I woke up very early in the morning. After the rooster had crowed twice, I climbed out of bed. Looking at Xinyue sleeping peacefully like a crabapple blossom in spring beside me, I felt quite pleased with myself. So she dared to be arrogant? Ha! Little thing, I’ll deal with you properly.
Wearing a white silk robe and stepping into a pair of wooden clogs, I clattered into the courtyard with my garments hanging open. The slightly cool morning breeze brushed against my chest, carrying with it the rich fragrance of flowers from the family garden. It truly felt good to be home.
I watched as a ray of sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, and in that instant, heaven and earth became clear and bright. The white clouds, illuminated by the sunlight, transformed into magnificent colors—wisps, strands, and clusters rolling across the horizon, conjuring countless enchanting patterns. Standing atop the artificial mountain, I stared transfixed at this beautiful morning scene until the sun’s gentle smile became somewhat glaring. Only then did I reluctantly descend from the artificial mountain, ready to do what I had always wanted to do.
Wang Cai always had a knack for inadvertently discovering treasures. Just two days after returning home, he had found a good thing—bitter bamboo shoots. On the small hill behind the back courtyard, a large patch of bitter bamboo had been planted, which the tenant farmers used to make brooms. This type of bamboo grew short and had many branches, making it excellent material for brooms.
Wang Cai naturally had no interest in brooms, and neither did I, but bitter bamboo shoots were indeed a good thing. Last year, Sun Simiao had said that eating some bitter bamboo shoots during summer had the beneficial effects of clearing heat, eliminating irritability, and promoting urination.
Beer was about the same principle. In such sweltering summer heat, eating bitter things was extremely good for the body. I picked up a bamboo basket, grabbed a hoe, whistled sharply, and planned to take Wang Cai out.
I had only taken two steps when Xinyue, hastily wrapping herself in a sheet, leaned against the door frame and called out: “Take your son with you! You’ve only been home two days and you’re already itching to run around.”
She was awake already? I felt somewhat disappointed. It seemed my prowess last night still wasn’t sufficient. I’d have to try harder tonight. But the sun had just risen—Young Master Yun Baobao should still be sleeping and wouldn’t be able to come out. However, to my surprise, a chubby little body poked its head out from under Xinyue’s sheet, looking at his father with a face full of hope.
What more could I say? Xinyue had been woken up by our son. If I had to take him, so be it. I had just extended my hand when Yun Baobao came stumbling and running over. Seeing her son leave, Xinyue yawned and prepared to go back to continue sleeping.
I hung the long-handled basket around Wang Cai’s neck and hoisted Yun Baobao onto my own neck. Having brought one, I would inevitably bring two, and with two, all the remaining little girls wanted to follow along. Only Di Renjie was seriously reading a scroll, but his eyes constantly glancing this way had already betrayed him. I rubbed his head twice and said to him: “If you want to follow your master out, then let’s go. You can’t focus on your book looking like that anyway. It would be good to clear your mind today.”
Before I had even finished speaking, Di Renjie had already appeared beside Wang Cai carrying his small hoe. However, he always avoided Xiao Wu. If Xiao Wu was on the left, he would definitely appear on the right. Ever since he had accidentally seen Xiao Wu bathing that one time, he had been avoiding her fiercely. Half a year had passed, and the situation still hadn’t improved.
Xiao Ya had already climbed onto Wang Cai’s smooth back by stepping on his large leg. Only Wang Cai had such a good temperament—any other horse would have kicked her off long ago. Yun Baobao was very dissatisfied with only being able to ride on his father’s neck and stretched out his arms for his little aunt to hold him. With no other choice, I also placed him on Wang Cai’s back. After sternly warning Wang Cai, we set out. Whenever I left the house, four guards always followed me, even if I was only going a few hundred meters from home. This was a lingering effect of the Dou Yanshan incident.
The small hill wasn’t high, but its lush greenery was quite appealing. Sunlight flickered through the bamboo gaps, and the dappled shadows made one feel as if entering a dreamlike world. Underfoot was tender, soft grass eagerly competing for the rare sunlight. After taking just a few steps, my wooden clogs were damp—the dewdrops on the grass tips hadn’t yet been carried away by the sunlight.
The small hill connected to the Yun family’s back garden. Amid all that emerald green, countless pagoda tree flowers bloomed intensely, hanging white from the branches like a vast snowy expanse. Diligent Yun family maids were busily picking them—they were also important materials for making perfume. At this time, the pagoda flowers down the mountain had long since finished blooming. The small pagoda trees of the Yun family were interspersed among the tall paulownia tree groves, and being at higher elevation, they bloomed somewhat later than those on the Guanzhong plains. This was deliberate on the Yun family’s part, so these flowers could be harvested continuously from early April until the end of May.
Grandmother had an aversion to bitter bamboo and wouldn’t allow it to be planted in the garden. This seemed to be related to some unlucky legend. I didn’t want to upset the old lady, so naturally I let it be.
Large patches of reddish bamboo shoots had already grown around the base of the bamboo. Each time I dug up one, I would hand it to my son behind me to help. Watching him stumble over to Wang Cai’s side and try to put the bamboo shoot in the basket—Wang Cai was too tall, and seeing he couldn’t reach, Wang Cai bent his leg and lay down in the vegetable patch. Just as I was about to praise Wang Cai, I discovered he had already buried his head in the basket, crunching away at the bamboo shoots.
Yun Baobao didn’t care. In his persistent little mind, putting the bamboo shoots in the basket meant the task was complete. Whether Wang Cai ate them or they were taken home for him to eat was none of his business.
