To Rule in a Turbulent World Chapter 6-9 108 Dec 04, 2019

Chapter 6

Arrows fly like raindrops, and the voices of barbarians come drifting through the wind.

Lin Fei shouts, “WATCH OUT FOR THE ARROWS! THEY’RE GOING TO CATCH UP TO US!”

The barbarian troop has caught up to them, and Zhao Chao shouts, “LET’S BREAK UP!

RUN OUR SEPARATE WAYS!”

“To the north!” Lin Fei yells. “Enter Yanbian!”

Li Zhifeng lets out a stifled grunt.

Zhao Chao yells, “WE’LL LEAD THEM AWAY! QUANRONG! YOU TAKE HIM AND RUN

TO THE SOUTH! HEAD FOR THE OFFICIAL ROAD! ONCE YOU ENTER THE BORDER OF

LIANGZHOU PREFECTURE YOU’LL BE SAFE!”

Li Zhifeng’s war horse makes a sharp turn, and You Miao peeks out from the wolf-pelt

robe. He sees Zhao Chao and Lin Fei bringing a troop of soldiers to lead hundreds of

barbarians away, and Zhao Chao’s voice rings in his ears.

“YOU MIAO! TAKE CARE!”

Li Zhifeng, taking You Miao with him, guides the horse in dashing into a forest in the

west, then turns around, charging out from the South, fleeing all the way to the official road. As

they run crazily in the vast winter snow, their pursuers gradually fall behind, and soon disappear

without a trace.

Having ridden hard on a steed for an entire day, You Miao is both starving and drowsy,

so he leans heavily in Li Zhifeng’s arms and sleeps for the entire way until Li Zhifeng’s voice

comes. It isn’t loud, but it’s clear.

“We’re here. You can go now,” Li Zhifeng says.

You Miao blinks open his eyes. At the end of the official highway is a smallish checkpoint

1, half buried in snow. Suddenly, the warmth behind his body lightens, and Li Zhifeng falls from

the horse, collapsing onto the snow without a sound. The movement startles the steed, and it

throws back its head and neighs before dragging You Miao along as it dashes forward.

“LI ZHIFENG!” You Miao cries.

1 Basically border control/manned tolls on the roads

The horse continues to trot, taking You Miao meters away, and he keeps struggling hard

against it until he also falls into the snow. Then, he turns around and runs toward Li Zhifeng.

When he gets to him, You Miao sees that there’s an arrow nailed to the small of Li Zhifeng’s

back, and the ripped opening of the robe where the wound lies is already stained by blood, its

colour turning a purplish black. You Miao drops to his knees in the snow and flips Li Zhifeng

over, shaking him violently.

“Wake up, you can’t die… YOU CAN’T DIE!” You Miao yells into his ears. “YOU

BASTARD COST ME TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SILVER, I’M TELLING YOU!!”

Li Zhifeng is panting heavily, and You Miao leans down over his chest to check, finding

that his heart is still beating. A moment later, he feels Li Zhifeng’s large hand petting his head.

You Miao stares into Li Zhifeng’s eyes, looking a bit scared, and Li Zhifeng’s eyes soften.

“Hang in there,” You Miao demands. “I’ll go find someone to come save you! I’ll go call

for people right now!”

Li Zhifeng coughs uncontrollably in response, and You Miao rises to his feet to look into

the distance. Who knows if there’s anyone still guarding that checkpoint, now built up with so

much snow, and the horse is also looking back from the far distance. You Miao shouts, “IS

ANYBODY THERE?!”

He uses all his strength to pull Li Zhifeng’s arm over his own shoulder, supporting him by

the waist. Li Zhifeng is heavy, practically like a mountain, so much so that You Miao is almost

crushed by the weight. And so the young You Miao, barely legal, drags this full grown man in the

snow, stepping one foot light, one foot deep as he walked.

“IS ANYBODY THERE——?!”

You Miao’s voice flutters and drifts in the wind. Bits of fragmented snow strews over Li

Zhifeng’s long, loose hair, scattering into the wind. The snow stops.

“Who goes there?!”

Someone rides out from the checkpoint; it’s an official, they’re saved.

On the large boulder before the checkpoint are written in large words, “Zhengliang

Pass”: the very first checkpoint in the north after the wall. Once this checkpoint is crossed, it’s

the Guandong region, and officially Han territory. It’s the end of the year in midwinter right now

so there are only a dozen veteran soldiers guarding the pass under the name plaque. Crossing

through, it becomes the enlistment camps of Guandong, and to the east is the border of

Liangzhou Prefecture.

