In the end, the circle they had traced was quite large. When the Chun Prince’s residence discovered their master was missing, everything fell into chaos. Who was most urgent to find? Naturally, the Twelfth Master. They turned back, walking and shouting for their master, so anxious that they were about to burst, but couldn’t find any trace of him.
Sha Tong was nearly in tears. The forest was vast and dense; where could the Twelfth Master be? He hadn’t retrieved Shu Xiaoshu and now lost another. He was failing miserably at his job. His mouth twisted as the northwest wind blew in, and he slapped himself twice. “Useless slave! If anything happens to the master, you might as well die!”
The Twelfth Prince’s household was completely different from the Seventh Prince’s. For instance, when it came to servants, those of the Twelfth Prince knew shame. Without being told, they would follow their master even to Khalkha Mongolia—the master was their life. As for the Seventh Prince’s household, they were like wolves in a pack of dogs, excelling at causing trouble, mixing flattery before their master, grinning, and lacking proper demeanor. When trouble came, they panicked more than anyone. This was the difference in how each head of household governed.
One team rushed forward while another turned back to search, and they met at the cliff. Sha Tong, with a mournful face, kowtowed and asked the Seventh Prince, “Have you seen our master? This worthless slave has lost him and is nearly sick with worry. What should we do?”
The Seventh Prince was stunned. “We’ve almost searched the entire mountain without seeing him.” Then a thought struck him—the two of them must have met up and abandoned everyone else. A desolate feeling rose in his heart. Though these were his servants, why did the Twelfth Prince always get there first? Was there no justice? The Twelfth Prince was too unreasonable. He couldn’t accept this humiliation; he had to file a complaint with the Emperor, accusing him of abducting his falcon-feather bondservant! Though he wasn’t an iron-capped prince, he was still a banner lord. How could he allow someone to steal his servant? With just one word from him, even if Shu Xiaoshu died, he’d have to be buried in the graveyard of his Virtuous Prince’s mansion. Hong Ce could only watch helplessly—who said different banners weren’t as distant as mountains?
On one hand, he felt resentful; on the other, he blamed himself for always being one move behind. Come to think of it, Hong Ce was bold, without any reservations—had he simply given up? No matter how good Shu Xiaoshu was, he was still a man. For a prince of the Great Qing to engage in “sleeve” relationships, it took courage. If he had that resolve, why couldn’t he? The Seventh Prince straightened his chest. If even the Twelfth Prince, known as a filial and virtuous descendant, dared to defy social conventions, was he any less? He made up his mind—once he caught him, he’d pin him to the bed. If he didn’t know how he’d figure it out. He’d make the raw rice cooked and deal with the rest later. As for the future… a man couldn’t have official status, but he could set up a house, buy land, and acquire servants for him. A poor boy falling into a nest of gold and silver—wouldn’t he be overjoyed?
Though his mind was made up, there were priorities. Finding the person was most urgent. In this wild place, if something happened, it would be too late. The Seventh Prince waved his hand. “Don’t just stand there. Spread out and search in different directions.” He gave directions: “One team that way, one team this way… Keep your eyes open. Don’t bring back just a shoe, or I’ll have you tortured!”
The guards responded with agreement and quickly disappeared into the forest. The Seventh Prince gazed around despondently. The wind blew up fine snow from the ground, and the cold made one’s tongue numb. If not for this unfortunate mission, he’d be sitting by a charcoal brazier in Beijing, enjoying opera! Most infuriating was this Shu Xiaoshu—riding horses through prefectures, with so many chances to escape, yet choosing now. Wasn’t that asking for trouble? Did he think nobody would chase him once he reached the deep mountains? When he fell into his hands this time, he’d strip off two layers of his clothes first!
The snow and wind subsided slightly, and the night gradually gave way to dawn. Bird calls could faintly be heard from the branches—the day was breaking.
What a tumultuous night it had been. Everyone was walking with difficulty. Looking down from the second peak, they could vaguely see a row of sheds in the valley below. That must be the Aha camp!
Hope ignited in Ding Yi’s heart. Standing on tiptoe, she said, “Twelfth Master, look! We’ll reach it once we go down the mountain!”
