Li Weiying couldn't help but shout, "Huan Lang... Huan Lang... Huan She!" She heard no reply, but saw a large falcon circling in the air, screeching. Terrified, she called his name again, but still received no response. She then took out her jade flute and began to play it forcefully. The clear, melodious sound soared into the blue sky, and the falcon swooped down towards her. Li Weiying screamed in terror as the falcon swept past her head and flew towards the mountain. Still shaken, she looked in the direction of the falcon and saw Huan She already on the mountaintop. The falcon circled above his head a few more times before flying away.
Huan She climbed down the mountain and gave Li Weiying a wry smile, clearly unaware that she hadn't noticed. He said, "I might have made a mistake; I shouldn't have dragged you here. You once said that Tianci Mountain is covered in snow all year round, with blooming wildflowers and celestial birds and beasts. I was so focused on the burning stones on Chishi Mountain that I forgot where such a barren mountain would have a sea of snow and wildflowers. And that falcon just now was so fierce; it didn't seem like a celestial bird." He was filled with unspeakable remorse.
Seeing his sunburned face, his tattered clothes, and the blood on his hands and knees, Li Weiying felt a pang of heartache. She quickly helped him sit down and bandaged his wounds, saying, "It's good that you're back. I was so worried about you for so long." Seeing Huan She still looking dejected, she said, "I don't want to look for any more spirit stones. I just want you to be safe and sound. Even if I find a spirit stone, I'll pray to the gods to bless me so I can see you return safely." Huan She was deeply moved and gazed at her for a long time. She smiled and said, "Well, at least you're out. Why don't we go to the capital and see what's going on?" She smiled gently at Huan She and mounted her horse first. Huan She quickly mounted his horse as well, and they rode westward together.
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PS:
The phrase "碧血" (bi xue) originates from the "Outer Things" chapter of the Zhuangzi: "Therefore, Wu Zixu was exiled to the river, and Chang Hong died in Shu. Their blood was stored and transformed into jade after three years."
Beishan: also known as Tianshan. Gaochang has no major rivers, and drinking water is mostly obtained from the melting snow of Beishan.
Red Stone Mountain: As you might have guessed, it's today's Flaming Mountain. Local documents unearthed in Turpan generally refer to it as Red Stone Mountain, while in the Tang Dynasty it was called Volcano.
Chapter Nine
9【White Stacking】
Because Jinjiang posts don't allow images (actually, I don't know how), I drew a simple diagram myself. Due to document layout limitations, the proportions are definitely not very accurate, but the general orientation is correct. The name in parentheses is the current name.
↑Up North and Down South
...Beishan (Tianshan)
...Gaochang Royal Capital
Red Stone Mountain (Flaming Mountain) ....... Yiwu (Hami)
........................Fields/Liu Zhong (Lu Keqin)
.............................The Sea (Dikaner)
Yanqi
Guazhou (Anxi)
................................................................Shazhou (Dunhuang)
Tiandi/Liuzhong are essentially the same place, but their historical names have changed several times. The name passed to the Uyghurs and Mongols, and finally, during the Qing Dynasty, it was named Lukeqin, which actually originates from the Chinese word "Liuzhong." I don't like the name Lukeqin; it sounds like a Mongol prince. Tiandi and Liuzhong are much more poetic. The same goes for Dahai Village. The Han people named it after the vast desert, which is why I mentioned in my novel that "a small village had a very grand name." When it reached other ethnic groups, a retroflex consonant was added, and today it's called Dikan'er (there are now Dikan'er Village and Dikan'er County in Xinjiang), which is quite frustrating.
If you draw a line connecting "Shazhou" and "Dahai", that's the Dahai Road.
Gaochang was originally called Gushi (later Cheshi, due to similar ancient pronunciations). During the reigns of Emperor Wu and Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty, a fierce and brutal tug-of-war ensued with the Xiongnu, known historically as the "Five Battles for Cheshi." Ultimately, the Western Han Dynasty emerged victorious and gained complete control of Cheshi. In the first year of the reign of Emperor Yuan of Han, the Wuji Commandant was established there to govern troops and cultivate land. A large number of Han soldiers and civilians settled there and reclaimed land for a long period. Some say that the name "Gaochang" came from its high and open terrain and prosperous population.
