Volume Five: Wretched and Downcast, Northward-Cresting Cloud Stele Chapter Seven: The City Lord

“Your Excellency, did you sleep well last night?”
After breakfast, Zhuo Hua and Su Mengling still laughing, came together to the garden of the Four Seasons Pavilion. Just then they ran into Su Ge-weng, who stood silently in the bamboo grove looking up to the sky.

The old man’s face had been drawn with concern, but when he heard their footsteps and saw who it was, he changed to a friendly smile.
“Your Excellency, did you sleep well?”

Su Mengling rolled her eyes at her father. “Last night Dad made Elder Brother drink so much wine. He got up this morning with a splitting headache. I had to massage his temples for a long time before it eased even a little.”

“Oh? Truly?” Su Ge-weng sounded genuinely surprised. “In the past, regardless of how many cups Zhuo Hua drank, he never got drunk. I don’t know what happened last night—just a few cups of tusu wine, and still!”

“Perhaps,” Su Ge-weng said, nodding and stroking his beard, “since you are still a Pu person, your body has not yet adjusted to this kind of wine. No matter, after a few more times it will pass.”

After the customary greetings, Zhuo Hua asked, “Uncle Su, I just heard from Ling’er that the qi-stabilizing pearls in the city are now selling at any price but still unavailable?”

Su Ge-weng nodded, concern in his eyes. “This morning I visited several shops selling those pearls. All of them told me there is no stock left. They said the caravans that usually bring moonlight stone have not arrived this year for some reason. The city’s pearls were all bought up long ago by wealthy households and those grand elder officials in official quarters.”

“Father, are there truly none left at all?” Su Mengling asked anxiously.

Su Ge-weng first nodded, then shook his head. “One old acquaintance of mine said there are still pearls, but these sly merchants refuse to sell them now. At the black market, a common first-tier pearl that once sold for five hundred taels of gold is already up to fifteen hundred. And that’s not counting the higher grades.”

“Fifteen hundred gold?” Zhuo Hua asked. “How much is that really?”

“That’s half a year’s tax in this little frontier city,” Su Ge-weng replied.

“So much?” Su Mengling gasped, then added, “Still, even if the qi-stabilizing pearl is costly, Elder Brother still needs one.”

“Sheerly so,” he muttered.

“This is what I have been thinking about,” Su Ge-weng said, tugging at his beard so hard it seemed he might pluck it off.
“Father, last New Year, when we went to pay New Year calls at Uncle Yan’s house, didn’t he show one newly acquired qi-stabilizing pearl to all the guests? Uncle Yan is so close with you. Why don’t we ask him for help?”

“This…” Su Ge-weng hesitated.

“I went to see this city lord three months ago,” Zhuo Hua said. “He was turned away by the gatekeeper. Could you introduce me this time, so I can speak with him myself?”

“Of course! Of course! Elder Brother is the Prime Lord of the Cloud Palace. Uncle Yan is of the Immortal-Blood Clan. He ought to obey Elder Brother’s command. If we ask for the pearl, he won’t refuse!”

“Perhaps he still won’t,” Su Ge-weng warned grimly.

“Why not? Elder Brother is the Prime Lord of the Cloud Palace!” Su Mengling protested.

“Because only you and I believe him,” Zhuo Hua said. “Others may not. I have no token to prove who I am. Besides, that city lord is not even the Yan clan chieftain. He has not seen me up close. At the Grand Assembly, someone of his rank would stand far back; he wouldn’t have seen my face clearly.”

“Then he probably can’t attend the Grand Assembly at all in that kind of rank. I’ve even heard he’s the chieftain’s illegitimate son, eccentric by nature, fond of showing off…” Su Mengling began.

“Enough! Are such market rumors for a young girl like you to speak of so freely?” Su Ge-weng scolded before she could finish.

“Everyone says it.” she pouted in indignation. “I’m only repeating what people are saying.”

Zhuo Hua patted Su Mengling’s shoulder with a smile to soothe her, then said to Su Ge-weng, “Uncle, please take me to visit the lord of Moonwatch City. Let me handle the rest.”

Su Ge-weng nodded. “Very well. I’ll have Su Bo prepare gifts for the call. We’ll set out soon.”

With little more to say, they arrived at the front of the city lord’s residence.

The city lord’s residence stood in the very center of Moonwatch City, built in the layout of an administrative hall with private quarters behind it. The gate grounds were grand and ostentatious, perfectly matching the owner’s personality.
They stepped down from the carriage. Su Bo took it to the side gate for parking.

Su Ge-weng led Su Mengling and Zhuo Hua, carrying two gift boxes, to the gatehouse.

“Ah! Is that not Master Su himself? What wind blew you out here?” A broad-faced middle-aged man with a large mole greeted him with an ingratiating smile.

Su Ge-weng replied politely, “I have a bit of business before the city lord. Please trouble Master Dacai to send this through.”

The man, called Da Cái, measured the three of them with his eyes before settling on Zhuo Hua.
“You again, you little rascal! Come to trick me again?”

Zhuo Hua stood upright, eyes steady. “Yes, it is I.”

