Chapter 74: Grass Flute (corrected typos)
During the first month of spring, the emperor and his ministers went to the hunting grounds for hunting.
Wen Yao weighed the bow in his hand and found that the bows and arrows provided in the enclosure were all light bows. He quickly lost interest and put the bow and arrow aside.
When she turned around, she saw dozens of men in armor standing beside her, of varying ages, all staring at her with sharp eyes.
Gao Shaoshan stood in front and introduced enthusiastically: "Generals, this is Commander Wen. Commander Wen, these are the generals leading troops in the twelve armies, they are all our own people!"
Aside from the Feathered Guards, the rest of the Twelve Armies were the Emperor's personal troops, stationed in Bianliang. When Zhao Xuanxu first took command of the Twelve Armies, some harbored dissenting motives, but none of them remained. Those who stood before Wen Yao now, sharing the same fate as the Prince of Yan's Palace, were naturally his own.
"Hey." Wen Yao smiled and said, "Hello, generals."
"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it!"
"Commander Wen is so polite!"
The generals leading the twelve armies were all of at least the fifth rank or higher, each one a strong and well-built man. They smiled at Wen Yao with a gentle smile, looking him up and down as if he were looking at something rare. There was no malice in their eyes, but they were filled with curiosity that could not be suppressed.
The most daring young man in his life was holding a spear and approached Wen Yao and said, "Commander Wen is a martial arts expert. I am a spearman, I wonder if Commander Wen can use a spear?"
Wen Yao was used to using a sword, but before she met Yue Changtuan, she couldn't be picky; she used whatever she had. She took the red-tasseled spear from the young general and, with a flick of her wrist, the red tassel swung away, a faint whirring sound of piercing the air. From this single gesture, even an expert could tell she was an expert.
Not far away, Zhao Xuanxu was holding a piece of thin paper in his hand, with a man in plain clothes standing beside him. Hearing the noise, he handed the paper to the man and turned to walk towards Wen Yao.
Wen Yao suddenly raised her arm, flinging the red-tasseled spear into the air. She raised her leg, twisted her waist, and delivered a steady, sharp kick to the end of the spear. Like an arrow shot from a bow, the spear instantly pierced a tree the size of a bowl. With a crisp snap, the tree snapped in half and fell backwards.
"Good!" The young general's eyes lit up and he clapped loudly. Suddenly, Gao Shaoshan pulled him from behind and he shut up. He took a step back in confusion and watched Zhao Xuanxu brush past him and stride towards Wen Yao.
Wen Yao looked at Zhao Xuanxu with a smile and pointed at the bows and arrows on the shelf: "Why are they all light bows?"
"During the spring hunt, we don't hunt pregnant animals, so we don't need to prepare heavy bows." Zhao Xuanxu reached out to straighten the rope tied around her sleeve and said, "Send someone back to get a heavy bow."
"Forget it, no hunting. We're just hunting for fun, not to eat when we're hungry. Don't commit murder for no reason." Royal hunting was a formality, meant to demonstrate the emperor's concern for the people's farming, hunting, and cultivation, and to enhance the relationship between the emperor and his ministers. Wen Yao glanced at the man who had quietly left and asked, "What's the news from Suzhou?"
"Song Mingde killed corrupt officials and beheaded them in public, oppressed the families of wealthy merchants, and kept an eye on merchants buying and selling grain and land. The results were quite good. Once a few county magistrates took up their posts, he would be able to return."
Wen Yao nodded.
The results sound good, but the means are a bit ugly. However, it is also in line with Governor Song's style of doing things.
Suddenly, she caught sight of a figure in her peripheral vision. A group of eunuchs hurried over, their hands clasped behind their backs and their heads bowed. They approached, bowed to Zhao Xuanxu and Wen Yao, and said softly, "Your Highness Prince Yan, Commander Wen, His Majesty has summoned the others."
The emperor's tent was unlike any other, exceptionally spacious and grand. For this spring search, the emperor brought three concubines with him. Besides the Empress and Noble Concubine Feng, there was Concubine Su, the most prominent figure due to her pregnancy with the heir. These three ladies were not present, but were instead in a separate tent with the officials' families.
