Chapter Seventeen
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The great Nanxi Mountains stretched endlessly, their peaks cloaked in lush greenery, each ridge uniquely graceful and enchanting. It was March, the season when peach blossoms were at their fullest bloom. Within Peach Blossom Village, surrounded entirely by sheer cliffs, the vast peach orchards were bursting forth with fragrant flowers. Pink petals and pale yellow stamens transformed the entire grove into a world drenched in vibrant red hues.
Peach Blossom Village was a true paradise hidden from the world.
Petals drifted gently through the orchard. Beneath a densely blossomed peach tree stood a middle-aged man gripping the hilt of his sword, his expression grave and contemplative, as though lost in thought or perhaps deliberately empty-minded. Nearby, beneath another peach tree, stood a woman clad in flowing red robes, her bearing ethereal and unparalleled. Her hands were empty, yet he could strike her down at any moment.
The woman plucked a freshly bloomed peach flower from a branch, inhaled its scent softly, then said in a low voice, “Xing Fannan, stop pondering! Although Peach Blossom Village is encircled by sheer cliffs and guarded at every turn, for someone as skilled in martial arts as I, entering here is effortless.”
Xing Fannan remained silent and motionless, like a wooden statue.
She continued, “I have traveled a thousand miles to find you, hoping you will take your daughter and join me in Beizhen. I want to marry you. My father, the emperor, will appoint you Grand General. You will enjoy endless honor and wealth.”
Finally, Xing Fannan spoke, “So after marrying you, we will lead your Beizhen forces to attack Nanhan and eventually destroy it—is that what you mean?”
The woman in red smiled brightly, “Exactly! My father has promised that after Nanhan's destruction, you will be made King of Nanhan, governing its current territories. You will, in fact, be the ‘Emperor of Nanhan,’ and I the de facto ‘Empress.’ Many officials in the Nanhan court have long dreamed of such a fortune.”
Xing Fannan sneered, “If that’s the case, why don’t you go find them? Why come to Peach Blossom Village looking for me?”
The woman’s face blossomed like a peach flower as she said, “Because I, Liao Enna, love you! I have waited all these years, refusing to marry anyone else! Xing Fannan, I’ve suffered waiting for you! For the sake of my devotion, please come back with me to Beizhen.”
Xing Fannan shook his head slightly and replied, “Princess Liao Enna, if you love me so much, then don’t go back to Beizhen. Stay here in Peach Blossom Village. Though we lack clothing and food now, as long as I have a morsel to eat, you will never go hungry.”
Liao Enna frowned, “Xing Fannan, I’m not a fool! I’ll be honest—I can’t endure hardship. Even a single day here is unbearable. I couldn’t survive a lifetime in this place!” Her brow furrowed deeply.
Xing Fannan smiled and said, “Then go! At first, I intended to have you arrested and handed over to the authorities.”
Liao Enna’s expression shifted from anger to a smile. “Everyone has their own will. I won’t force you. But before I leave, here’s a warning.”
Xing Fannan asked, “What warning?”
She threw the peach flower she held onto the ground. “The people of Peach Blossom Village are remnants of Wu Wu loyalists and their families. Many high-ranking officials in Nanhan have long wanted to eliminate them. Though Peach Blossom Village is surrounded by cliffs, easily defended and hard to attack, it is but a small place, lacking depth. Once the court sends troops, you won’t last more than a few days. Moreover, the village is overgrown with weeds and trees; if they use fire, you will have nowhere to escape. You’d best prepare an early, quiet evacuation.”
Xing Fannan said, “Thank you for the warning.”
Liao Enna bowed, “Farewell, until we meet again.” With that, she used light steps to drift away from the village.
Days later, several nearby counties and towns were attacked and overrun by unidentified assailants. A county magistrate and several town chiefs were killed.
The attackers declared, “The murders were done by Xing Fannan of Peach Blossom Village.”
The prefect hurriedly reported to the court, requesting immediate military intervention.
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Since the night she had shared passion with Gu Yusheng, Lü Qianqian found herself unable to live without him. Secretly, she sent people to spy around the bathhouse compound, learning that Gu Yusheng was already betrothed—to his childhood sweetheart and junior fellow disciple, who had traveled all the way to the capital preparing for their wedding. This news deeply distressed Lü Qianqian.
That night, she lay restless, repeatedly asking herself, “He is already promised to another. What am I to do now?”