During the Western Jin Dynasty, Gaochang was established as a prefecture. Later, due to the wars in the Central Plains, a large number of people from Longyou migrated westward, and the Wuji Commandant was mostly from the Longyou gentry. During the Northern Dynasties, the jurisdiction of Gaochang Prefecture changed hands between the Former Liang, Former Qin, Later Liang, Western Liang, and Northern Liang. After that, it became independent and went through the regimes of the Kan, Zhang, Ma, and Qu families. In the early Tang Dynasty, during the Zhenguan era, the Qu family's Gaochang had existed for 140 years, and it was ruled by the eleventh (tenth) king, Qu Wentai. Gaochang had three prefectures, five commanderies, and twenty-two counties (this data comes from the research of Mr. Wang Su; the *Wei Shu* says it had eight cities, the *Sui Shu* says it had eighteen cities, and other scholars have different opinions, possibly due to different administrative division standards).
A friend, a waterweed enthusiast, previously told me that the main ethnic group in Gaochang was not Han Chinese, but Xianbei. Thank you for your opinion. However, after reviewing the latest historical research literature, I can confirm that the main ethnic group and ruling class in Gaochang were Han Chinese, who accounted for more than three-quarters of the national population. (The situation is somewhat similar to that of Singapore today).
★★★
Let's set aside idle gossip and talk about Huan She, the hero of Guazhou. Huan She should be a single seedling among thousands of acres of land, but the custom of the Tang people was to count the order of birth among cousins with the same grandfather. I think "Seventeen Lang" sounds better, so let's call him Huan Seventeen Lang.
Huan She and Li Weiying arrived at the capital of Gaochang from Chishi Mountain at nightfall and hurriedly checked into an inn. Some readers might say: "Lord Xiangsi, you must have told the waiter to say the inn was full and there was only one room left, and the two gentlemen could either make do for the night or find somewhere else." So the two of them squeezed into one room; Li slept on the bed, and Huan slept on the floor. That night, Li, worried that Huan was too cold, invited him to sleep on the bed with her. They slept under the same quilt… Hmph, it was nothing special.
As Zhidao Xiangsi said: You guessed everything, so why should I write a book? These plot points are so overused, and Huan and Li have already embraced and held each other in the desert, not caring about spending the night together, so I deliberately didn't write it that way.
Li Weiying casually picked up a piece of agate and placed it on the counter. The two men then vied to lead them upstairs, where they were assigned to two adjacent rooms. Because of the long journey up the mountain, they were both quite tired and went to bed early.
The next morning, when they came downstairs, several guests were already having their meals. Upon seeing them arrive, they all whispered amongst themselves. Although Li Weiying was dressed simply (Aunt Zhao had given her some old clothes she had only worn a few times in her youth, and a set she said was made for her daughter, but unfortunately, she only had a son. However, Huan She always felt that if he weren't there, Aunt Zhao might have said it was a gift for her daughter-in-law), her beauty and elegance were undeniable. Some of the Hu people even whistled at her brazenly. Huan She, however, had tattoos on his face and, fearing that the literate Han people in the capital would recognize them, had haphazardly smeared some mud on his face. The thin clothes he had worn out of prison were already worn out, and they had been torn in many places along the way. When he arrived at Dahai Village, Uncle Zhao gave him Zhao Jie's clothes, but unfortunately, he was taller and bigger than the young man from the Zhao family, so he could only barely fit into the padded jacket and fur coat. In addition, he had been bedridden and recuperating from his injuries, so he was not very particular and was still wearing his original thin clothes, which were just patched on top of patched. They had been torn a bit more when he climbed Chishi Mountain yesterday. Therefore, when Huan She heard them saying in both Chinese and non-Chinese languages, "What a beautiful flower stuck in...", he couldn't help but feel ashamed.
Li Weiying knew exactly what was going on (why am I talking like this today...), and said nothing more. She ate something with Huan She, asked the waiter for directions, and exchanged the jade and agate she carried for some silver. She then accompanied Huan She to a pharmacy to buy ointment. In a secluded spot, she wiped the mud off his face and applied the ointment to the tattoo on his cheekbone (if only she had used a band-aid now ^^). Huan She smiled wryly, "It seems that Right General Lu Shuang's suggestion to tattoo my face was truly brilliant." Li Weiying laughed, "He spent so much time tattooing it, but we only needed one ointment to cover it up, so we were the better ones." She patted the dust off his clothes and said, "Shall we go change your clothes?"
