Gu Pingyuan had been busy with the autumn tea harvest and hadn’t come to the shop for some time. Seeing the goods classified and arranged neatly, everything managed in perfect order, he nodded with satisfaction.

“Elder brother.” Gu Pingwen came out from the back to greet him. Since becoming the shopkeeper and gaining experience for over half a year, he now appeared much more capable, his face no longer showing the shy blush when speaking to strangers as it had initially.

The two brothers sat down in the room behind the shop and chatted about the business. Gu Pingyuan told his younger brother that recently a strange incident had occurred at the family tea garden.

The incident happened ten days ago. Gu Pingyuan was harvesting tea leaves with the tea workers when he looked up and saw his little sister Gu Yuting walking over. She came at this time every day to bring food to her elder brother and the tea workers. What was peculiar today was that she seemed to be dragging something heavy in her hands, walking while calling out to him.

“Elder brother, come quickly and look!”

When Gu Pingyuan hurried over to see, he broke out in a cold sweat. This sister of his was truly bold beyond measure – what she was dragging was actually a dead wolf. Looking at this wolf with its gray fur and iron-like back, fangs exposed, it was indeed quite large.

“What… what’s going on?” Gu Pingyuan, fearing the wolf wasn’t completely dead, quickly told his sister to let go and move aside.

Earlier, when Gu Yuting had gone up the mountain and just passed the foot of the hill, she felt something leap out from the grass behind her. Turning around, she saw a large wolf staring at her fiercely, drool flowing from the corners of its mouth, looking as if it was about to pounce.

Though Gu Pingyuan knew nothing had happened, he still felt a wave of fear and urgently asked, “What happened next?”

“I originally planned to feed it the food I brought – if it was full, it wouldn’t bite me, right?” Gu Yuting looked very serious.

How could that be reasonable? Gu Pingyuan was speechless with amusement. “Don’t tell me your food was poisoned and killed it?”

“Elder brother, don’t wrongly accuse me! How could the food I made for you be poisoned!” Gu Yuting exclaimed. “I had just thought of this when the wolf suddenly collapsed to the ground, making no sound or noise. After a while, it kicked its legs a few times and died. I thought the wolf skin could be peeled off to make a mattress for mother in winter, so I dragged it over.” Gu Yuting showed no fear at all.

“You really have quite the nerve.” Gu Pingyuan squatted down to examine it closely, both annoyed and amused, pointing at the wolf’s head. “Look here, there’s a large wound, as if it was struck by a stone.” He felt around. “The skull is completely shattered. When I was beyond the pass, I heard hunters say that wolves have ‘copper heads, iron tails, and tofu waists’ – the head is the hardest part. To kill a wolf with one stone, that person must have tremendous strength.”

Gu Yuting asked in confusion, “Elder brother, are you saying someone saved me?”

“Do you need to ask?”

“Then who saved little sister?” Gu Pingwen, listening to this, was also quite curious.

“I don’t know. But recently things have been going missing from the tea garden – the night-watch tea workers even had their bedding stolen. There’s often smoke from the back mountain, but by the time I rush over, the fire has been extinguished, as if someone was cooking there. When I walk the mountain paths, I always feel like someone is watching me from behind.”

“Could it be that Second Master Hou sent people to cause trouble? Ever since he failed to buy our tea last time, he’s held a grudge against elder brother, always telling other tea merchants that sooner or later he’ll have his revenge.”

“What revenge or no revenge – nobody has a grudge against money.” “Speak of the devil, and the devil appears” – swaggering in was none other than Second Master Hou himself.

Gu Pingyuan had established a shop rule of “greeting customers with smiles.” No matter who it was, once they entered the shop, they were customers. Though he felt disgusted seeing Second Master Hou, he still smiled and cupped his hands: “Second Master Hou, what wind has blown you here? Perhaps your mansion is short of something? Why trouble yourself to come personally – just send someone to inform us, and we’ll naturally deliver to your mansion.”

“What wind? The fragrant wind from your Gu family tea garden! Boss Gu, I hear from the tea workers that your family tea garden has grown some fine tea. How about it – won’t you invite me to taste it?”

“There’s no such thing. Second Master Hou must have heard incorrectly.” Gu Pingyuan didn’t want to deal with him and had no intention of selling this year’s autumn tea to him.

Seeing Gu Pingyuan dismiss him without a thought, Second Master Hou’s expression darkened slightly, but then he showed his teeth in a smile.

“Boss Gu, we may have had some misunderstandings before, but business matters shouldn’t be conducted with petty emotions. As long as your family’s tea is truly good, I’ll definitely give a good price this year. What do you think?”

“Whether the tea is good or not aside, my operation of the tea garden is not for farming. From now on, my Gu family’s tea will be self-produced and self-sold – no need for Second Master Hou to worry. If the tea sells well, perhaps I can even become a peer of Second Master Hou and sit together in the guild hall.”

“You want to become a tea merchant?” Second Master Hou asked suspiciously.

Gu Pingyuan’s face showed a noncommittal smile.

“Hmph, I’m afraid you don’t understand the rules involved. The most important thing in tea trading is tea permits, second is tea routes, and third is the tea leaves themselves. Do you have the first two? Thinking you can become a tea merchant with just a broken tea field – if that were true, wouldn’t Huizhou have hundreds or thousands more tea merchants?” Second Master Hou’s face was full of disdain.

“Everything starts from nothing. Only by doing it can you know if you have it or not. If you don’t try, you’ll never have it. The tea permits and tea routes you mention – indeed, I have empty hands right now, but I’ll naturally find a way. No need for Second Master Hou to worry.”

Before Second Master Hou had finished listening, he angrily flicked his sleeve and walked out the door. Gu Pingwen looked at his elder brother with both worry and admiration: “This man is a tyrant among the Huizhou tea merchants. Since he’s set his sights on our family’s tea fields, he won’t give up easily.”

“No need to be afraid.” Gu Pingyuan watched Second Master Hou’s retreating figure with a disdainful smile.

“Elder brother, has our family’s tea garden really grown good tea?”

At this question, Gu Pingyuan couldn’t help but show a trace of excitement. He unwrapped the small bundle he had brought with him, took out a package of tea leaves wrapped in mulberry bark paper, carefully opened it, then boiled water to brew tea. After the tea leaves had unfurled in the cup, he pushed the cup toward Gu Pingwen.

“Second brother, this is the autumn tea our family just harvested and processed. Come and taste it.”

Gu Pingwen scratched his head embarrassedly: “I’m not like elder brother, who learned the art of tea tasting from Teacher Bai since childhood. I really don’t understand tea…”

Gu Pingyuan interrupted him: “In a tea-growing family, even if you don’t understand appraisal, you should at least be able to taste whether tea is good or bad. Go ahead and try it.”

Gu Pingwen did as told, picked up the teacup, took a light sip, smacked his lips, then picked up a tea leaf to chew in his mouth, finally drank another sip of tea before putting the cup down.

“How is it?” Gu Pingyuan asked.

Gu Pingwen’s expression was uncertain: “I remember the tea trees elder brother transplanted were Songluo. Though this tea is fragrant, it’s just… I can’t say clearly, but this is definitely different from the Songluo produced on Songluo Mountain – I’m certain of that. Did elder brother use some other method when processing the tea?”

Gu Pingyuan shook his head: “I just wanted to grow Songluo tea. You know that among the teas produced in our Huizhou, currently Maofeng and Songluo sell best, so I spent good money to hire a master who makes Songluo tea. The tea trees are Songluo, the processing method is also Songluo, but somehow the taste that comes out is wrong.”

Gu Pingwen picked up the tea again and took another sip, savoring the flavor: “But elder brother, this tea has its own unique fragrance. I actually think this aroma and Songluo each have their own merits.”

Gu Pingyuan smiled bitterly: “What use is that? Tea merchants want to buy Songluo tea. When we bring out tea that doesn’t have the taste of Songluo, they naturally won’t recognize it, unless you can explain the reasoning or create your own brand. Unfortunately, I don’t know the reasoning behind this.”

Gu Pingwen lowered his head to think, then suddenly said happily: “I have it! Elder brother, why don’t you go ask Old Master Min?”

“Old Master Min – who is that?”

“In the half year I’ve been running the shop in town, I’ve learned quite a bit about local affairs from the neighbors who come to buy sundries. This Old Master Min is Huizhou’s foremost tea-making master. His real name is Min Wenshui. He has tea in his hands his whole life, and when talking about tea, he acts like ‘I’m number one in the world,’ so everyone gave him the nickname ‘Old Master Min.'”

Gu Pingwen continued: “When it comes to tea tasting and tea making, this old man is a first-rate expert. I heard he lives at Peach Blossom Ferry on Songluo Mountain. If elder brother could find him to ask, it might solve the mystery.”

When Second Master Hou returned to his shop, seeing his grim expression, the clerks all kept their distance. Only Zhu Zhi steeled himself to stand nearby. Second Master Hou tapped the rosewood table with his knuckles, his eyes constantly turning, when suddenly he beckoned. Zhu Zhi quickly came over.

“That Gu Pingyuan refuses the toast, so it looks like we’ll have to force him to drink the penalty wine.”

“Master, he now has the county magistrate backing him – things are different now.”

“County magistrate?” Second Master Hou got angry. “My uncle can speak before the provincial governor. Would I fear a sesame-seed-sized petty official?”

Zhu Zhi dared not speak further, then heard Second Master Hou say: “Go call your uncle over again.”

“He… he’s sick…”

“Is he dead?”

“…”

“I asked if he’s dead?” The fierce light in Second Master Hou’s eyes made Zhu Zhi lower his head.

“No.”

“If he’s not dead, he should come. There’s benefit for him. If he doesn’t come, the crime of informing the Taiping rebels and capturing Master Zeng’s brother…”

“Master!” Zhu Zhi was so frightened he knelt on the ground. “I understand. I’ll have him come see you immediately.”

Songluo Mountain was not far from Xiuning County in the northernmost part of Huizhou. Songluo tea got its name from this mountain. The “Rangfu Temple” on the mountain had the legend of “pouring thousand-year jar water, planting precious Songluo trees,” and Peach Blossom Ferry was at the foot of the mountain below Rangfu Temple.

Gu Pingyuan came alone to Peach Blossom Ferry. After asking around, he followed a small path beside the ferry and walked for an hour before reaching a mountain hollow.

“Truly a celestial dwelling.” Upon seeing this place, Gu Pingyuan secretly praised it. In the mountain hollow were several acres of tea fields with a small path opened through them. At the end stood a small residence with blue tiles and white walls, surrounded by layers of green bamboo outside the walls, with a clear spring behind the house. However, there was also a well in the tea fields – why would they need this well when there was already spring water?

Moving closer, Gu Pingyuan was even more amazed. Though this tea field wasn’t large, it had over ten varieties of tea planted in an orderly, staggered arrangement. Gu Pingyuan could recognize “Old Bamboo,” “Monkey Chief,” “Maofeng,” “Songluo,” “Melon Seed,” and others, but there were several varieties he couldn’t identify. Especially one tea tree – he strongly suspected this was the legendary “Yongxi Fire Green,” but this type of tea couldn’t be transplanted; once moved, it would die. For hundreds of years, only a dozen or so plants had survived in the mist-shrouded Huangtian area, and the tea they produced was all tribute tea. Ordinary people couldn’t even taste it, let alone see it.