Shishi was a simple, earnest child, kneeling on the ground diligently digging for bamboo shoots. Each time he dug one out, Xiao Wu would carefully pinch it with her nails and carry it to the basket, afraid of soiling her flower dress.
The five Xiao Ya sisters had already disappeared. Just moments ago, someone had shouted “Butterfly!” and they had thrown down their hoes to chase butterflies. Di Renjie was the most methodical in his work and also quick—you could tell from the beads of sweat on his forehead that he was competing with Shishi. A pile of bamboo shoots lay beside him, yet he continued digging vigorously.
I dug up one shoot and reached back to pass it, but grasped empty air—Yun Baobao wasn’t there. When I turned to look, I discovered Yun Baobao was folding Wang Cai’s ears back and forth to play with them, completely forgetting about helping his old father.
“Marquis Yun truly has fine leisure, coming here bright and early to dig bamboo shoots. How enviable.” Wei Zheng emerged from behind the bamboo grove, still wearing his official robes with his tablet clasped to his chest, but wearing a pair of thin-soled quick boots on his feet. I couldn’t figure out what he was up to, didn’t even know what protocol to use in greeting him.
“Marquis Yun, don’t take offense. This old man came in haste and was discourteous. I come to the Yun estate several times a year, and each visit brings new insights, each visit new discoveries. Marquis Yun truly manages his household excellently.”
“Old Wei, don’t stand on ceremony with me. The ones who manage the household excellently are my grandmother and my wife. If you’ve come on official business, then speak your piece and, once finished, gallop back to Chang’an—you’ll probably still make it in time for the court-provided lunch. If it’s private business, then that’s easy—we can dig bamboo shoots together, and afterward I’ll personally cook at home and make you a dish of bitter bamboo shoot and meat slice soup to try. Now, tell me—is this official or private business?” I wiped my hands and picked up Yun Baobao. Wang Cai had been tormented quite enough. As for Wei Zheng, he could do as he pleased.
“Marquis Yun knows full well, so why talk around it and mock this old man? This time, Cen Wenben and the others truly went too far. His Majesty issued an edict—each person who went to welcome you in the suburbs was fined one hundred catties of copper, and Cen Wenben was rebuked in court. Is Marquis Yun satisfied hearing this?” Wei Zheng’s words were spoken with great earnestness.
“Wei Zheng, do you know that during this campaign, countless brave soldiers under my command were injured? The long military expedition is secondary—as military men, risking our lives on the battlefield is our duty. When we returned in triumph, only some civilian officials came to board the ship, not breathing a word about a suburban welcome. Are their hearts and livers made of iron? Could they not see the more than fifteen hundred ash urns on the deck? Could they not see the wounded and disabled soldiers crying out in pain on the deck? We fought for our lives for the Great Tang, survived a hundred battles and returned—why can’t we receive the respect we deserve?”
“Wei Zheng, whether or not I, Yun Ye, am welcomed doesn’t matter. I am the Marquis of Transmitting Command—I have all the glory the Great Tang can bestow, and even if I died in battle, it would be proper. But what did those soldiers do to deserve this? Do you want them to shed tears after they’ve already shed blood?”
“So this is the Great Tang’s civil officials. I, Yun Ye, have learned my lesson. Living under the same sky as you gentlemen of literary talent, brilliant essays, and upright virtue, we should feel ashamed.”
“I finally understand—we’re supposed to die in battle, we’re supposed to be maimed, and if our bodies fall into the sea and can’t be recovered, that’s also what we deserve, because we all share a common name: murderers.”
“For the Goguryeo people, you know compassion. For the Goguryeo people, you show understanding. So that beautiful skull mound by the Liao River—we spent a day and a night digging it up and destroying it, and that’s a crime? The night before last, His Majesty told me to shut up, so I shut up. I came to the back hill to dig bamboo shoots—isn’t that acceptable? I’m hiding from you like a dog—what more do you want? Should I stick out my tongue and extend my paws? Bark like a dog to amuse you scholar-officials? Ptui!”
“A fine of one hundred catties of copper? Have them all line up properly, and I’ll slap their faces with my shoe sole from beginning to end. They don’t need to pay that copper—I’ll pay it!”
Yun Baobao kept wiping away his father’s tears with his chubby little hands. Xiao Wu bit her teeth and glared viciously at Wei Zheng as he fled covering his face. Di Renjie picked up clods of earth and threw them at Wei Zheng’s retreating figure. Shishi was already gripping the hoe tightly.
Handing Yun Baobao to Shishi, I crouched down and said to my three disciples: “Believe in yourselves, rely on yourselves. Only when you yourselves are incomparably strong can you do as you please. Otherwise, my today will be your tomorrow. Mountains collapse when relied upon, people leave when depended on. Remember this: only your own strength is true strength.”
“From now on, will Master rely on those nobles? In this disciple’s opinion, civil officials are unreliable, and they may not be reliable either. If we form an alliance with the families closest to us—the Cheng family, Niu family, Qin family, and Yuchi family—we’ll be attacked for forming factions, and the consequences will be even more severe. So, Master, we shouldn’t rely on anyone. The academy is the foundation of our family. As long as Master cultivates his heart and character for twenty years, his students will naturally fill the land. At that time, Master can do whatever he wishes.”
I stood up with a bitter laugh and said to Xiao Wu: “When I first established the academy, I never thought of using it as a bargaining chip. I only wanted them to taste the flavor of spiritual freedom. Once they know this taste, no one will be willing to give it up—not even Heaven can take it away. Xiao Wu, remember this: if you want to use the academy as a chip for your own struggle for power and profit, I won’t forgive you even in death!”