Chapter 13
The rain in Linyi City had begun to intensify again, and even through the paper windows, it was clearly audible. Li Rong tossed and turned in a turbulent state of mind, and finally fell asleep from such exhausting thought. Tonight was a night of many dreams, and he could hardly remember what he had seen in his dreams. He spent the two or three days before his departure in a state of unresolved confusion.
Su Si agreed on a price with the driver, and they hadn't seen Xue Heng in the past few days. Li Rong assumed he was still busy traveling, and prepared to rent a larger carriage for the three of them to rest. The sun hadn't even set when Xue Heng arrived, and he politely declined Li Rong's offer, saying, "I've been traveling with my family in my early years, so I have some experience in horsemanship. I won't bother you, Ziqu." He rented a brown horse for himself and walked ahead of them, leisurely, holding the reins.
Li Rong climbed onto the carriage, leaning against the side rails and lifting the curtains to let in some air. The rain had finally stopped in Linyi, but the clouds still obscured much of the sun. The pedestrians on the road had returned to their usual bustle, lessening the loneliness of late autumn. Xue Heng had already left the city gates and was waiting outside. The carriage slowly made its way through the crowd. He didn't glance back at Linyi as they left the city; they exchanged a glance before rushing together towards Yingchuan.
However, due to the flooding of Yingchuan, they had no choice but to travel day and night to reach Henei County. Further west, they would have to walk. The road from Linyi to Henei passed through the Central Plains, and was smoother than any Li Rong had traveled before. He always stayed in the carriage, but the curtains were never lowered. The journey often encountered autumn rains, and thick clouds always covered the sky, making it almost impossible to distinguish between day and night. He could see the mountains in the distance, some low and some high, scattered beneath the clouds. The tops of the mountains were a perpetual white that never melted, the result of years of accumulated snow.
The streets were fairly pedestrianized, but the fishermen fishing in the river were fewer and fewer. The flooded waters were still murky. Perhaps due to the different geographical boundaries, the river was much wider than the smaller rivers that skirted the city south of the Yangtze River, brewing a turbulent surge of impending stormwater. Li Rong could hear the relentless surge of water, threatening to overwhelm the surrounding shores, howling alongside the northern autumn wind, as if poised to pounce on the passersby.
When I looked closer, the water surface mixed with mud and sand from the shore was as calm as usual. When there was no one around, it showed the loneliness of autumn. Even though the north wind was howling past, it was just calm, or dead silent, letting the driftwood on it drift down.
When Li Rong looked outside, he could usually only see Xue Heng riding away, walking in front as if leading the way. Only occasionally, when stopping at a teahouse, would he sit down to drink tea or feed the horses. The rented horses were tired, constantly chewing the hay in the stable, occasionally making a humming sound.
He suddenly recalled the scene of their discussion that day. Xue Heng, Xue Zhuozhi—truly the best words. Meeting, becoming friends, and traveling together, he still felt there were many things about Xue Heng he couldn't fathom. Those things he couldn't ask deeply about remained hidden in his heart, like unsolved truths. Yet, he still admired the indelible sense of ease he possessed. Horse hooves pounded the muddy ground, and Xue Heng walked at a brisk pace. Occasionally, catching a glimpse of the figure of man and horse retreating, Li Rong felt he would vanish from sight in the next moment, like a migrating goose, unsure of where to land in the deep forest.
He withdrew his gaze to the nearby scenery. The carriage behind him continued its slow progress. A gentle drizzle began to fall as they entered the Central Plains, scattering silently to the ground. The grass, bent by the wind, turned yellow, then ground into the mud by the wheels, becoming blurred. Li Rong, straining against the exhaustion of sleeplessness, swallowed a sigh. Judging by the time, they should be nearing Hanoi County.
Xue Heng deliberately slowed down his pace and followed the carriage. The horses were also getting thinner from the days of fatigue. The late autumn wind was even colder. Li Rong and Su Si both wrapped themselves in the new clothes they had bought in Linyi to keep warm. The Central Plains was now divided into several cities. Some, like Yingchuan, still stood on the flat and boundless plains. Some, like the newly demarcated territories of Henei and Hedong, often had only half-built city walls. When they hurried through in the carriage, they were not trapped by the crowds as they were in the south of the Yangtze River. Su Si settled the remaining bill with the driver, and Li Rong got off the carriage by himself.
Xue Heng had already dismounted and handed the horse to the driver to take back. Li Rong saw him touch the horse's mane, and the horse docilely lowered its head and said a heartfelt farewell to its owner who had been with it for the past few days.
"Zhuozhi." He called out Xue Heng's name, and when he looked up, he could see the sullen air in his face. Then he remembered that Xue Heng was a year younger than him. Besides his leisurely manner on horseback, he also exuded the youthful spirit. Xue Heng also raised his hand and bowed in response to his words, "We'll be arriving in Henei today. Ziqu, do you have any plans?" When he looked up again, Xue Heng was the same as always, a faint smile on his face, approaching him with a familiarity that didn't seem that close.
Li Rong gathered his scattered thoughts and, following Xue Heng's words, reflected on his whereabouts. Days of continuous travel had left him exhausted, and he had spent a long time curled up in the carriage. Now, disembarking and feeling the cool autumn breeze, he regained some clarity. The number of people entering and leaving Hanoi was greater than that of Linyi, and even comparable to that of places like Gusu and Jinling.
"Why don't you two gentlemen find an inn to rest and talk?" Su Si interjected, carrying his bag. Xue Heng said yes, and Li Rong followed their lead, resting his mind and heading for a nearby inn. While Hanei County was bustling with people, it wasn't as bustling as Jiangnan, or even as noisy as Linyi.
