Jiafu, as lovely as a flower that could speak, accompanied Pei You’an day and night. As they journeyed southward, the spring scenery grew more lush, and Pei You’an gradually seemed to release the burdens in his heart. In the mornings, they played zithers together, and at dusk, they sat by the window listening to boatmen’s songs. It was as if life had granted them a brief moment of leisure. Jiafu felt carefree and happy; if not for her desire to see her family soon, she would have secretly wished that this journey would never end.
On this day, the boat entered Fujian and docked in the evening at a small fishing port called Langmen. The boatmen went ashore to purchase supplies. They would spend the night here and continue their journey in the morning. After another five or six days on the water, they would reach Quanzhou.
As darkness fell, lamps were lit in the cabin. It was still too early to sleep, and as soon as they finished dinner, Jiafu asked Tanxiang to bring out a small chess table and place it on a wide couch by the window. She climbed up herself to set up the board, took out the chess pot, and prepared everything. Then she sent Tanxiang and the others away to rest, and forcibly dragged Pei You’an, who had been reading, to play chess with her.
Pei You’an was skilled in the art of chess. Throughout their journey, he often played with Jiafu to pass the time. Jiafu also knew how to play, and her skill was not particularly weak. Unfortunately, compared to him, she was no match at all. Often by the end of a game, even if Pei You’an wanted to let her win, he found no place to make a move. After losing repeatedly, Jiafu’s competitive spirit was aroused, and she refused to play with him anymore. One day, she went ashore specifically to buy a chess manual, and afterward became obsessed with studying it, neglecting food and drink. With the added benefit of having Pei You’an as an excellent teacher to guide her, in just over half a month, her skill had improved considerably—at least Jiafu herself felt so. Just now, she was thinking that for the past two days, she had been secretly studying a new chess strategy behind his back, one that was extremely ingenious. She really wanted to see his surprised expression, so as soon as they finished eating, she eagerly dragged him over to play chess.
Pei You’an allowed himself to be pulled over, sat down to play with her. He took the black pieces, Jiafu the white, and as usual, he gave her a three-stone handicap. Jiafu knelt before the chess board, concentrating with all her might, wracking her brain, focused entirely on setting up her formation. She wanted to lure his black dragon into a trap, but he simply wouldn’t take the bait. Instead, he casually leaned against the window, holding a stone in one hand and a book in the other, seemingly absorbed in his reading, self-satisfied and clearly distracted. Jiafu stopped her hand and said angrily, “You’re bullying me!”
Pei You’an came back to his senses and glanced at her. Seeing her pouting angrily at him across the table, with such an adorable expression, he couldn’t help but tease her further, raising an eyebrow: “How am I bullying you?”
“You look down on me! What do you mean by multitasking?”
Pei You’an quickly put his book aside, apologized to her, and promised that he would concentrate on the game. Indeed, he then sat up straight, and Jiafu relented, continuing to place her stones.
However, after just a few more moves, with a crisp “tap,” he placed a stone in the corner and then withdrew his hand, saying a word of concession.
Jiafu stared at the board for a long while before realizing what had happened, and was immediately dumbfounded.
She had been so focused on setting up her trap to lure him in that she had neglected the situation in the corner. His move, though seemingly ordinary, was placed at a vital point, like a divine intervention, connecting his black dragon from head to tail, with a势 that would devour half the board. The outcome was essentially decided. Even if the white dragon refused to admit defeat immediately and continued to place stones in unimportant areas to occupy territory, it would be merely prolonging the inevitable—a futile struggle.
Jiafu looked up to see Pei You’an watching her with an apologetic expression, but with unmistakable amusement in the corners of his eyes. Immediately embarrassed and angry, with a “swoosh,” she swept her hand across the board, messing up all the pieces. She glared at him, snorted, and turned away, climbing down from the couch, ignoring him.
Pei You’an laughed behind her, reaching out to grab her and forcibly pulling her back, holding her in his arms. He examined her face and nodded solemnly: “My Fuer is angry. Alright, let’s play another round. This time I promise to honestly fall into your trap. Would that satisfy you?”
Jiafu had already obediently nestled in his embrace, but when she heard this, realizing that he had seen through her intentions all along—not only had he won, but now he was teasing her—she became angry again. She struggled free from his arms and said angrily, “You just like to bully me! I won’t play with you anymore! Let me go, I’m going to check on the evening meal… Ouch, what are you doing…”
Amid her complaints, Jiafu was lifted into the air by him and laid across the couch. Pei You’an turned over and pressed down on her, with half their bodies on the couch and half their legs hanging off.
“I don’t want to eat. I just want to play chess with you.”
Pei You’an held her and said with a slightly teasing tone.
