Amidst the Meihua Imperial Palace, Emperor Buxui Yushi surrounds his upper court with his most trusted companions. Many of which have been with him since before he slaughtered his way to the throne. These people have undeniable talent and loyalty and all work their hardest to ensure the Emperor and their country prosper and thrive.
One member of the upper court is an incredibly eccentric woman by the name of Guangming Shizhe. While she looks young and beautiful her true age is a mystery to everyone but her. Her wisdom and knowledge outweighs her petite and youthful appearance. One glance at a person with her eyes of midnight and she seems to know the person’s past and where their future is heading in an instant. It’s very rare her foresight is incorrect unless circumstances change suddenly, often her predictions and cryptic advice tend to prove true. Without her assistance Yushi would not have won the throne as easily as he had, likely it would have taken years instead of months.
More often than not, she spends her days idly in the palace, often sleeping the day away, after all, she reads the stars at night for more detailed predictions. However, she noticed something rather peculiar as she did so last night. Something was definitely different about Yushi’s stars, drastically different. While it didn’t appear bad, the change was rather sudden and the outcome was unpredictable. She couldn’t rest easy until she knew more about what may have caused this change and was able to read where this mysterious future may lead. She needed to see Yushi in person to get a more accurate read on the situation.
Shizhe nervously twirled her long pink hair as she made her way to Yushi’s study, hoping to find him working there this time of day. She wasn’t sure why she was nervous. She hadn’t experienced such a drastic shift in someone’s future, let alone Yushi’s. While there was some degree of worry, she also couldn’t contain her excitement. She always did love unraveling a mystery.
“Oh, Your Highness!” She gently knocked on the door of his study with a cheerful singsong voice.
“Lady Guangming? Come in,” Yushi was a little surprised to receive a visit from her. If it wasn’t a concerning matter, typically he’d be the one visiting her. She entered and drifted over to settle in the chair across from his desk. She was staring at him intently with a hint of amusement in her eyes. While partially he was glad it wasn’t solemn, it was still a little unnerving coming from her, “To what do I owe the honor of your company today?”
“You’ve met someone recently, haven’t you,” Shizhe could see it a little more clearly now but there was still something unclear about her foresight.
“I have,” Yushi smiled fondly thinking of Xueye. “Is there cause to worry about this one?”
“Snow dusts the mountain
There is warmth amidst the cold
Sound is eaten whole.”
Shizhe recited calmly with a cheerful smile. Her ability of foresight had a drawback. She could never directly tell someone the result she foresaw, it caused her great pain whenever she did. However, she found she could still give elusive hints to the future she saw. She enjoyed it best in the form of poetry.
“I see,” Yushi thought carefully about her words. Often they were still unclear in the moment but he had gotten quite used to her riddles over the years. “Riluo hasn’t spoken to you about this person has he?”
“Not at all. I only noticed your stars had shifted last night and I haven’t seen him yet,” Shizhe shook her head. “I was hoping to hear more of this person from you directly. If you don’t tell me their name, I’ll just go wring the information out of him.”
He was a little surprised she utilized snow in this instance given that Xueye’s name meant snowy night, yet he hadn’t told her his name yet. He knew it was quite difficult for her to foresee anything regarding a person she knew not the name of so it showed the profound influence Xueye now had in his future. He was quite curious to know what she could divine.
“His name is Meigui Xueye,” Yushi smiled fondly.
Shizhe’s eyes lit up with feverish curiosity, she’d never seen him look so soft for another person. She had to know more. He recognized that hungry look in her eye and an idea occurred to him. Shizhe was often a bit of a recluse except when she grew fond of someone and Xueye could certainly use more genuine companions. While Shizhe was likely to be in it for divination, he knew she had a tendency to get attached to smart individuals rather quickly if she liked them.
“Perhaps you can meet him later,” Yushi leaned back in his chair. “Find out the rest of the information you need from him directly. Keep in mind he knows me under the guise of Shujing with no idea of my true identity. I guided him to handle the transport of the goods we acquired in the east. At some point today he’ll likely stop by the palace to arrange the terms in the Economic Wing.”
