Chapter 283: Grand Departure
Under the same starry sky, at the Star Gazing Platform in Luojing, several white-haired officials from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau were arguing endlessly over the celestial phenomenon they had observed.
“In my view, this change in the celestial phenomenon, with Stars Shining Brightly, precisely corresponds to tomorrow’s Grand Competition, where Great Xuan will produce a batch of talents who respond to Heaven’s Mandate!” A tall old man said excitedly with a face full of agitation: “This is the configuration of Stars Paying Homage to Ziwei!”
“No, no.” Another short and stout old man shook his head firmly and said: “If it were as you say, the Ziwei Star should be shining brightly, so why is it like this?”
“That’s very normal…” The tall old man smiled meaningfully, as if the true meaning here went without saying.
“Exactly, the Ziwei Star has been dim for ten years and ten springs, that’s no big deal.” Another straightforward old man chimed in knowingly.
“Watch your words, everyone.” Director Jiang of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau said expressionlessly: “Don’t beat around the bush, just say how we should report to Your Majesty?”
“Of course it’s an auspicious sign!” The tall old man said as if it were a matter of course.
“Don’t mislead Your Majesty,” the short and stout old man firmly disagreed: “The star chart is obscure and hard to discern, I always feel a great change is about to happen.”
“What great change?” The tall old man asked with a cold laugh.
“This, forgive my incompetence, I can’t figure it out for now.” The short and stout old man shook his head helplessly.
“Then why are you talking nonsense?” The tall old man’s words drew nods of agreement from the other Imperial Astronomical Bureau officials.
“Our Imperial Astronomical Bureau calculates celestial phenomena for Your Majesty and warns of future events. Reporting only good news and not bad would be dereliction of duty, wouldn’t it?” The short and stout old man frowned and said: “Then let’s not report it first, wait until the star chart is clearer!”
“Heh heh, you’re waiting, but the Imperial Astronomical Bureau can’t wait.” The tall old man let out a strange laugh and turned his gaze to Director Jiang, who had a bitter look on his face.
“Sigh, Old Wu, your skills are indeed high, but we at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau have our difficulties too.” Director Jiang looked at the short and stout old man. This man was named Wu Shen, a world-famous star-gazing master. Twenty years ago, he had been summoned to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau by the Founding Emperor to observe celestial phenomena for Great Xuan. If not for this man’s devotion to star-gazing and disregard for worldly affairs, the position of Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau would never have fallen to Director Jiang.
Considering the other’s prestige and status, Director Jiang could only softly appease him: “These years we’ve been playing deaf and dumb, and Your Majesty is very dissatisfied with us. I heard from the inner eunuchs that there’s rumor Your Majesty intends to move our Imperial Astronomical Bureau to the temporary capital Chang’an. We’ve all been in Luodu for so many years, who wants to be forced to leave home?”
“Yeah.” Several Imperial Astronomical Bureau officials nodded repeatedly, their faces full of worry: “I heard that in Chang’an, barbarians are rampant and the people are not living well. We absolutely can’t harm our wives and children.”
“Even so, we can’t talk nonsense!” Wu Shen stubbornly stuck to his view: “Your Majesty supports the Imperial Astronomical Bureau not to let us mislead the Imperial Court!”
“Alright, enough.” Director Jiang had said all he could, and seeing him still unmoved, he waved his hand impatiently: “This matter is settled.”
“I absolutely won’t co-sign!” Seeing Director Jiang being overbearing, Wu Shen was furious.
“Then go home!” Director Jiang was also hot-tempered and flicked his sleeve heavily: “Without you the butcher Zhang, can’t we eat a pig with hair on it?!”
“Just what I wanted!” Wu Shen actually took off his official hat and threw it into Director Jiang’s arms, sneering: “Different paths, no cooperation!”
With that, he ignored the trembling Director and strode down the Star Gazing Platform, leaving haughtily.
.
The next day was the much-anticipated day of the Grand Competition.
That day, the various clans north of the Luo River rose even earlier than morning court.
While it was still dark, in front of Lingyun Hall of the Xiahou Clan, Tie Xue Hall of the Pei Clan, Minglun Hall of the Cui Clan, Xie Clan’s Ancestors Hall, Sanwei Hall of the Lu Clan, Si Jing Hall of the Wei Clan, Shun Tian Hall of the Mei Clan, and the Loyalty Hall of the imperial Huangfu Family, leaders, elderly elders from the various clans, and dense crowds of clan members were already standing.
