after staying silent during the several hours it took us to leave the city, and I break the silence by suddenly asking my mother "How is it that everyone seems to have cultivated? Isn't it something only done at court or in the sects?"

My mother stops looking out the window, where she had been lost in thought, and looks at me with amusement before turning to Fei Yi Lingxi and telling her "Lingxi, I think we've both lost the bet." Fei Yi Lingxi returns my mother's gaze as she replies "So it would seem, Furen." I narrow my eyes as I alternate my gaze between the two of them and ask "What's this about a bet?"

My mother looks at me with a smile as she confesses "I had bet with Lingxi on how long you would last in silence before starting to ask questions. The truth is neither of us thought you'd manage to stay quiet until we were out of the city." I cross my arms and glare with an expression of annoyance at everyone present, since I notice that even Lianhua, the traitor, is smiling discreetly at my mother's words.

"But I'll answer your question. It's not something that's hard to explain", my mother continues with a smile, ignoring my annoyed expression.

"Both the sect and the Imperial Army look for people who have a certain level of talent in cultivation to recruit them, so once a year in every part of the Empire the children who have turned ten are gathered and given a test to see how talented they are."

As my mother begins to explain, I stop maintaining my annoyed expression and start listening attentively, something my mother notices, so she continues with a smile "Among those who prove to have a certain level of talent, the sect takes the most talented ones, who are brought to its headquarters to officially become cultivators, while those who also have some talent but not enough to catch the sect's attention are recruited into the Army."

"You have to understand that this test is given to the children of the Empire's ordinary population", my mother continues.

"Noble families and those of a certain social standing start training their children at age eight because they can afford to pay for training like the one the Emperor used to help children sense Qi, or they have the free time necessary to do it without such training, since ordinary people aren't a little monster like you."

I notice she says that last part with a tone of pride, as though to emphasize how exceptional I am, while she continues speaking "Ordinary people have neither the necessary money nor do the children have the free time needed, since they have to help their parents or attend whatever schools they can afford, so the tests are carried out in large formations that can accommodate dozens of children at once, and they're given a period of time, and their talent is judged by how long they take to sense Qi.

The longer they take, the less talent. And those who cannot do it, who are the vast majority, are considered to have no talent and are not recruited by anyone."

"But why age ten for the commoners?" I interrupt to ask after listening to my mother.

"And do they simply take the children away? Don't their families have any say?" My mother sighs upon hearing the questions with which I interrupt her, but she answers them "Age ten is simply a matter of status. It gives two years of advantage to the children of nobles over commoners, which reinforces their status and strength above them, whether in the Sect or in the Army if their families decide they should join it."

That strikes me as rather mean-spirited, but I hold my tongue and let my mother continue "As for whether they're simply taken away, I'll grant you the point. But you have to realize that for an ordinary commoner, being a member of the sect is an honor their family can boast about for generations. And if they're recruited into the Army, the future of both their family and themselves is already secured, and it can even raise their status if their children attain a high rank."

It still doesn't seem right to me, but I understand the reasoning, besides which I must factor in that I am in a Chinese-style culture where family is more important than the individuals within it. And this seems to answer another question I had, though I already suspected it. It's clear that in this world a person's gender isn't as important as their talent for cultivation. I'm certain from the court's dynamics that the world, or at least this Empire, is still patriarchal.

But a woman can break that dynamic because a person's talent for cultivation is, in people's eyes, superior to their condition as a man or woman. But I can't continue with my reflections for long since my mother goes on "As for your original question, I imagine you'll have already guessed the answer. Since they've been initiated into cultivation during the test, they can then continue on their own."

She stops looking at me and turns to contemplate through the window the few peasants we pass, since as we move further from the city the fields become increasingly scarce, while she continues her explanation "But since they have little talent and moreover can only cultivate in the little free time they have between their work and the time they must devote to their family, each step usually takes them several years."

I can easily imagine what she's describing, but I let my mother finish her explanation without interrupting.

"At first Skin Tempering is easy, especially because they do it when they're young and have more free time, besides the fact that at their age the advantages of completing it are always more appealing", my mother continues.

"But as they grow up they have much less free time and things begin to slow down, besides having to sacrifice what little free time they have to do it, so many stop after achieving Muscle Tempering. And they only get that far because in their jobs, if they don't have it, they will always be inferior to those who do."

"Very few reach the Tempering of Bones and Tendons, and that is already the end for ordinary people", my mother concludes.

"Ordinary people usually don't have information about the advantages beyond that stage, and even if they did, the potential benefits of the Tempering of the Nerves are not enough for an adult with a family to devote what could well be decades of their time to reaching it." After finishing her explanation, my mother stops talking as I see her gaze with melancholy at the city's walls, which are growing smaller in the distance.

And that image is what finally breaks all the similarities between my old world and this one, because it's one thing to read about what the world is like, and quite another to see how in the distance things don't fade into the horizon as I'm used to, but simply grow smaller and smaller as though we were on an enormous straight line.