Old Friend
Outside the fort was a group of people.
The servants by the carriage were busy unloading box after box whilst the guests sat and drank tea in the resting room.
As Xiao Jue arrived, he saw Liang Ping pouring tea for them.
“Fourth Young Master Chu.” The first to make a greeting was Lin Shuanghe. He walked towards them whilst swaying his fan, smiling warmly as if he was a host entertaining guests. “Is the tea to your liking?”
Chu Zilan stood up and cupped his hands towards Lin Shuanghe and Xiao Jue. “Chief Commander Xiao, Young Master Lin.” He smiled faintly. “The Liangzhou Guard’s Cloud Mist Tea1 is mellow and rich, leaving a pleasant fragrance upon my tongue. The Chief Commander is lucky to have such a fine provision.”
Xiao Jue casually pulled over a chair and sat. Staring at him, he responded, “It’s just crude tea. There’s no need to be modest.”
Chu Zhao didn’t get angry. He just smiled and said, “Chief Commander jests.”
The Fourth Young Master of the Shi Jinbo Residence was the same age as Xiao Jue. Compared to Xiao Jue’s apathetic and languid expression, he appeared much gentler. He was also born beautiful, with a lovely face, fair skin, an immortal-like figure that looked all the slimmer with his fluttering jade robe, and long, narrow eyes that always contained a smile. He was, indeed, a graceful gentleman with a jade-like temperament.
The two of them together – one like the cold, limpid autumn water and the other like a luminous orchid – painted a delightful image.
Beside Chu Zhao was a lady who appeared to be a maid. Although she wore the befitting clothing, her appearance was particularly alluring. Her face was beautiful and well-defined; even her plain, simple clothing couldn’t conceal her splendour. Even someone like Lin Shuanghe, who’d seen countless beauties in his lifetime, couldn’t help but sneak a few more glances at her. He sighed inwardly. With this master-servant pair together, they looked far from mundane. Among Shi Jinbo’s four sons, the first three looked ordinary – only he was born with such a face. It seems the mother’s appearance is, indeed, important.
“Why has Fourth Young Master Chu come to the Liangzhou Guard?” Xiao Jue asked.
Chu Zhao smiled and replied, “His Majesty heard that Chief Commander Xiao annihilated tens of thousands of enemy troops and eradicated the surviving Qiangs. His Majesty was greatly pleased. He specially asked me to deliver your reward and, whilst I’m here, have a look at the mighty soldiers’ morale.”
“Reward?” Xiao Jue looked at him in contemplation and indifferently said, “Liangzhou is a land of bitter cold, yet Fourth Young Master Chu is able to stoop to our level for the sake of admiring us?” He smiled vaguely. “You’re not simple.”
Chu Zhao responded, “It’s my good fortune to behold Chief Commander Xiao’s mighty soldiers personally.”
Xiao Jue chuckled and didn’t respond.
“His Majesty also ordered me to hold a banquet in celebration of Liangzhou’s victory,” Chu Zhao continued, “however, I’m not familiar with how the Liangzhou Guard usually celebrates their victories, hence I’ll have to trouble you, Chief Commander.”
“We’ve just buried the deceased new recruits,” Xiao Jue said, “so I’m afraid a celebration at this time isn’t appropriate.”
Chu Zhao’s smile was gentle, yet his tone was persistent. “In which battle does bloodshed not exist? Besides, annihilating the enemy is a joyous affair, thus a reward must be bestowed. This is also His Majesty’s wish.”
Was he using Emperor Wenxuan’s name for the sake of winning this debate?
Xiao Jue stared at him for a while before he smiled and nodded. “Alright.” He stood up and eloquently said, “The banquet can be held tomorrow. I invite Fourth Young Master Chu to join us too.”
Chu Zhao stood up and cupped his hands in response. “As you wish.”
Xiao Jue exited the room. He instructed Fei Nu, “Arrange a room for Fourth Young Master Chu.”
Fei Nu left to follow his orders.
