On the day of the Winter Solstice, snow fell upon Chang'an.
It wasn't heavy, but it was dense, drifting down from the grey canopy like willow catkins. It landed on the bluestone slabs of Zhuque Avenue and melted almost instantly. The locust trees lining the street were bare, their branches holding a thin layer of snow that shook loose with the wind.
I stood at the entrance of the dental clinic, watching the passersby. Clad in thick cotton coats, they hurried along, their breath forming white clouds that lingered in the cold air. Red lanterns hung above the main entrance of the Chongren Ward branch—Qingyuan had put them up that morning, insisting the Winter Solstice required a festive touch.
"Sanniang," Shen Yue walked out from the treatment room holding a medical record. "A letter has arrived from Luoyang."
I turned around. Shen Yue held a pale blue envelope addressed to "Miss Shen Yue of the Chongren Ward Main Branch, Great Tang Oral Care Academy." The handwriting belonged to our junior apprentice; it was steadier than before.
"What does it say?" I took the letter and opened it.
Our apprentice wrote that the Luoyang clinic had moved to a new location south of Tianjin Bridge—a three-courtyard compound, three times larger than before. It had opened two days prior, receiving over thirty patients, including the elderly, children, and travelers from Zhengzhou and Kaifeng. She had taken on four apprentices, all local girls who were smart and eager to learn.
At the end of the letter, she wrote: "Sanniang, winter in Luoyang is warmer than in Chang'an, but the snow is heavier. Standing at the clinic entrance watching the snow, I remember the past in Chang'an—you and Qingyuan grinding tooth powder in the treatment room, while Sister Shen Yue greeted patients at the door. Back then, none of us imagined that one day, dental clinics would spread across the Great Tang."
I folded the letter and tucked it into my sleeve.
"Sanniang," Shen Yue looked at me. "Is His Majesty going to change the era name?"
I paused. "How do you know?"
"It's circulating in the court," Shen Yue said. "Yesterday, during the court assembly, His Majesty asked the ministers, 'I have ascended the throne for two years. The realm is gradually stabilizing, and administration is becoming clearer. Is it not time to change the era name?' Chancellor Yao said 'Yes,' Chancellor Song said 'It should be changed,' and Chancellor Zhang said 'Kaiyuan is highly auspicious.'"
"Kaiyuan?"
"Yes. It means 'inaugurating a new era.'" Shen Yue smiled. "His Majesty said, 'Then let it be Kaiyuan.'"
I suddenly recalled this day last year. Back then, he was already the Son of Heaven, but the court still housed Princess Taiping's faction, remnants of Empress Wei, and survivors of the Wu clan. He had stood before the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over everyone, declaring, "I do not fear offending people; I fear offending the common people."
Now, he was about to inaugurate a new era.
The Palace
By the hour of the Shen (3-5 PM), he sent for me.
It wasn't a eunuch, but he himself. Dressed in casual robes, his soft-cornered headwrap replacing the formal crown, and draped in a black cloak, he stood at the clinic entrance. People on the street kept their heads bowed, daring not to look at him, but he paid them no mind. He simply looked at me and smiled.
"Qingyan," he said. "Come to the palace for the Winter Solstice banquet."
"Is there not a court banquet?"
"The court banquet is for the ministers." He reached out to adjust my cloak. "My Winter Solstice banquet is just for you."
I followed him into the palace.
We went not to Daming Palace, but to Xingqing Palace. Since last year, he had rarely stayed at Daming Palace, claiming it was too cold and formal, unlike the warmth of Xingqing Palace. Xingqing was his former residence from his days as the Prince of Linzi; though expanded, the layout remained unchanged.
We sat in the Hall of Flower and Leaf Mutual Radiance.
Plum trees planted before the hall—transplanted from Luoyang at his command last year—were in full bloom. Snow dusted the petals like a sprinkle of salt. Inside, charcoal fires burned brightly, keeping the room warm. Several dishes I enjoyed were laid out on the table: steamed bass, sweet and sour ribs, and Luoyang-style spicy soup.
"Qingyan," he ladled a bowl of soup for me. "Taste this."
I took a sip. The broth was fresh with a kick of pepper. "When did you learn to make spicy soup?"
"I haven't learned." He smiled. "It was a recipe sent by the apprentice in Luoyang. I had the imperial chefs replicate it."
I looked at him. He had grown thinner; his cheekbones were more prominent, and his jawline sharper, yet his eyes remained bright—brighter than before.
"Longji," I said. "You are going to change the era name?"
He paused, then smiled. "How do you know?"
"Shen Yue told me."
"Yes." He put down his chopsticks. "Tomorrow, at the court assembly, I will announce the change to the Kaiyuan era."
"Why Kaiyuan?"
"Because—" He leaned back, gazing at the plum blossoms outside the window. "I wish to inaugurate a new era. An era of clean administration, peaceful people, and a stable realm."
He turned to look at me.
"Qingyan, do you know? Sometimes I feel that everything I have done started from that dental clinic. It started with what you taught me: 'Justice may be late, but it will not be absent.' It started with 'Teeth can speak.' It started with 'A life must not be lost in vain.'"
He reached out and took my hand.
"So, I want to name this era Kaiyuan."
I said nothing, simply tightening my grip on his hand.
The Court Assembly
The next day, at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), in the Hanyuan Hall of Daming Palace.
I stood on the corridor outside the hall, observing the ministers. Clad in court robes and caps, holding tablets, they stood upright. Sunlight streamed through the skylights, illuminating the patterns on their robes.
He stood before the Dragon Throne, wearing the gunfuku robes and the twelve-string beaded crown, holding the Imperial Heirloom Seal.
"I have ascended the throne for two years," his voice was deep yet clear. "In these two years, I have rectified administration, cut redundant officials, and punished corruption. The realm is gradually stabilizing."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the hall.
