◎That was their only encounter.◎

Hearing this, Third Young Master Lan laughed and consoled her. “You’re so young, why carry such a sense of unfulfillment? Just wait—after winter passes, spring will come. When that time comes, I’ll take you out to play. What flowers won’t you be able to admire?”

Then he paused, asking curiously, “Sister, do you know how to read? Do you like poetry?”

Lan Shanjun shook her head. “I can read, but I haven’t studied poetry. Can’t say I like it.”

Her literacy was taught by the old monk, but he only taught her a few characters before stopping. Fortunately, she had a good memory and loved learning. When the old monk wouldn’t teach her, she sought alms to get a copy of the Three Character Classic and read it herself, following behind the old monk to ask when she didn’t understand.

The old monk would always turn around helplessly. “Shanjun, knowing how to slaughter pigs is enough for you. Why learn reading and writing?”

Lan Shanjun was quite stubborn. “But Master, if you didn’t want me to read and write, why did you teach me to write my own name?”

Having learned to recognize her own name, she found reading characters delightful and naturally wanted more.

She had never been an obedient person. Once she set her mind on something, she insisted on learning it. “Even if you won’t teach me, I’ll eventually find a way to learn characters.”

Despite such threats, the old monk still refused to teach her, letting her run into walls, only watching her with sighs. “Shanjun, you don’t understand. I’m doing this for your own good.”

To this day, Lan Shanjun still didn’t understand the meaning of the old monk’s words. But she could rely on her increased years and the mindset that settled after finding herself in desperate straits to suddenly taste a bit of the helplessness and conflicted emotions the old monk carried when saying those words.

He seemed to hope she could learn more things, yet feared she would truly succeed in learning. So whatever skills he taught her, he always stopped at the surface.

Yet he alone was willing to let her learn blade techniques. He said, “With a blade in your hand, you won’t fear anything.”

When he died, he left her the short blade he’d used for many years. “Consider it me still accompanying you.”

Thinking of this, Lan Shanjun felt sourness in her heart—But Master, you don’t know, in those final days, I was indeed gripping this blade in my hand.

How difficult it was for me to restrain myself from using it to slash my wrist.

Past events, when recalled, made one’s mood sink low. Lan Shanjun lowered her head, slowly exhaling a turbid breath. “Third Brother, once the snow stops, shall we set off?”

She couldn’t wait to go to Luoyang to seek out the truth.

Third Young Master Lan, however, had a personality that liked getting to the bottom of things. He first said, “I’m also eager to return, but in this cursed weather, who knows when the snow will stop.”

Then immediately asked, “Who did sister learn reading from?”

Lan Shanjun replied, “My master.”

Third Young Master Lan showed solemn respect. “That must be the abbot who raised you? He knew how to read?”

Though he also thought that even a wild monk in a desolate village temple knowing how to read wasn’t particularly strange—otherwise how would he chant sutras and recite Buddha’s name? So without waiting for Lan Shanjun to speak, he immediately continued with the next sentence. “Our whole family is grateful to him. If he hadn’t raised you, back during those chaotic war years… Ah!”

Reaching this point, he couldn’t help sighing with emotion again. “Back then, Shuzhou erupted in rebellion, and the court dispatched troops to suppress it. Grandfather received emergency orders and led First Uncle and Second Uncle to rush to Shuzhou. They suffered defeat—both uncles died on the battlefield, and Grandfather was also severely injured in that battle. His legs and lower back were ruined, unable to fight anymore. His Majesty then sent Father to provide support.”

The situation was quite perilous at that time. Because of consecutive defeats, the court already had considerable criticism of the Duke Zhenguo’s manor and wanted to change commanders. But Father had grown up at His Majesty’s side since childhood and could discuss military strategy thoroughly. His Majesty trusted Father and still sent him. To demonstrate his determination, Father brought his family along with the army and made a vow not to return to court until Shuzhou was pacified.

But though Shuzhou was later pacified, losses were heavy—even sister “died” in the chaos of war.

“Mother said she had just completed her first month postpartum when Shuzhou suddenly erupted in chaos. In the confusion, she had the wet nurse and guards take you away first, hoping you’d at least have a chance at survival.”

After the battle ended, their parents used the clothes sister wore when leaving to find a dead infant’s corpse, then found the bodies of the wet nurse and guards, and assumed everyone had perished, grieving endlessly.

“It was only this past September when a young man suddenly came to our family’s pawnshop to pawn a gold bracelet. The shop manager happened to be Mother’s dowry servant and recognized that gold bracelet as precisely the one Mother had specially made as your first-month gift. She immediately kept watch and thus uncovered the truth of what happened back then.”

