Every ten days, Yun Manor at the foot of Yushan became exceptionally lively. People from dozens of li around would come here for the market, and the Yun family would permit outsiders to enter the Yun family estate to trade on the first day of every ten-day period. The dirt road through the middle of the estate had long been replaced with a cement surface. To facilitate the villagers’ stall-setting, the Yun family had deliberately made this road extremely wide.
The first light rain of early spring fell like silk, like mist, unhurried and gentle. The so-called “breeze on the face not cold like willow wind, rain dampening clothes like apricot blossom rain” was exactly like this. The light rain from the sky couldn’t extinguish the villagers’ trading enthusiasm. Except for the front of the Yun Manor gate where no stalls were set up, the remaining streets were occupied fully by stall-setting villagers—selling meat, selling cloth, selling radishes, selling flatbread, selling small silver ornaments. There were those who used donkeys to carry sacks of grain to sell, and also Yun family tenant farmers leading sheep, carrying chickens, and holding eggs.
Selling lotus vegetables was no longer novel. What was fresh now were the stalls set up by several large shops from Chang’an City. Cheap jewelry sold best. Watching honest farmers pull out copper coins still warm from their bodies and hand them to the shopkeeper, the plump shopkeeper would smile and say thank you, then pick up a cheap little pendant from the stall, wrap it together with the jewelry the farmer had purchased in a small piece of silk cloth, and present it with both hands to the farmer.
Looking at the dense crowd and feeling the warmth of the copper coins in his hand, the plump shopkeeper wondered if he should open a shop in Yun Manor. The farmers here could all afford jewelry—presumably other things would also find buyers here? Moreover, dozens of wealthy families lived on the mountain. Looking at the equally busy competitors beside him, he secretly made up his mind. He watched the countless peddlers carrying loads selling rouge and powder, needles and thread, seeing them surrounded tightly by young ladies and young wives, and felt happy in his heart. Next time the market opened, these young ladies and young wives should become his own customers.
The burly butcher swung the cleaver in his hand and with one heavy chop split two large pig bones through the middle. He wrapped them in lotus leaves and tossed them into the farm wife’s bamboo basket, then spread his large hands covered in blood stains and grease and called out to the farm wife: “Three wen—these big bones are best for making soup for your boy. Look at my physique—it was cultivated by big bone soup. This is Old Immortal Sun’s secret technique that he doesn’t share.”
“You’re just bragging. Yun Manor’s market has only been open for four months. Old Immortal Sun and Marquis Yun are both at the frontier—where would Old Immortal Sun find the time to teach you?” Having said this, she pulled out three wen from her purse and tossed them into the butcher’s large hand, pursing her lips and laughingly scolding him for talking nonsense. This provoked laughter from others waiting to buy meat.
The butcher cursed with a dirty word, resulting in countless curses back. Dodging the attack of two rotten radishes, he smiled and lowered his head to continue selling the pork on his cutting board.
The peddler carrying thick wine waited left and right for Wang Cai but he didn’t appear. Anxious, he paced in circles. He’d deliberately saved a basin of thick wine just to sell to Wang Cai. Who knew that Wang Cai, who in the past would always run out smelling the aroma as soon as he heated the wine, was nowhere to be seen today.
Wiping his hands with a cloth, he carefully approached the main gate and bowed to the Yun Manor guards to inquire about Wang Cai’s whereabouts.
“You’d better sell the wine to someone else. Wang Cai is sick, lying in the stable and won’t come out. We don’t know what’s wrong.” The guard said worriedly to the wine vendor.
Hearing the guard say this, the thick wine seller was very concerned. Thinking of Wang Cai’s usual generosity, he quickly brought over the heated wine and said to the guard: “Brother, Wang Cai is sick, and I don’t have any good ideas, but this basin of wine has already been heated. Please trouble yourself to deliver it to Wang Cai. If he can drink it, let him have two mouthfuls. If he can’t drink it, just pour it out. Consider it my heartfelt sentiment toward an old customer.”
Hearing the wine seller speak this way, the guard didn’t decline. He took the basin and entered the manor. Many people surrounded the stable. Old Madam Yun was also in the stable, sitting in a chair with a worried and distressed expression, looking at Wang Cai lying on a thick layer of dry grass. Daya, Xiao Ya, and Xiao Dong’s eyes contained tears as they watched Wang Cai without speaking. Yiniang gently scratched Wang Cai’s itches with her hand. Originally, as long as someone scratched his itches, he would half-close his eyes in great enjoyment, but now there was no reaction at all. Seeing him like this, Yiniang’s tears flowed uncontrollably.
Wang Cai had no ailments. Except for being too fat from eating, there were no major problems. Veterinarians from dozens of li around had all been invited. Ever since Yun Ye left, Wang Cai hadn’t been very spirited. Apart from enjoying walking two steps in the courtyard, his only remaining pleasure was drinking a few mouthfuls of thick wine.
Seeing Wang Cai not eating properly, everyone in the Yun household was extremely anxious. In their view, Wang Cai wasn’t a horse—he was a member of this family. Hadn’t they seen that Wang Cai received a male’s monthly portion and lived like a lord?
Yun Ye’s affection for Wang Cai was witnessed by the entire Yun household. Actually, Wang Cai could already be ridden—it would be fine if not going long distances—but Yun Ye had never ridden him once. Even when accompanying Wang Cai on walks, he wouldn’t ride. Only a few young girls had been lifted up by Yun Ye. Of all the remaining people, no one had the courage to ride Wang Cai. If they did, they would probably have their legs broken by the marquis.
A jade sculpture worth over a hundred strings in the marquis’s room was swept to the floor by Wang Cai’s tail and shattered into several pieces. The marquis merely punished Wang Cai by not allowing him to drink thick wine for a few days. Sharp-eyed people even discovered the marquis secretly delivering wine to Wang Cai at night.
