Chapter 43

Chapter 43

After bidding farewell to Lu Wenting and Xing Chulian, Xiao Guimu was walking toward the assembly hall when the Purple Rose spotted her and followed quietly behind. At the entrance of the hall, the Purple Rose gently called out, "Sister."

Xiao Guimu turned around and asked, "Shouldn't you be helping the sisters clear the bowls and chopsticks at the dock? Why are you following me back here?"

The Purple Rose said, "Sister, I have a proposal."

Xiao Guimu asked, "What proposal?"

The Purple Rose replied, "Just now at the dock, I heard you promise the First Chief that you would lead us to join the imperial court's northern expedition in the future! That is a noble cause for the greater righteousness of the nation, and I am very happy to participate! However, we don't have the slightest news about when the court will launch this northern expedition. In the past, when Sister Red Rose and I were stationed in the capital, we knew a thing or two about the court's affairs. Ever since Sister Red Rose and I fled the capital that year, all contact between our Moon Island and the capital has been cut off. Therefore, I propose that we re-establish our liaison office in the capital."

Xiao Guimu said, "Your proposal is very good. I will make a decision after careful consideration."

"Alright." The Purple Rose remained standing in place. Xiao Guimu asked, "Is there anything else?"

The Purple Rose said, "Sister, if you decide to go ahead with this, please consider me, your Ah Zi, for the mission to the capital's liaison office!"

Xiao Guimu stared at the Purple Rose with wide eyes and said, "You? No way!"

The Purple Rose asked, "Why on earth not?"

Xiao Guimu said, "You are impulsive and tend to act on your own authority!" Knowing that Xiao Guimu was referring to the time she had acted on her own to assassinate Prime Minister Tan years ago, the Purple Rose explained, "That was in the past. I am much more mature now than I used to be! If you don't believe me, you can ask my cousin Xiao Guimu; she can vouch for me!"

"You child!" Xiao Guimu poked her forehead with a finger. "I simply don't understand. As a young lady, you have things going so well here on Moon Island, so why on earth do you insist on going to the capital?"

The Purple Rose flushed and said, "I want to see the wider world, of course, so that I can better contribute to the northern expedition in the future!"

Xiao Guimu let out a scoff of amusement. "You make it sound much better than it actually is! Do you think I don't know? You just want to go to the capital to catch up with that Lord Gu, don't you?"

The Purple Rose gave Xiao Guimu a sideways glance and said, "I am increasingly feeling that I misjudged my person! You are truly not my cousin!" She stamped her foot and walked away.

Suddenly remembering something, Xiao Guimu called out, "Sister Ah Zi, come back."

The Purple Rose turned around, smiling as she asked, "Have the three chiefs agreed to let Ah Zi go to the capital?"

Xiao Guimu said, "Didn't I just say that matter would be decided later?"

The Purple Rose asked, "Then why did you call me back?"

Xiao Guimu said, "I want you to make a trip to the ancient coastal town right now."

The Purple Rose asked, "Where are we going this time and what for? Are you still trying to invite your heroic mother-in-law to join Moon Island? I advise you to give up on that idea! Stop daydreaming!"

Xiao Guimu said, "No! I want you to go and borrow grain from her."

The Purple Rose widened her eyes: "Borrow grain?"

Xiao Guimu slowly explained, "All the grain storehouses on Moon Island are currently empty. I would like you to go to my prospective mother-in-law's place and borrow a few hundred piculs of grain to tide us over. Her family are major landowners and have surplus grain."

The Purple Rose said, "I don't have that kind of social standing; I won't be able to borrow it."

Xiao Guimu said, "I will write an IOU for you to take along, and she will lend it. Go and tell her that we guarantee to repay whatever we borrow. Once we sell the autumn salt from our salt pans, we will buy grain and return it to her as soon as we get the money."

The Purple Rose said, "Since that's the case, hurry up and write the IOU, and you'd better press your thumbprint on it. However, I'm stating my terms beforehand: I am responsible for delivering the IOU, but whether we successfully borrow the grain or not is none of my business."

Xiao Guimu said with a stern expression, "If you can't borrow any grain, then when you come back, you can starve together with everyone else!"

Xiao Guimu walked into the assembly hall, and within a moment, she emerged with a written IOU, which she handed to the Purple Rose. She instructed, "You and Red Rose should take a large grain boat and sail over there. You'd better disguise yourselves as merchants, pretending to be grain traders. It's also best to travel at night so that you won't be easily spotted by the government authorities."

As she tucked the IOU away securely, the Purple Rose said impatiently, "Alright, alright! This isn't the first time I've traveled far from home, you know; I understand all of this."

Xiao Guimu said affectionately, "Careful navigation ensures a safe voyage of ten thousand miles! We are not genuine merchants, but bandits entrenched on a sea island, and the imperial court is currently issuing warrants for our arrest! If you are caught by the officials, not only will you lose your head, but you will also implicate the entire Li family!"

