Chapter 45

In the fourth year of the Shengzhi reign, Shandong suffered a severe drought and was ravaged by locusts, leaving thousands of acres of land barren. Officials at all levels reported the disaster, but the imperial court had no funds to provide relief. The people starved to death, and corpses littered the fields. Tens of thousands of refugees flocked to Henan and the Jiangbei region.

Under the scorching sun, on the desolate path overgrown with weeds, the refugees, moving slowly, were all emaciated, pale and thin, with lifeless eyes.

Flies swarmed around the corpses by the roadside, and maggots crawled everywhere, creating a scene of hell on earth.

The distant Jiangnan region, on the contrary, is like a completely different world.

There, the mountains and rivers still stretched to the horizon, a scene of dazzling prosperity and decadent glamour, a place of carefree revelry and peaceful celebration, without a trace of the impending crisis of war.

"Let's sing hymns..."

After the rain in Jiangnan, willows line the embankment, and an old man on the bank gently lifts his bamboo pole.

As a boatman shouted merrily, everyone on the willow-lined embankment, whether they were well-dressed officials and wealthy merchants adorned with gold and silver or ordinary people dressed simply, turned their heads in excitement.

"Please sing the 'Folding Fan Song' by Young Master Lin Jiangzhi at Tingyue Tower..."

The old man's high-pitched voice rang out with the sound of a flute. The beaded curtain of the small pavilion by the lake was lightly rolled up, and three young men dressed in plain Confucian robes sat upright inside.

Amid cheers, one man held a flute to his lips and gently played it with a smile, while another held a zither and tapped it out. The most handsome young man in the middle stood up, holding a fan, and nodded to the other two in greeting.

He then turned slightly to the side, his wide, flowing sleeves billowing outwards like clouds, and his folding fan snapped open with a "whoosh." His slender, jade-like fingers tapped the fan ribs rhythmically.

The man carrying the zither smiled and returned the greeting. He then laid the zither flat, plucked the strings with a backhand, and with a "zheng—" sound, the zither began to play. He softly hummed, "A long song in the moonlit night, the zheng-zheng is comforting with the clouds..."

More and more people gathered on the shore to watch.

The handsome man dancing in the middle lightly twirled his folding fan, his black boots tracing a dashing arc, his flowing robes exuding the unique elegance and refinement of a scholar, making him dashing and debonair.

"Look, look! That dancer is Young Master Tingyue!" Jiangnan's unique soft and sweet tone, even his excitement was noisy and had a special charm: "Ah! And Young Master Zhengming and Young Master Jiangzhi! The three of them singing together is extremely rare!"

"Zheng—"

The zither's sound was melodious and deep, the flute's sound was cheerful and unrestrained, and the fan dance was exquisitely beautiful.

"I am comforted by the unyielding spirit, the bright light shines on the river's heart... My heart is empty, yet it holds a myriad of things..."

With a mellow and clear voice carrying a refined magnetism, Lin Jiangzhi's singing voice is completely different from his own passionate yet fickle personality.

His soft humming was low, only audible to the three people in the pavilion. Those on the shore could only see Yan Tingyue's folding fan dance and hear the sounds of her zither and flute.

However, that's enough.

The owner of Tingyue Tower is extremely arrogant, and his dance is not something that just anyone can see.

"The Twin Moons River, now, only the Moonlit River remains." Someone on the shore shook his head and sighed: "If I could see the four young masters of the Moonlit River on the same stage today, then I would have no regrets in this life."

"Be content! It's already a blessing for us to see the three young masters Yue Mingjiang today. Don't be ungrateful!"

"Hush! Quiet!"

"Waaah—"

Amidst the sounds of the qin and xiao, the wind of Jiangnan blows across the bustling riverbank, across the bamboo hats of the old men below, across the handsome fan of Yan Tingyue, across the elegant sideburns of Lin Jiangzhi, across the wrist of Zheng Ming holding the xiao, and across the shimmering surface of the lake.

