Chapter 34: It’s So Steep, Slow Down or You’ll Fall

Flying Eagle Peak was the highest among all the mountains in the Western Gardens.

In the previous dynasty, emperors often came here to climb, so two stone stairways, each wide enough for three people to walk side by side, were built early on—one leading up, one leading down.

At the foot of each path stood a separate villa, and along the mountain road, every fifty zhang or so, there was a pavilion.

Every hundred zhang, there was a larger garden where one could admire the scenery, eat, or take care of personal needs.

When they reached the foot of the mountain and dismounted, palace servants waiting there led the horses to the stables.

At the hour of chenzheng, the mountain wind was cool.

Emperor Xingwu looked up, then took the lead, walking toward the stone steps.

Qingyang stayed by her father’s side.

At this moment, she spoke.

“Father Emperor, you all go ahead up the mountain.

I’ll go slowly with Third Brother.

We won’t delay you and the ministers reaching the top.”

The daughter was too young, the third son too useless.

Emperor Xingwu truly didn’t want the two siblings to slow down the entire group.

Looking at the younger generation, Emperor Xingwu said,

“Qin Bing, your task today is to look after your younger brother and sister.

Don’t leave them behind just to climb on your own.

If either of them falls or gets hurt, you’ll be punished by climbing these stone steps every day.”

Qin Bing had already rolled up his sleeves, ready to charge up the mountain.

At these words, he looked utterly unwilling.

“Third Brother is already grown, and Zhang Su is with them.

The two of them can take care of little sister just fine.

Why do they still need my help?”

He resented his younger siblings for being a burden to his mountain climbing.

Qingyang felt the same way and didn’t want to hear him complain.

“Father Emperor, let Second Brother go with you.

Otherwise, if we walk too slowly and annoy Second Brother, he’ll get mad and ruin our peaceful mood climbing the mountain.”

Qin Bing thought his sister was especially considerate.

Qin Hong was about to suggest he take care of his sister, but Emperor Xingwu said,

“Fine.

The three of you go slowly.

We’ll go on ahead.”

Qin Hong could only look regretfully at his younger brother and sister.

To be honest, he would rather fall behind with them than follow Father Emperor.

Emperor Xingwu cared for both his youngest son and daughter, as well as Qin Hong and the young men, letting the group of twenty-something energetic youths go first, while he and the ministers walked and chatted.

The stone-paved mountain path wound upward along the slope, and the distance between the three groups gradually stretched.

After climbing just over seventy steps, Qin Ren was already gasping and complaining, clutching his belly and demanding to sit for a while.

Qingyang was tired too, but she found climbing slowly to be its own kind of rest.

Since she could still keep going, Third Brother was simply being lazy.

“Ignore him, let’s keep going.”

Qingyang said to Zhang Su, who was two steps behind her.

Zhang Su was the kind of daring companion who dared to leave the third prince behind during martial lessons, but with the Little Princess ahead, someone who needed his protection more, he naturally followed her instead of joining the third prince in slacking off.

Seeing that these two really wouldn’t rest, Qin Ren propped his knees, stared warily at the overgrown forest on both sides—afraid some poisonous insect or snake might bite him—and, after shivering twice in place, had no choice but to follow.

At the first pavilion, Qin Ren flopped onto a long beauty couch, waved weakly at the two resting outside.

“You two go on.

I’m turning back from here.

I really can’t climb any more.”

Qingyang reached out to Zhang Su.

There were two palace servants serving in the pavilion.

Zhang Su fetched a basin of clear water and handed it to the flushed Little Princess.

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After drinking, Qingyang issued a single threat.

“Normally, I don’t care if you slack off, Third Brother, but if I can reach the top of the mountain and you can’t, it means you’ve grown weak from too much laziness. For your own good, I’ll ask Father Emperor to turn your two months of rest into martial lessons until you become strong and healthy again.”

Laziness didn’t mean weakness.