The two arrived at a tailor shop. The shopkeeper's face fell upon seeing their attire (Changbai Mountain...). But seeing the money Li Weiying offered, he quickly became ingratiating: "Madam, your accent doesn't sound like a local... From the Tang Dynasty? The Central Plains, the Tang Dynasty! (Sounds like 'Journey to the West,' doesn't it?) My ancestors were also from the Central Plains... Ready-made or custom-made? Why don't you just pick something to try on first and then order the custom-made one? Pick anything, pick anything. Madam has good taste. This is cloth made from white straw introduced from the Hu region by Gaochang. It's soft and absorbent. This kind of cloth isn't available in the Tang Dynasty. If you wear it back, high-ranking officials will immediately come to propose marriage." Seeing that Li Weiying was paying and Huan She was dressed in rags and dirt, the shopkeeper treated him like a servant, ignoring him completely. Li Weiying found the shopkeeper's persistent pestering amusing and asked, "Huan Lang, what do you think?" Huan She picked out a black robe, saying, "It's dirt-resistant." Li Weiying smiled: "I'll take another one." Huan She then pointed to a blue one, "Then this one."
Li Weiying paid, and Huan She first put on a black robe. Li Weiying then helped him re-tie his hair. Huan She was already handsome and tall, and as a martial artist, he exuded a heroic spirit. Now, he looked even more radiant. Although his robe was simple and his face was covered with plaster, the flaws did not detract from his overall appearance. The people in the shop secretly cheered, and Li Weiying couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart as she looked at him. Seeing the slight smile on her lips, Huan She asked, "Are you laughing at me?" She replied, "No. You look very good like this." She couldn't help but feel embarrassed and quickly pulled him out of the shop.
They strolled around the capital and were amazed by what they saw.
Gaochang boasts fertile land and a hot climate, yielding two harvests of grain and wheat annually, and abundant fruit trees. As a crucial hub connecting the west and central regions, it was a bustling center of commerce, with merchants coming and going in a constant stream, resulting in a highly prosperous economy. The capital was divided into three cities: an outer city with a circumference of approximately twelve li (about 6.5 kilometers), a middle city with a circumference of approximately seven li (about 3.5 kilometers), and grand and imposing gates such as Xuande, Jinfu, Jinzhang, Jianyang, and Wuwei. It was considered the third largest city in the Western Regions, after Kucha and Yilu. The Kingdom of Gaochang was a devout Buddhist, hence the numerous Buddhist temples and shrines throughout the capital, displaying solemn and dignified appearances.
On the streets, one could see both Han Chinese and various other non-Han peoples, with Turks being particularly numerous. Huan She told Li Weiying that the Turks called Gaochang "Turpan," meaning "a rich and prosperous land." Li Weiying laughed and said, "This is the same reason why the Han people named it 'Gaochang.'" However, they saw some Turks acting arrogantly and arbitrarily scolding others. They asked passersby and learned that although Gaochang was wealthy, it was a small country under the control of the Western Turks. The Turks had troops stationed in Gaochang and levied taxes on merchants of various ethnicities who passed through.
Huan She asked Li Weiying, "How does this place compare to Chang'an?" Li Weiying replied, "Chang'an is a behemoth, with an outer city circumference of thirty-six li, equivalent to three Gaochang capitals. Although Gaochang is far inferior to Chang'an, it is still well-organized and orderly, with temples and pavilions everywhere, quite like Luoyang in the past." She laughed, "However, Luoyang doesn't have so many lush grape trees." Huan She asked, "Have you been to Luoyang?" Li Weiying said, "I went when I was young, but I don't remember it well. My father and brothers went many times. My father loved Luoyang cherries the most. He once wrote a poem: 'The garden is full of fragrant scenery, Luoyang is bathed in spring sunshine. Crimson faces reflect the distant sun, emerald shadows stretch long. Tall branches echo with the warbling of birds, low branches reflect the beauty of women. Once a fruit of the garden, now a delicacy on the table.'"