Li Rong and Xue Heng lagged behind, Su Si leading the way. Li Rong walked particularly slowly, carefully observing the people around him. Late autumn was the season when the harvest had already passed, but the people of the county rarely showed signs of joy. Their plain, simple faces all looked the same, their heads bowed as they hurried to and fro. The vendors shouting to attract customers could distinguish between different types, usually only looking at those dressed like outsiders. The only ones who were still making noise were the beggars in the corners, huddled in tattered clothes, lying or kneeling in the dust, their eyes scanning the people coming and going.
He untied his purse and dropped a few copper coins into the chipped bowl, knowing full well that one shouldn't show off one's wealth. Xue Heng walked ahead of him, seemingly glancing at the people around him as he did, but also seemingly looking off into the distance. Li Rong quickened his pace, following closely behind them, and settled into the inn. The inn wasn't crowded, and the waiter quickly packed up the wing and led them upstairs.
Xue Heng paid the money himself and lived alone on the street side. The wing room Li Rong had chosen this time faced west, with its window facing the far side of the street, so he couldn't hear any noise. The waiter quickly filled the tub with hot water. Li Rong removed her hairband and stepped into the tub. Her wet hair lay flat against her back, the ends of her hair hanging loose in the water.
He slowly washed and dressed, cleansing himself of the dust he'd accumulated over the past few days. Hot water ironed his sore waist and abdomen, then he donned a clean robe and soaked up the dripping water from his hair with a cotton cloth. Inside, the clepsydra also began to drip. It wasn't even sunset yet, but outside the window, it was quiet. He settled into bed and fell asleep, ready to soothe the fatigue of the last few days.
At the sound of the cockcrow, Li Rong awoke, dressed, got out of bed, and opened the window. It was still dark, the sun and moon shimmering in the sky. The alleys of the distant streets were also crowded with people, the frost on the ground trampled clean, and the autumn wind blew dead leaves down. Most of them wore tattered gowns, and children cried in their parents' arms, their hair disheveled and faces unkempt, waiting for someone in the city to wake up, ready to go and ask for a bowl of water. Those who hadn't woken up were a minority, and those lying on the ground were mostly sick or disabled.
Although he wasn't far away, he couldn't have been more unremarkable. He silently ate his simple meal and drank his warm porridge, but he didn't feel its simplicity. Hanoi wasn't far from Yingchuan, so the people he had just met were likely refugees from various counties in Yingchuan. It should have been a busy autumn season, and he had read about the prosperity of the Central Plains in bamboo scrolls. Now, he saw only countless people crowded together in the scrolls, and he could only lament the natural disaster.
After letting the waiter clear the dishes, he straightened his clothes in front of the mirror and knocked on Xue Heng's door. "Come in," Li Rong said, pushing the door open and approaching. Xue Heng had just finished his meal and was sitting at the table, grinding ink and preparing to write or draw something. "It's Ziqu."
Xue Heng paused and invited Li Rong to sit down, then filled a dish with clean water to diffuse the half-dried brush hairs. "I'm sorry to bother you. What kind of writing do I have planned?" Li Rong asked, helping him spread out the silk cloth and press it down.
"I saw the autumn scenery on the way and was inspired to write. I haven't put pen to paper yet, so Ziqu's arrival isn't really a bother," Xue Heng answered. He then looked at Li Rong's still tired face and asked, "What are you worried about, Ziqu?"
Li Rong sighed softly and smiled bitterly, "I am smart and should understand why I am worried. However, we have different perspectives and I don't have any opinions. I don't know if my opinions would be of any benefit to you."
"Autumn floods are natural. Ziqu has lived in Jiangnan for so long that he probably doesn't know that this happens every year in the Central Plains. If it's not Yingchuan, then there should be other counties. If you worry about your own fortune, then that's reasonable. But if you worry about the people's livelihood, then nothing is worse than worrying about yourself." Xue Heng continued to smooth out the creases in the silk cloth with his fingertips. "My opinion is indeed not helpful to Ziqu's idea of being an official. It's better not to discuss it. I'd like to listen to Ziqu's judgment."
Li Rong remained silent. After hearing this, he no longer insisted on asking for his opinion. He pondered the matter secretly, "If you travel through mountains and rivers without considering your true heart, it can hardly be considered as a study tour. From what I have read and seen, why not let the surrounding counties distribute grain to the people and take their time to plan?"
Xue Heng ground ink between his fingers, lowered his eyes as he listened to Li Rong's narration, "Releasing grain to comfort the people is a common thing. If this continues year after year, I'm afraid there will be no grain left in the granary if time passes."
"I have heard a lot about the prosperity of the Central Plains when I was in the south of the Yangtze River. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would find it hard to believe it this time. If there is no food in the warehouse, wouldn't the officials and politicians have sleepless nights?" Li Rong raised his eyes and met Xue Heng's gaze. Even though he could not see through Xue Heng's calm and smiling eyes, he still asked.
Xue Heng was unwilling to argue any further. He stood up and wrote on a piece of silk as if copying a calligraphy. "These are just my humble guesses. Ziqu, please just laugh. Too much worry will lead to more anxiety. I hope Ziqu will take good care of himself. When you are in office in the future, you will definitely be honest and not give up easily."
Li Rong agreed. With nothing else to do, he sat down to watch Xue Heng copy his calligraphy. His inner world was visible in the brushstrokes, but he possessed his own inner truth, a truth even more profound than his own. He watched and pondered, unable to suppress his admiration for the path he had charted. He seemed to foresee its direction, yet he recalled so many uncertainties that he was trapped in this place. It was like the clear water stained with ink, which becomes turbid when it encounters the ink, a feeling that he could not help himself for a long time.
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