Chapter 46: White Bone Hairpin 1 Ningyuan Village
In early June, the sun is high in the sky, and the sky is bright and golden.
The people from the Dali Temple were divided into three groups. One group stayed in Chaozhou and escorted the disaster relief silver into the capital together with the Black Armored Army that arrived two days later; one group rode at full speed, both to explore the way and to lay false alarms; the last group followed Xun Shu and Li Xuanhe in a light carriage, carrying the case files around several nearby counties, and then went to the capital.
Xun Shu bid farewell to Fang Yan and Uncle Fang at the city gate, rode out of the city gate, and rushed to the woods ten miles outside the city gate to meet up with Li Xuanhe and his party.
Beyond the moat lay an exposed expanse of sandy ground, already scorched by the sun. Xun Shu galloped at full speed, his cheeks flushed red, his temples wet with sweat, when he finally reached the edge of the woods. The forest was lush and green, its dense canopy shielding it from the heat. The cool, moist air was far more pleasant than trudging under the scorching sun.
A path stretched northward through the forest. Xun Shu lowered his body, letting his horse gallop through the trees. The rustling of the wind rustled in his ears, and the breeze against his face, tinged with the fresh fragrance of the forest's moist vegetation, made him unconsciously relax. His horse's hooves trod lightly on the ground, and within a cup of tea, he spotted Li Xuanhe.
Li Xuanhe was taking a nap against a tree trunk. There was a carriage and several horses parked nearby. Four people in ordinary guard clothes were surrounding the carriage. Two of them were from the Dali Temple, and the other two were Li Xuanhe's personal guards, named Chi Xiao and Yu Chang.
Xun Shu dismounted twenty steps in front of the carriage, led his horse closer, and asked in confusion, "Aren't you in a hurry to get on with your journey? Why is there a carriage?"
Li Xuanhe opened his eyes, stretched, and loosened his stiff neck before explaining, "The Jiangnan Road isn't as peaceful as it seems. We've disguised ourselves as tea merchants from Jianzhou, heading north to visit relatives. I'm your third brother, and you're my fourth sister. We're traveling by carriage, which is slower, but safer. Once we reach Shannan Road, we'll continue on horseback." He paused, unable to resist, and warned, "Ah Shu, if anything happens, Yu Chang will escort you away first. Don't hesitate then, I'll have a way to get you out."
The polite refusal and unwavering devotion that Li Xuanhe had imagined never materialized. Xun Shu agreed readily, looking at him with a serious expression, "Don't worry, I won't hesitate. If someone comes after me, it could be you or me. Then you and I can go our separate ways. At least one of us will survive, and there'll be someone to burn paper for the Qingming Festival and the Ghost Festival."
Li Xuanhe nearly choked as he struggled to catch his breath. He gritted his teeth and praised, "Miss Xun is truly foresighted. She's even thought about her after her death."
"That's natural."
Xun Shu hurried to find Jiang Zheng, holding the reins and looking around, not knowing who to hand them over to. Li Xuanhe saw her confusion and pointed to Yuchang beside her: "Just give the horse to Yuchang, I will ride with you."
Xun Shu handed over the reins and stepped onto the horse stool to get on the carriage. Li Xuanhe jumped lightly and landed on the shaft of the carriage as lightly as a sparrow, and followed Xun Shu into the carriage.
The carriage quickly set off, heading north. Xun Shu lifted the bamboo curtain on the window and stuck his head out to look behind him.
Chaozhou City was completely obscured by trees, and she could not see anything. Everything she was familiar with gradually faded away as the carriage galloped on, dissipating in the flying sand kicked up by the horses' hooves. Xun Shu felt a mixture of disappointment and emotion, and all the emotions that gathered in her heart finally dissipated into the trees along with the gentle breeze.
After five days of walking, the group finally reached the junction of Jiangnan Road and Shannan Road. The two roads were naturally separated by a mountain range, but there was a narrow natural gap in the center that allowed people and vehicles to pass through. This was now the only way to pass between the two roads.
The carriage entered the gap, revealing only a narrow slit in the sky. On either side were nearly vertical cliffs, jagged and rocky, hiding many dark caves. Xun Shu, visiting this kind of place for the first time, parted the curtains and peered curiously. Li Xuanhe explained, "After passing this gap in the sky, we'll reach Ningyuan Village. Ningyuan Village is surrounded by mountains, with a passage on each side for pedestrians to traverse. We'll rest here today and set off tomorrow morning."
Xun Shu lowered the curtain, looked back at Li Xuanhe, and asked curiously, "Since this village is between Jiangnan Road and Shannan Road, which side does it belong to?"
"It belongs to no one. A hundred years ago, Jiangnan and Shannan were two independent small kingdoms, constantly at war and suffering severe population losses. The people living on the border suffered terribly and had no choice but to flee their homeland. They crossed mountains and ridges, traveling eastward, and discovered this idyllic valley and settled there. At that time, there was only a gap in the sky on the south side, making it extremely hidden and easy to defend. The people of both countries lived here peacefully for many years, until Daliang unified the two countries a few decades ago and discovered this place. The people here voluntarily surrendered, but because they were accustomed to living here, they were reluctant to leave the valley. Emperor Gaozu sent people to cut a road in the mountains to the north, connecting the north and the south. Since then, this place has become a transportation fortress, and Ningyuan Village has gradually become prosperous and strong."
Xun Shu suddenly realized: "There are people from two countries in the village. It doesn't feel right to belong to either side, so I just blur the line of affiliation."
