As evening approached, the snow gradually ceased. A side door near the drum tower in the northeast corner of the imperial palace opened, and a warm sedan chair emerged.
Two eunuchs in plain clothes carried the sedan along the path beneath the palace walls, passing through Baotai Lane before finally stopping at the entrance to the lantern market street, where they lowered the chair.
From the sedan descended a grandfather and grandson. The grandfather, nearing fifty, leaned on a cane with one hand and held the four or five-year-old boy with the other. The two figures, one large and one small, continued slowly down the street.
After a dozen steps, several guards, also dressed in plain clothes, silently followed behind.
The pair entered the lantern market. The street was lined with shops and taverns, their facades adorned with lanterns already hung high before nightfall. Inside, the lights blazed brilliantly, and the sound of laughter from the bustling crowds filled the air. Carriages and horses flowed endlessly, making the entire street resemble a winding silver dragon stretching far into the distance.
This was the most splendid place outside the imperial palace in the capital. The grandeur and prosperity of the imperial city could hardly surpass this.
Originally, the lantern market was merely a festive ground set up east of the palace by the founding emperor during the Lantern Festival to celebrate with the people. In those days, during the festival, the court would erect colorful pavilions, attracting wealthy merchants from north and south. At night, lanterns were lit, fireworks set off, and people from all walks of life—from nobles to commoners—gathered to admire the lights and revel in the festivities. Initially lasting ten days, it later evolved into a monthly event on the 5th, 15th, and 20th days. Over time, the area became a hub for jewelry, antiques, fine silks, porcelain, exotic goods from across the land, and treasures from overseas, alongside taverns, shops, and luxurious residences. Stretching eastward for dozens of miles, the lantern market, though still bearing its old name, had long ceased to be limited to the Lantern Festival or monthly gatherings. Now, it thrived year-round, with crowds and lights often lasting through the night unless special circumstances intervened.
Ci'er followed his grandfather through the streets crowded with well-dressed passersby, looking left and right. By the time they reached the end of the liveliest street, he already carried several toys bought for him by the guards from roadside stalls. Though his legs were tired, he was exhilarated. As he settled back into the sedan chair waiting at the street's end, he bombarded his grandfather with questions.
Xiao Lie answered each one patiently before finally asking, "Ci'er, do you like this place?"
Ci'er nodded. "Yes."
After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Imperial Grandfather, you said you'd show me the world. Is this the world?"
Xiao Lie replied, "Imperial Grandfather will take you to another place. You'll understand soon."
The sedan chair moved forward, traveling what seemed like a long distance before finally stopping and being lowered once more.
Ci'er stepped out with his grandfather and glanced around, momentarily stunned.
The street before them was narrow and dim, flanked by low, dilapidated houses. The snow in the middle of the road had been trampled into a filthy black slush. The cold weather and approaching darkness had driven most residents to shut their doors and windows tightly, leaving the interiors pitch black. Only a few households emitted faint, yellowish light through the cracks. In the distance, the road ahead was shrouded in darkness. The few pedestrians on the street hunched their shoulders, their faces etched with hardship.Compared to the bustling scene at the lantern market earlier, this place felt like a world apart—one in heaven, the other on earth.
The appearance of this grandfather and grandson pair seemed somewhat out of place. A few passersby who crossed their path glanced at them briefly before hurrying on, likely eager to return home for a warm meal and a hot drink, to thaw their frozen limbs and ease the exhaustion of a long day’s toil.
A girl about Ci’er’s age stood in the half-open doorway of a shabby house, wearing a faded blue floral-patterned jacket—likely altered from her mother’s old clothes. The jacket was so worn that the once-white flowers had yellowed with age, offering little warmth against the cold. Yet the girl ignored the chill, breathing into her cupped hands while peering outside as if waiting for someone, and from the look of it, she had been waiting for a while.
Ci’er rarely saw children his own age, so he stopped in his tracks, staring wide-eyed at the girl. When she noticed him, her gaze flickered to Xiao Lie beside him and the guards following closely behind. Seemingly frightened, she quickly shut the door.
Ci’er looked up at his grandfather, who was smiling down at him, then scratched his head and reluctantly moved on. Just then, hurried footsteps crunched through the snow behind them.
Turning, Ci’er saw a peddler approaching with a heavy-looking carrying pole. Perhaps due to the poor weather, he hadn’t sold much—his load still appeared full.
The door that had just closed suddenly creaked open again, and the girl peeked out once more before rushing outside with a joyful cry of “Father!” She leaped over the threshold and ran toward the peddler.
The man’s weary expression instantly brightened at the sight of her. He pulled a stick of candied hawthorns from his bundle and handed it to her. The girl accepted it gleefully, clutching the treat in one hand and the pole’s rope in the other as she skipped back inside, calling, “Mother! Father’s home!”
A woman emerged at the sound, eyeing the still-full load before sighing at the sight of the candied hawthorn. “We’ve barely enough grain left for a few days,” she scolded. “Your cosmetics aren’t selling, yet you waste coin on this?”
“It was just a copper,” the peddler said. “I’ll cover more streets tomorrow and sell more.”
