Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lake Pond Village.

Lake Pond Village was situated beside the main imperial road from Yangcheng to the Capital. It was a small village with only about a dozen households. Within a radius of hundreds of miles, there was no lake, yet in front of the village, there was indeed a small fishpond. The water in the pond originated from the North Ridge behind the village, and the water in the North Ridge naturally came from the heavens. As for where the water flowed after the pond filled up and overflowed, the villagers had no time to concern themselves. That it eventually reached the sea was beyond doubt, but whether it passed through any lakes—such as Lake Yunmeng or Lake Danshi—the villagers had no leisure to investigate. Even if they had the time, they would not care, for these things had nothing to do with their daily lives.

However, the water from the fishpond could irrigate the fields and the rapeseed flowers. For the past few months, Xiao Tianjian had been using this water to irrigate his half-acre of rapeseed. He had planted spring rapeseed, sowing the seeds at the end of February. It budded in a month, bloomed in a month, and grew seed pods in a month; it was ready for harvest in these few days.

Last winter, Zhao Rouya fell ill on the road to the capital. Xiao Tianjian, short on funds and unable to afford the inn, rented a farmhouse in Lake Pond Village to let her recuperate. The rent was low and the place was quiet, suitable for recovery. Moreover, the dozen households in the village were simple, kind-hearted farmers who were busy with their own chores and never pried into where the couple came from or where they were going, as they knew that travelers on the imperial road were often stranded by illness. This pleased Xiao Tianjian, and he settled down in the village with peace of mind.

Zhao Rouya suffered from abdominal pain. At first, the agony was excruciating. Xiao Tianjian was frantic and hired a renowned doctor from a nearby village to check her pulse. The doctor said there was stagnant blood in her abdomen, a root cause from an old internal injury. He further noted that the pain had persisted for more than a year or two—only then did Xiao Tianjian realize his wife had been suffering in silence. This recent flare-up was caused by the prolonged fatigue of their journey. The doctor warned that had they not sought treatment in time, it would have been life-threatening. The doctor, a man of impatient temperament, wrote a prescription and urged Xiao Tianjian to fetch the medicine immediately. Before leaving, he repeatedly cautioned that to cure the illness, besides taking the medicine, the patient had to rest quietly for three months; otherwise, it would recur. If it struck again, even the gods could not save her.

Xiao Tianjian followed the prescription for over a month, and Zhao Rouya’s pain gradually subsided. As soon as she could get out of bed, she urged Xiao Tianjian to hit the road. This time, however, Xiao Tianjian refused to listen and insisted she rest for the full three months. Zhao Rouya cried, threw tantrums, and finally issued an order.

"Xiao, the駙馬都尉 (Imperial Son-in-Law)," she said sternly, "I, the Princess, command you to prepare the carriage at once, or I shall punish you as a traitor!"

Xiao Tianjian replied, "Go ahead and punish me. The court already branded me a traitor twenty years ago!"

Zhao Rouya eventually collapsed onto the bed, weeping, "When will we ever see Gui Mu'er again..."

Not long after, when the doctor came for a follow-up, he praised the prescription and suggested that if she could supplement her treatment with rapeseed flowers, the results would be even better. Thus, Xiao Tianjian went to the fields around the village to look for them. When the wild flowers were picked clean, he rented half an acre of land to grow his own, along with some potatoes and beans for their meals.

Xiao Tianjian took care of Zhao Rouya while tending to his rapeseed. During this time, Zhao Rouya was very quiet, and Xiao Tianjian spent his days from dawn till dusk in the fields.

As the sun set, Xiao Tianjian’s bamboo basket was half-full of rapeseed flowers. He looked up at the long imperial road, where dust was lightly rising. An official and his retinue were hurrying along—they wanted to reach the next post station before nightfall. Xiao Tianjian thought to himself, "If only that official were Gu Yuren or Qi Guang, how wonderful that would be!" His money had run out, and he was currently trying to sell his carriage and horses. To be precise, he and Zhao Rouya were trapped in Lake Pond Village.

