Chapter Thirty-Eight

Osmanthus Garden.

Today is a day of rest. Early in the morning, Gu Yuren and Qi Qiongqiong went out with the others, leaving Gu Yusheng alone at home.

In the study of the right wing, Gu Yusheng sat on a wooden chair holding a book on military strategy, yet after a long while, he was still on the very first page. His mind was elsewhere. He set the book down and paced back and forth, still feeling utterly bored. He stepped out of the study and went under the osmanthus tree. Hanging from the tree were two Mongolian larks that Qi Yaoyao had purchased. Upon seeing Gu Yusheng, they chirped incessantly.

Gu Yusheng spoke to the cages in his heart: "Oh, little larks, your mistress said you are Mongolian larks. From now on, I shall call you that! My dear birds, your mistress has been missing for some time now; can you tell me where she is?"

The two little creatures seemed quite spirited, looking at Gu Yusheng and hopping about in their cages, chirping non-stop. Listening to their clear, melodious songs, Gu Yusheng’s melancholy lifted. He said, "Little ones, let’s have a meal!"

He fetched some mung bean flour in a small porcelain bowl. Then, he returned to the study and moved the wooden chair he had been sitting on to the shade of the osmanthus tree. He wanted to sit while feeding them. He took down the cages and hung them lower.

He sat on the chair, holding the bowl in his left hand and a small spoon in his right, teasing them as he fed them. "Tweet tweet, I’ve fed you, won't you do a dance for me?"

The two larks seemed to ignore him, standing quietly on the perch, neither hopping nor eating. One of them even tilted its head and stared at him.

Gu Yusheng asked the cages, "What's the matter? Can you tell I'm not your mistress? Let me tell you, she went on a long journey and hasn't returned yet!"

The larks remained indifferent. The one continued to tilt its head at him.

Gu Yusheng asked the cages again, "She's been gone so long—did something happen to her on the road?"

The larks hunkered down on the perch, motionless. A breeze blew, and the leaves rustled. The small porcelain bowl slipped from Gu Yusheng's hand and shattered on the ground.

...

A white stallion flew down from the sky—it was a heavenly horse! Riding it was a woman in red, her clothes billowing in the wind—it was Qi Yaoyao. The horse stopped before Gu Yusheng. Qi Yaoyao stared at him intently.

Gu Yusheng hurriedly said, "My lady, it is I! Do you not recognize me?"

Qi Yaoyao shook her head repeatedly, then spurred her horse and rode away. Gu Yusheng leaped onto his own horse and chased after her, shouting, "My lady, wait for me!"

The white horse ran faster and faster; Gu Yusheng followed in hot pursuit. The white horse took flight, soaring like a swan. Qi Yaoyao sat on its back, her red robes fluttering—the scene was breathtakingly beautiful. Gu Yusheng was in agony because his horse, though it could fly, stayed too low. Soon, the white horse vanished behind a mountain peak.

Gu Yusheng wandered at the foot of the mountain; before him lay sheer cliffs with no path forward. He had to climb up to find Qi Yaoyao. He tied his horse to a tree and began to scale the cliff, step by step. By dawn, he finally reached the summit.

The summit was a dense bamboo forest. He searched through the grove, calling out her name, but there was no sign of Qi Yaoyao. As the first light of dawn broke in the east, he was exhausted and famished. He cried out toward the cliffs, his heart breaking: "Qi Yaoyao, my beloved wife, where are you?" He pushed deeper into the bamboo, only to stumble and fall among the stalks.

...

Gu Yusheng slowly opened his eyes and realized he was still sitting on the wooden chair under the osmanthus tree. It had been a dream. He bent down to pick up the porcelain bowl he had dropped. The two larks in the cages saw him and began to hop and chirp, as if trying to fly out of their confinement.

At Xie Family Hollow, Qi Yaoyao regained her memory. She ran out of the bridal chamber, screaming, "Husband, I am here!" She collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The courtyard was filled with friends, family, and neighbors who had come to celebrate. They were terrified by the scene. They crowded around, lifted her up, and frantically tried to revive her. After a long time, she slowly regained consciousness, and they carried her to bed.