A small bird, no bigger than a palm, flew in from nowhere and landed on the eaves of the pavilion in the lake.

"Chirp~"

The view of the sky and water meeting at the horizon is absolutely stunning, with a little sparrow perched on the high eaves.

It shook its feathers, which had been blown by the wind, preened them, blinked its dark little eyes, and then fluttered to Lin Jiangzhi's shoulder in the pavilion.

Everyone knows that Young Master Jiang loves to raise birds.

"Heh..." Yan Tingyue chuckled lightly, then with a "whoosh," she bent over, the jade pendant and golden tassel on her waist flying together. With a graceful leap, she suddenly closed her folding fan.

The last note escaped from Lin Jiangzhi's fingertips. Zheng Ming tucked the flute back into his waistband and looked at his friend.

"After the music ends, please take your leave—"

After the old bamboo man finished shouting, he waved his long pole, and the small boat sailed to the side of the pavilion steps.

"Jiang Zhi, your sparrow is becoming more and more intelligent," Zheng Ming said, standing up with a smile. "When can you give me one?"

"I might give it to you when I'm in a really good mood."

Lin Jiangzhi pressed down on the strings, picked up the instrument, stood up, his eyebrows and eyes curved, and he laughed unrestrainedly.

"So you're in a really good mood right now?"

"Naturally excellent."

Would you like to give me one?

"In no mood."

"........"

"Hahahaha..." Seeing Zheng Ming's discomfiture, Yan Tingyue laughed loudly from the side: "If you want the bird, trade it to Jiang Zhi with good wine and beautiful women. That guy's greatest love in life is wine and women..."

As he spoke, he reached out to touch the bird on Lin Jiangzhi's shoulder, but the little guy pecked him in disgust.

"Chirp!"

Stay away from me!

Yan Tingyue clearly read this meaning from the little guy's eyes. This time, it was Zheng Ming's turn to laugh out loud. He knew that this guy had also been coveting Jiang Zhiyang's bird for a long time!

"Those who truly understand me are those who listen to the moon. With fine wine in my bosom and a beautiful woman in my tent, if you two could offer them to me, I would be impolite to refuse, hahaha..."

As soon as Lin Jiangzhi finished speaking, another exquisitely crafted small boat appeared in the distance, and a young musician stepped ashore. He handed the zither he was carrying to the young musician, then turned to the two of them and said:

"I have something to do today, so I'll have to go now. Let's get together again next time."

"Okay, let's get together again next time."

Yan Tingyue and Zheng Ming watched Lin Jiang board the ship and sail away.

"Zheng Ming..."

"Um?"

Yan Tingyue hesitated, as if he wanted to speak but then stopped. He had been standing close enough to think he saw a thin layer of gold foil tied to the bird's leg; he wondered if Zheng Ming had seen it...

Well, whatever the case, this is Jiang Zhi's private matter. Lin Jiangzhi has never liked to show his face in public, and the fact that he showed up for Tingyue Tower this time is already giving him a lot of face. He'd better just pretend he didn't see it.

He then smiled and said, "It's nothing."

Lin Jiangzhi, who had boarded the ship, naturally knew that someone would see the gold foil on the bird's feet, but he didn't care. Aside from his own people from Fengyunxu, no one else could understand this information even if they caught the bird; they would only be poisoned by the gold foil.

"Envoy Jiang, the Lord of the Ruins has instructed us to escort a woman to the provincial capital of Jiangbei. We must not disturb her or let her know; we must follow her secretly."

"Where is Feng Zhi? Isn't this something he should be doing?"

"The Wind Envoy has other important business to attend to, and the Ruins Master says that you are more suitable to handle this matter..."

Would it be more appropriate for him to do it?

Lin Jiangzhi curled his lips into a smile. His boss had sent him on this mission; it couldn't be just a simple covert escort. And what kind of woman was she that warranted such a go to great lengths from his boss?