Xiao Tianjian turned to look at the sky over the village, where wisps of cooking smoke curled upward. He looked at the farmhouse he rented, which also had smoke rising—Zhao Rouya had been insisting on cooking lately.

Xiao Tianjian cursed inwardly, "What a willful woman!" He looked at the imperial road once more, then carried his half-basket of flowers back to the house.

Yangcheng.

In the early morning, four carriages were parked in front of the Qi Family Salt Shop.

After breakfast, two carriages headed toward the North Gate. This was Gu Yuren, taking his wife Wei Qiongqiong, their children Dabao and Erbao, the steward Chen Ren, the wet nurse Nanny Fu, and the maids Mengjin and Mengyin to the capital to take up his post.

They traveled by day and rested at post stations by night. As they passed Lake Pond Village, the old steward Chen Ren, who was driving the lead carriage, was recognized by Xiao Tianjian. After Xiao Tianjian’s funds had been exhausted to treat Zhao Rouya, he had sold his carriage and then his horses, leaving them stranded and helpless. He had been picking rapeseed and watching the travelers on the road every day, hoping to meet an acquaintance—though he knew it was a delusion, as he had been away from official circles for twenty years. Perhaps heaven took pity on them; when Gu Yuren’s family passed by, Xiao Tianjian recognized the steward. The two families met on the road, and everyone wept. Xiao and Zhao knelt to thank heaven and earth. Gu Yuren paid for their rent and land fees, and the two families happily traveled to the capital together.

The other two carriages headed toward the West Gate. This was the newly appointed Assistant Prefect of Meizhou, Qi Guang, taking his wife Sima Jiannan, his son Qi You, and the maids Chunhua and Qiumei to Meizhou.

What causes sorrow? The autumn in the hearts of those who part. Yin Yuanyuan only now realized that she could not bear to part with Qi Guang and Sima Jiannan. She stood at the door, watching the carriages slowly recede. Even when they were no longer visible, she kept looking, her face covered in tears. She wanted to chase after them but was held back by Qi Wei. Standing at the door were Mu Mingxuan, Gu Datong, Wang Hui'er, Lou Mingxuan, and the elegant Li Muwen. Li Muwen gazed toward the North Gate, lost in thought. Lou Mingxuan turned to look at his beloved youngest son, shaking his head slightly before smiling and nodding, thinking, "This boy's heart has flown away too."

Qi Wei held his wife back, staring at the two carriages moving toward the West Gate until they disappeared from the street. He recited to himself, "Alas! How dangerous! How high! The road to Shu is harder than climbing to the blue sky!"

Yin Yuanyuan could no longer hold back. She ran toward Qi Wei, pounding his chest with her fists, crying, "Qi Wei, you lied to me! I want to go after Guang'er and the others; I want to be with them!"

Qi Wei held his wife tightly, coaxing her with gentle words.

Is the road to Shu hard? It is!

Qi Guang and Sima Jiannan’s party had been traveling on the Shu road for over half a month. It was Qi Guang’s first time entering Shu, and seeing the perilous, rugged terrain, he was terrified. He spoke little along the way, huddled in the carriage in constant fear.

Sima Jiannan nudged him and mocked, "Hehe, and you're a military scholar? Such a coward!"

Qi Guang snapped, "Sit still! Below is a bottomless abyss; if we fall, we'll be smashed to pieces!"

Seeing her husband’s extreme nervous tension, Sima Jiannan felt a pang of pity. When the road leveled out slightly, she asked, trying to make conversation, "Husband, you are a guest of the Heavenly Mansion; do you know what the specialty dish of my hometown is?"

Qi Guang lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the road, and sat back, saying, "Sit still! Don't ask such boring questions!"

Sima Jiannan grabbed his arm and acted spoiled, "Hmph, just tell me! I really want to hear it..." She leaned her head against him.

