The wind lingered on, the rain lingered on, and so did her thoughts.
Rain Lake was not far from Muxin Tower. Larger than a pond, but still far from a true lake. A long causeway had been built over the lake, leading straight to the lake’s heart where a pavilion stood. On the lake floated some lotus-picking boats, with occasionally one or two small boats carrying two or three idle guests.
Tianshu Ward saw merchants coming and going, most lacking leisure and refined tastes to appreciate scenery in a pavilion on such a drizzly day. Now, two swordsmen stood at the causeway entrance, and passersby, however curious, dared not entertain thoughts of entering the pavilion.
However, there were no people in the pavilion, but there were people on the long causeway.
Two walked side by side, one in the middle, two in front and behind.
The two side by side were Minsong and Chouyu. Zan Jin was in the middle. Mo Zi stood with hands behind her back, Ye’er behind her.
Ye’er had already arranged for a flat boat, inviting Mo Zi to drift on the lake with her.
But Mo Zi refused with a smile, saying this: “Looking at Miss Ye’er makes my heart uncomfortable. Sitting together in one boat, I fear I couldn’t control some unpleasant thoughts. If I accidentally caused a death, your fragrant demise would be no matter, but I don’t want to pay with my own life for yours. Although I can’t understand what you and I have to discuss, when old acquaintances meet, if I simply turned and left, it would be rather inhospitable. Let’s walk along the causeway! Send your guards to watch the entrance. As long as this brother of mine stays within three zhang of me, I’ll keep you company for a moment.”
In Ye’er’s memory, Mo Zi was a very kind young miss with a straightforward and cheerful personality, without defenses toward those around her. Back then, as long as she got her wood carving tools, she would immerse herself in the little world she created. She was so easily made happy, and always loved giving happiness to others.
However, after such a person disappeared for over a year and reappeared, there was actually such an enormous contrast. Smiling, yet making it impossible to see through her thoughts. In her words, not only was there thick mockery, but also complete wariness.
Mo Zi’s sharpness and her proud confidence made Ye’er suddenly feel inferior. When she had been her maidservant, because of Mo Zi’s kindness, she’d been casual with her, not like sisters but actually sisters, sharing food, clothing, and playthings without distinction between yours and mine. She’d said that all people were equal, that no one should kowtow or bow to anyone. And that no one should lower themselves humbly before anyone. She’d been deeply shaken by such words. Thinking it was false benevolence, she hadn’t expected Mo Zi to keep her word. She had never once ordered her around imperiously. Even on the day she broke with the King, even when she learned everything about her, she only told her to leave.
Like many who had followed Mo Zi, Ye’er firmly believed that one day, Mo Zi would understand. She would discard her ridiculous talk of world peace and together with their King, achieve Daqiu’s eternal hegemony. In this world, no one would love Mo Zi like the King did, and no country’s people would support Mo Zi like their subjects did. Mo Zi should long ago have been the most noble woman, not disguising herself in men’s clothing, mixing in these marketplaces, bullied by petty people like Zeng Hai to the point of not daring to speak out.
The rain threads became somewhat denser.
Ye’er moved her umbrella forward, wanting to shield Mo Zi from the rain.
Mo Zi turned around, slowly stepping back, letting the rain fall on her hair and shoulders.
Ye’er bit her lip. “Miss.”
The corners of Mo Zi’s mouth curved up. “Miss Ye’er is now a free person. No need to address me this way anymore. When I’m dressed as a man, most people call me Brother Mo. If Miss Ye’er isn’t afraid of causing misunderstandings, you can also call me that.”
“That day, Ye’er said that Miss would forever be Ye’er’s master, regardless of whether Miss is willing to forgive Ye’er. The words spoken that day, Ye’er still remembers clearly.” Though she had followed the King’s orders to attend Mo Zi’s side, both protecting Mo Zi and secretly learning her craft, her sisterly affection for Mo Zi came entirely from the heart.
Mo Zi laughed twice. “I wouldn’t dare. Miss Ye’er is of the noble Eagle Clan bloodline of Daqiu. What virtue or ability do I have to dare be your master? It’s my fault for being young and ignorant back then. If there were any offenses, Miss Ye’er, please be magnanimous.”
Ye’er closed her eyes, her expression pained. “Miss, is Ye’er’s crime truly so grave? Must you say such things and write off everything from the past?”
“Your crime?” Mo Zi looked at her pain, feeling no pity in her heart. “You have no crime—I was stupid. Living with you for five years, not knowing your noble identity, still thinking the orphaned you needed family; not knowing you could wield twin blades and ride swift horses, truly a woman of heroic bearing; not knowing your natural intelligence could copy ship diagrams perfectly. I thought you were just someone who loved wood like me, that if I could identify ten, you could identify five. I thought you were the only person besides Doulü who could understand where my joy lay. It turns out, it was all my wishful thinking.”
Ye’er’s eyes reddened, but there were no tears. For the children of Daqiu, crying was the most useless behavior.
“Miss, please don’t say that. Ye’er had her difficulties too. If Miss hadn’t been so stubborn and had been willing to build ships for my Daqiu, Ye’er wouldn’t have needed to deceive Miss. Though Ye’er was born well, my parents died when I was young. It was difficult to establish myself in the clan. Thanks to the King taking me in, I had to repay such great kindness.”
“Oh—” Mo Zi seemed to understand her, nodding. “You wanted to repay kindness, or did you want to gain a reward—becoming Wu Yanle’s secondary consort?”
Wu Yanle, the young marquis on that large ship the Yongfu encountered before Jingyu Rapids, also the current King of Daqiu’s youngest brother.
