Chapter 68

The carriage swayed along the post road heading west.

Fu Tingjun was wrapped in a fur coat and didn't feel cold at all.

She asked Zheng Sanniang, who was sitting across from her and whose breath turned to mist in the cold air, "Where are we now?"

Zheng Sanniang quickly lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

All she could see were yellow earth slopes and red clay mounds.

"Brother Sanfu," she called out to Sanfu, who was riding his horse beside the carriage, "where are we now?"

Sanfu, wearing a fur coat and with a ruddy face, reined in his horse and turned back, chuckling, "We'll reach Yongjing before dark. Past Yongjing is Zhuanglang. In a little over twenty days, we'll be in Zhangye."

Because Fu Tingjun had decided at the last minute to go to Zhangye, although they had hurriedly bought supplies, adding three adults and a child meant that even just the dry provisions needed replenishing. In the end, they were delayed by a day and only departed from Xi'an Prefecture on the twenty-seventh of August.

Once out of Xi'an Prefecture, refugees were everywhere. Fortunately, they looked tall and formidable. When Sanfu and Shizhu cracked their whips, they left bloody welts, deterring quite a few people along the way. They made it safely to Mei County.

Perhaps because everyone felt that the further west they went, the more desolate it would become, after passing Mei County they no longer saw refugees. Instead, they frequently passed large merchant caravans going the other way.

Not having to deal with those defenseless refugees was a relief for Sanfu and the others.

Hearing that Zhuanglang was in sight, Zheng Sanniang was delighted. She was about to turn and report to Fu Tingjun when Zhao Ling, having heard the commotion, rode over.

"What's the matter?" he asked with concern, but his gaze swept past her face and toward the carriage.

In truth, one couldn't see anything inside the carriage from there, but Zheng Sanniang still instinctively shifted her body to the side, as if that would let Zhao Ling see more clearly.

"Miss Fu asked where we are," she respectfully repeated what Sanfu had said.

Zhao Ling nodded, didn't ask further, and said, "Tell Miss Fu not to read anymore, lest she ruin her eyes." Then he spurred his horse forward and rode up beside Yang Yucheng.

Zheng Sanniang watched Zhao Ling's back, clad only in a blue cotton-padded robe, and as she let the curtain fall, she couldn't help but grumble, "Miss, if only you had listened to me back then. That fox fur coat may have cost over a hundred taels of silver, but the fur—a uniform glossy black—was clearly a fine item. Buying it wouldn't have been a loss at all. But you thought it too expensive and couldn't bear to part with the money. Now look what's happened. Ninth Master gave you his fur coat and has nothing warm to wear himself, just that one padded robe day in and day out..."

"Oh dear!" Fu Tingjun was even more vexed. "I bought him three fur coats back then, but he just waved his hand and said none were needed, bringing only one padded robe on the trip." Even as she said this, she thought of the biting wind outside, and how he had been injured before—she didn't know if he had fully recovered. When she tried to refuse his fur coat, he had scowled and tossed it down before walking off. Her heart felt uneasy. She lowered her voice and said, "How was I to know it would be this cold here? I've heard that Jiangnan silk is sold all the way to Dashi through Zhangye, and many merchants have set up guild halls there. Surely they can't lack fur coats. We'll figure something out when we get there."

For now, that was all they could do.

Zheng Sanniang sighed inwardly. Thinking of how the journey so far had been nothing but yellow earth and red clay, she worried about what Zhangye would be like. She asked Fu Tingjun in a low voice, "How big is a zongqi? Is the constable in the county yamen bigger, or is the zongqi bigger?"

According to the official documents from the Shaanxi Dusi, Zhao Ling was a zongqi, Yang Yucheng and Jin Yuanbao were both xiaoqi, and Sanfu and Shizhu were ordinary military households. A Sen was too young to be registered.

"I don't know either!" Fu Tingjun tucked the fur coat around herself and said, "Once we get to Zhangye, we'll ask around and find out."

As the two chatted, they arrived at Yongjing County.