Huan She gazed at her standing beneath the grape tree, the phrase "a beauty reflected in the low branches" echoing in his mind several times. Looking up and seeing her lost in thought, he asked, "What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Li Weiying replied, "Cao Ling's hometown is Luoyang. He said his old residence in Luoyang was surrounded by a winding stream, with a cherry orchard where the fallen petals filled the air with fragrance… Huan Lang, I… I can't help but think of him." Huan She said, "Hearing you say that, I think of him too." Seeing Li Weiying's confusion, he smiled and said, "I want to eat his cherries." She chuckled softly. Huan She coaxed her, "We've been traveling for so long, I'm thirsty. If there are no cherries, how about some grapes?"
The two entered a small restaurant frequented by foreigners, enjoying roasted meat, goat's milk, and dried grapes with great satisfaction. At the next table, a young Turkic man, feigning drunkenness, deliberately bumped into Li Weiying. Huan She easily pushed him, causing him to stumble, and warned him in Turkic, "If you dare touch my woman again, believe me, I'll kill you." The young man retreated to his seat, glaring angrily at Huan She. Huan She sneered and continued eating with Li Weiying. Another group of Turks entered. Emboldened, the young man dared not touch Huan She, but when a waiter brought mutton soup to Huan and Li, he tripped him. Huan She dodged, catching the waiter before he fell, but the soup bowl still spilled, splashing water all over Huan She. Li Weiying exclaimed, "Are you burned?"
Huan She released his companion, saying, "It's alright." He walked to the next seat, said nothing, drew his sword, and with a single stroke, the young man fainted from fright. Huan She merely cut off the braid beside his left ear. Li Weiying clapped and cheered, "What a swift sword!" Huan She gracefully sheathed his sword, cupped his hands, and said, "I've disturbed you, my lady." He whispered to her, "Let's go quickly." With a calm smile, he escorted her out of the shop. The group of Turks beside them had already stood up. Huan She said, "Get on the horse quickly." He pushed Li Weiying, kicked the table to block the Turks, rushed out the door, cut the reins with his sword, and rode off with her.
The Turks didn't pursue them, but the two had already lost their enthusiasm. Li Weiying said, "Huan Lang, I've caused you trouble again." Huan She laughed and said, "It's alright. I'm happy to." He looked down at his newly worn robe. Although it was black and didn't look dirty, a bowl of mutton fat splashed on it made it smell unbearably fishy. He had no choice but to hurry back to the inn with her to change.
Huan She drew a bucket of water and squatted down to wash. Li Weiying, unwilling to return to her room to rest, sat beside him. Two other guests from Yiwu who were also washing clothes spoke Mandarin and immediately struck up a conversation with them. They asked, "Where are you from?" Huan She replied, "From the Great Tang." The Yiwu man said, "We've been to the Great Tang too. Ganzhou, Suzhou." Huan She said, "Really? That's far." The Yiwu man said, "That road is easy to find; it follows the Qilian Mountains, all the way from Shazhou to Chang'an." They exaggerated, and both Huan and Li laughed. The Yiwu man said, "We wanted to see what the Heavenly Khan of the Great Tang looked like, but now there's war, and the roads are impassable, so we had to return to Yiwu. Business is important, so we crossed the Chuluoman Mountains again to come to Gaochang."
Li Weiying asked curiously, "What does 'Chuluoman' mean?" One of the Yiwu people said, "It means Baishan (White Mountain). Because even in the height of summer, it's covered in snow. You Han people call it Tianshan (Heavenly Mountain)." Huan She said, "Tianshan?..." He looked at Li Weiying nervously, but she said softly, "Qilian Mountain is also called Tianshan. Qilian is a Xiongnu word, which also means Tianshan." Another Yiwu person said, "Actually, there are many Tianshan mountains. I heard that there is a mountain peak called Tanwu Mountain in the northern mountains north of Gaochang, which is also covered in snow all year round, so some people also call it Tianshan."
Huan She hurriedly picked up his hastily washed robe and pulled Li Weiying to the backyard of the inn to air it. She said, "Why did you drag me here? I want to know if Tianshan is truly a mountain bestowed by heaven? Why are there so many Tianshans?" Huan She said, "Let's not listen to their nonsense. They call every snow-capped mountain Tianshan; that's irresponsible." She slowly said, "Actually, there are no mountains bestowed by heaven. Legends are just legends, not reality." Huan She said, "They're talking about Tianshan, not mountains bestowed by heaven. Mountains bestowed by heaven do exist."