"Yes. Ningyuan Village has a large number of pedestrians, prosperous commerce, and wealthy people, so the amount of tax collected is huge. The Jiangnan and Shannan provinces once argued fiercely in the court over this place. In the end, it was Emperor Gaozu who made the final decision, and the tax revenue here went directly into the national treasury, no longer involving the two provinces. This finally put an end to the verbal dispute."
As they spoke, the carriage had reached the end of the gap in the sky, where Ningyuan Village, surrounded by mountains, could be vaguely seen. The village was located in the center, surrounded by cultivated fields. Beyond, the mountain walls were steep, and a mountain spring leaped from the heights, forming a clear spring when it fell to the ground, nourishing all things here.
It was already dusk when the carriage stopped outside the village. Xun Shu was about to get off when Li Xuanhe stopped him. He warned, "Most villagers here make a living by traveling for business. Plus, with so many travelers coming and going, they've seen all sorts of people, some quite treacherous. Ah Shu, remember who we are and be careful not to get tricked by them."
Xun Shu nodded seriously, wrote down his words word by word, and said slowly: "Remember it, Third Brother."
Li Xuanhe was stunned, and Xun Shu had already slipped out of the carriage and dismounted using a riding stool. After landing, she straightened her dress and looked up to see smoke curling in the distance and willows swaying in the wind nearby, a scene that felt like a paradise.
She opened her eyes wide in shock and muttered, "How can this be called a village? It's bigger than many towns, right?"
Yu Chang, who was standing nearby, heard her and laughed, "Ningyuan Village had over two thousand residents at its peak. Over the years, due to various reasons, the population has dwindled to perhaps only a thousand. There are many houses now, but many have been vacant for ages, so it doesn't look as prosperous as it appears."
"Why is that?"
"I don't know. Maybe many young people have left here to study abroad."
Xun Shu seemed to be thinking about something.
After everyone had packed up, they set off again. He Xuan and Xun Shu walked side by side in the front, entering the village from the south and heading towards the inn in the village. The others rode horses and drove carriages, trailing ten steps behind them.
The group headed north, encountering no villagers. Just as they were wondering, they heard the shrill sound of a suona in the distance. As the sound approached, the wailing mixed with the suona became more pronounced. Then, a funeral procession approached from north to south, some with solemn expressions, others weeping uncontrollably.
The sky was filled with paper money, which looked like it was on fire under the setting sun. Xun Shu stared at the coffin at the back of the team, squinting his eyes and said with certainty, "It's not as good as Uncle Jiang's craftsmanship."
Li Xuanhe, who was standing by, said, "Funeral in the evening? That's the custom in the village."
At some point, an elderly woman with white hair stood beside them. She was dressed in plain clothes, with a white hairpin in her bun, simple yet unique. After hearing this, she softly explained, "These aren't village rules, they're Ningxi's rules. The village is divided into Ningxi and Ningdong, each with its own rules."
When they saw the villagers, the two of them said no more and moved to the side of the road to let the funeral procession go first.
The sun was setting behind the mountain at that moment, and the sky darkened a little, making everything in front of her seem even more eerie. Perhaps it was Xun Shu's illusion, but she always felt that at the moment the sky darkened, a cold wind seemed to blow between heaven and earth, as if carrying a coffin southward.
Li Xuanhe, who was standing by, asked the old woman, "Are the cemeteries in the village also divided into Ningxi and Ningdong?"
"There are rocks everywhere, so where can there be a grave? Country people don't care about that much. There are many caves on the mountain wall between the north and south sky gaps. After the dead are carried up the mountain wall, they find an empty cave and put them in. Ningzang is hidden in the southern mountain wall, and Ningdong is hidden on the north side. No one argues about this."
Xun Shu asked curiously, "If that's the case, how should future generations worship him?"
"There's an incense burner and tribute stand at the foot of the cliff. If a family wants to offer sacrifices, they can place some offerings there and burn three incense sticks. The ancestors of the same clan can also burn incense together."
Xun Shu nodded, thinking that this was a great idea. Not only would it save trouble, but it would also ensure that there would always be incense to worship her. She could also be buried here in the future.
The funeral procession passed quickly, and the sounds of suona and wailing gradually faded away. Silence returned to the village, and those who had been hiding to avoid the funeral procession gradually emerged. A few boys ran by, laughing, and the whole village seemed to have suddenly come alive.
Xun Shu and his group continued on their way, and after a while, they arrived at the largest inn in the village. The waiter peered out the door, his gaze sweeping over Li Xuanhe. His eyes lit up like lanterns, "It's getting late. Would you like to stop by our inn to rest for a while before continuing your journey tomorrow?"
Li Xuanhe remained silent, his tone calm, "My brother and I don't like to stay in the same place with others. Are there any other guests in the inn today?"
The waiter looked embarrassed, rubbing his hands and saying flatteringly, "This is unfortunate. A few passing merchants are staying at our inn today, but it's getting late now, so it's not convenient to ask them to leave. Could you please make do? I will definitely make room for you tomorrow."
Li Xuanhe frowned. "This is really difficult. Are there any vacant floors?"
The waiter breathed a sigh of relief and said quickly, "Of course we have them. Those guests are ordinary traveling merchants with little money. They are staying in the Renzi rooms on the first floor and the Dizi rooms on the second floor. Currently, all the Tianzi rooms on the third floor are vacant. You can stay there."
Li Xuanhe turned his head to look at Xun Shu beside him: "Fourth sister, what do you think?"
What did she feel? This was her first time here, what could she possibly feel? Although she thought so in her heart, she still had to pretend on the surface. Xun Shu looked around, smiled and nodded, imitating the frail appearance of the second young lady of the Zhao family, and nodded with a smile: "I'll do as Third Brother says."
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