The Twelfth Master stood beneath a tree. Before he could speak, a squirrel jumped overhead, shaking off the accumulated snow on the branch, covering him all over. She exclaimed and quickly went to brush it off for him. He smiled and turned to look—a patch of red was spreading at the horizon; it would be a clear day. He sighed deeply: “It’s been years since I’ve watched a sunrise in the wild. I remember when I was twelve, hunting in autumn with my Imperial Father. We reached the forest before dawn, gathered with my brothers around the hunting enclosure, listening to them blow deer whistles, and watching the sun slowly rise… I’ve never seen a sun so large and so red. Even after so many years, I still remember it clearly. Those were good times…”
Ding Yi gazed in the direction he was looking. What he missed wasn’t just the scene but also the spirited confidence of his youth. Now, the older one grew, the more troubles one had—it was the same for everyone.
“What about you?” he asked her. “What happy memories do you have from childhood? What did you play?”
“Me…” She thought carefully. “My family fell into ruin when I was six, and there wasn’t much to do. I don’t remember many things clearly, just that I loved fishing for goldfish in the pond. My brother was skilled; they would hatch their fish eggs. I knew that the red-crowned goldfish were quite fierce among goldfish and quite hardy, but if not cared for properly, they would die. The gilded and Ranchu goldfish wouldn’t lose weight if fed well and were easier to raise. All my playing theories came from my brother. Later, when we were wandering, things weren’t so particular. There were many children in the village, and I had playmates. We climbed trees and waded in rivers, catching seasonal birds or playing with coffin boards—just fooling around.” She turned to look at him. “Twelfth Master, we seem to have endless conversations. You don’t find me chatty, do you?”
He shook his head. “I love watching you… talk.” Often when there was nothing to say, he would find something just to look at her a few more times. As long as she was speaking, he could openly gaze at her.
Her gaze shifted elsewhere, with a slight smile hanging at the corner of her lips. She could taste the flavor in his words and felt that the Twelfth Master must like her somewhat. This was good, such a great blessing. Even if she went with someone else in the future, looking back, she could still be proud.
She took a deep breath. The sky was getting brighter, and the downhill path gradually became clearer. The closer they got to the truth, the more timid she felt. The valley was like a giant mouth, seemingly about to devour everything. She bit her lip and asked, “Twelfth Master, do you think they might be there?”
Honestly, the hope was slim. This vast mountain range had buried countless souls and dreams. A person venturing in was like a pebble thrown into the water, barely causing ripples. But how could he tell her that? He paused briefly and said, “Whether they’re still alive or not, you must accept it.”
She nodded slowly. “I’ve thought a lot during this night. Even if I can’t accept it, there’s nothing I can do. If they’re gone, I can’t follow them in death. I still have my master’s to serve filially; I have my responsibilities. Like you said, if I could survive before, I certainly can in the future, and things will get better… But I’m just afraid. I feel they should be alive. All these years, I’ve been thinking about them…”
He said, “Then go look. Once you’ve searched and have peace of mind, you can move forward however you need to.”
The path down the mountain was more difficult than going up. Each step was uncertain in depth. The two supported each other, moving step by step. As they approached, they heard coughing and scolding voices from inside. Soon, more than a dozen soldiers with swords emerged, holding whips, wearing tilted warm hats, and standing with legs apart, looking ferocious.
Those Aha people filed out from the doorway, each hunched with shoulders drawn in. They wore tattered old cotton-padded jackets made of coarse cloth, the color long indiscernible. Holes revealed mottled cotton filling, yellowed and threadbare, of uneven thickness, as they shivered from the cold. Their suffering was so profound that even their eyeballs seemed dull. Upon noticing someone coming, they looked up very slowly, then lowered their heads again. Nothing in this world had anything to do with them. In the northwest wind, they stood with arms folded, disheveled and filthy, dragging cotton shoes with exposed toes. Each step produced a heavy thud on the ground. Their condition was different from prisoners in the Shunzhen Prefecture prison, even worse than beggars on the street.
Two lines of tears burst from Ding Yi’s eyes. If Ru Liang and the others were among them, how could they be connected to the young masters they once were?