Wen Yao stepped inside and looked around. Standing around were Prince Yong, Prince Qin, Prince Xiang, and the Wang and Feng factions—all old acquaintances. Zhang Yun, who had been dragged away in the street by Princess Jinyun the previous time, now stood aside as if nothing had happened. Wen Yao noticed that his limbs were intact and he seemed to be in good spirits. He raised an eyebrow and smiled at the resentful Zhang Yun.
At first, the emperor and his ministers chatted as usual. At least they seemed to be enjoying themselves, sharing a lot of useless and useful nonsense. Midway through the conversation, the emperor glanced at Wen Yao, suddenly leaned forward, and asked, "Wen Yao, General Baili told me that you have a way to win over the hearts and minds of the people in the martial arts world and get them to work for the court?"
"Your Majesty," Wen Yao stepped forward and bowed. "Men from the Jianghu are also from Tianshui. They are all citizens of Tianshui. Naturally, they care about national affairs and long to serve the country. I just happened to know them and acted as a go-between to facilitate their efforts."
The emperor liked what he heard and readily agreed with Wen Yao's statement. He was the emperor, the ruler of all people, and naturally everyone in the world would be willing to work for him. His expression softened, and he nodded and said, "General Baili said he wants to set up the Wuzhaosi, so let's do it."
Baili Cheng's face was filled with joy. He quickly squeezed out from the back row of people and walked to Wen Yao's side. He bowed deeply to the emperor and said, "I will definitely fulfill your command!"
Seeing Baili Cheng's overjoyed expression, Wen Yao understood. Last time, the matter at Cun Yingshan hadn't been handled properly, and Baili Cheng must have been treated coldly by the King of Qin. He must have been anxious to find another way out and come directly to her.
A little bit of a thought, but it doesn't matter.
The curtain behind the crowd was lifted, and a strange-looking eunuch, his arm covered in dust, walked in slowly, holding a brocade tray. Wen Yao turned sideways and returned to Zhao Xuanxu's side, looking up at the eunuch, confirming that he had never seen this person around Song Mingde before.
"Your Majesty," the strange eunuch said to the emperor, "the time has come."
The emperor nodded, casually picked up the wine cup on the tray, poured the wine into the ground, and then smashed the jade cup. Outside the tent, the sound of drums and horns rang out, and the eunuchs chanted a few auspicious words, and the spring search began.
Wen Yao followed Zhao Xuanxu out. Zhao Xuanxu stopped after taking two steps to look at her and said, "Do you want to stay? If not, let's go home."
His Highness Prince Yan lowered his eyes, looking bored. It was obvious he didn't want to stay any longer. Wen Yao was about to nod when a voice interrupted her: "Since we're here, Commander Wen, why don't you accompany me for a walk?"
They both looked over and saw a woman in a vibrant dress step out from behind the wooden stakes that held up the tent. Her hair was as black as clouds, her complexion was as white as blood, and she was resplendent and elegant. She was none other than Princess Jinyun. A large group of servants followed her. She didn't glance at Zhang Yun, who was not far away. Instead, she looked curiously at Wen Yao and Zhao Xuanxu, then smiled at Wen Yao.
"Okay." Wen Yao patted Zhao Xuanxu's arm and walked towards Jinyun. The attendants beside him hurriedly brought two horses from the stables outside, handed them the reins, and stood aside respectfully.
These horses were all fine, well-trained and docile, friendly and gentle. Wen Yao climbed atop a horse, and Jinyun, beside her, did the same with equal skill. She brushed aside those who tried to support her, sat firmly on the back of the horse, and with a flick of the whip, rushed out first. Those behind her were startled, calling out for the princess and frantically trying to catch up.
Wen Yao had no idea what Princess Jinyun, who had nothing to do with her, was up to. She followed closely, reining in her horse. The surrounding trees grew increasingly lush and dense. Jinyun galloped at full speed, stopping only at the edge of a lake. She exhaled, gazed at the shimmering water with a carefree air, cracked her whip, and laughed heartily.
