How many events occurred during the reigns of Yuan, Cheng, Ai, and Ping? Over the long ages, one sees only Zhaojun leaving the pass, and the sisters Feiyan and Hede.
Where is Dong Xian today?
The house of Han has lost its virtue.
Throughout the world, rumors spread that the Liu clan had lost the mandate of heaven and that a man of virtue should replace them. Among all the voices, the one with the loudest support was none other than the Acting Emperor, Wang Mang. The people of the world knew nothing of the Han Son of Heaven in Chang'an; they heard only of the Grand Marshal Wang Mang's hard work, great achievements, and humble virtue.
On this day, as Wang Mang was returning from the palace in his carriage, he suddenly heard the sound of bells approaching from a distance in a daze.
A woman’s singing voice rose, its melody lingering and piercing straight into the soul.
"Woe is where blessing leans; blessing is where woe hides! Sorrow and joy gather at the same gate; good and bad fortune dwell in the same realm..."
Soon, the carriage driver’s urgent shouts were heard: "Where did this woman come from? Out of the way! This is the Grand Marshal's carriage, how dare you be so insolent?"
Wang Mang lifted the carriage curtain and saw a woman in green wearing a bamboo hat, holding a handbell and blocking the path.
He looked her up and down and asked, "Are you a physiognomist?"
Qingnu took off her bamboo hat, nodded, and replied, "I am Qinggu, a successor to the Marquis of Mingci!"
"The physiognomist Xu Fu?"
Wang Mang’s brow furrowed slightly. After a moment of thought, he said to Qingnu, "Physiognomist, please board the carriage for a conversation."
After entering the carriage, Wang Mang asked, "Did you seek me out to ask for an official position?"
"I have come to read your fate, my lord!"
Qingnu looked at Wang Mang with a slight smile.
Upon hearing this, Wang Mang was curious to hear what fate Qingnu had calculated for him.
Qingnu simply said: "Odd changes, even stay the same!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Mang fell silent. After a while, he cupped his hands and asked, "Is this my fate? How should it be interpreted? Please enlighten me, physiognomist."
Qingnu looked at him for a long time before finally letting out a sigh.
"Forget it..."
"Your fate was already in the first sentence I spoke."
"Blessing and woe depend on each other; fortune and disaster share the same domain!"
Having said that, without waiting for Wang Mang to say more, she got up and stepped down from the carriage, walking into the distance with a soft sigh.
Wang Mang followed her down, looking at Qingnu's retreating figure, and shouted, "What is the meaning of your words?"
"Fate cannot be spoken of; who knows its limits?"
Qingnu kept her back to Wang Mang and raised her hand to shake the handbell. With a clear ding-ling-ling, the sound of the bell echoed melodiously. In a daze, the green-clad figure vanished before Wang Mang’s eyes.
The carriage driver hurriedly knelt, stammering, "My... my lord, that was..."
Wang Mang remained silent, then turned back to the driver and warned, "What happened today must not be mentioned to anyone!"
"Yes, my lord!"
The driver nodded frantically.
On the outskirts of Chang'an, Hongluan landed on Qingnu’s shoulder and asked, "Why did you go out of your way to see that Wang Mang?"
"I wanted to verify a suspicion."
Qingnu replied.
Hongluan asked again, "And was it verified?"
Qingnu paused, sighed once more, and shook her head. "He is not."
A transmigrator?
No, no.
He was merely an extreme revivalist.
The day after Qingnu met with Wang Mang, the assembled officials submitted a petition requesting the Han house to abdicate.
Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun was helpless. In a fit of rage, she smashed the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, chipping off a corner, but it was a futile effort. Wang Mang had the corner repaired with gold and stamped the edict of abdication. The two-hundred-year Great Han came to a close.
Qingnu sat cross-legged within the High Temple of Changling, witnessing the providence above Chang'an roll away and disperse.
The providence of the new dynasty did not arrive.
"Old Three Liu, your kingdom has perished."