Gu Pingyuan had heard his teacher mention this type of tea tree but had never seen it. Just as he was puzzled, he heard the door of the small residence creak open, and out walked a youth of fifteen or sixteen.

The youth was startled to see Gu Pingyuan, who quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands.

“Excuse me, is this the residence of Old Master Min?”

The youth hurriedly returned the courtesy: “It is. May I ask who you are…”

“Oh, I’m called Gu Pingyuan, from Gujia Village in She County. Knowing Old Master Min’s great reputation, I’ve specially brought some fine tea for his appraisal.”

The youth said: “That’s unfortunate. My uncle has gone to Rangfu Temple on the mountain. The abbot there invited him to taste tea and discuss the Way. I don’t know when he’ll return.”

“Then I’ll go up the mountain to find him.”

The youth quickly waved his hands: “That won’t do. My uncle has a strange temperament – he most hates people disturbing him while he’s tasting tea. If you go, you’ll definitely be thrown out.”

“Then fine, I’ll wait here.”

The youth looked Gu Pingyuan up and down a few more times, then sighed: “Alright then, but I don’t have food to give you.”

Gu Pingyuan smiled: “No matter, I brought dry rations.”

He waited until dark before Old Master Min returned. Upon closer inspection, he was a slightly hunchbacked old man who walked unsteadily – in appearance, he was truly unremarkable.

“Who’s this?” Seeing a stranger in his home, Old Master Min frowned and asked.

Before Gu Pingyuan could speak, the youth said first: “Uncle, he says he likes drinking tea and brought good tea leaves for you to taste.”

“Hehe, what good tea do you have that I haven’t drunk?” Old Master Min looked disdainful.

Just as Gu Pingyuan was about to speak, Old Master Min suddenly slapped his forehead: “Oh no, I forgot my walking stick at the temple. I need to go get it – can’t let those monks burn it as kindling.”

Saying this, he got up on his own and walked away without looking back.

Gu Pingyuan looked at the youth, who glanced at him: “You should leave too. Who knows when my uncle will return.”

Gu Pingyuan had a persevering nature – the more unsatisfactory things were, the more calmly he could handle them. He thought to himself: What a character this Old Master Min is, treating guests so rudely. But capable people all have big temperaments. Since I’ve come to ask for help, waiting a bit longer doesn’t matter.

Thinking this, he sat down again. The youth helplessly stretched: “Suit yourself, but I’m going to sleep.”

This wait was even longer. It wasn’t until the night watch that Old Master Min slowly walked in from outside. Seeing Gu Pingyuan still there, he asked with a sideways glance: “You’re still here. What do you want?”

Gu Pingyuan stood up and bowed respectfully: “Having long heard of ‘Old Master Min’s’ great reputation, if I don’t drink a few cups of good tea personally brewed by you today, this junior will absolutely not leave!”

Hearing these words, Old Master Min’s expression finally softened somewhat. Without answering, he walked to the table by the window, boiled water with white charcoal, and took out a set of Chenghua kiln tea implements – all smaller than usual but exquisitely crafted.

Old Master Min’s movements were swift as wind. In a moment, he had brewed the tea, drank one cup himself, and the other cup was naturally for Gu Pingyuan.

Gu Pingyuan dared not be negligent, knowing that Old Master Min was already testing him. The meaning was nothing more than: You want me to taste the good tea you brought? First drink my cup of tea. If you can tell the tea’s merits, you’re a fellow practitioner; otherwise, please leave.

He took the cup in hand, first observing the tea’s color, then tasting carefully. He rolled a mouthful of tea around on his tongue for a long time before saying: “Good tea. I wonder where it’s from?”

Old Master Min smiled reservedly: “This is Sichuan tea, Langyuan tea – very ordinary.”

Gu Pingyuan laughed heartily: “Old Master Min is deceiving me. This uses Langyuan tea’s processing method, but judging by the taste, it’s definitely not from Sichuan.”

Only then did Old Master Min look at Gu Pingyuan seriously: “Do you know where it’s from?”

Gu Pingyuan tasted another sip and said with great confidence: “This is new tea made by transplanting Langyuan tea trees thousands of miles to Luojia Village in Changxing County, Huzhou Prefecture.”

Old Master Min was moved: “Well tasted! Accurate! Now tell me about this water.”

Gu Pingyuan held the tea water in his mouth and tasted carefully, then frowned: “This water is crystal clear – it must be from a famous spring under heaven.” He suddenly looked up: “Could it be Hui Spring?”

Old Master Min remained noncommittal: “Hui Spring? Hui Spring is hundreds of li from here. Water labors and spirit dissipates – its quality could hardly remain. You’ve tasted wrong!”

The more Gu Pingyuan thought about it, the more he felt this was Hui Spring water, yet Old Master Min’s reasoning couldn’t be refuted. He pondered bitterly, suddenly remembering the seemingly useless well outside the door. With a flash of inspiration, he laughed again: “Old Master Min is tricking me again – this is clearly Hui Spring!”

“Then tell me, why does Hui Spring remain crystal clear after traveling a thousand li?” A barely perceptible smile flashed at the corner of Old Master Min’s mouth.

Gu Pingyuan said confidently: “There’s a well in front of the door. Since there’s a spring behind the house, there shouldn’t be a well. This junior boldly guesses that you must clean the well in the dead of night, wash it with the clear spring behind the house, then quietly wait for fresh Hui Spring water to arrive, filtering it through stones. The water obtained is even clearer and more pleasant than ordinary Hui Spring water.”

As he spoke, Old Master Min kept nodding. When he finished, Old Master Min laughed heartily: “I’m seventy this year, and among all the young people skilled in tea tasting I’ve met, you can be considered outstanding.”

“I dare not accept such praise. My teacher is skilled in tea tasting and often says, ‘Tea is a gentleman in water, wine is a scoundrel in water.’ He wants me to remember the principle of befriending gentlemen and staying away from scoundrels.”

Old Master Min nodded repeatedly: “To understand principles through drinking tea – you can be said to have grasped the three flavors of tea.”

He changed the subject: “You came to find me today – don’t you have some good tea for me to taste?”

“Yes.” Gu Pingyuan used the Min family’s tea implements to brew his own family’s tea leaves and respectfully presented it to Old Master Min.

Old Master Min glanced at it and smiled: “This is Songluo – there’s half an acre planted outside… Hmm?” He was speaking when his smile disappeared and his brow furrowed slightly.

Gu Pingyuan knew he had detected the unusual aroma and watched without expression.

Old Master Min held the tea cup, squinted and carefully examined the unfurled tea leaves in the cup, closed his eyes to smell the tea fragrance, then poured the tea into his mouth, tasted it thoroughly, and only then opened his eyes: “Strange, very strange! It’s Songluo variety and Songluo processing method, but it’s not Songluo.”

Gu Pingyuan stood up and bowed deeply: “Sir must know this tea’s mystery. Please enlighten me without reservation.”

Old Master Min nodded and raised his cup: “Songluo is already a superior tea, but your tea has even deeper charm than Songluo. Tasting it carefully, it has the fragrance of orchids. The tea soup is more emerald and bright than Songluo. Looking at the tea leaves again, with flags and spears standing together, covered in white down, it surpasses Rizhu Snow Buds.”

Gu Pingyuan hadn’t expected his family’s tea to have such wonderful qualities and couldn’t help showing joy.

Suddenly he heard Old Master Min ask: “How did you grow this tea?”

Gu Pingyuan was also mystified by this and told the whole story of originally burning the mountain and transplanting Songluo. When he mentioned burning the mountain, Old Master Min’s eyebrows twitched, then he asked detailed questions about Gujia Village’s terrain before nodding and sighing: “This is heaven-sent blessed tea. Because you have a good heart, you receive this good reward.”

“What does sir mean by this?” Gu Pingyuan didn’t understand.

“Do you know that burned tea gardens can’t grow tea for three years? And during these three years, every ten days the ground must be washed with pure well water. This is because tea most loves moisture and hates dryness. If there’s fire energy in the ground, don’t expect to grow good tea.”

“This junior also slightly understands this principle, so the original transplanting was just a risky attempt – I had no confidence in my heart.”

“By rights, this fire-burned ground shouldn’t be able to grow tea – not only unable to produce tea, but the transplanted tea trees should all have withered and died. But your Gujia Village has excellent terrain. According to what you said, behind the mountain is the Xin’an River, and in front of the village is another tributary. This is like being embraced by two water dragons. Water vapor and mist continue day and night, plus this year’s particularly heavy rainfall, offsetting the fire energy in the ground. Not only that, but that bit of remaining dry heat actually drew out the sharp cold energy contained in the tea leaves themselves, like a medicine catalyst drawing out all the medicinal properties, creating a unique tea fragrance that exists nowhere else in the world.”

Old Master Min’s tea evaluation was systematic and thorough. The more Gu Pingyuan listened, the more precise he found it, and he was completely convinced.

Old Master Min continued: “Heavenly rain, earthly rivers, human fire – only when heaven, earth, and humanity unite as one can such a rare flower emerge. This is truly rare fortune. It’s just a pity your tea isn’t processed properly. Using Songluo’s processing method for this tea doesn’t bring out its advantages. I’ve seen an ancient tea in old rare books – according to the tea masters’ appraisal of that time, it has a similar taste to this tea. If we used that ancient tea’s processing method, hey, that would be wonderful.”

Gu Pingyuan was overjoyed and blurted out: “I was just worried about not being able to open up business opportunities. I never expected to stumble upon such a fine tea by accident. Please help me process tea – I’ll certainly reward you handsomely.”

Old Master Min was startled and asked: “You’re a businessman?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Old Master Min said flatly, “It’s late. Please return first. We can discuss anything tomorrow.” Saying this, he stood up, clearly meaning to see his guest out.

Gu Pingyuan was confused as he was “invited” out. The next day when he went again, Old Master Min had closed his door and wouldn’t receive him. The third day, the fourth day – for three consecutive days, Gu Pingyuan visited Old Master Min daily but was turned away each time.

Gu Pingyuan was completely baffled. Clearly host and guest had conversed happily, so why did he suddenly refuse visitors from a thousand li away?

He stayed at an inn in Xiuning County town, troubled in his heart, and went to stroll on the busiest, most prosperous main street in the county. Xiuning was famous for producing pawnshop appraisers, and the county town had one pawnshop after another. As Gu Pingyuan strolled, he suddenly saw a familiar figure enter a pawnshop.

“Isn’t that the youth who calls Old Master Min uncle? What’s he doing at the pawnshop?” Gu Pingyuan followed him in, remaining silent and quietly observing from the side.

Actually, there was no need to ask – entering a pawnshop naturally meant pawning something. The youth pawned a set of tea implements. According to pawnshop rules, they called it “chipped and incomplete,” and a tea set handed down from the Qianlong era was only pawned for 15 taels of silver.

