Chapter 01: A Heart That Yearns to Fly
Ever since discussing ghosts and spirits with Hypatia, Yun Ye had been in a terrible mood. If there was anyone in this world closest to mysterious events, it would undoubtedly be him.
Others merely traversed distance, while he had breakthrough the boundaries of time itself. In the strict realm of physics, distance and time were interchangeable, yet Yun Ye rejected all gods and buddhas from the depths of his heart. Before coming to the Great Tang, whether visiting temples, Taoist monasteries, or even churches, Yun Ye would worship devoutly. This was a habit, or perhaps it was his hope for help, even salvation, when facing an uncertain future.
Since his reluctant arrival in the Great Tang, he no longer held any faith—if he had any, it was only reverence for his ancestors. It seemed like a great joke: as a supposed disciple of immortals, he was actually the person in the mortal world who believed least in these strange matters.
Li Er believed, because ever since the Li family claimed Laozi as their ancestor, belief became mandatory. Zhangsun believed, because the gods and buddhas answered almost all her requests—when she wanted a peerless great husband, she got Li Er; when she wanted to be empress, Li Er placed the phoenix crown upon her head; when she wanted her son to be crown prince, Li Chengqian became the crown prince. Many times, Yun Ye thought that the god Zhangsun worshipped was simply her own husband.
Yan Zhitui did not believe. He had long scorned the saying “the gods see all from three feet above.” He always said that after he died, he would take a good look to see if there were any gods or buddhas, and if he found them, he would return in a dream to tell Yun Ye not to blaspheme the gods and buddhas too much, lest he face awkwardness when meeting them in the future.
The old man’s body had weakened to the extreme. Yun Ye had specially made egg-stuffed tofu, but the old man could only eat a few bites before he couldn’t continue. This was his favorite dish—every time he used to eat two bowls, but this time he couldn’t manage it. After a few bites, he instructed his son to put away his egg-stuffed tofu, saying he would heat it up the next morning for a delicious meal.
Yun Ye stayed with the old man, telling some interesting stories. The Yan family descendants accompanied them on the side. Whether Yun Ye’s stories were funny or not, they would humor him with hearty laughter, though when the old man wasn’t looking, the gloom on their faces seemed thick enough to wring water from.
When the red sun set, Yun Ye took his leave to go home. The old man suddenly opened his toothless mouth, smiled at Yun Ye and said, “I’m leaving.” Then he laughed, his clear eyes showing a few traces of childlike mischief.
As Yun Ye mounted his horse to leave, his nose tingled and tears suddenly flowed out. Choking back sobs, he said to Old Man Yan’s grandson, “After he passes, don’t notify me.” Then he heavily slapped Wang Cai and galloped away in a cloud of dust.
When the Yan family descendants who saw Yun Ye out reported this rather rude statement to their elders, the elders actually began to cry as well. They started preparing funeral arrangements overnight, writing many obituary notices—but none for the Yun family…
When Yun Ye returned home, he arranged his household affairs and moved alone into the worst small building on Jade Mountain. The roar of the waterfall continued ceaselessly through the night. Cheng Yaojin, who loved the sound of waterfalls most, had fled in disarray after staying three days, and the place had remained empty ever since. Now, whenever the Cheng family had guests they disliked, they would certainly invite them to stay in this small building. Not one could last three days, but Yun Ye had already lived there for a month.
Autumn had truly arrived. In the small lake below the waterfall, several swans were playing in the water—these were actually red-crowned cranes. Yun Ye suddenly became interested. He threw off his heavy cloak and, wearing only thin undergarments, jumped down from the terrace, preparing to take a closer look at the red-crowned cranes.
The red-crowned cranes didn’t mind Yun Ye. This strange person had been sitting on the platform watching them for days now—nothing unusual. But when Yun Ye approached the small lake, they had no choice but to begin running and gliding across the water’s surface. Their enormous wings stirred up a great wind, splashing water droplets onto Yun Ye’s face. Yun Ye ran hard along the lake’s edge in pursuit, but the swans’ movements were much faster than his. By the time he reached where the swans had been playing, their orange-red feet had already left the water’s surface, their legs stretched straight back, their wings already carrying their plump bodies soaring into the blue sky.
Yun Ye stepped into the water, staring dazedly at the departing swans. Unconsciously, he walked a few more steps inward, stopping only when the icy lake water submerged his feet. The cold wind, carrying water vapor, beat against his bare chest. He raised both arms, wanting to let this chill completely extinguish the restlessness in his heart.
His body was ice-cold, but his heart burned hot. A month of quiet cultivation had not achieved his goal of purifying his heart and nurturing his nature; instead, it had made this burning flame even more fierce. Old Man Yan had deceived him—he hadn’t come in a dream. It seemed there were no ghosts or spirits; he had simply disappeared between heaven and earth.
“My lord, they’ve left!” Liu Jinbao said quietly to Yun Ye.
“Left? What left?” Yun Ye asked Liu Jinbao in puzzlement.
“The geese left. If you dislike those geese, I’ll mount a horse right now and chase them down. I’ll bring a bow and arrows—before they enter the Qinling Mountains, I can definitely catch them and shoot them all down. We’ll eat roast goose.”
Yun Ye laughed. He scooped up a handful of water from the lake and noisily washed his face, then said to Liu Jinbao, “Pack up. We’re going home. This waterfall is really too noisy. If I stay any longer, I’ll go mad.”
