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墨書 Inktalez
Here lies a dynasty that has no record in history, perhaps it does not belong to this time and space.
This dynasty is called the Xuan Dynasty, and the surrounding countries refer to it as the Heavenly Xuan Empire. The nation has not experienced any dynastic changes; from the founding emperor to the present, the ruling family has always been of the Xuan surname. Initially, the five major tribes united to resist invasions from the Western Regions and Southern Barbarians. After years of fierce battles, they finally won peace over this land. The five tribes decided to become one family, thus establishing the Heavenly Xuan Empire.
The Five Great Families consist of the Xuan Family led by the founding emperor, Xuan Ancestor, and the Three Friends of Winter—Bamboo, Pine, and Plum—who have maintained harmonious relations and a tradition of intermarriage. They are truly branches of the same tree; if any one of these three families were to dominate the empire, it could cause rifts within their ranks, so they prefer not to do so. Lastly, there is the Mu Family, which has no intention of competing with the Xuan Family for territory; they are accustomed to a carefree life. This is also why, despite various storms faced by the Heavenly Xuan Empire, these families have managed to coexist without any dynastic changes.
To stabilize his rule, Emperor Xuan Ancestor granted hereditary titles to the four great families. Each family received a piece of jade; when combined, these jades could rival the highest symbol of Imperial Authority—the Imperial Seal. He decreed that future emperors must treat the four great families well.
The Three Friends of Winter also received favor and assisted the Xuan Family in governing the Heavenly Xuan Empire, while only the Mu Family remained uninterested in politics, living hidden among common folk. However, they still maintained friendly relations with the other four families.
Now it is the 452nd year of the Heavenly Xuan Empire, and the new emperor of the Xuan Dynasty has been on the throne for three years.
The current head of the Zhu Family, Zhu Lin, holds a first-rank position as Left Chancellor, responsible for recommending officials and leading them in advising Emperor Great Xuan. The current leader of the Song Family, Song Yun, also holds a first-rank position as Zhong Cheng Minister; as a woman in power, she has made a remarkable name for herself in both court and society while overseeing officials. The head of the Xuan Family, Mei Ruocai, is similarly a first-rank official serving as Right Chancellor, conveying the emperor's will and ensuring various decrees are issued and executed.
All three families have disciples serving in government positions based on their abilities. They have an unspoken agreement that only those with political talent may enter service.
In contrast to these three families, the Mu Family has been engaged in commerce for generations and possesses wealth rivaling nations; they control the economic lifeline of the Heavenly Emperor's realm.
This interconnectedness has made the Heavenly Xuan Empire prosperous and strong, deterring neighboring countries from harboring any thoughts of invasion. Instead, they seek goodwill and offer congratulations from all directions. While not openly submissive, they dare not act recklessly. For a time, prosperity reigned throughout the heavenly kingdom.
Due to their affluent lifestyle, women in this empire have all become plump. Their once slender waists have turned into barrel-like figures; over time, being overweight has become a trend where every household considers plumpness beautiful. Although one woman holds a high office, society still clings to the belief that women should possess no talents but virtue.
This is the Heavenly Xuan Empire—a feudal dynasty with simple folk yet distinct social hierarchies.
It is now winter on an unknown small plain in northern Heavenly Xuan Empire where a frail figure trudges through the snow.
Her fluffy hair is completely covered by falling snowflakes; her face is dirty and obscured from view except for her bright yet timid large eyes that flicker nervously. Her emaciated body is clad in a single garment adorned with strange patterns. She wears no trousers—just this long garment reaching her knees—and she has no shoes on her feet. Her feet are red and swollen from frostbite; some areas are already festering with pus and faintly bleeding as she leaves small bloody footprints in the snow.
"Grandpa Zhang, where are you?" She keeps looking ahead as she walks for an hour until she finally sees him; indeed she was right—if she keeps walking forward, she will find Grandpa Zhang and Mute Mother. Dragging her small body barefoot through the snow without caring about her painful feet, she begins to run.
Old Zhang is indeed very clever; he had long realized that this place was no longer his city of residence. In his youth, he was also scholarly; otherwise he wouldn't have raised a son who became an official. He thinks about how old he is now and how he will die far from home without even being able to secretly visit his son. When he grows old with no one to see him off at his funeral, tears well up in his cloudy eyes as he feels sorrowful while using a sharp stone to dig a grave for Mute Mother. "Mute Mother," he laments, "you’re fortunate; even in death you have this old man digging your grave for you. After I Zhang Jinhua am gone for a hundred years, who will come to weep at my grave?"
Just as he thought this, a wave of sorrow washed over him, and tears streamed down his face. At that moment, a tender voice broke the silence, and a pair of timid big eyes looked at him. "Grandpa Zhang, is Mute Mother awake?"
"Niuniu, you’re here too?"
She nodded. She didn't know if this counted as her name; only Grandpa Zhang called her that, but he called every girl Niuniu.
"Niuniu, your Mute Mother has died. Should we bury her here?"
"Is Mute Mother sleeping here?"
"Yes, your mother will sleep here from now on. If you miss her, you can come here to see her," Zhang Jinhua felt somewhat comforted; at least he still had this girl around, he was not completely alone.
It seemed she could understand what death meant; it meant that her Mute Mother would never wake up or feel hungry again, only wanting to sleep. That sounded nice; she wanted to die too.
"Grandpa Zhang, I want to die too."
"Spit, spit, spit! You’re speaking without thinking!" Old Zhang repeated the phrase three times before explaining to her.
"Everyone will die eventually, but while you're still alive, you can't think about death." Who would take care of him when he passed away?
The old man and the young girl began to dig a hole in the snow with sharp stones. The winter soil was very hard, and they worked until dark before managing to dig a small pit. The pit wasn't long enough, so Old Zhang had to bend Mute Mother's body to fit into the small hole. Her body had already stiffened, and after finishing this task, he felt exhausted and sat down to rest.
"Niuniu, go cry for your mother. We’ll cover her soon."
She knelt beside Mute Mother.
"Mommy, this is good. When I have more strength later, I’ll dig a bigger hole for you so you can sleep more comfortably. You won’t have to worry about hunger or cold anymore. I want to die too."
Old Zhang nearly lost his temper upon hearing her words. However, after thinking it over, he said nothing. He initially wanted to scold her for being unfilial but realized that if this child was unfilial, were there any filial children left in the world? So he pulled her away.
"Kneel and bow to your mother."
She knelt on the ground and heavily bowed to her mother; her small forehead hit the snow and left a few drops of red.
Old Zhang said with concern, "Alright, alright, don't hit it so hard."
She raised her head, her bright eyes shimmering with tears. She knew she would never see her mother's face again. Gritting her teeth, she came to the grave to help Old Zhang cover it with soil.
"Goodbye, Mom."
"Let's go, Niuniu. It's getting dark; we need to find a place to stay."
"Grandpa Zhang, let's move this big stone up."
"If we put it on top, your mom won't be able to rest well."
"No, if we don't, I won't be able to find Mom later."
"Mom, please don't blame me." She knelt before the small mound.
Old Zhang used a stone to pry the giant rock, which weighed over a hundred pounds. The stone slowly rolled in the snow.
"Just leave it beside; don't press down on Mom."
The old man and the young girl held hands and walked further away. On this cold plain, a lonely grave was added.
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