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*cough* *cough* *cough*...

*cough* *cough*, *cough*... Phew...

And you had to take me up Mount T'ien.

I'll take this spot under the sunshine. You sit over there. You're in much better health than I am. The least you could do is offer me this spot.

Coming out here for a stroll, some sunlight, and the water from the springs of Mount T'ien will do your health much good.

Ridiculous. It's been decades since we've so much as run into one another outside the palace walls, and you still invited me on this trip.

You were the first to grow tired of sitting around.

It's not easy to sit still for so long.

Yumen, Dahuang. We need an explanation for this string of events.

Right, I am behind all of it.

I abetted the Yumen Shanhaizhong, and I let Ya in.

Is this enough to drag me down? If you want more, here. I let Wang escape the capital. I sent the girl to Victoria. I instigated the demonic calamity.

If you must open another vacancy in the court, you can pin all of this on me.

The Shanhaizhong are a bunch of thugs. How could they possibly amount to anything?

Ya was merely a sickly beast. It took only a few dozen to a hundred Tianshis to deal with. It was just perfect as the meal served to awaken the Sui.

But certainly nothing to write home about.

*cough*... *cough*... Phew... In the end, I'm a sickly old man, too. This is the only use my life has left.

You've never been troubled by things going out of hand. No, you're never troubled by anything.

There is much that troubles me... I'm afraid of the unpredictable, sinister human mind. I am troubled by the trends I've seen.

Going with the tide. One man pulling at each end. It's all for balance.

But now the convict has toppled the weiqi board. Is it still possible to sue for peace?

Yumen's repairs are complete, and it is on its way to the capital. Grand Tutor, please make up your mind.

A letter of reinstatement...?

I shouldn't have been the one to deliver this.

The imperial court is already aware of the Dahuang affair and the acts of the two perpetrators.

Right now, the Sui Regulator, the Tianshi Bureaus, the Six Ministries... All of them are in a frantic mess. I happened to be passing by Dahuang on business, so I lent them a hand.

It was Mother who asked you to come, am I correct...?

...Duoxie.

Seems the court has come to a conclusion regarding the crisis instigated by the proxies?

Yes.

Yumen's repairs are complete, and it has started sailing toward the capital once more.

In the end, it comes to this.

You're rather calm. I thought you'd be yapping how much you want to head back to the front lines.

Lately, I've been trying to comprehend a certain wisdom.

It is because we fear that we are anxious... The more we are afraid of facing an unknown enemy, the stronger our urge to charge toward it. All for the sake of giving ourselves an explanation.

But I'm not afraid anymore.

The proxies may have the ability to bend Heaven and earth, but in the end, they, too, have human emotion. In that sense, they are not different at all.

Our 'opponents' are not untouchable. And so, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Lord Zuo, I have no intention of becoming your enemy. However, I do hope you take what I said to heart.

The days ahead of us are long, and there shall come a time when we meet again.

Not bad. Seems General Zuo didn't send you here for nothing.

I am ready for deployment. Where should I go? Yumen? Baizao?

Don't be so hasty. We'll have you get back to your old role.

There is a place that comes into contact with the proxies quite frequently. The court isn't completely oblivious to them, but per protocol, the Sui Regulator should launch an investigation.

...Rhodes Island?

So you're leaving?

That's right.

These seeds. Some of them sprouted, and their Originium resistance is much higher than anticipated. It's time to take them to the fields outside for further cultivation.

Wouldn't that be tough?

It's no different from what I do in Dahuang.

Hm... When are you coming back, then?

First, I need to take the seeds to the grain cultivation bases all across the country and produce the first test crops. Then, based on how they adapt to different soils, develop a suitable cultivation method.

It might take more than ten generations to get accurate results. It might... be a while...

Hm... One generation takes a year. Ten years... That's really long.

That's long enough for Mianmian to get as big as his parents... Maybe it's not actually that long. After we switched to the new feed, the stockbeasts all started to grow really quickly. Like, it's like they double in size every day.

But ten years. That means waiting for the wanghuaguo trees to grow those sour fruits ten times... When I think about it that way, that kind of feels like an eternity.

*sigh*, let me see you off.

Enveloped by the sound of flute, the two are trailed by the setting sun. On the muddy road, there are two sets of footprints leading into the distance.

Jiangnan.

Dage once told me that he wanted to travel to Jiangnan after leaving his post.

It has been centuries since he last had a taste of Jiangnan's summertime water chestnuts. And since he has gotten so used to the sight of the yellow sands, perhaps he should enjoy some rest in a quaint, riverside town. Careful, though. Don't break this painting.

Ling was never able to forget that desert.

She doesn't actually like war. She simply likes how valiant warriors look on the battlefield... Who wouldn't?

The flames of war do not burn in the painting. There is only a column of smoke rising in the vast desert, as the sun sets on the endless river. Enjoy your drink in peace there, and be the poet you want to be.

Nian loves lively places, but a place like Shangshu is a better fit for her than Lungmen.

You stay there and don't bother me again.

Erge... I should've painted him a weiqi board, and nothing more.

Calculating emotions and terrible aesthetic sensibilities... This garden is yours. I don't want to ever have to see your face again.

In the end, you didn't give yourself a way out. Heh...

Jie...

If it wasn't for your constant nagging and you playing the older sister card the whole time, I really would've asked you to teach me calligraphy.

This will do.

Despite all the effort I put into it, who knows if these paintings will remain when everyone wakes from their dreams?

Does it really matter either way?

When you have visited a place and seen all its sights, everything is but a pipe dream. What more fun is there?

With all of you here, I am not lonely.

The painter sets her brush down and withdraws.

The sky is as clear as a blank scroll. A flock of fowlbeasts flies past.

How does it fit?

This is the only cloth I have. If you rip it, I couldn't get you another.

It fits perfectly.

Perhaps it's too late for me to ask. But...

How do you think your chances are?

A life and death struggle. This game will be decided by a mere half point.

From the sound of it, you could easily lose everything... and you are beyond the point of no return.

When will you make your move?

Everything is ready. All we need...

I will come see you soon.

When you open your eyes and see the pattern on this robe, will you remember how you felt back then?

A thousand years ago. That fear deep inside our souls. That disgrace etched into our bones.

You'd best remember.

I will come see you very soon.

Shu, our fields have yielded nothing for a few years. Can we really still grow crops here? We can still plant food, if we use the right methods?

But of course.

Each field has a different plant suited to it. You need to use the most appropriate method to improve the soil.

Plant these seeds here. You'll see results by autumn.

Where are you from, Shu?

You look pretty young, but you know so much about the fields... Are you maybe a Tianshi from the Bureaus? What exactly is a Tianshi anyway?

They're people who study specialized knowledge and pass it on to others.

That's something...