Lin Shuanghe followed out and moved close to him. In a low voice, he asked, “What is Chu Zhao’s intention? With what’s happened so far, doesn’t it seem as if he’ll be staying at the Liangzhou Guard for a while?”
“With his underling caught, Xu Jingfu is getting anxious,” Xiao Jue answered indifferently, “Is there something wrong with him sending his dog here?”
Lin Shuanghe turned his head and glanced into the room. Seeing Chu Zhao’s head lowered while he drank his tea, he asked again, “Won’t it be dangerous to let him stay here? This fellow is one of Xu Jingfu’s people after all.”
“Dangerous?” Xiao Jue replied. “That depends on his capability. Let’s go.”
“To where?”
“Since it’s a reward, we should take a look at what he’s delivered.” Xiao Jue ruminated, “To arrive at my Liangzhou Guard with such great fanfare when my reward is just a mere few boxes is hardly justifiable.”
“Are you grabbing feathers from a flying goose2 again?”
Xiao Jue glanced at him.
Lin Shuanghe said, “I’m not implying anything, I was just asking, so don’t get angry. Go go go, let’s take a look at the treasures!”
…..
He Yan’s return from the training field was also her return to boredom. She laid in bed and read a few travel notes whilst waiting for Song Taotao to deliver her food. Once she finished eating and Song Taotao departed, she heard noises from outside that sounded as if he was speaking to someone. Thinking that Xiao Jue returned, she got out of bed and, while leaning against her stick, opened the door only to see Lin Shuanghe.
“Doctor Lin?” He Yan looked around but didn’t see Xiao Jue, so she asked, “Is the Chief Commander not with you?”
“He’s holding a meeting with the instructors regarding the celebration banquet,” Lin Shuanghe replied with a smile. “I’ll wait in the room since I still have something to discuss with him.”
“Celebration banquet?” He Yan was taken aback. “What celebration banquet?”
“The Liangzhou Guard’s celebration banquet.” Lin Shuanghe waved at Song Taotao. He waited until Song Taotao left before finally walking in He Yan’s direction. When he reached the doorway, his footsteps suddenly paused, unwilling to advance.
He Yan asked confusedly, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Shuanghe withdrew his hands before firmly answering, “It’s not good for a man and woman to share a room. If this was circulated, your reputation would be damaged.”
He Yan: “…”
She said, “Nobody here knows my identity, so Doctor Lin can just treat me like any other ordinary soldier. Besides, haven’t you come here before?”
Lin Shuanghe waved his hand reservedly. “There were other people in the room with us back then. Now that it’s just us two, I’m afraid there will be misunderstandings.”
“What misunderstandings?” He Yan felt a little helpless. “I’m often alone in the same room as the Chief Commander. There’s nothing inappropriate about that either.”
Hearing this, Lin Shuanghe took a step back. “That makes it even more unacceptable. A friend’s wife cannot be played with. Do I look like the kind of villain who’d betray my friends?”
He Yan: “…”
What strange nonsense is this person spouting?
After some thought, she came up with an idea. “How about this? Young Master Lin, you can stay in the Chief Commander’s room while I’ll stay in my own room. I’ll leave the divider door open so we can still talk. This way we can’t be considered as sharing a room; rather, we’ll each be in our own separate rooms. Will that be okay?”
Lin Shuanghe didn’t expect He Yan to suggest this. He remained stunned for a moment before snapping open his fan. “Let’s do that, then!”
Hence, when He Yan re-entered the room, she used Cheng Lisu’s silver wire to pick the lock and strenuously pushed a chair to the other side of the divider door. Lin Shuanghe was already waiting there.
He measured up the divider door and asked He Yan, “Do you two usually play like this?”
“Play like what?”
“Like…” Lin Shuanghe also looked embarrassed having to say it, so he shook his head and smiled. “I didn’t expect Huai Jin to be like this too.”
