Chapter 777: Observing the Stars

The New Year was approaching, the roads were crowded with travelers, and opportunities to make money were plentiful.

Calculating fortunes, marriage prospects, and house moves were the most basic services—they could also determine auspicious dates for clients, with prices set according to the clients' clothing and appearance.

This spot was excellent; neither Xu Cheng nor Yin Song wanted to move again, so they simply sat together.

It was quite unusual to see two Daoist Priests shoulder to shoulder, each with their own stall, and passersby would ask them: "Are you two together?"

Both shook their heads: "No."

"Then who's better?"

Xu Cheng said nothing, but wore a look of self-satisfaction, stroking his beard with a silent smile.

Yin Song was gentler, yet equally confident, saying: "Clients choose based on personal affinity—we Daoists value fate."

The client immediately chose Yin Song.

Perhaps the scene was too amusing, or perhaps the location was truly prime—business kept coming until dusk fell, stars twinkling one by one in the sky, the streets nearly empty, at which point the two slowly packed up their things.

Coincidentally, their residences were not far apart, so they returned together.

Xu Cheng looked up at the twinkling stars above, recalling his recent doubts; judging from Yin Song's face-reading and divinations today, he was clearly skilled—perhaps he could ask him.

So Xu Cheng cleared his throat, drawing Yin Song's attention, then stopped and pointed to the stars: "Instructor Yin, have you been observing the stars lately?"

Yin Song: "It's winter now; the Winter Official is on duty."

Xu Cheng smiled, a flicker of mockery in his eyes: "You can see through fire as clearly as day, yet Instructor Yin insists on peering through a tube at a leopard—quite a rare sight."

Yin Song smiled, unfazed, and asked: "Do you, Instructor Xu, also study the stars?"

"A little," Xu Cheng said. "Don't you feel the celestial signs have changed lately?"

Yin Song frowned and shook his head: "Celestial signs have changed? The Winter Official hasn't reported any—what changes have there been?"

Xu Cheng said nothing further, only: "Observe the stars at night, and you'll know."

At the fork in the road, the two parted ways.

Yin Song shouldered his banner and headed home.

Yin Qingjun had already prepared the meal and kept it warm on the stove; seeing his master return, he immediately brought out the dishes and served the rice.

Yin Song washed his hands, sat down, and saw three dishes and one soup: "Starting tomorrow, make two dishes and one soup."

Yin Qingjun: "The courier came today with a letter—Senior Brother sent us a hundred taels; I'll take the remittance slip to withdraw it tomorrow."

Yin Song immediately said: "Keep it at three dishes and one soup—it's nearly the New Year, we shouldn't deprive ourselves too much; just one meat dish."

Yin Qingjun: "Master, I've sorted through the wedding invitations—I counted four weddings before the 27th of the 12th month, two birthday celebrations, and by the way, Magistrate Peng has been promoted; he'll surely hold a promotion banquet. Won't you go to offer congratulations?"

The joy he felt when calculating auspicious dates now turned to agony: Yin Song: "Why must everyone get married or celebrate birthdays right before the New Year?"

Yin Qingjun: "Birthdays can't be helped—they're born then. But weddings? Isn't there a saying: 'Rich or poor, marry a wife to have a good New Year?'"

Yin Song sighed, calculated the festival gifts minus the wedding fees, and said: "Fine, two dishes and one soup it is."

Yin Qingjun nodded in agreement.

"In the next couple of days, prepare a gift for Magistrate Peng—choose something cheap, bulky, and practical, wrapped in a red box with red cloth."

Yin Qingjun: "How much should the cash gift be?"

Yin Song looked pained, but finally yielded to convention: "Twenty taels."

Yin Qingjun thought it too much: "Master, even if you give him a hundred taels, when Wang Zhangyin gives an order, he'll still make things difficult for you."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Yin Song said. "This money isn't for him—it's for the other officials. Twenty taels is the standard; if I give less, it'll make the others look bad." After dinner and finishing his mundane concerns, Yin Song flew onto the roof, tilted his head, and stared at the stars.

Yin Qingjun also flew onto the roof, tilting his head to join his master in gazing upward.

As more stars appeared, Yin Qingjun said: "Master, the star pattern seems to have changed—look, that guest star appeared in June, and today is its 173rd day; it's growing brighter."

Yin Song remained silent.

Yin Qingjun turned to look at his master, eyes bright: "Master, if the guest star shines brightly, does it mean a great sage has arisen—or is it an evil star threatening the imperial seat?"

Yin Song stared at the increasingly bright star above, then said after a pause: "Observe further—don't rush to conclusions."

Yin Qingjun nodded: "True—no single star can determine the fate of the world."

On the imperial palace's Star-Observation Terrace, the Winter Official released his star-tube and slowly recorded the celestial observations; after finishing, he couldn't help raising his head again, fixing his gaze on the bright star, murmuring: "It must not draw any closer to the Emperor Star…"

Deep within the palace, Zhang Zijin, with his pale face and long beard, also gazed at the sky; after a moment, he calmly withdrew his gaze.

This matter had nothing to do with him.

Xu Cheng also observed the stars in his courtyard; seeing the guest star had grown twice as bright as before, he frowned: "Guest star threatens the Emperor Star—does this point to Wang Zhen? The Emperor Star is in peril~~"

In Quanzhou, thousands of miles from Jingcheng, Pan Yun, rare in her leisure, sat on the rooftop holding Pan Xiaohei as she counted the stars.

Seeing Miao Zhen sat beside her, sketching and writing.

Nong Zhiyi, eyes glazed from trying to identify stars, finally gave up and lay flat on the roof ridge, simply watching them.

Watching them twinkle, as night deepened and the Milky Way emerged, she murmured: "So beautiful~~"

Then her eyelids slowly drooped, half-asleep.

Tao Yanbai: …

He silently pulled a cloak from his space and draped it over her.

Seeing Miao Zhen looked at her notebook and finally couldn't help saying: "Little Uncle, this guest star is drawing closer to the Emperor Star—appeared in June, today is its 173rd day, growing ever brighter."

Tao Yanbai asked foolishly: "Guest star threatens the Emperor Star—does that mean a corrupt official is rising? Could it point to Wang Zhen?"

Pan Yun gently stroked his head: "The clean officials in Jingcheng would be delighted to hear that."

Seeing Miao Zhen shook her head directly: "It's not necessarily an evil star, and certainly not Wang Zhen. I think it resembles the Celestial Gate Guest Star—perhaps a great sage has arisen."

Pan Yun: "If it's unclear, keep recording. Years, decades later, look back and match it to events that occurred—you'll know whether it was a great sage or a great villain."

Celestial phenomena have never been simple predictions of the future.

They require matching current events, reviewing history, and correlating them—centuries or millennia later, when a similar celestial phenomenon occurs again, there will be a reference.

Beyond that, what they mostly do is calculate how these celestial changes affect Earth's climate and magnetic field, to predict upcoming climatic shifts and help the imperial court prepare for possible natural disasters.

Of course, since they wouldn't understand anything too profound, she could only round off and tell them that celestial phenomena were abnormal and disaster was coming...

Pan Yun stared at the bright guest star in the sky, deeply intrigued—what was this new star truly meant to do, or was it merely passing by, a natural phenomenon of a supernova explosion?

Pan Yun grew excited and instructed Seeing Miao Zhen: "Record it meticulously. Later, we'll see whether it's a natural phenomenon or caused by someone's appearance."

Seeing Miao Zhen nodded vigorously; she was excited too.

Those who observe the stars most love to witness such changes.

Oh, she meant astronomers without official rank or position, who need not explain anything to the Emperor. (End of chapter)