With such a scene at the wedding feast, the guests whispered in confusion. The groom, Xie An, was pacing in frustration, unsure of what to do. He squatted on the south side of the courtyard, head hung low in anxiety, until his mother came out and said, "An'er, your father wants to see you inside."

Xie An stood up and entered the room.

The feast had reached a lively peak. Xie the Elder stood at the gate, cupping his hands in greeting: "Friends, today is the day I officially adopt Qi Yaoyao as my daughter, and also the auspicious day my son Xie An and Qi Yaoyao become sworn siblings. Thank you all for coming!"

A respected elder known as Third Uncle said, "Splendid! The groom has become a brother! Xie the Elder, now that you have an extra daughter, you should have a son-in-law, shouldn't you?"

Xie the Elder’s wife laughed, tears in her eyes: "Neighbor Third Uncle, your nephew Xie An already has a brother-in-law! Let me tell you, our son-in-law is amazing! He is a double top scholar in both civil and military examinations! He is currently a Vice Minister in the Ministry of War—a high-ranking official of the Imperial Court."

Third Uncle exclaimed happily, "That is wonderful! In that case, Xie Family Hollow now has someone serving in the court! Neighbors, shouldn't we have another drink to celebrate?"

The crowd roared, "Third Uncle, absolutely!" The sound of clinking glasses filled the feast.

A few days later, Qi Yaoyao asked the villagers for help to go down into the deep valley of Falling Goose Slope, where she recovered the bodies of Baiyun and Caiyun, as well as her own precious sword. She buried the two girls, who had been orphans since childhood, in a beautiful spot. She wept bitterly at their graves, lamenting the bond between mistress and servants and the sorrow of being separated by death.

She gifted her sword to her sworn brother, Xie An, and began to teach him swordsmanship.

One morning, she said to Xie the Elder and his wife, "Father, Mother, I wish to take my brother to the Ooze Lake Water Stronghold today."

Xie the Elder asked, "Yao'er, I hear a band of female bandits lives there. Are you taking your brother to become an outlaw?"

Qi Yaoyao replied, "Father, they are not bandits! They are a group of orphans. Their leader is my martial aunt—the peerless beauty, Princess Zhaochun of Bashu, who is the Emperor's own cousin."

Xie the Elder asked, "Are you intending to introduce your brother to the Imperial Princess?"

"Exactly," Qi Yaoyao said. "Tell Father and Mother, I am taking Brother to the stronghold for three reasons. First, I want Aunt Zhaochun to send a message via carrier pigeon to my husband in the capital to let him know I am alive. Second, there are many unmarried young women in the stronghold, and I wish to find a wife for my brother. Third, my younger brother-in-law, Li Muwen, and his wife are currently serving as instructors at the stronghold. His equestrian skills were personally taught by my mother-in-law, Lou Mingxuan. He is a master, and I want my brother to study under him so he can serve the Imperial Court in the future."

Xie the Elder was delighted. "Daughter, you are so thoughtful. And I'm not just bragging about your brother—he is tall, strong, and a marksman; he is truly material for a general."

His wife added with a smile, "Yao'er, I only hope your brother finds a wife soon so I can hold my grandchildren..."

Qi Yaoyao blushed to the tips of her ears and stammered, "Mother, I will help."

At the Osmanthus Garden in the capital, during dinner, Gu Yuren said, "I have good news for everyone."

Qi Qiongqiong asked, "What good news?"

Gu Yuren said, "The Emperor is merciful. He did not sentence Xiao Guimu to death, but instead exiled her to serve as a camp prostitute at the Dabu Garrison in the South Province."

Qi Qiongqiong immediately pressed her palms together: "Amitabha! Sister Guimu has at least saved her life!"

Gu Yusheng suddenly asked, "Sister Qiongqiong, is there any wine in the house? I want to drink today."

Qi Qiongqiong asked, "What is wrong?"

Gu Yusheng laughed, "I have two pieces of good news to tell you all."

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Qi Qiongqiong asked impatiently, "Second Brother, what good news? Tell us quickly!"

Gu Yusheng said, "Our Aunt Zhaochun sent a message via pigeon saying that your sister, Qi Yaoyao, is alive and is currently at the Ooze Lake Water Stronghold."

"Really?" Qi Qiongqiong wept with joy.

