Chapter 11
The second thing was this:
Later, when she went to the River
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Kingdom, I had my subordinates inquire about how she was faring there.
A knight went to ask a maid from the River Kingdom:
“There’s a foolish beauty in the royal court -do you have any news of her?”
The River Kingdom maid looked completely puzzled:
“There’s no foolish beauty in the royal court. The River King dismissed all his
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concubines and kept only the Queen.”
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My subordinate looked at the portrait and discovered that the Queen was Ginger.
The River Kingdom maid became quite
angry:
“How many heads do you have, daring to call our Queen foolish? Everyone in the River Kingdom knows that Her Majesty the Queen possesses great wisdom!”
Then, that maid gave an example:
At a banquet, Her Majesty the Queen was chatting with the River King, and the Queen asked:
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“Your Majesty, what do you fear most?”
The River King thought for a moment:
“What I fear most is dying before my wishes are fulfilled. What about you, Ginger?“.
“Centipedes–those really big centipedes.”
Some people at the banquet snickered, thinking the Queen was being foolish.
Her Majesty the Queen lowered her head in embarrassment, like a child who had done something wrong.
The River King smiled and took her hand, saying:
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“Ginger, what you mean is that we shouldn’t fear intangible things or worry about futures that haven’t happened yet, but should only concern ourselves with concrete matters. Our Ginger truly possesses great wisdom.” The River King glanced at those who had been snickering
and raised his voice:
“The Queen is brilliant and wise. I reward her with ten chests of jewels, ten chests of rare treasures, ten bolts of silk, and three cities as fiefdom.”
Her Majesty the Queen immediately lifted her head, her eyes bright, twirling her hair as she smiled.
She quietly nudged the River King:
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“So that’s what I meant! I always thought I was stupid. Oh, and that gauze is so beautiful–I’ll have someone make it into
a dress tomorrow.”
Everyone suddenly understood, realizing that the Queen’s seemingly simple words contained profound truths about the
world.
The banquet hall immediately filled with
sounds of admiration:
“So this is what they mean by ‘great wisdom appears foolish“!”
“Her Majesty the Queen is not only unparalleled in beauty but also possesses
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great wisdom.”
“Exactly! Simple words yet containing such profound meaning!”
Those who had just mocked the Queen were immediately too ashamed to lift their heads.
From then on, no one ever called Her Majesty the Queen foolish again.
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If anyone did say such a thing, they would surely be refuted:
“Her Majesty the Queen possesses great wisdom. Just because you can’t comprehend the truth in Her Majesty’s words doesn’t mean you should call her
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foolish. I think you’re the foolish one!”
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“That’s right! You should know that His Majesty the River King was writing poetry at three and policy essays at seven—he’s a household name as a genius. If even a genius like His Majesty the River King says the Queen is brilliant, how could that be false?”
Comparing these two incidents made me seem so inadequate.
That day, when Ginger stood on the city
wall and said she didn’t like me but liked Rex, I kept thinking about these two things.
I thought about them for a very long time
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in the wind, then heeded Ginger’s words, turned my horse around, and withdrew
my troops.
Ten Christmases passed.
The Pine Kingdom and River Kingdom coexisted peacefully, without warfare- everything was tranquil.
My harem remained empty.
Previously, many ministers had urged me to select a queen, and I had complied.
But when selecting a queen, I suddenly realized that while there are many clever people, pure people are rare.
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So much so that I couldn’t choose even
one.
During these Christmases, I would repeatedly have the same dream.
In the dream, I hadn’t sent Ginger to the River Kingdom.
It was springtime, and I was reviewing state affairs when she came running out
with a cheerful smile.
I said: “Ginger, how did you get in here?”
She said: “I snuck in…”
I said: “You mean you tiptoed in.”
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I’d wake up with dried tear tracks at my temples.
I’d lift my hand, caressing that face in the empty air, forcing a smile:
“Ginger, you worked so hard. You’re such a wonderful and diligent beauty. Yes, and your notes were so neat too! Come on, let me take you home.”
In the golden jade halls, with dim candlelight, the room was deathly silent.
No one answered.
B
