Chapter Ninety: The Push-Back Chart

Cleansing Willow slowly withdrew her hand, took a sip of tea, and said with a faint smile, “If I follow what Yan Hui said, shouldn’t I have gone into politics?”

“This time you’ve guessed wrong. Aunt Qing has always handled the business of the Grand Tang Group and never had anything to do with politics, much less entered the political arena,” Qiu Nuo said, shaking his head.

“I was only speaking from Aunt Qing’s features. In truth, no matter how one looks at her, Aunt Qing ought to be the sort of person who sits high in court, advising the sovereign, above ten thousand men yet second to one alone, destined for the highest office and the granting of noble rank.”

Cleansing Willow set down her teacup with a meaningful look, rose to her feet, and smiled. “Whether it was a mistake or not hardly matters. Warmth and cold are known only to oneself. I invited you here today not only for idle conversation, but because I need your help with something else. Qiu Nuo told me you know a great deal about antiques and curiosities, and I happen to have a few unimpressive items I’d like you to take a look at.”

I quickly stood as well and said respectfully, “You’re too kind, Aunt Qing. I only know a little here and there, but if I can be of any help, I’d be glad to.”

Cleansing Willow smiled without answering and turned to leave. Qiu Nuo and I followed behind her. We walked deep into a secluded courtyard north of the Sandalwood Pavilion, where there were clearly far more people than outside, though a glance made it obvious that everyone moving about in the yard was a trained guard, each one fully alert, watching for even the slightest change as though confronting a grave enemy.

There was only one room in the courtyard. Ever since I entered the north side of the pavilion, I had noticed that none of the rooms were locked. Thinking about it, that made sense. The number of people who could come here was so small that locks were unnecessary. Besides, in this ancient, authentic, and richly atmospheric place, too many door locks would only spoil the view.

Yet this room alone had a lock outside it, and not just any lock, but a coded one I had never seen before. When Cleansing Willow approached it, everyone else instinctively turned away, and even Qiu Nuo did not follow her.

It seemed that, under ordinary circumstances, no one but Cleansing Willow could enter this room.

The furnishings inside were exceedingly plain, even a little shabby compared with the splendor outside. Cleansing Willow casually closed the door, walked to the bookshelf, and turned a hidden mechanism. To my astonishment, the floor split open to the left and right, revealing several steps leading down into a dark underground space.

Cleansing Willow walked in front. When we reached the secret chamber below and she switched on the light, I froze where I stood, staring in stunned disbelief at everything in the room.

This spacious basement was like a miniature version of the entire north pavilion, preserving the style of Tang dynasty architecture in every detail. The arrangement of the furnishings was dignified and generous, orderly without being rigid, magnificent without being gaudy, broad and poised without showing off, simple yet alive with vigor.

What astonished me even more was that every single object in this underground room, if taken out into the world, would likely be a one-of-a-kind treasure. Even the Tang dynasty relics displayed in museums would pale beside these pieces and feel ashamed by comparison.

At the center of the room was a complete set of Go equipment, made of rosewood. The board was box-shaped, with its lines inlaid in expertly carved ivory. Seventeen star points were set into the nineteen-line board, and the case was shaped like a drawer and a turtle. The stones were made of jade and painted with bird motifs, exquisitely crafted.

In the lower right corner of the set, the character for “Ming” could be faintly seen. I was greatly shocked. Emperor Tang Gaozong, Li Zhi, had once bestowed a Go set upon Wu Zetian, and she treasured it dearly, taking it out only when playing against Li Zhi. The set before me was actually an object used by two Tang emperors in their matches, and its preservation was so complete that I was dumbstruck.

Hanging on the wall was a pipa. Though not much different from the ones seen today, when I stepped closer to examine it, I found I could hardly bring myself to smile. Rosewood, because of its dense grain and fine texture, was chosen by Tang craftsmen as the finest material for making pipa instruments, and this inlaid rosewood five-string pipa was unmistakably an artifact from the Tang dynasty. It was also the world’s only surviving Tang five-string pipa in perfect condition, enough to be called a national treasure.

“Aunt Qing, every item in this room is worth a fortune, and each one is an exceedingly rare treasure. I feel as though I’ve had my eyes opened today. To gather so many masterpieces in a single room is, in itself, nothing short of incredible,” I said with genuine feeling.

“Yan Hui, I have a painting here that I’d like you to examine for me.”

As she spoke, Cleansing Willow unfurled a scroll painting on the table. It was very long, and only a portion of it could be displayed on the tabletop.

I hurried over and studied it carefully for a long while. The figures in the painting seemed to take shape by the light of a lamp, advancing and receding, appearing at angles, as if one could move with effortless precision through any stroke. It was the work of a true master of every possible route and every hidden opening, a painter of rare genius unmatched from ancient times to the present. I never imagined I would actually see an authentic work by the revered painter Wu Daozi!