After the youth left the pawnshop, Gu Pingyuan came around and asked: “Excuse me, does that youth who just pawned the tea set come here often?”

The appraiser didn’t even lift his head: “Often. Sometimes his uncle comes.”

So Old Master Min’s life was this impoverished – but why then wouldn’t he accept his own invitation?

Gu Pingyuan was completely baffled. Coming out of the pawnshop, he was still pondering with his head down when he accidentally bumped into someone. He quickly apologized.

“No way, you injured me – compensate me one hundred taels!” The person refused the apology, his tone quite arrogant.

Gu Pingyuan thought he’d encountered a swindler and looked up in alarm, then couldn’t help but be both annoyed and amused: “Old philanderer? How is it you?”

The person he’d bumped into was none other than Secretary Hao. There was a case from She County involving a witness from Xiuning who should have appeared in court, but since this person had crippled legs, Secretary Hao had come to Xiuning County to take testimony. By chance, he saw Gu Pingyuan walking with his head down and decided to play a joke on him.

“Brother Gu, you look heavy with worry – has someone borrowed money from you and not repaid it?”

After hearing Gu Pingyuan explain the situation, Secretary Hao clapped his hands: “Ask me about this – I know everything!”

Seeing Gu Pingyuan’s skeptical expression, Secretary Hao laid it all out: “This Old Master Min had a lawsuit with tea merchants a year ago. He lost and had to compensate his own tea shop, which angered him so much he moved to Peach Blossom Ferry. So when you said you were a tea merchant, naturally he was furious.”

“Why did he have a lawsuit with tea merchants?”

“He fell into their trap.”

Originally, Old Master Min had been hired by tea merchants to develop a new tea – to give ordinary “Tunxi Green” the fragrance of Songluo. The tea was successfully made, but the tea merchant refused to acknowledge it, claiming the tea’s fragrance was insufficient. Not only did they refuse payment, but according to the contract, they demanded Old Master Min compensate for losses.

“Since Old Master Min successfully made the tea, why did the authorities rule against him?” Gu Pingyuan asked in confusion.

Secretary Hao smiled bitterly: “In such matters, each side has their own story, so judges must be found. Several acknowledged tea-tasting experts in the area all received red envelopes from Second Master Hou, and his uncle is a famous senior among tea merchants. With that reputation backing him, what fairness could there be? Not only did Old Master Min receive not a penny, but the tea shop he’d worked his whole life to earn, originally intended as his only daughter’s dowry, also went down the drain. I heard his daughter, because of her meager dowry, has suffered much from her in-laws after marriage.”

“No wonder Old Master Min won’t deal with tea merchants. Just thinking about his daughter suffering at her husband’s family is enough to make the old man angry.” Gu Pingyuan understood completely, then thought and asked: “Speaking of which, who was this unscrupulous tea merchant?”

“You know this person – ‘Oil Second Master.'”

“Second Master Hou? Him again!” A spark flashed in Gu Pingyuan’s eyes.

Gu Pingyuan had originally planned to find a way to help Old Master Min get revenge, but after returning to Huizhou, the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, so he had to set the matter aside first. This was the first big family reunion for the Gu family in six years. A large plate of cut watermelon, plus various pastries skillfully made by Mother Gu, and the whole family sitting around the table, everyone was overjoyed.

“Second brother is really something. It’s a festival – he should have closed the shop early. Everyone’s waiting for him to bring back mooncakes from town, but he himself doesn’t seem worried.” Gu Yuting looked at the sky and complained.

“Don’t you know Pingwen is slow by nature,” Mother Gu said with a smile.

They chatted and talked. Seeing the sun’s shadow had already set behind the mountains, though it wasn’t completely dark yet, Mother Gu saw her younger son still nowhere to be seen and couldn’t help becoming anxious, frequently looking toward the door. Gu Pingyuan thought for a moment and stood up: “Little sister, keep mother company eating watermelon. I’ll go to the village entrance to look.”

He strolled out of the house and saw every household had a festive atmosphere. Gujia Village had always been prosperous – the great fire hadn’t hurt its vitality. After recovering for half a year, almost every household had rebuilt their houses, a completely different scene from the desolate appearance half a year ago.

He walked slowly past the open ground in front of the village ancestral hall, his heart aching involuntarily. It was here that his teacher had been wounded and fallen, and Bai Yimei had been captured by soldiers while trying to save her father, her fate still unknown.

“Sigh!” He heaved a heavy sigh when suddenly he heard familiar horse hooves ahead. Knowing his second brother had returned, he steadied himself and went to meet him.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t his second brother Gu Pingwen who returned, but a clerk from the town’s general store riding that date-red horse at full gallop. Seeing Gu Pingyuan from afar, he dismounted and ran straight toward him.

Seeing his face full of panic, Gu Pingyuan’s heart jumped, knowing something serious had happened. Sure enough, the clerk opened his mouth and said: “Master, it’s terrible! The shopkeeper’s head can’t be saved!”

Gu Pingyuan felt his head buzz, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest. Even when crossing the Black Water Marsh, he hadn’t felt such panic.

But having experienced many upheavals, though alarmed, Gu Pingyuan still forced himself to calm down. Fearing villagers might hear and run to report the news at home – his mother couldn’t withstand such a blow – he first pulled the clerk to a secluded spot before asking what had happened.

This clerk was the “diligent” one from the “one clever, one diligent” pair Gu Pingyuan had personally selected. Unfortunately, he embodied the “clumsy” in “diligence compensates for clumsiness” – slow-witted and even more tongue-tied. Combined with his anxiety, he stammered for nearly half an hour before finishing his account.

When Gu Pingyuan finally understood, he stood there dumbfounded, thinking his brother’s life truly couldn’t be saved.

It turned out that while Gu Pingwen ran the general goods business in town, he initially followed his elder brother’s instructions – not seeking profit but steady progress. Later, as business went more smoothly, Gu Pingwen’s courage gradually grew and his thinking became more flexible. Since the waterway business ideas all came from Gu Pingyuan, Gu Pingwen began thinking about when he too could make a big deal, especially to impress his family members, particularly his sister who had always looked down on him.

Coincidentally, when he wanted to make a spectacular business deal, such an opportunity came to him. A peddler who regularly bought goods from him told him that in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom army in Sanhe Town, Luzhou Prefecture, someone was offering 5 taels of silver per queue – wanting glossy, thick, long real queues that could fool people when worn.

Gu Pingwen calculated in his mind: collecting women’s cut hair in the countryside and braiding it into queues cost less than 50 copper coins, but could be sold for 5 taels of silver – over 100 times profit. No business was more profitable than this. So he sent clerks overnight to villages to collect hair, then hired people to work urgently braiding it. In just a few days, he had gathered 100 large queues. Wanting to create a pleasant surprise and not consulting with his elder brother, he hurriedly set off for Sanhe Town with another clever clerk.

“Master,” the clerk said tearfully, “we were told someone there would buy the goods, silver and goods would be exchanged, and we’d return in three days. But the shopkeeper disappeared after going there – it’s been a full five days now. I heard from people coming from Sanhe Town that the Taiping rebels caught a merchant selling queues and want to behead him publicly. That must be our shopkeeper! So I didn’t dare hide it anymore and rushed to find you.”

Gu Pingyuan wanted to slap him and angrily said: “Five days without seeing anyone and you only come to find me now – you might as well have waited five years.”

The clerk cowered and whispered: “The shopkeeper told me not to tell.”

“Sigh…” Gu Pingyuan sighed deeply, knowing his second brother Pingwen wanted to “make a spectacular debut without warning” – he couldn’t blame the clerk.

He silently cursed his brother’s foolishness. One hundred times profit? And with such little capital investment – who would give such good business to others? This deal was wrong from the start. Gu Pingwen was an educated man – why didn’t he think it through? Acting on impulse in business – losing money would be minor, but if he really lost his life, it truly wouldn’t be worth it.

Thinking this, he asked the clerk: “Where is the peddler who introduced this business now?”

“He originally said he’d accompany the shopkeeper to Sanhe Town, but later said he was too sick to travel, so the shopkeeper went alone in his haste.” The clerk spoke hesitantly.

Gu Pingyuan could see something was wrong. His face darkened as he shouted: “What time is this for you to hem and haw!”

The clerk jumped in fright: “Master, the night before last when I passed through the street, I vaguely saw what looked like this peddler coming out of Second Master Hou’s house, carrying a bundle that looked quite heavy – perhaps silver?”

Before the clerk finished speaking, Gu Pingyuan understood clearly. Without question, this was Second Master Hou’s trap, aimed directly at the Gu family. The business might be real, but this was a vicious chain of borrowed-knife murder!

The Taiping rebels had all cut off their queues – Taiping soldiers buying queues were undoubtedly deserters planning to flee, so selling queues in Taiping territory was a great taboo. If Gu Pingwen was discovered doing this business in Sanhe, death was certain.

If by chance Gu Pingwen was lucky enough not to be discovered by the Taiping rebels and completed the transaction, returning with silver, that would be even worse. Second Master Hou would then report to the authorities that the Gu family was doing business with Taiping rebel traitors, tantamount to treason, ultimately facing execution and property confiscation.

“No, he wouldn’t report to the authorities – that wouldn’t benefit him. He’d definitely use this as blackmail, so the Gu family tea fields would become his. That’s his wishful thinking.”

At this thought, Gu Pingyuan sucked in a cold breath, realizing that in a moment of carelessness, his family had already stepped to the edge of a ten-thousand-foot cliff. Just one gentle push from behind would mean instant destruction. He couldn’t help but look fearfully behind him, as if the person about to push him stood nearby.

He had originally planned to send the clerk home with a lie, but worried this tongue-tied fellow couldn’t make it convincing, so he went home himself, saying there was big business in town and his second brother urgently needed him for consultation, even missing the festival. As for whether Mother Gu was happy or not, Gu Pingyuan really couldn’t worry about that now.

Leaving home, he shared a horse with the clerk, dropped the clerk off after passing through town, withdrew all several hundred taels of silver from the shop to carry with him, and Gu Pingyuan rode alone at full speed toward Sanhe Town. He could only treat a dead horse as if it were alive – but with even one chance in a hundred, he had to rescue his brother.

The date-red horse galloped with all four hooves. By noon the next day, Gu Pingyuan had arrived outside the earthen walls of Sanhe Town. This small town wasn’t particularly famous originally, but now it was the front line where Taiping rebels and Qing forces faced off. Since Chen Yucheng, the Ying King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, had led his great army to crush the Xiang Army’s local forces under Liu He and occupied Sanhe Town a year ago, he had continuously stationed heavy troops there. To the north, he resisted Yuan Jiasan’s forces in Luzhou; to the east, he awaited Ying King Li Xiucheng’s arrival from Hangzhou to combine forces and attack the Jiangnan Great Camp, relieving the siege of Tianjing for the Heavenly King Hong.

Chen Yucheng was famous in the current Taiping army for his fighting ability – under thirty and already a king, purely through military merit. Anhui Governor Yuan Jiasan knew he couldn’t defeat this so-called “Four-Eyed Dog” pseudo-Ying King, so he simply didn’t fight, just stationed troops in Luzhou. After all, territorial officials’ responsibility to defend the land only referred to the provincial capital – as long as Luzhou wasn’t lost, whether it was the Jiangnan Great Camp or Jiangbei Great Camp didn’t much concern him.