“Why thank you, Your Highness!” She was trying her best to contain her excitement and not dash out of the room. She liked to keep some degree of formal decorum since they began living in the palace. Still her childish nature came to the surface quite often when she was excited. She stood and offered a formal bow, “I’ll be on my way then!”
“I look forward to hearing what more you discover,” Yushi smiled as he watched her practically skip out of the room.
Shizhe skipped across the palace courtyard. She was humming cheerfully as she made her way to the Economic Wing, which was a different set of official buildings within the palace walls. She wasn’t the most familiar with the area. She tended to avoid official duties if she didn’t need to get involved. It occurred to her, she’d forgotten to ask Yushi what Xueye looked like, however she had a sense from her foresight that a gentle flow of white followed this person, which was why she used snow in her poem.
She already knew the name Meigui, having become close friends with Colonel Meigui Xinhua in the past couple years. Often when she wasn’t deployed to other areas of the Empire she would have tea with Shizhe and play shogi, somehow still beating the master diviner when she used her foresight. Shizhe recalled Xinhua speaking of her family often, she was quite fond of her younger brothers, Xueye especially. She only wanted the best for the young man. Shizhe couldn’t recall if Xinhua had ever described him, but surely they couldn’t look all that different. There must be some resemblance.
Shizhe felt she had more than enough to go on. She would know, regardless, the moment she laid eyes on the young man. His fortune would become clear to her and the crossing of his stars and Yushi’s would begin to make sense and she could better untangle their intertwined future.
“Lady Guangming,” A familiar voice startled her out of her thoughts.
“Lord Qiuji, what a surprise!” She giggled as she looked up at Riluo, carrying a pile of documents and a frown.
“I assume you’re lurking around here for a chance to meet His Highness’s new obsession,” Riluo sighed in annoyance, knowing full well she’d never be caught here on any actual business.
“Obsession, you say!” A mischievous glimmer dazzled in her dark eyes.
“Yes, I would have figured you would be able to gather that much,” Riluo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He knew that she wouldn’t really be so keen on meeting him if there wasn’t something amiss. “Is there a problem?”
“Undetermined, which is why I’m here!” She voiced cheerfully. “The four pillars won’t be enough, I need to see him with my own eyes, until then I fear their future will be obscured to me.”
“Interesting,” Riluo was starting to grow a little uneasy about the situation and her insight would undoubtedly put his mind at ease. “Perhaps you should go have tea with Lord Yunqi then, that is his contact in the palace here. You’ll find him in that building over there,” Riluo gestured to a building that was two down the path.
“Splendid idea!” Shizhe clapped her hands together gleefully. “I appreciate the suggestion!”
Shizhe gave a half hearted bow and skipped off towards her new destination. The thought of lounging around and having tea rather than wandering around hoping to catch a glimpse of Xueye was much more appealing.
Idle chatter over tea and half hearted fortune reading for Lord Yunqi went by rather quickly before his assistant knocked on the door.
“Lord Yunqi, Young Master Meigui has arrived,” the assistant voiced softly through the door.
“Young Master Meigui! Yes, he should join us!” Shizhe could barely contain her excitement.
“Yes, send him in,” Lord Yunqi confirmed with a smile. “Have you and the Young Master met before?”
“No, I hear much about him from his older sister,” Shizhe shifted in her seat, unable to sit still. “She and I are well acquainted but I haven’t had the opportunity to meet the Young Master himself. I bet he’s every bit as lovely as Colonel Meigui makes him out to be.”
“I’m certain all you’ve heard is true,” Lord Yunqi nodded, he always enjoyed working with Xueye when he had the chance. “Young Master Meigui is every bit a pleasure to work with.”
“I’m honored you think so highly of me, Lord Yunqi,” Xueye’s voice came from the open doorway. He stepped in and bowed deeply towards the two seated at the small tea table in the corner of the office. His long white hair cascading over his shoulders. “And who is this esteemed young lady?”
“This is Lady Guangming Shizhe, from what she tells me she’s acquainted with your elder sister,” Lord Yunqi introduced the petite girl who was staring at Xueye, completely awestruck by the beautiful young man before them.
