Chapter 3 (3) Impulsive rescue, reunion with old friends
Dusk is falling.
Bai Kang leaned against the bed, a letter from the Liangzhou prefect beside him, inviting them to come the next evening. But his thoughts were not on the Liangzhou prefect, nor on the drought in Liangzhou City.
"My Lord? Are you asleep?"
There was a knock on the door. Bo Kang came back to his senses and said loudly, "Come in."
Lianzi was holding a porcelain bowl and was about to walk over to him, but Bo Kang stopped her: "Don't come over, just put it on the table. What are you doing here so late?"
"Sir, you got caught in the rain today. Please drink the hot soup to warm yourself up." Lianzi gently placed the bowl on the edge of the table, showing a delicate and pitiful expression, and persuaded him in a soft voice.
Bai Kang was a little uncomfortable dealing with him like this, but he couldn't say anything harsh, so he waved his hand and said, "I understand. Go back and rest."
Lianzi bit her lower lip, looked at him with some confusion, and walked away with a resentful look. Didn't Eunuch Lu say that Lord Bai would like him very much? He said that as long as he had this face, he would enjoy wealth and glory for the rest of his life.
Before leaving, when he heard that Bai Kang was willing to take him with him, he was ecstatic, thinking he had caught Bai Kang's eye. However, he didn't expect that he would still treat him like an ordinary servant. Not to mention, he saw that Master Bai had brought back another young man who looked very similar to him. Or rather, he looked like "that person".
Lianzi didn't know who that person was, but she felt that Lord Bai was truly affectionate.
The next morning, Lianzi knocked on Bai Kang's door again. Master Chang had told them to go and fetch Master Bai early as they had something important to do today.
As soon as he placed his hand on the door, it opened by itself. Standing behind the door, neatly dressed, Bo Kang glanced at him, raised an eyebrow, and said, "You're up early, not bad. Would you like to..."
"Master Chang sent me to call you," Lianzi guessed he was about to say something about helping with the work, so he spoke first. He had hoped that Bai Kang would take him with him today, but Bai Kang just nodded, said he understood, and walked away.
It was still early, and the first floor of the inn was already filled with people enjoying breakfast. Liangzhou finally welcomed its first rain in three months, and it fell heavily and rapidly, as if the heavens were taking pity on them and had been eager to send down this spring downpour. Bai Kang picked up a piece of steaming naan and heard the people around him exclaim in Liangzhou accents, "It's useful..."
“God hasn’t given up on us…”
He frowned. It wasn't the fervent worship they expressed, but the frequent mention of "sacrifice." As an official in the Ministry of Rites, he was extremely sensitive to such things. In recent years, witchcraft and sorcery had become rampant. Bo Kang had led his men to investigate and punish some cases, but they continued unabated.
"The people here are different from those in the capital, don't mind it. You're not in the Ministry of Rites now," Chang Yuzhu said, and he also picked up a piece of naan. Liangzhou food was different from the capital, with a strong local flavor, which he was quite interested in.
Chang Yuzhu treated this trip as a leisurely journey. The drought would no longer be their concern once they investigated the Liangzhou prefectural government and reported it to the capital. Therefore, Chang Yuzhu felt quite relaxed.
Unlike Chang Yuzhu, Bai Kang ate slowly, his ears perked up, paying attention to the conversations around him. Although he was annoyed by the Emperor and his old ministers from the Ministry of Rites who deliberately made things difficult for him, he did his job perfectly. Familiar words appeared in the conversations around him, and when the person behind him mentioned the word "sacrifice" again, he finally couldn't help but put down his chopsticks.
"What's going on?" Chang Yuzhu was stunned.
"Something's wrong. Don't you think it's a little off?" Bo Kang lowered his voice. "They're saying there was a sacrifice by the river, praying for rain. I think we should go check it out."
Chang Yuzhu wanted to tell him he was overthinking it, but she also knew that her friend, who seemed flamboyant and heartless, was actually very serious about his work, so she agreed to go to the river to take a look. They hurriedly finished the naan on their plates, stuffed a few more into their pockets, asked for directions, and headed to the river.
