I am not very satisfied.
*
Xu Zhiyuan put away the fragments of the secret letter and asked, "Didn't I tell you to protect her?"
“This…” Zhang Cheng hesitated, “Miss Liu… she said that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival and she’s going to spend time with her family…”
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
The visitor was the steward of the governor's mansion, with a fawning smile on his face: "Your Excellency, it is the Mid-Autumn Festival today. My master sent me to deliver some mooncakes from Liangzhou... I hope you will accept them."
Xu Zhiyuan suddenly laughed: "Mid-Autumn Festival, a night for reunion. I appreciate the governor's kindness."
After the butler left, Xu Zhiyuan stared at the mooncakes carved into the shape of jade rabbits in the food box with a sullen face.
As soon as Zhang Cheng's silver needle pierced the filling, the tip of the needle turned a deep blue.
“The Cold Food Powder is mixed with peacock gall,” he said through gritted teeth. “It’s so strong that you’ll die the moment it touches your lips.”
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
...
The governor's residence.
Zhao Deyan stroked the jade thumb ring, his fingertips stained with the oily residue of mooncakes. The full moon outside the window was like blood, illuminating the secret letter on the table in a stark white light—"Today at Hai hour, in the poplar forest thirty miles outside Shuofang City, the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival will be held."
"My lord," the steward approached, carrying a gilded food box, "as you instructed, double the amount of 'Five-Stone Powder' was added to the mooncakes sent to the imperial envoy..."
Before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly erupted from the northwest corner. Zhao Deyan pushed open the carved window and saw flames rising from the direction of the granary—the very place where the armor to be transported to the Turks was located.
Zhao Deyan suddenly looked up, a cold smile flashing in his eyes: "Very good."
He stood up, his obese body casting a shadow in the moonlight. "I wonder if Xu Zhiyuan is satisfied with the Mid-Autumn Festival gift I sent!"
*
The tung oil lamp in the inn flickered in the wind, casting Xu Zhiyuan's shadow on the mottled earthen wall. He ran his fingertips over the half-strip of sheepskin scroll that Liu Qingniang had stolen, when he suddenly heard the call of three long and two short partridges outside the window—the jailer's signal.
“Sir,” the jailer slipped inside, his shoulder dusty from who-knows-when, “the grain carts at the north gate have moved, but the ones escorting them aren’t soldiers…” he lowered his voice, “they’re the governor’s steward, with a jade thumb ring hanging from his waist.”
Xu Zhiyuan's eyes darkened. He recognized the thumb ring; when he reported to the Ministry of War last time, Vice Minister Wang Heng had worn a jade ring of this quality on his finger.
The grain carts lined up in a long snake under the moonlight, each with a white lantern hanging from its shaft—these were actually funeral lanterns used for ancestral worship during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Xu Zhiyuan lay prostrate behind a withered willow, watching the steward lift the tarpaulin from the third cart.
"No..." Zhang Cheng suddenly gripped the knife hilt tightly, "What's in the car—"
"People." Xu Zhiyuan interrupted coldly.
A pale wrist peeked out from the gap in the burlap sack, with a faded red rope tied around it—the "peace knot" that was customarily worn by the families of soldiers from Liangzhou.
The butler suddenly pulled out a dagger and slashed at the sack!
Xu Zhiyuan's hidden arrow pierced his throat first. As the steward fell to the ground, the jade thumb ring snapped in two, revealing the inscription "Shuofang Jiedushi" in small seal script on its inner wall.
“No wonder they chose to transport people on Mid-Autumn Festival.” Xu Zhiyuan used the tip of his sword to pry open the sack, revealing a bluish-purple face—it was Li Yan, the missing clerk of the Ordnance Bureau. “Living people are better at keeping secrets than inanimate objects…”
"The ledger...is there..." Li Yan, vomiting blood, clutched Xu Zhiyuan's collar, a shard of jade embedded in his fingernails. "Wang Shilang's...thumb ring...can open...Shuofang..."
The thunderous sound of hooves drew near as Zhao Deyan's golden nanmu horse-drawn carriage overturned a grain cart, and sixteen armored warriors, wielding long-handled swords, formed a battle array.
The governor's obese body was wrapped in a sable cloak, but a Turkic-style scimitar hung at his waist.