“Ah, yes, I recall my sister writing about you on occasion.” He smiled warmly down at her and she snapped back to her senses. “I greatly appreciate the kindness you have shown her while she’s in the palace, Lady Guangming. I must admit I was worried if she’d make friends after she joined the imperial army. Then again she has a kind heart, it was only a matter of time.”
“Yes, Colonel Meigui is such a delight! I miss her terribly whenever she’s away,” Shizhe smiled as she gestured to an empty seat between the two of them. “Please, join us! I was just reading Lord Yunqi’s fortune. If you’d like, I can read yours as well.” She already was but she was eager to dive even deeper.
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“Y-you don’t have to, my lady,” Xueye sat down and shifted nervously at the idea. His father was always incredibly superstitious and often after his meetings with any fortune teller he was always much more hostile towards Xueye.
“The master diviner is always said to have the most accurate of predictions.” Lord Yunqi praised. “It’s not everyday you get this opportunity, Young Master.”
“Yes, well,” Xueye shifted uncomfortably. “My father consults a fortune teller often. I don’t doubt Lady Guangming’s ability, it’s just I’d rather not know for certain I’m cursed, the way he seems to think.”
“What foolish fortune teller is he seeing?! They must be blind!” Shizhe grumbled bitterly. “I don’t even need to read your fortune to know you are moon-touched. The moon goddess has blessed you, just as she had me!”
“Somehow I doubt that, you don’t need to sugar coat anything to spare my feelings on the matter,” Xueye looked a little sad.
“Young Master, I’m certain your sister has told you I do anything but!” Shizhe smiled sympathetically. She didn’t need to see his past to know how cruel his father was to the young man. She used to experience the same scrutiny and judgment over her fair hair and abilities until she was saved by Yushi. “I used to think it was a curse too but our abilities are a blessing.”
“My Lady, I think you have the wrong impression of me,” Xueye smiled apologetically. “I’ve never been able to divine the future or anything at all. Believe me my hair is just about the only unique thing about me.”
“That can’t be right,” Shizhe blinked in a state of disbelief. “I can clearly sense the moon’s blessing upon you. The moonlight even makes your stars difficult to divine. Hmm, I thought I knew much about the moon-touched, I will look into it more, I must have overlooked something. Perhaps you may be a rare exception.” She glanced up to see Xueye looking a bit sad. She realized she got carried away in her excitement over unraveling a mystery, she forgot to consider his feelings on the matter. “Oh, please forgive this one’s impertinence! I get a little carried away sometimes. Your sister means much to me so I do hope we can start over. This certainly wasn’t the first impression I meant to impose!”
“It’s quite alright, my lady, it’s not your fault, I’ve had quite a bit on my mind lately,” Xueye shook his head and a bright smile returned. “I know you mean well. Perhaps another time, right now I’m here on business and I wouldn’t want to take up too much of either of your time. Perhaps we can have tea like this another time, Lady Guangming.” Xueye tended to write to his sister often as she wasn’t always in the capital for long. Xinhua always had such glowing words about Shizhe and their time together. He knew while she may be eccentric she was very sweet and caring. He certainly didn’t want to get himself or Shizhe on Xinhua’s bad side over such a simple matter. “I may not be my sister but hopefully a little time with me can help alleviate the loneliness that comes with the distance.”
“Yes! I would be delighted!” Shizhe voiced cheerfully. “Please visit me anytime!” She stood up and bowed, “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you to your business.” She leaned in and whispered quietly to Xueye, “I do insist you stop by soon. I’m not as busy as you might believe.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Xueye smiled and waved as she departed. At the very least he was quite curious about the less than formal side he’d read about, he felt like he caught a glimpse of it when she got so heated on his behalf. He was a little touched by that bit of genuine irritation she displayed over his father and associates. Surely his sister had informed her all about how troublesome his father was. He also couldn’t help but think back to Shujing urging him to not give up on finding good companions. If his sister approved of her, then there was no doubt she was every bit a good friend as Xinhua made her out to be.
“I do hope you two can get along well,” Lord Yunqi smiled softly. “She’s a kind soul, much like you.”
“You flatter me, Lord Yunqi,” Xueye smiled softly before taking a sip of tea. “Shall we discuss business? I know I stopped by quite suddenly, I just couldn’t help it when I read your letter last night.”