The soldiers of the Great Qi Empire lead You Miao and Li Zhifeng into a small cottage

within the pass to let them rest. The fires inside are blazing spiritedly and snow melts into water

on their bodies, dripping all over the ground. Li Zhifeng lies on the bed, unmoving. The veterans

however, are experienced in arrow injuries and someone comes with a plate of disinfected

alcohol, griping, “Out of my way, out of my way!”

“Will he die?” You Miao asks anxiously.

“No he wont!” The soldiers reply. “Go play on the side, child, there’s nothing for you to do

here! He’s just dizzy from blood loss!”

“I thought he was gonna die earlier!” You Miao exclaims.

“Nothing for you to do here——” The veterans all laugh heartily, and someone comes in

twirling a small knife, wrapping bandages tight around Li Zhifeng a few times. He teases, “Heh,

we’ve got a real man here. Really hangin’ in there, aren’t ya?”

You Miao is bent one knee down to the ground next to the divan, gripping Li Zhifeng’s

hand. “How can you tell me to go on by myself…”

“Your little lover, eh?” A soldier teases. “Only an arrow wound and you guys make it

sound like it’s a life and death separation.”

Li Zhifeng stifles his voice, not making a sound, and a soldier orders, “Hold him down,

we’re gonna pull the arrow out now!”

PA! And the arrow is snapped by brute force, but Li Zhifeng’s eyes are only focused on

You Miao, unblinking. Then another man digs in with the knife, cutting out the arrow head.

Clank, and the iron arrowhead drops to the ground. Another veteran goes forward, pouring

disinfectant over the gaping wound. Throughout it all, Li Zhifeng only tightens his grip, pursing

his lips as he furrows his brows.

“Good man!”

The soldiers apply the medicinal cream for physical injuries2 before starting to wrap him

heavily in bandages. “Get up.” the field official says.

2 [金瘡藥] Jinchuang Medicine is an herbal cream or powder applied specifically for metal-inflicted

injuries.

Li Zhifeng pushes himself up against the bed, and You Miao finally relaxes, seeing that

he’s really alright. The field official notices the tattoos on Li Zhifeng’s neck as he’s dressing his

wounds, and knits his brow. “You’re Quanrong?”

The moment those words are uttered, the room falls silent. The soldiers all step back,

their hands resting on the hilts of swords hanging at their waists.

You Miao immediately interjects, “DON’T BE ALARMED! He’s my servant! I can swear

he will never kill! Don’t bully him!”

The field official doesn’t say anything else and tosses the bandages onto the divan,

turning around to leave, snorting. “Heh, interesting. We saved a Quanrong dog today.”

The soldiers all leave, leaving only You Miao and Li Zhifeng in the room.

You Miao picks up the roll of bandages and measures it against Li Zhifeng for a moment

before he starts to wrap it around Li Zhifeng’s waist. Li Zhifeng still hasn’t uttered a single word,

only sitting there in silence.

“I’ll go out there and explain it to them later.” You Miao says. “Don’t worry, they won’t do

anything to you.”

Li Zhifeng makes a sound of assent. You Miao continues, “If arrow wounds weren’t

anything, why did you lie to me?”

Li Zhifeng finally moves his lips to speak. “You didn’t say you’d let me follow you.”

You Miao finds this hilarious but his heart squeezes. He pulls the bandage taut before

tying it, making Li Zhifeng flex his fit upper body. You Miao tosses his fur robe to him to have

him cover himself before he heads out to find the field official to talk to him.

The skies are clear again; the field official and several veterans are standing in the snow,

seeming to be discussing something, and You Miao walks over. “Gege’s, I’ve got something to

say.”

The group of them all look to him suspiciously and You Miao cups his hands in greeting.

The field official seems to be about in his mid-40s, slim and fit, and he returns the greeting,

cupping his hands too. During his time in the capital, You Miao has long since mastered the art

of talking in various ways depending on the person he’s talking to, and knows that these soldier

types prefer people coming on soft rather than hard; using his status as a young master or using

money to suppress them will be completely useless, so You Miao can only tell the truth.

You Miao tells them everything, including how he got the person from Li Yan’s hands,

then how he brought Li Zhifeng along to beyond the border to release him, how he was mugged

by barbarians on the road, and how Li Zhifeng had brought soldiers to rescue…

One of the veterans chuckles, “Well, he’s a loyal one.”

The field official nods slowly, but just as he’s about to speak, a horse comes from outside

Zhengliang Pass to report.

