Tanglong Year One, November. Luoyang.
The dental clinic had been open for nearly four months. More than half a month had passed since the Festival of Xia Yuan. Winter in Chang'an was already deep, but winter in Luoyang was even colder. The Luo River had frozen with a thin layer of ice; the snow on Mount Mang never melted. The wind blew from the direction of the Yellow River, dry and biting, striking the face like a knife.
On the morning of November 9th, Chen Xuanli arrived.
He wore brand new armor. Dismounting at the clinic entrance, the armor clattered loudly in the morning light. His exhaled white breath condensed into a cloud in the cold air, only to be quickly scattered by the wind.
"Miss Qingyan," his voice was somewhat blurred by the wind. "His Highness invites you to Luoyang."
I was squatting by the brazier warming my hands. Hearing this, my fingers froze above the charcoal fire.
"Now?"
"Now. The carriage is already waiting outside the city."
Qingyuan gasped sharply behind me. Shen Yue lifted her head from behind the medicine mortar, the pestle halting in mid-air. Outside the window, the wind blew the door panels until they creaked; the lantern with the Moon Palace and cassia tree swayed violently in the gale.
I stood up and walked to the door. The cold wind hit my face like a blade. I knew I was standing on the frozen earth of Chang'an, yet my heart felt as if a fire had been lit—not out of fear, but something else. It was the thought that at his moment of supreme glory, above ten thousand men, he was thinking of a small dental clinic, of a lantern painted with a cassia tree. He had sent someone to fetch me.
"Qingyuan, pack things. Shen Yue, the clinic is in your hands."
Shen Yue paused. "Third Lady—"
"You can do it. You've learned the tooth powder formula, the irrigation methods, the filling materials. If there are patients you can't handle, wait for my return."
She bit her lip and nodded. Qingyuan had already run inside to pack the bundle, moving so fast as if afraid I would change my mind.
I picked up my medicine box, walked to the door, and looked back at the clinic one last time. The lantern with the Moon Palace and cassia tree was still swaying gently in the wind; the leaves of the cassia tree, piece by piece, looked as if they were truly dancing in the breeze.
"Let's go," I said.
The Eastern Palace
The carriage traveled for two full days. November days were short; darkness fell just after the Shen hour (3-5 PM). After passing Tong Pass, the wind grew colder, blowing from the Yellow River with a scent of water and snowflakes.
Luoyang City was smaller than Chang'an but more square. The Luo River cut through the city, covered in a thin layer of ice that gleamed silver-white in the sunlight. The Imperial City stood in the northwest corner, at the foot of Mount Mang, covered in snow. Standing at the city gate, one could see the watchtowers of the palace rising high like two swords piercing the sky.
The Crown Prince's Residence (Eastern Palace) was on the east side of Luoyang Palace, right next to the Imperial City. The entrance was solemn—nine levels of steps, two rows of guards, dense pines and cypresses—all proclaiming that this was no longer its former self. The stone lions were twice as tall as those at the Prince of Linzi's residence. Guards stood on both sides of the steps; their armor was new, their horizontal blades were new, and even their posture was straighter than before.
Standing at the entrance, I suddenly felt a sense of strangeness. Not because the place was unfamiliar, but because of the aura. The former Prince of Linzi's residence was like a sword sheathed in its scabbard—steady and restrained. The current Eastern Palace was like a blade already unsheathed—sharp and glaring.
"Miss Qingyan," Chen Xuanli led the way. "His Highness is waiting for you in the study."
We crossed the front courtyard, the middle courtyard, and the back courtyard, walking for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense. The pines and cypresses in the yard were trimmed neatly; every grass and tree exuded solemnity, yet it lacked the homely warmth of the former Prince of Linzi's residence.
We arrived at the study.
The layout was similar to before, but more than twice as large. The desk was new, the chair was new, and even the calligraphy "The World is for All" on the wall had been remounted. The only things unchanged were the mountain-high pile of memorials on the desk and the young man leaning back in the chair.
He wore casual clothes—a moon-white round-collar robe, hair tied with a jade hairpin. He was thinner. His cheekbones were more distinct than before, his jawline sharper. But those eyes hadn't changed; they were still just as bright.
