bayedsolid Chapter 371 Guests Arrive in the Palace
Chapter 371 Guests Arrive in the Palace
Zhen Xiaosi jolted awake and suddenly opened her eyes.
Where are the clear streams, lush forests, spirited little unicorns, and dashing young companions now?
Only the bronze goose-fish lamp on the desk, its flame flickering faintly, illuminated the mountain of books and scattered star chart notes.
The exquisite gilded brass clock beside my pillow (similar timekeeping devices existed in the Tang Dynasty; this is an artistic exaggeration) tirelessly strikes the rhythm of time with its cold, monotonous metal reed, relentlessly announcing: the dream is over.
Frustrated, Zhen Xiaosi grabbed the clock and pressed down hard on the noisy little copper hammer.
She sat up, wrapped in the brocade quilt. The sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten, and the outline of Chang'an City was faintly visible in the morning mist.
She rubbed her eyes, which were even more sore from staying up all night, and felt a pang of disappointment: "Oh dear, my dream last night... why was it so disappointing? The first half was filled with laughter and playfulness by the stream, but the second half had absolutely no historical flavor! Today, the Grand Historian is going to test me on the auspicious omens and strange tales of the early Wu Zhou period, and my mind is completely blank. What am I going to do?"
Even more bizarrely, two versions of herself appeared in the dream—Zhen Xiaosi, lazily studying a star chart, and Xiao Anding Si, wild and assertive, standing on a rocky outcrop in the forest, hands on hips. They met and conversed in a lush, verdant dreamscape…
“And Brother Zian…” Zhen Xiaosi rested her chin on her hand, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles on the brocade quilt, “He suddenly said something in his dream, ‘I’ve become an adult before you all’… What’s the mystery behind this all of a sudden?”
Filled with doubts and the pressure of unfinished coursework, the day felt exceptionally long.
As the evening drum sounded and the lanterns were lit, Zhen Xiaosi dragged her weary body into the Cuiwei Palace, the residence her mother had given her in the palace.
The sight before her as soon as she stepped through the palace gates made her pause slightly.
Even as a princess, accustomed to the grandeur of palaces, Cuiwei Palace now exuded an almost dreamlike, otherworldly luxury.
Two jade lion-like creatures, each over ten feet tall, crouch at the entrance. Their eyes, unlike those of ordinary stone lions, are inlaid with large, luminous glass beads that shimmer with an eerie green light under the palace lanterns. They are colossal beasts from the primordial era, silently warning every approaching one: "Any mortal who dares to enter this gate will have their soul and spirit annihilated!"
The palace gates, lacquered in vermilion and studded with gold, were the epitome of exquisite craftsmanship. The intricate floral patterns on the entire piece of rosewood were not simple reliefs, but were meticulously outlined with gold leaf, and inlaid with cat's-eye stones the size of pigeon eggs, warm and lustrous South China Sea pearls, and even perfectly cut turquoise (an ancient name for green turquoise), which refracted a dazzling and mesmerizing light under the lamplight.
The threshold was over a foot high, and Zhen Xiaosi subconsciously lowered her head, afraid that the tassels of her hair ornaments might scratch the priceless gold foil decorations.
As she stepped into the hall, an indescribable, rich fragrance enveloped her gently yet powerfully. This fragrance was unlike the borneol and agarwood used in ordinary palaces; it was more profound and mellow, a blend of the essence of ancient trees, the nectar from the heavens, and some indescribable, divine aura.
She took a breath and felt her mind clear, her limbs and bones lighten. Even her mortal princess body was briefly elevated to a pristine fairy maiden in the fragrance.
The walls of the hall are adorned with enormous brocade murals, depicting lifelike figures. Qin Shi Huang swept across the land with his sword, Emperor Wu of Han rode his horse to drive out the Xiongnu, Emperor Guangwu restored the dynasty and brought long-lasting prosperity, Emperor Taizong's heaven-sent strategy settled the world... The charisma of great rulers, famous ministers and generals throughout history has been captured on silk by the skillful hands of painters, some majestic, some wise, some brave.
Their profound gazes pierced through a thousand years of time and space, silently watching the guests in the hall.