“Message for Field Official Wang——”

That soldier is wearing the uniform of the Yanbian army, and he hops off the horse to

hand over the document. Field Official Wang only gives it a glance before he orders You Miao,

“Come with me.”

Once You Miao is taken to the Military Council room, Field Official Wang speaks up.

“Yanbian has sent word to search for you two.”

You Miao is secretly delighted; this means Zhao Chao has safely returned to the

Fortress of Yanbian.

“Where’s Zhao Chao?” You Miao asks. “Has he escaped danger too?”

Field Official Wang seems a bit confused and he gives You Miao a look. “Yes.”

“Then let me respond to his letter.” You Miao says.

“When it comes to affairs with Quanrong, we usually never tell anything to the civilians,

and the government officials don’t ask questions either,” Field Official Wang says. “Alas, this

man is a good man, protecting you all this way to bring you here. Back then when the two

nations clashed and we fought the Quanrong, both sides had their own authorities to obey so

nothing could be helped. Nonetheless, when I think of the brothers who died in Quanrong

hands, I still… What’s your relationship with the Third… with Zhao-gongzi?”

You Miao is leaning over the working desk writing his response letter and nods, then he

looks up. “What?”

Field Official Wang shows him the letter. “Zhao Chao mentions that you’re his little

brother, that we must search for you.”

You Miao flashes a smile. Since Zhao Chao says so, then You Miao can cheekily call

themselves brothers, and so his letter is filled with pleasure, fully covered in affections, basically

saying he has escaped danger, that he won’t forget to share in both joy and pain like brothers,

and will be heading off to Liangcheng City to look for a way to go home etc., etc.

Field Official Wang stands beside him watching him write this letter, praising him in awe

for his beautiful handwriting, before speaking, “The merchant caravan only just passed

Zhengliang Pass heading Southeast. If you go now you can still catch them.”

“Good, I’ll leave right away,” You Miao says.

You Miao feels for the personal seal he had in his robes but it’s already lost, so he can

only presses a thumb print down using cinnabar before handing the letter to Field Official Wang.

He then borrows a carriage, and Field Official Wang even sends someone with them, and they

hastily leave for Liangcheng City.

There’s only an old rickety carriage in front of Zhengliang Pass, and it’s even one the

princess had ridden in decades ago during her diplomatic marriage procession. The horse

carriage is crude and simple, but while the soldier is driving the vehicle, You Miao feels so much

more at ease as he rides inside, leaning against Li Zhifeng. It’s as if the moment they returned

to within the pass, the world became once more peaceful, safe.

At the end of the day, this is Han territory. He’d never felt this before, but after this trip

beyond the border, when he returns to the Midland suddenly everyone he meets is good, and

every landscape he sees is beautiful. You Miao sees that Li Zhifeng is still gazing out the

window and starts thinking about him. Beyond the border, he’s a foreigner. Li Zhifeng must feel

the same way when he’s in the Midlands, never mind that he also carries the status of a slave.

“I told you to go home,” You Miao says frankly. “Hoping that you could leave the

Midlands, this place of sadness for you.”

Li Zhifeng gives You Miao a look and You Miao continues, “Won’t you miss home now

that you’re back in the Midlands again?”

Li Zhifeng shakes his head.

“Well that’s good too.” You Miao says. “Why don’t you follow me from now on, then.”

Li Zhifeng takes something out from within his robes and hands it to You Miao. It’s his

slave deed.

“You saved my life,” You Miao says. “If you hadn’t come, then Zhao Chao and I might’ve

had no choice but to die. Let’s call ourselves brothers from now on, you’re not a slave anymore.”

You Miao refuses to take that deed, but Li Zhifeng is adamant, “Protecting you is my

duty, no matter how much it’s no burden. The Quanrong never have a home to begin with, so

there is no such thing as homesickness.”

You Miao en’s and hugs Li Zhifeng’s waist, burying himself in his embrace. Li Zhifeng’s

hat is quite peculiar, almost like half of a wolf’s head, like two large fangs covering his tenacious,

handsome face, a completely different person than who he was before.

You Miao curls into his arms and falls into a drowsy slumber, his arms circling around his

waist while Li Zhifeng holds him with his powerful arms. The last thing You Miao thinks of as he

drifts to sleep is: This guy ain’t bad; he’s practically bought treasure with only two hundred and

fifty silver.

