Distant Waters - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The princess, who had never gotten along with the Chief Shaman, sent word that she would be staying at Zhaoyun Terrace until her wedding.

After she had been there for three days, the emperor summoned me.

He sat high upon his throne, half his face hidden in shadow. When he saw me arrive, his face shifted into a smile that never reached his eyes.

“Wu Zhu. You are still so young.”

I said, “Your Majesty really does not have to say that every time you see me.”

The emperor laughed. “Every time I see you, I feel as if I have grown a little older. You think I am being tedious, but I find it deeply unsettling.”

He was the seventh emperor of this dynasty. His name was Xiao.

After Emperor Zhaowu died, the formation that extended his lifespan was sealed away.

Like every emperor before him, I watched Xiao grow up and grow old, watched him change from an innocent, carefree child into a moody, unpredictable sovereign. Now he was so hunched over he could hardly live up to his own name.

The difference was that he had aged a little too quickly.

I ignored his mood swings. “You called me here because of the princess.”

“Wu Zhu, I do enjoy speaking with you.”

The emperor stepped down from the dais.

The craftsmen who had built this hall had been exceptionally skilled. Any sound made from the throne could be heard clearly in every corner of the hall.

Now that he had walked down, his voice gradually diminished, making him sound more like an ordinary old man.

But he still came closer to me, as if he wanted to see my face more clearly.

“You are an intelligent woman.

“I hope you will remain intelligent. The princess’s marriage alliance benefits both you and me.”

“I was already intelligent before Your Majesty was born.”

I had never had a pleasant expression for Emperor Zhaowu’s descendants.

That madman’s blood ran through their veins, cursing me for all eternity.

Yet the emperor seemed pleased by my provocation. He laughed again.

The sound made my skin crawl. I wanted to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

“I am only teaching the princess a few minor spells. The spells themselves are nothing impressive, and she is a mortal. There is only so much she can do with them. It will not interfere with the marriage alliance two months from now.”

All that romantic nonsense really was meaningless.

Pampered young girls loved learning spells like these most of all.

The emperor stared at me with those snake-like eyes of his, as if he wanted to peer straight into my mind.

After a long while, just as I was about to turn and leave, he said, “Wu Zhu. She has great talent. Pay closer attention to her.”

It was rare for him to speak so seriously, but I did not understand what he meant by it.

Di Xiao was not some loving father.

Though he had few children, he cared nothing for the handful he did have.

In fact, I had serious doubts as to whether he even recognized the princess’s face.

On my way back to Zhaoyun Terrace, I ran into Gu Siwei.

The current Chancellor. Brilliant beyond compare since childhood, appointed Chancellor at seventeen, with no equal in all recorded history.

I had never had much patience for him before, but now I felt a rare spark of malicious amusement.

If nothing unexpected happened, once the princess learned her spells, he would be the first person she targeted.

Gu Siwei bowed to me with cupped hands. “Lady Witch.”

What was there to like about him, really? He was not even twenty, yet he spoke like some ancient scholar.

I asked, “Are you here because of the princess too?”

Gu Siwei shook his head. “Since Lady Witch has made a decision, you naturally have your reasons. This subject was studying the arts today and encountered a divination I could not understand, so I have come to seek your guidance.”

First I had to deal with a madman, and now here came a bookish fool.

There was already an idiot staying at Zhaoyun Terrace. My head truly ached.

The Chancellor liked me. That was probably a conclusion only someone like the princess, whose mind was filled with nothing but love and romance, could reach.

This Chancellor Gu was likely born loving study.

At seventeen, he had exhausted all there was to learn of worldly affairs, entered court, been appointed Chancellor, and become tutor to the Crown Prince.

After seventeen, he turned from the tangible to the intangible and began studying fate, divination, and spellcraft.

Among mortals, he did indeed count as intelligent.

I said, “You are not here for the princess, but the princess is here for you. Lord Gu, there are still many things you do not understand.”

Gu Siwei’s expression remained calm, his gaze focused, as if he did not hear the mockery in my words at all. He said earnestly, “Lady Witch, it looks like it is about to rain. Please return to Zhaoyun Terrace and explain it to this subject there.”

Right on cue, thunder cracked across the sky.

I was too angry to speak.

Fine. Study, then. Who could ever outstudy you? With that mortal brain of yours, it would be best if you studied yourself to death.