“You always say that. Come inside now—warm yourself and eat.”
Amid the woman’s grumbling, the door closed again, shutting away the family from view.
Silence returned, and somewhere in the air, the faint aroma of cooking drifted by—a homely scent of hearth and food.
Ci’er stood motionless, staring at the closed door, his small figure frozen in place.
Xiao Lie leaned on his cane, watching quietly at first before finally bending down to take the boy’s mittened hand. “Shall we walk a little further with Grandfather?” he asked softly.
Ci’er slowly turned away and nodded, then followed his grandfather onward.The further they went, the harder the path became, and the more dilapidated the houses on either side. These dwellings could hardly be called houses—just four poles encircled by a bundle of thatched straw and tattered cloth, topped with a straw mat weighed down by stones at the corners. Such was the shelter for those who lived there.
In the corner of a half-collapsed earthen wall, a fire was lit, around which sat a few beggars spending the night in the open. From the nearby thatched huts came the constant sound of coughing children crying, interspersed with the long sighs of women.
The guards behind them grew tense, following closely without daring to relax for a moment.
Ci'er's expression turned solemn, her small lips pressed tightly together as she kept looking back. Yet, still led by her grandfather's hand, she was guided step by step through this impoverished district at the foot of the imperial city—a place untouched even by the benevolent warmth of spring.
Finally, they emerged from the dark, narrow alleys, and the faint glow of lanterns gradually reappeared along the streets.
"Move along, move along! Don't block the door!"
Beside the entrance of a dimly lit tavern stood an old man selling oranges, taking advantage of the light. His clothes were thin, and he shivered in the cold wind. On the ground sat a little girl wrapped in her grandfather's tattered cotton-padded jacket, yet her face was still blue from the cold.
A tavern worker came out to shoo them away.
"Please, just let me stay a little longer. Once I sell these oranges, I'll leave. My granddaughter is sick, and I'm the only one at home. I had to bring her out, waiting to earn money for her medicine..."
The old man pleaded pitifully, then suddenly noticed the group passing by and quickly turned.
"Sir, would you like to buy some oranges?"
"There are only about ten left, all good ones. They usually sell for ten coins, but if you take them all, I'll give them to you for five."
The old man finished speaking, his hopeful gaze fixed on the group.
Ci'er turned her head, watching for a moment before slowly looking up at her grandfather.
Xiao Lie signaled to an attendant. One of the guards stepped forward, handed over twenty coins, and took the bundle of oranges.
Overjoyed, the old man bowed repeatedly to Xiao Lie and Ci'er, carefully placing the coins into his pouch and securing it at his waist. He hurriedly gathered his things, placed his granddaughter in one basket, balanced the other with a stone, and hoisted the load onto his shoulders. Then, trudging through the snow, he staggered away.
Suddenly, Ci'er broke free from her grandfather's grip and ran after them. She took off her warm mittens and stuffed them into the little girl's hands before turning and running back to join her grandfather, climbing into the warm sedan chair that had come to fetch them.
Inside the sedan, a small copper brazier burned with charcoal, filling the space with warmth.
On the way back, Ci'er sat on her grandfather's lap in silence.
The sedan chair retraced its path back to the palace, where the grandfather and granddaughter returned to the Imperial Study.
Xiao Lie smiled and asked, "Ci'er, do you know what 'the world' truly is?"
Ci'er looked at her grandfather.
"The Erya says, 'Spring is the azure sky.' The so-called azure sky is where all things grow lushly. And among all things, humans are the most intelligent. Thus, the so-called world is, in truth, its people. Your grandfather is the emperor. Do you know what an emperor must do?"
Ci'er shook her head. "Ci'er doesn't know."
"What an emperor must do is govern the world."
Ci'er's eyes sparkled slightly. "Grandfather, I understand! Governing the world means governing the people."
Xiao Lie laughed, nodding with infinite satisfaction in his gaze."Ci'er is absolutely right. Grandfather took you out for a walk today. In the capital, there are indeed fertile lands and wealthy people, but they are few in number. The majority are common folk who toil diligently just to put food on the table for their families. As you've seen, even right under your grandfather's nose, there are so many people who don't have enough to eat or wear, with no roof over their heads even in snowy weather. If this is how things are in the capital, imagine how much worse it must be across the vast empire. What an emperor must do is govern the realm well, ensuring more people have food to eat, clothes to wear, and homes to live in. Do you understand?"
Ci'er nodded slowly.
"Ci'er, Grandfather is old and cannot be emperor forever. When Grandfather can no longer serve, I want you to continue this work—bringing peace to the realm and order to the people. Would you be willing?"
Ci'er nodded, then shook his head: "Grandfather, I must ask Father and Mother first."
Xiao Lie said, "Very well. Your parents should be returning to the capital soon. Grandfather will ask them first. If they agree, then you'll agree too, all right?"
"All right."
Xiao Lie gazed at him intently: "Ci'er, being a good emperor will be very difficult. It may even cost you things you hold dear. But such is life—for everything gained, something must be lost. Remember Grandfather's words. When you grow older, you'll understand."
Ci'er nodded: "Ci'er will remember."
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