"Is Lord Xu satisfied with the Mid-Autumn Festival gift I presented?"
"satisfy?"
Xu Zhiyuan used the tip of his sword to pick up the cracked ring. "I'm not very satisfied with it. What should I do?"
***
The small village located far downstream of the Nu River is called Qingya Village.
Qingya Village is nestled amidst mountains and water, and its villagers make a living by hunting and fishing.
The chilly wind, carried downstream by thick, sticky moisture, carried the earthy smell unique to the rainy season.
Xu Xiuran opened his eyes with difficulty. Through his blurred vision, the unfamiliar roof beams looked particularly old in the flickering candlelight.
He tried to sit up, but the movement aggravated the injury in his chest, and a sharp pain shot through him, causing him to groan involuntarily.
The door creaked open, and a woman carrying a bowl of medicine walked in.
She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in coarse cloth, with only a wooden hairpin in her hair, but it couldn't hide the delicate beauty in her eyes and brows.
Seeing that Xu Xiuran was awake, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she quickly walked to the bedside.
"You're finally awake!" She placed the medicine bowl on the low table beside her and said softly, "Don't move around, or the wound will reopen."
Xu Xiuran stared at her warily, his voice hoarse: "Where is this? Who are you?"
The woman smiled slightly: "This is Qingya Village, and my name is Lin Xiaoman. My father found you a few days ago when he returned from hunting downstream of the Nu River. You were badly injured and had been unconscious for three whole days."
The Nu River... downstream?
Memories flooded back, and Xu Xiuran suddenly recalled the ambush, the rain of arrows like locusts, the ruthlessness of the Southern Yue crossbowmen, and... his resolute leap into the Nu River.
Unexpectedly, I survived.
He looked down at the bandages on his body; the strips of cloth were rough, but they were wrapped carefully.
He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "Thank you for saving me, young lady."
Lin Xiaoman shook her head, picked up the medicine bowl and handed it to him: "Drink your medicine first. The doctor said it's a miracle you woke up."
The medicine was bitter and hard to swallow, but Xu Xiuran drank it all in one gulp. He looked up and asked, "Have you seen my sword or clothing, young lady?"
Lin Xiaoman hesitated for a moment, then took out a bloodstained jade pendant and a broken sword tassel from a wooden box beside her: "These are all we have. Your armor and weapons... were probably washed away by the river."
Xu Xiuran took the jade pendant, his fingertips tracing the character "Wei" engraved on it, his eyes darkening.
This is the symbol of the Duke of Wei's mansion. If it falls into the wrong hands...
Just as I was pondering this, heavy footsteps came from outside the door, and a burly middle-aged man walked in, carrying a wild rabbit on his shoulder.
Seeing that Xu Xiuran had woken up, he said in a gruff voice, "Kid, you're pretty tough. You didn't die from such serious injuries."
"Dad!" Lin Xiaoman gave him a reproachful look. "He just woke up, don't scare him."
The man laughed, tossed the rabbit aside, and walked to the bedside to examine Xu Xiuran: "I'm Lin Dashan, this girl's father. What's your name? How did you end up floating in the Nu River?"
Xu Xiuran was silent for a moment, then said, "My surname is Xu. I am a guard for a merchant. I encountered bandits on the way and accidentally fell into the water."
Lin Dashan narrowed his eyes, clearly disbelieving, but didn't ask any further questions. He simply patted his shoulder: "Alright, you should focus on recovering. But..."
He lowered his voice, "A lot of unfamiliar faces came to the village a few days ago, as if they were looking for someone. If you don't want to cause trouble, you'd better behave yourself."
Xu Xiuran felt a chill run down his spine, but his face remained calm: "Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Lin."
After Lin Dashan left, Lin Xiaoman whispered, "Don't mind him, my dad is straightforward, but he's a good person."
Xu Xiuran nodded, but his gaze fell on the darkening sky outside the window. He knew he had to leave as soon as possible—neither the pursuers from Nan Yue nor any other forces would let any clue slip by.
At this moment, the wind over the Nu River seems even colder.
*
After staying here for a while, Xu Xiuran has almost fully recovered.
During this time, he also inquired with nearby residents to find out more.
Several groups of people approached him: the Southern Yue, the Wei family army, and another force...
