Under the eaves, dripping water froze into ice. Xiao Li sat at the doorway, silently carving the object in his hands with a carving knife.
Xiao Huiniang came out carrying something in her arms, coughing as she said: “You went out yesterday and only returned just now. Go back to your room and sleep for a while. Why are you tinkering with your wood carvings again?”
Xiao Li’s hand was extremely steady as he carved into the wood. Without lifting his head, he said: “I’m not tired. The wind is strong outside. Mother, you should go back to your room and rest.”
Xiao Huiniang sighed and said: “Yesterday A’Yu came and told me she’s going to find her family. Ai, there have been too many upheavals during this period. I didn’t have time to prepare any proper gift for her. I stayed up half the night sewing a cloak and several pairs of silk stockings for her. Take them to her first.”
Hearing this, Xiao Li’s hand carving the wood sculpture paused slightly, then he said: “Put them on the table. I’ll deliver them later. Your health isn’t good—if you’re blown by the cold wind, you’ll inevitably fall ill again. If A… Yu sees you, she’ll probably feel sad too.”
At this moment, Xiao Huiniang’s eyes already showed some redness: “I’m also afraid that seeing that child will make me cry and upset her too. Since she’s going to find her family, it should be a happy occasion. Indeed, we shouldn’t send her off with tears. Then Huan’er, you go send her off for your mother.”
She placed the items on the table and instructed further: “Inside the cloak is a ten-tael banknote. It was originally money your mother saved for you to marry a wife in the future, but A’Yu, wanting to repay our kindness and fearing I wouldn’t accept her money, took the silver to rent a shop and then forcibly gave me the land deed. A young lady traveling far must have some silver on her person no matter what. Be careful when you hand over the cloak—don’t let the banknote fall out. And when you give it to A’Yu, don’t mention this matter, otherwise that child definitely won’t accept it.”
Xiao Li’s tall figure blocked the doorway like a silent mountain. Listening to all this, he silently nodded again before saying: “I understand.”
The carving knife in his hand continued to delicately carve wood shavings from the wood.
As Xiao Huiniang was about to enter the house, she mentioned one more thing: “By the way, A’Yu also said you have an injury on your back. Yesterday she brought over some medicinal ointment. How did you get injured again?”
The memory of being pressed under the bamboo shed with her yesterday returned. Her eyes full of concern and the faint elegant fragrance in her hair seemed still close at hand. Xiao Li was lost in thought for a moment before saying: “It’s nothing. She probably saw that I took the job as a guard and thought I was injured when my back took a hit while sparring with the other guards.”
Only then did Xiao Huiniang set her mind at ease and went inside.
The wind blowing through the courtyard scattered the wood shavings Xiao Li carved everywhere. His calloused thumb gently caressed the carp wood carving in his hand.
—
Servants carried Wen Yu’s belongings chest by chest onto the horse carriage. Wen Yu borrowed Zhou Jing’an’s study, dipped her brush in thick ink, and rewrote the poetry and prose denouncing Pei Song.
Though her face was calm, her brushwork could no longer maintain the small regular script handwriting. She completed the entire essay in wild cursive script, the force penetrating through the paper.
She set down the brush and said: “I must trouble the Governor to find someone to transcribe this text. According to the original plan, send it to be posted in the prefectures along all major routes leading to Southern Chen.”
Now she not only wanted to use this to contact her personal attendants, but also to let her father the Prince’s scattered former subordinates know she was still alive so they would rush to Pingzhou to join her.
Zhou Jing’an held her original manuscript in both hands and said with emotion: “Princess, this calligraphy resembles the Prince’s. Every word of the essay is a pearl, and one can see the depth in your heart…”
He suddenly reddened his eyes and bowed to Wen Yu, saying: “With a master such as this, has Great Liang perished? Not yet!”
Wen Yu helped him rise: “Governor, please rise quickly. This journey Yu takes to Southern Chen—the dangers along the way are still unknown, but as long as Yu draws breath, she will carry on her late father’s aspirations, execute the traitor Pei, and restore the realm.”
Speaking to this point, her eyes also became somewhat astringent: “With Yu’s current strength, she cannot protect Yongzhou. If in the future Pei Song’s troops arrive at the city gates, to spare the people of the city from suffering the fires of war again, Governor… please open the city gates and accept surrender.”
Her throat choked up as she said with difficulty: “All of this is because we of the Wen clan are incompetent. First there were maternal relatives causing political chaos, widespread bribery, leading to court corruption with deeply accumulated problems, causing the people throughout the realm to complain bitterly. Then there was the evil dog Pei raised by the maternal relatives who, taking advantage of when my father the Prince and the maternal relatives fought to mutual destruction, raised troops in rebellion, finally turning this realm completely into a boiling cauldron on burning firewood. If in the future the Governor suffers the humiliation of surrender, the fault absolutely does not lie with you, Governor, but with us of the Wen clan. Yu only hopes the Governor will lie dormant under the Pei clan, and when Yu dispatches troops north of the Wei River in the future, lend Yu your strength!”
