For Pei You’an, that evening’s unexpected incident seemed as if nothing had happened; once it passed, it was over. He remained as calm as still water, true to his usual demeanor. But for Jia Fu, all the joy and excitement she had felt since being brought along by him these past few days was like a tender seedling just emerging from the soil—before it could unfurl its shoots in the spring breeze and dew, it had already been frozen by an unseasonable cold spell.
Jia Fu somewhat regretted her impulsive outburst, but it was his subsequent response that reminded her once again.
She had been happy too soon these past few days.
Pei You’an was kind to her, tolerated her, observed her little thoughts, and even yielded to her at times—for instance, at the last moment before departure, he relented and agreed to bring her along. But the barrier he had erected between them was so solid that Jia Fu could barely see any hope of breaking through it. Nor did she have much time to slowly work at making him like her, to have him be captivated by her—and to be honest, in front of Pei You’an, she had no confidence in herself. Besides a physical appearance that had brought her misfortune in her previous life and seemed fated for calamity in this one as well, what else did she have? How could a man like Pei You’an, who resembled an immortal banished to the mortal realm, possibly like her and agree to marry her?
But the thought of marrying him, from the moment it first emerged, had firmly taken root and sprouted in her heart. Jia Fu couldn’t resist the temptation to be close to him, thereby finding a branch on which to perch.
What exactly would it take for him to accept her?
This new blow, just like her impulsive outburst, came unexpectedly. Jia Fu was inevitably downcast, but having learned from her previous sulking refusal to eat, she was wiser this time. The next day, when it was nearly time for his return, she once again put on a smile to wait for him. After waiting for a moment, she saw his figure appear in the distance, accompanied by the young master of the Tusi mansion, An Cangzhu, who had been with him yesterday.
An Cangzhu had just caught up to walk with Pei You’an. He was a dark-skinned, strong-browed, high-nosed, powerfully built youth with an earring and a short knife at his waist, its sheath inlaid with various gemstones. Pei You’an had once saved his life, so he greatly respected him.
An Cangzhu spoke about his father’s meeting with Tusi Yi Sang of Mengding tomorrow, then asked, “Master Pei, does your cousin have a husband yet?”
Tomorrow’s meeting between the two major Tusi of Mengmu and Mengding at the Anlong Pass border was arranged by Pei You’an himself. Since the matter was of great importance, he had been deep in thought about it the entire journey. Suddenly hearing An Cangzhu ask this question, he was momentarily taken aback. He turned to look at him, seeing the young man’s slightly embarrassed expression, though his eyes were full of expectation. After a brief reflection, he understood.
In terms of age, he wasn’t much older than this young Tusi master, but in contrast to the youth beside him, full of vigorous vitality, for a moment, a faint sense of autumn melancholy arose in the depths of Pei You’an’s heart.
He didn’t particularly want to discuss this topic about Jia Fu with the young man beside him, but he still answered, “She is still unmarried.”
An Cangzhu’s eyes brightened: “Where is her family from?”
Pei You’an said, “Quanzhou.”
An Cangzhu immediately became excited: “I know Quanzhou! When I was young, my father hired a tutor for me who happened to be from Quanzhou. I heard him say that Quanzhou is prosperous and fertile, with numerous harbors, and hundreds or thousands of ships coming and going daily. Seven or eight out of ten rare treasures from around the world come through Quanzhou! There’s a wealthy Zhen family in Quanzhou that specializes in sea trade. Your cousin’s surname is also Zhen—could she be related to that family?”
Pei You’an replied vaguely, “Her family does own several ships…”
An Cangzhu eagerly interjected, “That’s excellent! Would Master Pei allow me to speak directly with your cousin? My father wants to purchase a batch of spices but fears being cheated due to our remote location, with inferior goods being passed off as superior ones. Since your cousin’s family owns ships, they likely deal in spices as well. If I could discuss business directly with her, wouldn’t that be perfect?”
