Ying City - Chu State
Xuanye left Wu State and resided in a little town in Chu State. His wife had passed away, and his adopted sons were all married. He no longer had any attachment with Wu State or its people anymore.
That day, Xuanye heard the news that Wu State had been conquered by Yue State. Although he had previously predicted the outcome, that Yue would conquer Wu, it didn't mean that he's happy to hear the news.
Xuanye was a very kindhearted man. The news about how the Wu State was wiped out forever from the map, made him sentimental. Many of the military generals of Wu were his coworkers, and many of the Wu soldiers were subordinate. And now many of them died in the battle.
And he was more shocked when he learned, that it was Ying - his martial apprentice sister who became the key for Goujian's victory. He was the one who gave Ying a recommendation letter to Ou Yezi - the great sword forger. And apparently, that girl really could not be underestimated. He had heard how Goujian's special force - which consisted of five thousands men, equipped with the swords that Ying forged - was a powerful hungry beast force that wiped out many of the Wu army.
"I should have not recommended her to Ou Yezi!" Xuanye sighed. "She's a talented sword-forger and an immortal! How many kings and rulers are willing to employ a sword-forger like her? And how many people have to die under the sword she forge?"
Immortal…is being an immortal a blessing or a curse? Xuanye began to ponder as he recalled his past…
Immortals came down to earth as babies without parents. Some of them were not so lucky in their early lives, just like Ying of Kuaiji who was raised by wolves for many years. But some of them were lucky enough as they're picked up and adopted by their parents just in a few days.
For Xuanye, he was extremely lucky as he was adopted by a noble aristocrat from the West Zhou Dynasty. His adoptive father was Marquis Qi.
Marquis Qi - his personal name Rang; was a minister of Zhou. He was a well- respected man with a beautiful wife. He and his wife were eager to have a child. Until he reached thirty years old and he still could not have a child, his wife suggested him to take two concubines. But unfortunately, the two concubines also didn't bear any children for him.
That year, Marquis Qi had reached forty years old. He had given up his dream to have any child. Somehow in a dream, he dreamed of his wife having a healthy baby boy.
A day after his dream, Marquis Qi went to travel to a city nearby. He traveled with five chariots with a hundred soldiers guarding his troupe.
It was just passed the afternoon and after the troupe entered a forest, the sky turned to dark.
The sky was so dark with a thick rain clouds. Lightning and thunder strike, but there's no rain. The situation was pretty scary. It was very dark, darker than night cause even at night there are stars and moon.
Suddenly rain poured out so heavily. Marquis Qi sat inside his chariot, while his guards scattered and took shelter under the trees.
The rain poured heavily with lightning and thunder. It was so dark, darker than a night. And with the rain, they could not lit a torch.
Suddenly in the dark sky, a blaze of fire appeared. It was like a comet shone brightly and exploded in the sky.
Faintly, they heard howling wolves. Marquis Qi and his men were terrified of the unusual phenomenon.
After a while, the wolves no longer howled. But, they heard something odd. They heard a crying baby. Marquis Qi recalled his dream the night before. He stepped off his chariot and joined the solder to begin searching for the baby.
Another mysterious blaze of fire appeared in the sky. Marquis Qi saw the fire landed on the east side. He walked toward the east direction and the baby sound was getting louder and louder.
He was excited and walked faster to the source of the sound.
Marquis Qi and his guards were astonished. They really saw a baby. A baby boy, naked on the ground crying under the rain.
The guard carefully approached the baby and he was astonished to see how beautiful the baby was. The baby was crying and shivered in the rain. The guard spontaneously held the baby in his arms. He could not help his astonishment as the baby was so beautiful. He excitedly showed the baby to Marquis Qi.
Marquis Qi looked closely at the baby. He was so similar to the baby boy he saw in his dream. He shed his tears in the rain. He knew that the baby was a fulfillment of his dream.
The guard gave the baby to Marquis Qi. And just when his hand touched and hold the baby, the baby stop crying. It was still raining, and under the rain, the baby not only stop crying, but the baby smiled at him.
Joyous and gratified, Marquis Qi didn't continue his journey. He decided to go back home. He could not wait to show the baby to his wife.
