After bidding farewell to old friends during the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, it was now already May of the following year.
The tung trees were in full bloom in the Yi Jin Garden, their white flowers covering the surroundings with a blanket of snow. Emperor Long Xuan, who had spent the night enjoying this picturesque scenery, ended up catching a cold.
“It’s already May,” Emperor Long Xuan said with a smile to the imperial physicians, “how could I possibly catch a cold?”
The physicians did not dare suggest that the Emperor was getting old. They only said, “Your Majesty, as long as you rest and recuperate, your dragon body will surely recover.”
“I am old,” Emperor Long Xuan laughed, “you need not speak such comforting words.”
The imperial physicians bowed their heads in silence.
“You may all leave,” Emperor Long Xuan waved his hand, dismissing the physicians.
In Changming Hall’s sleeping chamber, only Fu Dao remained with his master.
“You must talk to me today,” Emperor Long Xuan said to Fu Dao, “now that I have some time, speak, what do you have to say?”
Fu Dao replied, “Your Majesty, Fu Yun passed away yesterday.”
“Oh,” Emperor Long Xuan responded, “he has reached that age, hasn’t he? Attend to his funeral arrangements.”
Fu Dao promptly acknowledged, “This servant obeys Your Majesty’s command.”
“Did he say anything before passing?” Emperor Long Xuan pondered for a moment before inquiring.
Fu Dao relayed, “Fu Yun said that in his next life, he wishes to continue serving Your Majesty.”
Emperor Long Xuan broke into laughter, “Next life?” he mused, “Why do so many people speak of the afterlife?”
Fu Dao looked at Emperor Long Xuan, unable to share in his amusement.
Emperor Long Xuan laughed briefly before falling silent again. After Fu Yun was disciplined by Luo Wei years ago, he never appeared by Emperor Long Xuan’s side again. During the ten years of Luo Wei’s reign, Fu Yun was confined to a punishment room1 in the inner chambers of the palace and never ventured outside. However, at that time, Luo Wei had too many concerns to spare much thought for someone like Fu Yun, which allowed the former Chief Eunuch to live until yesterday.
“Your Majesty?” Fu Dao tentatively called out to Emperor Long Xuan.
“You may leave as well,” Emperor Long Xuan said, “I need to rest.”
Fu Dao retreated from the imperial chamber.
Long Xuan let out a bitter smile. Now, when he said he wanted to rest, it likely fulfilled the wishes of many. There were still many matters he wished to attend to, but even if he were granted a hundred years of life, it would not be enough. When one grew old, they became useless. Emperor Long Xuan felt helpless about his old age as he gradually fell into a slumber.
When Long Xiao entered the bedchamber of Changming Hall, his father was still asleep. Long Xiao stood by the bedside, observing Emperor Long Xuan. The one hailed by all as an enlightened ruler was finally showing signs of old age.
“When did you arrive?” Emperor Long Xuan suddenly opened his eyes and looked at his son standing by the bed.
Long Xiao hurriedly knelt beside the bed and replied, “Imperial Father, you son has just arrived.”
Emperor Long Xuan concealed an inner sneer. He had not yet reached the point of being bedridden and unable to speak, yet these people around him had already begun to select a new master for themselves. He was asleep in the imperial chamber, and they dared to let the Crown Prince enter.
“Imperial Father,” Long Xiao called out again.
“In three days,” Emperor Long Xuan said to Long Xiao, “prepare yourself. I will pass the throne to you.”
Long Xiao was stunned by Emperor Long Xuan’s announcement, unsure of how to react to his father’s sudden decision.
“You’ve been the Crown Prince for too long, have you grown weary of waiting?” Emperor Long Xuan asked Long Xiao, his expression calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Long Xiao hastily kowtowed. “Your son does not dare. I hope my Imperial Father will see clearly.”
Long Xuan waved his hand at Long Xiao. “I will pass this realm to you. I will not die just yet. I wish to see what kind of Emperor you will become.”
“Does Imperial Father mean to torment his son?” Long Xiao asked.
“I wish to be at ease,” Long Xuan said coldly. “Not to fulfill your desire.”