"Make the arrangements, and set off for Jiangbei Province immediately."

"promise."

**

In June, the scorching sun baked the earth. In an ordinary inn west of Jiangbei provincial capital, all sorts of people gathered. When Yuan Qiong woke up, she found that the drug in her body had taken effect, and her internal energy was abundant and flowing smoothly. However, the room was empty, and the big-bearded man was nowhere to be found.

After she got up and finished tidying up, she pushed open the door and went out.

"Have you heard? Some refugees have already reached the outskirts of the city. The prefect has ordered that no refugees are allowed to enter the city under any circumstances, and anyone found sneaking in will be executed without exception!"

"Huh? Isn't this leaving us no way out at all?" one person said indignantly.

His friend immediately tugged at him: "Shh! Keep your voice down!"

"Did I say something wrong? Isn't the imperial court trying to drive people to their deaths by doing this?"

As Yuan Qiong stepped out of her room, she overheard two people whispering to each other as she passed the stairwell.

"Hmph." She sneered and walked past the two people to go downstairs.

"Hey, you young lady up ahead, stop right there!" The man who had just been indignant immediately called out to her, "We're just the two of us brothers talking, what are you laughing at?"

Yuan Qiong turned around and glanced at them with her slender fox eyes. Her long-accumulated aura of authority instantly silenced the two of them.

She casually remarked, "Watch your mouth, or you'll get into trouble." Then she walked away.

As she descended the stairs with impeccable manners, the once bustling and noisy lobby fell into complete silence.

The people who frequented this inn were all ordinary folks, and they had never seen such a beautiful woman before. Especially her demeanor; she was clearly not an ordinary person. She was like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting, and every move she made was captivating.

"Shopkeeper, where did the person who booked my room go?" Yuan Qiong tapped the table. The stunned shopkeeper exclaimed "Huh?" with some impatience.

Suppressing her rising anger, Yuan Qiong patiently asked again, "Who booked Room No. 1? Where did the person who booked the room go?"

"Oh, oh, oh!" The shopkeeper finally snapped out of his daze and hurriedly said, "Let me check... let me check..."

The others also realized what was happening, and the quiet lobby immediately returned to its noisy state. However, amidst the noise, everyone's attention was secretly focused on the counter...

"Number One... Number One... Found!" The shopkeeper, holding the record book, said with a smile, "That customer has already left. Before leaving, he asked me to tell you that he had some things to take care of. If you wish to wait, you can stay here a few more days. He will come back to pick you up when he is done. If you do not wish to wait, you can go home first."

The shopkeeper couldn't help but sigh, "That customer is really carefree. In these chaotic times, he really doesn't trust his fairy-like wife to stay out here!"

The bandits are gone?!

Yuan Qiong was taken aback, then frowned and began to ponder what this big-bearded man was up to.

"Madam, these are some snacks your guest left for you before he left. He also asked me to prepare some stomach-soothing porridge. Would you like to have them served in the dining room or have them delivered to your room?"

"Bring it to my room."

"promise."

It wasn't until she lifted her skirt and went upstairs that the eerie atmosphere in the lobby gradually returned to normal.

"Shopkeeper, whose young lady was that just now? She's so beautiful, and her husband doesn't even keep an eye on her properly?" A man dressed in coarse cloth asked with a grin. The shopkeeper raised his eyelids and said, "Whose wife she is has nothing to do with you. Go away, don't ask such nonsense."

The man wasn't angry; his gaze swept over the direction of Yuan Qiong's room, his ill intentions obvious. And within the inn, he wasn't alone in sharing the same thoughts.

How could a beautiful woman alone in the world not attract a pack of wolves?

The shopkeeper saw everything and sighed.

The world is too chaotic these days; many things are beyond the control of an ordinary citizen like him. Protecting himself is the most important thing.

Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the [nutrient solution]:

Damn it, two bottles!

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!