Jiafu’s face turned red, but she remained stubborn, acting as if she wanted to leave. Her body twisted like a candy braid beneath him. Suddenly, she felt him grow still. He lowered his head, his lips against her ear, and softly commanded, “Don’t move,” his voice slightly hoarse.
Jiafu was startled, then immediately understood.
With his grandmother’s passing, Pei You’an, as the principal mourning grandson, followed the mourning ritual of wearing unhemmed sackcloth, during which time husband and wife naturally could not engage in bedroom activities.
Earlier, when his grandmother had just passed away and they were still in the period of intense mourning, everyone was immersed in grief, and Jiafu naturally hadn’t thought about this. Now that they had passed the intense mourning period, both young and in love, spending day and night together, intimate moments were inevitable, and sometimes they would encounter awkward situations like the present.
For most people, such mourning was, plainly speaking, just for show. Who would know what a husband and wife did behind closed doors? But Jiafu knew Pei You’an, and though she felt for him, she wouldn’t deliberately provoke him at such times. Feeling his body change, she immediately became still and looked at him with wide eyes.
Pei You’an rolled off her, lay on his back on the couch, raised his hand to cover his face, and after a moment, let out a breath and slowly sat up.
Jiafu secretly glanced at his lower body, then crawled over and said softly, “Big Cousin, I didn’t mean to just now…”
Pei You’an leaned close to her ear and said quietly, “Fuer, I’m sorry for the hardship I’m causing you.”
Jiafu shook her head vigorously: “I don’t mind waiting, no matter how long!”
Pei You’an said no more, just smiled, his eyes gentle, and put his arm around her, drawing her into his embrace.
The silver candles burned brightly, the waves gently lapped, and occasionally the sound of footsteps could be heard from boatmen walking across the deck outside the cabin.
Jiafu closed her eyes, nestling like a little bird in his embrace as they held each other quietly. Her heart felt utterly peaceful.
Suddenly, her ears caught the rapid sound of a gong, interspersed with vague shouts. Because of the distance, she couldn’t make out what was being said, but she could sense a commotion on shore.
Jiafu opened her eyes.
Pei You’an pushed open the window and looked out.
Jiafu also peeked out and saw that a group of what appeared to be officials and soldiers had arrived on the distant shore. They carried torches, beating gongs and drums, shouting loudly as they went: “Attention all boatmen! Japanese pirates have raided Quanzhou and Pinghai! By order from above, to prevent pirates from coming here, starting tonight, the port is immediately sealed! All vessels are forbidden to leave without authorization! Any who defy this order will be treated as collaborators with the pirates!”
Having grown up in Quanzhou, Jiafu was no stranger to Japanese pirates. Since her grandparents’ generation in the previous dynasty, coastal areas had been plagued by pirate raids, with Quanzhou often the first to be hit. After the founding Emperor established the nation, many garrisons were set up along the coast to train official troops to resist the pirates. In the past, Quanzhou had been ordered by the imperial court to close its ports several times due to pirate threats, affecting many merchants, including the Zhen family. However, in the nearly twenty years since Jiafu’s birth, Quanzhou had not suffered any major pirate raids. If pirates did come, they were often eliminated before they could land.
She had not expected that at this time, Japanese pirates would raid Quanzhou! By the looks of it, this attack was significant; otherwise, how would it have alarmed the local authorities here?
“Big Cousin!”
Jiafu’s voice trembled slightly.
Pei You’an gently patted her back to comfort her, then got down from the couch and went out of the cabin, calling for Yang Yun. Shortly after, Yang Yun brought someone who appeared to be an official, hurriedly boarding the deck. The man knelt before Pei You’an: “This humble official is Liu Tong, the centurion of Langmen Garrison. I did not know that Official Pei would travel by boat here tonight. I have failed to welcome you properly and beg your forgiveness!”
Pei You’an asked him to rise and inquired about the situation in Quanzhou.
Liu Tong said: “Official Pei, this time the Japanese pirates have colluded with bandits from eastern Guangdong, coordinating an inside and outside attack. They split into two routes, simultaneously attacking Quanzhou and Yongning Prefectures, with great force. This humble official has heard that they not only seized more than ten merchant ships that were about to return to port, but also took advantage of weakened defenses in the middle of the night to launch a surprise attack on the city, killing people and setting fires. The pirates entered through Quanzhou’s South Gate. Although Commander Li arrived in time to repel them, there were casualties in the southern part of the city. Many wealthy households suffered greatly; several families reportedly suffered significant losses.”
Pei You’an asked: “Do you have news of the Zhen family?”
Liu Tong replied: “The Zhen family of Quanzhou? When the pirates fled, they set fire to warehouses near the harbor. The large fire burned for several days before it was extinguished. The Zhen family’s property must have suffered losses. As for the family members, this humble official is not clear.”