The horse carriage drives for an entire day and reaches the Great Liangcheng City. The

soldier drives them to the local government building and finds the capital merchant caravan

that’s still hanging around the city. Hao Sanqian has luckily escaped but the caravan, having lost

Young Master You, is already in a panicking mess. However, the situation at the time was

chaos, there were many drivers who’d died, and those who could all fled. What’s the point of

money if there’s no life to use it?

After having fled to the Great Liangcheng City, Hao Sanqian has been stuffing money

into the local government’s arms to beg them to search for You Miao. There’s at least several

days of driving distance between the Great Liangcheng City, Zhengliang Pass, and the Fortress

of Yanbian, so much time is delayed passing information back and forth. The merchants are all

anxious and panicking, so even when You Miao has come back, they still appear rather on

edge.

You Miao himself doesn’t mind, and only grins. “It’s fine as long as I’m back, don’t worry.

I’ve caused you all trouble this time.”

The merchants however, only sigh in relief, and Hao Sanqian can’t help but come

complain and cry, talking about how much goods were lost, about how they made the young

master endure so many hardships, so he’s probably done for when they get back. You Miao

spends a great deal of time comforting him, knowing that it’s the merchant’s nature to seek profit

and avoid harm, so he can’t really blame them.

The caravan spends that day reorganizing themselves, and are ready to leave the next

day.

While the Great Liangcheng City doesn’t compare to the bustling markets of Yanbian

beyond the border, it’s still nonetheless a key point in the Guandong area. Inside the inn, You

Miao wolfs down more than half a pound of hand grab mutton, a large handful of beef liver, and

a large bowl of horse milk tea before he finally feels alive again. Dangling a bunch of grapes, he

crosses his legs and eats as he watches the landscape.

Meanwhile, Li Zhifeng has a bowl held in his hand, it’s pita bread soaked in lamb soup,

and he eats, squatting outside the restaurant.

The merchants all call him a loyal servant. The Great Liangcheng City is the last stop

before the frontier, and merchants from all over gather here, so news from various regions drift

into You Miao’s ears from time to time. Most of them say that the barbarians in the north have

risen, more and more unrest is happening along the border, and business will probably go

downhill in the next few years.

You Miao rises to his feet, his hands tucked in his sleeves, and Li Zhifeng puts aside his

half eaten bowl to get up too. “Keep eating,” You Miao says.

“I’m done,” Li Zhifeng replies.

You Miao giggles. “Just eat. You can accompany me better if you have a full stomach.”

Thus Li Zhifeng picks up his bowl and starts eating again. You Miao leans over and pats

his wolf-headed hat, and when Li Zhifeng looks up to glance at him, You Miao laughs.

You Miao takes Li Zhifeng along to cross through the muddied markets to shop for

clothes. The place is filled with a mess of silks and brocades from the south. Their prices are

much more expensive than Jiangbei, but there’s also much more variety when it comes to

readymade clothes, and their styles are not restricted to only one form. When they head further

south, the climate is going to turn warmer, so there’s no need to keep wearing fur robes. This

set of wolf-pelt robes and wolf head that Li Zhifeng is wearing even has a tail hanging in the

back coat. There’s no way You Miao can bring him home like this, so he has to change clothes.

“This one then.” You Miao picks out an indigo blue robe embroidered with clear skies

and clouds, the embroidery tight and intricate, looking inconspicuous but also energetic. You

Miao himself is sumptuously dressed, so he can’t have his servants look too shabby.

Without another word, Li Zhifeng folds his battleskirt and removes the double-layered

outer robe, revealing his toned and fit muscles, his body slim but hardened like it’s made of

steel. He puts on the single-layered robe and ties the belt, causing quite a stir from the women

all around.

“A slave…” Someone has noticed the tattoo on Li Zhifeng’s neck and whispers.

“A barbarian?”

“How audacious, bringing a barbarian into the border, his hands and feet not even

fettered…”

“Who knows which house this young master is from…”

You Miao pretends not to hear anything and reaches out, helping Li Zhifeng fix his collar

and cover his tattoo. “Once you’ve entered my house, you can’t say anything wrong.”

“Hn.” Li Zhifeng nods.

“When we get there let’s get our stories straight. Tell them you’re a gift from Li Yan to

me, and don’t say anything else unnecessary.”

“Understood.” Li Zhifeng replies obediently.

You Miao adds, “If they ask you where you’re from, tell them you’re Han.”

Li Zhifeng doesn’t say anything and something suddenly comes to You Miao’s mind.

Even the Hans say one mustn’t forget the ancestors and recognize thieves for a father; it seems

it’s the same for the Quanrong.