Chen Yucheng wanted to preserve strength to relieve Tianjing’s siege and had no designs on Luzhou. This perfectly matched the common saying “two goods make one good.” Though the combined armies exceeded 200,000, their banners blocking out the sky, with daily shouting matches and enemy challenges that were deafening, neither side had fired a single arrow at the other.

Over time, both sides’ tense momentum relaxed. Common people had initially fled with old and young, but seeing nothing happening, they gradually returned in small groups. Because large numbers of troops were stationed there, there were all kinds of people – those procuring military supplies, drinking and making merry, gambling and wagering, even visiting brothels for prostitutes. All sorts of businesses were actually more flourishing than before the military excitement.

Gu Pingyuan had focused entirely on his tea garden for months and didn’t understand the local situation well. Knowing only that Qing forces and Taiping rebels faced off here, he had expected a bloody battlefield, but dismounting and looking around, he found it was a world of pleasure, momentarily stunned.

“Hey, old customer, let me through!” It wasn’t until someone gently pushed him from behind that Gu Pingyuan came to his senses, realizing he was blocking the path with his horse. He smiled apologetically and pulled the horse aside.

Behind him came a whole convoy of salt carts, each flying a small white triangular flag with a red dot in the center, looking particularly conspicuous. Sanhe Town originally had a Hangzhou waterway directly to Hangzhou, a tributary of the Grand Canal. After the Taiping troubles, this waterway was occupied by both Taiping rebels and Qing forces in sections, so water transport had been blocked. Seeing salt carts being unloaded from ships docked at the wharf outside town, Gu Pingyuan guessed only the Yangzhou Salt Guild had such connections to navigate this waterway.

The salt convoy reached the city gate, where a sturdy middle-aged man cupped his hands toward a Taiping minor officer: “Military officer, greetings.”

The minor officer looked the salt carts up and down, craned his neck pretentiously and asked: “Where are you from?”

The sturdy man answered frankly: “Military officer, we’re a fleet from the Yangzhou Salt Guild, here to transport salt for the town’s salt shops.”

“Fine, have your carts inspected, pay the tax, then go in quickly,” the minor officer instructed.

The sturdy man was startled and protested: “Military officer, we just paid salt tax at the wharf – here’s the receipt.” He handed over a paper slip.

The minor officer didn’t even look, waving his hand: “I know, but that was collected at the wharf. This is the city gate – you must pay city gate tax.”

The wharf was less than 100 steps from the city gate, yet double tax was demanded – there was no such rule anywhere. This was clearly bullying. The Yangzhou Salt Guild was famously wealthy, so this minor officer had probably heard of them and planned to extort some money from this salt convoy.

The sturdy man got angry and was about to speak when companions pulled him back. The Salt Guild traveled everywhere and being extorted by officials was routine – they had specialists for negotiations. Soon they agreed on a price. The minor officer took money in one hand and waved with the other, not even inspecting before letting the salt convoy through.

Such blatant extortion of merchants angered Gu Pingyuan, but knowing he couldn’t cause trouble, he followed the salt convoy into town and stood on the street, completely at a loss about where to start looking for his brother.

There was a restaurant on the street. Sanhe Town was near Chao Lake – palm-sized giant mussels, arm-length grass carp, all kinds of lake delicacies were available. The various fried, stir-fried, boiled, and deep-fried dishes were even more extraordinary, all prepared in advance and displayed at the shop entrance. Customers entering could point at dishes, which would be reheated and served within moments.

Gu Pingyuan was always thoughtful about everything. Though worried, he was also enlightened, thinking that displaying prepared dishes with full color, aroma, and taste was better at attracting diners than hanging signs and calling out dish names – a good method worth remembering.

Having traveled all night without food or water, he really couldn’t hold up anymore. Thinking to enter the restaurant, he could eat and drink while asking the waiters for information.

He chose a table by the street and ordered two small stir-fries. The waiter was very attentive, bringing a small pot of wine, saying it was the restaurant’s newly brewed fruit wine for the customer to try.

Knowing he hadn’t slept all night and was mentally exhausted, Gu Pingyuan dared not touch alcohol. He asked the waiter where Taiping army prisoners were held. The waiter was also at a loss, thinking for a long time before saying: “Probably in their military camp.”

Gu Pingyuan found this both laughable and pathetic – this answer was like no answer. As the saying goes, “when people exceed ten thousand, there are no boundaries.” Now with 100,000 stationed in town, the scale of military camps was imaginable – how could he search?

Unable to think of a solution, he could only take things step by step. He hurriedly ate until seven-tenths full, left the shop, led his horse, and walked north along the street. Sanhe Town had a “One Person Lane,” extremely narrow, not allowing two people to pass shoulder to shoulder, but it was a shortcut to the town center. Following directions, Gu Pingyuan took this narrow lane. Just as he emerged from the lane onto a main road, he heard gongs clearing the way nearby.

“Silence… make way…” Several large gongs clanged, with front banners reading “Ying King’s Mansion” in brilliant gold characters, followed by an eight-person palanquin moving at moderate pace, approaching from distance.

Gu Pingyuan’s eyes lit up – could this be Ying King Chen Yucheng? He almost immediately thought of stopping the palanquin to cry injustice in the street.

But Gu Pingyuan wasn’t a reckless youth – he always acted prudently first, so he asked an elderly man nearby: “Old sir, is that Ying King Chen Yucheng in that palanquin?”

“Eh, no, no.” The old man waved his hand. “I’ve seen His Majesty the Ying King patrol the city several times – he always rides horses, never palanquins.”

“Then… who could be in this palanquin bearing the ‘Ying King’s Mansion’ sign?” Gu Pingyuan asked in confusion.

“This old fellow doesn’t know.”

Though he didn’t know, someone did. A merchant-like middle-aged man nearby, the type called “know-it-all” who loved showing off his knowledge about everything, interjected: “You don’t even know this? That palanquin carries the Ying King’s newly wed princess, also surnamed Chen.”

“Right!” Another knowledgeable person beside him whispered: “I heard this Princess Chen is incredibly beautiful. Those old Taiping veterans from Tianjing say even the famous beauty Hong Xuanjiao and the Heavenly King’s palace lady Lu Luanfeng pale beside her!”

“Tsk, tsk.” The listening crowd naturally envied Chen Yucheng’s romantic fortune, but Gu Pingyuan was greatly disappointed – this person was useless to him. He’d wait for the palanquin to pass before continuing his journey.

Unexpectedly, just as the palanquin passed by, the ground was uneven and the front bearer stumbled, nearly falling. The palanquin tilted, and the person inside reached out to steady it, pulling up half the gauze curtain. Gu Pingyuan happened to be watching the palanquin, and when his gaze fell on the occupant’s face, he was shocked and blurted out: “Yimei?”

His shout was quite loud – at least half the street heard it. The surrounding crowd immediately became noisy, and the bearers and escorting Taiping soldiers were all stunned.

The person in the palanquin naturally heard this call too. Looking up, she was immediately dumbfounded. This ‘Princess Chen’ in the palanquin was none other than Bai Yimei, who had been captured by soldiers and missing for over half a year. Though she and Gu Pingyuan hadn’t seen each other for five or six years, they had both been adults when they parted, and with mutual affection, each other’s appearance was deeply imprinted in their hearts. Seeing each other now, they recognized each other immediately.

The two stared at each other in a daze, and the street crowd gathered around them. Among the servants accompanying the palanquin, a maidservant was rather clever, seeing the princess had encountered an acquaintance. But even a small household’s wife couldn’t converse with men in the street, let alone a princess. If they acknowledged each other in the street and word got out, wouldn’t it be a joke? If the Ying King blamed them, the accompanying servants would all be at fault.

So this maidservant quickly stepped forward, whispered a few words to the princess at the palanquin window, then lowered the gauze curtain and called loudly: “Raise the palanquin, return to the mansion!”

The bearers obeyed. Gu Pingyuan anxiously wanted to chase after them when the maidservant came to his side and asked in a low voice: “How should this young master be addressed?”

“I’m surnamed…” Gu Pingyuan suddenly remembered hearing people say this princess was surnamed “Chen.” Though he didn’t know why Bai Yimei was lying, his rash answer might cause her trouble, so he remained silent.

Seeing this, the maidservant asked no more, only saying: “The princess requests you come to the mansion for conversation. Please follow me.” She led the way.

Gu Pingyuan followed her through several turns to a side gate of a residence – this was the “Ying King’s Mansion.” The real Ying King’s Mansion was in Tianjing; this was merely Chen Yucheng’s temporary residence for commanding military affairs. The compound wasn’t large – only three courtyards front to back – but guarding against Qing assassins, security was extremely tight. However, with the maidservant leading, there was no problem. Entering through the side gate, passing through a small flower hall, they reached a side room in the rear hall.

Inside was only a serving maid who offered Gu Pingyuan fragrant tea, then quietly closed the door and withdrew. Gu Pingyuan had to suppress his anxiety and wait quietly. Soon the door moved and someone entered.

Looking up, Gu Pingyuan saw it was Bai Yimei, wearing a phoenix robe with gold and silver threads, round collar and wide sleeves, pearl hairpins on her head, beautiful jade at her waist. Though her face bore tear stains, it couldn’t hide her lovely features.

Meeting like this, with so much to say and ask, both felt they didn’t know where to begin.

After a long while, Gu Pingyuan finally spoke: “Are you… well?”

Just this simple question took Bai Yimei a long time to answer, lowering her eyes: “I don’t know myself – perhaps well, perhaps not, but for me there’s no difference anymore.”

After this answer, she also asked: “My father, he… he…”

Gu Pingyuan knew she feared hearing bad news and didn’t reveal everything, only picking the good parts: “Don’t worry, teacher’s sword wound is fine now. I returned to the village shortly after the military chaos and found doctors to treat teacher, finally saving the old man’s life.”

Bai Yimei’s eyes reddened, tears streaming down as she bowed to Gu Pingyuan: “Thank you. I fear I can no longer fulfill filial duties before father in this life – I only ask you to care for father for me.”

Gu Pingyuan couldn’t help her up, only stepped aside and said urgently: “What are you saying? I don’t understand – we’re not far apart, why don’t you go home to visit?”

His urgent reproach left Bai Yimei not knowing how to answer. After thinking, she said tactfully: “I was captured by soldiers – even if nothing happened, could I return to the village?”

Like lightning flashing through Gu Pingyuan’s mind, the words “reputation and chastity” crossed his thoughts, and he immediately understood Bai Yimei’s suffering. She was right – even if she hadn’t been violated by soldiers, villagers probably wouldn’t believe it. Once she returned, she’d become a woman everyone pointed at behind her back as unchaste. Forget marrying and living normally – even going out to fetch water would have to be done after dark. Even setting that aside, even if Bai Yimei didn’t fear others’ gossip, she had to consider her father’s lifelong pure reputation. So she’d rather not return home, rather let people think she died among the chaotic troops, at least preserving the family’s reputation.