Qingnu seemed to be chatting with Liu Bang, or perhaps talking to herself. She sighed again and whispered, "But your kingdom will rise again."
The trends of the world were in turmoil; from this moment on, the destiny of Han was infinite.
The Han officials mostly accepted their new positions in the new court with joy, and the people celebrated.
But after the excitement faded, social contradictions remained.
The so-called 'new atmosphere of the new dynasty' did not appear. Wang Mang implemented ancient-style reforms, and over the years, the chaos in the world only increased rather than decreased.
In the first year of Tianfeng.
Qingnu was in Chang'an, serving as a master at the Imperial Academy of Chang'an. She wanted to find more things to keep herself busy.
A woman serving as a master was rare, but in the Han era of this time, it was not impossible. At the very least, looking across the entire Imperial Academy, there wasn't a single master who could best her in the interpretation and discussion of the classics.
The masters of the Imperial Academy had merely read a few books! She, however, had met the people who wrote them.
The debates between the two sides even reached Wang Mang's ears.
It wasn't that they looked down on Qingnu for being a female master; they simply found it difficult to accept that their life's work of studying the classics was being outmatched by a young girl who looked barely twenty.
However, upon his first glimpse of Qingnu, Wang Mang immediately ordered her to be appointed as an Erudite of the Five Classics!
At this, the masters of the Imperial Academy had nothing left to say.
They couldn't win the debates, and they couldn't match her status. They were so angry their beards bristled, but they were helpless and could only choose to stay out of her sight.
Whenever Qingnu taught a class, the other masters kept a respectful distance. Over time, Qingnu became famous.
Students from all four directions who came to the Imperial Academy all wanted to see her.
One day, some newcomers arrived at the academy. Among them was one named Liu Xiu.
When she saw the name list, Qingnu laughed.
She tidied the classic commentaries before her and said to the other white-bearded old fellows in the room, "New students are arriving tomorrow. I will teach the first lesson. Do any of you have an objection?"
Cough, cough...
Several old erudites burst into fits of coughing.
One waved his hand and said, "If you want to teach, then go! Why ask us? Dr. Qing, remember, those youths do not yet understand the principles of heaven. Do not teach them anything too profound at first, lest you overdo it."
"I'll remember."
Qingnu nodded.
The next day, in the Great Hall of the Imperial Academy, young men in their teens and twenties gathered together. They had all learned some knowledge and principles in their local schools; coming to the Imperial Academy was ostensibly for learning, but more so to broaden their horizons and expand their connections.
The status of an Imperial Academy student was much more useful than being a commoner.
Many shared this thought.
The old erudites understood this, but they preferred to believe there were still those who came specifically for the sake of learning.
When Qingnu stepped into the classroom, she saw through them in an instant.
Her gaze swept over the crowd; she knew exactly who had come with a sincere heart to learn and who was there just to coast on the status of a student. Qingnu didn't care what their motives were; she called their names one by one.
"...Liu Xiu!"
When she reached Liu Xiu, a handsome youth stood up and cupped his hands toward Qingnu. "Greetings, Master!"
Qingnu looked young, and although she held the status of a master, the students felt more relaxed in her presence. Over the years, she had become well-acquainted with this batch of students, and many would even joke around with her.
Several years passed, and the boys of old gradually matured.
During this time, many people came and went.
One day, just as Qingnu stepped out the door, she saw Liu Xiu approaching from a distance. He carried the six ceremonial gifts of apprenticeship in his hands. When he reached Qingnu, he bowed respectfully to her.
"Master!"
Seeing him like this, Qingnu asked, "Are you leaving?"
Liu Xiu nodded and said, "I have come specifically to bid you farewell, Master."
Qingnu accepted his gifts and asked, "Going forth, seeing the world in turmoil and the common people suffering, what will you do?"
"I shall redress the grievances of the world!"
Liu Xiu’s expression was solemn.
As he departed, Qingnu looked up and saw a small wisp of golden cloud descend from above Chang'an, settling upon Liu Xiu’s head, invisible to the eyes of men.
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