Falling Blossoms

[Kemobrown 567]

FALLING BLOSSOMS

 

[!] A depiction of the transition from Spring to Autumn, by Yong Ping’s cherry blossom forest.

 

 

Xiuying sighed deeply as her wrists, now much thinner than before, carefully wove the Li-ren characters across the rice paper scroll. Her gnarled fingers lifted the dragon seal - symbol of Yong Ping’s state, dipped it in red ink paste, and pressed it at the bottom left of the page.

 

Another official document done. She stares at the pile of papers to her right - yet to be completed and towering head-height. Taking a small break, she pinches the bridge of her nose and massages her temples with her knuckles, hoping to stimulate some sort of blood flow and perhaps ease the wrinkles. With her papery eyelids closed, the chilling silence of her study only seemed painfully pertinent.

 

Memories bubble to the surface of her younger days, dwarfed by the towering columns of the Imperial Palace back in Li-Guo. She will never forget the first time she saw her Uncle - no, that Beast. 

 

 

---

 

His beard stained with wine and a concubine to each side as she shook, kneeling at the mercy of those venomous tongues of the Inner Court.

 

‘Was this what a Leader was?’ 

 

“Mèngdé Gong Zhu (courtesy name) seems quite lacking in etiquettes despite the Noble Status in her veins, daring to peer at Zhen without his permission.” The Noble Concubine coquettishly tittered into the Emperor’s ear. Xiuying had grit her teeth and ducked her head down, eyes darting left and right at the soldiers flanking His Majesty’s side. Her eyes couldn’t help flicker past the bulging bellies of the Left and Right Ministers, who gorged on the hard-earned taxes of the people.

 

Pigs. She thought before fixing her eyes in front of her on her father’s back. Her fingers curled, bunching up the skirt of her Ruqun hanfu as she waited for the Emperor to impart some meaningless pleasantries congratulating on the new addition to her family - not that he would have meant it. Well, that depended on the gender of the baby.

 

Soon as they were dismissed, she sprinted back towards their palaquin, tugging on her father’s sleeves insistently to return back home. Home, where her mother lay on the brink between life and death to deliver what would be her first sibling.

 

Upon bursting into her mother’s room, she was greeted by the Midwife’s beaming face as she brandished the newborn to her father. “Congratulations my Lord!” she exclaimed.

 

The little girl didn’t wait for her father’s permission before snatching up the baby and eagerly swinging it back and forth wildly in excitement. Her very first sibling!

 

“Why is his face so fat?” she giggles, the baby cluelessly cooing back in glee. Her father sighs and shakes his head at her antics before turning back to the midwife. “So? What is his gender?”

 

“A healthy male.”

 

Thud.

Xiahong let out a deafening wail as Xiuying stood frozen, hands hung mid-air and face pale with shock.

 

Male. A brother.

 

She remained frozen even after the midwife and her father rushed to soothe Xiahong and check him for any brain damage. Dread began to sink in her stomach.

 

 

---

 

“Sit still Ah’Hong. Tsia bebe!” she clicks her tongue in annoyance as her brother spills more food down his chubby chin at the banquet table. She glances at her mother, brows knit with slight worry despite the aching smile on her lips.

 

As the maid servant approached with the next set of dishes, her mother inclined her head in thanks before furtively extending her long hanfu sleeves out, a glint of silver peaking from within to dip into the dish. After seeing that the metal had not changed colour, her mother let out an imperceptible sigh of relief before handing off the food to Xiahong when-CRASH.

 

Her mother jolts forward, silver needle knocked underneath the table as dishes go flying under the impact of the maid’s fumble.

 

The maid hurriedly knelt to the floor as Xiahong began crying at the shattered pot and food splattered all over his clothes. ‘Nubi zhi zui! Please show mercy, my Lady.” The maid’s forehead knocked soundly against the ground as she pleaded with Xiuying’s mother for mercy. 