The Purple Rose remarked, "What a nag! Even your heroic mother-in-law isn't as nagging as you! After you marry into the family, her old ladyship is bound to cut out your nagging tongue."

Xiao Guimu smiled and said, "She won't! Let me reveal a secret to you."

The Purple Rose asked, "What secret?"

Xiao Guimu lowered her voice and said, "My future heroic mother-in-law is also the biological mother of that Lord Gu in the capital."

The Purple Rose asked in astonishment, "How can that be?"

Xiao Guimu said, "Want to know? Then go borrow the grain first, and I'll tell you all about it later."

The Purple Rose blushed and said, "Does this have a single coin's worth of relation to me? Who wants to hear it?"

Xie Family Gully.

On the morning after Xie An and Guan Yi's wedding, Qi Yaoyao, Li Muwen, and Jiang Hong bid farewell to Father Xie and Mother Xie, setting off to return to the capital. However, Father Xie and Mother Xie stubbornly refused to let them go, insisting that they had to stay for the return-visit banquet no matter what.

By the morning of the fourth day, Mother Xie rose early and hung a large bundle of dried medicinal herbs onto Qi Yaoyao's riding horse. Holding one of Qi Yaoyao's hands while wiping away her tears, she said, "Yao'er, my daughter, these are all healing herbs your father dug up from the mountains. Since you wield weapons and engage in combat all day long, bumps and bruises are inevitable. Take these herbs back with you for emergencies."

Qi Yaoyao, being a straightforward person, said, "Mother, all these medicinal materials are sold at the Shennong Hall in the capital. What's the point of this?"

Mother Xie reproached her with feigned anger, "Silly girl, are the ones bought at Shennong Hall the same as the ones sent by Mother?" She burst into sorrowful tears.

"Are they not the same?" Qi Yaoyao was momentarily at a loss for words. Seeing her foster mother shedding tears, she stood foolishly, holding her foster mother's hands and not knowing what to do.

Seeing this from the side, Jiang Hong stepped forward to mediate and tease at the same time. She said to Mother Xie, "Mother, Instructor Li and I are also people who wield weapons and fight, and we frequently get bruised and injured. Where is our share of medicinal herbs kept?"

Mother Xie laughed through her tears and said, "Your share is still up on the mountains. Do you really want it?"

Jiang Hong and Li Muwen replied in unison, "Of course we want it!"

Mother Xie said with a smiling face, "Then the two of you should stay a few more days here in Xie Family Gully. Tomorrow, I'll have the old man and Xie An go up the mountain and dig up enough to fill a large cart..."

Partings are always filled with reluctance and tears! It is the same for everyone...

When the sun rose, Qi Yaoyao, Li Muwen, and Jiang Hong had already arrived at the small town closest to Xie Family Gully.

Qi Yaoyao asked Li Muwen and Jiang Hong to wait at the intersection. She rode into the street alone to buy sacrificial offerings such as incense, candles, paper money, fruit, and wine, and then spurred her horse toward Falling Wild Goose Slope. Baiyun and Caiyun were buried on Falling Wild Goose Slope.

Qi Yaoyao dismounted at the foot of the slope and walked up carrying the offerings. From afar, she saw that the graves of Baiyun and Caiyun were already covered in green grass. This made her very sad.

In front of the graves of Baiyun and Caiyun, Qi Yaoyao arranged the offerings. Before the incense and candles were even lit, her tears were already rolling down like broken beads. For a long time, the incense and candles refused to catch fire.

Finally, she managed to light the incense and candles, poured the wine, and knelt before the two graves, weeping loudly as she burned the paper money.

Her cries were loud, growing increasingly sorrowful, moving the heavens—

At that moment, two low clouds drifted across the sky; under the sunlight, one appeared white and the other colorful. But Qi Yaoyao did not see them.

Even the wind seemed moved, blowing the incense and candles until their red flames flickered. Qi Yaoyao fancied she heard the faint sounds of two girls crying coming from the hillside.

Qi Yaoyao was startled. She called out loudly, "Is that you, little sisters Baiyun and Caiyun? Sister is returning to the capital today and has come to bid you farewell."

It began to drizzle. The raindrops fell upon the graves of Baiyun and Caiyun, and also dampened Qi Yaoyao's hair and garments. Yet the incense and candles in front of the two graves continued to burn just the same, their red flames flickering brightly.

Qi Yaoyao wept with a grief that tore at her heart...

She poured all the wine onto the ground and said, "Little sisters, Sister knows you are reluctant to see me return to the capital, but there is no help for it. It is not that Sister is cruel enough to leave your remains behind here, but because Sister still bears a heavy and distant responsibility! I must join the northern expedition and contribute to the unification of the country. I promise you here: if the northern expedition succeeds in the future and the country is unified, and if Sister is still alive by then, I will surely come back here and take your remains to my hometown in Yangcheng to be laid to rest..."

