Chapter 122: The Explosive Tokyo City

Chapter 122: The Blazing City of Tokyo

How does a small gift from a seven-year-old girl to an eight-year-old boy become a token of love?

The little princess certainly did not view it as such, and Tie Xinyuan, possessing the mind of an adult, naturally didn’t either. A perfectly innocent and beautiful memory was being ruined by the dirty-minded adults around them.

In his previous life, Tie Xinyuan had spent a lifetime rolling in the mud; being hurt had long since become a daily occurrence. Even a severe blow was nothing more than a light drizzle to him. But the little princess was different—if he were to return the pouch to her, there was no telling how heartbroken she would be.

Hearing his mother’s stern warnings, Tie Xinyuan only smiled. His mother’s true intent was simply to keep him away from the princess, fearing he might one day actually bring home a princess as a daughter-in-law. It was a peculiar illness, a delusion exclusive to mothers. From the moment their sons were born, every young girl in their eyes fell into one of two categories: someone who could become their daughter-in-law, or someone who, given their appearance, absolutely must not.

Lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, he pondered whether Yang Huaiyu could seize the top spot in the military examinations amidst such chaos, and whether the "Southern Fire" of the Great Master Longhu could truly burn down the Imperial Clan Court. Both matters were trending in a positive direction; whether they would achieve his expected results depended entirely on how fate arranged things.

The next day, Tie Xinyuan stayed home, keeping the fox company as he read all day. During meals, the fox even chatted for a long while with the little princess. The conversation centered on the fate of the seven puppies, which had been raised by the princess to be incredibly picky eaters. Even if tossed a meaty bone, the dogs would merely sniff it and then lift their heads, waiting for their owner to tear the meat off, pick out the marrow, and place it in a dish before they would deign to eat.

In the princess’s eyes, this was a sign of obedience, cuteness, and good manners. In Tie Xinyuan’s eyes, these dogs had been rendered useless by the princess. A dog that couldn't even gnaw on a bone—could it still be called a dog? They wouldn't even touch a steamed bun unless it was soaked in meat broth. One had to know that the dogs of ordinary farmers were usually raised on nothing but scraps!

Despite them being such useless creatures, the princess was terrified that Tie Xinyuan might snatch one away. Her little face twisted in conflict for a long time before she finally agreed to give him one. Even then, she looked as if she might burst into tears if he dared to accept. Good heavens, who would want these fat, useless things? To avoid hurting her feelings, Tie Xinyuan feigned immense pain, ultimately refusing her kindness on the grounds that he couldn't bear to separate the puppies.

"I will bring the puppies here to see you every day so you can visit them whenever you like," he said. The princess thought Tie Xinyuan was truly pitiable.

"I recall that dogs aren't allowed in the inner palace," Tie Xinyuan whispered, reminding the overly sentimental princess. If those dogs were tossed into a pot by the palace guards, the little princess would surely go mad.

"I’m grown up now and moving to the Princess Pavilion. In a few days, Father will grant me a title, and I won't have to live in the inner palace anymore," the princess said happily.

"Princess Pavilion? What is that? Where is it?" Tie Xinyuan asked quickly, having never heard of such a place. The Song emperors had a habit of sending their daughters to Taoist temples to take up temporary vows; he prayed she wasn't being sent to some strange nunnery.

The princess looked at him as if he were an idiot. "The Princess Pavilion is right next to the Imperial Garden, beside the Zizhu Pavilion where I used to live, separated from the inner palace by a high wall. Once my official residence is built, I’ll move out of the palace entirely, and you can come visit me then."

Tie Xinyuan was truly ignorant of the regulations of this feudal dynasty. He had assumed a princess only moved to her own residence after marriage; he hadn't expected that receiving a title meant leaving the inner palace.

"But I don't want to leave the palace. Father and Mother live here, and I don't want to go to the residence by myself. Father has already promised that I can stay in the palace as long as I like. This is a special grace granted only to the daughter he loves the most!"

After listening to the princess chatter and boast for half an hour before she finally left, Tie Xinyuan curled his lip and returned to his room to read.

At eight years old, it was time to study the *Book of Rites*—the era's equivalent of puberty education and sexual initiation. Of course, this was a specialized education reserved for the children of the elite, intended to prevent misunderstandings about sex and ensure they didn't become figures like Lord Longyang. Naturally, the content of Neo-Confucianism was all-encompassing and far less superficial than Tie Xinyuan initially understood; the concepts of "ruler and subject, father and son" were vital parts of it.

The instructors for the sexual education portion were women sent out of the palace due to their age, known as "palace matrons." During their studies, they were often the closest people to these young boys. This process lasted less than half a year, after which the matron would vanish from the youth's life.

