Three days later, a boat crossed the water and arrived — but the one it brought was not Mu Fulan. It was Liang Tuan.

He hurried up the mountain and entered the Medicine Retreat. When he saw Xie Changgeng, he let out a long, slow breath of relief. After paying his respects, he said that they had been waiting in concealment outside the city as ordered, but when several days passed with no word from him, they had feared something had happened. Growing deeply anxious, they had been quietly searching for him everywhere in secret. Then, last night, a village child had brought them a verbal message saying he was here — so, first thing this morning, he had come in great haste.

Having said all this, he held his breath and looked at the figure standing with his back to him. He truly did not know what could have happened over these past few days — how he had ended up here, wounded on top of it, looking so gaunt and haggard, worn to the bone.

Xie Changgeng stood outside the wicket gate of the Medicine Retreat, gazing into the distance at the silhouette of that city.

Separated from him by the water, it faced him from afar — like a mirage floating at the other end of mist-veiled, boundless waters.

It looked so close. But when he wanted to draw near, it was so impossibly far.

One stretch of water — he on this side, she on the other.

Once, he had fought his way through city after city, and no matter how great the effort required, he had never known what it meant to feel exhausted. But now, for the first time in his life, a faint weariness stirred in his heart.

How could he not know — on the road of his step-by-step ascent to the summit, an invisible shackle had long since locked itself tightly around him.

This shackle that bound him was made not only of his ambition, but also of the people who had gathered around him over the years and followed him with their lives.

At the position he occupied today, he had no right to indulge himself.

He knew he had been wrong.

Now, if not for his luck holding out, the most likely outcome was that he should already have been a corpse resting at the bottom of Dongting’s dark and lightless water. Since he was still alive, what he should do in this moment was immediately put an end to this foolish impulse of his and turn around and leave.

And yet he was still unwilling to accept it.

He had come this far and opened this Pi Han Jin – Chapter — so let himself follow his own heart, just this once more.

If he left now, then what had the meaning been — swimming across Dongting by night, escaping death by a thread?

This was the last time, he told himself.

“I’m all right. There’s no need for any of you to be concerned. You go back to Fuzhou first — there’s no need to wait here.”

“I have something else to see to. Once it is done, I will come find you to regroup.”

Xie Changgeng drew his gaze back. He turned slowly to face the people behind him and spoke.

……

Near the west city gate of Yuecheng, it was the same as any other day — people coming and going, bustling and lively.

Around midday, from the far end of the dirt road leading west toward Dongting, a man slowly made his way toward the city.

He appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, and though his clothing was plain and a broad-brimmed hat covered his head, moving among the local people as he walked toward the city gate, he was still remarkably conspicuous.

In the past six months or more, a succession of great events had shaken the Kingdom of Changsha, and since the fighting had only just come to an end, security at Yuecheng’s gates was far stricter than usual. The gate soldiers had spotted this unfamiliar traveler who seemed somehow out of place and stopped him from the line, looking him up and down.

“Who are you? Where have you come from? Where are you going?”

“My name is Xie — Xie Changgeng. I wish to see the Imperial Princess.”

The gate soldiers were startled.

They had not seen the man himself before, but who in the world did not know the name Xie Changgeng — let alone here in the Kingdom of Changsha?

The gate soldiers, not knowing whether it was true, conferred quietly for a moment and decided to leave a few men watching while one hurried off at speed to find Chancellor Lu Lin and report the matter.

Lu Lin, on receiving the news, was greatly surprised, and more than half skeptical. He hurried to the city gate. When he arrived, he saw that a crowd of passersby had already stopped to look on. He cast one glance at the man across from him and recognized him at once — it was truly Xie Changgeng!

He stood alone in a corner by the city gate. His complexion was pale, as though drained of vitality, looking as if he were ill. But his expression was entirely composed — as though he had not the slightest awareness of the looks of discontent now being directed at him from all around, from the people of the Kingdom of Changsha.

Lu Lin pressed his way through quickly: “How does the Prince of Qin come to be here? Please, follow me into the city.”

Although the Kingdom of Changsha had already set itself apart from the court, toward this man, Lu Lin still did not dare show the slightest outward disrespect.

Xie Changgeng smiled faintly at him and said: “Please, Chancellor, convey a message on my behalf. If the Imperial Princess is willing to see me, I will then enter the city.”

Lu Lin sensed something unusual in the situation.

The way Xie Changgeng looked — at first glance he appeared no different from a down-and-out, ailing wanderer. Not a single attendant to be seen at his side. Coming here alone like this, it could not possibly be for some great affair of state.

If it was not a state matter, then it was naturally some private matter between him and the Imperial Princess.