Wen Yao slowly slowed down his horse and walked to Jinyun's side. He looked at the sweat on her forehead and said, "Your Highness is a very good rider."
"Of course, I practiced hard." Jinyun smiled at Wen Yao, then threw the whip aside and dismounted. She walked to the lakeside, bent down, picked up a long, flat blade from the grass on the ground, and blew it against her lips.
Jinyun closed his eyes. A clear, thin sound swirled high and low over the lake, startling a flock of white birds into the sky. It seemed like a complete tune. Wen Yao listened for a while, then dismounted, pulled off a piece of grass, and chewed it.
The melodious tune suddenly trembled and stopped. Jinyun turned to look at Wen Yao, and after a moment of silence, she suddenly started laughing again. She bent down to support her knees, looked up at Wen Yao, her eyes shining: "What? I thought you were going to play the grass flute too."
"No, I have a stupid tongue." Wen Yao also laughed, peeled the remaining grass core in his hand and handed it to Jinyun: "Here, this is sweet, you can eat it."
A maid behind Jinyun saw this and frowned, trying to stop him. But Jinyun was quicker than her. She took the grass core from Wen Yao and chewed it twice, then looked at Wen Yao with a hint of surprise: "It's really sweet."
The maid couldn't help but said: "Your Highness——"
"Shut up." Jinyun turned around, his expression suddenly cold, his brows filled with arrogance and he pointed at them: "Stay here, don't follow me. I'm going to walk to the front with Commander Wen."
Wen Yao glanced at the palace maid, then followed Jinyun into the reeds swaying by the lake and walked away.
"I'm almost suffocating staying in the palace all day. I finally get out to move around, and I have to bring a group of people to nag me." Jinyun pulled weeds as he walked, and skillfully began to weave circles: "Commander Wen—should I call you Wen Yao?"
"What is the Jianghu like?" She suddenly turned around and walked backwards, staring at Wen Yao: "Rainy nights, bamboo forests, masters fighting each other? I read about it in a storybook."
"Of course there is." Wen Yao paid some attention to Jinyun's feet, ready to pull her back if she stumbled.
"So you rode your horses alone to the Changting Restaurant and bought ten pounds of mutton? And then one of you dropped your chopsticks, and everyone around you stood up and started fighting?" Jinyun said, "But the picture book doesn't say who would pay for the damage to the restaurant."
"Of course, of course." Wen Yao couldn't help laughing as he listened, and said, "But restaurants that entertain people from all walks of life in the wilderness are not to be trifled with. People usually fight outside and won't affect other people's meals and business."
"Oh!" Jinyun sighed deeply, filled with longing. "That's wonderful. Wenyao, I heard that you and the Third Brother have pledged your lives to each other. Is that why you left the Jianghu and came to Bianliang to accompany the Third Brother?"
Without waiting for Wen Yao to speak, she continued to talk to herself: "You are so stupid, this is not a happy place. You used to live such a good life, you shouldn't come here."
Wen Yao didn't deny it. She thought about it carefully and said, "The carefree and happy life in the martial arts world belongs to the masters. Most ordinary people in the martial arts world live in fear and anxiety all their lives and can't live a good life. They dream of settling down and living a peaceful and happy life like the people in Bianliang City."
"Then they probably won't make it." Jinyun had already woven the grass ring in her hand. She handed it to Wen Yao and said, "The prince of Northern Liao died. Father sent envoys, but there has been no news. I guess Northern Liao is going to go to war with us. However, I can help them. I'm going to Xixia to marry a princess. If Xixia and Tianshui stand together, won't those people who serve in the war have an easier time?"
Wen Yao was stunned when he heard this.
Jinyun pushed the grass ring toward her hand again, and she, stunned, took the somewhat rough ring. Wen Yao's gaze suddenly shifted downward, landing on Princess Jinyun's waist. She saw a jade pendant shaped like a fish, its tail tilted upward, its body arched like a small crescent. The most captivating thing was the natural red hue along its back, spreading across the lifelike scales of its dorsal fin, a striking beauty.
This jade pendant looks familiar.