But what exactly had happened to Bai Yimei? Had she really been violated? And how had she transformed into Chen Yucheng’s princess? Gu Pingyuan wanted to know all this but couldn’t ask.

Seeing him as if with something stuck in his throat, Bai Yimei knew what he wanted to ask and sighed softly: “That day when I tried to save father, I was captured by Miao Peilin’s soldiers. After their defeat, they took me to a wilderness and wanted to…”

Gu Pingyuan’s heart ached hearing this and interrupted: “You needn’t say.”

Bai Yimei shook her head: “No, others aside, at least I want you to know my experiences. They didn’t succeed – the prince happened to pass by with his troops and rescued me. He was urgent to lead his forces in retreat and couldn’t spare men to send me home, so I followed him to Sanhe Town. Later I thought about it and knew I couldn’t return, so I stayed here. Fortunately, the prince has always taken good care of me. If officials knew I was staying among Taiping forces, it would bring disaster to father and even implicate your family, so I gave a false name.”

Gu Pingyuan suddenly understood, murmuring: “Chen wu bi gu, gu wu bi Chen… I understand.” [Chen things must be old, old things must be Chen – a play on surnames]

Bai Yimei had stood too long and her small feet were somewhat weak. Sitting on a round stool, her voice carried sadness but she tried to keep it calm: “After several months, the prince sent someone to propose marriage. I thought, either I die, or if I don’t die, I must find someone to entrust my life to. He saved me, didn’t let those villains humiliate me, and always treated me with courtesy. Marrying him could be considered repaying his kindness.”

Gu Pingyuan listened silently, his heart feeling as if several knives were stabbing simultaneously. He knew Bai Yimei’s heartache might be even deeper than his own. This was truly heaven’s cruel jest – if Gu Pingyuan had returned ten days earlier, both their fates would have been different.

“I never thought I’d see you again. Were you released by the authorities?” Bai Yimei asked with concern.

Naturally, Gu Pingyuan had no need to hide anything here, so he told his experiences of the past year in detail. Listening to this, Bai Yimei’s face turned deathly pale, and only after a long while did she speak: “You truly picked up your life and returned. Since you’re a fugitive, you must be careful in everything from now on.”

Seeing her still caring for him so much at this moment, Gu Pingyuan’s emotions surged. He stepped forward and grasped Bai Yimei’s soft hands, blurting out: “I’ll take you away. We’ll move our two families elsewhere, somewhere no one knows us, and you won’t need to fear anything.”

Bai Yimei hadn’t expected him to do this. After a moment of shock, she quickly pulled her hands free and turned away.

Gu Pingyuan became anxious. Taking the white jade hairpin from his chest, he spread his hands flat and said excitedly: “This hairpin – when I fell seriously ill beyond the pass, the doctor said I needed ginseng, but where could a convict get money? Friends wanted me to pawn the hairpin, but I refused even unto death. Later someone told me they wanted to secretly pawn the hairpin for medicine while I was unconscious, but my hand was clenched so tightly that no one could pry it open. To take that hairpin, they would have had to break my fingers.”

“For this hairpin, I was nearly beaten to death, but I never lost it. More than once I thought, even if I really died beyond the pass, being able to take your token into the coffin with me would leave no regrets.” As Gu Pingyuan spoke, he could no longer hold back his tears.

“Please stop talking.” Bai Yimei’s body trembled. She needed the greatest restraint to keep herself from turning around and throwing herself into Gu Pingyuan’s arms. “Don’t forget, I’m already married, and moreover, he’s my savior. I… cannot, truly cannot!”

It was “cannot,” not “don’t want to!” Gu Pingyuan clearly heard what she truly meant to say in her heart. In his heartbreak, he stepped back two paces, placed the jade hairpin on the table, and leaned on the table with both hands in dejected silence.

“Yimei, may I come in?” A deep male voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Bai Yimei was startled. Seeing Gu Pingyuan’s questioning gaze, she whispered: “It’s the prince.”

Chen Yucheng! Gu Pingyuan had long heard of this man’s great reputation – the foremost brave general in the Taiping Army. Whether Banner troops or Green Standard troops, seeing Ying King Chen Yucheng’s banner would flee at the sight.

Bai Yimei was momentarily at a loss. Gu Pingyuan thought briefly, then stepped forward and opened the door. He stood neither servile nor overbearing, looking at the man before him.

At the door stood a general full of heroic spirit – not tall but with contained vigor, eyes like a tiger’s, with a scar below each eye. This was the origin of the Qing army’s contemptuous nickname “Four-Eyed Dog.”

Seeing her husband and her childhood sweetheart face to face, their gazes yielding to neither, Bai Yimei truly feared they might fight over a disagreement. If they really came to blows, Gu Pingyuan naturally wouldn’t be Chen Yucheng’s match. “If the prince kills him, then today would also be my death day,” Bai Yimei secretly made up her mind.

“This is this king’s mansion. You dare block the door and not let this king enter?” Chen Yucheng said coldly.

“She’s the woman I want to marry. You dare stop her from leaving?” Gu Pingyuan responded tit for tat, showing no weakness.

“He never stopped me. I’ve said it – I myself cannot return!” Bai Yimei could bear it no longer. Tears flowed down again – tears of bitterness, of grievance, and more of an angry resentment that wished to grab all the gods and Buddhas in heaven to demand a clear explanation.

“You heard her. Even on our wedding night, this king still asked her, and she said she wanted to stay in the prince’s mansion forever as my wife. Do you think I, Chen Yucheng, am someone who takes advantage of others’ misfortune? Hmph!” Only at this point did Chen Yucheng’s voice carry a trace of anger.

Gu Pingyuan knew he spoke the truth. Precisely because of this, his heart felt as if it were being cut by knives. His earlier momentum gradually disappeared without a trace. His hands gripped the door frame tightly, his gaze no longer meeting Chen Yucheng’s.

“I know everything.” Though Gu Pingyuan had smoothly entered the prince’s mansion, someone had already reported to Chen Yucheng that the princess was privately meeting a man. Chen Yucheng had known Bai Yimei for half a year. Though she never spoke of it, he vaguely sensed she had someone she missed, and he had a premonition it was this very man today. Chen Yucheng never avoided confronting matters and had no patience for romantic entanglements, so he immediately came to settle things cleanly and decisively.

“I also want to know whether what you said that day was from your heart. If it wasn’t from your heart, go with him now – I absolutely won’t stop you.” Chen Yucheng looked at Bai Yimei, his tone becoming gentler.

Gu Pingyuan also looked at Bai Yimei. From his eager gaze, one could see his heart hoping for those words: “I’ll go with you.”

However, he was ultimately disappointed. Bai Yimei hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and shook her head decisively.

“I’m already your wife. How can you say such things?”

In his heart, Gu Pingyuan cried out: “Then what of our former vows of eternal love? Can they truly be erased with one stroke now?”

But he ultimately made no sound, only quietly watching Bai Yimei, watching that heart-piercing, bone-deep pain in her eyes. He felt the thread between himself and Bai Yimei had already broken. This feeling transformed into despair that, like the north wind beyond the pass, brought coldness into his heart.

Chen Yucheng naturally could also see the tangled emotional threads between them that couldn’t be cut or sorted out, yet he laughed heartily without concern and said to Bai Yimei: “Having your words is enough. Then this friend Gu has come from afar as a guest – he’s Yimei’s guest and thus an honored guest of my prince’s mansion. I still need to handle military affairs, so please, Yimei, receive him.” Saying this, he nodded to Gu Pingyuan and strode out with large steps.

An indescribable silence fell over the room. Neither spoke, just standing there looking at each other. After a long while, Bai Yimei bit her lower lip tightly and sighed deeply: “He trusts me, so I cannot wrong him even more. Let the past be past – who knows what heaven is thinking, playing such tricks with fate. After you return to the village, never tell father about my situation. He’s been loyal to the emperor and patriotic his whole life – if he knew I married a rebel, he’d probably die of anger.”

Gu Pingyuan had thought of this point too and nodded slightly.

“By the way,” Bai Yimei said, “what brings you to Sanhe Town? Did you hear news of me and come here specially?”

Her words reminded Gu Pingyuan, and he silently cursed his own confusion: “It’s not that. I encountered you by accident. This trip to Sanhe Town is indeed urgent business – my brother has been captured by the Taiping Army and faces beheading!”

“Ah!” Bai Yimei was also shocked to hear this. After Gu Pingyuan explained the detailed circumstances, she couldn’t help but furrow her delicate brows.

She thought for quite a while, as if making up her mind, then first instructed toward the door: “Cui’er, go see where the sergeant guarding the prince’s mansion is and have him come see me.”

The maid answered and left. Only then did Bai Yimei say: “I must help with Pingwen’s matter, but I don’t know his current situation. How about this – you go wait at the back gate first. If things go smoothly, I’ll invite you back in.”

Gu Pingyuan nodded. The two gazed at each other with reluctance, then the same maidservant led him out through the west corner gate to a turning point, instructing: “Young master, please don’t wander about. If there’s news, the princess will definitely send me to find you.”

This wait was not short. Starting from noon, he waited a full two hours until late afternoon. Seeing the sun about to set, there was still no news.

Though Gu Pingyuan’s temperament was already steady for a young man, he was extremely anxious, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. Just when he was at his wit’s end, he suddenly heard someone shout: “Elder brother!”

Looking up, Gu Pingyuan was overjoyed to see his brother and that clerk walking toward him.

“Elder brother,” Gu Pingwen called again as he approached. Gu Pingyuan patted his shoulder and comforted him: “Are you alright? Were you injured?”

“No, no.” Gu Pingwen’s nose felt sour and he began to cry. “I… I…”

“Let’s talk when we get back.” Gu Pingyuan knew his brother felt bad. Though he had originally planned to scold him properly, now he couldn’t bear to.

“Fortunately we encountered Sister Yimei, otherwise…”

“Ahem… Take this silver and hire a horse cart, otherwise without transport, how will you two get back?” Gu Pingyuan immediately changed the subject, sending the clerk away on an errand. When he was far away, Gu Pingyuan frowned and said: “Pingwen, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but you’re not young anymore. How can you act without thinking things through? The queue-selling business aside, how can you let unrelated people know about Bai Yimei’s situation?”

Gu Pingwen was scolded by his elder brother until he couldn’t say a word. He had been crying, but now he didn’t even dare shed tears.

“If I guess correctly, she used her status as princess to privately release you, right?”

“Yes, that clerk didn’t see Sister Yimei. She only invited me alone into the inner hall, talked for a while, then had people release us through the corner gate.”

Gu Pingyuan shook his head: “That won’t do. She’s taking too great a risk. I’ll go back in to discuss with her and see if there’s a way that works for everyone.”

“Elder brother, you can’t enter the prince’s mansion again. Sister Yimei said she won’t see you again – we should leave quickly. She can handle the rest. She also said the prince wouldn’t make things difficult for her over a mere merchant. Oh, and this is something Sister Yimei asked me to give you.” Saying this, Gu Pingwen took a sachet from his pocket.

Gu Pingyuan took it and opened it to find the jade hairpin he had left in the prince’s mansion.