It turned out that after the wet nurse fled while holding her, fearing that dressing richly would attract attention, she switched sister’s clothing with that of a dead infant along the way. Later the wet nurse died from an arrow, but sister was unharmed, hidden in her embrace and surviving the calamity.

Third Young Master Lan continued, “The dead infant’s parents came looking and, seeing the clothes on your body, thought you were their daughter. They hurriedly carried you while fleeing the city to Huailing. When things finally settled down somewhat, they bathed you and discovered the gold bracelet on your hand, then realized they’d taken the wrong person. So they took the gold bracelet and left you at the entrance of a dilapidated temple, waiting until the abbot picked you up before leaving.”

They also never sold the gold bracelet. The young man said, “In those times, we couldn’t afford to raise an extra person. My parents took the gold bracelet—that was greed taking hold. But we have no guilty conscience, after all we carried her the whole way while fleeing, never abandoning her no matter how dangerous. Yet my own sister—we couldn’t even go back to find her body.”

This time he came to Luoyang planning to do some small business, but when the business failed and he was left penniless, he thought of pawning the gold bracelet.

The Duke Zhenguo household didn’t make things difficult for him. They even took him to pay respects to “sister.” Then they had Third Young Master Lan rush without stopping to Huailing to fetch her.

Third Young Master Lan said, “Learning you were still alive, Grandfather and Father both returned home to pay respects to the ancestors, thanking them for protecting their descendants.”

Speaking to this point, his eyes dimmed slightly. “After returning to court that year, though the battle was won, losses were heavy. All comrades perished, and Grandfather painfully lost two sons. He saw through much of the mortal world and simply went to practice Taoist cultivation. Father was filial and accompanied Grandfather, not living at home for over ten years now. Currently, Fourth Uncle is the head of household.”

Old Duke Zhenguo had four sons in total. Two died, one followed him to cultivate Taoism, leaving only the not-very-intelligent youngest son to support the family. So although the Duke Zhenguo manor was still a ducal residence, it was vastly different from ten-plus years ago, having lost its power and influence.

Hearing this, Lan Shanjun remained silent. Back then she was also told this explanation for why Grandfather and Father practiced Taoist cultivation. But growing a bit older later, without anyone saying anything, she could deduce the truth behind it: the father and son engaged in armchair strategy, their abilities insufficient, leading to too many deaths. Even His Majesty couldn’t protect them anymore, so they withdrew to the mountains and stopped going out.

Moreover, she also knew that because of this battle, scholars from Shuzhou—once the land of rebellion—were not valued in Luoyang. In the current cabinet, not a single Grand Secretary was from Shuzhou. Among Luoyang’s important officials, there were also no Shuzhou people serving.

Even she herself—because she grew up in Shuzhou, her Mandarin carried a thick Shuzhou accent, she loved eating Shuzhou cuisine, and her every gesture and movement had the habits of Shuzhou people, which became reasons why many people disliked her.

Among those who openly showed their disgust was her grandmother, the old Madame of Duke Zhenguo.

Back then when she first returned, Grandmother still showed her some affection. But as her Shuzhou accent proved unchangeable, it became an offense. At the slightest displeasure, she’d be punished by kneeling at the courtyard gate reading the Classic of Filial Piety.

With her initial temperament, how could she possibly kneel? She directly threw down her burden, grabbed her pig-slaughtering blade, and tried to return to Huailing. Mother persuaded her to come back. Later, she didn’t know what else was said, but she knelt down.

This kneeling lasted two years, until she married.

So actually, thinking carefully, the fact that she didn’t get along well with the Duke Zhenguo household had very specific reasons.

She shook her head, stopped thinking about it, and prepared to return to her room to rest. But just as she was about to turn around, she saw someone leading a horse approaching through the wind and snow.

He walked extremely fast. In just a few moments, he reached the stable outside the building.

It was nearly dusk. The postal station chief was about to end his shift. Seeing someone still arriving, he secretly sighed about his bad luck but had no choice but to put on a smiling face and go over. After asking for name and official position, he immediately became respectful. “So it’s the Magistrate of Huailing. During this period, three or four letters from Grand Secretary Wu have arrived, just waiting for you to collect them.”

Yu Qingwu was covered in accumulated snow. He removed his cloak, and the snow instantly fell to the ground in a pile. He smiled and said, “Many thanks, sir.”

He added with a smile, “Today’s wind and snow are heavy. I’m afraid I cannot continue traveling and will need to stay at the postal station for several days. I must trouble you, sir.”

The postal station chief was polite. “It’s only November now, not New Year’s, so it’s quite empty inside. Only the young master and young lady from the Duke Zhenguo manor are staying. However, this year’s snow came early and is falling strangely. Who knows when it will stop.”

