The Sixth Year of Shenchu
A Lonely Boat on a Cold River
The next day, after Alai’s mother fell asleep, Alai tried to leave the mansion but was stopped by the gatekeepers, who said it was by order of Master Xie. Alai tried to explain, saying she needed to go out to pick up some pre-ordered flower pots and had work to do. Despite her persistent efforts, they remained unmoved. Alai, no longer wasting words with them, returned to her room, checked to make sure her mother was still asleep, then quietly opened the window and climbed out. With a few quick steps, she easily scaled the high walls of the Xie mansion without making any noise.
Carrying her silver ingot, Alai cautiously looked around at every alley corner, vigilant against refugees.
Unexpectedly, a large number of refugees had already been captured. Their hands were tied together with hemp rope, bound in a line, with soldiers holding long spears aimed at their backs. A single slow step would result in the sharp spearheads piercing their flesh.
Alai heard the leading knight directing the infantry to divide the refugees and lead them to the county towns on the east and west sides. He held a list of prominent families within Qixian and neighboring areas. These families would be forced to take in a certain number of refugees and provide the necessary grain to sustain them, detailed comprehensively in the list.
It seemed the recruitment strategy had already begun to be implemented, and Alai felt slightly relieved. Qixian appeared to be regaining its former peace. However, she wondered how long this peace could last. Refugees were still arriving outside the city, and there were many more within Xi with nowhere to go. Once the gates of Qixian were opened, it might be difficult to close them again.
The shadow cast by the refugee riots gradually dissipated, and the once desolate market began to bustle with activity again.
Alai wandered through the market and picked out a thick fur coat and a pair of knee guards for her mother. She thought she should also buy something for Ah Xun. This time, thanks to Ah Xun’s brave intervention, she and her mother were safe.
But Ah Xun never lacked for anything. What should she buy? Alai circled the market, finally settling on a pair of sheepskin gloves. She tried them on; the leather was soft and gentle, just a bit too large for her hands, which meant they would fit Ah Xun perfectly. Ah Xun’s hands had developed calluses from years of martial arts training, and with the cold and frost, these gloves would be the most practical gift.
Just as Alai was about to pay, she saw a hairpin at the neighboring stall that she had admired for a long time. Although she was just a servant, she also dreamt of the day when her mother could personally style her hair and adorn it with a hairpin on her coming-of-age ceremony. Alai stared at the hairpin for a long time, and the merchant enthusiastically invited her over to try it on. Alai shook her head, but the merchant scoffed, saying, “What’s wrong with trying it on? It doesn’t cost anything to try!”
She knew all too well the merchant’s tricks. Indeed, trying it on was free, but once the hairpin was on her head, the merchant would undoubtedly shower her with praise, trying everything to make her buy it. If she refused and took it off, she would surely face disdain or even insults. The hairpin wasn’t cheap, and if she bought it, she wouldn’t have enough money left to buy gloves for Ah Xun.
Alai quickly averted her gaze, hurriedly paid for the gloves, and left.
The fur coat, knee guards, and gloves were all of excellent quality, and after buying them, the large silver ingot she had was almost completely spent.
The market in Qixian was so small that on her way home, she ran into Xiao Jiu again.
Today, as usual, Xiao Jiu was running her stall alone. She said that she had heeded Alai’s advice and didn’t dare to go out, thus avoiding the most chaotic days in the city and saving her life. She had spent several days at home grinding flour and steamed over a hundred steamed buns. Today, her business was so good that she was a bit overwhelmed.
“Sister Alai, I really have to thank you. If it weren’t for the silver ingot you gave me, I wouldn’t have had the money to hire a doctor to come to the house. The doctor’s timely treatment for my father and mother made a big difference. The doctor prescribed medicine and said that my father’s leg wasn’t a serious issue; with regular medication changes and a month’s rest, he’ll be able to walk again. After taking a few doses of medicine, my mother’s cough has also improved significantly. The doctor predicts that she should be fully recovered before the end of winter.” Xiao Jiu’s eyes welled up with tears as she spoke. “Our family wouldn’t have made it to today without you, Sister. I… I don’t even know how to repay you.”
