Between Lingzhou County and Xiangyang lay one more county — Li County. Knowing that conditions in Lingzhou were poor, the group stopped there for midday and had lunch, stocked up on some dried provisions, and hired a guide familiar with Lingzhou before continuing on their way.
But all the things they had heard, all the written accounts, were nothing compared to what met their eyes. Leaving the main road, they descended onto a road that was broken and rutted to pieces. Fortunate that they were on horseback — a carriage simply could not have made it through.
The guide was a man named Liu Da. Astride his mule, he introduced the place to them in half-fluent Mandarin. “The people of Ling Village come in and out this way every day — though they don’t manage to come out more than a few times a year.”
The Sixth Prince asked, puzzled: “Ling Village? Isn’t it called Lingzhou County?”
“That’s what we all call it around here. Add everyone up and it’s only a few hundred people — what is that if not a village? Our big villages back home have more than this.” Liu Da grinned, showing a mouthful of darkened teeth, and pointed ahead. “That’s it, just there.”
No need for him to say so — the others had already seen it. Black stone houses were built against the mountain, clustered along the mid-slope. The mountain itself was black, and the houses were black. Hua Zhi could not fathom how oppressive it must be to live there.
Someone spotted them. People began emerging one by one from the houses, and Gu Yanxi, not wanting to provoke hostility, reined his horse in and waited for them to approach.
Hua Zhi surveyed this place that Da Qing had abandoned. At a single glance the bare mountain offered not a blade of grass, no sign of farmland, no river, no human sounds, no birdsong. Silent as a place where no one had ever lived.
“Is there a yamen here?”
“There used to be one, but eventually no one was willing to come. It’s only our Li County that even knows people still live here. Tao Laoda — it’s me.”
Four people came walking over. Dark-complexioned, each carrying a shoulder pole. The one at the front gave Liu Da a brief nod, but his wariness remained.
Liu Da had seen this expression from them so many times he didn’t take it to heart. Honestly, he felt for them. Living in a place like this — one that could grind a person down into nothing — surviving at all was no small feat.
“Tao Laoda, this here is Shopkeeper Lu. He says he wants to work out a deal with you. I thought it sounded like a good opportunity, so I brought him along. Shopkeeper Lu, Tao Laoda is the village head of Ling Village — anything you need to discuss, he’s the right man.”
After making introductions, Liu Da spoke a few more sentences to Tao Laoda in a dialect none of the others could follow, then led his mule and made to leave. “You all talk it over — my part’s done.”
Xu Ying handed over the agreed payment. Liu Da broke into a grin. “Keep your money. Do good business with them — they’ve had a hard enough life.”
“Wait.” Gu Yanxi called him back. “Can they understand Mandarin?”
Liu Da slapped his own forehead. Right, how had he forgotten that? Realizing he was still needed, he made himself comfortable without further ceremony and tapped Tao Laoda on the shoulder, signaling him to lead the way.
Whatever Liu Da had communicated in those few sentences, Tao Laoda’s hostility had visibly eased. He led the group up the mountain.
Even the nearest house required climbing. The steps were uneven, only wide enough for one person to pass at a time.
Gu Yanxi held Hua Zhi’s hand as they climbed slowly, speaking in low voices. “These people are likely intensely guarded against outsiders — and difficult to win over.”
“More than that. I’d wager they feel no goodwill toward the court either.”
Hua Zhi looked down at the steps beneath her feet — clearly worn smooth by their own hands over the years. Goodwill was putting it mildly. If she were in their place, she could have turned against the court without a trace of guilt. “Have you decided where to relocate them?”
“I hadn’t decided before, but now I’m thinking Li County might suit them well. It’s close by, the customs are similar — they’d adapt faster.”
Hua Zhi agreed. As the person who had put forward this idea, she was willing to contribute some of her own funds when the time came. The priority was getting them settled and stable as quickly as possible.
They finally stepped onto flat ground. Hua Zhi let out a quiet breath.
“What if we let Sixth Prince handle the talking?”