He looked up, saw me, and smiled.
That smile was the same as before. The same as in the Prince of Linzi's residence, the same as in the clinic, the same as by Qujiang Pool on the Festival of Xia Yuan.
"Qingyan."
My throat suddenly felt blocked.
"Your Highness." I paused. "Crown Prince Your Highness."
"Just 'Your Highness' is fine," he leaned back in the chair. "Calling me 'Crown Prince' feels too distant."
Qingyuan chuckled behind me. I didn't laugh. I stood there, looking at him, suddenly feeling something churning in my chest.
"Your Highness... now that you are Crown Prince, you still come to me for dental check-ups?"
"Why not?" He raised an eyebrow. "Does a Crown Prince's tooth cease to be a tooth?"
"...No."
"Then there you have it." He opened his mouth. "Examine me."
I walked over, washed my hands. When my fingers touched his jaw, he tilted his head slightly to cooperate. Gum color normal, probing depth normal, no tartar, no cavities. The wound had been suture-free for nearly two months; the scar had turned into a thin white line.
"Your Highness has been brushing very diligently recently."
"Of course." He leaned back, his gaze falling on my face. "This Prince keeps every promise made to you."
The exact same words as before. But the person saying them was no longer the Prince of Linzi. He was the Crown Prince of the Great Tang.
I lowered my head, pretending to organize tools. My fingers trembled slightly when touching the tweezers.
"Your Highness, you called me here not just for a dental check-up, did you?"
"No." He picked up a document from the desk and handed it to me.
I took it and unfolded it. It was an appointment decree. It read: Specially appointing Gu Shi Qingyan as Medical Doctor of the Eastern Palace, in charge of oral diseases for the Crown Prince and officials of the Eastern Palace.
"Medical Doctor?"
"A Crown Prince's private physician cannot lack a proper title." He leaned back, a smile on his lips. "I have checked; the Tang Dynasty has no female officials, but the position of Medical Doctor is not gender-specific. You are the first in the Great Tang."
Clutching the decree, my thumb trembled slightly. The few large characters on the rice paper seemed to burn with fire, scorching my fingers. Glory, unease, panic, emotion—all these feelings rushed up together, blocking my throat.
"Your Highness—"
"Do not refuse." He stood up and walked to the window. "Your clinic must continue to operate. In Chang'an, in Luoyang, all must open. But you are my doctor. My doctor cannot live outside."
He pushed open the window. November sunlight streamed in, thin and cold, falling on his moon-white robe, falling on the decree in his hand.
"Qingyan." He turned back.
"Hmm?"
"Do you know why I brought you to the Eastern Palace?"
"Because Your Highness's teeth need regular check-ups?"
He laughed. "Not just that."
He looked at me, his gaze becoming serious.
"Because now that I am Crown Prince, I can no longer go wherever I wish." He paused. "I can no longer go to the clinic in Chongren Ward. Therefore, you must come."
I looked at him. Sunlight shone from behind him, outlining his silhouette with a golden rim. Same as when he was the Prince of Linzi, yet different. He was Crown Prince now. But he was still him.
"Alright," I said. "I will come."
He smiled. Just like before.
The Investiture
November 15th. The Investiture Ceremony.
I did not attend the ceremony. Not because I didn't want to, but because I lacked the qualification. The Crown Prince's investiture was held at Yingtian Gate of Luoyang Palace; only officials of rank three and above, envoys from various nations, and royal princes were qualified to witness it.
I stood in the study of the Eastern Palace, listening to the drumbeats from afar.
The drums of Chengtian Gate sounded. One beat after another, coming from the direction of Luoyang Palace, crossing more than half of Luoyang City, landing on the eaves of the Eastern Palace. The drumbeats were heavy, like muffled thunder rolling over the roof, shaking the window lattices. Then came the music—chime bells, flutes, zithers—solemn and majestic, overwhelming everything.
From several streets away, I heard the acclamation.
"Long live the Crown Prince!"