The rain stopped, and the sun shone brilliantly.

Qi Yaoyao wiped away her tears and left Falling Wild Goose Slope.

On the road, Qi Yaoyao wore a solemn expression.

As she neared the small town, she saw from afar that Li Muwen, Jiang Hong, Father Xie, Mother Xie, Xie An, and Guan Yi were waiting for her return. Qi Yaoyao also noticed that both Xie An and Guan Yi were leading horses, with travel packs hanging across the horsebacks as if they were about to go on a long journey.

Qi Yaoyao leaped down from her horse and asked Father Xie, "Father, didn't we say our farewells this morning? Why are you all here to see us off again?"

Father Xie said, "Daughter, your mother and I aren't here to see you off; we are here to see your elder brother and sister-in-law off."

Qi Yaoyao asked, "What is this? Where are my brother and sister-in-law going?"

Guan Yi stepped closer and said to her, "Little Sister-in-law, your brother and I want to return to the capital together with you all, but we don't know if you agree or not."

Qi Yaoyao gathered her reins, turned to Xie An, and said, "Brother, of course I agree to you all returning to the capital with us, but what about the family after you leave? Who will take care of Father and Mother?"

Xie An scratched the back of his head and said, "As for that..."

Father Xie cut in, "Daughter, don't you worry about that! Your father and mother are not yet very old, and we are both in good health. We will take care of ourselves at home. As for your brother, he has the build of a bear and the strength of a tiger, and he's an accurate archer to boot! Now he has even married a martial-arts-proficient wife of equal standing. If this young couple were to stay in Xie Family Gully hunting for a lifetime, it would amount to burying a pearl in the dust! A while ago, I heard a friend who works in the government say that the imperial court is currently in urgent need of talent just like your brother! Therefore, I thought that if you take them both back to the capital and have your husband recommend them to the court, securing an official post would be a thousand times better than staying in this mountain valley! Daughter, just take them along with you."

"Alright!" Qi Yaoyao hesitated briefly before agreeing.

Father Xie turned to his son and scolded, "You rascal, what are you standing there stunned for?"

Xie An asked in confusion, "Father, what do you mean by this?"

Chapter 43 (2/3)

Father Xie gave his son a sideways glance and said, "You foolish boy, the hour is late. Why aren't you mounting your horses and getting on the road!"

"Yes!" Xie An and Guan Yi leaped onto their horses simultaneously and galloped toward the capital.

Qi Yaoyao once again exchanged tearful embraces and farewells with Father Xie and Mother Xie.

After three trails of dust drifted past, not a single person remained at the end of the post road! Father Xie merely wiped away his tears and said to Mother Xie, "We've finally sent our son onto the right path."

Mother Xie continued to gaze down the post road and asked, "I wonder when this young couple will return home?"

Father Xie scolded, "What a lack of ambition! Your son and daughter-in-law have only just left, and already you're looking forward to their return!"

Qi Yaoyao, Li Muwen, Jiang Hong, Xie An, and Guan Yi whipped their horses to gallop faster all the way, and Qi Yaoyao was all the more eager to return home. Having returned from the jaws of death and not having seen her family in the capital for over a year, her heart had long since flown back to her husband, Gu Yusheng.

Along the way, Qi Yaoyao kept pondering Father Xie's remark that "the imperial court is currently in urgent need of people." She had previously heard her husband, Gu Yusheng, analyze that the current emperor would never launch a northern expedition! Moreover, the chief councilor was Prime Minister Tan, who had always maintained delicate relations with the Northern Rhenish people. He was unlikely to advocate for a northern expedition. Since there was no northern expedition, how could there be talk of the "court currently being in urgent need of people"? Qi Yaoyao could never quite puzzle it out!

While staying overnight at a post station, Qi Yaoyao read an announcement-style news item in an outdated court gazette: "Half a year ago, the current emperor already conferred the title of Crown Prince upon his stepson Zhao Yuan, and appointed Lady Xia as the Crown Princess." In another outdated court gazette, Qi Yaoyao saw yet another piece of news: "The Eastern Palace urgently recruits a number of martial-arts-proficient and loyal bodyguards." Qi Yaoyao thought to herself: Could Father Xie's statement that "the imperial court is currently in urgent need of people" refer to the Eastern Palace urgently recruiting bodyguards?

Although Qi Yaoyao and her companions traveled day and night, due to the long distance, it took them nearly a month to reach the borders of the capital.

It was dusk by that day, and the city gates had not yet closed. All five of them dismounted, leading their horses as they walked inward along with the crowd entering the city.

Qi Yaoyao brought up the rear. As soon as she stepped inside the city, she heard the booming sound of the city gates closing. Looking back, she pressed her palms together in joy and said to the heavens, "Thank goodness."