He Yan was confused by his words, but felt more concerned about the celebration banquet he brought up previously, hence she asked, “Doctor Lin, what is the Liangzhou Guard celebration banquet you mentioned?”
“Didn’t you guys win against Ridamuzy’s people and annihilate tens of thousands of his troops?” Lin Shuanghe responded. “His Majesty heard of this and was greatly pleased, hence he specially assigned someone to bestow rewards and even hold a celebration banquet at the Liangzhou Guard to reward the troops with victuals.”
He Yan was taken aback after hearing this. “Now? But it’s not a very appropriate time to celebrate our victory.”
It definitely wasn’t fortunate timing to celebrate a victory at the Liangzhou Guard. Although the battle was won, victory came with haste. Dozens of sentinels died in the beginning when the situation was still unclear, and even though they triumphed in the end, it was mostly because of the Southern Army’s support. The new recruits’ current feelings were perhaps more sorrow and terror towards their fallen comrades and war than triumphant joy. How was it a good time to celebrate?
“It’s His Majesty’s wish, so what can we do?” Lin Shuanghe sighed. “It’s not as if we can behave in an unappreciative manner.”
For a while, neither spoke.
Then, He Yan asked, “The person who came to deliver His Majesty’s decree is Chu Zilan, right?” She continued, “Who is Chu Zilan?”
“You’ve never heard of Chu Zilan?” Hearing this, Lin Shuanghe was astonished.
He Yan shook her head.
“Among all the dream men of every lady in the Capital, ranked first was Xiao Rubi and ranked second was Xiao Huaijin. As for Chu Zilan, he was ranked third.” Lin Shuanghe sighed. “But ever since Xiao Rubi married, only Xiao Huijin and Chu Zilan were left. Our Huaijin has an indifferent temperament and doesn’t like to speak with the ladies, thus he hasn’t been able to beat Chu Zilan these past few years. Although Chu Zilan comes from a humble background, he’s good-looking, polite, and amiable; plus, he’s not engaged. Go ask the ladies in the Capital who their dream husband is – most of them will say Chu Zilan.” He looked at He Yan. “When you were in the Capital, did you never hear of him? That’s impossible!”
Of course He Yan’s never heard of him – she’d been leading troops to war! She never had the time to care about romance or the Capital’s pretty boys. Moreover, when she returned to the Capital, she was swiftly married off, so there was no way for her to hear about other men. She indeed had never heard of this Chu Zilan.
“Ever since I was young, my father would keep me inside, hence I’ve never spent much time outside. I rarely ever spoke to boys either,” He Yan casually said in a deadpan voice, “I know nothing about outside affairs.”
“Really?” Lin Shuanghe responded. “Your father disciplined you quite strictly.”
He Yan nodded. “Indeed.” She asked, “What’s the relationship between Chu Zilan and Chief Commander Xiao?”
Although Xiao Jue never behaved intimately with others and she’d never seen him particularly like someone, she’d never seen him particularly hate anyone either. Xu Jingfu perhaps was one; as for this Chu Zilan, even though they haven’t met yet, Xiao Jue looked unhappy just by hearing his name.
Did they have a history?
“It’s a long story.” Lin Shuanghe stood up and walked toward the table to pour himself a cup of tea. He took a sip to wet his throat before sitting down again. He asked He Yan, “Even if you’ve never heard of Chu Zilan, you must’ve heard of his father Shi Jinbo ‘Chu Linfeng’, right?”
He Yan found the name familiar. She pondered over it before replying, “Was he the one who married nineteen concubines, all of which are outstanding beauties?”
“Correct!”
He Yan recalled the name Chu Linfeng. Back when she was still a lieutenant, her subordinates had mentioned how they weren’t envious of the Emperor, but of Shi Jinbo. Shi Jinbo was like a jade tree facing the wind3 and was famous for being one of Da Wei’s most beautiful men. However, he was married to a woman a few years older than him, appeared ugly and of evil countenance, and had a shrewish temperament.