 

Xiuying’s eyes carefully surveyed the onlookers as the scene drew unwanted attention, from the plethora of male ministers and the females of the Li family snickering at their loss of face. When her father comes back from the North, they will never dare to look them in the eye. She purses her lips grimly as other palace maids came forward to clean the mess.

 

Glancing furtively to see if anyone noticed, she sneakily picks up the silver needle from under the banquet table and checks the new dishes dutifully, using her long hanfu sleeves to cover the gesture as her mother had before passing the dish to Xiahong. Her mother beamed at her in approval, patting her head before taking back the silver needle from her grasp.

 

Xiuying smiled - a genuine one as she busied herself with cleaning up Xiahong. As Xiahong lifted the spoonful of food into his mouth, a sinking feeling rose from her stomach.

 

Someone was watching them.

 

Her gaze roamed around the room before resting on her Uncle’s. Normally she would immediately flinch and look away, but something about his stare held her hostage. Then the realisation hit.

She whirls back around, arm extended to hurriedly knock out the food from Xiahong’s mouth but her mother was faster. Gracefully, her mother gently pried the spoon and dish away from her little brother and blew on it. Swallowed.

 

Soon her expression paled, fingers trembling inside the folds of her skirt.

 

“Oh dear, your face looks pale Lady Qin. Are you unwell?” The Beast's gaze locked onto its prey.

 

Her mother shook her head, clearing her throat with a pressed smile. “I do feel a bit faint, Your Majesty. Requesting you to let the Second Branch retire early.`` She bowed slightly with the classic open-palm fist salute.

Xiuying hurriedly stood up beside her mother, jerking her brother to stand as well. 

 

Her Uncle waved his hand. “Very well, I wouldn’t want my dearest brother’s wife to fall ill now, would we?” 

Without further hesitation, the three of them hurried out, Xiuying lugging a bawling Xiahong who’s hand still extended towards the soiled dish.

 

Just as they neared their palaquin - her mother keeled over. A spurt of blood expunging from her pale lips.

“Mu qin!” she cries, hurriedly dragging and pushing her mother into the palaquin as fast as she could. Inside the palaquin’s cushioned interior, Xiuying desperately snatched the silver needle from her mother and rolled up her sleeve - intending to detoxify her with Acupuncture.

 

The needle was too light. The weighting of the base was off - it was a fake.

 

“Stay with us bai tok.” She begs, tears blurring her vision as her hands scrambled to fish out the spare set - one they had always kept hidden under the seat compartment of their palaquin. Her fingers trembled violently as she inserted the needles into her mother’s pale arms…

 

It was too late.

 

Xiuying sat there in shock, holding her mother’s cold hands as Xiahong’s piercing cries echoed through the night. Her brother’s chubby hands instinctively sought hers, grasping and clawing at her in his bid to express his frustrations.

 

SLAP.

 

Xiahong stared at Xiuying, wide-eyed with shock. A strangled hiccup struggled through his lips as his cheek swells red. Realising what she just did, Xiuying immediately embraced her brother tightly, whispering her apologies over and over again. 

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She rocks back and forth, tears streaming down her cheeks. Xiahong lay carefully still, as if he knew that she wasn’t really comforting him more so than herself.

 

It was then she realised her father would never return from the North.

 

“If only you were born a girl.” she whispered…

 

 

---

 

Xiuying’s eyes flickered open, taking in the musty office nestled at the top of Yong Ping’s government building. As she lowered her head and lifted her calligraphy brush once again, she paused.

 

How long has it been since then?

 

With nothing but the clothes on their back, she and her brother had helped found a haven, safe from the experiences that haunted her past. A place where recognition and standing were earned through honesty and integrity, not through bloodline and deception.

 

Yet…

 

She looked out her office window towards the Li Family manor, lights aglow and laughter bubbling from inside.

What was their last conversation about…?

 

“You say everything you do is for the people - but what about us? My Feng’er - your niece - is twelve and you’ve never seen her face.”