Before they even got out of the carriage, the sound of bustling voices reached their ears. When they stepped down, they found merchant caravans everywhere—horses neighing, camels' bells jingling, shouts of loading and unloading goods filling the air. Dashi people with yellow hair and green eyes, Hui people wearing white caps, traveling merchants in fur coats... They jostled shoulder to shoulder, kicking up clouds of yellow dust.

Fu Tingjun's eyes widened as she looked around curiously, like a village girl seeing a city for the first time.

Spotting a Hui woman wearing a gold-embroidered headscarf in the crowd, she couldn't help but stare.

Zhao Ling watched her and a faint smile appeared on his face.

A Sen exclaimed, "Didn't they say that beyond the pass it's sparsely populated and barren? Why are there so many people?"

Yang Yucheng and the others, gazing at the constant stream of people before them, were also dazzled. Only Zhao Ling smiled calmly and said, "'If you don't look at the snow on Qilian's peaks, you'd mistake Zhangye for Jiangnan.' This has been a vital trade route since ancient times. The endless caravans sustain the people along the way. The clamor and bustle are hardly surprising." Then he added, "We've worked hard on the road these past days. Tonight, everyone should rest well." With that, he headed toward the largest inn.

The others lingered reluctantly in the street for a moment, taking in the sights, before following Zhao Ling into the inn.

They had rented a secluded courtyard behind the inn. The servants dutifully led the horses to the stable, brought tea, and fetched hot water. Sanfu and the others, not trusting the servants, worked with Zheng San and Shizhu to move the luggage from the cart to their side room. Meanwhile, Zheng Sanniang attended to Fu Tingjun's washing, while Zhao Ling, Yang Yucheng, and Jin Yuanbao closed the door and talked in their room. A Sen held Linchun at the doorway, watching the strange-looking Dashi people and the hook-nosed Hui merchants.

Before long, Zheng Sanniang found A Sen: "Miss Fu says to go back and wash up quickly, so you can have dinner soon."

A Sen handed Linchun to Zheng Sanniang and ran back. After washing up, he went to Fu Tingjun's room.

Fu Tingjun was wringing out her hair with a cloth. Seeing that he still had his hair in child's buns, she scolded: "Go wash your hair."

A Sen didn't like washing his hair and tried to dodge: "No one helps me wash it. I can't wash it well by myself."

Fu Tingjun stood up: "Go call for some water, I'll help you wash it."

Seeing there was no escape, A Sen bolted out of the room.

Fu Tingjun chased after him.

A Sen quickly begged for mercy: "I'll go wash it now, I'll go wash it now!"

Hearing the commotion, Zhao Ling pushed open the window. Yang Yucheng and Jin Yuanbao both looked out into the courtyard and laughed when they saw Fu Tingjun drag A Sen back.

"That little monkey finally has someone to keep him in line!" Jin Yuanbao said.

Yang Yucheng, however, disagreed: "Miss Fu is a bit too meddlesome."

Zhao Ling and Jin Yuanbao both grinned at him.

He immediately flushed red and hastily said: "Let's get back to business, back to business."

Just after leaving Xi'an Prefecture, Fu Tingjun had tactfully reminded Yang Yucheng not to pick his teeth at the dinner table. The two men, afraid Yang Yucheng would fly into a rage from embarrassment, went along with his change of subject.

"Lu Cheng, the Regional Military Commissioner of Zhuanglang Guard. Hereditary centurion. In the thirty-sixth year of Pingxi, when the enemy invaded, he served as Assistant Regional Military Commissioner of Zhuanglang Guard. He followed the Marquis of Yingchuan in recapturing Hami Guard and was rewarded with a hereditary chiliarch position. In the thirty-eighth year of Pingxi, he was promoted to Regional Military Commissioner." Jin Yuanbao said seriously. "That's all I could find out."

Yang Yucheng let out a "wow": "Going from hereditary centurion to chiliarch just for following the Marquis of Yingchuan in recapturing Hami Guard—then the Marquis of Yingchuan himself must have received an even greater reward."

Jin Yuanbao gave him a cold look, not hiding his contemptuous expression that said "that goes without saying": "The Marquis of Yingchuan has two sons, one ten years old and one four. The ten-year-old was made a hereditary Assistant Regional Military Commissioner, rank 3a. The four-year-old was made an Assistant Commander, rank 4a!"