Not far away, within the city of Liangzhou, lies a single river, known to the people of Liangzhou as the Three Wisdoms River. Those who listen to the teachings, contemplate, and cultivate meditation and enter this river possess the three wisdoms and are able to contemplate according to reason.
Bo Kang thought it would be a vast river, but as he approached, he realized it was just like any other river in a city, nothing special. Beside the narrow but swift stream, a group of people gathered, kneeling devoutly on either side of the Sanhui River.
Above the river, a shaman, draped in divine robes and a mask, stood, staff in hand, chanting along with the calls. He had served in the Ministry of Rites for three years, handling all matters concerning sacrifices in the capital. He had seen many shamans, but this one's dance seemed strange and unlike any he had ever seen.
Bo Kang looked at him and couldn't help but sigh.
The sound startled the people around them who were fascinated by the wizard. A few turned around and glanced at Bai Kang and Chang Yuzhu, their faces unfriendly, their eyes as if they wanted to eat them alive. Bai Kang glared back with a smile, and those people shrank their necks and turned their heads again.
"They're so scary." Chang Yuzhu said angrily, "It seems like they have something against us."
"It's probably a sacrifice that outsiders aren't allowed to see," Bo Kang said. He narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms, and looked toward the altar on the river. The wizard's dance, a combination of strength and softness, might have seemed sacred to those around them, but to them, it seemed a little uncanny.
"What kind of dance is this? It's not pretty." Chang Yuzhu said.
"Speak less, or someone might overhear you and beat you up." Bo Kang raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, his eyes became stern, and he pushed aside the crowd beside him and rushed to the altar.
The wizard, who had just been waving his staff, was now standing at the edge of the altar. The two men behind him were dragging the bound girl sitting at their feet, intending to throw her into the river! The girl was short and frail, her age impossible to discern at first glance. She seemed powerless to resist, lowering her head as she allowed herself to be dragged.
Although the river is not wide, it can be seen that it is very deep and the current is fast. If someone falls into it, even the body may not be found.
Seeing the two masked men about to throw the girl into the river, Bo Kang, without a care in the world, rushed forward and pushed them aside. Unexpectedly, someone dared to step forward to stop them, and the wizard stood there in shock. Bo Kang grabbed the girl, untied her rope, and urged her to get down quickly.
"Bai Kang!" Chang Yuzhu shouted at the top of his lungs, but his voice was drowned out by the crowd. Seeing the sacrifice interrupted, the people below rushed up like crazy, intending to catch Bai Kang. But they were just ordinary people, and they were no match for Bai Kang in terms of skills and strength. Bai Kang nimbly avoided the people who were swarming around him, but there were too many of them. He had no choice but to pick up the girl, avoid the crowd, and call Chang Yuzhu to quickly escape from this place.
They ran quickly, soon leaving the crowd behind and diving into a nearby alley. But this wasn't a good way to go; those people would eventually discover them. The only solution now was to get the girl out of the way quickly. They could go back to the inn and change clothes before leaving, perhaps avoiding being recognized.
"Little girl, hurry up and leave before they catch you again." Bo Kang tried to keep his voice low, fearing to frighten the young woman who had just survived a robbery. Unexpectedly, the young woman trembled and raised her head, glaring at him fiercely.
"You two outsiders, why are you interrupting us!" The girl's voice was very childish, and even though she was shouting, you could tell that she was not very old.
Bai Kang's eyes darkened.
"You almost died just now!" Chang Yuzhu couldn't believe it. "They were clearly going to throw you into the river, and we were trying to save you!"
The Daning Kingdom had always valued prayers and sacrifices, but they were not ignorant. Since the previous dynasty, at the beginning and end of each year, the emperor would personally hold a sacrifice at the ancestral temple, praying for good weather, peace, and prosperity for the country and the people. However, that was merely offering sacrifices and reciting sacrificial texts.
Such means of harming human lives were abolished in the previous dynasty.
Seeing the people intent on arresting them approaching, Bo Kang warned, "Listen carefully, little girl. I don't care what you think, but a rain-making ceremony like this isn't something you can just risk your life for. The wizard has immense power, so there must be other ways. The rain's already coming, hasn't it? Go home now. If you have any concerns, we can help you."