Li Zhifeng probably isn’t willing to say he’s a Han. After all, Quanrong blood flows in his

veins. Besides, his brows and his eyes really don’t look anything like the Hans either.

You Miao is just about to say something else when, surprisingly, Li Zhifeng replies,

“Alright.”

“Forget it,” You Miao says. “Might as well tell the truth. I’ll think of a way to get around

dad.”

You Miao hooks Li Zhifeng’s index and middle finger, and swings their hands as they

leave the clothing shop, heading back to the caravan. All expenses within the Great Liangcheng

City are counted on the caravan’s accounts. After passing several days like this, the merchant

caravan departs once more, heading to the last stop of this winter trip——Jiangbei.

Jiangnan and Jiangbei3 region are divided into Liuzhou Prefecture, Yangzhou

Prefecture, and Suzhou Prefecture, etc. As the band approaches the Yangtze River, the climate

gradually warms up. This trip takes another dozen days, and while there’s still the occasional

snowfall, there’s rain mixed in with the snow, dancing and flowing upon the bright greens of hills

and woods, quite the opposite compared to beyond the wall, where when it snows it blankets

3 Jiang means river, and Jiangnan Jiangbei are south and north of the river respectively. This river

is the Yangtze River.

the world, and angry snow blows with winds frigid like the blade. The winter in Jiangbei is

practically a wondrous sight in the mortal realm.

“Once we’re home, you have to address my dad as Old Master when you see him, you

understand?”

“En.”

“We’re only staying for a month, don’t start any fights with the servants…”

“Hn.”

“The You Residence isn’t like the one back at the capital, some servants can’t enter the

chambers. You’re my man, you can enter my room, but you can’t enter the main hall, and you

can’t wander into other areas either...”

“Understood.”

You Miao repeats his commands in Li Zhifeng’s ears throughout the entire trip, and in

between, he also talks quite a bit about the affairs at home. He can’t boast and brag to those

degenerate noble bros in the capital, he has to know how to conceal wealth, but in front of his

own personal servant, he can still brag a little.

“In any case,” You Miao concludes, “Not even the current emperor has seen all that we

eat, wear, and use. Following me is the fortune you earned from your previous life.”

“En.” The corners of Li Zhifeng’s lips curl up, and he gazes out of the carriage, looking

happy.

“Have you ever been to Liuzhou Prefecture?” You Miao asks.

Li Zhifeng shakes his head.

The merchant caravan stops and rests at the Jiang Prefectural City and Hao Sanqian

goes off to call for another carriage to send You Miao off to the You Residence in Pei County.

All along the mountains are covered in tea trees, a field of dark green; the tea farmers

are trying to pick the last harvest of winter tea sprouts before the great frost. The land extends

for hundreds of thousands of hectares, and there are thousands of tea estates. You Miao has

the windows of the carriage open wide as he leans over the window sill, telling Li Zhifeng quite

proudly, “Look at all this mountain, this land, this river.”

“...Trees planted on the hills, fish raised in the rivers, fowls and beasts, flowers birds

insects fish.” You Miao smiles happily. “They’re all property of my family. They’re all mine.”

Shock and surprise colour Li Zhifeng’s eyes, and he nods slowly. You Miao has one leg

resting on Li Zhifeng’s thigh as the carriage goes and stops, goes and stops. The foggy air of

the tea hills has only just risen; the roads that have only recently been rained on are quite moist,

and each breath is filled with the fresh air of the woods. Compared to the noisy and populous

capital, the rolling yellow sands of the northern borderlands, this place is practically a piece of

heaven in the mortal realm, a paradise on earth.

Around noon time, the carriage stops by the road, and the driver beckons You Miao to

descend to take his meal. There are four varieties of brewed tea, two kinds of fried rice, and

also freshly fried prawns, thinly sliced winter whitefish wrapped in egg and flour, deep fried in

hot oil, fried to seven parts golden, three parts crispy, melting in the mouth. You Miao feels great

after this meal.

Three years away from home, it’s been too long since he had the good dishes of

Liuzhou. You Miao then turns to Li Zhifeng. “Later when we get home, we’ll eat way better than

this too.”

Li Zhifeng nods, holding his massive bowl, and squats by the entrance of the restaurant

as he eats his fishball noodles, the flavours fresh and vibrant.

The boss lady comes forward to pour You Miao some tea, smiling. “It’s been years since

Young Master You has come home.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” You Miao smiles as he takes the tea cup, leaves of the Sunshower

Jade maojian tea half floating up and down the fragmented petals porcelain cup, the fragrance

of tea spilling into the air. You Miao has always been a friendly soul, plus he’s handsome, so all

the nearby tea farmers all dote on him when they worked for the You family.