"Ah!" Yang Yucheng drooled with envy. "Those two boys, what a lucky fate!" His eyes gleamed.

Zhao Ling couldn't help but laugh: "If you work hard, you may yet earn honors for your wife and children."

"Ninth Master is right." Yang Yucheng said with enthusiasm. "A real man, if he cannot bring glory to his family and earn titles for his wife and children, has lived in vain!"

Jin Yuanbao couldn't be bothered with him and said to Zhao Ling: "Ninth Master, this won't do! What we know, everyone knows. We need to find a way to learn Lu Cheng's temperament and nature, his likes and dislikes, how many wives and concubines he has, which son he favors most... And the Marquis of Yingchuan too—we need to inquire about him carefully as well."

"Mm!" Zhao Ling nodded and said seriously: "Forewarned is forearmed. Since we've come, we can't just muddle through our days." He paused thoughtfully and continued: "Yongjing County is only forty or fifty li from Zhuanglang Guard. If the men of Zhuanglang Guard want to seek entertainment, Yongjing County is the most prosperous and closest place to them—they're sure to come here. Let's rest here for two days and use the opportunity to find out about Lu Cheng first. Then we'll stop in Zhangye for two days, and after learning about the Marquis of Yingchuan, we can report to the Gansu Regional Military Commander's office."

Jin Yuanbao nodded, and the two discussed more details. Sanfu came to knock on the door, saying the hot water was ready, and everyone dispersed.

Zhao Ling took a comfortable bath. As he sat on the bed drying his hair with a cloth, he suddenly thought of Fu Tingjun.

I wonder what she's doing right now?

Once the thought arose, he found it hard to sit still.

He couldn't help but take a deep breath.

His mood right now was too restless.

Only after his mind had calmed did he go to Fu Tingjun's room.

A Sen had already washed his hair and was sitting in front of Fu Tingjun's heated kang with his hair loose, while Fu Tingjun was about to have him recite from the Thousand Family Poems .

"'Pale moon and sparse stars encircle Jianzhang'—this means that on the fifteenth day of the first month, the Lantern Festival lanterns shine as brilliantly as the moon and stars in heaven, surrounding the imperial palace. 'Immortal breezes blow down the incense from the imperial furnace'—this means that the atmosphere within the palace is like a fairyland, with curling incense smoke..."

Her gentle voice made him smile softly as he pushed the door open and entered.

Hearing the sound, the two turned to look. Seeing it was Zhao Ling, both were somewhat surprised.

Fu Tingjun stood up.

A Sen hurried forward to greet him.

Zhao Ling smiled and ruffled A Sen's hair: "Reciting poetry again?"

A Sen nodded, his eyes wide open, as if he wanted to say something but held back.

"What's the matter?" Zhao Ling asked him.

A Sen tilted his head: "Temples are full of swirling incense smoke, but why would the imperial palace be full of swirling incense smoke too? If even the celestial realm has swirling incense smoke, no wonder those women all go to temples to burn incense—with all that swirling smoke, they'll soon all become immortals!" He giggled as he spoke.

Fu Tingjun felt a headache coming on.

This child always had so many strange and fanciful ideas.

Zhao Ling laughed heartily: "Places full of swirling incense smoke aren't all celestial realms, of course. But this poem is called 'The Lantern Festival Banquet'—it was written by a minister for the emperor on the Lantern Festival. He had to flatter the emperor, so he connected everything to the immortals in heaven. In other words, he's saying the emperor is like an immortal. Understand?"

A Sen nodded repeatedly.

Is this any way to teach a child?

No wonder A Sen had turned out like this.

Fu Tingjun was displeased and said coolly, "Ninth Master, your footsteps are so light that I didn't notice you come in. You gave me quite a start."

Implying that he should have knocked before entering.

"Is that so?" Zhao Ling said casually with a smile. "Then I'll be more careful in the future." He then sat down beside Fu Tingjun and asked A Sen, "You've been studying the Thousand Family Poems with Miss Fu these past days—how many have you learned?"