Zhou Jing’an smiled through his tears, saying with endless heartache yet comfort: “Princess, set your mind at ease and go south. This subject will certainly guard Yongzhou for you and become a thorn driven into the Pei clan.”
Wen Yu bowed deeply to him, saying: “This bow is Yu, on behalf of her late father and on behalf of Great Liang, thanking you, Governor.”
Zhou Jing’an’s tears fell freely as he called out: “My lord, please rise!”
When Wen Yu rose, her eyes had reddened. She picked up a letter from the desk and handed it to him: “This letter, I also trouble the Governor to send by eight-hundred-li express to Hengzhou.”
Zhou Jing’an hesitated: “This is…”
Hengzhou was not far from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun and was where the maternal clan of the Princess Consort of Changlin was located.
Wen Yu’s eyes were like a sword returned to its sheath—calm on the surface but concealing sharpness within: “This is the first great gift I’m sending to Pei Song.”
Zhou Jing’an then understood and said: “This official will dispatch a messenger immediately.”
A servant’s voice came from outside the door: “Governor, the righteous warrior Xiao from the west wing courtyard has come, saying he’s looking for the young lady.”
Those who knew Wen Yu’s identity were only those servants who would accompany her south. To avoid drawing attention, they still addressed Wen Yu as “young lady” in daily life.
Wen Yu looked toward Zhou Jing’an: “Governor, Yu has one more unreasonable request.”
Zhou Jing’an quickly said: “Princess, please speak freely.”
Wen Yu said: “That righteous warrior and his mother have shown kindness to me. If in the future Yongzhou falls into chaos and the Governor still has capacity, please help me protect them.”
Zhou Jing’an said: “That warrior surnamed Xiao has already agreed to stay at the residence to work. I observe that his temperament is steady, and he acts with both courage and strategy. I have the intention to cultivate him and want him to stay by Sui’er’s side to work.”
Zhou Jing’an had one son named Zhou Sui.
Having Xiao Li follow Zhou Sui was not just an ordinary guard position that one could see the end of at a glance.
Wen Yu said sincerely: “Yu thanks the Governor.”
Zhou Jing’an said: “Now that the times are chaotic, various prefectures and provinces are all trying to win over such capable people. This official is eager to recruit him—how could I deserve the Princess’s thanks?”
He continued: “That righteous warrior has come this time, presumably to see the Princess off. This official won’t disturb you further.”
—
Xiao Li, having received the maidservant’s summons, entered the small courtyard where Wen Yu resided. Through the half-open door of the side room, he could see that many things in her room had already been moved out.
Wen Yu was at her vanity table, selecting and packing some pearl hairpins and jewelry that Lady Zhou had given her.
Although the maidservants Lady Zhou assigned to her were all clever and attentive, they had been with her for a short time after all and didn’t yet know her daily grooming preferences. This trip was for traveling, and the things she could bring were limited—it was better for her to select them herself.
Seeing Xiao Li enter, she stopped what she was doing and, looking at the bundle he carried, said with understanding: “Did Auntie have you bring this over?”
Xiao Li nodded and said: “My mother sewed everything herself. It’s just a token of her feelings.”
Wen Yu said: “It must have been Auntie working through the night to sew these for me. I will treasure them well. Please thank Auntie for me.”
She was still as approachable as when she had stayed at his home before, but Xiao Li had already seen the vast mountains and rivers separating himself from her. Her propriety, her gentleness, her magnanimity—all stemmed merely from her upbringing, not from anything else.
She treated his family this way, but if it had been others who had shown her kindness that day, she would treat them the same way.
It was precisely because he understood this that Xiao Li felt she was increasingly beyond his reach.
His gaze fell on her vanity table, which was mostly packed up. Seeing that the box of rouge he had Hou Xiao An buy for her that day had also been placed in a wooden case, he asked: “Are you taking that box of rouge too?”
Wen Yu turned to glance at it and said: “I later learned about the prices of rouge and powder in the city. That box of rouge—Xiao An must have secretly added money to buy it for me. It’s also a token of his feelings, so taking it along is a keepsake.”
Xiao Li stared at the rouge for a while and said: “Mm, take it along.”
Wen Yu prepared to put away the cloak and silk stockings he had brought, but discovered inside them a ten-tael banknote and a carp wood carving about half the size of a palm. The wood carving wasn’t lacquered, and between the fine carving marks one could see very fresh wood color, as if just completed, but it had already been polished extremely smooth.
She picked it up and asked Xiao Li: “What is this?”
Xiao Li said: “The banknote is something my mother insisted on giving you. The wood carving… I carved it.”