This jade hairpin was what he had originally bought for Bai Yimei when going to the provincial capital for the rural examination – the most precious gift he had ever bought for his beloved after scrimping and saving. He still clearly remembered the surprised, delighted, yet infinitely shy expression on Bai Yimei’s face when she received the hairpin. It was that very day he secretly vowed in his heart that he would definitely pass the imperial examination and become a Hanlin scholar, returning home gloriously to marry her.

However, all this was now like flowers in a mirror, moon in water – unattainable. Though their mountain vow remained, it was difficult to send tender letters. A high wall of the prince’s mansion separated them into two worlds. The autumn waters and that beautiful person – whether they could even meet once more in this life was unknown.

Holding the hairpin, Gu Pingyuan unconsciously clenched his fist tighter and tighter. Suddenly hearing Gu Pingwen’s cry of alarm, Gu Pingyuan snapped back to awareness and discovered he had snapped the jade hairpin in two. The sharp broken edge had cut his palm, blood dripping onto the ground.

“Elder brother!” Gu Pingwen cried out in shock.

“Did she have anything else to say?” Gu Pingyuan asked with closed eyes, forcibly suppressing the pain in his heart.

“Sister Yimei asked me to tell you that there are many good women in the world. Please forget her. Give this jade hairpin to your new bride in the future – consider it her wedding gift to the new couple.”

Gu Pingyuan nodded woodenly. Seeing the clerk had already hired a horse cart and was waiting in the distance, he sighed heavily and left Sanhe Town with Gu Pingwen.

Throughout the journey, Gu Pingyuan never spoke, nor did Gu Pingwen dare to open his mouth. The three men just traveled in silence. Returning to Qiankou Town, to prevent Second Master Hou from causing more trouble, Gu Pingyuan had the two clerks put up the shop boards and temporarily close the store. He and his brother would return to Gujia Village once, as the lie told in haste earlier wasn’t clever, and they feared Mother Gu would worry. Both being filial sons, they hurriedly rushed to Gujia Village after arranging shop affairs.

With only the two brothers remaining, Gu Pingyuan had words to say. Having now calmed his emotions and considered for a while, he said: “No matter what, don’t do business with the Taiping rebels again in the future.”

Gu Pingwen answered with a red face and lowered head. Gu Pingyuan looked at him and softened his tone: “Second brother, I’m afraid you still don’t understand my meaning. The Taiping rebels are indeed rebellious bandits, but if they become powerful, it wouldn’t matter for us to do some business with them privately – first to make money, second to build some goodwill. If the Taiping rebels occupy Huizhou in the future, we could establish connections early.”

Gu Pingwen hadn’t expected his elder brother to say this and asked in confusion: “Then why does elder brother say we absolutely cannot do business with the Taiping rebels?”

“Because the Taiping rebels are nearly finished.” Gu Pingyuan said with certainty. “I had already heard that Hong Xiuquan in Tianjing hasn’t held court for years, spending his days in debauchery in the rear palace, and massively enfeoffing kings. One Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, established only ten years and not even controlling half the country, has hundreds of kings throwing their weight around. They also implement male and female camps – officials have dozens of wives while ordinary couples face beheading for meeting privately, causing heaven’s anger and people’s resentment. This time in Sanhe Town, I discovered their soldiers have also become corrupt – extorting, drinking and making merry – these are all signs of a dying nation. Look at the Qing forces – Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang are all once-in-a-generation talents, training the Xiang Army and Huai Army. Sooner or later they’ll defeat the Taiping rebels.”

Gu Pingwen listened in a daze – he had never thought about these things.

Gu Pingyuan continued: “In business and trade, the flow of silver and goods is certainly important, but we must also clearly see which people can be dealt with and which cannot. Take the Taiping rebels – they’re nearly finished, yet you insisted on doing business with them. When the government forces find Taiping account books in the future and track down names, that disaster would be unimaginable.”

Only then did Gu Pingwen see the light, saying admiringly: “Elder brother, you’re truly remarkable. The merchants in town just do whatever business comes their way – who would think to consider future matters?”

“Merchants who can only see the past can only follow others step by step in business. Merchants who see clearly the current situation can go with the flow and control their own business. If one can be a step ahead and understand future circumstances, then one can do truly great business.”

“What about you, elder brother?” Gu Pingwen became interested and asked with a smile.

But Gu Pingyuan didn’t smile, saying in a low voice: “Pingwen, do you know? True great business can sometimes even influence a nation’s rise and fall. If I had the chance to do such great business, that would be wonderful.” Saying this, he turned back and, though knowing he couldn’t see it, still gazed deeply in the direction of Sanhe Town.

His voice grew heavier. Gu Pingwen didn’t understand this statement and was about to ask when suddenly they heard someone shouting ahead: “Elder brother! Second brother!”

Both were startled, only then realizing that in their conversation, they had unknowingly reached the entrance of Gujia Village.

The one calling them was little sister Gu Yuting. It looked like she had been waiting at the village entrance for quite a while, her face extremely anxious, speaking rapidly: “Where did you go? You worried me to death! I sent people to look for you in town, but you weren’t there either. I was so anxious I had no choice but to keep running to the village entrance to watch.”

Gu Pingyuan didn’t even bother dismounting, urgently interrupting his sister’s words: “What happened?”

“Need you ask? Something big happened!”

Gu Pingyuan’s body shook. Without waiting for him to ask further, his sister continued: “Right after you left, teacher became unwell. The doctor has come several times and says he probably won’t make it.”

As soon as Gu Yuting finished speaking, her elder brother raised his whip and spurred the date-red horse charging into the village.

The Huizhou village with its “blue tiles, white walls, horse-head walls” had narrow, long stone-paved roads. Riding slowly was fine, but galloping like Gu Pingyuan probably hadn’t happened since the village was built. Pedestrians in the village frantically dodged in panic – adults shouting, children crying – as if bandits had entered the village.

Gu Pingyuan couldn’t care about anything, his ears ringing only with his sister’s words “probably won’t make it,” his heart increasingly urgent. Reaching his house, he flung the reins and leaped down. Forgetting to lift his leg when crossing the threshold, he stumbled and fell. Though his leg’s old wound hurt piercingly, he couldn’t care about that either. Getting up, he rushed in a few steps to outside the main room where his teacher lived.

The doctor was just lifting the door curtain and coming out. Seeing Gu Pingyuan covered in dust and rushing in anxiously, he quickly waved at him. Gu Pingyuan understood and approached to ask quietly: “Doctor, my teacher’s illness…”

“Sigh!” The doctor sighed. “He’s like an oil lamp burning out. If you hadn’t always used expensive tonics to nourish him, he probably couldn’t have lasted till today.”

Gu Pingyuan’s heart sank, staring speechlessly at the doctor. The doctor continued: “The patient looks fairly well and his mind has cleared considerably, but this is probably just a final rally. I’d say prepare for the funeral. Ask if there are any unfinished concerns. I can do nothing more.”

The room was clean and tidy, filled with medicinal fragrance. It was commendable how Gu Pingyuan had carefully tended to him these past six months. Though Teacher Bai was mentally confused, his daily life remained as before without suffering the slightest hardship. Gu Pingyuan quietly approached his teacher’s bedside. Looking at the emaciated old man, his eyes immediately moistened. Seeing his teacher slowly open his eyes, he quickly turned to wipe away tears and forced a smile: “Teacher, I’m back. You look much better today.”

“Is that so?” Teacher Bai smiled slightly. “You needn’t humor me. I understand in my heart – I’m finished.”

“Teacher…”

Teacher Bai waved his hand: “Sigh, at my great age, I’ve long stopped caring about life and death. But it’s a pity – my best student has returned, but my daughter is lost.” He closed his eyes and two teardrops rolled from the corners.

Gu Pingyuan had been thinking about this matter all the way back. Having prepared his words long ago, he immediately said: “Teacher, great news – Yimei has been found!” He deliberately emphasized his tone, still harboring a slim hope that this good news might help his teacher’s condition improve.

“Found? In these chaotic times, where could she be found?” Teacher Bai clearly didn’t believe it.

“Yimei was rescued by government troops just outside the village entrance. They were busy suppressing bandits and couldn’t send her back immediately, so they took her along. Don’t you have relatives in Xiuning?”

“Yes, my younger sister lives there.”

“That’s it then. The government forces chased all the way to Xiuning County. Seeing she wasn’t far from her aunt, Yimei went there. With war everywhere, they didn’t dare send her back, so she stayed for several months. Fortunately, they’re close relatives, so it was no problem. I just went to Xiuning and saw Yimei. In a few days when the area is peaceful, I’ll bring her back.”

This fabrication actually had quite a few holes, but Teacher Bai’s mind was already weakened, and hearing the sudden good news, his thoughts were scattered. He didn’t notice any problems at all, but was overjoyed beyond control, constantly looking skyward in prayer: “Heaven protect us! Heaven protect us!”

Gu Pingyuan felt sad inside but had to say: “Teacher, don’t worry. Yimei is perfectly well.”

“I’m at ease, at ease.” Teacher Bai wept with joy. “Pingyuan, you still remember what you promised me, right? I’m afraid I won’t live to see you and Yimei marry. Go bring her back – I want to tell her personally that I’m betrothing her to you. Then I can die without regrets.”

Hearing these words, Gu Pingyuan’s heart felt bitter and astringent, like swallowing raw coptis. But not daring to let his teacher see, he repeatedly agreed and left the room.

“Elder brother, what should we do?” Gu Pingwen had heard everything from outside the window.

“Sigh!” Though Gu Pingyuan was usually resourceful and decisive, his mind was now in chaos and he was at a loss.

Gu Pingyuan couldn’t forget Bai Yimei for a moment. Since his exile, he had originally given up thoughts of marrying Bai Yimei, only hoping she would marry into a good family. But after seeing her this time, not only was he worried she might face disaster following Chen Yucheng, but that long-sealed affection unknowingly surged like spring tide, impossible to suppress. All day long, Bai Yimei’s beautiful figure danced before his eyes.

After nightfall, Gu Pingyuan sat alone in his room facing a solitary lamp, the jade hairpin broken in two lying on the table before him. He stared at it blankly, Bai Yimei’s image again floating in his mind. Though they were not far apart, longing made meeting difficult. Gu Pingyuan felt this pain was even harder to bear than doing hard labor beyond the pass.

Just then, the door behind him creaked, the wind made the lamp flicker, and someone walked in from outside.

Gu Pingyuan turned around to see his mother entering and quickly stood to offer her a seat.

Mother Gu immediately noticed the hairpin and sat down with a sigh. Gu Pingyuan poured his mother a cup of water and sat down himself.

Mother Gu didn’t speak for a long time. When she finally did, her voice was low: “Your brother told me about Yimei’s situation. This child truly has a hard fate – lost her mother at five, now her father is failing, and she herself has fallen among the rebels. What sins has she committed to deserve this?”

“It’s all because heaven is blind,” Gu Pingyuan echoed.

“Nonsense.” Mother Gu scolded. “How can you speak recklessly about heaven? Watch your mouth.”

Knowing his mother was Buddhist and always disapproved of words slandering monks or scorning the Way, Gu Pingyuan said no more.