However, today the boss lady looks like she’s withholding words. Still soaked in the

freshness of homecoming, You Miao doesn’t notice, and points at Li Zhifeng. “This is my clerk at

the capital, an honest man.”

The boss lady nods her head, smiling. “Does Young Master know what Old Master You

has in mind, having sent for you to come home?”

You Miao ponders for a moment. “It’s either have me marry or have me take over this

Sunshower Jade Tea Estate, what else can it be?”

While his father is adamant in sending him to the capital to study and land himself a

government position, it’s not impossible for him to have changed his mind and decided to keep

You Miao in Jiangbei either. You Miao then laughs, bubbly. “In the future when I take over the

estate, things will remain as they should, I won’t raise a catty of your rent, don’t worry.”

“Young Master is one who remembers past affections,” the boss lady says. “It’s also our

good fortune to be able to follow Young Master.”

You Miao nods, and the boss lady goes out to take the laundry out to dry, sighing a

breath as she does so. Li Zhifeng has been eating his noodles, and his expression stirs as he

lifts his eyes to look at her.

After having lunch, You Miao orders the carriage to go. There are less than ten miles to

the Sunshower Jade Estate, and being so close to home, the longing heart of the drifting son

fills You Miao’s mind, and he plans on just walking all the way home.

The ground is kind of wet, and Li Zhifeng speaks up. “Young Master, let me carry you

back.”

You Miao doesn’t hold back either, and leaps onto his back, letting Li Zhifeng carry him

as they slowly walk. Along the way there are people driving ox carts passing by, and You Miao

calls to them. When passersby see You Miao, they all greet, “It’s Young Master You.”

“Young Master You is back——”

“Why not ride the carriage?”

You Miao laughs. “Checking things out at home.”

All of You Miao’s luggage had been robbed, he has nothing, and his only possession is

Li Zhifeng. They chat and laugh all the way, and it isn’t until the Sunshower Jade Estate reveals

all of itself upon the hillside before You Miao hops down.

It’s near evening now, and two young servants are sweeping the grounds. They see him

coming from afar, and one of the servants is about to go in to announce when the other grabs

hold of him, waving his hand.

You Miao finally senses something is wrong, and suddenly thinks of all the things he

hadn’t thought of in detail——What is going on? He’s come all the way to Pei County now, how

come no one from home has come to receive him?

“Young Master.”

“Young Master has come home.”

The two young servants tuck their hands in their sleeves and bow to greet. You Miao

speaks up, “I’m back. How come no one’s come to get me? Where’s Uncle Hu?”

You Miao heads towards the main entrance, and one of the boy attendants who was

dozing off instantly wakes, seeing that it’s You Miao who’s returned. The other two run up and

kick him. “Have you lost your mind! The Young Master’s come home!” Then they turn to You

Miao and smile. “He’s new.”

“It’s fine,” You Miao says. “Where’s the sedan? How come not even the sedan is

prepared?”

That servant throws a look at his two other companions, the group of them looking rather

hesitant, and one of them answers, “To answer Young Master, the Old Master and the … the…

they went out, the little sedan is in the estate, I’ll go call for it right now.”

“Is Uncle Hu around?” You Miao asks. “Tell him to make a name plaque for this man.”

He points at Li Zhifeng as he talks, “He’s called Li Zhifeng. It’s too cold so I didn’t have

Shiqi-er come back with me. He’s the one who’s been accompanying me.”

“Yessir.” The boy servants all nod together, and one asks, “Young Master doesn’t… have

any luggage?”

You Miao smiles, “I got mugged on the road! More scare than harm done though.”

The three young attendants look at each other, and one of them suddenly speaks up.

“Young Master, Uncle Hu has returned home.”

“Returned home?” You Miao is confused.

“Yes,” that boy servant replies. “Retired. The household has changed. There’s a new

housekeeper called Lin Si. The secondary housekeeper Uncle Wang has left too. Right now

there’s the newly hired accountant who’s managing money, he’s hired by Auntie Ma4.”

How come there wasn’t any letter telling him the housekeepers had changed? Even the

accountant had changed. You Miao tucks his hands in his sleeves. “Never mind, the sedan

hasn’t come yet, so I’ll just go up myself.”