A prodigal like Chu Linfeng naturally couldn’t accept it. Before he married, he’d loiter around brothels every day; this intensified after he married. His wife could also be considered virtuous – as if she knew her appearance was ordinary and her husband would never favour her, she never stopped him from bringing home concubines. After all these years, he took in nineteen concubines, all overflowing with the joy of life. They each had the countenance of a flower and a face like the moon, and beauty that could make even geese alight and fish dive down in shame.
However, concubines could only be concubines. Many years have passed, but other than the three young masters who crawled out of the First Wife’s womb, no concubine had ever given birth to Shi Jinbo’s flesh and blood.
It was rumoured that sterility pills were fed to them before they stepped past the Chu Family’s door. No matter how favoured they were, without heirs, they had to please both the residence’s Master and Madam. Madam Shi Jinbo had a tight grasp on these concubines; hence, none dared to cause trouble under her watch. Every day, Shi Jinbo would love his concubines whilst Madam Shi Jinbo ignored it, only focused on raising her three children.
Chu Zilan was Shi Jinbo’s fourth child, yet he wasn’t Madam Shi Jinbo’s.
“Is he an illegitimate son born from one of the concubines?” He Yan asked.
“No, no,” Lin Shuanghe replied, “Madam Chu manages the concubines as strictly as your father manages you – how could they possibly give birth to a son?”
“Then…?”
“I actually don’t know the specifics either. Nevertheless, one day, during a banquet at the Chu Family’s, a four-year-old son called Chu Zhao suddenly appeared.” Lin Shuanghe took another sip of his tea. “Although it wasn’t spoken outright, everyone was well-aware that Chu Zhao was most likely an illegitimate child born out of wedlock.”
He Yan’s eyes widened.
“Madam Chu may have been prepared for anything, but she never expected Shi Jinbo to hide something like this up his sleeves. The child was already four and was recognised in front of outsiders, so what could she do?” Lin Shuanghe spread his hands. “If this was it, then Chu Zilan would’ve been nothing more than Chu Linfeng’s illegitimate child; however, when Chu Zilan was ten, he was recorded as Madam Chu’s son. Thus, his current identity is that of the Shi Jinbo Residence’s Fourth Young Master born from the First Wife. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because he is our Prime Minister, Xu Jingfu’s most prided student.”
He Yan was taken aback. Xu Jingfu again?
“Although Shi Jinbo was wanton and dissolute, he wasn’t a compassionate father. You can imagine how difficult Chu Zilan’s childhood was under Madam Chu’s care. Who knows what tactics he used to safely survive until his tenth birthday and even encounter Xu Jingfu? Shi Jingbo wouldn’t dare be inconsiderate towards the Prime Minister, so recording Chu Zhao as Madam Chu’s son was probably Xu Jingfu’s wish.”
“Fourth Young Master Chu is formidable.”
Lin Shuanghe looked at He Yan. “Do you think so?”
“He is. As you said, he had no external aid when he was at the residence, his father didn’t care for him, and his biological mother wasn’t beside him. Now, he’s a Young Master born from the First Wife and even His Majesty ordered him to deliver a decree to the Liangzhou Guard. To get to this point relying on only himself is truly formidable.”
“If not so, how could he become Xu Jingfu’s most favoured student?” Lin Shuanghe shook his head and sighed.
“Then what about his biological mother?” He Yan asked. “Wasn’t she brought into the Shi Jinbo Residence?”
“I don’t know,” Lin Shuanghe shook his head, “I heard she died of illness after giving birth to him. Otherwise, with Chu Zilan’s current abilities, he should be able to provide her with a better life.”
He Yan nodded as if deep in thought. “I see. No wonder Chief Commander Xiao doesn’t like Fourth Young Master Chu.”
Xiao Jue and Xu Jingfu are foes. Chu Zilan is Xu Jingfu’s student, so naturally, he’d also become Xiao Jue’s enemy.
“Brother… He,” Lin Shuanghe said. “If you had to choose between Huai Jin and Chu Zilan, who would you help?”