Qingyang didn’t want a brother who, despite years of martial training, couldn’t even lift a chicken.

He wasn’t born sickly, after all.

Threat issued, Qingyang continued upward with Zhang Su.

Qin Ren sighed in misery, then dragged himself up to follow.

Stopping and starting, when they reached the third pavilion at a height of one hundred fifty zhang, Qingyang found that aside from the servants, four others were seated inside: Duke Cheng Lü Guangzu, Left Chancellor Yan Xizheng, Minister of Personnel Yang Zhiming, and Minister of Rites Xie Xunwen.

Of them, only Xie Xunwen, in his fifties, was an old minister of the previous dynasty with talent who had been reappointed by Emperor Xingwu after ascending the throne.

“Greetings, Your Highnesses.”

The four, having rested and regained their breath, stepped out of the pavilion and saluted the siblings together.

The Little Princess panted and waved off the salute.

Qin Ren, several steps behind his sister and Zhang Su, looked up, sweat blurring his vision so badly he couldn’t even see who was ahead.

Qingyang was too tired.

After excusing their salutes, she walked straight into the pavilion, sat on the newly vacated beauty couch, and rested.

She had once vowed never to let anyone see her in an unsightly state, but at nine years old, she forgot such things, taking out her handkerchief to wipe her sweat in full view, not caring what others thought.

When Zhang Su sweated during martial practice, Qingyang never disliked him.

If he ever dared to mind her sweat, she simply wouldn’t choose him as her prince consort.

As for the four ministers…

Qingyang turned her head to look.

Lü Guangzu, of her grandfather’s generation, smiled kindly.

“The Princess is truly remarkable, to climb so high at just nine.

The four of us are ashamed by comparison.”

Yang Zhiming, scholarly and dignified, added,

“His Majesty often praises the Princess for her intelligence. But I never thought her willpower was so strong as well. Truly admirable.”

Xie Xunwen, whose feet were aching, said,

“When I saw the Princess outside West Scenery Gate, I thought climbing the mountain was child’s play for her. But now she’s about to surpass us. It seems the Princess truly is a heaven-sent divine maiden. I should not have judged her by the standards of ordinary women.”

Left Chancellor Yan Xizheng, while agreeing the Little Princess’s willpower was commendable, didn’t think it was worth this much praise.

“……”

Often glancing at her, the Left Chancellor neither spoke nor looked at her.

Once she had caught her breath, the Little Princess asked directly,

“Does Chancellor Yan disagree with the Duke and others’ praise for me?”

Yan Xizheng: “…… No, this old minister also deeply admires the Princess’s resolve.”

Qingyang smiled, first inviting the four to sit, then continued,

“Actually, I’m not as impressive as you say.

I’ve heard that the children of poor families start working in the fields with their parents at four or five.

Compared to them, climbing a mountain for the view is nothing.

If I complained, wouldn’t that be the same as ‘Why not eat meat porridge?'”

Lü Guangzu and Yang Zhiming, who had seen rural children labor firsthand, exchanged glances and nodded in agreement with the Little Princess.

Xie Xunwen was even more surprised by her insight.

Yan Xizheng glanced at the third prince, still leaning against the pillar and panting, then looked deeply at the Little Princess’s hem.

After resting for about a quarter of an hour, Qingyang prepared to set off again, inviting the four ministers to join them.

Yan Xizheng led the way.

He wanted to see whether the Little Princess had truly climbed on her own or had Zhang Su’s help.

But in the last fifty zhang to the summit, not only did she refuse assistance, she even quickened her pace.

When Emperor Xingwu and the others came into view at the mountain-top pavilion, the Little Princess became so excited she started running.

Emperor Xingwu didn’t even notice Yan Xizheng and the others.

Seeing his Little Princess reach the summit so quickly, he smiled, walked out of the pavilion, and came to greet her.

Then he lifted his flushed-cheeked daughter high and spun her in a circle.