Gu Yuren asked, "My lady, why are you crying?"

Qi Qiongqiong wiped her tears and cursed, "I am crying for that heartless second sister of mine! She has been gone for over a year with no word! I don't know how many tears I have shed for her at night!"

Gu Yuren handed her his handkerchief. "My lady, don't be like that! You should be smiling today!" He turned to Gu Yusheng. "Second Brother, what is the other news?"

Gu Yusheng laughed happily, "Big Brother, our little sister, Gu Yuru, has gotten married!"

Qi Qiongqiong wiped her eyes and asked, "Who did she marry?"

Gu Yusheng said, "She made a private pledge! She married the former top civil scholar and current Prefect of Jingnan, Zhang Dongtai. It is said that Xiao Guimu acted as the matchmaker when she was in the Jingnan Control Office!"

Qi Qiongqiong sighed in admiration, "Sister Yuru has such a good eye!"

Gu Yuren laughed, "Of course! Could the sister-in-law of Qi Qiongqiong have bad taste?"

Qi Qiongqiong said, "Don't say that! My sister-in-law's taste is indeed good, but her sister-in-law, Qi Qiongqiong, has an even sharper eye!"

Gu Yuren bowed in gratitude. "Thank you for your favor, my lady! In that case, why don't you bring out the two bottles of 'Luofu Spring' wine you have hidden away?"

Qi Qiongqiong feigned surprise. "We have such fine wine in the house? Why didn't I know?"

Gu Yuren replied, "I discovered it long ago, on the top shelf of the cabinet."

Qi Qiongqiong rolled her eyes at him. "With a thief in the house, nothing can be hidden!"

In the middle of the night, Gu Yuren woke up. It was all the fault of those two bottles of 'Luofu Spring.' He had drunk several large cups. Tonight, he had woken up too early.

He sat up in bed, eyes open, and looked at the red candle burning on the Crane Stand—only half was consumed. Usually, when the candle was nearly gone, it was early morning, and he would wake up, wash, eat the breakfast his wife had prepared the night before, and ride to the court to sign in.

He shook his head and muttered to himself, "Woke up too early. It's not yet time to rise."

He looked at his wife sleeping beside him: she was sleeping very soundly. Gu Yuren knew that ever since Xiao Guimu's incident, Qi Qiongqiong had been exhausted, sending food to the prison, looking after Aunt Rouya and Uncle Tianjian hiding in the outskirts, and secretly worrying about her sister Qi Yaoyao. She had not slept soundly for over a year. He felt his heart ache for her.

Gu Yuren gently got out of bed, drank some water, then climbed back in, pulled up the corner of the quilt, and lay down again. He truly could not bear to wake her.

He turned on his side, propping his head with his right hand, and stared at Qi Qiongqiong’s face. He watched her quietly and found her sleeping face very cute: she had her hand by her face, her nostrils fluttering slightly, and her pink lips parting and closing with every breath. Gu Yuren breathed in the scent of her, feeling a tickle in his heart. He had always loved her scent.

The candle on the Crane Stand burned out, and the room went dark. Gu Yuren whispered into her ear, "My lady, I must go to the court."

Qi Qiongqiong kissed his face. "I really want to snuggle in your arms until dawn today."

Gu Yuren said, "Not today! You must get up quickly, too."

Qi Qiongqiong asked, "Why? I don't need to sign in at the court!"

Gu Yuren said, "You must go to the outskirts and tell Aunt Rouya and Uncle Tianjian that Guimu will be taken away in the next few days. Tell them not to show themselves, and definitely do not appear on the route of the escort."

Qi Qiongqiong asked in confusion, "Didn't the Emperor sentence Guimu? Why can't we see her?"

As he dressed, Gu Yuren said, "I suspect this is a grand trap! Prince Zhao Yuan told me a while back that the Empress Dowager Pi and Chancellor Tan are truly after Aunt Zhao Rouya's life! Guimu is merely the bait."

Qi Qiongqiong was shocked and sat up.

A few days later, Xiao Guimu was escorted out of the Ministry of Justice prison by several soldiers. Leaving the capital, they took the official road. By the roadside, a middle-aged nun was walking slowly, ostensibly on her way to beg for alms.