Seeing her dejected expression, Huan She joked, "Do I look alright in this blue robe?" She replied, "Fine." Huan She said, "Fine what? I was originally a seventh-rank official, wearing light green robes. Wearing this light blue robe has demoted me to an eighth-rank official." He laughed loudly, but seeing tears welling in her eyes, he exclaimed in panic, "Wei Ying!" She said, "Deep affection is short-lived, and extreme strength leads to humiliation. That day in the Great Sand Sea, I was delirious with fever and saw someone in a mirage wearing a bright red official robe. I called out, 'Cao Ling, Cao Ling.'" She smiled sadly, "Cao Ling is a fourth-rank Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. Hmm, he was promoted to Vice Minister after his marriage, wearing dark scarlet robes. So even though I knew it was just a mirage, I still mistook him for him... Even though I knew there were no immortals in the world, I still dragged you to find the Heavenly Gift Mountain..." Tears streamed down her face.
Huan She pulled her into his arms, letting her sob on his shoulder, gently stroking her back: "There are so many snow-capped mountains, and we haven't searched any of them. How do we know there isn't a Heavenly Gift Mountain? You've been to school; books don't lie. Let's search slowly, look today, and look again tomorrow. We'll definitely find it. Mirages are illusions, but I've heard they're just the sky reflecting distant scenery. Look, Cao Ling regretted it; he's come looking for you. He's wearing a deep scarlet official robe with an eleven-pronged gold belt, so handsome! I saw him too; it's real." He added, "You absolutely mustn't give up looking. You promised to reward me handsomely once you find the Heavenly Gift Mountain. I escaped from prison, and I'm penniless. My survival depends entirely on you."
She sobbed, "You always...joke." Huan She said, "Yes, yes, I'm glib, I'm not good at it. So we're going to find the Heavenly Gift Mountain, find the spirit stone, find Cao Ling. Once he's here, I won't bother you anymore... Hey, wife, you've made my clothes wet with tears, what am I supposed to wear?" He pretended to be angry. She stopped crying and wiped her eyes. Huan She spoke gently again, "Who says deep love is short-lived? Does shallow love lead to a long life? You love Cao Ling so much, Heaven won't let you down." Li Weiying looked at Huan She for a long time, her expression softening.
Chapter Ten
10. 【莪】
Huan She coughed badly again, so Li Weiying asked a helper to borrow the kitchen and boil a bowl of water with seedless dried white grapes. Just as she brought it to his door, she heard his hissing. She pushed the door open and saw Huan She grimacing as he peeled off the plaster on his left cheekbone: "Weiying, my face hurts and itches." It turned out that he had been unable to wash off the plaster because of the hot and dry climate of Gaochang. He had also drunk wine and eaten very hot mutton, which caused the wound at the tattoo site to become red, swollen and inflamed.
Li Weiying brought him some clean water and, while wiping the wound on his cheek, said, "This is strange." Huan She asked, "What's wrong?" She pretended to think, "The other day I saw 'Heaven and Earth are dark and yellow, the universe is vast and desolate' on your cheek, how come it has become 'The sun and moon wax and wane, the stars and constellations are arrayed' today?" Huan She said seriously, "My lady, you must look closely, it is clearly 'Women admire chastity, men emulate virtue'." They both laughed heartily. After she finished washing him, she gently fanned the wound on his cheek with a silk handkerchief and said earnestly, "Now I understand, it is actually 'Huan She of Guazhou, a first-class man'."
Huan She was taken aback: "Wei Ying, you really think so highly of me." She smiled faintly, "'Virtue establishes reputation, form is upright and appearance is proper.' Hmm, that's how you are. Alright, drink it quickly, it's getting cold." She handed him the dried grape water, and Huan She looked down and saw her reflection in the medicine soup, and he couldn't bear to drink it.
A series of creaking sounds came from outside the room, and Huan She immediately felt a headache coming on. "He's singing again." They were talking about a Turkic man, in his thirties, who had probably lost a leg in war and ended up in Gaochang, carrying a hubosi (a type of scepter) and begging by singing and playing it. He was not good-looking, had a hoarse voice, and didn't speak fluent Mandarin. He always sang about Turkic history, so the guests didn't give him much money.