Chapter 106: The moonlight shines on the bag, holding warmth; the wind spreads secret words, waiting for the dawn
The night, like rice paper soaked in ink, slowly smudged the outlines of the Kaifang Mansion. The candlelight in the west wing burned steadily, its wick occasionally flickering, stretching the shadows of the two people on the wall. Ziwei was carefully folding her mother's blood-lettered letter into a palm-sized square and stuffing it into the plain cloth purse she wore close to her body. Her fingertips touched the fine velvet on the inside of the purse, which Xiaoyanzi had specially sewn to prevent the hard paper from rubbing against her.
"Put this in the innermost part and carry it close to your body." Xiaoyanzi squatted on the ground and stuffed an oil-paper bag into Ziwei's bag. Inside was a freshly made osmanthus cake that was still steaming. "Eat a piece when you're hungry. It's sweet and can give you courage." When she looked up, the strands of hair on her forehead hung down and swept across the tip of her nose, like a busy little squirrel.
Ziwei watched her tie the self-defense pouch around her wrist. The red string shone softly in the candlelight. The lotus flowers embroidered on the pouch were crooked, but they were the result of Xiaoyanzi's two nights of hard work. "You embroider beautifully," Ziwei said softly. Her fingertips traced the stitching, and she could feel the hard little stones inside—what Xiaoyanzi had called "hidden weapons for hitting bad guys in an emergency."
"That's right!" Xiaoyanzi immediately raised her chin and shook her head proudly. Then she lowered her voice and leaned close to Ziwei's ear, "Remember, don't talk nonsense when you enter the academy. If the dean asks about your mother, just say 'The rain lotus often thinks of the quiet heart, the bamboo shadow'. This is the code." She drew the word "bamboo" on the table with her finger. "If he answers 'The lotus wind once brushed the desk books,' it means he's one of us."
Ziwei then drew the word "bamboo" on the palm of her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly. "I remember it." She suddenly remembered something and took out a silver hairpin from her makeup box and put it in Xiaoyanzi's hand. "Take this with you. I bought it when I first arrived in the capital. I heard that silver can ward off evil spirits. When you practice sword..."
"I won't use it!" Xiaoyanzi put the silver hairpin back into her bun, but her movements were very gentle. "It will look good on you. The headmaster will definitely think you are a well-educated and good girl when he sees you. Besides, I'm so good at martial arts, who dares to bully me?" Having said that, she secretly tied the silver whistle given by Ziwei to her belt. There was a small red bean hanging on the whistle, which was strung by Ziwei.
Suddenly, three gentle taps echoed from outside the window, a rhythmic, clear signal from Liu Qing and Liu Hong. Xiaoyanzi immediately extinguished the candle and leaped onto the windowsill. Moonlight streamed in through the crack in the window she had opened, casting a thin, silver streak across the floor. "It's Liu Hong," she said, turning back to Ziwei, making a "hush" gesture, and gracefully skipped out.
Ziwei walked to the window, parting the curtains. She saw Xiaoyanzi and Liuhong chatting under the moonlight. Liuhong, dressed in a sharp nightgown, clutched a cloth bag, which she was trying to put into Xiaoyanzi's hand. Moonlight illuminated Liuhong's profile, her brow furrowed in a serious expression. Xiaoyanzi nodded repeatedly, her fingertips gesturing rapidly on her palm.
"The E family has indeed deployed spies near the academy." When Xiaoyanzi returned to the house, the relief on her face had faded considerably. She pulled out a folded piece of paper from her bosom and spread it out on the table. It was a simple topographic map with several red dots marked with cinnabar. "Liu Hong said this is where the E family is stalking. Enter through the back door and take the bamboo forest path to the east, avoiding those old locust trees."
Ziwei looked at the red dot on the map, her fingertips feeling slightly cold: "How...how could they know?"
"That old fox E Min must have gotten wind of something." Xiaoyanzi picked up the teacup on the table and poured some water into the bamboo forest on the map. The water stain spread and a small "Xiao" character appeared. "Don't be afraid. My brother and his men are waiting in the bamboo forest. Liu Qing is pretending to sell calligraphy and paintings at the entrance of the academy. The one you see wearing a long blue cloth gown and holding a wolf-hair brush is him."
As they spoke, Xiao Jian pushed open the door and entered. He had changed into a dark blue nightgown and a short sword hung at his waist. The copper ring on the scabbard gleamed coldly in the candlelight. "Are you all ready?" He glanced at Ziwei's bag and weighed it. "It's too heavy. Take out the extra clothes. It'll be more flexible if you travel light."