The sound spread out from Yingtian Gate, wave upon wave, like a tide, flooding every corner of Luoyang City. It wasn't the voice of one person, but of hundreds, of thousands, merging together like the earth itself trembling.
He wore the gun-mian robes. Twelve chapters of ornamentation, black upper garment and reddish lower garment,头戴 (wearing) a twelve-tassel crown. Walking out from Duan Gate, along the long imperial way, step by step toward Yingtian Gate. Hundred officials knelt in homage; ten thousand nations came to pay tribute.
He was the Crown Prince of the Great Tang.
I stood by the study window, listening to that tsunami-like cry of "Long live." November sunlight streamed in, cold and bright. The drumbeats continued, beat after beat, resonating with something in my chest.
"Long live the Crown Prince!"
They were shouting for him. But what was he thinking? At this moment of supreme glory, above ten thousand men, what was he thinking?
"Third Lady," Qingyuan stood behind me, whispering. "You're crying."
I touched my face. Wet.
"No," I said. "The wind is too strong."
"The windows are closed."
I said nothing.
The City Tower
Three days after the investiture ceremony, he took me up to the tower of Yingtian Gate.
"Didn't Your Highness say you can't go wherever you wish?"
"I can walk around in my own palace; no one controls that."
Yingtian Gate was the main gate of Luoyang Palace. The gate tower soared into the clouds; the vermilion pillars required three people to embrace. The door nails were made of copper, each as large as a bowl, gleaming coldly in the winter sun.
He led me up to the tower.
The entire city of Luoyang lay beneath our feet. The Imperial City, the Royal City, the Outer City—layer upon layer. The Luo River cut through the city, covered in thin ice, gleaming silver-white in the sunlight. In the distance, Mount Mang was covered in snow; smoke from chimneys rose from the houses at the foot of the mountain, scattering with the wind.
The November wind poured down from the tower, bone-chillingly cold. My fingers were already frozen stiff; I gripped the railing, daring not let go.
He took off his large cloak and draped it over my shoulders.
"Your Highness—"
"Don't move." His hand rested on my shoulder, heavy and warm through the cloak.
The cloak still retained his body heat. The fox fur collar pressed against my cheek, soft, carrying the scent of agarwood. A stray lock of hair at my temple was pressed down by the cloak; he reached out to brush it away, his fingertips grazing my sideburns, slightly cool.
"Qingyan, do you see this city of Luoyang?"
"It's beautiful."
"Heh—" He leaned against the railing, a slight smile on his lips. "On the day of my investiture, what I was thinking of was that cassia tree lantern in Chongren Ward."
I turned to look at him.
He was gazing into the distance, his expression profound. November days were short; the sun had already begun to set. Twilight spread out behind him; orange-red light stretched his shadow long across the floor tiles of the tower. His profile was gilded by the setting sun; his jawline was sharp, his nose high and straight, a few stray hairs blown onto his forehead by the wind.
"Your Highness... on that day, with so many people kneeling before you, you were thinking of a lantern?"
"Yes," he said. "Am I not ambitious enough?"
I said nothing. My eyes grew hot. The wind blew, cold, yet I didn't feel cold at all. Draped in his cloak, I was warm.
"Qingyan."
"Hmm?"
"Is that lantern still there?"
"It is," I said. "Qingyuan checks it every day; if the wind is strong, she brings it inside; when the sky clears, she hangs it out again."
He looked at me and suddenly smiled. That smile—the same as in the Prince of Linzi's residence, the same as in the clinic, the same as by Qujiang Pool on the Festival of Xia Yuan. Not the smile of a Crown Prince, but the smile of a youth.
"That is good," he said.
That evening, we stood on the tower of Yingtian Gate, watching the twilight of Luoyang City sink little by little. Lights in ten thousand homes lit up, one by one, like stars on earth. November night fell quickly; in the blink of an eye, it was completely dark.
"Qingyan."
"Hmm?"
"Do you know how big the Great Tang is?"
"Very big."
"How big?"
"East to the sea, west to the Pamirs, north to the Northern Desert, south to Jiaozhi," I said. "It is the largest nation under heaven."
He turned to look at me. "How do you know?"
I paused. Almost slipped up. "...Read it in books."