He Yan felt this question was far too ridiculous. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m just curious what choice a Dawei lady would make.”
“I don’t even know Chu Zilan,” He Yan responded, “So of course I’ll stand beside the Chief Commander.”
A meaningful smile broke out on Lin Shuanghe’s face. “You don’t need to answer so soon. You’ll see Chu Zilan at the celebration banquet tomorrow.”
He Yan: “…”
So what if she saw him? Was there something unusual about him?
He Yan never expected that the next day, just as Lin Shuanghe said, she’d meet this legendary dream man of all ladies in the Capital – the Fourth Young Master Chu who could even compete against Xiao Jue – Chu Zilan.
…..
After that, a seldom snowless night passed by. The next day, the weather was clear.
Although the air was cold, with the sun shining down, it felt just a little warmer. He Yan got up and drank some porridge. If she was to bask in the sun, she felt the injury on her waist will definitely heal faster. The Liangzhou Guard was truly peculiar. In the summer, it was scorching – just seeing the sun would make one wail in despair. When winter came around, just seeing half a sun would brighten one’s day.
She still couldn’t take part in the daily training at the field, but seeing how nice the sun was, she leaned against her stick and was about to take a walk around the yard before she heard Song Taotao’s voice. “I saw these golden cake rolls first, they’re mine!”
It was followed by another lady’s amicable voice. “Miss, these were made by a chef our Young Master specially brought here – they aren’t from your Liangzhou Guard kitchen. Therefore, they aren’t yours.”
“Are they your Young Master’s just because you say they’re his?” The girl responded angrily. “They were placed in the kitchen – how would I know if they were made by your chef? And since you have a chef anyway, why doesn’t he just make more?”
“The procedure behind making golden cake rolls is troublesome. If he was to make more now, he’ll miss the Young Master’s meal time.”
“Then he can just not eat it!”
“Miss…”
He Yan was unable to listen any longer. She walked out. “Miss Song.”
Song Taotao turned her head, looking over at the same time as the lady she was arguing with. She delightedly shouted, “Big Brother He! These are golden cake rolls, do you want to try them?”
He Yan: “…”
The lady also said, “Those are the Young Master’s…”
He Yan took the golden cake rolls and returned them to the lady. “She’s just a child who doesn’t know any better – please don’t take it to heart.”
“Big Brother He!” Song Taotao was so angry she began stomping her foot. “Why did you return them to her?”
“They were her’s in the first place.” He Yan shook her head. She guessed the ‘Young Master’ the other spoke of was the Shi Jinbo’s Fourth Young Master Chu Zilan. Chu Zilan and Xiao Jue’s relationship was already so delicate – the gains won’t make up for the losses if this matter caused trouble for Xiao Jue.
“Many thanks, Young Master.” The lady directed a sweet smile toward He Yan.
For a moment, He Yan was taken aback, startled by the lady’s appearance. There were very few girls in the Liangzhou Guard; other than herself, who was a fake anyway, there were only Shen Muxue and Song Taotao. One was quiet and exquisite, the other adorable – now came one as stunning as a peony, appearing particularly conspicuous.
Even Chu Zilan’s maid is this beautiful? He Yan thought, Lin Shuanghe said the ladies of the Capital rank Chu Zilan first as their dream husband, but only fools would choose Chu Zilan. Even the maids he chose were outstanding beauties, so how could ordinary women possibly get his attention? They were better off choosing Xiao Jue. After all, he was surrounded by men, so his standards for women were probably much lower; they’d definitely have a chance.
Seeing He Yan stare at the other’s face without speaking, Song Taotao felt even more anxious. She hurriedly pulled on He Yan’s sleeve and asked, “Why are you looking at her? What’s there to look at?!”
Hearing this, the lady holding the golden cake rolls laughed. Her smile was extremely captivating.
“Ying Xiang,” someone said.
The maid named Ying Xiang immediately put away her smile and bowed to someone behind He Yan. “Fourth Young Master.”