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Alai laughed at her, “Why are you crying while talking? You don’t need to repay me. As long as you take good care of your family, I’ll be at ease.”
Xiao Jiu nodded vigorously, “I’ve thought it through. Once they are all well, our whole family will work together to reclaim a few more acres of wasteland. While the taxes are still low, we’ll save up more family assets and make our days better and better! When the autumn harvest comes next year, I’ll definitely bring a few bags of white rice to your house, Sister!”
Alai laughed and agreed, feeling warm inside seeing her so full of energy.
It was still early, so Alai stayed at the steamed buns stall to help out for a while. Xiao Jiu collected the money while she packed the buns. In less than half an hour, they had sold more than half of the steamed buns.
Two men came over to buy steamed buns, and while Alai was packing them, she heard them say that the inspector from the central government had arrested Sun Mingyi and that he would be escorted to the capital today.
Hearing the name Sun Mingyi, Alai sensitively pricked up her ears.
“Why? Is it because of the refugee rebellion? But wasn’t this caused by the young master of the Xie family? Everyone says it was he who used the Prefect’s Talisman to order Sun Mingyi to open the city gates. How come Sun Mingyi is the one to suffer in the end?”
“Shh, keep your voice down. Sun Mingyi is just a lowly seventh-rank county magistrate, how could he fight against the Xie family? Suichuan is Xie family’s territory, and the main branch of the Xie family in Dongchun is even more formidable, with many high-ranking officials in the imperial court. Even the inspector has to show them respect. This time, it’s really Sun Mingyi’s bad luck to have such a thing happen. But he is also perceptive; knowing that great misfortune was imminent, he sent away his wife and children early, dismissed his servants and subordinates, and stayed behind alone to bear the blame. He is indeed a tough man.”
“Bah! The Xie family is truly shameless! They dare to do things but don’t dare to take responsibility!”
“Who wouldn’t say that? The whole family is a bunch of good-for-nothings.”
The two were so engrossed in criticizing the Xie family that they almost forgot to take their steamed buns. Xiao Jiu pretended not to hear, but to Alai, every word pierced her heart, dispelling her previously good mood.
Alai knew that Magistrate Sun was an honest and diligent official who cared for the hardships of the people, and he had always been loved by the people of Qixian. He was considered one of the few incorruptible officials in Suichuan. What she did not expect was that Master Xie, who often preached about being “honest and righteous,” would end up letting Sun Mingyi take the blame. After all, Master Xie only had one legitimate son, Xie Suishan, and in his eyes, ten Sun Mingyis probably couldn’t compare to a single hair of Xie Suishan.
After leaving Xiao Jiu’s steamed bun stall, the troubled Alai did not return directly to the Xie residence. Instead, she walked against the cold wind and gray snow to the riverside of the city river.
The water of the city river came from the Lanzhang River in the west of Suichuan. The Lanzhang River spanned more than five thousand li, crossing four major Hu states and the counties of Suichuan and Dongchun, eventually merging into the mother river of Da Yu. It is said that the source of the Lanzhang River is at the foot of a snowy mountain. The four seasons are distinctly different there, with significant temperature differences between summer and winter. The thick ice and snow accumulated in winter melt under the summer sun to form the Lanzhang River. The name “Lanzhang” is also a Hu language term, meaning “snow of the homeland.”
No matter how far it travels to foreign lands, it always knows where it came from.
Alai kicked a stone and sat down on the ground. The wild grass around her had long since been frozen into a gray-black color, the bark on the tree trunks was frozen off, and eerie cold air was rising from the river’s surface as thin sheets of ice floated by from afar.
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When she was alone, Alai finally laid bare the worries buried deep in her heart.
For twelve years, Xie Taihang had never acknowledged Alai as his daughter; he had not even spared her a glance during their occasional encounters. Alai actually did not care whether Master Xie recognized her or not, as long as she and her mother could live peacefully. She did not covet any status or wealth from the Xie family. In her heart, the only one who had been kind to them without expecting anything in return was the honest gardener who had already passed away, and he was her true father.