He didn't press further, just gazed into the distance.
"When I was young, my father—then still the Prince of Xiang—told me something."
"What?"
"He said, 'The Son of Heaven of the Great Tang is not someone who sits on the dragon throne issuing orders. He is someone who ensures that everyone on this land can eat their fill, wear warm clothes, and not be bullied.'"
He looked into the distance, his gaze profound.
"I didn't understand it before. Now I do."
The wind blew from the tower, making his robe flutter loudly. Twilight spread behind him; his figure was stretched long by the setting sun. In the distance, the lights of ten thousand homes in Luoyang City lit up one by one, like a galaxy on earth.
I suddenly felt that the person standing beside me was no longer that boy with a toothache. He was the Crown Prince of the Great Tang. The one who would create a prosperous age in the future.
"Your Highness."
"Hmm?"
"You will be a good Crown Prince."
He turned to look at me. "How do you know?"
"Because you still remember that lantern at the clinic entrance."
He paused. Then he laughed.
"Qingyan, you are the only one who dares to say such things before me."
"Because I am Your Highness's private physician."
"Private physician." He repeated these four words. "I like this title."
He turned back, gazing into the distance. The lights reflected in his eyes, flickering.
"Private physician. For a lifetime."
He spoke very lightly, as if talking to himself. But I heard it. The wind carried his voice to me, word by word falling into my ears, falling into my heart.
I said nothing. I just stood beside him, watching the lights of ten thousand homes in Luoyang City light up one by one. His cloak was still draped over my shoulders. Very warm.
Return
When we returned to the Eastern Palace, it was already completely dark.
Qingyuan was waiting at the door, holding a lantern. Made of white paper, with a full moon painted on it, and beneath the moon, a cassia tree.
"Third Lady, I brought the lantern!" She held it up for me to see. "The one His Highness gave! I was afraid it would be damaged by the wind in Chang'an, so I wrapped it in three layers of cotton cloth to bring it here."
Looking at that lantern, I suddenly smiled.
"Hang it up."
"Where?"
"In the study."
Qingyuan paused. "The study? Isn't that His Highness's—"
"Hang it in my study," I said. "I am now the Medical Doctor of the Eastern Palace. I have my own study."
Qingyuan's eyes lit up. She fetched a stool and hung the lantern on the hook at the door of the study. The white paper lantern swayed gently in the night wind; the Moon Palace and cassia tree reflected on the door panel, overlapping with the moonlight of Luoyang.
I stood at the door, looking up at that lantern.
The candlelight danced on the lantern's surface; the leaves of the cassia tree, piece by piece, looked as if they were truly swaying in the wind. Same as in Chang'an. Same as in the Prince of Linzi's residence. Same as by Qujiang Pool.
"Third Lady," Qingyuan whispered behind me. "His Highness treats you so well."
"Mm."
"Could it be that you—"
"Qingyuan."
"Hmm?"
"Light the charcoal fire. Tomorrow I still need to check His Highness's teeth."
"Oh."
She turned and left. I stood at the door, watching that lantern for a while longer.
Outside the window, the moon of Luoyang City rose. November 18th, the moon phase was waning, but it was still very bright. As round and bright as in Chang'an.
I walked into the study and sat down at the desk. On the table lay that appointment decree; beside it was the jar of tooth powder he had left behind—brought from Chang'an, never returned. I picked up the decree and glanced at it again. The words "Medical Doctor of the Eastern Palace" gleamed faintly in the candlelight.
I put the decree away safely in the drawer, placing it next to the jar of tooth powder.
Tomorrow, I will still teach the "Crown Prince" how to use floss and advise him to eat less sugar. No matter how busy he is, he will open his mouth at the fixed hour for my examination.
Nothing has changed. Except—he is Crown Prince now. And I am his private physician.
The only thing that remains unchanged in this life is the sound of his voice calling me "Qingyan."
Outside the window, the moon of Luoyang City was very bright. The lantern with the Moon Palace and cassia tree swayed gently in the night wind; the candlelight and moonlight overlapped, indistinguishable which was the lantern and which was the moon.
(End of Chapter 7)