Chapter 491: Neither Tiansuan Nor Fuyang
In the mountains of Luozhou, a Daoist sat resting on a bluestone by the roadside. The fields beside the road were still filled with ripening Swallow Rice.
At this time of year, the Swallow Rice had matured but not yet hardened. Each grain bore wisps of purplish-red or brown filaments, which seemed to pique the peculiar fancy of Lady Calico. While the Daoist took his rest, she wandered alone to the edge of the Swallow Rice fields, treating the colorful filaments as strands of hair, carefully weaving them into various intricate hairstyles.
Limited by her height, she sometimes had to stand on tiptoe.
Single braid, double braids; single ponytail, double ponytails; single bun, double buns—whatever hairstyles the Daoist had once braided for her, she now replicated on the Swallow Rice stalks, making sure each one was unique.
Meanwhile, Song You sat deep in thought. It had been several days since they entered Luozhou.
News in Luozhou indeed traveled faster than in Yuzhou. At roadside tea stalls and city taverns, discussions were frequent.
As expected, there were all sorts of rumors.
The Emperor of Great Yan had originally fathered three sons. The eldest had died young, leaving behind the second and third princes. The second prince was the older of the two, while the third was the younger. Now, the younger one had been designated as the crown prince, while the elder had been granted the title of Prince Shun.
Some claimed that the Emperor had always intended for Prince Shun to be heir, but the third prince had leveraged his legitimacy as the empress’s son, along with the support of the civil officials, to falsify the imperial edict. Later, he had even taken the Emperor hostage, forcing Prince Shun to enter the capital under a secret decree.
Others argued that Prince Shun was the true usurper, relying on his mother’s family’s backing. With the old Emperor already frail and barely conscious, dissatisfied with his decision to appoint the younger brother as heir, he had thus raised an army in rebellion.
Truth and falsehood blended together—no one knew the real story.