Xiao Guimu recognized at a glance that it was her mother in disguise. She had not seen her mother in years and longed to call out "Mother," but she could not. She was a martial artist and had long since sensed the hidden killing intent on both sides of the road. This intent was not for her, but for her mother. She stole one last look at her mother, filled with admiration for her mother’s skill in disguise. Reassured, she walked forward with a sense of relief.

Another hour passed, and she saw a monk in the distance, taking three steps and then bowing, chanting scriptures. When the monk saw the soldiers escorting the prisoner, he quickly stepped aside, pressed his palms together, and whispered, "A sin, a sin."

This monk was her father, Xiao Tianjian.

Xiao Guimu walked past him without looking aside, her gait natural. Only after walking several miles did she spit out the blood she had been holding back.

The morning after Xiao Guimu was taken away, the young nun at Zhenyi Nunnery opened the door to find a headless female corpse lying at the threshold. Terrified, she rushed to report it to the Abbess, Bingchen. When the Abbess confirmed it was Zhao Rouya, her heart sank. Just as she was about to report it to the authorities, a monk arrived, threw himself over the headless body in a fit of wailing, and then drew his sword to commit suicide, falling beside the corpse.

Soon, the authorities arrived. After a rough examination, they called the Abbess and the master from Fubo Temple to place their fingerprints on the documents before having the bodies buried on the hillside.

A few days later, news came from the palace that Empress Dowager Pi had fallen ill after laughing hysterically, and the imperial physicians were doing their best to treat her. News also came from the Chancellor's residence that Chancellor Tan had developed a large sore on his back, and the pain was so intense he could not attend court. Those who delivered the message said that when the Chancellor felt pain, he didn't moan, but laughed loudly—a sound so horrific that everyone in the residence was terrified.

In the residence of the Censor Li in the South Province, ever since his son Li Muwen had gone to Jingnan, the heart of the Fifth Wife, Lou Mingxuan, seemed to have followed him.

That night, Censor Li went to spend the night in the room of the young and beautiful Seventh Wife, leaving Lou Mingxuan alone. She went to bed early but tossed and turned until the third watch, when, in a hazy, half-awake state, she saw two shadows approach her bed. They said, "Sister-in-law, I am about to take Princess Zhao Rouya back to our homeland, and I have come to bid you farewell."

Lou Mingxuan recognized Xiao Tianjian’s voice and asked dreamily, "Is that you, Uncle Tianjian? When did you return to Yangcheng?"

She saw a headless female figure move forward and say, "Sister-in-law, we fell into a trap set by the Emperor, Empress Dowager Pi, and Chancellor Tan. To save my daughter Guimu’s life, I cut off my own head to give to them!"

Lou Mingxuan asked, "Why?"

The headless figure replied, "Because when I was in Beizhen, I accidentally discovered the Emperor and Chancellor Tan’s collusion to betray the country, and I also knew of the Empress Dowager Pi's scandalous behavior while in Beizhen. They wanted me eliminated."

Lou Mingxuan wept, "Oh, my poor Princess Rouya, where is your head now? I will help you find it!"

The headless figure said, "Sister-in-law, my head was sent by Chancellor Tan to the capital of Beizhen; it is now hanging on the city gate."

Lou Mingxuan said, "Princess, I will go to Beizhen immediately to retrieve it. You wait for me in Yangcheng."

The headless figure said, "No! I am a ghost of the underworld now; it matters not whether I have a head. But there is an important matter I must entrust to you."

Lou Mingxuan asked, "Princess, what is it?"

Xiao Tianjian interjected, "Our daughter, Xiao Guimu, has been exiled to the Dabu Garrison to serve as a camp prostitute. Please, sister-in-law, redeem her quickly so she does not suffer humiliation."

Lou Mingxuan said, "She is your daughter, and she is also my daughter-in-law! I will set off for the Dabu Garrison at dawn and will certainly handle this. Please, both of you, rest assured!"

Xiao Tianjian said happily, "Thank you, sister-in-law! Now we can return to our homeland in peace!"

The headless figure said, "Sister-in-law, until we meet in the next life!" With that, the two faded away.

"Fifth Wife, wake up! ... It is broad daylight!" It was the voice of her maid.