Wang Cai didn’t like dry fodder, so Xiao Ya and the others fed him bean cakes and even pastries. When the family cooked, Yiniang always inadvertently pulled off several extra pieces of fresh green spinach and bok choy, saying they had mud on them and weren’t clean, peeling them off to feed Wang Cai. The cook’s heart ached watching—who in the dead of winter would peel an entire head of green vegetables down to just the core? Even princely and ministerial households might not have the privilege of eating green vegetables every day.
With Yun Ye absent, Wang Cai didn’t like to move. The groom’s pleading was useless. Aside from basking in the sun, Wang Cai only basked in the sun. Eating too well, not exercising, and certainly not working—not gaining weight under these circumstances would be strange. In five months’ time, Wang Cai’s weight had increased by half compared to before.
The guard brought the thick wine in and placed it in front of Wang Cai’s mouth. Who would have thought Wang Cai would snort and turn his head away again?
“This old woman has figured it out—this Wang Cai is missing Ye’er. Ever since Ye’er went on campaign, Wang Cai hasn’t been happy for a single day. Even livestock know who treats them well. Ye’er didn’t treat him as family in vain.” Speaking thus, Old Madam bent down, stroked Wang Cai’s large head, and continued: “Ye’er is coming back soon. I hear he’s already reached Guanzhong. You must eat well and stay healthy to see him.”
A cool breeze wrapped in silk-like light rain burst into the stable. Wang Cai’s eyes seemed to brighten momentarily. He flared his nostrils twice, then suddenly stood up with a roll. With a long neigh, he tried to run outside. The groom tried to stop him, but was knocked over by Wang Cai. Leaving the stable, Wang Cai headed straight for the main gate. Reaching the street, he galloped at full speed, knocking over countless stalls. The vendors only cursed twice and weren’t worried about losses—the Yun family would compensate. The wine seller whose barrel had been kicked into eight pieces still gave a thumbs up to the Yun family guards and bragged: “See? I knew Wang Cai needed my thick wine. After one basin, didn’t he immediately become full of energy? Any illness is cured.”
Old Madam Yun was initially stunned, then immediately said to the steward: “The marquis has returned home. Clear the street, open the main gate, the entire household goes out to welcome him! Steward, notify the young madam.”
The cool rain threads striking his face felt smooth and very comfortable. Yun Ye was galloping wildly on horseback. Two years had long since transformed a fool who couldn’t ride into an expert horseman. With the warhorse’s galloping, his body moved up and down with the horse’s rhythm. The rain-blocking cloak was pulled straight by the wind. He most enjoyed riding on damp dirt roads—no dust filling the sky, only pleasure and boldness remaining.
Sun Simiao and the others hadn’t reached Jingyang yet and were estimated to return the day after tomorrow. After crossing the Yellow River, Yun Ye’s thoughts of returning home burned intensely. He told Li Jing and then took the Yun family guards on a wild dash, completing a six-day journey in two days. He passed through Chang’an without entering, following the moat straight home.
Just reaching the memorial archway, a fat horse—or perhaps a fat something—darted over. Yun Ye looked closely and was greatly shocked, involuntarily crying out: “Wang Cai, what happened to you?”
As soon as Wang Cai reached Yun Ye, he pressed his large head against Yun Ye’s face and kept kicking with his front hooves at the warhorse Yun Ye rode, causing this docile mare to constantly retreat. The horse could no longer be ridden. He dismounted and embraced Wang Cai in an affectionate reunion first, scratching all his itches over his entire body. Wang Cai also kept butting Yun Ye’s armor with his head. Man and horse frolicked joyfully.
The Yun family guards looked around curiously, feeling curious seeing people everywhere. Where did all these people in Yun Manor come from? Old Qian rushed out hurriedly. Seeing a dozen people wearing cloaks and battle armor, he knew the marquis had returned. He ran forward two steps, then turned and ran back, shouting as he ran: “Old Madam, the marquis has returned! Old Madam, the marquis has truly returned!” His voice already carried a sobbing tone.
The street immediately quieted down. Young and old from Yun Manor poured out their doors together to welcome their household master. First were those old soldiers who hadn’t followed Yun Ye on campaign. They beat their chests, knelt on one knee, and shouted loudly: “Respectfully welcome the marquis’s triumphant return! The marquis is mighty!” They shouted three times.
Yun Ye and the guards who’d gone on campaign also beat their armor and shouted to them: “Great Tang ten thousand victories! Great Tang is mighty!” Also three times. This was the necessary procedure for commanders returning victorious. Li Jing had done it countless times. Tang people generally didn’t kneel, but returning campaign soldiers were an exception. Especially when returning victorious, the ceremony was so grand as to be unimaginable. After Yun Ye and his men finished shouting three times, all the common people in the entire market, regardless of gender or age, regardless of status or rank—men bowed, women curtsied. This was the glory that campaign soldiers deserved.
Great Tang valued military achievements most highly. Guanzhong youth also took pride in military service, and rewards were the heaviest. A victorious returning meritorious soldier’s status was far beyond what a wealthy merchant worth ten thousand strings could compare to. When wealthy merchants met meritorious soldiers, they had to perform礼. If there was disrespect, they would be charged with serious crimes. And no one would sympathize with such merchants.
Yun Ye clasped his hands and passed through the crowd, continuously speaking words of gratitude, from time to time helping up elderly people from the crowd. Letting them keep performing the礼 would be a display of arrogance. Now was the critical moment to build prestige for the Yun family—not a single flaw could appear. Yun Ye had to follow the procedures properly. Whoever performed poorly now would be a complete fool.