Chapter 5: The Ginkgo Tree

After confirming that the man in the bamboo hat had departed, Ye Jingtang sheathed his blade, his expression turning grave. Regardless of whether the "Red God of Wealth" was friend or foe, the recent encounter had undoubtedly placed immense pressure upon him.

In the frontier town, he had once styled himself the "number one master," confident that he stood among the elite of the martial world. Yet, having witnessed the Red God of Wealth's spear technique, he realized the chasm between himself and true masters—it was like a game of chess; he had always attempted to win through brute force, neglecting true strategy and lacking genuine "skill." In short, he had been exerting his strength in the wrong way and heading in the wrong direction.

Ye Jingtang was not surprised. His martial arts had been taught to him by his foster father, but since the man had never imparted true techniques, it was no wonder what he had learned amounted to little more than flashy, superficial moves. If this time it was a "friend" who arrived, the next might not be so kind. Without true martial arts, survival would be difficult.

With this thought, Ye Jingtang looked up toward the Imperial City. The Red God of Wealth had offered to teach him spear techniques, but he could not rely on that until he had actually mastered them. Even if the man truly intended to take him as a disciple, he needed to keep a contingency plan to ensure he would never be controlled. As it stood, that "ace up his sleeve" seemed to be the Dragon Resonance Chart mentioned by his foster father.

Setting aside legends of immortality and ascension to godhood, rumors in the martial world claimed that obtaining any one of the nine Dragon Resonance Charts was enough to transcend the mundane and far surpass ordinary men. Although the chart was hidden beneath a ginkgo tree in the "inner palace," making it difficult to reach, the current Emperor was a woman. Even if she kept male concubines, they were unlikely to reside within the inner palace, meaning that area was bound to be sparsely populated. And even if they did live there, with so many handsome men in the palace, it shouldn't be too difficult for someone with his "Mother Goddess-blessed" looks to blend in.

Trespassing into the Imperial City was clearly not a decision to be made on impulse; without a clear understanding of the situation, he could easily find himself in a desperate trap. Ye Jingtang stared at the Imperial City for a long time, but finding no solution, he buried the idea of "infiltrating the inner palace" in his heart and returned to the room to clear away the rubble and broken wood.

Shortly after, the sound of hooves echoed in the alley, followed by the voices of the old鏢师 (bodyguard) Yang Zhao and the bird:
"Young Master? Young Master?"
"Chirp, chirp, chirp..."
"I'm fine."

Ye Jingtang clapped his hands and walked out of the courtyard to look at the arriving bodyguards: "A martial artist passed by earlier; we chatted for a bit, and he's already left. Just a false alarm."

The twelve bodyguards frowned as they looked at the dilapidated alley. Yang Zhao advised, "Young Master, Sanniang has arranged lodgings for all of us, and even Xiao Liuzi's place is better than yours. You should move back. You're unfamiliar with the capital..."

Ye Jingtang, unsure if the Red God of Wealth was connected to the Shao family, considered this and shook his head. "It's fine. It's quiet here, and I've grown accustomed to it. I truly have no connections in the capital, so I will visit the Shao family tomorrow to seek employment. Don't worry about me; go back and get some rest."

Hearing this, the bodyguards sighed in relief and immediately dismounted to help Ye Jingtang clear the debris.

***

Under the same night sky, within the Imperial City.

Night had fallen, and the lanterns were lit, swaying in the wind beneath the eaves. Light filtered through the dense branches of the trees, casting leaf-shaped shadows like small fans onto the white stone tiles. Several palace maids in colorful attire stood silently with heads bowed along the gallery, holding lanterns.

Beneath a ginkgo tree that had stood for a thousand years hung a swing. A young woman dressed in a golden-red phoenix robe gripped the ropes, swaying back and forth in the night. She swung high, her magnificent gown and red embroidered shoes tracing a crescent arc beneath the tree. The night was serene and the beauty painterly, yet there was no sound of human presence, lending a sense of lonely desolation to the otherwise exquisite scene.

The vast and elegant courtyard resembled a meticulously crafted birdcage. The woman swinging alone was like a canary in that cage, attempting to use the swing to vault over the red walls and golden tiles to catch a glimpse of the world outside.