He knew he had little chance of persuading the girl, so he could only try his best. The girl looked at them with resentment and said, "No one can help me. This has nothing to do with the wizard or the ritual. I'm doing this on my own accord."
Bai Kang and Chang Yuzhu remained silent. The young girl wiped away her tears with her dry, thin hands and said, "My father and mother are both dead. I want to go find them."
After she finished speaking, she burst out with strength from nowhere, shook off Bo Kang and Chang Yuzhu, and ran back. Bo Kang was startled and hurried to chase her, but the girl had already run to the river, lifted her skirt, and jumped into the water.
It's too late.
The rushing water covered the girl's hair until the tiny figure disappeared. Bo Kang and Chang Yuzhu were both stunned for a moment. The people did not pursue them any further, but returned to the riverside.
The sound of music and dance came again, and Bo Kang suddenly felt a little angry. He said to Chang Yuzhu, "You go back first, I'll go and take a look."
"You're still going?" Chang Yuzhu asked doubtfully. The little girl had already jumped into the water, so going over now would be futile and might even provoke the anger of those around her. It would be better to return quickly and prepare to go to the prefect's residence that evening.
Once the court officials arrived, no matter whether he was negligent in his duties or had other problems, everything would be solved.
"I can't bear to see them let a child die. I have to watch it all, to see it clearly." Bo Kang said, leaving Chang Yuzhu behind and heading back again. There were more people at the riverbank than before, and he squeezed forward for a long time before he could finally see what was happening on the water.
Just as he was about to move forward, a hand grabbed his sleeve.
"Don't go any further." The voice of the person holding him was soft and delicate, a little soft at first. Bai Kang turned around and found that it was indeed a young, slender man as he had expected. The man's face was covered with a veil, and his facial features were unclear, revealing only a pair of round, lovely cat-like eyes. After seeing Bai Kang's face clearly, his clear eyes suddenly widened and looked at him with a warm smile.
Having just heard that a stranger was meddling in other people's business, he thought of coming over to take a look.
After not seeing him for three years, he was still so impulsive. However, the one who would rush out to save others regardless of the consequences was indeed Bo Kang.
"Don't disturb them." The young man finished speaking. Seeing Bo Kang frowning at him, he looked around and whispered, "You are a foreigner, right? The wizard is not harming innocent people, but helping the girl find the souls of her family. Maybe it doesn't mean much to you outsiders, but for her, it may be the best destination... Hmm? What are you looking at?"
Bai Kang stared at him intently, wondering if he had taken his words in. Confusion filled his round eyes, and Bai Kang curled his lips: "Are you from Liangzhou?"
The boy was confused: "Of course."
"What's your name?" Bai Kang asked again.
The young man seemed stunned by his question and did not answer. Seeing this, Bo Kang stopped asking and asked, "What about her body?"
"She has returned to the embrace of Mother Earth." said the young man.
For those in the capital, burying the dead is the final important event in life. But customs vary from region to region. Bo Kang didn't say much. For some reason, the moment he saw the young man, he felt a sense of familiarity.
It was different from seeing the three lotuses and seeing Jiang Yong. It was not a familiarity that came from the resemblance to old friends, but a familiarity that came from the heart.
He was about to say something more, but the music and dance on the river had already ended. As the young man had said, the people around him weren't chanting to pray for rain, but to bless the departed girl. Seeing his expression change, the young man smiled, his eyes curved. "We're praying for rain, just like you outsiders. Don't second-guess us."
"It's my fault," Bai Kang apologized with a bow. He'd been at the Ministry of Rites for a long time, so he was somewhat sensitive to matters related to official business. As the crowd dispersed, Bai Kang felt an itch to join the young man. He looked down and saw that the young man he'd been talking to just seconds before had disappeared into the crowd.
With something on his mind, Bo Kang slowly walked back to the inn. After listening to the young man's story and looking at the people around him, he realized that these people really didn't seem to have any ill will towards him. Even if they recognized him as the foreigner who had just robbed someone, they didn't chase him anymore.
He wondered if he would ever see the boy again.
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