Qi Guang sat upright, "Don't mess around!"

Sima Jiannan pretended to be angry, "You're a fake! You always say how much you love my hometown, yet you don't even know its specialty dish! Hmph!" She sat up straight and pouted.

Qi Guang, who feared nothing more than his wife’s anger, quickly said, "Isn't it Mapo Tofu? Stop pouting!"

Sima Jiannan laughed, "Wrong! It's Twice-Cooked Pork."

Qi Guang grumbled, "I was talking about a vegetable dish."

Sima Jiannan laughed again, "I was asking about a meat dish! Hahaha, and you're a literary scholar? You're talking absolute nonsense!"

Qi Guang: "..."

Chunhua, who was driving, called out, "Master, Mistress, we're almost at the Three Gorges!"

"After two months of travel, we're finally here," Sima Jiannan said, peeking through the curtain before sitting back. "Husband, let me discuss something with you."

Qi Guang asked, "What is it?"

Sima Jiannan said softly, "It's hot now, and traveling by land is hard on the adults and the child. Why don't we switch to a boat? It might be cooler. What do you think?"

Qi Guang said, "Wife, this is my first time in Shu and I have no experience; you are familiar with the area, so you decide. But what about our horses and carriages?"

Chunhua, driving at the front, shouted, "Master, sell them!"

Qi Guang asked from inside, "How do we sell them?"

Chunhua replied, "Master, Qiumei and I bought a carriage and horse here a few years ago and know the market well. Just leave the two carriages and horses to us."

Qi Guang worriedly said, "You bought them before, but now we're selling. Is it the same?"

Chunhua said, "Master, the logic of buying and selling is the same. I guarantee a profit, and if there's a loss, I'll pay double!"

Qi Guang asked, "And what will you use to pay if there's a loss?"

Sima Jiannan punched Qi Guang on the thigh and giggled, "Chunhua will offer herself to you as a concubine!"

Chunhua’s face turned red at the front of the carriage, "Mistress is being improper, teasing me again? Giddyup!" She whipped the horse.

The next morning, Qi Guang and his family boarded a flat-bottomed wooden passenger boat to enter the Three Gorges, heading up the Yangtze River.

The water in the Three Gorges was extremely turbulent. Both sides were flanked by towering peaks and sheer cliffs, a scenery of unique beauty. The continuous steep mountains were generally two or three hundred feet above the river surface. Qi Guang had read accounts of the Three Gorges and knew there were twelve such peaks, each with smaller peaks within, creating a breathtaking landscape. One peak was called the Goddess Peak, which featured an elegant stone pillar resembling a young maiden. It was said to be the incarnation of Yaoji, the youngest princess of the Queen Mother of the West. She stood on the peak, the first to welcome the morning glow and the last to bid farewell to the sunset...

Qi Guang stood at the bow in his crimson official robes, looking up at the steep peaks, seemingly searching for something or verifying something. Sima Jiannan moved quietly to his side. After a long time, she said, "Are you looking for the Goddess Peak? It's still too early; you won't see it until the afternoon." What Qi Guang really wanted to see was the shimmering reflection of Princess Yaoji in the morning light on the river. His face flushed at his wife's remark, and he changed the subject, "Wife, is You'er seasick?" Sima Jiannan replied, "Not at all! He's at the stern with Chunhua and Qiumei, watching the boatman fish." Qi Guang admired his wife’s adaptability and said, "That's good! But keep an eye on his safety." Sima Jiannan said softly, "Don't worry, husband, I'll go watch him now." She then moved toward the stern.

The boat hugged the shore, moving very slowly.

Because they were traveling against the current, the trackers on the shore pulled a long rope attached to the boat, their bodies bent low as they trudged along the rugged path.

Qi Guang stood on the deck, staring at their hunched backs and bronzed, muscular bodies inching forward, feeling his heart grow heavy.

"Sir, is this your first time entering Sichuan?" It was the boat owner’s wife.