The whips of two soldiers cracked loudly as they shouted in high-pitched voices: “Wild mud legs, still have leisure to look! Your dogs are fed full and now lazy. We’ll starve you for three days until you can’t turn your necks. See if you’ll look then!”
“Who goes there?” A cloaked figure in the distance was driving people away with hands on hips. “This is an imperial restricted area, not a place for you to watch foreign shows. Move quickly, go, go, go, or we’ll arrest you all!”
Ding Yi thought this person must be the leader here and quickly stepped forward, saying, “Excuse me, I’d like to ask about a few people…”
Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a string of “Go away!” “What are you asking about? Can’t you see we’re busy? Is this a place for you to stand around? These are all serious imperial criminals. Try coming closer and see what happens. Are you trying to rescue someone?”
Seeing that the person was stunned into immobility, standing there in a cloak that concealed their figure, the man scrutinized them up and down several times before bellowing, “Are you still not leaving? Do you want me to throw you in a cell? We have plenty of iron chains and cangues here. How about a taste?”
The shouting attracted others nearby. One glance, and someone laughed, “Task Leader Ren, your eyesight isn’t good. This is a woman looking for a man. Lower your voice; don’t scare her.”
Hearing this, Ren examined her again. “A woman? A woman coming here must be a chaste and virtuous widow! Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere. If he’s been exiled, consider him dead and move on. Find someone else. At the very least, we brothers are willing to step up…”
As the group laughed and joked, they didn’t notice the person approaching from behind. A whistling slap came down on the head. “Blind dog slave, how dare you!”
Task Leader Ren was seeing stars from the slap. When he came to his senses and was about to kill someone, he turned and was met with a badge thrust in his face. Looking closely, the carved base plate bore four large characters: “Prince of the First Rank.” This shock was no small matter—all his rage instantly turned to ice. He retreated several steps, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed. “This slave… this slave is confused, blinded by grease, not knowing the Prince had personally arrived… This slave deserves death!”
Everyone in the Great Qing banners knew that the badge was the identification of the imperial clan. If it said Beile, it was a Beile; if it said Prince, it was a Prince. Once the leader knelt, there was no reason for those serving below to remain standing. The guards hurriedly kowtowed, and thousands of Aha people immediately prostrated themselves. Task Leader Ren led the pleas for mercy, while the Aha people cried out grievances in unison. The valley suddenly echoed with a thunderous chorus.
No matter how much external disturbance there was, it meant nothing to Hong Ce. He merely frowned slightly and said, “Gather everyone together. I have questions later.”
Task Leader Ren hurriedly complied, turning around while still kneeling and waving his hand. “Quickly, take all these Aha people to the front field. If anyone else wails, stuff their mouths with donkey dung…” Realizing he was being too uncouth in front of the Prince, he lowered his voice, panicking and wide-eyed. “Get up now, hurry!”
The soldiers bowed and obeyed, shouting and cracking their whips loudly. Ding Yi couldn’t bear to watch and turned to ask Task Leader Ren directly, “How long have you been stationed here?”
Uncertain of her status, Task Leader Ren simply answered, “In response to Miss, this humble one is a bondservant of the Bordered Yellow Banner, whose ancestors have been stationed in this area of Changbai Mountain for generations. I started serving at the imperial estate at fifteen, and by this winter’s beginning, it will be a full twenty years.”
“Do you remember the people exiled from Beijing twelve years ago?” she asked urgently. “Imperial Censor Wen Lu from the Censorate had three sons sent to the imperial estate. Where are they now? Are they among those people?”
Task Leader Ren stared blankly, thinking for a long time. “Wen Lu’s sons? Wen Ru Liang and the others?”
Ding Yi’s heart clenched. “Yes, yes, that’s right. Where are they?”
Task Leader Ren shook his head. “Those rebels never settled down after arriving, inciting people to revolt, leading escapes and such, causing trouble for nearly two years. Later, they were put in a water prison for three months and became obedient. But when they came out, the livestock got a plague, and they caught it too. They didn’t last long before dying.”
Although she hadn’t held much hope, she hadn’t been completely desperate either. Now, having asked and confirmed that they were indeed gone, she simply couldn’t bear it. Her mind went blank, and she collapsed unconscious.