Li Muwen was also very happy and said to Qi Yaoyao, "Second Sister-in-law, it's fortunate we arrived a step early. Otherwise, once the gates closed, we would have had to linger for yet another night at the inn outside the city wall."

Jiang Hong said, "We have already returned to the shadow of the Son of Heaven, so lingering another night wouldn't matter much! It's just that the silver we have left is already insufficient to pay for a night's lodging. If that were the case, we'd have to sleep in the open tonight!"

Xie An said honestly, "Sleeping in the open is great! In the past, when Father and I went up the mountains to hunt, we often slept in the open..."

Guan Yi gave her husband a sideways glance and said, "Only a mountain boy loves sleeping in the open!"

Qi Yaoyao chuckled and said, "Brother, Sister-in-law, the curfew hour is almost upon us. Let's hurry up and mount our horses to go home!"

"Hyah!" Five fine steeds galloped toward Osmanthus Garden amidst the gathering dusk.

By the time they returned to Osmanthus Garden, it was the hour of lighting the lamps.

This Osmanthus Garden was the place where Southern Pacifying General Xiao Guimu lived as a neighbor to the brothers Gu Yuren and Gu Yusheng.

Before the Southern Pacifying General fell into disgrace, her doorstep could well be described as having carriages flowing like a stream and horses like a revolving dragon. But now, the Southern Pacifying General had committed a crime and been exiled by the imperial court to the Dapu Military Camp thousands of li away to serve as a camp prostitute, while the brothers Gu Yuren and Gu Yusheng had escaped incrimination primarily because Prince Zhao Yuan was protecting them. Yet the doorstep of Osmanthus Garden was long past its former glory and had become utterly desolate.

The sudden return of Qi Yaoyao and the others brought a burst of clamor to this lonely household. Every member of the Gu family was wild with joy. The brothers Gu Yuren and Gu Yusheng were even beside themselves, scrambling with the servants to lead the horses and carry the luggage, welcoming Li Muwen, Xie An, and the others into the house. Gu Yusheng once again smelled the fragrance of orchids in the air of Osmanthus Garden.

Inside Osmanthus Garden, as brothers, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and sisters met for the first time, it went without saying that they exchanged warm greetings and inquired after each other's well-being after such a rare reunion.

In Gu Yusheng's bedroom, Qi Yaoyao held Qi Qiongqiong and wept, saying, "Sister, I thought I would never see you again..."

Since they had arrived at night and no welcome banquet had been prepared in advance, and because the capital's curfew was currently very strict—making nighttime noise a violation of the curfew regulations—coupled with everyone's travel fatigue, Qi Yaoyao and the others simply partook of a light meal before resting.

There was only a single guest room in the right wing. Gu Yusheng and Qi Yaoyao took Xie An and his wife Guan Yi to the guest room in the right wing. Qi Qiongqiong opened Xiao Guimu's room in the main quarters, had several servants clean and tidy it up, and then led Li Muwen and Jiang Hong inside along with her husband Gu Yuren.

"It's the 'Hanguang Sword'! Why is it hanging here?" As soon as Jiang Hong stepped into Xiao Guimu's room, she spotted a sword hanging on the wall.

"This is the personal sword of that girl Xiao Guimu. What? Have you seen this sword before?" Qi Qiongqiong asked.

"I haven't seen it, only heard of it." Jiang Hong took down the "Hanguang Sword".

"This sword was the prized heirloom of Uncle Xiao Tianjian. The year Xiao Guimu left the salt-drying fields, Uncle Tianjian gave her this sword. After she got into trouble, this sword was confiscated and put up at a public auction; Younger Brother Yusheng raised three thousand taels of silver to retrieve it from the buyer," Gu Yuren explained.

Jiang Hong also unbuckled her own "Chengying Sword" and handed it to Gu Yuren to look at, saying, "My sword is called the 'Chengying Sword', and my husband Li Muwen's sword is called the 'Xiaolian Sword'. Together with this 'Hanguang Sword', they are collectively known as the Three Swords of the Shang Son of Heaven. Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law, have you ever heard the story of the Three Swords of the Shang Son of Heaven?"

Gu Yuren and Qi Qiongqiong both shook their heads and said, "We would like to hear the details."

Jiang Hong said, "I heard it from my late father. It is said that the 'Hanguang Sword' was originally invisible to the eye and untraceable in movement; whatever it touched melted away without a trace, passing through objects without them even noticing. 'Chengying' is an exquisite and elegant sword; legend has it that when it was forged from the furnace, dragons parted before its shadow and wild geese fell, forgetting to return, hence the name 'Chengying'. According to my father, my maternal grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather was the son-in-law of Kong Zhou, the famed Spring and Autumn period swordsmith of the State of Wei. This 'Chengying Sword' came to our Jiang family as a dowry. As for my husband Li Muwen's 'Xiaolian', it was a gift from his mother. Mother is also the mother of Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law; you should know the origin of this sword, shouldn't you?"