“…” The peach blossom umbrella fell from Ye’er’s hand, blown by the wind onto the lake, its petal tips shattering the emerald green water ripples.
“Why so surprised? Think I shouldn’t know? You should be clear that in order to keep me, that person was willing to reveal everything I wanted to know. Rarely seeing each other once, I don’t know how things are between you and Wu Yanle. After all, your King isn’t someone who keeps his word. Should I congratulate you?” That night, two attendants had called her Miss Ye’er, yet she was with Wu Yanle. “However, Daqiu is an equestrian people, and most men and women pursue love openly and passionately. When young men and women who are mutually attracted travel together before marriage, it’s considered a fine tale.”
“Miss—” Why? Why had speaking with this woman become so difficult now? “You are also a person of Daqiu.”
Mo Zi froze, then suddenly her laughter rose, scattering lightly with the rain threads across the water surface. “You say I’m a person of Daqiu?” Simply—simply a joke that could kill someone laughing!
“I was once a person of Daqiu, then a person of Yuling, now a person of Great Zhou. First used by me, then expelled by me, then wanting to kill me. Daqiu destroyed Yuling, killed my father and brothers—they are my mortal enemies. And you still say I’m a person of Daqiu?” Her expression gradually cooled, patience exhausted. “Ye’er, at this point, you still want me to have a change of heart. I truly have nothing to say to you.”
“The King…” Ye’er wouldn’t give up. “At least, the King’s heart toward you is sincere.”
Mo Zi sighed deeply. “Yes, he treats me sincerely, you treat me sincerely, Wu Yanle treats me sincerely, every person planted around me treats me sincerely. It’s me who can’t distinguish good from bad, it’s me who’s stubborn and rude, it’s me who doesn’t know how to cherish, insisting on opposing you all, refusing unto death to accept all your sincere arrangements. Ye’er, I ask you, what exactly is your sincerity? Could it be sisterly affection while stabbing me in the back? Speaking of which, you sisters who always keep this elder sister on your lips—when it comes to stabbing me with knives, each one is more ruthless than the last. Even trees need their bark, yet you don’t know shame… Enough, don’t let me continue, or everyone’s face will look bad. I think you should have noticed—the me of now is very different from before. My words absolutely won’t be pleasant to hear.”
The rain threads became lines, densely sifting down from the clouds.
“Brother Mo, the rain is getting heavy. Let’s go back.” Zan Jin got an oil-paper umbrella from Minsong, opened it, and waited for Mo Zi to come under it.
Mo Zi made a sound of agreement and walked past Ye’er.
“Miss, you should know that if you don’t return with Ye’er now, the position beside the King might belong to her.” She was betting on the Miss’s last bit of feeling.
What responded to Ye’er was only a string of laughter and four words: “I don’t care.”
Ye’er suddenly turned around, reaching out to grab Mo Zi’s elbow.
A flash of emerald green light, and a heavy sword appeared in midair beside Ye’er’s neck. Something strange about it made her unable to move.
“Zan Jin, no need to worry. She only has superficial skills.” Mo Zi had been about to leave, but suddenly thought of something.
“Miss Ye’er, is Doulü in your hands?” The false sister was heartless and disloyal, but the true sister’s whereabouts remained unknown.
“Miss Lü?” Ye’er thought that if she answered yes, the possibility of Miss returning to Daqiu with her would be several points higher.
Seeing Ye’er lower her eyes in contemplation, Mo Zi couldn’t help sneering inwardly. Did she still think she was a fool? “Zan Jin, does your Emerald Heart Sword drink women’s blood?”
Hearing this, Ye’er immediately looked up with wide eyes.
Zan Jin flicked his wrist, and immediately a line of cold killing intent appeared between the sword handle and scabbard. Before it even touched Ye’er’s slender neck, the skin closest to the blade’s edge split open in a gap the length of a small fingernail, instantly drawing blood.
The Emerald Heart Sword made a humming sound, urgent and pressing, having no strange aversion to women’s blood.
“Tell the truth! Otherwise, I’ll kill you!” When people treat me with sincerity, I return sincerity. When people treat me with cruelty, I return cruelty.
Frightened by the Emerald Heart Sword’s eeriness and the flames in Mo Zi’s eyes, Ye’er had no time to ponder and hastily shook her head. “The King sent people to search for Miss’s whereabouts, but there’s been no good news. Two days ago, Yanle received a secret letter from the King saying Miss might have met with disaster, telling Yanle to investigate from Miss Lü’s side. It seems Miss Lü is not in Daqiu.”
“Zan Jin, this young lady confessed so quickly. It looks like your sword will just have to wait.” Mo Zi took the oil-paper umbrella from Zan Jin’s hand. “However, you don’t need to be too anxious. The chance to drink its fill might be right before us. Be careful on the way. If anyone dares follow us, feel free to take action. Don’t cause deaths, but otherwise do as you please.”
Zan Jin sheathed his sword and responded with agreement.
Ye’er collapsed sitting on the ground, staring blankly as those four people walked across the narrow causeway, got on the carriage and horses by the lakeshore, and departed in a cloud of dust.
Two guards ran forward to pull her up, but she swept them away with one hand.
“Go, follow that carriage and see where the people inside get off.” Ye’er ordered.
One of the guards immediately accepted the command.
The rain grew heavier, soaking Ye’er’s small cap, drip-drop-drip, water droplets splashing on the ground. She climbed to her feet, a trace of wretchedness in her eyes, a trace of stubbornness, praying silently in her heart—
Child of Heaven, Eagle God, please bring back the Light of our Daqiu!