Wen Yao recalled the first time she met Zhang Yun. He was dressed in a turquoise robe, with a jade pendant around his waist depicting two fish, each shaped like a full moon. The two fish, tightly connected like a Tai Chi Bagua plate, were striking, and she still remembers them.
Jinyun noticed Wen Yao's gaze and casually pulled off the jade pendant and shook it: "This, I snatched from Zhang Yun."
Wen Yao smacked his lips.
"I had my eye on this pair of jade pendants from the beginning. I sneaked out of the palace at the time and didn't have enough money with me. I even asked the owner of Ronghuazhai to keep them for me, but he later sold them to Zhang Yun." Jinyun snorted, as if she was still angry even now when she thought about what happened. She stood there, pressing her eyebrows and rolling her eyes, showing very little princess etiquette. "Later, when my father wanted to choose a husband for me from among the top three candidates in the imperial examination that year, I saw this jade pendant through the screen."
Wen Yao couldn't help but ask, "So the princess chose Zhang Yun?"
"Well, scare him." Jinyun turned his head away, nonchalant. "Being a consort doesn't mean he can be an official. He's so smart and ambitious, with no one to rely on, and he's worked hard. He relied on his studies to squeeze out those powerful children and stood in the Lama Temple. He definitely wouldn't be willing to be my consort."
"I've been in Bianliang for a long time, but I've never heard of this story."
"He rejected my father. He disobeyed my order and refused to marry me." Jinyun said bluntly, "He also treated my father with such sternness that he wanted to kill him. I was so generous that I saved his life. He deserved to give me this jade pendant."
"This..." Wen Yao hadn't expected the truth behind Princess Jinyun's request to stop a car in the street to be this. She gritted her teeth, chagrined at Princess Jinyun's fearless nature and her tendency to make things out of nothing. She managed a dry, unspoken sentence, "Lord Zhang may have spoken a little eccentrically at times, but he's not a bad person. He's a rare gentleman."
"That's why I didn't let him die." Jinyun hung the fish jade pendant back on his waist, patted the grass debris on his hands and said to Wen Yao: "You are very skilled in martial arts. Last time at the court banquet, I saw you could fly in the sky."
"Common people can't fly." Wen Yao said truthfully, "That's Qinggong."
"I don't care what it is." Jinyun opened his arms to Wen Yao: "Come and hold me, take me flying once!"
Wen Yao had no choice but to step forward and hook her waist, then tiptoe and leap up to the treetops with the princess, who was screaming softly. They were like two light phoenixes, floating lightly and swaying in the treetops. When they landed, Jinyun was still not satisfied and hugged Wen Yao and asked for another try.
Wen Yao followed suit and once again lifted her up to fly. However, they changed their direction and flew towards the camp in the vast dense forest. Unexpectedly, Jin Yun had a very good sense of direction. He immediately noticed Wen Yao's little movement and loosened his arms around her neck. Wen Yao was startled by this ancestor and immediately tightened her arms around her waist to prevent her from falling: "Your Highness, don't move."
"I'm not going back." Jinyun immediately made a deal with Wen Yao: "I don't want to go back. Take me away. Can we go farther away?"
Wen Yao pursed his lips, stood on the treetop, hugged her, turned around, and prepared to walk away.
Suddenly, Jinyun, who was lying in her arms, cried out softly again and reached out to tug at Wen Yao's sleeve: "Hey, wait, look down, is that Third Brother over there? Who is the woman next to him?"
Wen Yao raised an eyebrow and looked down in the direction of her finger. Unexpectedly, he saw Gao Shaoshan and the Feathered Guard standing off to the side. Zhao Xuanxu stood by a stream, longbow in hand, his head tilted to the side as he looked down at a girl in a pink dress with a round face and round eyes.
The girl looked young, with a sweet, innocent appearance. Nervousness had beads of sweat on her forehead, but her gaze was determined as she held out an exquisitely embroidered arm guard and handed it to Zhao Xuanxu.
"No, no, no." Jinyun looked down and then at Wen Yao, and suddenly became excited: "Let's go down!"
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