But today’s protagonists were not them, but the young people about to head to the West Garden.
Under the gaze of Clan Leader Xiahou Ba and the elders, Xiahou Rongguang, Xiahou Rongyao, Xiahou Rongda, and Xiahou Rongsheng, dressed in dark warrior robes, solemnly knelt before the ancestral memorial tablets. Represented by Xiahou Rongguang, they offered incense to the ancestral memorial tablets, then the four kowtowed three times respectfully, rose, and listened to the Clan Leader’s instructions.
Xiahou Ba gazed intently at his four grandsons, as if seeing his younger self, and rarely showed an excited expression. He boomed to the four: “Our Xiahou Clan has prospered for generations thanks to generations of brave men striving in martial glory and succeeding one after another!” He paused, then beckoned, and a warrior presented bowls filled with strong liquor.
“Now, the task of bringing glory to our Xiahou Clan falls on your shoulders for the first time!” Xiahou Ba picked up a bowl of liquor, and Xiahou Rongguang and the other three each took a bowl, looking excitedly at their immensely admired Clan Leader.
“Remember, you must win the championship at one stroke to not let down our lofty ambition!” Under the plaque of ‘Lingyun Hall’, Xiahou Ba’s voice shook the clouds and sky.
“Your grandsons will remember the Clan Leader’s teachings and would rather die than let down the lofty ambition!” Xiahou Rongguang and the three others shouted in unison excitedly.
“Come, I’ll see you off!” Xiahou Ba raised his liquor bowl high, drank it down with his four grandsons, then smashed the bowls on the ground and said passionately: “Set off!”
.
Similar scenes were playing out simultaneously in the various clans. Only the protagonists and lines differed, but that aura of ‘no one but us’ and qi swallowing mountains and rivers was much the same…
In the Lu Clan, after worshiping the ancestors and drinking the send-off wine, Lu Yun and the other three, with serious expressions, boarded the carriage and waited for the Clan Leader and other higher-ups to set off together.
“Damn, I wasn’t nervous at first, but after this, I feel like my whole body is trembling.” Inside the carriage, Lu Lin whispered nervously.
“Spineless…” Lu Song habitually mocked him, but his slightly pale face made it a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.
“Have you all mastered the Vice Sect Master’s moves?” Lu Bai changed the subject, wanting to relax everyone. After all, they were youths under twenty, and this pressure of bearing the clan’s expectations was hard for them to bear to some extent…
“Not bad.” Lu Song said somewhat proudly: “I’ve grasped about seventy to eighty percent. As long as we don’t run into those perverts, we should pass.”
“In your eyes, there aren’t many who aren’t perverts.” Lu Lin sneered, naturally immediately drawing Lu Song’s retaliation. Amid the playful scuffle, the atmosphere unwittingly relaxed.
“Hey, Fourth Brother, what’s in the box by your feet?” During the commotion, Lu Song noticed a not-small redwood box beside Lu Yun.
“Elder Sister prepared lunch for us.” Lu Yun seemed preoccupied and answered casually.
“Great!” The three perked up upon hearing this. Lu Lin grinned happily: “Our sister is so virtuous. After eating her cooking, I won’t even put Xiahou Rongguang in my eyes!” He rubbed his fists eagerly to open the box, but was held down by Lu Song: “No, if you eat now, what will you eat for lunch?”
“Oh…” Lu Lin thought about it and agreed, sitting back down grudgingly and swallowing hard. He didn’t look like someone who had just eaten a ten-person breakfast…
Listening to the playful banter in the carriage, several stewards smiled gratefully: “These kids are alright, not scared!”
“Back in the day when we participated in the Grand Competition, we were so nervous we couldn’t speak properly.”
“Alright, the Clan Leader’s carriage is here, let’s set off.” Lu Xia came over and said in a deep voice. As the Lu Clan’s supervisor dispatched for the Grand Competition, he naturally had to be present throughout.
As for Lu Wei, Lu Xin, and others, as well as Lu Xiang, Lu Ying, and the families of Lu Song and Lu Lin—over a hundred clan members in total—were purely spectators there to cheer.
The Lu Clan’s convoy set off grandly from Lu Ward. The convoys of the various clans also set off almost simultaneously from their respective strongholds, heading toward the West Garden at the western side of Ziwei City.