Hiring a palace matron required significant connections and wealth. According to Yang Huaiyu, when his matron, a woman named Hongying, left, he had given her all his accumulated savings. It was clear he still missed her to this day.

Wang Rouhua did not like palace matrons—not one bit. Even when her husband had mentioned hiring one, she had flatly refused. She had no desire to have a woman of suspicious behavior, revealing dress, and coquettish mannerisms in her home.

Tie Xinyuan himself was quite curious about the Song Dynasty’s sexual initiation education. Although his mind was filled with countless vivid, entangled memories of women from his past, he still wanted to see how it was done. Of course, this knowledge would serve no positive purpose for him; it would only make him more wicked.

By dusk, Wang Rouhua returned from the shop. Nowadays, the Tie family shop didn't just serve lunch and dinner; to earn more money, Aunt Gu and the others had suggested adding a night market. The Tie family’s noodle shop was booming, and they felt it was a shame to close early. To avoid hindering the shopkeeper from returning home to care for her genius son, Aunt Gu and the others had voluntarily extended business hours until late at night. Naturally, their wages had doubled.

The river was beginning to thaw; the thick ice was covered in white, honeycomb-like holes. In another ten days, the ice covering the river would vanish completely, followed by the beautiful season of weeping willows turning green and fresh grass sprouting.

"The spring leeks hit the market half a month early this year. Mother made your favorite leek and egg wontons—eat plenty," Wang Rouhua said. She seemed to be in a very good mood, even humming a tune while boiling the dumplings on the coal stove.

As Tie Xinyuan ate from his large bowl, he couldn't help but ask, "Mother, you seem very happy today."

Wang Rouhua waved a finger. "You wouldn't understand. Our family consists only of women and children, and living near the Imperial City, the yin energy is quite heavy. Today, I encountered the Great Master Longhu performing rituals on the Imperial Street while walking on burning charcoal. I spent five hundred coins to get a good spot, and after being warmed by the 'yang fire' summoned by the Great Master, I feel refreshed all over."

Hearing this, the dumpling in Tie Xinyuan’s mouth nearly fell out. He quickly set down his bowl and grabbed his mother’s hand. "Mother, if you like charcoal heat, I’ll light the stove for you. There’s no need to go to the streets. Look at all the soot on your head—I’ll boil some water and help you wash your hair."

Wang Rouhua patted his hand. "Don't bother, I'll wash it myself tonight. You silly child, is the 'Li Fire' summoned by Great Master Longhu comparable to mere charcoal? You didn't see it—the Great Master spread his hands, waved his large sleeves, and that transparent fire emerged from the gaps in the charcoal. It started white, then turned light blue, and finally ignited the charcoal, and only then did the soot begin to appear."

"Are you going again tomorrow?" Tie Xinyuan asked nervously.

"Sigh, I’d like to, but tomorrow the Great Master Longhu is going into the Imperial Clan Court to perform rituals. We can't get in. But honestly, today that Great Master was just going through the motions. The 'Southern Li Fire' he summoned was only a tiny bit; he used charcoal to make up the rest. It’s because he saw we didn't pay much. These Taoists are all money-grubbers; they have such great skills but don't know how to use them to enrich the masses..."

Hearing that his mother wouldn't have a chance to go "get roasted" again, Tie Xinyuan’s heart settled. The leek and egg dumplings tasted fresh and savory—it would have been even better with some dried shrimp and vinegar.

"Fire brings prosperity. The Imperial Clan Court runs rampant in Tokyo, and those Taoists are just helping the villain. You watch, after the Great Master Longhu burns the Imperial Clan Court with fire tomorrow, their family’s fortune and luck will only grow stronger."

Biting into a dumpling, Tie Xinyuan asked vaguely, "How will he burn it? Will he use fire to burn the entire Imperial Clan Court?"

"Yes, those fires are very strange—they only burn away the filth, but they don't burn the furniture, and they even carry the scent of wine."

That explained it. The Taoist had actually managed to produce alcohol, only he had confused its purpose. If that fellow knew that alcohol had antiseptic and cooling properties, he certainly wouldn't be wasting it to start fires.

Tie Xinyuan wasn't surprised that items from the future appeared in Song society from time to time. After all, this was an era of booming commerce and a rampant obsession with the Tao; it was quite possible for Taoists to accidentally produce curious things in their alchemy furnaces. It was just that they often didn't realize the utility of what they had created, keeping it confined to small circles until it was eventually forgotten, leaving no records in books.

Seeing her son eating in silence with his head down, Wang Rouhua sighed. "Tokyo City will be very lively tomorrow. If you’re bored at home, go to the military training grounds and see if Yang Dalang can take the top spot. Just make sure to ask Baozi to protect you."

Tie Xinyuan smiled. "I have the same intention. I suspect tomorrow will be the most 'blazing' day in Tokyo."