"I saw it when I was a child, but I didn't know its origins. Did Mother ever tell Brother Muwen about it?" Gu Yuren asked.

Li Muwen shook his head and said, "Mother only produced this sword and gave it to me right as I was leaving home, simply telling me it was a treasured sword and instructing me to take good care of it. I was in such a rush when I left that I didn't have time to ask its origins clearly."

Jiang Hong said to Li Muwen, "My late father—that is, your late father-in-law—also once told me, 'The Xiaolian Sword' allows you to see its shadow but not its light during the day, and to see its light but not its shape at night... Husband, it is nighttime now; draw the 'Xiaolian Sword' from its scabbard and let's see if that's true?" Li Muwen drew the "Xiaolian Sword", and Jiang Hong instructed the maidservants to extinguish all the lights. "Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law, look and see if everything I said has been verified! Furthermore, when it kills someone, it slips through with a snap, and the moment it passes, the wound closes right back up. Although a person can feel the pain, not a single drop of blood adheres to the blade..."

"Sister-in-law, there's no need to verify this!" Gu Yuren shouted in the darkness. Qi Qiongqiong hurriedly ordered the servants to relight all the candles and lanterns.

With her enthusiasm still unexhausted, Jiang Hong continued, "My father also said that the reason the world is divided into two today is precisely because these three swords of the Shang Son of Heaven were separated. My late father was a man who worried about the troubles of the world before anyone else; he spent his entire life searching for the 'Hanguang' and 'Xiaolian' swords. He died young, and his eyes would not close in death because until his dying breath he never found these two swords!"

Qi Qiongqiong said, "I understand now! When I was little, I heard my parents say that our illustrious grandmaster—the eccentric swordsman Lou Sanfeng—devoted his entire life to searching for treasured swords! So it turns out the old master was searching for the gathering of the three swords of the Shang Son of Heaven. It is said that back then, he adamantly refused to let his only daughter marry his eldest disciple, my father-in-law, and the fundamental reason was that the Gu family did not possess the swords of the Shang Son of Heaven!"

Gu Yuren patted Li Muwen's shoulder happily and said, "It's wonderful now! Our Brother Muwen has finally fulfilled the eccentric maternal grandfather's dying wish!"

Li Muwen asked with some bewilderment, "Me?"

Gu Yuren explained, "Brother Muwen, you have the 'Xiaolian Sword' given to you by Mother, that girl Guimu has the 'Hanguang Sword', and Sister-in-law Jiang Hong has the 'Chengying Sword'. The three of you are now one family, and the three swords are gathered! If this credit doesn't belong to you, whose does it belong to?"

Li Muwen blushed, cast a sideways glance at Jiang Hong, and said, "If you put it that way, this merit truly belongs to your foolish younger brother!"

Gu Yusheng suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Brother Muwen, let me tell you some bad news..."

Li Muwen urged, "Eldest Brother, just speak straight..."

Gu Yuren said, "I learned from the court gazettes that your honored father, Inspector Li, passed away in office more than half a month ago, and Mother has already returned to your hometown along with the Li family members to escort the coffin for burial."

Upon hearing this, Li Muwen and Jiang Hong burst into loud weeping.

Qi Qiongqiong and the others advised, "It's curfew time now; cry in your hearts instead!" Only then did Li Muwen and Jiang Hong check their tears.

Jiang Hong said, "In times of peace and prosperity, one must not cry!"

On the evening of the next day, Qi Qiongqiong hosted a banquet to officially welcome Li Muwen, Jiang Hong, Xie An, and Guan Yi.

During the banquet, Gu Yuren asked Li Muwen, "Brother Muwen, what are your plans for the future?"

Li Muwen put down his chopsticks and said, "My late father has passed away, and it is only right that we return to our hometown to observe the mourning period. Jiang Hong and I discussed it today, and tomorrow the two of us will set off to return to our native soil, but..."

Gu Yuren asked, "But what?"

Li Muwen blushed and said, "It's just that the two of us are currently penniless, and travel expenses for the journey home have yet to be settled."

Gu Yuren said, "Please rest assured about that! Your respected Sister-in-law Qiongqiong has long since prepared it for you!"

Li Muwen and Jiang Hong expressed their gratitude in unison, "Then thank you, Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law."

Gu Yusheng feigned anger and said, "Are you two only going to thank Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law? The travel funds prepared for you by Sister-in-law also include silver from me and your Second Sister-in-law."

Li Muwen and Jiang Hong once again thanked Gu Yusheng and Qi Yaoyao in unison, "Thank you, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law."

Qi Yaoyao's eyes filled with affection as she said, "What is there to thank? We are true brothers and sisters-in-law after all."

Chapter 43 (3/3)

Qi Qiongqiong looked at Li Muwen with a gaze of regret and said, "Brother Muwen, next year is the imperial examination year again, but it's a pity you'll be in mourning."