Qi Guang looked back at her and replied, "Yes."

The woman looked him up and down and said, "You are a good man, sir."

Qi Guang looked down at his feet and asked, "Do you know physiognomy?"

The woman said apologetically, "I don't know physiognomy, sir! I've just seen many travelers and can tell the good from the bad."

Qi Guang asked curiously, "And what makes you think I'm a good man?"

The woman smiled, "It's simple. Most first-time passengers are so dazzled by the magnificent scenery that they rarely pay attention to the footsteps of the trackers. Trackers are the lowest laborers; only a good man like you would sympathize with them and watch their pace."

Qi Guang said, "I see. Thank you for your honesty."

The woman said, "Enjoy the scenery, sir! Don't waste the beauty of the landscape." She then turned back to the cabin.

At this point, the river narrowed and the current grew fierce. The flat-bottomed boat inched forward.

Qi Guang gripped the railing as he watched the winding river. A small boat came flying down the current, heading straight for their vessel.

"Oh no!" Qi Guang gripped the railing tightly.

However, just as the small boat was about to collide with the passenger boat, the prow swerved, and it slid past them, drifting away effortlessly.

Qi Guang was terrified, his heart pounding. It took a long time for him to recover. He realized his left arm was being held tightly; he turned to see Sima Jiannan standing beside him, calm as ever, her hands firmly gripping his arm. Qi Guang’s face was pale, and he said with lingering fear, "That was quite frightening."

Sima Jiannan said excitedly, "People only know the road to Shu is hard, but the waterways are even harder. And it's fraught with danger; one mistake and there's no body to be found! What you just saw was a narrow escape. Years ago, when I was trying to meet you in Yangcheng, Chunhua, Qiumei, and I rented a small boat. It was even smaller than the one you just saw. We were flying down the current when we hit a reef and the boat sank. We all fell into the river. Luckily, we all knew how to swim, so we didn't become fish food. Also, luckily, our luggage and silver were on our backs; they just got wet, but we lost nothing. The boatman, however, lost his livelihood. He was a widower, alone and pitiful, crying as his broken boat drifted away. I felt sorry for him and gave him some money to buy a new one. We had more than enough for our journey, but after that, we had very little left, and we ran out of money halfway!"

Qi Guang said, "So that's what happened! When I returned to Yangcheng from the capital, my mother told me you three had walked the whole way. I was puzzled: surely there aren't many wealthy men like our Uncle Sima in Shu; his only daughter going on a long trip must have had at least three or five thousand taels of gold, or at least two or three hundred taels of silver in her bags. Why would you run out of money? So you donated it to the boatman! How much did you donate?"

Sima Jiannan looked embarrassed and said, "Not much! Just two hundred taels."

Qi Guang’s jaw dropped: "You really are a woman who knows nothing of the cost of living! Two hundred taels is enough to build a large ship! A small boat only costs twenty taels!"

Sima Jiannan widened her eyes: "Nonsense! When my mother left Bashu, my father gave her ten thousand taels of silver! He said it was to build a 'large ship'! My father later kept saying, 'It wasn't enough to build a truly great ship!'"

Qi Guang said, "That's because your father wanted to build your mother a 'Moon Ship,' worth a fortune; ten thousand taels was indeed too little!"

Sima Jiannan scolded, "You're talking in riddles, I don't understand!"

Qi Guang said, "In short, you walked because you asked for it, you deserved it!"

Sima Jiannan glared at Qi Guang, "You heartless man! I walked thousands of miles from Bashu to Yangcheng, my feet covered in blood blisters, all to marry you and bear your children, and now you say I deserved it! I'm going to teach you a lesson," she twisted the flesh on his arm hard, "did I deserve it or not? Say it again!"

Qi Guang shouted exaggeratedly, "It hurts, it hurts! You didn't deserve it, you didn't deserve it! Please let go, wife..."

Sima Jiannan let go.