His sharp brows and eyes lowered slightly, and the dim light cut a dividing line between light and shadow on his handsome, clear face: “You once said your childhood name was A’Yu, the ‘yu’ of ‘either the fish dies or the net breaks,’ but I think your mother wouldn’t have given you a name with such meaning. A’Yu should be the ‘yu’ of ‘the carp leaping over the dragon gate.’ On this journey to Southern Chen, take care in all things.”
“The carp leaping over the dragon gate?” Wen Yu softly murmured it once.
Xiao Li smiled and said: “I haven’t studied, so if I said it wrong, just take it as a joke.”
Wen Yu shook her head and said: “Thank you.”
Her eyes looked at him peacefully, and the last words she said to him were: “Governor Zhou is a good official and appreciates you greatly. From now on, working under him, do your work well and learn some characters too. I hope that you and Auntie will be safe and smooth in the future, joyful and worry-free.”
That afternoon, when Wen Yu boarded the boat heading south, Xiao Li didn’t go to see her off again.
He shut himself in the study that the Zhou residence opened to the servants, burying himself in the vast sea of books.
But he didn’t know many characters and often had to grab the study’s steward to teach him to read. Within two days, the study’s steward would take detours when seeing him, and the guards on duty with him couldn’t escape his clutches either.
After Xiao Li joined the guards, to make it more convenient to be on duty and better integrate with the guards, he moved to the guard quarters to squeeze in with them without Zhou Jing’an even needing to suggest it.
At night, when the other guards were soaking their feet and chatting idly, he would take a book and thrust it in front of someone’s face, his words quite earnest: “Brother Ge, what is this character?”
The guards had all seen his excellent martial arts during daytime sparring and admired him greatly. At this moment, even though he had asked countless times, they still answered with a smile while twitching the corners of their eyes slightly: “Ah, this character is pronounced ‘ting,’ the ‘ting’ of ‘thunder and lightning.'”
Xiao Li walked away with his book.
The guards continued their idle chat. They hadn’t spoken three sentences when Xiao Li thrust the book back again: “What about these two characters?”
“Uh… this is a person’s name, called Helu. He was the ruler of the Wu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period.”
By the time Xiao Li returned to his own bed, the guards had already forgotten what topic they had been discussing.
Several people looked at each other for a while, then all turned their heads to look at Xiao Li, who was reading by the oil lamp beside his bed, completely undisturbed.
One of them said: “I feel we’ve been a bit too slack.”
The person beside him nodded: “Yes, this newcomer is so diligent.”
The most senior one said in a low voice: “We can’t let him outshine us. This young man is clever. By putting on this diligent appearance, doesn’t the Governor and the young master constantly regard him favorably?”
The group of guards immediately felt a sense of crisis and began studying by candlelight late into the night.
The next day on duty, the guards all had dark circles under their eyes and yawned continuously.
Zhou Jing’an thought they were being slack and had his son go admonish them. After Zhou Sui clarified the reason, he was rather torn between laughter and tears. After reporting to Zhou Jing’an, Zhou Jing’an also stroked his beard and laughed, saying: “This must be what the ancients meant by ‘near vermilion one becomes red, near ink one becomes black.'”
Zhou Sui said: “Your son observes this person—he is loyal, righteous, benevolent, and quick-witted. Though his knowledge is shallow, he is like uncut jade wrapped in stone. If properly carved and polished, he will certainly become a great talent.”
Zhou Jing’an nodded and said: “I also intended to keep him to assist you. When you employ this person in the future, remember to move him with kindness, and never use power to force him.”
Just as he said this, the steward’s urgent voice suddenly came from outside the study: “Governor! Governor! Pei… Pei Song has sent someone to deliver a surrender letter!”
Zhou Sui’s face showed panic as he quickly looked toward Zhou Jing’an: “Father…”
But Zhou Jing’an was quite composed, his face showing a peaceful expression, only saying: “It’s come…”
As if he had been waiting for this day for a long time.
—
The Wei River could not lead directly to Pingzhou. After traveling by boat for two days, Wen Yu switched to land travel.
When the servants were loading things onto the carriage, they accidentally knocked over a wooden case. Wen Yu bent down to pick it up and only then discovered that the case had been knocked open, revealing a hidden compartment from which fell a letter with the words “For Princess to respectfully open” written on the envelope.
The guard who had knocked over the wooden case had already knelt down on one knee: “This subordinate was careless. Please, noble master, punish me.”
Wen Yu no longer had time to pay attention. She raised her hand to signal him to rise and asked the maidservant who had helped her pack this wooden case before departure: “What is this letter about?”
The maidservant knelt down: “It was… it was the Governor who had this maidservant hide the letter in this hidden compartment, saying… saying that if news of upheaval in Yongzhou came, this servant should retrieve the letter and give it to you.”
Looking at the handwriting on the envelope that seemed to be from Zhou Jing’an’s own hand, Wen Yu suddenly felt an ominous premonition arise in her heart.