Pei You’an’s guest quarters were not far ahead. As he hesitated, An Cangzhu looked up and just happened to see Jia Fu standing at the door, eagerly looking in their direction with a delighted expression. He left Pei You’an behind and quickly approached her, calling out “Cousin Zhen.”
Jia Fu recognized him as the Tusi prince from yesterday. Seeing him greet her with a smiling face and call her “Cousin Zhen” in such a familiar tone, she was surprised. She glanced at Pei You’an following behind, somewhat confused, but out of politeness, she responded and performed a curtsy.
An Cangzhu quickly waved his hand and began by apologizing for his sister’s behavior yesterday, saying he had already scolded her upon returning home, and she would not dare to cause trouble again.
Yesterday’s fight had been satisfying at the moment, and Pei You’an had protected her afterward without reproaching her for being ignorant. But after the fight, considering she had lived two lifetimes only to end up scuffling with a young girl like that was truly bewildering and hardly something to be proud of. She had already resolved not to mention it, so she responded vaguely.
An Cangzhu hadn’t come here just to apologize. Having started the conversation, he said, “I just heard from Master Pei that your family is from Quanzhou and operates ships for overseas trade. I need to purchase a batch of spices, not a small amount, and there will be repeat orders in the future. Would your family be willing to accept this business? We can pay a deposit upon delivery and follow whatever customs you have. If it’s convenient, I could discuss the details with you now.”
This came out of nowhere, and Jia Fu was stunned. She instinctively looked toward Pei You’an.
He stood behind An Cangzhu, his expression even, looking much as he usually did. Jia Fu couldn’t discern his thoughts, but without hesitation, she immediately said, “Thank you for your kind intentions, Young Master. Unfortunately, although my family does own several ships, we haven’t carried much in the way of spices these past two years. I’m afraid we can’t do this business.”
An Cangzhu wasn’t discouraged and continued, “Since you’re from Quanzhou, you must know some merchants. Could you introduce me to some good ones?”
Jia Fu’s face showed regret: “I’m truly sorry, but I only know about embroidery and painting at home. I know nothing about external business matters and fear I cannot help Young Master.”
An Cangzhu looked disappointed, but quickly brightened again, saying enthusiastically, “No matter. I was thinking, that since Master Pei has been so busy these days, he might not have had time to look after you. Since you’ve come to our place, you are an honored guest of the Tusi mansion. We have several scenic spots that are quite nice. If you don’t mind, I could send someone to show you around. What do you think?”
He turned to Pei You’an: “Master Pei, I see that your cousin stays in the guest quarters all day without venturing out, which must be stifling. Master Pei has traveled far to help resolve disputes for our Mengmu Prefecture, working hard and achieving great merit. I should fulfill my duties as a host.”
Pei You’an couldn’t help but look at Jia Fu, his gaze meeting hers in midair. He saw her lips slightly curved, a hint of a smile, her eyebrows soft, her eyes like water, her manner and appearance charming and graceful. Suddenly there was a sense of subtle intimacy flowing between only the two of them, unknown to others.
This feeling was extremely mysterious, elusive, yet omnipresent.
He was momentarily dazed, doubting whether he had seen correctly. Instinctively looking again, Jia Fu had already turned her face away, and everything instantly vanished like smoke. Pei You’an saw her smile at An Cangzhu and say, “I wouldn’t dare trouble Young Master. To be honest, the reason I accompanied my elder cousin here was that I was unwell and needed his treatment. Unfortunately, my elder cousin had to come to your esteemed territory, and since my treatment couldn’t be interrupted, he brought me along. Perhaps after my health improves, I could trouble Young Master then?”
Her response was watertight, explaining both why Pei You’an had inexplicably brought her here and tactfully declining An Cangzhu’s enthusiastic invitation.
Pei You’an came back to his senses and looked at her again.