Yu Qingwu nodded, then suddenly looked up as if sensing something, just in time to see a young lady standing under the corridor, staring at him in a daze.

She seemed about to return to her room and had even walked a few steps, but for some reason suddenly stopped, turned slightly to look toward him, her eyes clear and bright, only… the way she looked at him was somewhat strange.

He hesitated slightly. After entering the building, he first greeted Third Young Master Lan beside her according to etiquette, saying, “It seems we’ll be staying together for several days.”

Hearing his accent, Third Young Master Lan was already displeased. “You’re from Shuzhou?”

Yu Qingwu didn’t mind his attitude and still said with a smile, “Yes, from Huailing in Shuzhou.”

Third Young Master Lan was surprised. “What a coincidence—we just returned from Huailing.”

Because of the coincidence, his personality of getting to the bottom of things surfaced again. He couldn’t help saying, “Are you returning to the capital to report on your duties?”

Yu Qingwu was a full head taller than him. Having now brushed off all the accumulated snow, he raised his hand to roll up his sleeves while slightly lowering his head. “Yes, I was previously serving as magistrate in Huailing. Some time ago I received a transfer order from court—”

As soon as the four words “Magistrate of Huailing” emerged, Third Young Master Lan frowned with disgust. “I know you!”

His tone wasn’t good. “You’re the Third-Place Scholar from the forty-fourth year of Yuanshao, a disciple of Grand Secretary Wu.”

Yu Qingwu still smiled. “That’s me.”

Third Young Master Lan immediately lost interest. He pulled Lan Shanjun back to their room, saying in a low voice, “That’s not a good person.”

Knowing Lan Shanjun didn’t understand court matters, he explained, “Grand Secretary Wu previously incited His Majesty to alter ancestral laws and was stripped of office and investigated in Shuzhou. He only returned to Luoyang this past summer. As soon as he returned, he was promoted to Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Now he’s riding high and starting to gather his faction again—look, he’s summoned his student.”

He snorted. “No wonder the postal station chief is so obsequious.”

“This Yu Qingwu—I’ve heard his family was poor and he was originally obscure, but he just happened to encounter Grand Secretary Wu who’d been demoted to Shuzhou. From then on he studied together with him. Grand Secretary Wu once said while drinking with people that this person was intelligent, had learned all his aspirations, and would definitely be able to inherit his great ambitions in the future.”

Speaking to this point, Third Young Master Lan felt he’d said too much. How could sister understand these things? So he concluded, “Such a Shuzhou rat will probably become a running dog serving others in the future. His end won’t be good. You should stay far away from him.”

Lan Shanjun remained silent hearing the earlier words, but frowned when he said this last sentence. “I’m a woman. Whether far or near, I’m unlikely to have dealings with him. Third Brother, on the other hand, should be more cautious with that mouth of yours, lest you offend people in the future.”

Third Young Master Lan was suddenly stung by this remark and was somewhat shocked. He carefully examined Lan Shanjun for a long while, then suddenly said, “Sister seems somewhat different today from the previous days.”

She’d been unusual since this morning.

But he couldn’t quite say what was different. He could only say awkwardly, “I was just talking to you. Don’t I know this principle? Rest first. I’ll go downstairs to feed the horses.”

After he left, Lan Shanjun closed the door, but her mood was unsettled.

Yu Qingwu of Huailing—she knew of him.

The windows of that house where she was imprisoned in Huailing were nailed shut. Thus, day and night, spring summer autumn winter, were all irrelevant to her. Whether her eyes were open or closed, everything was pitch black. Until one day, a tiny crack suddenly appeared in the window. When the weather was exceptionally good, light could seep through that crack.

Though only a sliver, for her it was already enough, as if bestowed by heaven’s mercy.

She thought, with this ray of light, things were moving in a better direction. She worked even harder to live. Heaven took pity on her and let her find a book in a corner.

She treasured it like a precious find, hurriedly crawling to the window, lifting the book up to that ray of light, painstakingly reading character by character.

It was a journal. Inside were recorded the trivial daily life of a young man from age six to sixteen—being scolded for laziness, or harboring lofty ambitions, all written down.

Relying on this journal, she once endured a difficult summer. She read slowly, reluctantly and unwillingly, going through all the characters again and again. It took her three months to turn to the last page.

On the last page, the young man left Huailing for Luoyang to take the imperial examinations, also leaving behind his name.

Huailing, Yu Qingwu.

She had indeed heard of this person in Luoyang. Everyone said he betrayed his teacher and ancestors, discussed power and sought profit. In the end, when he was personally beheaded on the execution platform by his mentor Grand Secretary Wu, Lan Shanjun happened to witness it.

That was their only encounter.

It was a few days before she was bound and taken to Huailing.

On that day, there was also such snow filling the sky.