Li Muwen sighed, "Indeed, perhaps it is destiny! Sister-in-law, it seems I, Li Muwen, might be destined to have no connection to official honors and fame in this lifetime!" With that, he lowered his head and simply sipped his wine.

Gu Yuren affectionately patted his maternal half-brother's shoulder and said, "Brother Muwen, you are still young; three years will pass very quickly."

Li Muwen continued to look dejected as he said, "Missing one examination after another, three years followed by three years—how many three years does a person have in a lifetime?"

Jiang Hong comforted her husband, saying, "Husband, don't be discouraged! Although the real Li Muwen might indeed have no connection to official honors in this lifetime, the name Li Muwen of yours has already appeared on the imperial honor roll, passed the previous imperial martial examination as top scholar, and was even conferred the title of Southern Pacifying General by the current emperor."

Li Muwen glared at her angrily and said, "That was that girl Xiao Guimu acting with reckless abandon, committing the crime of deceiving the sovereign, harming others and herself..."

Jiang Hong stuck out her tongue and fell silent.

The atmosphere at the banquet grew solemn.

To break the solemnity, Gu Yusheng said, "Brother Muwen, Second Brother wants to ask a favor of you."

Li Muwen asked, "What favor?"

Gu Yusheng said, "According to reliable information, Xiao Guimu was ransomed by an unidentified person at the Dapu Military Camp and has been missing ever since. Second Brother heard that your hometown is not far from the Dapu Garrison. Once you reach your hometown, would you mind keeping an eye out and inquiring about her whereabouts?" At this time, Lou Mingxian's letter had not yet been delivered to the capital.

Li Muwen looked up and said, "Second Brother is being too polite; the word 'favor' is hardly appropriate! Besides, Xiao Guimu was originally my fiancée. Even without Second Brother's reminder, I would naturally do everything in my power to search for her whereabouts once I return home! Please rest assured, Second Brother! Please rest assured, everyone."

Gu Yusheng said, "That's good. As soon as you find out her whereabouts, Brother Muwen, let us know immediately, alright?"

Li Muwen said, "Alright."

The next day, Li Muwen and Jiang Hong left the capital and returned to the coastal town in southern province to observe the mourning period.

Upon their departure, Gu Yusheng went into Xiao Guimu's room, took down the "Hanguang Sword" of the Shang Son of Heaven, and handed it to Li Muwen to take back to their hometown for safekeeping.

After seeing off Li Muwen and Jiang Hong, Xie An squatted on the stone slab in front of the stables for the entire morning, staring intently at his horse.

He held a long spear in one hand and a handkerchief in the other, without making a single movement. The horn bow and quiver that he treasured like precious gems for hunting were discarded on the ground next to the stone slab. It seemed as though he no longer cared for them.

This long spear was a gift from Li Muwen when he left Osmanthus Garden. After Li Muwen was "invited" to serve as the spear and cavalry instructor at the Silt Lake Water Stronghold, he had commissioned someone to forge this spear. The shaft had been personally sought by Li Muwen on Huging Mountain for days and nights until he found a strong ox-tendon wood trunk, which he then peeled into evenly sized strips and soaked in oil for a long time. Today, the shaft of this spear was as tough and resilient as an ox tendon. Only this morning, right before his departure, did Li Muwen reluctantly hand this spear over to Xie An himself.

Xie An's shameless purpose in following Qi Yaoyao to the capital this time was to leverage his foster brother-in-law Gu Yusheng's connections to secure an official post. Being a hunter, he was not very literate. Therefore, Qi Yaoyao had suffered from a headache all the way: "What kind of post should I find for my foster brother?"

On the way back to the capital from Xie Family Gully, Qi Yaoyao had asked him, "Brother, after we arrive in the capital, would you be willing to serve as a security guard for a wealthy household?"

Xie An replied with a very unwilling expression, "If there really are no other paths, serving as a guard will do."

Guan Yi said with utter disdain, "It won't do at all! Little Sister-in-law, your brother is coming to the capital to serve the imperial court! No post will do unless it's an official one. If brother-in-law can't help us secure one by then, we have other acquaintances in the capital—there's Prince Zhao Yuan, and I want to ask for his help."

When Jiang Hong was at the Silt Lake Water Stronghold, she had been Guan Yi's master and sparring partner in swordplay. She said to Guan Yi, "That Zhao Yuan is a prince; he won't help with such trivial matters."

Guan Yi said, "That's not necessarily true! He called me 'Little Sister-in-law' for ten whole years back at the Silt Lake Water Stronghold!"

Jiang Hong countered, "Back then he was showing you respect, but things are entirely different now!"

Guan Yi curved the corners of her mouth and said, "He is an orphan who was raised from childhood by his aunt, Zhao Chuanyun! My grandfather and I are Zhao Chuanyun's saviors. If his aunt Zhao Chuanyun had died back then, who would have raised him to adulthood? So his calling me 'Little Sister-in-law' for ten years isn't baseless!"