Mother Gu continued: “They all think you’re only worried about your teacher’s illness, but I saw through it long ago – you’re still thinking about Yimei, aren’t you?”

Gu Pingyuan lowered his head without speaking.

“Listen to me – you and she are what people call ‘destined but not fated.’ Now that she’s married, no amount of longing will help. I also feel sorry for this child – I’ve always regarded her as a daughter – but with things as they are now, no one can do anything about it.”

Somehow Gu Pingyuan’s stubborn streak emerged, and he protested: “But I’ve already promised teacher…”

“Don’t say another word!” Mother Gu said angrily. “Your teacher is gravely ill – that was just an expedient to comfort the old man. Surely you can’t take it seriously? Even if, heaven forbid, that Taiping prince divorced Yimei, would you still marry her?”

“Why not?”

Mother Gu angrily slammed the table: “Of course not! You’re the eldest son, the pillar of this family – how can you marry a remarried woman! What would the clan say about you, about your siblings? Don’t you even care about the family’s reputation? Moreover, she married a Taiping rebel – that makes her a traitor’s accomplice. If you married her, think of the disaster it would bring to our entire Gu family!”

“I…” Gu Pingyuan was momentarily speechless.

Mother Gu shook her head and sighed, softening her tone: “Actually, none of this matters because Yimei can never return anyway, so your longing is useless – you’re only harming your health.”

Gu Pingyuan’s mind was in chaos, head lowered, not knowing what to do.

Mother Gu thought for a moment, then reached out and took out a pouch, from which she extracted an emerald thumb ring of parrot green.

“A few days ago, Yuting was washing your clothes and found this in your pocket, so she brought it to show me. This is a woman’s item – where did you get it?”

After discovering this thumb ring, Mother Gu had remained silent. She had originally feared her eldest son had gotten involved with some improper woman, but after the Bai Yimei situation arose, she worried her son couldn’t forget Yimei. It might be better to clarify this thumb ring matter – if it was truly a good match, she wouldn’t mind arranging it, to prevent Gu Pingyuan from doing something rash in his lovesickness.

Naturally, Gu Pingyuan didn’t know his mother’s thoughts. Suddenly seeing Chang Yu’er’s emerald thumb ring, he was startled. Chang Yu’er’s smile floated through his mind, gradually overlapping with Bai Yimei’s beautiful image until everything blurred.

“This… this…” Gu Pingyuan, usually articulate, was rarely tongue-tied.

Seeing his difficulty, Mother Gu felt sorry for him. This family had gone from near ruin to prosperity again, all through her eldest son’s efforts. She saw his day and night labors and truly felt for him, unwilling to add to his troubles. But choosing the eldest daughter-in-law was a major family matter – even a clan’s prosperity was greatly related to this. Mother Gu had to steel her heart.

Seeing his mother wouldn’t let it go, Gu Pingyuan had to briefly recount Chang Yu’er’s story. He dared not mention his private escape back inside the pass, only saying he fell seriously ill on his pardoned journey home and was fortunately saved by Old Man Chang Si, leading to all subsequent encounters.

“Oh my.” After hearing this, Mother Gu was both surprised and pleased. “This Chang girl has a kind nature with a strong backbone – both virtuous and capable. If we could marry her in, it would be wonderful. She’d certainly be a filial daughter-in-law who could manage the household well.”

Thinking this, she placed the emerald thumb ring before Gu Pingyuan and took away the white jade hairpin. Before Gu Pingyuan could speak, she had stood up, walked to the door, and said over her shoulder with finality: “In any case, I absolutely will not agree to you resuming your relationship with Yimei. If such a day really comes, I’d rather adopt her as my goddaughter.”

Leaving these words, Mother Gu returned to her room. Gu Pingyuan was left mentally shattered by his mother’s sudden three-pronged attack, barely sleeping all night.

“You…” Bai Yimei looked at Gu Pingyuan before her with surprise and uncertainty, seeing his exhausted face, not understanding why he had returned after only three days.

Gu Pingyuan’s face was sorrowful, his voice hoarse: “Teacher… is dying.”

“Ah, what!” Bai Yimei’s heart trembled. “Didn’t you say last time…”

“I was lying then, afraid you’d worry. If you don’t return now, you may not see teacher one last time.” As Gu Pingyuan spoke, he reached out to pull Bai Yimei.

Bai Yimei suddenly stepped back alertly: “Are you trying to trick me into going back with you?”

Gu Pingyuan was stunned, then said angrily: “You don’t trust me? I wouldn’t use teacher’s life to deceive you – that would make me a beast!” He nodded. “Fine, three feet above one’s head dwells a spirit. If I, Gu Pingyuan, speak falsely, let me die pierced by ten thousand arrows…”

“Don’t…” Bai Yimei urgently stepped forward to cover Gu Pingyuan’s mouth. Gu Pingyuan’s emotions surged, and he pulled her into his embrace. Bai Yimei struggled a few times, but Gu Pingyuan’s arms held her firmly, his teardrops falling on her forehead and hairline. Bai Yimei’s heart ached, and she stopped moving, letting Gu Pingyuan hold her.

“I must speak with the prince before going home.” After who knows how long, Bai Yimei gently freed herself from Gu Pingyuan’s embrace.

She returned to her bedroom. The room was quiet, the courtyard outside also quiet. The maids and servants who should have been there were nowhere to be seen. On the obsidian round table in the room lay a piece of plain paper with rough but unrestrained handwriting – Chen Yucheng’s message.

“Since you haven’t forgotten, why force yourself to stay? If the heart isn’t here, why should the person be? Take care!”

Bai Yimei held the note and stood motionless for a long time. Her hand loosened, and the paper fluttered to the ground.

Bai Yimei couldn’t ride, so to return to Gujia Village quickly, she had to share the date-red horse with Gu Pingyuan. The Taiping soldiers guarding the city saw “Princess Chen” leaving the city on horseback with a strange man and were so shocked they didn’t dare ask a single question.

Gu Pingyuan held the reins with one hand, his other arm lightly encircling Bai Yimei’s waist. The two were nearly body to body with almost no space between them. At first, neither spoke, both not knowing what to say, until much later when Bai Yimei suddenly said in an extremely soft voice: “I had planned to wait for you my whole life, never to marry, just waiting in Gujia Village, but I never imagined there would come a day when I could never return…”

“I know, I understand, I understand everything…”

“I’ll still return to his side in the future. I’ve already wronged you – I can’t wrong him too.” Though Bai Yimei’s tone was calm, she seemed to be making a vow.

Gu Pingyuan said nothing. He seemed to hear himself sighing deeply in his heart, and the arm around Bai Yimei’s waist involuntarily tightened.

Bai Yimei’s sudden appearance brought both joy and worry to the Gu family. The father and daughter’s reunion after disaster moved everyone to tears – the whole Gu family wept along. Gu Pingwen and Gu Yuting were simply happy that Sister Yimei had finally returned home, but Mother Gu’s face showed deep concern.

“Did anyone see her enter the village?” Mother Gu asked Gu Pingyuan.

“I deliberately chose the time – it was already the night watch when we entered the village, and we didn’t encounter anyone along the way.”

“That’s good. These days, all of you must be careful when going out. No one is to leak the news of Yimei’s return.”

“Why?” Gu Yuting, knowing nothing, naturally couldn’t understand why this good news should be hidden from the villagers.

Mother Gu’s face darkened: “Don’t ask – just do as I say.”

“Also,” she glanced at her eldest son with some helplessness, “let Yimei stay in my room these days.”

“I wanted to sleep with Sister Yimei,” said the quick-tongued Gu Yuting again.

“Shut up!” Mother Gu was angry. She feared both that the “Princess Chen” matter would be discovered by the authorities and that her son Gu Pingyuan’s old feelings for Bai Yimei would rekindle.

Gu Pingyuan knew his mother’s intentions and lowered his head without a word.

His daughter’s return seemed like a lucky star, unexpectedly dispelling the ill fortune around Teacher Bai. The man who had been experiencing his final rally actually grew stronger day by day. By the fifth day, he could sit up and drink a bowl of red date and millet porridge, delighting Gu Pingyuan and Bai Yimei beyond words.

After breakfast, Teacher Bai asked his daughter to invite Gu Pingyuan and his mother to the room, gathering his energy for something important to say.

“Sister-in-law Gu, our two families have known each other for over ten years. Your son Gu Pingyuan is my prize student – I can say I’ve taught this disciple everything I know in my lifetime. Though I have no son, having such a student to carry on my legacy means I can die without regrets.”

These words brought tears to everyone’s eyes.

“Father, you’re getting better – don’t say unlucky things,” Bai Yimei advised.

“At my age, how many good days can I have left?” Teacher Bai waved dismissively. “My only concern is this daughter. A few days ago when I thought I was dying, I entrusted Yimei to Pingyuan, and he graciously agreed to marry into our Bai family. But that was an expedient measure then. Now that I’m feeling better, as they say, ‘marriage is a major matter requiring parents’ orders and matchmakers’ words’ – I want to ask Sister-in-law Gu’s opinion: would you be willing to have my daughter as your daughter-in-law?”

The three people in the room were immediately dumbfounded. How to answer this? Agree? Actually hold a wedding? Mother Gu absolutely couldn’t consent. Disagree? What reason? Mother Gu had watched Bai Yimei grow up – they were close as mother and daughter. Why wouldn’t she want her as a daughter-in-law?

Tell the truth? Revealing everything would kill Teacher Bai on the spot – absolutely unspeakable.

Just a brief moment of stunned silence made Teacher Bai sense something wrong. He looked questioningly at Gu Pingyuan, then at Mother Gu: “Don’t tell me Sister-in-law Gu is unwilling…”

“No, teacher, I’m willing, and my mother is too,” Gu Pingyuan suddenly said recklessly.

“Pingyuan!” Mother Gu sternly stopped him.

Bai Yimei’s face flushed red as she quietly tugged Teacher Bai’s sleeve and whispered: “Father, let’s discuss this matter later.”

“This… this…” Teacher Bai sensed something was wrong and became agitated, coughing violently. Gu Pingyuan and Bai Yimei quickly went to him, one on each side, patting his back and chest. Their eyes met, both filled with sorrow.

Just then, they suddenly heard the courtyard gate kicked open with a loud bang, as if a group of people had forced their way in.

Hearing this, everyone was startled. Gu Pingyuan and his mother quickly went outside and were shocked by what they saw.

Seven or eight constables with swords at their waists stood menacingly in the courtyard, each holding iron shackles.

“Who is Gu Pingyuan?”

Gu Pingyuan’s heart sank. Could the people hunting him have tracked him from Shanxi to Anhui? But in Shanxi, except for the Chang family, he hadn’t told anyone his hometown. Had something happened to the Chang family again?

When trouble came, fear was useless. He stepped forward and cupped his hands: “I am Gu Pingyuan. May I ask what you constable brothers want with me?”

“Hehe.” The head constable sneered, unceremoniously shaking out iron chains to bind Gu Pingyuan before saying: “Not just you – where is someone called Bai Yimei?”