Jiafu was in the cabin and heard everything clearly. She was consumed with worry. As soon as Pei You’an came in, she immediately grabbed his hand and said in a trembling voice: “Big Cousin, can we return to Quanzhou quickly? My family is in the southern part of the city! I’m worried about my mother and the others!”
Pei You’an said: “I’ll take you back to Quanzhou as soon as possible. Don’t be afraid, I’ll handle everything.”
Dame Liu, Tanxiang, and others packed their belongings to go ashore. The magistrate of Langmen, due to the sudden emergency and pressing public duties, dared not neglect them. He had personally come to the port to oversee matters, and hearing that Pei You’an was passing through, hurried over to pay his respects. After a brief meeting, the postal relay station provided the required carriages and fast horses. Pei You’an thanked the Langmen magistrate, helped Jiafu into a carriage, and they set off for Quanzhou that night.
The remaining journey no longer had the leisure of before. Except for necessary rest, they traveled without stopping, finally arriving in Quanzhou three days later. Soldiers guarded the city gates, checking all who entered and exited. Pei You’an brought Jiafu into the city, and as they approached the southern part, they saw signs of looting and burning everywhere. Many homes had white funeral banners hanging at their doors, with sounds of wailing coming from inside.
Jiafu was trembling with fear. They finally reached her family’s gate and knocked on the tightly closed main door. A servant peeked out, saw Jiafu, and jumped up in surprise, quickly running inside to report. Madam Meng didn’t believe it at first, but when she came out and truly saw Jiafu and Pei You’an, she wept with joy and quickly welcomed her daughter and son-in-law inside.
Not seeing her brother and grandmother, Jiafu immediately asked about them.
Madam Meng, touched by this concern, lowered her head with tears and said: “Earlier, when the pirates and bandits broke into the southern city, killing people and setting fires everywhere, our family was fortunate that Commander Li sent troops in time to protect us, so our home was not breached. But your brother has likely fallen into the hands of the pirates…”
Overcome with grief, Madam Meng choked up and could not continue. A servant nearby spoke in her place.
It turned out that last month, the Zhen family had a ship bound for Ryukyu. The sea journey was not very far. Zhen Yaoting, having obtained the consent of his grandmother Hu and Madam Meng, had boarded the ship with Zhang Da. They were supposed to return around this time, but they encountered the pirate raid. The ship was captured midway, along with more than ten other merchant vessels, including one belonging to the Zhen family. Grandmother Hu, whose body had not fully recovered from her previous illness, upon hearing that her grandson had fallen into the pirates’ hands, was overcome with anxiety and anger. She fainted on the spot and had been bedridden for the past few days, refusing food and drink. Madam Meng had been constantly sending people to the government office for news while taking care of her seriously ill mother-in-law. She was utterly exhausted and had been about to send someone to the capital with a message when she suddenly saw her daughter and son-in-law return. How could she control her emotions at such a moment?
Jiafu suppressed her own panic and hurriedly comforted her mother.
Pei You’an rose: “Fuer, take good care of your mother and grandmother. I’ll go to the government office.”
After giving these instructions, he turned to leave when the doorkeeper ran in, saying that Provincial Governor Gao had arrived.
…
With such a major incident in Quanzhou, one misstep could cost him his official cap. How could Gao Huaiyuan sit still upon hearing the news? He sent word to the capital while personally rushing to Quanzhou to manage the aftermath. He had arrived yesterday and was just arranging coastal defenses when someone reported that Official Pei from the capital had arrived in Quanzhou. He immediately brought people to call on him. Upon seeing Pei You’an, he knelt on the ground, striking his head against the floor in anguish: “Official Pei! This humble official is guilty! This humble official did not expect the Japanese pirates to collude with the bandits from eastern Guangdong! Fortunately, in ordinary times, this humble official did not neglect preparations and ordered the garrisons to conduct regular drills, which is why we could drive away the pirates in time! Regarding those more than ten captured ships, please rest assured, Official Pei. This humble official has ordered the Commander to lead the naval forces in pursuit. Though the sea is vast, we will spare no effort. This humble official only hopes that Official Pei can understand his difficulties and put in a good word to His Majesty. This humble official would be extremely grateful!”
Gao Huaiyuan was not lying. The day he heard that one of the captured ships belonged to the Zhen family, with the young master Zhen on board, he had immediately lamented and dispatched naval forces to search and rescue. But to be honest, in the vast sea, without a target, trying to catch the pirate ships and rescue people was like searching for a needle at the bottom of the ocean. The hope was extremely slim. After finishing his speech, he felt somewhat guilty and dared not raise his head.
Pei You’an asked him to rise and was about to speak when another urgent report came from outside: “Your Excellency! Your Excellency! Good news! All the captured ships have returned! They will enter the port today!”