This time, she and her mother had been threatened by Xie Suishan and Sixth Lady. If not for Ah Xun and Master Xie coming to their rescue, their corpses would probably have been discarded in a desolate mass grave in the wilderness by now. While she was grateful for having her life saved, on reflection, Alai could not help but feel a bit puzzled.
Master Xie had always ignored her and her mother, even allowing the servants in the mansion to bully them. Even when her mother was gravely ill and she begged and kowtowed until her head was bleeding, he did not permit a doctor to see her mother. So why did he suddenly change his attitude and save them? Alai could not believe that there was even a trace of familial affection in Master Xie’s heart. After all, she had seen his years of coldness and disdain with her own eyes, and she had long been disheartened by her biological father’s indifference and cruelty. She feared that this sudden act of generosity had ulterior motives.
Alai thought back to the day Fourth Aunt went missing. After searching everywhere in vain, she returned to the Xie residence only to see Lord Yunmeng discussing something with her mother. Upon hearing about Fourth Aunt’s disappearance, her mother immediately agreed to Lord Yunmeng’s request.
What was Lord Yunmeng asking for? What were he and her mother negotiating?
Her mother was just a lame gardener in the Xie residence, and she was merely an illegitimate child unacknowledged by Master Xie. They lived in nothing more than a shabby house and owned only a few old clothes. Alai couldn’t understand what they had that Lord Yunmeng would be interested in, nor what could be worth Master Xie, who was always so cold and unfeeling, sparing their lives.
The only thing was her mother’s past.
Since she was little, she knew that her mother’s past was not simple and was often contradictory, yet her mother never uttered a word about it, clearly unwilling to mention it. What mattered to her was her mother herself, not her past. If not for Fourth Aunt’s death this time, her mother probably wouldn’t have acceded to Lord Yunmeng’s request. It was obvious that her mother had been implicated because of her.
Alai felt regret and shame in her heart. If she had known this would happen, even if Fourth Aunt beat or scolded her, she would never have left her side. But now it was too late to say anything.
If they continued to stay in the Xie household, she feared that she and her mother would never have a peaceful life. She needed to find a way to get rid of both Lord Yunmeng and Master Xie.
Alai understood the direction she needed to take. But she and her mother were both of slave status, and in these chaotic times with conflicts everywhere, how could they safely extricate themselves?
Suffering, confusion, and doubts about her origins and lack of recognition caused young Alai great pain. If it were possible, she wouldn’t want to be born into the Xie family or have anything to do with Xie Taihang. But Ah Xun was so pure and kind that it made her reluctant to leave…
Deep in thought, Alai suddenly heard a deep musical sound. She looked up to see a small boat pushing through the thin ice and dispelling the cold, coming from a distance.
Although the boat had no markings and the young man punting it wore simple cloth clothing, his upright posture and piercing gaze exuded a radiant firmness, clearly indicating he was not an ordinary fisherman but a soldier in disguise.
The music played by the person on the boat had a deep, resonant tone and a sorrowful, heroic melody, striking directly at her heart and resonating perfectly with her current emotions. As she listened, she couldn’t help but stand up, and after the music ended, she felt a lingering sense of attachment and couldn’t help but shed tears.
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She was so entranced by the music that it wasn’t until the small boat was about to sail past her that Alai hurriedly stood up and shouted in the direction of the boat:
“Please, stop! Please!”
The riverside was open and spacious, and the young man on the boat heard her shout, turning back to look at her in confusion.
“Forgive my boldness, I was just now mesmerized by the exquisite music from the boat, unknowingly becoming enchanted and reflecting on my own life. I never imagined there could be such an extraordinary piece in this world. Could I trouble you to ask your master the name of this piece?”
The young man seemed surprised that this poorly dressed servant child could speak so eloquently. He did not reply but instead pushed aside the curtain with his punting pole and walked into the cabin.
As the music stopped, there was a low conversation inside the cabin, and Alai waited excitedly.
Before long, the young man came back out and said to Alai, “My master says that the riverbank is damp and cold, and it’s not suitable to stay for long. Young lady, please come inside to speak.”