Her thoughts turned to her late mother.
In her heart, she spoke, “Mother, if only you were still alive! Then I could pour out my heart to you, seek your help in troubles. Now that I belong to Gu Yusheng, whether as wife or concubine, I accept it. Mother, if you were alive, would you support me?”
She knew the answer. Even if her mother lived, she would oppose her wishes, just as her father did. Her father, the deputy prime minister of Nanhan, was a man of standing. For his only daughter to become a concubine would bring great shame. But her mother...
Night deepened. Lü Qianqian tossed and turned, lonely and restless. If she could transform, she would become a big tabby cat and stealthily slip into the bathhouse compound under cover of darkness. She longed to be like the family’s big tabby, to snuggle beside Gu Yusheng.
This night, desire surged within her, but changing into a cat was impossible. Instead, she bit her own arm to endure the night.
At dawn, she bit her lip and vowed, “No matter what, today I must go to the bathhouse compound. If I don’t see him again, I will go mad!”
Rising, she took the grand carriage prepared by Aunt Zhou and arrived early at the bathhouse compound’s gate. Getting down, she lowered her head and inquired at the gatehouse where the new top scholar Gu Yusheng lived.
The gatekeeper glanced at her and her carriage, replying, “Miss, Gu the Top Scholar has already moved!”
Lü Qianqian cursed quietly, “Gu Yusheng, you heartless scoundrel. You moved without so much as a word!”
Blushing, she asked the steward for the new address, then hurriedly bade farewell and urged the coachman, “Quick! To Osmanthus Garden on Xianghe Street!”
The coachman gathered the reins and cracked the whip. The luxurious carriage of the Prime Minister’s residence clattered away from the bathhouse compound, heading toward its destination. A few failed candidates stood at the gate, watching the carriage leave, swallowing hard.
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Osmanthus Garden on Xianghe Street was a private compound jointly rented by Gu Yusheng and the Southern General.
The carriage stopped before the courtyard gate. Through the window, Lü Qianqian saw lanterns and festive decorations everywhere, the atmosphere joyous. Upon asking, she learned Gu Yusheng’s wedding was the next day. Her heart trembled, dizzy. A dreadful premonition settled over her: her life was lost—not just for a night with Gu Yusheng, but for her entire future.
She stood dazed before the gate, aching inside. She wanted to turn back, but her feet wouldn’t move. Suddenly, Gu Yuren and Qi Guang, two newly minted scholars, appeared to welcome guests. Lü Qianqian tried to greet them but nearly fainted, saved only by a maid’s timely support.
Guests exchanged polite words and tea. Lü Qianqian asked to see the bride. Qi Guang fetched his sister Qi Yaoyao. Lü Qianqian looked up, startled. “This bride looks so familiar!” she thought. The maid whispered, “Miss, she looks just like you!” Everyone glanced between the two and agreed in unison, “You really do look alike!”
Both Lü Qianqian and Qi Yaoyao asked, “Really?”
“Of course!” they replied.
Qi Yaoyao took Lü Qianqian’s hand and they stood before a bronze mirror. Both marveled, “We look exactly like twins!”
For some unknown reason, Lü Qianqian’s heart suddenly felt light instead of heavy. She smiled brightly. She asked, “How old is the bride?”
“Just turned twenty,” Qi Yaoyao answered.
“I am eighteen,” Lü Qianqian said happily. “Should I address you as sister or sister-in-law?”
Qi Yaoyao squeezed her hands, “Since we look like sisters, let’s just be sisters.”
“Agreed!” Lü Qianqian beamed.
Before leaving, Gu Yuren, Qi Guang, Qi Yaoyao, and Gu Yuru invited Lü Qianqian to the wedding the next day. She accepted gladly.
On the way home, Lü Qianqian told her maid, “That heartless man isn’t home today. Our visit was in vain.”
The maid replied, “Miss, tomorrow he is the groom. He will definitely be home!”
In fact, Gu Yusheng had not gone to the Hanlin Academy that morning—he had taken leave for the wedding. He lied to his family, saying he had urgent business there. His true intention was to see Lü Qianqian, but she had left earlier, so they missed each other.
Aunt Zhou received him in the outer hall. She said, “You two, one leaves early, the other comes early, and yet on the same day! She left before dawn!”