"I believe it is time to change the era name."
The hall fell silent.
"I have decided that starting from the first day of the first lunar month next year, the era shall be changed to Kaiyuan."
"Kaiyuan?" A murmur rippled through the hall.
"Yes. It means 'inaugurating a new era.'" He looked at his ministers. "I hope this era will be one of clean governance, peaceful people, and a stable world. I hope that in this era, no one will dare to oppress the people, no one will dare to write false memorials, and no one will dare to hold a position without fulfilling their duties."
He raised the Imperial Seal.
"I hope this era will be one where justice is never delayed, where teeth can speak, and where no life is lost in vain."
After a moment of silence, the ministers knelt, shouting "Ten thousand years!" in unison.
"His Majesty is wise!"
"Auspicious Kaiyuan!"
"Long live the Great Tang!"
Standing outside, I watched his silhouette. Sunlight bathed him, making the twelve symbols on his robes shine. He stood like a mountain, like a pine, yet he remained the youth who once sat on a dental chair, obediently opening his mouth for my examination.
He had changed—from Prince of Linzi to Crown Prince, to Son of Heaven. Yet he hadn't. He was still the one who listened to my words, remembered every lesson, and turned them into principles for governing the world.
The Dental Clinic
In the afternoon, I went to the West Market.
The third Oral Care Academy was opening in Luoyang. Our apprentice's letter mentioned that on its opening day, it received over thirty patients, including the elderly, children, and travelers. She had four apprentices, all smart local girls.
I stood at the entrance of the West Market branch, gazing at the plaque. "Great Tang Oral Care Academy · West Market Branch." He had written the characters, just as he had for the Chongren Ward main branch.
Qingyuan was now the manager of the West Market branch. She had transformed from a little maid into a capable woman. Shen Yue remained at the main branch in Chongren Ward, training the new batch of apprentices.
"Sanniang," Qingyuan stood at the door, eyes red as she looked at the plaque. "Am I dreaming?"
"No. You are awake."
"But—" She sniffled. "I never imagined I would manage such a large academy one day."
"You can." I looked at her. "You could from the very first day."
She smiled, and then tears flowed again.
"Sanniang, His Majesty treats you so well."
"Mm."
"He opened academies for you, wrote plaques for you, built so many clinics. He treats you so well."
"Mm."
"Sanniang, you're blushing."
"No. It's the sun."
"The sun is in the west."
"Qingyuan."
"Yes?"
"Go grind the tooth powder."
She ran off, laughing.
I stood at the entrance, looking at the plaque. Sunlight made the words "Great Tang Oral Care Academy" shine brilliantly. This was the third. There would be a fourth, a fifth, a sixth. From Chang'an to Luoyang, from Yangzhou to Guangzhou. He had fulfilled his promises.
Night
In the evening, he came to my study.
Not the bedchamber, but the study. Located on the west side of the Xingqing Palace, it was rearranged after we moved back. Bookshelves held medical records and books; cabinets stored tooth powder jars and tooth models. On the windowsill sat a lamp—the Moon Palace Cassia Tree lamp—that had traveled from Chang'an to Luoyang and back, never put away.
He sat in the chair, gazing at the lamp.
"Qingyan."
"Yes?"
"Do you know, today in court, I thought of this lamp?"
"Why?"
"Because this lamp came from the dental clinic." He turned to me. "The dental clinic. Where I first met you."
I remained silent. He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open. The night wind from Zhuque Avenue carried the sweet scent of locust flowers.
"Qingyan, sometimes I feel everything I've done started from that dental clinic."
"From the dental clinic?"
"Yes." He leaned against the window frame. "I learned patience there. I learned that things take time and cannot be rushed. I learned trust from you—that one can entrust their life to another. I learned justice from the Qian Wansan case—that truth is truth, regardless of who the other party is."
He turned to look at me.
"Qingyan, do you know that some of what I said in court today was taught to me by you?"
"Me?"
"Yes. You said justice might be late but won't be absent. You said teeth can speak. You said a life must not be lost in vain."
He smiled at me.
"So, today in court, I proclaimed that starting next year, the era will be Kaiyuan. I hope this era will be one where justice is never delayed, where teeth can speak, and where no life is lost in vain."
Moonlight fell on his face. His eyes were brighter than the moon.
"Longji."
"Yes?"
"You will be a good emperor."
He paused. "You've said that before."
"Then I'll say it again."
He smiled. In the moonlight, his smile was light, faint, yet reached his eyes.
"Qingyan."
"Yes?"
"Do you know, the thing that made me happiest today wasn't changing the era to Kaiyuan, nor the ministers shouting 'Long Live'?"
"Then what was it?"
"It was you." He looked at me. "It was you being here. In Chang'an, by my side."
Outside, the moon rose over Chang'an. The eleventh-month moon wasn't full, but it was bright. It shone on Zhuque Avenue, on the clinic entrance in Chongren Ward, and on the new academy in the West Market.
"Longji."
"Yes?"
"When will the fourth dental academy open?"
He smiled at me. "When do you want to open it?"
"Next year. In Yangzhou."
"Good," he said. "I will open it with you."
Moonlight fell on the Moon Palace Cassia Tree lamp. The cassia tree on the lamp had faded, but the leaves remained distinct, as if swaying in the wind.
From Chang'an to Luoyang, from Luoyang to Chang'an. From Prince of Linzi to Crown Prince, to Son of Heaven. He had changed. From a youth with a toothache to an emperor. Yet he hadn't. He was still the one who would sit in the dental clinic and obediently open his mouth for my examination.
"Longji."
"Yes?"
"It's time for a dental checkup."
He paused, then smiled.
"Okay."
(End of Chapter 25)