“Quite alright,” Lord Yunqi waved away the misgivings. “I was a bit surprised you heard about it, but I was considering contacting you anyways so long as your people are willing to take the task.”
“Are you concerned about the recent banditry between the eastern border and here?” Xueye recalled in the last letter from his sister she mentioned it. “I do believe that’s what my sister was deployed to take care of. I’ve no doubt she has, but I can look into ensuring the transport has the necessary protection, just in case. If you were looking to outsource this transport there must be quite a shortage of troops to spare.”
“I don’t know the extent of it, but the concern was that we wouldn’t have sufficient protection for such rare goods.” Lord Yunqi sighed heavily. His mood quickly brightened again, “However, it sounds as though you’ve already thoroughly considered all the options on that front.”
“It is my job after all,” Xueye chuckled. “I was curious if you had the detailed manifest of what would be in the shipment, just so I can ensure we acquire the appropriate manpower.”
“Yes, I received it just this morning,” Lord Yunqi stood up and returned to his desk. After shifting a few papers he found what he was looking for, and returned to the tea table, handing it to Xueye. “You can take that with you.”
Xueye quietly read over the manifest and was quite surprised to see the quantities of these rare herbs and roots. Some of the ones on the list were practically extinct and there were even ones he’d never heard of. This was a wonderful chance. There was an opportunity, should some of them be able to be propagated there would be quite the profit to be had.
Shujing’s information is far more beneficial than it seems, Xueye couldn’t help but smile wondering if he knew. He would have to wait until it arrived to be certain but he figured it would be best to consult someone ahead of time to see if it was even possible.
“It’s crazy to think there was this much out there in one spot,” Xueye set the manifest down on the table.
“The wildlands in the east are vast and much of it unexplored,” Lord Yunqi nodded. “Hidden groves like this pop up every once in a while. It makes you wonder what else is out there.”
“I bet there are fun adventures to be had out there, if only it wasn’t so dangerous.” Xueye shook his head in disappointment, “Maybe in another life I wouldn’t hesitate to venture out there myself.”
“A bit of an adventurous spirit in there?” Lord Yunqi smiled.
“Once,” Xueye closed his eyes. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards for me.”
“Oh, I should have Faya go see if the contract has been drafted up,” Lord Yunqi got up and poked his head out the door and smiled at his assistant. “Faya, would you mind going next door and seeing if that contract is ready yet?”
“Right away, sir,” the assistant replied sweetly as she got up and left.
“Hopefully those dolts didn’t dally on it,” Lord Yunqi sat back down with an irritated sigh. “It wouldn’t be the first time they put off something that was urgent.”
“If it isn't, I can always stop by after I look into making a few preliminary arrangements,” Xueye suggested. “I assume it’s our usual terms along with the ones you stipulated in the letter about the excess being ours to sell as we see fit.”
“Yes, I was quite explicit about that with them,” Lord Yunqi nodded. “Every so often they seem to forget about the imperial commission your company is under, I always look it over so no one over there tries to pull anything on us before I present it to you.”
“Apologies, I was a bit too eager about this arrangement,” Xueye smiled warmly.
“Not at all, I would have been surprised if you hadn’t stopped by today.” Lord Yunqi took a sip of his tea. “It’s why I tried to have it ready for you before you arrived, but it’s as if they don’t know the meaning of urgent.”
A soft knock sounded on the door, “Apologies for the delay, my lord. It took a bit of pressuring, but I have the contract ready to go.”
“That was quite fast actually,” Xueye quietly chuckled to himself.
“Thank you, Faya,” Lord Yunqi opened the door and took the contract from her. “As diligent as always.”
Faya bowed and silently returned to her desk. Lord Yunqi unraveled the contract and started to look it over, ensuring there were no details amiss. Fortunately, everything was in order and he sighed in relief.
“Have a look and see if there’s anything I missed,” Lord Yunqi handed it to Xueye to review. He then went to his desk to fish out his seal and ink.
“Everything looks good,” Xueye seemed quite satisfied by the terms. Lord Yunqi always seemed to go above and beyond when it came to any deals they made and always tried to make it as little hassle as possible for Xueye. He greatly appreciated his hard work.