In the sky, a flock of wild geese flew in a 'V' formation over the mountain peaks, honking. On the river, the flat-bottomed boat inched forward against the current.

Qi Guang nudged Sima Jiannan with his elbow and asked, "How old were you when your mother left?"

Sima Jiannan looked ahead, and some blurred images returned to her mind...

Her mother, known to all as a "peerless beauty," had held her day and night for three days and three nights when she was severely ill as a child. When she was old enough to wield a wooden sword, her mother taught her personally, saying the swordsmanship she taught was the unique "Lou Family Swordsmanship." She had asked, "Daughter, a girl who learns this must marry a boy who knows it too. Are you willing?" At that time, she was young and didn't understand, only thinking the swordsmanship was fun, so she nodded. Her mother was indeed beautiful. She had once sat in front of her mother on horseback on a busy street, drawing envious looks from everyone. Someone had exclaimed, "There are such outstanding mother and daughter in the world, it's enough to make one jealous!" But, she didn't know when it started, her mother seemed to change into another person, returning home every day to argue with her father, often for no reason at all. She became indifferent to her as well. Back then, young Sima Jiannan would always find a quiet corner to hide and cover her ears whenever she heard them fighting... Later, her mother disappeared without a trace, and from then on, she never heard those annoying arguments again...

Recalling the past, Sima Jiannan found herself in tears. She said to her husband with a choked voice, "My mother 'disappeared' just before my sixth birthday."

Everyone who met Sima Jiannan called her eccentric, even her favorite mother-in-law, Yin Yuanyuan, often used the word. After Qi Guang married her, he realized this was a misunderstanding. Her eccentricity was just a facade. She deeply buried her inner world, and what people saw was only the surface. Qi Guang knew his wife was very repressed; he took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears and asked, "Missing your mother? If you want to cry, just let it out."

Sima Jiannan took the handkerchief and wiped her tears, saying, "I? I've long considered her dead. I won't cry for her."

Qi Guang knew she didn't mean it, as he often heard her calling "Mother" in her dreams. He asked knowingly, "Then who were those tears for just now?"

Sima Jiannan said, "They were for myself—a child without a mother has finally grown up and married!" She wiped her tears again.

Qi Guang hugged his wife and said tenderly, "You have your father—my father-in-law, and now you have me and You'er; from now on, you won't have to cry for yourself again! I promise, from now on, I will cherish you twice as much!"

Sima Jiannan heard this and excitedly buried her head deep in her husband’s chest...

The flat-bottomed boat finally crossed the Three Gorges and entered the Min River. When they passed Jiazhou, the boat owner’s wife suggested resting for half a day so Qi Guang could take his family to worship the Great Lingyun Buddha. The official name of this Buddha was the Great Maitreya Stone Statue of Lingyun Temple in Jiazhou, located at the foot of Lingyun Mountain, where the Min, Qingyi, and Dadu rivers converged. The boat owner’s wife explained that while the water was calm during the dry season, it was fierce during the flood season, often capsizing boats. A Zen master named Haitong in the Tang Dynasty initiated the carving of this Buddha to calm the waters and save all living beings. Qi Guang saw on the massive cliff tablet to the right of the Buddha's niche: the Buddha was 213 feet tall, with a head 44 feet high and 30 feet wide, and 1,051 hair buns. His head was level with the mountain, his feet stepped on the great river, his hands rested on his knees, and his expression was solemn as he sat overlooking the river, watching over the boats coming and going...

Though Sima Jiannan and her two maids were born and raised in Bashu, it was their first time worshipping the Great Lingyun Buddha. The three knelt at the feet of the Maitreya Bodhisattva, holding incense and bowing respectfully, each reciting their own secret wishes. Sima Jiannan’s first wish was for her mother, Zhao Chuoyun, to be healthy and safe; the second was for them to be reunited soon.

As soon as they returned to the boat, Qi Guang grabbed his wife and asked, "What did you wish for at the feet of the Bodhisattva?"