“Imperial Father!”
“I too once schemed against my own father back then,” said Long Xuan. “So I understand your thoughts.”
Long Xiao knelt in silence. He now understood his father and realized there was no use defending himself before him.
“Go,” Emperor Long Xuan ordered, “summon the Senior Chancellor and the ministers. Tonight, I will issue the edict.”
“Does Imperial Father truly wish to relinquish his power to his son?” Long Xiao asked.
“A son inherits his father’s legacy,” Emperor Long Xuan said, “everything of mine will be yours.”
“I obey the decree,” Long Xiao kowtowed to Emperor Long Xuan again.
That night, the civil and military officials of the court gathered in the Emperor’s bedchamber of Changming Hall.
“Read it,” Emperor Long Xuan instructed Fu Dao after seeing all the officials had arrived.
Trembling, Fu Dao began to recite the imperial edict of abdication.
The officials were aware that Emperor Long Xuan had caught a cold, but they had not expected him to issue an abdication edict on the same day he fell ill.
“Mingyuan, stay behind,” Emperor Long Xuan said after Fu Dao had finished reading the edict and the ministers had paid obeisance to the new Emperor.
Emperor Long Xiao withdrew first, with the ministers following behind.
Xie Yu approached Emperor Long Xuan’s bedside, knelt, and said, “I never expected Your Majesty to be willing to abdicate.”
“Now, it seems,” Emperor Long Xuan said, “that all the painstaking efforts I made back then were merely for the sake of Long Xiao and others.”
“Under Your Majesty’s reign, our nation has flourished,” Xie Yu said, “Your Majesty should not harbor such sentiments.”
“You have grown old too,” Emperor Long Xuan said to Xie Yu, “have you ever considered who can succeed you as the Senior Chancellor of Great Zhou after you are gone?”
“Luo Yuxuan’s fourth son, Luo Qi2, is now a minister attending the Crown Prince. Given his relationship with the Crown Prince, Luo Qi will likely be appointed Senior Chancellor in the near future,” Xie Yu replied.
“Another scion of the Luo family,” Emperor Long Xuan chuckled lightly, “sometimes I wonder if the position of Senior Chancellor of Great Zhou exists solely for the descendants of the Luo clan of Youyan.”
A flicker of suprise flashed through Xie Yu’s eyes, “Your Majesty, I do not understand your words.”
“It’s nothing,” Emperor Long Xuan said, “I will not make things difficult for the Luo family.”
Xie Yu said, “Your Majesty, would you like to meet Luo Qi?”
“There is no need for him to serve under me,” Emperor Long Xuan replied, “what use is there for me to see him? Members of the Luo family always possess exceptional looks, the heavens have indeed favored the Luo clan of Youyan.”
Xie Yu also laughed. Luo Qi was renowned for having a beautiful jade-like face. Long Xuan was not exaggerating in praising his looks
“Mingyuan,” Long Xuan suddenly asked, “did the Luo family bury Luo Wei outside Xuanzhou City?”
Xie Yu was startled. After Luo Wei’s passing, his body was taken away from the capital by Luo Qi overnight. Emperor Long Xuan held a grand national funeral for Prince Jin, and an empty golden cedar3 coffin was interred in the Xiachuan Imperial Mausoleum. For most of his life, Emperor Long Xuan had never inquired about the burial site of Luo Wei. Why was he suddenly asking about it now?
“Was Wei Lan buried alongside Luo Wei after his death?” Emperor Long Xuan asked again, “Was that so?”
“In response to Your Majesty’s inquiry, they were buried together outside Xuanzhou City.” Now, in their twilight years, some matters that could not be discussed in the past could be spoken of without restraint.
- 罪室掖庭 – zuì shì yē tíng: rooms/prisons to imprison guilty eunuchs and maids managed by the Imperial Household Department ↩︎
- 罗琦 (qí : fine jade), different tone and not written in the same way as Luo Wei’s eldest brother, Luo Qi 罗启 (qǐ: to start, to enlighten). ↩︎
- 楠木 – nánmù: chinese cedar / chinese giant redwood ↩︎
Boundless Dao 
Leave a comment