Gu Yusheng asked, “Why was she in such a hurry?”
Aunt Zhou clicked her tongue, “You’ve been gone several days and not returned. She grew worried and went to the bathhouse compound looking for you!”
Surprised, Gu Yusheng said, “She went there? Wrong place! We’ve moved!”
Aunt Zhou scolded, “You’re careless! Moved and didn’t even tell anyone!”
He couldn’t explain, hurriedly left, and rushed to the bathhouse compound. But upon inquiry, Lü Qianqian had already gone to Osmanthus Garden on Xianghe Street.
Exiting the bathhouse compound, Gu Yusheng thought if he returned home now, he might run into Lü Qianqian. But since he told his family he was at the Hanlin Academy, and the academy hadn’t started duty yet, returning now would expose his lie. Besides, he guessed his family would inform Lü Qianqian that tomorrow was his wedding with Qi Yaoyao. She would be heartbroken, perhaps even angry with him. He murmured, “Better not go back now. It would be awkward.”
He wandered the streets without direction, pondering how to pass the time before duty began. Suddenly, he thought of a place—the Willow Garden, a spot the Southern General often visited recently.
The capital’s night was hazy under the moon.
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At the third watch, Prime Minister Qin Miao’s parlor remained brightly lit.
Someone whispered, “Prime Minister, does the emperor’s appointment of martial arts champion Li Muwen as Southern General mean he plans to overturn the peace treaty?”
Qin Miao replied, “The treaty was his doing; he neither dares nor wishes to change it. He just wants to cultivate his own loyalists gradually and break free from us.”
The man growled, “This puppet emperor wants a coup? No way!”
Qin Miao stroked his beard, “Minister Chen, if this dog emperor tries to usurp, what will you do?”
Minister Chen gritted his teeth, “Write to the Beizhen people, request troops to come to the capital, kill the dog emperor, and support you to the throne!”
Qin Miao’s expression turned sinister, “So you want me to rebel? Some call me a traitor already; if I rebel, I’ll be infamous forever! Ha ha...”
A man in an official’s robe standing beside Qin Miao said, “Prime Minister, I think the emperor’s unusual appointment of Li Muwen as Southern General is just to appease the radical officials. He doesn’t truly value talent.”
Qin Miao said, “Exactly!”
The official added, “Prime Minister, Li Muwen is too cheaply promoted—just a nominal second-rank official.”
Qin Miao replied, “Second rank means nothing; he has the title but no real power. Still, seeing him swagger around court every day vexes me.”
The official said, “Then just get rid of him sooner!”
Qin Miao laughed, “Minister Jia, you speak boldly. I never say such things!”
Jia said, “Rest assured, after tomorrow’s court session, your worries will end.”
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The next day at Osmanthus Garden on Xianghe Street, firecrackers exploded deafeningly. Gu Yusheng and Qi Yaoyao were wed.
Gu Yusheng was new to office and barely acquainted with colleagues, so few were invited. Neither family had many relatives in the capital, so the gathering was modest. Lü Qianqian and her maid arrived as promised. Prime Minister Lü came uninvited, bringing Lady Zhou and gifts, declaring, “I am the master of ceremonies!”
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Thus, Lady Zhou became the wedding “master,” Prime Minister Lü the officiant, and Gu Yuren and Qi Guang witnesses for the two families. Lü Qianqian insisted on being bridesmaid but there was no groom’s attendant. Under the prime minister’s “order,” the Southern General disguised as a man served as best man—an utter absurdity! Qi Guang brought the bridal shoes for his sister Qi Yaoyao; the groom Gu Yusheng gave his brother-in-law a generous red envelope containing twenty taels of silver—ten times the originally promised amount. Qi Yaoyao whispered to Qi Guang, “Brother Guang, this is your travel allowance from your brother-in-law. Spend it wisely.”
Before the ceremony, Lü Qianqian and Qi Yaoyao swore sisterhood, becoming sworn sisters. Gu Yusheng was secretly pleased, thinking, “Even without formal ties, you two are sisters!” Lü Qianqian gifted Qi Yaoyao a pair of gold hairpins inlaid with Hetian jade; Qi Yaoyao returned a pair of jade bangles left by her grandmother.