 

Her gnarled fists clench tightly as she inhales and exhales deeply. A leader must not have any vices, must not entangle oneself in biased relations, the people must come first.

Alas, all she had to show for her efforts were deep frown lines and crow's feet etched into her aged visage. Her eyes held no mirth - recalled no warmth. It was nearing autumn and the cloistering scent of wilting cherry blossoms seemed to stifle the air. 

 

As she strode to the balcony, Yong Ping’s vivid night scenery greeted her. From the awe-inspiring Dragon Gate to the floating lanterns that cast dull glimmers of light. A small smile stretched across her stern expression as a sense of fulfilment settled over her. Although her brows briefly furrowed with a hint of regret, as she turned round to return to her office, her back remained proudly straight. There was much of life she had to catch up on.

 

 

---

 

The next morning her ministers would find an empty office with a new official document on her desk, seal freshly stamped.

 

Title: Retirement.

 

 

[!] A portrait of Li Xiuying, Matriarch of Yong Ping, the Li family, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Maevlin 724]

Anna d'Arkent was at home, reviewing her last reports to the Jade State. Yong Ping and it's prior iteration of Tai Ping has long since been a second home to her. And one woman always stood at the center of it. Li Xiuying has come to be a close friend and confident of Anna's, and she lets out a small, sad sigh at the missive delivered to her.

"My friend, you have done more than enough and then some. On my next visit, I will buy the first round of tea given we both can finally enjoy it as friends." She smiles a little bit at that thought. Her friend will be free to enjoy the simple things of life now, and Anna plans on helping her friend as much as she possibly can.

[AquaticWolf 286]

News would be brought to the aged Emir as he'd been seated in the Masjid, going through a number of documents to be signed, as he did so, a Servant would come running through the hall "Sayyidi Hakim, Sayyidi Hakim!" The servant would call out, coming to a halt near the worn-out Qali, handing him a parchment detailing the latest news from across the sea, particularly their close friends in the Jade State "The Sharqi moon dims, may Allah help them." was all Hakim could say, before letting out a heavy sigh of exhaustion and leaning back against his seating, he'd then close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose "Prepare our camels."

[garentoft 9265]

A simple peasant farmer, who's name was largely irrelevant (and which none bothered to learn) began to weep, for he had loved their leader so dearly as one does love a leader who loves the people, for she had done so much for him and everyone else, for their people as a whole, to bring prosperity and betterment upon them. Yet, while he was sorrowful of her departure, he knew in his heart, just as she did, that they had been put on the right path. Nevertheless, the farmer would go on to have a quiet and simple life, and would eventually pass from old age many years from now, thus his son would inherit the farm, and continue just as he had.

[Diaolos 204]

Reserves

 

[Moo_bot 775]

Tianrui Ren looks over his desk as a new missive is passed to his attention. One he had known to be coming for a while now, though it felt to Ren as if he had met the young Xiu-ying but yesterday for all the time the pair had spent building Yong Ping from that tower. They, and the many who had been with them along the way. None though who had done as much as the Lady Li in her tenure. 

"A well earned retirement." He'd hum, waving an overeager pigeon away from the letter. Folding it away, the Easterner elf looks to the window, taking a sip of his tea.

 

Summer turns autumn

Tended fields ripe for harvest

For the farmer, rest

 

There will be time yet to think of a gift to honor the occasion, but for now another matter passes his desk. He sighs, and returns to work. After all- no mud, no lotus.

[tadabug2000 4918]

Yunya of the Chen Household and Minister of Interior and Revenue moved gracefully about the home, seemingly gathering a few odds and ends as she'd decorate an bamboo basket brimming with gifts, humming as she'd work. The faint cries of her brothers newborn child echoed faintly in the background and as her own little one came running up, requesting sweets, she'd allow the jade piece to dangle from the basket and scoop Linli up in turn. "How about.." She'd pause for dramatic effect. "Cookies? You love cookies!"