4 Auntie is how the children addressed the mistresses of their father.

Before the entrance of the grand estate is a spirit screen5, and Li Zhifeng carries a small

bag as he follows after You Miao and they start to hike up the hill. It’s good to train the body

every so often, and at dusk, all the mist in the distance has dispersed. A ray of the setting sun

peeks through the cracks of the rolling clouds, dyeing their edges golden. The thousands upon

millions of tea trees of the valleys bathe in the colours of dusk, and yearning for his hometown

sprouts in You Miao’s heart.

After crossing through the second entrance of the estate, You Miao calls out laughingly,

“I’m back.”

The couple of maids who are drawing water from the well give You Miao a look, and they

look taken aback, a little nervous even. It’s a long while before one of the maids curtseys, and

greets in a small voice, “Young master has come home.”

You Miao’s heart sinks. He finally knows things are wrong.

“Aiyoh, aren’t you finally back——” Before the woman herself appears, her voice

reaches first. An instant later a woman walks out, dressed in a long, lotus coloured dress, a pink

flower pin decorating her hair, heavy foundation and makeup layering her face.

This is You Miao’s father’s little mistress surnamed Ma6, the one the boy servant called

“Auntie Ma”. After You Miao’s mother passed away, Auntie Ma hasn’t really given You Dechuan

a son or daughter. As the eldest principal son, You Miao remains courteous to her but they

never really converse more than necessary.

Yet right then, there’s another woman standing next to Auntie Ma, her dress

embroidered in a delicate shade of the open skies, a fox pelt scarf around her collar, her hair

loosely tied in a duoma7 style with a jaded pin inserted, a golden foiled jade pendant dangling

from the pin, swaying under the setting sun, reflecting its glowing rays.

Judging by this woman’s appearance, she is around fifty years of age; there are crows

feet around her eyes, no red on her lips, and there’s an oppressive aura emanating from her

person. You Miao thinks that a female relative has come to the house, but he has never seen

this woman before, and just as he is about to make polite greetings, that woman speaks up first.

5 A spirit screen, also called spirit wall or screen wall, is used to shield an entrance gate in

traditional Chinese architecture. Spirit screens can be positioned either on the outside or the inside of the

gate they are protecting. [Wiki]

6 When women marry they don’t take after their husband’s surname because they are not legally

entitled to the husband’s fortunes and assets. It’s only until modern history that the feminist movement

has overruled this.

7 堕马髻 Duomaji - The Falling-Off-the-Horse Bun, like its name suggests, is a freestyle form.

Freestyle refers to when one’s real hair is hanging loose, naturally falling to one side or both. It is perhaps

one of the most feminine and romanticized of women's hairstyles of ancient times. [Shen Yun, FB]

There’s no politeness in her voice at all, and she turns to question Auntie Ma, “This is

You Miao?”

You Miao raises his brows, but before he even says anything, Auntie Ma speaks up.

“This is the missus of the household, You Miao, by rules you have to address her as madame.”

She smiles cheerfully as she speaks, watching You Miao, observing his reaction.

Madame?!!

You Miao is completely flabbergasted. His mom is the formally titled Madame You, how

come he’s only left home for three years and there’s suddenly a madame popping out of

nowhere? What’s going on?

“Who are you?” You Miao is full of disbelief, and in a split second, he suddenly recalls

someone. When he was really young, the name his parents uttered in the midst of an argument:

Wang.

“You don’t know me, but I know you.” A faint trace of nervousness leaks out from the

deep and steady voice of the woman, and she explains slowly, “Your mother is Qiaoke-er, tsk,

those eyes, those brows, you’re practically made of the same mould.”

That woman lifts her chin a little, her eyes glowing with unconcealed disgust, but You

Miao is a bit taller than she is, so he watches her, looking down.

“Madame Wang,” You Miao greets drily. “A pleasure. How come you’ve come to my

house? Should I be calling you Auntie Wang now?”

Wang’s face instantly drops, and she hmphs heavily. Auntie Ma pipes up instead, “She’s

now the missus, You Miao, you’ll have to…”

Wang stops Auntie Ma, and says coldly, “Forget it. Wait until his dad comes home and

have him tell it in person.”

You Miao doesn’t have the patience to keep talking with Wang either, and asks her maid

directly, “When does dad come back?”

The maid curtseys nervously, then looks up at Wang. Auntie Ma cuts in to answer, “Your

dad and the elder young master went to Yangzhou Prefecture to check accounts…”

Before she finishes it buzzes in You Miao’s head, the world spinning.

