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Before the hour of the Rabbit arrived, Liu Ying was already standing outside Wangyue Tower. The morning dew dampened her sleeves, and the distant sound of a few clear bird calls echoed through the air.
"The young lady is truly punctual," Xu Yuan's voice suddenly came from the tower above. Today, he wore a new green robe, looking handsome and upright, showing none of the madness he once had.
"You arrived even earlier than I did," Liu Ying chuckled as she stepped inside the tower.
Wangyue Tower was an abandoned corner tower in the imperial city, rarely visited by anyone. Thick layers of dust covered the floor, but there was a clean space in front of the window where a wooden table, about the size of a chessboard, was set up.
"I've prepared some things," Xu Yuan said as he took out several yellowed drawings from his sleeve. "These are my father's manuscripts recording celestial phenomena from years ago."
Liu Ying's eyes brightened as she quickly took out two fragments of a Bronze Mirror. "I brought this along as well."
"Very good," Xu Yuan nodded. "Let's take a look at these two fragments first."
He took out a small glass lamp and placed the fragments under its light for a closer examination. The morning light intertwined with the lamp's glow, casting strange shadows on the fragments.
"Look here," Liu Ying pointed at the patterns on one of the fragments."If we align these two pieces together, we can vaguely see the character 'Heaven'.""That's not all," Xu Yuan gently adjusted the angle of the fragment. "Look again; when light shines from this direction, the shadows of the patterns transform into a series of numbers."Liu Ying focused intently and indeed discovered several blurred numbers: " Three-quarters into the Hour of the Rat, midnight and forty-five minutes... Is this a time record?""Yes, and it's not just an ordinary time record," Xu Yuan compared it with his father's manuscript. "These times correspond to several significant celestial events that occurred back then."He unfolded the manuscript and pointed to a particular section: "Here it notes, 'On July 7th at Three-quarters into the Hour of the Rat, Venus appeared during the day, and the Purple Forbidden Enclosure lost its brilliance.' The first time on the fragment matches this exactly.""So...," Liu Ying pondered, "these fragments are not only part of a mirror but also records of celestial phenomena?""Exactly," Xu Yuan's eyes glimmered with appreciation. "My father concealed important celestial records within the mirror to keep them hidden from prying eyes."He took out a specially made thin paper and carefully placed it over the fragments. "This is made from a special material called Tianji Paper, which can reveal subtle patterns."As he moved, more patterns gradually emerged on the paper. The originally chaotic lines formed a complete Star Chart."This is...," Liu Ying's eyes lit up, "the complete Star Chart of The Purple Forbidden Enclosure!""And it's for that special moment twenty years ago," Xu Yuan pointed to a specific location. "Look here; Venus's position is remarkably similar to now."They exchanged glances, both seeing surprise reflected in each other's eyes. Liu Ying quickly took out her portable astrolabe and began calculations: "If we follow this pattern, on this year's Qixi night...""Venus will be high in the sky, and a guest star will dominate The Purple Forbidden Enclosure," Xu Yuan continued her thought. "And its position will completely overlap with that of twenty years ago.""What does this mean?" Liu Ying asked.Xu Yuan did not answer directly but instead took out a small bronze mechanism from his pocket. "This is a Stargazing Instrument I reconstructed from memory. My father said that during significant moments, it should be used to confirm celestial phenomena."
He skillfully adjusted the mechanism, and suddenly, a faint light shot out from the Stargazing Instrument, illuminating the Tianji Paper. The Star Chart on the paper began to slowly rotate and finally stopped at a certain position.
"This..." Liu Ying was astonished to discover that the light point projected by the Stargazing Instrument perfectly aligned with a mark on the fragment.
At that moment, footsteps suddenly echoed from downstairs. The two quickly stowed away all their belongings. Xu Yuan made a gesture for silence and pointed to a hidden passage outside the window.
Once the footsteps faded away, Liu Ying let out a sigh of relief. "That person just now..."
"Is an informant for Lord Zhou," Xu Yuan whispered. "It seems he has already caught on to something."
"What should we do then..."
"Time is of the essence," Xu Yuan said seriously. "Before Qixi, we must find the last fragment. Otherwise..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a clear sound of a Dizi suddenly came from afar. Xu Yuan's expression changed. "Someone is summoning the assassins."
Liu Ying felt a chill run down her spine. Before she could speak, he had already pulled out a note from his sleeve and handed it to her. "Tomorrow at the same time, Taibai Pavilion. Remember to bring your grandfather's bronze mirror."
With that, he leaped away, his figure vanishing into the morning light. Liu Ying looked at the note in her hand and saw a line of small characters written on it: "The mystery of that year may be hidden in this mirror."
Just as she was about to examine it closely, she heard an urgent ringing of bells in the distance. Looking up, she saw a patrol of soldiers approaching this way.
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