Lu Lin did not feel it was his place to ask much more. He offered a few pleasantries, promised to deliver the message at once, and before leaving, glanced around. Seeing that more and more passersby were gathering, pointing at Xie Changgeng and talking among themselves — some bolder ones were even spitting in his direction from a distance — he quickly ordered the crowd dispersed, had a temporary barrier set up at the intersection just ahead, directing pedestrians to use other gates, temporarily closing this one. Then he hurried to the royal palace, found Mu Fulan, and relayed everything.

“Imperial Princess, his coming here like this is somewhat abrupt, but we shouldn’t offend him too deeply either, so I arranged things as I did. If the Imperial Princess is willing to see him, I’ll go now and have him brought in quietly — otherwise, if he refuses to leave and word spreads, people may draw all manner of unfounded conclusions, and that would not be good.”

Mu Fulan was standing by the window, lost in thought, when she heard a voice behind her: “Mother, if you don’t wish to see him, then you don’t have to go. I’ll go in your place and make him leave!”

Mu Fulan turned her head. She saw Xi’er walk in through the door and say this to her.

She was taken aback and was about to decline, but Xi’er spoke again: “Mother, let me finish. He’s come at just the right moment — I want to see him one more time. I have something I want to say to him.”

“Please, Mother, allow it.” The child dropped to his knees and kowtowed earnestly.

Mu Fulan was stunned, and reached down to lift him up.

“Mother, let me go see him once.”

The child spoke again.

……

Outside the city gate, it was empty and quiet, with only Xie Changgeng standing there alone in stillness.

At last, from ahead, came the sound of the city gate being opened.

A child walked out from within the gate, a long case strapped across his back.

He came to a stop before Xie Changgeng, tilted his head back slightly, and looked up at him.

“Mister Xie, are you feeling a little better?”

After a moment, the child asked quietly.

A warm current slowly welled up in Xie Changgeng’s heart.

Since parting outside Guzang City, in the blink of an eye, a whole year had passed.

This child’s height had shot up, like bamboo breaking through between the nodes.

He looked at him, and his eyes suddenly ached with a hot, stinging sensation. He blinked, and a smile appeared on his face. He nodded and said: “My illness is already well. Xi’er need not worry about me.”

He turned and walked toward the child, came to stand before him, bent down and reached out, wanting to stroke his head — but the child stepped back and away from his hand.

He took a step back.

“Mister Xie, you don’t need to wait for my mother anymore. I came here by myself.”

So saying, he took down the long case from his back, held it carefully, and set it on the ground, then opened the lid.

It was a sword case. Lying within it was a long sword.

Xie Changgeng recognized it immediately — it was the very sword he had given to the child that day.

“Mister Xie, I came to return this sword to you.”

Xie Changgeng was struck dumb.

“Sir, they say you have become the Prince of Qin — the highest-ranked of all the princes. I should probably call you Prince of Qin now, but I still want to call you the same as before — Mister Xie,” the child said.

“I once asked my mother whether you were a good person or a bad person. She said you were neither good nor bad. I didn’t quite understand her words then, and I still don’t now. But I know that you are the greatest hero I have ever admired, and I like you — so even though my mother was against it, when you gave me this sword, I didn’t listen to her, and I accepted your gift.”

“It is something precious to you, and you gave it to me. I had originally intended to keep it safely for the rest of my life. But now, you used the Fuzhou troops to pressure my mother. When my mother went to Yunmeng, I hated myself for being so useless — I couldn’t help in any way, let alone protect her.”

“I don’t understand the affairs of the court. But Mister Xie — even if we in the Kingdom of Changsha wronged you, you still became my mother’s enemy. You are my mother’s enemy, so you are my enemy too. Therefore I can no longer keep this sword. Please take it back.”

The child looked at Xie Changgeng, and in his eyes, a glimmer of tears slowly appeared — yet he fought with all his might to hold them back and not let them fall.

“Mister Xie, this is the reason I asked my mother to allow me to come here to see you. She will not see your face again. I hope you will stop disturbing her! If your illness is truly better, then please leave here soon.”

Xi’er finished speaking, turned, and ran. His foot caught on a small stone on the ground, and he stumbled forward, falling to the ground.

Xie Changgeng stood there frozen. Coming back to himself, he crossed the distance in a single stride, lifted the child from the ground, and moved to check his hands and feet for injuries.

Xi’er balled his fists up tight to keep him from looking, and struggled with all his strength.

Xie Changgeng released him and said: “Xi’er — something Mister Xie has given away, he will never take back.”

Xi’er pressed his lips tightly shut and said nothing.

“Mister Xie was wrong. He should not have been so confused, even for a moment, as to let the Fuzhou troops come and attack you. He has let you down. Mister Xie promises you: from this day forward, he will no longer be your mother’s enemy.”

He slowly crouched down and looked steadily at the child before him, and spoke with gravity.