The elder young master…

You Miao sneers. What Auntie Ma said just now really attacks both the mind and the

heart. You Miao instantly understands the cause of the odd changes at home. In the three years

while he’d been studying at the capital, not only has father remarried, he’s even made Wang the

principal wife.

A new son added to the family…

What does that imply?

You Miao instantly turns to leave, leaving behind Auntie Ma who is covering her mouth in

mirth, but Wang won’t allow him to leave so easily, and she speaks up. “Stop.”

You Miao’s face darkens. “What?”

“This man’s with you?” Wang says. “How come he doesn’t know etiquette at all? I heard

it was Shiqi-er who went to the capital with you…”

“Li Zhifeng has never entered the family formally,” You Miao says. “Madame wants to

flog him and kill my glory, do you?”

Wang certainly has the mind to do so. If she can’t discipline You Miao, then at the very

least she can beat up his servants, yet You Miao figures her out a step early, and smiles,

humming, “Li Zhifeng, why don’t you tell them how many people you’ve killed in the past?”

Li Zhifeng stares at the giant celadon basin in the yard. Within it are vibrant-coloured

goldfish swimming to and fro, the waters reflecting the clear skies of the horizon.

A long while after, Li Zhifeng answers, “A hundred and fifteen. Sixteen Hans,

seventy-one Tartars, one Quanrong, two Wudi, twelve Qiang, one Xianbei, four Jie, seven Huns,

and one child.” Then he looks up to gaze at You Miao.

No one speaks. Auntie Ma’s expression is very obviously one of grumbling under her

breath.

You Miao himself is shocked, though he keeps a straight-face, thinking these people

probably think Li Zhifeng is joking, but based on Li Zhifeng’s character, he wouldn’t lie to him.

“Didn’t you… come to the Midlands around fifteen years old?” You Miao asks.

“Those were all kills before I crossed the border,” Li Zhifeng replies.

You Miao starts to laugh, and quirks a brow at Wang, watching her reaction while he

talks to Li Zhifeng, “While you’re here living in the house, if anyone wants to hit you or

apprehend you, unless I give the go ahead, otherwise you can ignore them completely. If

anyone dares to raise a hand at you, you can fight back, just don’t kill them and it’ll be fine.”

“Understood,” Li Zhifeng replies.

“Let’s go.” You Miao says while chuckling.

Wang’s expression is gloomy and unreadable but she doesn’t dare say anything more

rashly. You Miao and Li Zhifeng leave, going down the corridor of the second entrance, but the

moment they cross through to the corridors, all smiles disappear from You Miao’s face, and his

expression darkens.

Li Zhifeng is still the same, following after You Miao.

You Miao walks for a small stretch of the road, then he leans against a colonnade,

panting, his mind a complete tangled mess. He needs to rest a bit and clear everything up

though, organize his thoughts.

“Let’s go,” You Miao’s voice is a little raspy, and he takes Li Zhifeng along, crossing

through the garden. A maid holding a cat opens her mouth, looking to speak but holding back,

and You Miao stops in his steps.

“Young Master, you’re staying in the east wing,” the maid says.

“Heh.” You Miao smirks instead of throwing a fit. “Even my room has changed?”

The eldest principal son lives in the room in the main hall, the second son lives in the

east wing, and daughters and mistresses live in the west wing. Who would dare move You

Miao’s room if not under You Dechuan’s orders? While he was gone, they’ve moved his things

to the east wing, which means he has been demoted in rank to the second son.

However, You Miao doesn’t blow up. He doesn’t leave either. His father isn’t home,

there’s no point in throwing a fit, he’ll only make a spectacle of himself in front of everyone. He

changes course and crosses the garden of the main hall, glancing at the room he once lived in,

and sees the parrots he’d raised in the cage hung under the eaves, the flowers he’d planted, the

goldfish he’d kept in the glass basin are all gone. What’s replaced them is a field of fernleaf

bamboos blocking the entrance.

You Miao comes before the east wing. This place seems to have been renovated; the

rock garden in front of the pond has new rocks stacked, the fences, the colonnades, the roofs of

the corridors have all been newly painted, and bird cages hang in a line below the eaves.

Father has taken this to heart at the very least, but this only maddens You Miao even

more. A boy attendant is just sweeping the grounds, the same one who used to attend to You

Miao, his name Muqi. Right then he throws away the broom and calls out, “Young master!”

You Miao knows he must look really moody at the moment, and without a word, he

enters the room, slamming the door behind him.

Li Zhifeng and Muqi remain in the yard and looks at each other, both of them speechless

for the moment.

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