The ceremony completed, the banquet began. Prime Minister Lü sat at the head of the table facing the door, flanked by Gu Yuren and Qi Guang. Everyone, from hosts to guests, masters to servants, men to women, took seats. Cups clinked, dice rolled, and toasts flowed freely. The bride and groom raised their glasses to each guest, turning a small gathering into a lively, joyous celebration.
Bridesmaid Lü Qianqian was especially spirited, placing six sea bowls before Gu Yusheng, filling them all, and saying, “Groom, life has four joys: rain after drought, meeting a friend in a strange land, wedding night, and passing the imperial exam. You’re lucky to have three! So today I toast you with three big bowls!”
Gu Yusheng chuckled, “Three joys? I only have two—wedding night and passing the exam!”
Lü Qianqian whispered in his ear, “Doesn’t that night with me count as ‘rain after drought’?”
His face flushed like a ripe apple. The bride Qi Yaoyao stopped him, “No more drinking! Tonight we still have the wedding night...”
Just then, a eunuch appeared at the door, loudly proclaiming, “The Southern General is summoned to receive an imperial edict!”
Everyone was startled, quickly setting down their cups and kneeling. Yet after a long wait, nothing happened. They looked around but saw no sign of the Southern General.
Prime Minister Lü stood and bowed, “Sir, today is my nephew Gu Shushi’s wedding. I entrusted the Southern General to escort a distant relative. He will return soon. Please sit and share a drink while you wait.”
The eunuch, seeing he spoke to the vice prime minister, said, “If it’s the prime minister’s order, I will wait, but not too long to delay my duties.”
Lü bowed again, “Thank you, sir.”
Outside the gate, Gu Yuren asked Gu Yuru, “Sister, where is the Southern General?”
Gu Yuru replied, “Brother, she was here just moments ago but vanished in a blink.”
Gu Yusheng said, “I know where she went.” He went straight to the stable, saddled his horse, mounted, and disappeared.
The Southern General had been at the banquet but felt a sharp pain in her heart watching the joyful scene. Unable to stay, she quietly left, entered the stables, took her horse, and rode swiftly toward the Willow Garden.
She stood behind a rockery, tears streaming, scolding the goldfish in the pond, “Shameless! You’re heartless! All these years, I, Xiao Guishu, have worried so much for you...” The goldfish seemed to weep too.
“Gu Er, I told you I didn’t want to be your sworn brother but your wife—you know that... sob...” She cursed and wept.
“Gu Er, am I really nothing to you?”
Suddenly, she thought of her parents at the salt field. “Mother, I miss you... sob...” She leaned on the rockery. “Father, mother, they say marriages are arranged by parents, but your daughter is grown and wants to marry. Why don’t you decide for me? Sob... Mother, your heart is full of deep hatred!”
She picked up a small stone and threw it at the fish. “Look how Uncle Qi and Aunt Yin are as parents—they arranged for Miss Qiongqiong and Miss Yaoyao to marry, stealing all Gu’s sons away! What am I to do? Sob... Mother, you never cared about your daughter’s marriage!”
Gu Yusheng had quietly come behind the rockery and heard every word. He stepped forward laughing, “Ha ha, I knew you’d be here!” He was pretending to laugh.
Xiao Guishu wiped her tears and scolded, “Shameless! Not drinking at home, coming here instead—what kind of groom are you?”
Gu Yusheng bowed, “Sorry!”
She snapped, “Sorry for what?”
He said, “Guishu, I know you care for me, but...”
She cut him off, “Enough! I don’t want to hear any sweet talk. I know your heart belongs to Miss Yaoyao, but my heart belongs only to you. Now that you’re married, I’ll bury this love forever.”
Gu Yusheng bowed, “Yaoyao and I thank you.”
Xiao Guishu said, “I was your best man, so you owe me a red envelope! Where is it?”
Gu Yusheng scratched his head, “Best men need red envelopes too? I thought only the shoe bearer needed one. But after we go home, I’ll have Yaoyao make it up to you.”
Xiao Guishu smiled, “That’s more like it! So why did you come here?”
He hurriedly said, “The emperor’s edict has arrived. You must go home to receive it!”
She stamped her foot and cursed, “You’re such a fool! Why not say so sooner?” Then she hurried out of the Willow Garden, took her horse, and galloped toward Osmanthus Garden.
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The southern provinces were in upheaval, with rebels storming counties and towns. The emperor ordered the Southern General to lead five thousand elite troops immediately to Peach Blossom Village to suppress the rebellion.