Ziwei obediently opened her bag and took out a thick cotton-padded jacket, but Xiaoyanzi snatched it away and stuffed it into her arms: "What if you're cold? I'll hold it for you and put it on when you come out." She winked at Xiao Jian, "Brother, don't be so serious all the time. You're scaring Ziwei."
Xiao Jian shook his head helplessly, pulling out a jade pendant from his sleeve and handing it to Ziwei. The pendant was made of warm white mutton-fat jade, carved with a budding lotus. "This is the headmaster's token. When he sees this, he'll know you're one of his own. Remember, no matter who asks about your origins, just say 'distant niece who came to live with relatives in Jinan,' and don't know anything else." He paused, his fingertip touching the pistil of the jade pendant. "It's hollow inside, so you can hide something. If all else fails, just stuff the blood letter in there."
Ziwei gripped the jade pendant tightly, the warm jade against her palm dispelling much of the chill. She suddenly remembered her mother's smile in her dream last night, and the slight fear in her heart gradually gave way to a warm feeling—she was not alone. She had Xiaoyanzi behind her, Xiaojian and Liu Qing and Liu Hong on the periphery, and even that "noble person" whom she had never met but who was secretly arranging things for her.
"It's almost time." Xiao Jian glanced at the moonlight outside the window. It had already reached the zenith, its light filtering through the gaps between the sycamore leaves, weaving a silver net across the ground. "I'll go get the car ready. You go through the side door. Chuntao will meet you at the alley entrance." When he reached the door, he suddenly turned back, his gaze landing on Xiaoyanzi, and with a subtle reminder, "Take care of yourself."
Xiaoyanzi nodded vigorously and watched Xiao Jian walk away before turning to help Ziwei straighten her clothes. "Don't be nervous, just think of it as a visit to the study." She picked up a small dagger from the bedside and stuffed it into Ziwei's boot. "This is a gift from my brother. It can cut through iron like mud. Don't use it unless absolutely necessary."
Ziwei took a deep breath and raised her hand to secure the silver hairpin on her temples. The look in the mirror, though still a little timid, was more resolute. "Let's go." She lifted her bag, her fingertips touching something hard at the bottom. It was the osmanthus cake that Xiaoyanzi had secretly put in there. Even through the cloth, she could smell its sweet fragrance.
As they reached the corridor, Chuntao saw her waiting there with a sheep-horn lantern. The wick was covered with red cloth, only a faint glow shone through. "Miss, Master Xiao's carriage is waiting at the end of the alley." Chuntao's voice was very low, holding a hooded cloak in her hand. "It's cold at night, put it on."
Xiaoyanzi took the cloak and put it on Ziwei, pulling the brim of the hat down low, covering most of her face. "Let's go," she patted Chuntao's hand. "If my parents ask, just say we're staying at Liuhong's house for the night."
The alley was silent, with only the soft creak of footsteps on the bluestone slabs. The moonlight stretched their shadows out, sometimes overlapping, sometimes separating, like a fate entangled in past and present lives. As they neared the alley entrance, Ziwei suddenly stopped and looked back in the direction of the Fang Mansion. The candle in the west wing was still lit, like a warm star.
"Don't look back, just keep going." Xiaoyanzi gave her a gentle push, a smile in her voice, "When you come back, I'll teach you swordplay, and together we'll drive away those bad guys from the E family!"
Ziwei nodded and followed Chuntao toward the carriage at the end of the alley. The moment the curtain opened, she glanced back and saw Xiaoyanzi still standing there, moonlight falling on her, her lilac dress shimmering with a faint silver glow, like a swallow about to spread its wings. The curtain dropped, blocking their view, but it couldn't block out the gentle "take care," which drifted into the carriage on the night breeze.
Xiaoyanzi stood at the entrance of the alley until the carriage disappeared into the moonlight, then she turned and leaped onto the wall. She untied the silver whistle from her waist and blew softly. The sound was clear and melodious, and soon, two voices echoed from the distance. It was Liu Qing, confirming safety. She straightened her clothes, tapped her feet, and flew across the rooftops like a light swallow, heading towards Jingxin Academy. In this life, she would never let anyone harm her Ziwei.
Moonlight bathed the streets of the capital, illuminating the ruts left by the carriages and the candlelight that burned brightly in the west wing. The sweet-scented osmanthus cake in my bag still lingered, and the jade pendant glowed beneath my clothes. With the rising dawn, the prelude to a story of protection and reunion quietly began.
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