Bai Yimei in the room heard clearly, knowing this trip would end badly. Steeling herself, she walked to the center of the room and knelt before her father on the bed, kowtowing three times heavily until her forehead was red and swollen.

“Yimei, what’s happening? What’s wrong?” Suddenly facing this catastrophe, Teacher Bai was frantic with worry, looking at his daughter in panic.

Bai Yimei couldn’t say a word. Rising tearfully, she looked once more at her frail father, then walked sadly out of the room. Standing under the eaves, she said to the constables: “I am Bai Yimei.”

“No!” Gu Pingyuan shouted. “She’s not Bai Yimei! Bai Yimei isn’t here!” So these constables had come for “Princess Chen.” Gu Pingyuan was terrified – if Bai Yimei were captured by the court, she would surely die.

“You say she’s not? We’ll find someone to identify her.” The head constable called toward the courtyard: “Second Master Hou, please come identify her.”

Gu Pingyuan’s eyes widened as he watched Second Master Hou swagger in. First looking smugly at the shackled Gu Pingyuan, then glancing once at Bai Yimei, he told the head constable: “That’s the shameless slut, no mistake!”

“Hou!” Gu Pingyuan roared.

“Surname Gu, weren’t you defiant? Let me tell you, I’ve had people watching your house. I know about every trip you made to Sanhe Town. Wouldn’t give me your tea? No matter – when your Gu family’s tea fields are confiscated and sold as rebel property, I’ll simply buy the fields along with everything else. Wouldn’t that be even better? Hahaha…” Second Master Hou laughed triumphantly at the fury in Gu Pingyuan’s eyes.

“So you’re ‘Princess Chen’ – indeed a beauty. No wonder that great Taiping rebel Chen Yucheng married you. Hmph, one is a rebel chieftain’s wife, the other harbors a rebel chieftain’s wife – arrest them all!” At the head constable’s command, the officers bound Bai Yimei with rope and pushed both prisoners out. Mother Gu watched this scene in shock – her son had just returned home six months ago only to be arrested by the authorities again, and this time the charges were even more serious. She chased after them two steps but hadn’t left the courtyard when everything went black and she collapsed unconscious.

This was the time for working in the fields, so villagers were heading to their plots. When Gu Pingyuan and Bai Yimei were brought out, it immediately alarmed the entire village’s men, women, and children. People gathered from all directions. Of course, no one dared obstruct official business, but everyone talked among themselves – no one knew how Bai Yimei had suddenly returned to the village after disappearing for half a year, or why she was arrested along with Gu Pingyuan.

At the village entrance, even more onlookers gathered. Many rushed back from tea fields to see. Gu Yuting also heard the news and ran back from the tea fields. Seeing her elder brother and Bai Yimei arrested, she was terrified and rushed over crying: “Elder brother, what’s happening? Why are they arresting you?”

“Quickly find someone to go to town and call second brother back. Take good care of mother and teacher – that’s what matters.” This was all Gu Pingyuan could think of now.

Suddenly they heard gongs clearing the way on the road from the village entrance to Qiankou Town. A blue sedan chair was carried swiftly by two bearers, followed by a carrying chair.

Gu Pingyuan’s sharp eyes recognized Secretary Hao on the carrying chair, so the sedan must contain Qiao Henian. Indeed, Qiao Henian stepped out in his sixth-rank official robes. Seeing Gu Pingyuan bound, his face darkened as he asked the head constable with official authority: “Which yamen are you from? How dare you arrest people in this county without first notifying this official? Isn’t that too irregular?”

“Reporting to County Magistrate, we’re from the Provincial Justice Department. The Justice Commissioner instructed us before coming that this woman is a serious criminal – we must go straight to Gujia Village and arrest her first. That’s why we didn’t report to the county. Please forgive us, Your Honor.”

Hearing him invoke the Justice Commissioner who controlled criminal law for the entire province, Qiao Henian was immediately stunned. This was Second Master Hou’s scheme – knowing Qiao Henian and Gu Pingyuan were friends, he had reported directly to the Justice Department, then swiftly struck Gujia Village like lightning. By the time Qiao Henian heard and rushed over, the arrests were made. With such charges, protection would be difficult.

“Must you travel to the provincial capital immediately?”

“Not necessarily. We came in haste without prison carts or cages – we’ll need the county to prepare them.”

“That’s easily arranged.” Qiao Henian agreed while looking back at Secretary Hao, momentarily unable to think of any good strategy to exonerate Gu Pingyuan.

“Let’s go to the county yamen first,” Secretary Hao quietly suggested.

That was the only option. Just as the group was about to depart, a frail, elderly voice called from a small hill at the village entrance.

“Wait!”

Everyone turned to see a white-haired but scholarly-looking old man leaning on a rattan cane, standing before the ancient pine at the village entrance.

“County Magistrate, constable officers, this old man has something to say publicly!” Teacher Bai shouted with all his strength. Wind passed through his throat, threatening a cough, but he pressed the cane hard against his chest, face flushed red from suppressing it.

“Father!”

“Teacher!”

Bai Yimei and Gu Pingyuan cried out simultaneously.

“I am the one who secretly communicated with the Taiping rebels! I am the one who harbored rebel family members! I forced my daughter to marry the rebels – this has nothing to do with them. It’s all my crime alone!” Teacher Bai spoke each word clearly and unhesitatingly.

Gu Pingyuan’s heart shattered hearing this. No one knew teacher better than he did – a man loyal to the emperor and patriotic his whole life, now having to admit to “secretly communicating with rebels” and publicly acknowledge marrying his daughter to a rebel leader. Normally, teacher would rather suffer slow slicing than destroy his lifelong reputation.

A surprise intervention left the experienced head constable momentarily stunned – he’d never encountered someone willing to take such charges upon themselves.

“Listen well, I’ll say it again – these are all this old man’s crimes, unrelated to others.” Teacher Bai finished through gritted teeth, flung away his cane, glared, and ran several steps toward the gnarled ancient pine, crashing his head against it. A loud thud echoed as pine needles scattered down, and Teacher Bai fell bloody-headed to the ground.

“Father!”

“Teacher!”

“Teacher Bai!”

Bai Yimei and Gu Pingyuan’s anguished cries rang out together. Gu Pingyuan found strength from somewhere, broke free from the nearby constables, and stumbled toward his teacher.

Villagers had always respected Teacher Bai’s upright character and dedication to the community. Many had attended his lectures and could be considered half-disciples. Seeing him suddenly crash into the tree and kill himself, everyone wept and gathered around.

“Teacher, teacher!” Gu Pingyuan knelt on the ground with his arms bound behind him, calling continuously. After a while, Teacher Bai slowly opened his eyes, looked at Gu Pingyuan, and said weakly: “Pingyuan, don’t cry. A true man shouldn’t cry – constant tears drain one’s strength and prevent great achievements.”

This was what Teacher Bai had said when young Gu Pingyuan entered private school and was mocked by classmates for being fatherless. He had fought with them, tearing the clothes his mother had sewn by hand. Feeling bitter and aggrieved, he had cried, and Teacher Bai had comforted him with these very words. Hearing them again now, Gu Pingyuan felt his heart burning with pain, wishing he could die immediately if it would save his teacher’s life.

“I served as assistant magistrate and know some criminal law. When someone comes forward to take responsibility, the authorities won’t make things difficult for you.” Teacher Bai’s lips curved in a slight smile. “All my efforts went into you. As long as you don’t forget what I taught you, trading my life for yours is worth ten thousand times over.”

Gu Pingyuan choked up, unable to speak, only nodding repeatedly.

Teacher Bai’s dimming eyes looked through the crowd toward Bai Yimei kneeling and crying hoarsely in the distance. He slowly closed his eyes, shedding two turbid tears: “Alas, my poor daughter… this world, this world…” His voice gradually became inaudible.

“Teacher!” Gu Pingyuan cried out in anguish, falling onto his teacher and weeping aloud. Nearby villagers also wiped their tears and sobbed, the crying suddenly doubling in volume.

Qiao Henian frowned at this tragedy and discussed with the head constable: “Since someone has publicly confessed, couldn’t these two prisoners be given leniency and not immediately detained?”

“County Magistrate, what are you saying? The Justice Commissioner sent us to arrest people – who dares return empty-handed? Aren’t we afraid of official punishment?” The head constable was somewhat displeased.

“May I ask, constable brother, what exactly did the Justice Commissioner order?” Secretary Hao inquired.

“Someone reported to the yamen that Gujia Village was harboring the pseudo-Ying chieftain’s princess. His Honor ordered us to arrest this Princess Chen along with whoever was harboring her and bring them to the provincial capital.”

“I understand.” Secretary Hao, familiar with criminal law and expert at parsing such language, said: “The princess is the princess – nothing to be said about that. But the person harboring rebel family isn’t this Gu Pingyuan but the old man who just crashed into the tree and died. He just publicly confessed before all these witnesses – how can we wrongly accuse good people?”

“This…” The head constable was also stumped, feeling Secretary Hao made sense but sensing something was wrong.

Before he could figure it out, Secretary Hao had quietly slipped him a fifty-tael banknote: “We’re all yamen people – ‘within the yamen lies good cultivation’ – save the living, not the dead. How about our County Magistrate provides a guarantee that this Gu fellow will appear when summoned?”

With things at this point, the head constable had to give face. Provincial constables working in counties needed full cooperation from county magistrates. Selling this favor would surely bring future rewards, plus there was immediate silver to take.

“Fine, since County Magistrate will guarantee him, we have nothing more to say. We’ll just arrest this one.” The head constable pointed at Bai Yimei, who had fainted from crying on the ground.

“Which route are you taking?”

“I cannot tell you!”

The two voices grew louder, echoing through the back hall of She County yamen.

“Brother Gu, don’t be so angry,” Secretary Hao urgently mediated. “Magistrate Qiao has done everything possible for your case – a county magistrate guaranteeing a criminal is unheard of, yet His Honor did it. What more do you want?”

“I want him to tell me the route the constables will take escorting Bai Yimei to the provincial capital.” Gu Pingyuan was red-faced and thick-necked. He knew Qiao Henian had been loyal enough this time and that he was being unreasonable, but he also knew that once Bai Yimei was escorted to provincial prison, she would suffer terribly before inevitable execution.

“Outrageous! I’m a court official – how can I help you kill officials and rescue prisoners? Pingyuan, I advise you to let it go. This woman cannot be saved!” Qiao Henian’s face showed displeasure.

“She must be saved even if she can’t be! Didn’t you see what my teacher did to save me?” Gu Pingyuan roared at Qiao Henian like an enraged tiger. “Would you have me watch his daughter go to the execution ground?”

Both men fell silent. What Teacher Bai had done for his student would move anyone. Qiao Henian had known Gu Pingyuan for years and had never seen him so distraught.

“You won’t tell me? Fine, if that’s how it is, our friendship ends here. From now on, we’re completely finished.” Gu Pingyuan stormed toward the door in rage. Qiao Henian watched him silently until he reached the door, then suddenly said to Secretary Hao: “Secretary Hao, yesterday when we were discussing poetry, you mentioned getting a poem from visiting a mountain friend recently. I thought about it all night and just composed a matching verse. Listen to this.”