“Well done!

My Lin’er is only nine, yet reached the top before the illustrious Duke Lü!”

The Little Princess, exhausted, closed her eyes as her father lifted her.

When he stopped and held her steady, she opened them again.

Before her, to the north of the mountain, the waters of the Huanghe flowed like a yellow dragon, winding through the land, roaring and unstoppable.

It was her first time standing so high, her first time witnessing such majestic scenery.

She forgot even to blink.

Seeing his daughter’s fascination, Emperor Xingwu carried her to the edge of the cliff, pointing to the Huanghe.

“On the map, it’s a thin line, but in truth, it’s this wide.

And this isn’t even the broadest point of the river.”

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Qingyang nodded.

Emperor Xingwu pointed across the river.

“North of here is Jinzhou.

From there, the Huanghe marks the western and northern boundary—beyond is Liangzhou.”

Qingyang remembered the map hanging in the Imperial Library and how the Huanghe curved between Liangzhou and Jinzhou.

But what looked clear on the map now seemed impossibly distant.

She couldn’t even spot the big bend of the Huanghe near Jinzhou.

“Father Emperor, when will you take us to see Liangzhou?

And Jinzhou, Ji Prefecture, Liao Zhou, Qingzhou, and the southern Yangzhou, Fuzhou, Ganzhou, Jiaozhou, Jingzhou, Qianzhou, Yunzhou, Yizhou—I want to visit them all.”

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At this moment, Yan Xizheng, Lü Guangzu, and other civil and military officials stood gathered behind the imperial daughter, while Qin Hong, Qin Bing, Qin Ren, Zhang Heng, and the other young men respectfully formed a loose half-circle farther back.

As the Little Princess skillfully listed all the prefectures around the capital of Great Qi, some ministers smiled and praised her intelligence and memory, while others lowered their eyes, lost in thought.

Emperor Xingwu, stirred by his daughter’s words, considered for a moment.

“Very well.

When I tour the realm, I’ll bring Lin’er with me!”

The father and daughter lingered at the summit for a while.

When it was time to descend, Qingyang once again let her father and the others go ahead, falling behind with Zhang Su and Third Brother.

Going up had been exhausting, but with determination, Qingyang had pushed through.

Now, going down, her legs trembled so much that willpower alone could no longer keep her steady.

Ahead, Third Brother complained about his shaking legs, but Qingyang didn’t even have to ask.

She looked at Zhang Su walking just ahead on her right.

“Are your legs shaking?”

Zhang Su shook his head, concern in his eyes.

“How do you feel, Your Highness?”

Qingyang stopped, making a bitter face.

“They are.

And it feels terrible.

Carry me.”

Zhang Su immediately crouched in front of the Little Princess.

Qingyang climbed onto his back, legs trembling.

Zhang Su held her securely by the sides of her thighs and stood upright.

Looking down from his left shoulder, Qingyang felt a little nervous.

“It’s so steep.

Walk slowly—don’t fall.”

Zhang Su replied,

“Yes, Princess.

If you’re tired, you can sleep for a while.

I promise to stand firm with every step.”

But Qingyang wasn’t sleepy.

She tilted her head to gaze at the mountainside.

The sunlight overhead was hot, Zhang Su’s broad, hard back was warm, the wind in her face was cool, and Third Brother’s incessant complaints were noisy.

She didn’t know how much time passed, but then she heard her father’s voice.

“What’s wrong with Lin’er?”

“Your Majesty, the Princess fell asleep.”

“Bring her here.”

Her body shifted.

Qingyang drowsily opened her eyes to see her father’s face.

“Father Emperor, where are you taking me?”

Emperor Xingwu smiled fondly.

“Just to the nearby villa.

You can sleep inside while I host a banquet for the ministers outside.”

The Little Princess blinked, her spirits reviving.

“I don’t want to sleep.

I want to eat at the banquet too.”