Xie An said with a triumphant look on his face, "That being the case, I, Xie An, am Prince Zhao Yuan's uncle-in-law—a genuine relative!"

Li Muwen spoke with the demeanor of a yamen counselor, "In my view, Brother Xie An has an eighty percent chance of success in securing this post. First of all, your physical strength is astonishing, and your archery is a hundred hits out of a hundred. If you enter the military camp to serve, who's to say you won't become a commanding officer in the future? And if you achieve merit, even being ennobled as a marquis is possible!"

Xie An beamed with delight: "Instructor Li's words are the most pleasant to hear! I've long wanted to go into the military camp to be a general! When the time comes that I become a general, I'll also ask my real relative, Prince Zhao Yuan, to arrange a generalship for Instructor Li so the two of us can eat the emperor's grain together."

Li Muwen cupped his fists in salute: "Thank you, General Xie!"

Qi Yaoyao poured cold water on them: "There isn't even a single stroke of the character written yet; whether you can enter the military camp is still uncertain! Keep on daydreaming, you two!"

Xie An said to Qi Yaoyao, "Sister, this isn't a daydream; it's only a matter of time! Look at your brother—he has such outstanding qualifications, his brother-in-law is the Vice Minister of War, and we have our real relative Prince Zhao Yuan backing us in the imperial court. Once I step into the military camp, it'll be hard for your brother *not* to become a general even if he wants to!"

Instructor Li also began pouring cold water: "Generals have to fight battles. Apart from knowing how to shoot arrows, your spear and cavalry skills must also be top-notch! But your spear and cavalry skills are only mediocre..."

Xie An hurriedly said, "I'll study! I'll start practicing right now! Instructor Li, you can teach me, can't you?"

Li Muwen nodded in agreement. He said, "To master spear and cavalry skills, you must have a good spear. When we reach the capital, you should buy a fine spear."

Xie An stared unblinkingly at the long spear strapped across Li Muwen's horse and said, "Instructor Li, why don't you gift that long spear of yours to me?"

Li Muwen widened his beautiful eyes and said, "What's this? Why have you set your sights on my long spear?"

Xie An said, "Gift it to me; the two of us are real relatives after all..."

...

Qi Yaoyao walked closer to the stables and asked, "Brother, what are you doing?"

Xie An snapped out of his reverie.

Using his handkerchief to wipe the wooden shaft of the spear, he said, "Sister, I'm cleaning the long spear that Instructor Li gave me."

Qi Yaoyao reached out to stroke the spear shaft and said, "Brother Muwen is truly generous, actually gifting his prized possession to you."

Xie An said, "He even said he'd teach me spear and cavalry skills, but now that he's gone, what use is giving me the spear?" He wore a crestfallen expression.

Qi Yaoyao chuckled and said, "Are you worried you won't find a spear and cavalry instructor here in Osmanthus Garden?"

Xie An asked, "Who can teach me?"

Qi Yaoyao smiled and said, "Your brother-in-law Gu Yusheng, and Eldest Brother-in-law Yuren—one is a top military scholar and the other placed second in the military examinations. Can't they be your instructors?"

Xie An patted the back of his head and cried out as if a sudden realization had struck him, "How could I have forgotten about them?"

Squatting on the stone slab, he happily and meticulously resumed wiping the long spear.

Gu Yuren's two sons, Dabao and Xiaobao, walked over, each holding a large honey peach. Xiaobao followed closely behind his brother, walking while his little mouth gaped open as he took large bites of the brightly colored and juicy flesh; his hands, mouth, and clothes were all stained with peach juice.

Gu Dabao pointed at the horn bow and quiver on the ground and asked Qi Yaoyao, "Aunty, whose big bow is this? It looks so tempting!"

Qi Yaoyao said, "This is your Eldest Uncle Xie An's prized possession, so don't touch it!"

Gu Dabao usually liked playing with his father's ox-tendon bow, and seeing a horn bow for the very first time, his hands were itching. He said to Xie An, "Eldest Uncle Xie An, can you lend it to your nephew to play with?"

Without raising his head, Xie An said, "No way! This ox-tendon string is very hard to find; what would we do if it snapped?"

Looking at the horn bow lying on the ground, Gu Dabao not only felt an itch in his heart, but his hands itched even more.

He suddenly waved the large honey peach in his hand and said to Xie An, "Uncle, let's trade! Nephew will trade this large honey peach to you, and you trade your horn bow to me. Trading to play with each other is alright, isn't it?"

Xie An had been squatting on the stone slab wiping his spear for half a day, and his mouth was long since parched. The moment he heard the words "large honey peach," he quickly raised his head. First he saw Gu Xiaobao chewing on fruit flesh with sweet juice dripping from the corners of his mouth, and then he stared fixedly at the plump, large honey peach in Gu Dabao's hand—he was drooling. Finally, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said to Gu Dabao, "Nephew, deal!"