Lou Mingxuan opened her eyes and muttered to herself, "So it was just a dream!"

After getting up and eating a hurried breakfast, Lou Mingxuan took a sedan chair to the Qi Family Salt Shop. She told her junior sister, Duan Yuanyuan, and junior brother, Qi Wei, about the dream.

Qi Wei asked, "Sister Lou, are you really going to the Dabu Garrison?"

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Lou Mingxuan nodded. "Yes."

Qi Wei said, "I think it was just a dream. You take things from a dream seriously?"

Lou Mingxuan replied, "Junior Brother Qi, my dreams have always been accurate."

Duan Yuanyuan said, "Sister, the Dabu Garrison is not far; I will accompany you, and everything will be clear when we get there!"

Lou Mingxuan said happily, "Then thank you, Junior Sister!"

Qi Wei asked, "My lady, you are going too? What about the salt shop? What about me?"

Duan Yuanyuan said, "That is easy! We will sell the shop and go together!"

Three people entered the shop. An old woman said, "You don't need to sell the shop; this old woman can stay here and help you watch it!"

Duan Yuanyuan greeted her happily, "Senior Mu, why have you come?"

Mu Mingxuan pointed to Gu Datong and said, "Ask him! He had some strange dream last night, and since early this morning, he has been clamoring to go to the Dabu Garrison!"

"Ah?" Lou Mingxuan, Duan Yuanyuan, and Qi Wei all gasped in surprise.

It turned out that Gu Datong had also had the same dream as Lou Mingxuan. In his dream, Zhao Rouya and her husband had also entrusted Gu Datong to go to the Dabu Garrison to redeem Xiao Guimu.

Hearing Gu Datong’s account, Qi Wei said with emotion, "Brother Gu, Sister Lou, the fact that you both had the same dream on the same night suggests that Zhao Rouya and Xiao Tianjian have indeed met with misfortune. Zhao Rouya's life was full of hardship, and in the end, she could not escape the clutches of Empress Dowager Pi!"

Duan Yuanyuan added, "Husband, haven't you been complaining lately that you lacked good material for your poetry with Senior Mu? Why don't you write about Princess Zhao Rouya?"

Qi Wei asked, "How should I write it?"

Duan Yuanyuan said, "Ask Senior Mu for guidance!"

Mu Mingxuan said, "Shopkeeper Qi, think about it: when the capital fell, thousands of our Southern Han brothers and sisters were captured and taken to Beizhen as beasts of burden, suffering unspeakable torture. Many could not bear it and died in a foreign land. Some are still there like sheep, waiting to be slaughtered! Yet our Princess Rouya was able to escape the wolf's den. Why do you think that is?"

Qi Wei said, "Because she had loyal friends like Sister Lou and Brother Gu to save her!"

Duan Yuanyuan chimed in, "Not just that! I think there are many reasons."

Qi Wei said, "I am slow; I can't figure it out." He looked at her.

Duan Yuanyuan said, "Ponder it slowly. Once you understand it thoroughly and write it down, it will be an immortal poem!" She turned to Mu Mingxuan, "Senior Mu, am I right?"

Mu Mingxuan agreed, "Shopkeeper Qi, listening to your wife is definitely the right choice."

Qi Wei nodded with a smile.

Gu Datong stepped forward and asked, "Junior Brother Qi, Duan Yuanyuan is coming with us to the Dabu Garrison. Do you agree?"

Qi Wei said, "Not only do I agree, I am going too!"

Gu Datong said, "In that case, let's set off at once!"

Duan Yuanyuan hurried to ask, "Brother Gu, should we go by boat or by carriage? Decide quickly so the steward can rent them!"

Lou Mingxuan thought for a moment and said, "By carriage is faster, though it is quite exhausting..."

Before she could finish, a servant from the government office rushed into the shop and said to her, "Reporting to the Fifth Wife, Censor Li is critically ill. Please return to the residence immediately!"

Lou Mingxuan asked in shock, "A-Cai, the Master was fine last night. How is he critically ill today?"

A-Cai replied, "I don't know the specifics. After you left the residence this morning, the Seventh Wife ran out crying, saying the Master was dying, and then the steward told me to come notify you."

