先天元年八月四日,长安.
加冕典礼前夜,他来了.
他站在门口,身穿月白色便服,月光洒在他身上."睡不着,"他说,"明天,我就要登基为帝了."
我什么也没说,他也什么也没说.我们就那样坐着,直到月亮西斜.他离开前,在门口停顿了一下.
你明天会到吗?
"我会."
"在哪里?"
"在一个你看不见我的地方."
他看着我,嘴角微微上扬."我会找到你的."
仪式
黎明前,宫城的鼓声响起.九声鼓点,一鼓接一鼓,从太极宫传来,震得窗棂摇晃.我站在诊所的窗边,眺望着宫城.地平线渐渐泛白,宫殿的城门在晨光中清晰可见.
"三夫人,快点!"青媛拉着我,"我们现在不走,就赶不上了!"
我没有资格站在百名官员之中.青元为我找了个地方——太极殿旁塔楼上的一个小角落,从那里可以俯瞰整个广场.
广场上人山人海.身着红,绿,青三色服饰的文武官员,从端门一直延伸到太极殿.各国使节列队最前——藏人,突厥人,维吾尔人,南诏人.写着"唐"字的大旗在风中猎猎作响,金色的绶带在阳光下闪闪发光.
钟声再次响起.
他从段门走了出来.
太极宫无比巨大,从端门到太极殿,要横穿整个广场.他步履缓慢,每一步都步幅一致,不疾不徐,稳如磐石.他身着
袈裟,黑色上衣,红色下裙,头戴十二穗冠冕.额前垂着玉珠,随着步伐轻轻摇曳.阳光透过珠串,折射出斑驳的光影,洒在他的脸上.他面无表情,难以捉摸,只能看到他挺直的肩膀和背脊,一步一步,稳健地走向太极殿.
钟声响起,笛子,管乐器,古筝和琵琶齐鸣.太昌寺的乐师们奏响乐曲,响彻整个广场.这并非欢快的乐曲,而是庄严肃穆,令人屏息凝神.
一百名官员跪地叩拜.
"陛下万岁!"
那声音从太极堂里传开,一波又一波,如同潮水般涌遍长安城的每个角落.那不是一个人的声音,而是成百上千人的声音,汇聚在一起,如同大地都在颤抖.
He stood before the Taiji Hall and turned around. The bead strings of his crown swayed gently in the wind. He was looking. Searching within the crowd. Then his gaze stopped. It stopped on the woman in moon-white robes in the corner of the tower. Only for an instant. Themianliu obscured his expression, but it could not obscure his eyes.
The voice of the Minister of the Taichang Temple echoed across the square: "His Majesty receives the Mandate of Heaven, may he live long and prosper forever—"
The officials bowed again.
"Long live, long live, and ten thousand times long live Your Majesty—"
A mountainous shout. The voices of thousands spread from the square, out from the palace city, out from Chang'an City. Spreading throughout the entire realm.
The music grew higher, denser. Chimes, flutes, zithers, pipas—all sounds intertwined. Then—abruptly ceased.
Silence.
He turned and walked into the Taiji Hall. The bead strings of his crown flashed in the sunlight. The drums sounded again, nine beats, one after another, echoing through every corner of Chang'an City.
The ceremony was over. He was Emperor.
The Place of Return
The ceremony dispersed. The officials dispersed. The foreign envoys dispersed. The palace gates closed.
I sat alone in the dental clinic, staring blankly at that lamp shaped like the osmanthus tree in the Moon Palace. The moon outside the window was round and bright. Just like yesterday.
Footsteps sounded at the door.
He stood at the doorway. He had already changed into casual clothes—a moon-white round-collar robe, hair bound with a jade hairpin. Just like yesterday. Just like the first time he came to the clinic.
"Why has Your Majesty come?"
He walked in and sat on the examination couch. "Qingyan, check my teeth for me."
I washed my hands and walked to him. He opened his mouth; I examined them. Gums normal, teeth normal, everything normal.
"Your Majesty was very imposing today."
"Was I?"
"Mm. When the officials knelt, I stood on the tower, watching you."
He looked at me. "Then what did you see?"
"I saw themianliu obscuring your face. But your eyes—" I paused. "Were very bright."
"What kind of look?"
"Like—" I thought for a moment. "Like someone searching for something, and finally finding it."
He smiled.
"Is Your Majesty happy today?"
"Happy." He looked at me. "But I am even happier that you are here now. In my dental clinic. Before my examination couch."
"Your Majesty—"
"Qingyan, just call me 'Your Highness' (Dianxia) instead."
"Why?"
"Calling me 'Your Majesty' feels too distant."
I looked at him and smiled. "Your Highness."
"Mm."
"Your Highness, were you looking for me in front of the Taiji Hall today?"
"Mm."
"Did you find me?"
"I did." He reached out and took my hand. "In the corner of the tower. Wearing moon-white robes. Such a small corner, such a far distance. But I saw you at a glance."
"How did Your Highness know it was me?"
"Because only you would stand so far away." He looked at me. "Everyone else wants to get closer to the Emperor. Only you wants to stay farther away."
"Because I am not a court official. Not a titled lady. Not a person of any rank." I looked at him. "I am merely Your Highness's dentist."
He smiled. That smile was light, faint, but his eyes were bright.
"Then be my dentist. For a lifetime."
"A lifetime is too long."
"Then let it be a lifetime."
Moonlight streamed in through the window, falling on our clasped hands. The lamp shaped like the osmanthus tree in the Moon Palace on the windowsill was still lit.
"Your Highness."
"Hmm?"
"Do you know what made me happiest today?"
"What?"
"It wasn't that Your Highness became Emperor." I looked at him. "It was that after becoming Emperor, Your Highness still came to check your teeth."
He paused. Then he smiled. "Of course. Everything I promised you, I will fulfill."
He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open. The night breeze of Chang'an rushed in, carrying the sweet scent of locust flowers and the warmth of wonton stalls in the distance.
"Qingyan."
"Hmm?"
"Do you know, standing before the Taiji Hall today, I thought of one thing."
"What thing?"
"I thought of how you looked the first time you came to the clinic." He turned back to look at me. "Back then I had a toothache; you put your finger in my mouth. Your hand didn't tremble."
"Your Highness remembered that from back then?"
"I remembered." He looked out the window. "I remembered from that moment. Back then I was still the Prince of Linzi, still a patient with a toothache. You were in the corner of the tower; I was before the Taiji Hall. Separated by so much time, separated by so many events. But you are still here."
He turned around and looked at me.
"Qingyan, thank you."
"Thank me for what?"
"For coming from such a faraway place. For staying here."
Under the moonlight, his eyes were very bright. I said nothing. The lamp shaped like the osmanthus tree in the Moon Palace on the windowsill swayed gently in the wind. From Chang'an to Luoyang, from Luoyang back to Chang'an, it had never gone out.
"Your Highness."
"Hmm?"
"You have court tomorrow. Go back early to rest."
He smiled. "And you?"
"I'll grind tooth powder. Patients are coming tomorrow."
"Then sleep early."
"Okay."
He lowered his head and gently kissed my forehead. Very light, very short, like a feather landing on water.
"Goodnight, Qingyan."
"Goodnight, Your Highness."
他离开了.马蹄声沿着蓝石板路渐渐远去.
我站在诊所门口,目送他的背影消失在朱雀大道的尽头.窗台上那盏形似月宫桂花的灯依然亮着.他现在是皇帝了,但那盏灯还是那盏灯.
（第十九章完）