Her bright eyes gazed at the Tusi’s son, her expression sincere.
An Cangzhu was disappointed once more but had no choice but to nod, telling her to rest and recover, then departed dejectedly.
Jia Fu followed Pei You’an inside, diligently serving tea and water, smiling as she asked, “Cousin, why have you returned so early today? Will you be going out again tonight?”
Since arriving here, Pei You’an has been meeting all sorts of people daily, and tomorrow was especially crucial for this journey. His mind had been heavy, but now, watching her move back and forth before him, his mood inexplicably lightened. He smiled and said, “Everything has been arranged. I’ve declined the Tusi’s banquet. I won’t go out tonight, but will rest early as there are important matters tomorrow.”
Jia Fu was delighted: “Wonderful! Cousin, please sit. I’ll go check on the sweet soup I’m making, and when it’s ready, I’ll bring you a bowl.”
Pei You’an didn’t originally enjoy sweet foods, but since her taste preferences leaned toward sweetness, he accommodated her. He watched her retreating figure as she walked away briskly, lost in thought for a moment.
…
Early the next morning, Pei You’an and An Jilong’s party left the Tusi mansion and arrived at Anlong Pass on the border with Mengding Prefecture. Here, under Pei You’an’s direction, An Jilong and Tusi Yi Sang of Mengding would hold a meeting to resolve recently renewed disputes.
This new conflict originated from the Pacification Commissioner Lord Ma who had left not long ago. During his stay, he had deliberately bestowed generous rewards on An Jilong, conferring the title of “Grand Tusi” by imperial decree. With a casual verbal statement, he had flippantly allocated the disputed Anlong Pass—long contested between Mengmu and Mengding Prefectures—entirely to An Jilong. This had provoked Yi Sang’s dissatisfaction. As soon as Lord Ma left, Yi Sang used the pretext that ancestral lands could not be lost under his watch to break the pact established a few years ago, and once again attacked Mengmu Prefecture.
The reason for choosing this location for today’s meeting was to reassure both parties. The flat ground for the meeting was surrounded by open space, with no trees or rocks to provide cover. No one could hide, nor could ambushes be set. The number of people each side brought was visible.
According to their prior agreement, An Jilong brought only twenty select guards. Upon arriving at the location, he ordered the guards to remain in the open space several zhang away, while he and Pei You’an took their seats.
There were still two quarters of an hour before the agreed-upon time. Besides Yi Sang who had not yet arrived, all the other dozen or so Tusi invited as witnesses had already arrived. Everyone present recognized Pei You’an. Seeing him arrive, they all came forward to greet him. After exchanging pleasantries, Pei You’an appropriately took the middle seat, with An Jilong sitting on the left and the right seat vacant, awaiting Yi Sang’s arrival.
The sun gradually rose higher. The appointed time had arrived, but Yi Sang had still not appeared. An Jilong’s face showed displeasure, and the Tusi whispered among themselves. A moment later, at the edge of their vision, a large cloud of dust raised by galloping horses finally appeared, heading in their direction. Judging by the scale, there were at least several hundred people, approaching in a magnificent procession. As they drew nearer, it became clear that it was the late-arriving Yi Sang.
The two sides had originally agreed that each would bring at most twenty guards. Now, before the meeting had even begun, Yi Sang was not only late but had already broken the rules by bringing so many troops. An Cangzhu, standing beside An Jilong, showed anger on his face and immediately said, “Father, what is he trying to do? I’ll go count the men coming over!”
Before setting out, to ensure preparedness, An Jilong had also brought several hundred men, but the remaining troops had been left several li away and not brought here.
An Jilong also felt angry. He glanced at Pei You’an, who remained unmoved, still sitting upright, his eyes fixed ahead, his expression calm. After thinking for a moment, An Jilong suppressed his anger and said, “He probably wants to intimidate us. With Master Pei here, he won’t dare to act rashly. Let’s see what happens.”