Xueye pulled out his own seal from the deep blue pouch on his belt and stamped both copies of it with the ink Lord Yunqi brought over.
“I’ll personally see to it that these get properly notarized now so I can send over your copy right away,” Lord Yunqi said as he also placed his seal on both copies.
“Thank you, I appreciate it,” Xueye stood up and bowed. “I’ll go make the preparations right away.”
“It’s always a pleasure doing business with you,” Lord Yunqi bowed in return and showed Xueye out of the office.
As Xueye left he caught a glimpse of a certain master diviner skipping across the palace courtyard. He couldn’t help but smile, There’s that childish nature that sister always talks about.
Shizhe felt Xueye’s eyes on her and she paused, flashing him a sweet smile and a wave before continuing her way back to Yushi’s study. She was thrilled to see Yushi again now that she had a little more clarity upon meeting Xueye. She really was looking forward to meeting the young man again if what she divined was indeed to come to pass. She was more than ready to do everything she could to make it happen.
“Your Highness!” Shizhe cheered loudly outside the door. She paused, realizing she forgot her more refined demeanor once more.
“Lady Guangming, do come in,” Yushi called out to her. He was amused by her more bubbly self whenever it leaked out. He always thought it suited her more but she always insisted she put on airs within the palace.
She entered and bounced cheerfully to her spot across from him. Once settled she stared intently into his amber eyes. He watched as such glee filled her, even more than he thought her little body could contain. His worries seemed to melt away at her reaction, it meant Xueye was every bit the good omen he thought.
“I see he’s left a good impression on you as well,” Yushi smiled softly.
“Yushi, we have to treasure that one,” Shizhe couldn’t bother with formality with how happy she felt for a fate that has yet to unravel.
“Yes, I intend to,” Yushi closed his eyes thinking of Xueye’s sweet smile. “It pleases me that you feel the same. There’s a shadow cast over him that’s quite familiar. I’m sure you saw it too. My hope is that we can eventually pull him out of that shadow.”
“I’ll gladly assist,” Shizhe nodded fervently. “I believe I understand why it was unclear to me before meeting him. I sense the moon has touched that one, yet he insists he has no abilities like I do.”
“I suppose I should have realized,” Yushi thought that the moon hairpin suited Xueye because his hair reminded him of moonlight. “You couldn’t divine what it might be?”
“The moonlight obscures his stars,” she shook her head. “Perhaps on the new moon, I’ll be able to see more. For now, the glimpse I saw was more than enough!” Shizhe giggled.
“And just what did you see?” Yushi was quite curious about what had her in such a joyous mood.
“I’m sorry, Yushi, I think even a poem would give away too much,” Shizhe smirked. She wanted to keep this secret to herself for now and watch their future unfold.
“Very well, I can wait and see for myself,” Yushi chuckled softly. “I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself just to indulge me.”
“I’m glad you see reason!” Shizhe looked a little smug.
“Shizhe, I’ve always preferred you to not cause yourself harm as a result of your fortune telling,” Yushi let out an exasperated sigh. “Even when it comes to warning us about imminent danger, it pains me to see you laid up in bed for weeks as a result.”
“And I’ll do it again!” Shizhe declared, “But not for this. I’ll only advise you when I deem it necessary in regards to the Young Master.”
“Quite alright with me. I enjoy learning directly from him anyways,” Yushi did want to know all he could about Xueye, but he enjoyed it most coming from his soft yet sweet voice. Yushi truly wished he could abandon the work Riluo had compiled for him. He wanted to go listen to the excitement Xueye was likely to have over making a deal based on the information he gave.
“If you would like to go see him I can distract Lord Qiuji for you,” Shizhe always seemed to know what he was thinking.
“As nice as it would be, he would just find more work for me to do,” Yushi chuckled. “Besides, this is for our people. I can’t neglect my duties to chase my whims.”
“If you ever need me to, you know I will,” Shizhe snicked as she jumped to her feet. “Just say the word!”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Yushi smirked.
“I’ll leave you to it then. Until next time, Your Highness!” Shizhe bowed before departing with a delighted grin.