Gu Yanxi glanced at the Sixth Prince. The Sixth Prince, catching his look, felt equal parts eagerness and anxiety. He didn’t know if he was up to it — but Hua Jie had said so, and whether he was ready or not, he would make himself ready.
“Alright.”
Hua Zhi beckoned the Sixth Prince over, brushed at the mud stains on his sleeve, and said quietly: “You know the reasons behind all of this. Sixth Prince — these are your Gu family’s subjects. It is your responsibility to ensure they live better lives.”
The Sixth Prince felt the weight settle on his shoulders all at once. He pressed his lips together and gave a firm nod.
Hua Zhi smiled and gave him a little push forward. Saying more would never teach him as much as being in the middle of it himself.
Gu Yanxi gave her a long, meaningful look — then, just as the others expected him to step forward, he stepped back instead, standing shoulder to shoulder with Hua Zhi. The Sixth Prince, pushed forward those two steps, suddenly found himself standing entirely on his own at the front, with no time to prepare, meeting Tao Laoda’s gaze as the village head turned to look back at them. His age was a disadvantage — but before he could think further, he drew up his composure. He saw Tao Laoda’s tight-furrowed brow relax, and only then did the tension in his chest ease slightly.
Tao Laoda called something in dialect toward the houses above and then went inside. Hua Zhi watched as the heads that had been poking out from every doorway withdrew back inside, and exchanged a glance with Yanxi. They both had a clear sense now of how much authority Tao Laoda held in this Lingzhou County. Win over Tao Laoda, and this matter was essentially done.
Shao Yao took one look at the cramped interior and decided she wanted no part of it — she wandered back out to wait outside. Only the Sixth Prince, Gu Yanxi, and Hua Zhi followed inside.
Liu Da glanced around and took a seat beside Tao Laoda, cleared his throat conscientiously, and set to work as the go-between. “What kind of deal is Shopkeeper Lu looking to discuss?”
The Sixth Prince quietly drew a deep breath, imagined himself armored and armed, and spoke in a clear, carrying voice: “Before coming, I made some inquiries. I’m told Lingzhou produces a particular kind of stone — the same kind used to build the houses here. Could Tao Laoda have a piece brought out for me to take a look at?”
Tao Laoda and Liu Da exchanged quiet words. Liu Da nodded and turned to ask: “Tao Laoda wants to know — can this young one make decisions on behalf of the group?”
Gu Yanxi nodded. “He is my brother. His word stands.”
Receiving that confirmation, Tao Laoda didn’t waste further words — he went straight to the corner of the room and hauled out a piece of stone, worn fairly smooth.
Hua Zhi watched the Sixth Prince turn it over in his hands with an air of great deliberateness, and struggled to keep her laughter in. Using this as the opening move was actually quite good. The people of Ling Village were deeply guarded — rather than leading with favors that would put them on their guard, proposing a trade would make them feel more at ease. In one trip out here, the Sixth Prince had matured noticeably. His handling of things had a seasoned quality that hadn’t been there before. When he returned, he’d probably leave Bailin behind in the dust — though that wasn’t a bad thing.
“That’s the one — exactly what we need.” The Sixth Prince set the stone down. “I’ll be needing a large quantity. How does Tao Laoda propose to arrange the trade?”
Tao Laoda and Liu Da talked back and forth at length before Liu Da finally relayed: “Tao Laoda says he doesn’t want silver. If Shopkeeper Lu can take the village children away from here, they’re willing to dig whatever stone you need.”
But the Sixth Prince did not jump to accept the offer. “Unless I’m mistaken from just now — the mountain you live on is itself made of this stone.”
Tao Laoda went still. Did this person mean… he wanted them to move away?
Author’s Note: Looking back at these past days of updates, they’re about as rough as I expected — not great writing, I’ll admit. This section was changed at the last minute. The original plan had a major flood actually hitting Xiangyang after they arrived — people would have died, losses would have been severe — because only that kind of visceral, personal grief would have made what came next feel earned. But after witnessing firsthand what floodwaters actually do and how much ordinary people suffer, I found I couldn’t write it. So the content was changed on short notice, and with no time to polish it properly, this is what came out. I’m embarrassed by it.