That day, Lin Xiaoman brought him the medicine, and Xu Xiuran took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
The bitter medicine made him frown, but he didn't say anything. After putting down the bowl, he tentatively asked, "Miss Lin, how far is Qingya Village from the Nujiang River?"
“It’s not far, just ten miles to the east is the riverbank,” Lin Xiaoman put away the medicine bowl, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “But it would be better if you didn’t go there, young master, because these past two days, wave after wave of soldiers have been searching there…”
"Thank you for your kindness, young lady."
Xu Xiuran nodded, but his heart sank. He had to leave quickly so as not to implicate the father and daughter.
*
The Zhenyuan Marquis's Residence.
Wei San knelt on one knee and whispered, "General, the Grey Hawk has sent word that they have found traces of what appears to be the Second Young Master near Qingya Village in the lower reaches of the Nu River."
Xiao Zhouyan paused slightly in his teacup, then looked up at Wei San: "Explain yourself."
"Some villagers said that they saw a seriously injured man by the river a few days ago, who was later rescued by hunters in the village. According to the description, the man's figure was very similar to that of the second young master."
Xiao Zhouyan put down his teacup, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and said coldly after a moment, "Take men over there and investigate secretly. If it really is him..."
“You all stay there and help him in secret.”
Wei San accepted the order and was about to leave when Xiao Zhouyan added, "Be careful."
Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink, and an undercurrent was silently surging.
*
As autumn drew to a close, most of the osmanthus blossoms in the Duke of Wei's mansion had faded, with only a few clusters stubbornly still blooming on the branches. Their color resembled the newly painted vermilion on the palace walls, or the still-wet nail polish on a beautiful woman's fingertips.
When the autumn sun shines, the red color seeps out from the layers of petals, stunningly beautiful, yet without a trace of vulgarity.
Su Xin Yuan.
Xu Qingyao squatted under the eaves, staring blankly at a pot of freshly rendered lard.
The autumn wind swept across the stone steps, carrying fallen osmanthus blossoms. Suddenly, she clapped her hands: "I've decided! I'm going to make soap today!"
The maid Chun Tao poked her head out of the room: "Miss, what kind of soap?"
These past few days, Yuejian has been visiting her family, and Chuntao has become Xu Qingyao's helper.
“It’s something even better than bath soap. It cleans well and leaves a pleasant fragrance.” Xu Qingyao stood up excitedly. “Go, get me some wood ash.”
Chun Tao looked bewildered: "Wood ash? There's plenty in the stove, so what do you need it for?"
"Don't ask, the answer is that it's very useful."
Half an hour later, in front of Xu Qingyao were a basin of lard, a bucket of filtered ash water, and a small jar of salt.
"The ash water needs to be left to stand and clarify... the lard needs to be rendered again..." she muttered to herself as she flipped through the booklet she had hastily written.
Just then, Duke Xu Lian passed by carrying a book. Seeing her squatting in the courtyard fiddling with a bunch of strange things, he stroked his beard and said, "What is Yao Yao up to now?"
Xu Qingyao looked up: "I'm making soap. Didn't Father go to court today?"
"What soap?" Xu Lian looked confused, but still explained the situation to his daughter: "The Double Ninth Festival is in a few days, and His Majesty has granted me a day off today."
“The soap is very good,” she said with a smile. “Father will know in a few days.”
“Alright, then I’ll wait for Yao Yao’s ‘soap’,” Xu Lian laughed heartily, “and see if it works as well as my daughter says.”
*
Stirring, heating, and stirring again... Xu Qingyao spent the whole afternoon working on it, finally getting a pot of grayish-brown paste.
"This...is not quite what I imagined." She stared at the sticky stuff in the pot, lost in thought.
Chuntao cautiously leaned closer: "Miss, is this really usable?"
Xu Qingyao sighed: "Let's give it a try."
She scooped out a small piece, wet it, and rubbed it. It actually foamed up, but the taste was a bit strange.
"Barely a success?" she muttered, casually using the remaining "soap" to wipe the ink-stained corner of the table—and the ink stains really did fade considerably!
Chun Tao's eyes widened: "Miss, this stuff can remove stains!"
Xu Qingyao's eyes lit up: "That's right! Even if we can't use it for bathing, we can use it to wash clothes!"
...
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