*Tap, tap...*

After the swing had moved back and forth countless times, footsteps echoed from the corridor, followed by the respectful greeting of the palace maids: "Greetings, Prince Jing."

The swing beneath the ginkgo tree slowly came to a halt. The woman in the phoenix gown turned her head, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. With almond-shaped eyes and red lips, her features were like a painting, yet they carried the lingering resentment of one long confined to the inner chambers.

Seeing Prince Jing approach, the woman did not descend to greet her, but continued to sway the swing, asking softly, "Liren, what brings you here today?"

"I came to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."

Dongfang Liren, dressed in a silver-threaded python robe, appeared like a dashing and peerless prince. She came behind the swing and gently pushed the Empress Dowager’s shoulders. "I was just discussing state affairs with His Majesty, and His Majesty asked me to come and check on you. It is so late; why hasn't Your Majesty retired? Do you feel the palace is too desolate? Would you like me to arrange for you to stay at Yutan Mountain Villa for a while?"

"Whether I am in the palace or outside, I am still alone. What is the difference?"

"It is the same for me and His Majesty."

"It is not. You and His Majesty have affairs of state to attend to. Whenever you wish, you can go anywhere in the world and select any man you fancy..."

The Empress Dowager turned her head to look at Dongfang Liren. "What can I do? I have been in this palace for ten years. There are no concubines for me to manage, and my only hope in life is to count the days until I am buried in the imperial tomb..."

"Once deep in the palace, year after year, spring is never seen."

Dongfang Liren pushed the swing, comforting her softly: "The imperial family has been this way since ancient times. Though your life is lonely, at least you are respected and loved by His Majesty..."

The Empress Dowager's face showed displeasure. "I would rather not be favored by the Emperor. The concubines of the late Emperor who had children followed them to their fiefs, and those without were even freer, able to leave the palace after three years of guarding the tomb. Only I am the most wretched—with no child to rely on, I cannot leave the palace, nor can I remarry..."

Dongfang Liren’s gaze showed helplessness. "Your Majesty, you are the Empress Dowager. 'Empress' is the position of the rightful wife, while concubines are but secondary. Throughout history, unless the nation has fallen, where is there a precedent for an Empress Dowager to remarry?"

The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment. "There is indeed no Empress Dowager in history who has remarried, but those who disregarded propriety and kept 'male concubines' in private are not uncommon..."

Dongfang Liren felt that this was a veiled request for a 'male concubine' directed at her, who was a daughter in name only. She patted the Empress Dowager’s shoulder with a hint of reproach. "Your Majesty, are such words appropriate for you to say?"

The Empress Dowager huffed with dissatisfaction. "I am nearly stifled to death in this deep palace—is it not even allowed to speak of it? I didn't say I actually wanted to keep a concubine... Fortunately, I am not your biological mother, just a decorative piece in this palace. If I were the Emperor's birth mother and kept a concubine in defiance of the rules, you would only be able to pretend you hadn't seen it..."

Dongfang Liren sighed. "Very well, I shall pretend I never heard it."

The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment and asked again, "Neither you nor the Emperor have a companion by your side. Is there anyone you fancy recently? Do you have any portraits or the like? Let me help you weigh your options."

Dongfang Liren did indeed have a 'portrait of a beautiful man' in her possession, but seeing the Empress Dowager's eager demeanor, she felt it was not the right time to share it. "The Emperor is busy with state affairs, and I am plagued by the 'Green Bandits'—how could I have the leisure to consider marriage..."

"You are not young anymore; you should make plans early if you have the opportunity..."

After chatting for a while, a few drops of cold rain fell through the branches of the ginkgo tree.

*Rustle, rustle...*

The Empress Dowager looked up, her gaze falling upon the dense canopy of the ginkgo tree, a trace of dissatisfaction appearing in her eyes. "They say this tree is spiritual. I come to visit it every day, and yet, in ten years in the palace, I have never encountered a single piece of good fortune. My life is bitter, and even when I swing to relieve my boredom, it rains. How disappointing. In a few days, I shall have someone chop you down!"

"Heaven's will is fickle, and it has brought the rain. This tree still offers you shelter from the wind and rain; if Your Majesty were to truly chop it down, would you not be even more helpless?"

"That is true..."