Chapter 100: The morning mist hides the sharpness of the strategy, and the pen falls with the wind, revealing the sharpness
The morning bells of Ganlu Temple had just ceased, and the sound of pine trees, shrouded in mist, drifted over the bluestone steps. In the tea pavilion, the four treasures of the study that Xiao Jian had arranged were laid out on the stone table, the rice paper rustling in the mountain breeze. Xiaoyanzi twirled a wolf-hair brush between her fingers, the shaft spinning rapidly. Her lilac-colored cuffs lifted with the movement, bringing with them a whiff of the crisp morning dew.
"This paper is good." She suddenly stopped, lightly tapped the tip of the brush in the inkstone, and the ink fell like beads on the rice paper, spreading out tiny ink flowers.
Ziwei was putting her mother's letter into her personal brocade pouch when she heard this. She looked up and smiled, "The rice paper in the temple was all donated by believers. It's said to be tribute from Jiangnan." She walked over to the stone table and saw Xiaoyanzi spread out the paper. She then started to grind some ink. "Do you want to write?"
"Well, leave a note for my father, telling him to be on guard against Master Chen's tampering in the Imperial Examination Hall." With a flick of her wrist, Xiaoyanzi's pen swished across the paper. With a few swishes, the words "The Imperial Examinations are full of fraud. Be careful to guard your gates" were already written on the page. The handwriting was strong and powerful, with a carefree and heroic air between the strokes, yet it maintained a well-organized style. The ink was a perfect balance of light and dark, revealing a profound mastery.
Ziwei paused while grinding ink, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and then turned into a smile: "Your handwriting is so good, better than many scholars I have seen."
Xiaoyanzi put down her brush, flicked the paper with her fingertips, raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Of course! The teacher my father hired is a famous calligrapher from Jiangnan. When he punished me by making me copy calligraphy, he almost beat my palms with a ruler until they swelled up." She suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice, "But I've secretly practiced flying white calligraphy. When I write secret letters, I can use tea to make the words appear more prominent. It's much better than your method of writing with rouge."
Ziwei was amused by her and pointed at the words on the paper. "The downward stroke of the character '骗' is hidden, just like you. It looks lively, but you actually have a clear mind." She suddenly pointed at the character '守' and said, "But if the vertical hook of this character was a little deeper, it would appear more stable, like your brother's way of doing things, flawless."
Xiaoyanzi stared at the character for two seconds, then suddenly grabbed her brush, dipped it in ink, and rewrote the character "守" next to it. This time, the vertical hook of the pen was steady, and the tip of the pen was retracted with a firmness, which indeed added a bit of weight to the previous one. "You have a keen eye," she said, putting down her brush, her tone full of pride. "My mother always said that my handwriting lacked a girlish softness, but you can see the character's character."
Xiao Jian emerged from behind the bamboo grove, clutching a bunch of freshly picked wild hawthorns. Seeing the calligraphy on the stone table, he paused. "Your handwriting has improved. The teacher should give you fewer disciplinary measures." He placed the hawthorns on the table, and the agate-like fruits rolled around. "Liu Hong sent word that Emin's men are hanging around the Imperial Examination Hall. I've sent a message to Scholar Li."
"Mr. Li?" Ziwei asked, picking up the note written by Xiaoyanzi and folding it carefully.
"He's my father's most prized student, and he won first place in last year's provincial examination." Xiaoyanzi picked up a hawthorn and tossed it around. "It won't be easy for Emin to target him." She suddenly looked at Ziwei, her eyes sparkling. "Speaking of which, if your mother wants to get her letter through, perhaps she could ask him for help? He often delivers manuscripts to the Hanlin Academy."
Ziwei pinched the brocade bag with her fingertips and hesitated, "Isn't it too risky? It will implicate him..."
"Don't worry. Li Xiucai is renowned for his integrity. Back then, to defend a classmate, he even knelt before the governor for three days and three nights." Xiaoyanzi patted her chest. "I'll go talk to him. I'm sure he'll help." She suddenly grabbed a pen and wrote another note. Her handwriting was more hurried than before, but still neat. "Give me your mother's letter. I'll have him deliver it when the time comes."
Ziwei watched her determined profile as she put pen to paper, and suddenly felt more at ease. The morning light filtered through the mist onto the page, illuminating the sharp, angular handwriting with even greater clarity and brightening the gleam in Xiaoyanzi's eyes. She suddenly understood that this seemingly detached girl was no longer the one who needed her protection in her previous life. The Xiaoyanzi of today possessed enough edge to protect those around her.
"Okay." Ziwei untied the brocade bag and gently placed her mother's letter next to the note. "I'm relieved to entrust it to you."
Little Swallow carefully folded the letter and note together and tucked them into her purse, which was embroidered with a fluttering swallow, meticulously stitched. Mrs. Fang had embroidered it herself. "Leave it to me!" She patted the purse and suddenly grabbed a pen and quickly sketched a simple map on the rice paper. "This is the location of the secret door in the back wall of the Imperial Examination Hall. Scholar Li can use it to avoid the guards."
Xiao Jian looked at the map his sister had drawn. The lines were simple yet precise. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "You have a brain that remembers these things clearly."
"That's it!" Xiaoyanzi raised her chin proudly and handed the map to Xiao Jian. "Brother, have someone deliver this to Li Xiucai." She turned to look at Ziwei and suddenly pulled out a small ink stick from her sleeve. There was a tiny "Fang" character engraved on the stick. "This is for you. It's Hui ink. It won't fade easily."
Ziwei took the ink stick, and when her fingertips touched the cold ink, her heart felt warm: "Thank you, Xiaoyanzi."
"What are you thanking me for?" Xiaoyanzi grabbed a few hawthorns and stuffed them into her mouth. "Let's go burn some incense! After we're done worshipping the Buddha, let's go to the noodle stall at the foot of the mountain and have a bowl of plain noodles. It's my treat!"
The morning mist gradually dissipated, and sunlight filtered through the pine branches into the tea pavilion. A corner of the rice paper on the stone table was lifted by the wind, revealing the vigorous calligraphy. A distant bell rang again, as if sounding the prelude to the impending battle. And now, in the tea pavilion, the hearts of the three young men had already quietly connected, ready to face the storms ahead together.
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