Chunhua, quick-tongued, said, "Master, do you need to ask? The Mistress’s wish must be for the Bodhisattva to bless the Master’s official career to grow bigger and bigger!"

Qiumei said, "No! The Mistress must have wished for the Bodhisattva to bless her with another child soon, so young Master Qi You has a brother to keep him company!"

Sima Jiannan stared at her husband with wide eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering, and said mischievously, "If I tell you, it won't come true!" She then laughed and went into the cabin.

Qi Guang stopped Chunhua and Qiumei: "And what did you two wish for?"

Dawn.

On the sandy field in front of the South Gate of Iron City, the Second Army of the Princess Chongwen of the Qi Kingdom and the Vanguard Battalion of Gu Yusheng of the Southern Han were facing off.

With a deafening roll of war drums, the silence between the two armies was shattered.

From the Qi army, Princess Chongwen rode to the front. She carried a Divine Arm Bow on her back, held a Qi Sword in her hand, and sat on a fine Hexi horse. She reined in her mount and cursed Gu Yusheng, "Gu Yusheng, I hear you are the 'Double Top Scholar' of Southern Han, but you are no gentleman! To sneakily attack my eight camps outside Iron City under the cover of night, killing and wounding over twenty thousand of my men! I must make you pay this debt in full today!"

It turned out that a few days ago, the Vanguard Battalion led by Gu Yusheng had arrived at the southern outskirts of Iron City. After personally scouting the front lines, he realized that Princess Chongwen’s eight camps around Iron City, while occupying strategic points, were far from the city and did not support each other, making them vulnerable to being picked off one by one. In particular, the three camps in the south, southeast, and southwest were exposed. Gu Yusheng decided to strike these three. He sent word to Yang Wenhua to request reinforcements while dividing his vanguard into three parts, each led by a deputy general, one part to attack and one to ambush reinforcements. Gu Yusheng himself led the attack on the southern camp. Two days later, reinforcements sent by Marshal Yang arrived. One night, under the cover of dusk, three armored troops lay in ambush while three light infantry units moved to attack. Gu Yusheng led the center light infantry like ghosts into the southern camp, wielding his Lou Family sword, cutting down the enemy like melons.

The southern outskirts of Iron City were filled with the sounds of battle. At night, Princess Chongwen couldn't figure out the situation. Deceived by the noise, she ordered the defense of the city and sent no reinforcements.

That night, Gu Yusheng captured the south, southeast, and southwest camps, then pressed his advantage to take the east and west camps, killing and wounding over twenty thousand of the Qi army.

Princess Chongwen hated Gu Yusheng and swore revenge.

...

Gu Yusheng sat on his horse and listened to the Princess’s curses, saying, "Respected Princess Chongwen of the Qi Kingdom, the Art of War says: War is the art of deception! I am a warrior, and I only care about winning! As for whether I am a gentleman, I don't care! I killed over twenty thousand of your men, and you want me to pay the debt. Let me ask you, you are the invaders, crossing the border from the Qi Kingdom, conquering our cities and lands, killing over a hundred thousand of our Southern Han soldiers and civilians—who will pay that debt?"

Princess Chongwen was a proud woman. She replied, "You can try to make me pay, but it depends on your skill!" She then spurred her Hexi horse and charged at Gu Yusheng, sword raised.

Gu Yusheng also raised his sword and spurred his horse to meet her.

The Lou Family sword met the Qi sword, sparks flying.

Princess Chongwen, feeling her strength wane, feinted and fled toward the north. Gu Yusheng did not pursue, ordering his men to charge the city.

War horses neighed beneath Iron City. Gu Yusheng’s vanguard charged forward, breaking Princess Chongwen’s lines, their lances piercing the Qi soldiers one by one.

Iron City was captured. Inside and outside the city, there were corpses everywhere, blood flowing like a river—Gu Yusheng had reclaimed Iron City in his first battle.