“Wu Daozi was a famous court painter of the Tang dynasty, honored as the Sage of Painting. Every one of his paintings has a clear lineage and traceable provenance, yet this long scroll has not a single mention of it in the historical records. How strange,” I said, deeply puzzled.

“Then do you know what this painting depicts?” Cleansing Willow asked with a calm smile.

“This is a long scroll, generally used to record a complete event. From the first image, the two figures stand on opposite sides, one writing and one painting, while the person in the middle wears brilliant yellow robes and sits with imperial authority. According to the Five Elements section of the Bibliographic Treatise in the History of the Song, Emperor Tang Taizong, Li Shimin, ordered Li Chunfeng of the Astronomical Bureau and Yuan Tiangang, the Fire Mountain Magistrate, to calculate the destiny of the state by methods of calculation. Li Chunfeng made diagrams for divination, while Yuan Tiangang interpreted the hexagrams. The two corresponded to one another, and the first image, with its alternating red and white interlocking circles, was the opening omen. From the Tang dynasty onward, it predicted the course of later history. Finally, Yuan Tiangang placed both hands on Li Chunfeng’s back to signal that heaven’s secrets should no longer be revealed, and thus it came to an end. That is why it is called The Chart of Pushing the Back!”

“Excellent! I never expected your command of fate and numerology to be unmatched, and your learning and knowledge to be so vast and comprehensive,” Cleansing Willow said, nodding approvingly. “The two people in this painting are indeed Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang, carrying out Taizong’s command and composing The Chart of Pushing the Back as they calculated the course of history. Keep looking.”

Cleansing Willow slowly continued unrolling the scroll. In the second image, a peerlessly radiant woman stood there with a slight smile, while the red-robed man before her bowed respectfully and held up a book with both hands.

“The woman in the painting has a prominent brow bone at the center of her forehead, shaped like the sun, with dragon eyes and a phoenix neck. This is the physiognomy of Fuxi, also called a layered citadel face. A woman with such features can hold the world in her hands. This woman should be Wu Zetian, who later proclaimed herself emperor, and the red-robed man is presenting The Chart of Pushing the Back,” I said steadily.

Cleansing Willow smiled without speaking and kept unfolding the scroll. The third painting appeared before me: Wu Zetian, robed in yellow, sat high above as hundreds of officials knelt in homage. This scene depicted her ascension to the throne.

In the fourth painting, Wu Zetian stood with her hands behind her back, facing a great blaze before her. My eyes fell on the hand hidden behind her back. When I looked more closely, my body gave a slight shudder, and I unconsciously took a step backward.

“She... what she’s holding in her hand...”

Cleansing Willow had already returned to her chair. She looked at me calmly and said, “The Nine Heavens Hidden Dragon Manual.”

“Y-you know about that book?” I asked, staring at her in astonishment.

“You found the Golden Dragon Turtle, so I assume you already knew that the most important thing in the Ming Fourteen Tombs was never the gold or silver or jewels, but this so-called greatest divine book under heaven, the Nine Heavens Hidden Dragon Manual,” Cleansing Willow said with an easy smile.

I nodded instinctively. I had thought only a handful of people knew this secret, and yet with the first words from her mouth, she had named the Nine Heavens Hidden Dragon Manual. The value and power of this book were self-evident, but I truly could not understand how a merchant knew so much about such an extraordinarily hidden sacred text.

“The Nine Heavens Hidden Dragon Manual, also known as the study that seizes the creation of heaven and earth, is the supreme treasure of the Daoist Five Arts. It is hailed as the learning of emperors and is the highest level of secret manual among the Five Arts, consisting of forty-nine chapters in all. This book records the essentials of Daoist methods, geomancy, physiognomy, face reading, medicine, and the rest of the Five Arts, and it also contains the art of immortality and methods for foretelling the future. Only after mastering it can one understand heaven and earth, attain everlasting life, and know what is yet to come,” Cleansing Willow said in a composed voice, reciting it as though she were naming possessions in her own home.

“Immortality? Foretelling the future?” Qiu Nuo looked at Cleansing Willow in shock and said in bewilderment, “Auntie, you only ever told me about the Ming Fourteen Tombs. Why have I never heard you mention this Nine Heavens Hidden Dragon Manual?”

“This is a Daoist secret known by very few. Emperors throughout the ages were all obsessed with it, but in the end, a woman obtained this book by chance,” Cleansing Willow said, not answering Qiu Nuo’s question. “That woman used the Nine Heavens Hidden Dragon Manual to rise to the imperial throne in an era when men ruled and women were subordinate, and she governed for fifteen years!”

“Could it be... you mean...”

I nodded and cut off Qiu Nuo’s uncertain words.

“Aunt Qing is speaking of Wu Zetian, who ascended to the supreme throne in the painting!”

“Wu Zetian became empress solely by relying on a book?” Qiu Nuo looked at me in utter shock.