“Ah, yes!” Da Cái sneered. “You scrubbed yourself clean and changed into fine clothes; you almost look like a proper person now.”

“How dare you speak so!” Su Mengling stepped forward, putting her small frame in front of Zhuo Hua.

“Heh, heh, heh! So the pretty-faced scamp has latched onto Miss Su’s daughter. No wonder he dresses so gaudy.” He turned back to Su Ge-weng. “Master Su! This fellow claims he’s from the Cloud-Top Heavenly Palace and calls himself Zhuo Hua Yunjun, right? Listen carefully—he’s a fraud. He came to your house only to swindle silver and pleasures.”

He was practically spitting as he spoke, eyes never leaving Su Mengling.

Su Ge-weng smiled and cut him off. “Tian Dacai, we needn’t trouble you with this. Please take my letter of introduction inside and present it to the city lord. Here is your fee.”

He handed over the letter and a silver coin.

Dacai gave Su Ge-weng a hard look, took the letter and coin, bit the coin hard with his teeth, and only when he was sure it was real silver did he slip it into his sleeve.

After a snort, he turned and muttered while walking away, “If you ignore me, expect to be cheated. Wait here.”

Watching his retreating back, Su Ge-weng murmured, “A seventh-rank official at the gate to the Chancellor’s residence!”

Su Mengling blinked at Zhuo Hua. “As far as I can tell, Hell’s lord is easy to meet, but the little ghosts are the troublemakers. Don’t you think so, Elder Brother?”

Zhuo Hua rubbed his nose and chuckled softly. “Among the Xuanhuang clan, qi is seen as an eternal thing. If one of our clan transcends, one becomes qi and returns to nature. So I still do not truly understand your talk of little devils and Yama.”

While they were still chatting idly, Da Cài returned. He barked loudly, pointed his thumb behind him at the three of them, and announced, “The city lord requests your presence.” Then he went back inside the gatehouse to warm himself at the brazier.

Su Mengling was about to dart forward and taunt him, but Su Ge-weng shot her a warning glance and pulled her away.

Su Ge-weng was a regular at the city lord’s estate, and it was he who led the way through winding paths, through one moon gate after another, until they reached a small garden deep within the mansion where the lord of Moonwatch City waited.

The man looked to be about thirty-eight. Handsome enough, and dressed exactly the way Su Mengling had described: like a dandy. He was near forty, yet still powdered his face and wore a deep-red flowered hairpin.

Seeing him, Su Mengling let out a quiet laugh. In a whisper behind Zhuo Hua she said, “Elder Brother, Elder Brother! Look at that Yan Muyun—at his age he still acts like a groom on his wedding day. Every time I see him, I have to bite back a laugh.”

Su Ge-weng turned and scolded her once more, then hurried to the city lord and exchanged warm greetings.

After a few words between the two old acquaintances, Yan Muyun noticed Zhuo Hua standing behind Su Ge-weng. He pointed to him. “Uncle Su, who is this handsome young man? Why didn’t you introduce him to me?” He strode over with a bright smile, extended his hand to shake Zhuo Hua’s, and said warmly, “May I ask the young lord’s name, his lineage, and what country he comes from. Also—how old are you?”

Su Mengling snatched Zhuo Hua’s hand back and gave him a hard push with her small frame, then, smiling innocently, said to Yan Muyun, “Uncle Yan, you look especially well today. I’ve missed you. These past days I’ve been urging Father to bring me here to visit.”

Yan Muyun threw back his head and laughed aloud, pointing at Su Mengling’s forehead. “Everyone in Moonwatch City calls Lady Su of the Su household brilliant as snow and ice. I’d add that she has a tongue as smooth as a reed flute.”

Su Ge-weng chuckled alongside him. “You flatter me too much, Brother Muyun. In any case, I came today to introduce this young gentleman.” He pointed at Zhuo Hua and beckoned him forward.

Zhuo Hua stepped ahead, bowed slightly, and made his formal introduction.
“Our home is in North Beilun Continent, at the upper reaches of Cangwu, within the Cloud-Sky Stele, in the Cloud-Top Heavenly Palace. My name is Zhuo Hua. I have forgotten my exact age. At present I serve in the Cloud Palace as a Yunjun, with command over four Heavenly Courts, twenty-eight star constellations, and twelve divisions of celestial troops.”

Yan Muyun had been smiling as he listened, but as Zhuo Hua spoke, his smile began to harden. When the introduction ended, he turned to Su Ge-weng and asked, “What did he just say? He says he is the Yunjun of the Cloud-Top Heavenly Palace?”

A twinge of embarrassment crossed Su Ge-weng’s face as he nodded. “Brother Muyun, he is truly Zhuo Hua Yunjun.”

Yan Muyun pulled back his earlier cheerfulness, circled Zhuo Hua slowly twice, ran a hand over his smooth chin, gave a faint nod, and murmured to himself, “Now I understand why I felt I recognized you at first glance.”

Then he turned to an attendant by his side. “Go. Bring me the painting scroll marked Heaven No. Three from my study.”