The more he looked at the baby, the happier he was. The baby was very sweet.
When he arrived home, he presented the baby to his wife and told her everything had happened to him on the journey.
His wife was also overjoyed. They named the baby Xuanye - it means mysterious blaze - as he was discovered on that dark noon under a mysterious blaze of fire in the sky.
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777BC - Haojing, Capital of Zhou State.
Since he was a baby, Xuanye already had a beautiful face, and when he grew up, he became a very handsome man.
Not only handsome, Xuanye was also very smart. And not only smart, he had a very pleasant upbringing. Among the noble peoples of Zhou, Xuanye was deemed as the most handsome and talented young man. That day was Xuanye's sixteenth birthday.
Xuanye's father - Marquis Qi made a big celebration to celebrate his birthday. Everyone knew that Xuanye was not a biological son of Marquis Qi. Yet everyone also knew that Xuanye was Marquis Qi's lucky star. After since he took the baby Xuanye home, his barren wife got pregnant in her late thirties and delivered a baby girl. His two young barren concubines also delivered two baby girls.
Sixteen years after the baby Xuanye was brought home and adopted as the only son of Marquis Qi, the marquis had received four promotions and two land fiefs. Such an achievement that extremely rare.
Apart from wealth and position, Marquis Qi was known as a humble respectable man. He had a wife, two concubines, a son and three daughters. A wonderful happy family he had. And his only son, Xuanye was his main pride.
Indeed Xuanye was very handsome. He's also smart, well-behaved, and a very kind and caring young man. His parents, siblings, servants and slaves in Marquis Qi's household love him so much.
That day for his birthday, his mother prepared a new blue silk robe for him. After taking a bath, Xuanye's mother carefully combed his hair.
"My son is sixteen years old now!" Madame Qi laughed happily while combing Xuanye's long black hair. "I'm such a proud mother! Look at my son, is there anyone who is fairer than my son?"
Xuanye only smiled didn't respond. He's used to his mother and the other people in the house who always praised his handsome face.
"Tomorrow, master will bring him to see the king and make him appointed as an official. I'm sure with Xuanye's talent, he would get a good position!" one of Marquis Qi's concubines - Concubine Li - who was in the room said.
"If Xuanye was a girl, probably the king would fall in love after he saw his beauty!" the other concubine commented. "I've never seen anyone who is fairer than Xuanye! Not even that Concubine Baosi!"
"Hush, stop talking nonsense!" Madame Qi hissed and laughed, "I know that my son is so fair that he's even more beautiful than many females. But, don't ever say that words. Those ladies in the palace, they would be jealous to death if they know there's someone more beautiful than them."
"Aye, I still can't believe Xuanye is sixteen years now! I remember that day when master brought baby Xuanye home…oh…my heart just jumped as I've never seen such a beautiful lovely baby like him!" Concubine Li said.
"Look at my mother, she only praises Xuanye! She's even never said I'm beautiful," Linyu, Xuanye's sister, Concubine Li's daughter said.
"Argh, my daughter is jealous," Concubine Li laughed. "But truly, when Xuanye was a baby, he's so beautiful and lovely that everyone just wants to hug or kiss his little cheeks! On the contrary, you're so ugly when you're a baby!"
"There you go again," Linyu pretended to be angry.
"I'm serious! You could ask your other mothers here! You're so dark with hairs on your face when you're a baby! Looked like mice….unlike Xuanye who looked like a little angel! But don't worry…now you're pretty good-looking!"
"My mother is so cruel to me," Linyu laughed.
Everyone in the room also laughed hearing the mother and daughter conversation. Only Xuanye didn't laugh. He's the only male in that room among his mother, his father's concubines, sisters, and female maids.
While the females in the room were jesting around, Xuanye was carefully observing his mother who was combing his hair and putting a head crown on his head.
"Done," Madame Qi said.
Xuanye turned his body and bowed to his mother said, "Thank you, mother!"
"My son, you're an adult now!" Madame Qi sighed happily while caressing her son's cheek. "Come, let's go to the main hall for your celebration!"
Xuanye nodded, and he took his mother's hand and went to the main hall where his father and the big families have been waiting for him. They had a small party, as tomorrow was Xuanye's big day.