Fourth Young Master? Chu Zilan? He Yan turned around, her gaze falling upon the person before her.
It was a young man wearing a jade headpiece and a pale-jade robe with wide sleeves. He was as lofty and unsullied as an orchid, yet was as beautiful as an immortal banished from Heaven. A faint smile hung from his lips as he dipped his head towards He Yan.
He Yan’s brows furrowed. This man looked familiar.
When he finally looked at He Yan, he was also taken aback. After a moment, he smiled. As if sensing He Yan’s thoughts, he reached out a hand with his palm turned up and gently said, “This Little Brother, your things dropped.”
Just one sentence caused He Yan to abruptly come back to her senses. She remembered where she’d seen this person!
Back then, she was still at Shuojing. After racking her brains to think up a way to pay for He Yunsheng’s private tutor, she had no choice but to gamble at the Le Tong Gambling House. She was chased by the loser’s henchmen, but she easily defeated all of them. Suddenly, someone appeared and told her she dropped her money.
That person was very good-looking – just one glance and their appearance could never be forgotten. But because of how sudden their current encounter was – moreover, it was daytime – He Yan couldn’t immediately recall his face; instead, he recognised He Yan first.
“You are… Young Master Chu?” He Yan asked.
Chu Zilan nodded. “That’s me.”
He Yan’s mind blanked for a moment. What kind of fortune did she have? She’d been casually jumping over walls and getting into fights, yet still managed to encounter the Capital ladies’ dream man. Just what kind of a coincidence was that?
“My name is Chu Zhao.” Chu Zilan smiled as he looked at He Yan. “Little Brother, you and I can also be considered old friends, yet I still don’t know your name. May I ask what your name is?”
Such gentleness and politeness – now He Yan could slightly understand how he was equally matched against Xiao Jue. She hurriedly returned the courtesy. “You flatter me. My name is He Yan. ‘He’ as in ‘herbage’4 and ‘Yan’ as in ‘peaceful joyance under the Heavens’5.
Chu Zhao smiled faintly. “That’s a good name. However…” He looked around him and confusedly asked, “Why is Brother He here?”
“Me?” He Yan responded. “I’m a new recruit of the Liangzhou Guard. I was injured recently, so I haven’t been taking part in the daily training at the field.”
“I see.”
At this moment, the silent Song Taotao finally came back to her senses. She cautiously pulled He Yan’s hand. Possibly due to how good-looking Chu Zilan was, her aggressiveness towards Ying Xiang had also dissipated – she even appeared a little embarrassed. In a lowered voice, she asked, “Big Brother He, who is this person? Do you know him?”
That question was quite hard to answer. She knew Chu Zhao, but not in the familiar way Song Taotao was assuming. She just subconsciously felt a little excited after suddenly seeing a familiar face at the Liangzhou Guard.
Hence, He Yan replied, “This is the Fourth Young Master of the Shi Jinbo Residence. When I was at Shuojing, we happened to meet once.”
Chu Zhao chuckled. “We can be considered old friends.”
Translator's Notes
- ‘云雾茶’ – ‘yúnwù chá’ – a type of green tea that is harvested in the Jianxi Province from the Lu Mountains. It grows at cloudy, high altitudes, making it a ‘shade-grown tea’, meaning it contains more chlorophyll, nutrients, and caffeine.
- 雁过拔毛 – yànguò bá máo – an idiom meaning ‘to take advantage of every opportunity’
- 玉树临风 – yùshù línfēng – an idiom used to describe a young man’s outstanding talent and refined physical appearance.
- ‘禾’ – ‘hé’ – as in ‘草木禾’ (‘cǎomù hé’); ‘草木’ means ‘vegetation/flora’.
- ‘晏’ – ‘yàn’ – as in ‘河清海晏’ (‘hé qīng hǎi yàn’); lit. translation ‘the Yellow River is clear and the seas are calm’; an idiom meaning ‘an era of peace’.