Xi’er stared at him, eyes brimming with tears, hesitated for a moment, then said quietly: “Mister Xie, is everything you’re saying true? You won’t deceive me?”

Xie Changgeng smiled: “Your mother said it right — Mister Xie is not a good person, and he often does bad things. But this time, what he has promised you will absolutely count. If he ever breaks his word again, then may Mister Xie die on the battlefield someday, without a good end!”

Xi’er broke into laughter through his tears. He quickly swiped at his eyes and shook his head: “I believe you. I don’t want Mister Xie to have a bad end! I’ll tell my mother what you said to me.”

“Sir, is your illness really better?” the child asked again, a look of concern in his eyes.

“That day when my mother took me away, you still hadn’t woken up. I wanted to ask my mother to wait until you were awake before leaving, but I didn’t dare say it to her…”

Xie Changgeng took one of his small hands and bowed his head toward it, saying: “Put your hand on my forehead and feel for yourself.”

Xi’er pressed his hand to his forehead and said: “Your fever is gone. But the arrow wounds on your back must not be healed yet — you should get well soon!”

“I will.” He smiled and agreed.

“The guards said that Mister Xie swam across the lake that night. They thought you were an assassin, so that’s why they shot at you. Mister Xie, why did you swim across — and then not dodge, either? It was so dangerous…”

“Mister Xie wanted to see your mother so badly that he swam across — and forgot to dodge the arrows.”

“You should go back to the Medicine Retreat first, and don’t wait here any longer. I’ll go back now and pass your words on to my mother, and I’ll ask her to go see you one more time. You can properly apologize to her.”

“Good. I’ll wait for her there…”

From beyond the city gate, the sound of that exchange drifted over — now loud, now soft — carried on the air in waves.

Mu Fulan took one step back, then another, without making a sound, turned, and quietly walked away.

The following day, she came to Junshan. She ascended the mountain and wandered without direction along that path she knew so well.

On the mountain trail, fallen branches and withered leaves lay scattered thick, rustling softly beneath her feet as she walked — a quiet sound that only made the surrounding emptiness feel more vast, as though the entire mountain were empty, with only her making her solitary way through it.

She finally stopped, and only then realized with a start that she had somehow arrived at the ancient cypress beside the cliff.

The sun was setting in the west. Weary crows were returning to their roosts. A mountain wind rose and rose again, stirring her temple hair into disarray. She stood beneath the tree, head raised, watching the few birds circling and wheeling homeward above the treetop, slowly losing herself in a daze — when suddenly, from behind, a pair of a man’s arms reached around and gently embraced her.

She did not move. She slowly closed her eyes.

The man behind her said nothing, nor did he make any other gesture. He only held her like this, gradually drawing his arms more tightly inward, gathering her slender frame entirely into his embrace, so that her back pressed close and warm against his chest.

Time seemed to cease its flow. The birds’ intermittent calls overhead seemed also to fade gradually from her ears, until the man lowered his head and pressed his cool lips softly against her tender earlobe.

In a low and quiet voice, he said: “The man you once met on Junshan — the one who held your heart — that was me, wasn’t it?”

Mu Fulan’s lashes trembled.

Xie Changgeng slowly tightened his grip on her shoulders and gently turned her body around to face him.

“I was truly too foolish. Only now do I recall that before I came to ask for your hand, I had already met you here. You were the girl who called out to me that day — and I was the one who helped you rescue the fledgling bird.”

He gazed into her beautiful eyes and slowly lowered his head toward hers, pressing his forehead gently against her own.

“Lan’er…”

He murmured her name softly, his lips brushing tenderly across her cheek.

“Look at the birds returning to their nests overhead right now — perhaps one of them is the very one I helped you rescue from the cliff that day…”

Mu Fulan turned her face sharply away, pulling back from the lips that were searching for hers.

“You are not him,” she said.

Xie Changgeng went rigid.

She slowly turned her face back and looked at the man before her.

“In my heart, the one who rescued the fledgling for me that day — he is long gone.”

“Xie Changgeng, you are not him.”

Xie Changgeng’s complexion slowly drained white. The fingers gripping her shoulders gradually loosened — yet a moment later, they seized her again, tighter than before.

“You clearly loved me once. Why is it that afterward you came to hate me so deeply — so deeply that to be free of me, you did that to yourself?”

“Had I not happened to overhear what Nanny Mu said to you that night, I could never have believed that you could have done such a thing to yourself. If something happened between us after we separated — something I don’t know about — if it was my fault, tell me, and I will make it right. Yet you treated me with such cruelty, such cold-blooded ruthlessness, without limit —”

“What crime have I, Xie Changgeng, committed — to deserve this?”

His eyes were red at the corners, his jaw clenched hard as he asked the question. His voice was raw and barely above a whisper.