Lou Mingxuan stamped her foot. "I am in such a rush to redeem my daughter-in-law, why is he critically ill at such a crucial moment?"

Hui'er walked over and said, "Sister Mingxuan, go back to the residence! Gu Datong, Brother Qi Wei, Sister Yuanyuan, and I are enough to go to the Dabu Garrison!"

Lou Mingxuan said, "But I promised Princess Zhao Rouya in my dream..."

Hui'er said, "Sister, rest assured! The four of us will definitely redeem that girl Guimu!"

Lou Mingxuan nodded and gave Hui'er several banknotes and a pouch of silver. "Sister Hui'er, it seems I cannot go to the Dabu Garrison, and redeeming Xiao Guimu is urgent. I must entrust it to you four!"

Hui'er said, "Sister, we have already prepared enough money for the redemption and travel expenses. Take this back."

Lou Mingxuan said, "You must take this money."

Hui'er asked, "Why?"

Lou Mingxuan said, "Because she is my daughter-in-law."

The next morning, two carriages departed from Yangcheng toward Dabu. Gu Datong and Hui'er rode in the first; Qi Wei and Duan Yuanyuan in the second. They were heading to the Dabu Garrison to redeem Xiao Guimu.

Fifth Wife Lou Mingxuan and the servant A-Cai hurried back to the residence. Upon entering, she found the house in chaos, with people rushing about and the sound of wailing everywhere. Censor Li had already passed away.

Lou Mingxuan ran to the mourning hall and stood before the coffin, looking at the man inside, her heart filled with conflicting emotions. A sharp pain pierced her chest, and she burst into bitter tears, collapsing to the floor.

Scenes from the great famine in the Central Plains twenty years ago, with corpses littering the ground, flashed through her mind. She asked herself, "Was he truly my husband? I was only bought by him for half a bag of grain and fifty taels of silver."

She looked at the Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh wives kneeling on either side. They, too, had been bought with small amounts of grain and money during those times. Yet, they were wailing as if their worlds had ended.

Lou Mingxuan knew that while he was not a "good" official, he was a "good" man. He was lustful, but only for his own women. He had a house full of wives and concubines, and though it was a handful, he gave his heart to them all, never favoring one over the others.

"He counts as my husband!" Lou Mingxuan affirmed in her heart. "For over twenty years, under his protection, I have lived a life of luxury and silk. Moreover, he is the father of my son, Li Muwen. If he is not my husband, who is?"

When she thought of Li Muwen, she thought of the three brothers—Gu Yuren, Gu Yusheng, and Gu Yuru—when they were young. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed repeatedly, and she could barely breathe.

She called out in her heart, "Muwen, where are you now?"

A voice reached her ears: "Mother, I am currently at the Ooze Lake Water Stronghold with Jiang Hong."

Lou Mingxuan asked in her heart, "You have been gone so long, why haven't you returned?"

The voice replied, "Mother, we are following Aunt Zhaochun to fight the Beizhen bandits and save the common people from suffering."

Lou Mingxuan said in her heart, "Muwen, your father has passed away. Come back to bid him farewell!"

The voice replied, "Mother, Father has passed away, and I am heartbroken, but I have a heavy burden to bear. As the saying goes, one cannot have both loyalty and filial piety. Please tell him at his bier that his son and daughter-in-law Jiang Hong bid him farewell from afar, and wish him a safe journey."

In a trance, Lou Mingxuan saw Censor Li walk out of the coffin and say to her, "My dear, do not force Muwen to return. He is doing great things; he is more capable than his father. Thank you for bearing such an excellent son for the Li family. Do not be too sad. For Muwen’s sake, and for your own, live on well." With that, he lay back in the coffin.

"Fifth Wife, wake up! ... Someone come quickly! The Fifth Wife has fainted!" It was the cry of her maid, Cui Ming.

Censor Li had died while in office. The Imperial Court bestowed gifts of silver and silk and ordered the Prefect of Yangzhou to prepare carriages and boats to carry the coffin back to his hometown for burial.

After Censor Li's death, the Li family moved. Fifth Wife Lou Mingxuan led dozens of the Li household members back to their hometown to settle. The hometown of Censor Li was not far from Dabu Prefecture.

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