Gu Dabao bent down to pick up the horn bow from the ground, tried pulling it twice, and only then handed his own large honey peach to Xie An.

The moment Xie An took the large honey peach, he rushed to bring it to his mouth.

Gu Dabao hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Wait! Please take good care of nephew's large honey peach, Uncle; I want to trade it back after I'm done playing with the bow."

Xie An's wide-open mouth remained unclosed for a long time: he truly wanted to swallow this large honey peach in one bite! But he couldn't! With a sheepish smile, he brought the large honey peach to his nose, sniffing it over and over again until his saliva dripped onto the peach skin.

Qi Yaoyao saw the whole thing.

She said to her foster brother, "Brother, if you want to eat it, just eat it! Don't take it too seriously! These two little rascals are small in stature but big in wit; even I usually can't outsmart them, let alone you, Brother."

Xie An nodded and then shook his head.

He removed the large honey peach from his nose and said, "No way! Brother is going to accomplish great things and become a great general in the future; how can I break my promise to a child?"

At dinner time, Qi Yaoyao mentioned that her foster brother Xie An wanted to ask the brothers Gu Yuren and Gu Yusheng to serve as his spear and cavalry instructors. Both Gu Yuren and Gu Yusheng readily agreed.

During the banquet, Qi Qiongqiong said to Xie An, "Brother Xie An, I have already secured a post for you in the Crown Prince's Mansion through Crown Princess Xia!"

Gu Yuren asked in astonishment, "My wife, what kind of post is it?"

Qi Qiongqiong replied, "It is a guard position as a military advisor and soldier in the Left and Right Imperial Guards of the Crown Prince's Mansion."

Guan Yi called out, "That official title is so long, how are people supposed to address him?"

Qi Yaoyao laughed and said, "Just call him Guard Xie."

Gu Yuren raised his wine cup, took a small sip, and slowly said, "Although this post doesn't carry an official rank, it is a bodyguard position for the Crown Prince, which is very good!" He suddenly turned his gaze to stare at Qi Qiongqiong. "My wife, when did you cozy up to the Crown Princess? How come I didn't know anything about it?"

Qi Qiongqiong glanced at Gu Yuren and said, "Husband, you are a busy person who easily forgets! Didn't the Crown Princess hold a equestrian competition last time? I participated—that's right, you were the one who brought me the Crown Princess's invitation—and I won first place. When Crown Princess Xia presented me with the award, she asked about some of our affairs, and I reported the truth, so I got to know her. Later, she also invited me to the Crown Prince's Mansion several times to compare riding skills."

Gu Yuren furrowed his brow and said coldly, "No wonder I could never find you at home for a while; you were going to the Crown Prince's Mansion to cozy up to the Crown Princess."

"Cozy up?" Tears welled up in Qi Qiongqiong's eyes as she explained with a grievance, "Husband, you've misunderstood your wife. I went to the Crown Prince's Mansion purely to compare equestrian skills with the Crown Princess! Besides, I couldn't refuse her invitation! To tell the truth, although the Crown Princess and I have been interacting for some time, in my heart I never had the slightest intention of currying favor or cozying up to her."

Gu Yuren asked again, "Then how did Brother Xie An get this post?"

Qi Qiongqiong knew what her husband was worried about. She covered her face with her sleeve, wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes, and said earnestly, "The Crown Prince's Mansion was short of hands and is currently openly recruiting from society. I simply registered Brother Xie An with the Crown Princess." She turned to look at Xie An. "Brother Xie An, you still have to go to the Crown Prince's Mansion for an interview tomorrow; you can only take up the post if you pass the interview..."

Frowning, Xie An shouted, "Even a real relative has to be interviewed?"

Qi Qiongqiong nodded at him.

Shaking his head, Xie An cried out, "It's too troublesome, I'm not going..."

Guan Yi kicked him under the table.

"Ouch, why did you kick me?" Xie An glared at her angrily.

Guan Yi put on a straight face and said, "To teach you a lesson! Do you think the Crown Prince's Mansion is your Xie Family Gully? Can you come and go as you please? Tell me, are you going tomorrow or not?"

Xie An put on a flattering smile: "Don't be angry! I'll go, I'll go!"

At the other end of the dining table, Gu Yusheng personally poured a cup of wine and brought it to Qi Qiongqiong: "Wife, just now your husband was overthinking and made you angry. I am apologizing; please drink this cup of wine to dispel your anger."

Qi Qiongqiong lowered her head and said nothing.

Gu Yusheng said softly, "If my wife still won't drink, your husband will have to kneel before you!"

Qi Qiongqiong took the wine cup and drained it in one gulp: "Go ahead and kneel!"

Her face remained straight, but her eyes were brimming with smiles.