Liu Jinbao visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He brought out dry shoes for the marquis to change into. After Yun Ye entered the terrace, he loudly instructed the servants to begin packing and prepare to go home.
Wrapped entirely in fur like a hibernating bear, he dozed off in the swaying carriage, his mind empty. If he were to practice Buddhism now, this would certainly be the best state for meditation.
As long as he didn’t return home, Xinyue would cry. Now Li Anlan cried too. What kind of problem was this? Lingdang also joined in crying. Only the two young masters of the Yun family laughed carelessly. Li Rong even climbed up his father’s thigh asking for gifts. Yun Ye picked up his two sons, laughing heartily as he entered the house. He paid his respects to his grandmother. Women were troublesome—always crying for no reason. It was annoying just to see.
“Ye’er, Old Master Yan has passed. This was his destined time. I heard he passed at cockcrow—people who pass at this hour are blessed. The old master enjoyed a full life of fortune, prosperity, and longevity. There’s nothing to regret. I heard the funeral honors were extremely grand, with nearly ten thousand people seeing him off—a vast expanse of white, quite magnificent. His Majesty had Old Master Yan buried in Liquan in his own tomb garden. The mountain hasn’t been excavated yet, so they could only bury him underground for now. When the mountain is ready, they’ll erect the stone statues. The old master’s posthumous title is Wenzheng—I heard it’s the best kind. Only our family didn’t go. Was that disrespectful? When the Yan family distributed sacrificial offerings, they specially sent half a pig’s head to our family. That’s great sentiment. Should we also go pay respects to the old master?”
Yun Ye supported his grandmother as they strolled through the garden, listening to her prattle on about various trivial matters. His heart felt warm. Seeing her become somewhat sentimental when mentioning Yan Zhitui, he said, “Grandmother, respecting someone doesn’t necessarily require wearing mourning hemp and filial cloth. Keeping them in your heart is enough. Master Yan showed me a path that will benefit me for life. I feel very uncomfortable about his passing. If I went to the funeral, I might lose composure. This way is good. Next year when the old master’s tomb has its stele erected, we’ll go then and see how majestic the old man is in the underworld.”
“You child, always talking nonsense. Be careful the Yan family takes offense.” Grandmother pretended to be angry and slapped Yun Ye, but a smile appeared on her face. As long as her grandson emerged from the shadow of grief, all was well.
Xinyue bit Yun Ye’s ear and said, “That Goguryeo woman gave birth—a son. Now she holds the child all day without letting go. She won’t drink the nourishing soup we send her. Every day she goes to the market herself to buy vegetables and food. She won’t eat a single bite of what’s in the house. Even for water, she always waits for her little dog to drink first before drinking herself, as if our family would harm the child when she’s not paying attention. Goguryeo women are so petty—silver hairpin never leaving her hand all day. Who is she guarding against?”
“Mainly against me, worried I’ll strike fatally. The Yun family isn’t that contemptible. Yeon Gaesomun has returned to Goguryeo. I heard their family has already begun retreating to Pyongyang. This is a sign of impending rebellion. In another half year, send that Goguryeo woman and child back to Goguryeo. Now that he has a son, I imagine Gaesomun will accelerate his rebellion plans—if not for himself, then for his child. Gaesomun was going to rebel anyway. The evil he wrought in Chang’an, let him repeat it in Goguryeo.”
Hearing her husband mention strategic planning, Xinyue stopped talking. Men’s military and state affairs weren’t something a woman of the inner quarters could comment on casually. However, whether the Yun family’s merchant caravans should all be withdrawn—that was her responsibility.
“Of course they should be withdrawn. Yun family people won’t be cannon fodder. Do you know about those three men from the estate who died serving as inside agents when I attacked the city? That work is too dangerous—both allies and enemies attack with lethal force. The hope of survival is very slim. Our family people won’t do such things. After the New Year, have them gradually withdraw. Just leave behind a few operatives—the kind the Goguryeo people won’t discover. Once Gaesomun seizes power, mark my words, the first thing he’ll do is a great purge. Any Tang people will be in danger. Make preparations early.”
Xinyue nodded and went down to discuss with Li Anlan how to withdraw their people without anyone knowing. Yun Ye put on his clothes and came to Ronghua’s small courtyard, pushing open the door and walking in. Seeing Ronghua nursing her child, she didn’t stop even when Yun Ye entered, only looked lovingly at her child.
“Marquis Yun, has our mother and son’s time come? These days I haven’t dared close my eyes. I’m so tired. I just wanted the child to live one more day, each day counting. Now it seems we’ve reached the end. I can’t hold on anymore either. My child and I are no longer useful, are we? If you must kill the child, please let me do it myself?”
Ronghua had become so haggard she was barely recognizable. She seemed ready to collapse at any moment, yet her will remained firm as iron, showing not the slightest possibility of compromise.
“Ronghua, you have successfully earned my respect. Whether as a lover or as a mother, you are exceptional. So, I’m giving you half a year to recover your health. When the child is a bit bigger, you mother and son will set out to return to Goguryeo. The Yun family merchant caravan will escort you to the border. Write a letter and have Gaesomun come to meet you. You mother and son are no longer useful to me. I cannot bring myself to kill you—I’ll return you to Gaesomun.” After Yun Ye finished speaking, he turned to leave. Just as he stepped out the door, Ronghua’s snoring from relaxed nerves could already be heard behind him.