"You know He Tingzhi?"
Lou Xiyue shook her fan. "He Tingzhi was a poor scholar at the time, but he became the top scholar in the imperial examination. He had a great conversation with the emperor during the palace examination, which amazed all the officials. He was a talented man. However, his ancestors were involved in a rebellion, and later someone investigated this matter and reported it to the emperor. The emperor then issued an edict to strip him of his title of top scholar, exile him to the army, and punish the prefect of Xuzhou who had recommended him."
He paused, lifted the carriage curtain to look at Su Wan'er packing her luggage outside, and then said to me, "He Tingzhi was down on his luck for a short time before he gained the favor of the Southern Cavalry General and was recommended for promotion. Now, at such a young age, he has become the governor of Xuzhou, truly a young talent. He Tingzhi's wife is the daughter of the Southern Cavalry General."
I was slightly startled and said indignantly, "This guy has such a stunning wife, yet he still goes to brothels to philander, always wanting more than he has. Now he's getting his comeuppance, and some beauty is even willing to give up her eyes for him. What kind of world is this?"
Lou Xiyue leaned closer to me, her eyes filled with a smile, and said meaningfully, "This kind of wonderful thing is something ordinary people can only envy. Why are you so indignant?"
I declared righteously, "I feel sorry for Su Wan'er."
Lou Xiyue agreed, "Such a kind, righteous, and gentle young lady is truly heartbreaking." As he was speaking, Su Wan'er entered, her face slightly flushed, and she lowered her eyes and said, "Young master is too kind."
After traveling for many days, we arrived at the residence of the Prefect of Xuzhou. He Tingzhi's mansion was quite grand, with vermilion gates, red walls, and green bricks. Su Wan'er settled us into two rooms and said to me, "Please stay here for now, Divine Physician. My husband doesn't know you've come yet; I'll go tell him." Before leaving, she turned back and stammered, "If my husband asks, can you please keep it from him? It's about me exchanging my eyes for his."
I nodded and agreed, "I need to examine your husband's symptoms first before I can tell you if he can be cured."
After settling in, it was nearly dusk. Lou Xiyue and I agreed to parade through the streets of Xuzhou. Just as we were about to leave, we saw a young man in blue standing in the courtyard. He had his eyes covered with a white silk cloth and stood beside a willow tree, exuding an air of refined elegance. I figured it must be He Tingzhi. Although half his face was covered, we could still make out his handsome features.
I was about to take a step forward when Lou Xiyue grabbed my hand. I was shocked. "What are you doing?"
He put a finger to my lips in a shushing gesture, then gestured with his chin and his eyes. I leaned over and saw a woman standing in the northwest corner of the courtyard.
The woman wore a peach-colored, wide-sleeved gauze dress, her brows and eyes revealing a spirited air. Unlike most women who would wear their hair up in a bun, she simply tied her long hair back with a red ribbon. Lou Xiyue praised in my ear, "I've heard that Lu Xiaoyue, the daughter of the Southern Cavalry General, is as bright as the moon. Indeed, her reputation is well-deserved."
I nudged Lou Xiyue with my elbow. "Are you trying to spy on this loving couple?"
Lou Xiyue pursed her lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and sighed, "He Tingzhi is truly blessed with good fortune in love."
Lu Xiaoyue watched He Tingzhi quietly from a distance, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. Some withered leaves fell onto the blue brick path, rustling softly. He Tingzhi seemed to sense Lu Xiaoyue's presence, turning towards her without speaking, his expression unreadable. After a long while, He Tingzhi spoke in a low, hoarse voice, calling out, "Xiaoyue..."
Lu Xiaoyue remained silent. Suddenly, she lightly touched the ground, as light as a swallow, and flew in front of He Tingzhi, placing her sword against his neck. In a flash, a bloody gash appeared on He Tingzhi's neck, making his fair skin stand out even more.
Lu Xiaoyue asked him, "Do you remember what you said when I saved your life on the battlefield?"
This move was clearly within He Tingzhi's expectations. His expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Remember, I said that if I ever wronged you in this life, I would atone with my death."
Blood stained the blade. Lu Xiaoyue bit her lip, her face deathly pale. "So, you're certain I won't kill you?"
He Tingzhi said calmly, "My life originally belonged to you."
Lu Xiaoyue's body trembled slightly. "You spent a fortune to redeem her, you used eight powerful men to bring her into your household, you were childhood sweethearts, you were deeply in love with her. Let me ask you, He Tingzhi, where do you place me? Do I even have a place in your heart?"
Her voice became more sorrowful, "You only remember her good points. Do you remember who I saved with the arrow wound on my chest?"
He Tingzhi remained silent for a long time before finally sighing softly, "Xiaoyue, I have let you down."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaoyue's hand trembled, and the longsword fell to the ground with a piercing sound, like a thunderclap in the long night. Her eyes reddened slightly, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
Unfortunately, He Tingzhi couldn't see it.
Lu Xiaoyue held back her sobs, composed herself, and said softly to He Tingzhi, "You're blind, but I don't care. From today onward, I'll be your eyes, okay? Just the two of us, we'll tie our hair up and paint our eyebrows, just like we used to do in the Western Regions." She emphasized the words "just the two of us," and looking at He Tingzhi, her previous arrogance was gone.
He Tingzhi paused, reaching out to grab her, but Lu Xiaoyue dodged. After a moment, he hesitated, then said, "Xiaoyue, I can't abandon Wan'er. She's all alone, and she's been through so much. It's all because of me..."
Before He Tingzhi could finish speaking, Lu Xiaoyue slapped him across the face, tears streaming down her face. "He Tingzhi, I truly regret saving you!" With that, she turned and left.
Just as she was about to leave, He Tingzhi suddenly clutched his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his expression one of deep pain. A voice called out, "Brother Ting—" Su Wan'er stepped forward and gently supported him. I could see her almond-shaped eyes were red and swollen, indicating she had just been crying. She said softly, "Let me help you inside to sit down."
He Tingzhi smiled faintly and comforted her, "I'm fine, don't worry."
Su Wan'er reached out and brushed away the cloth covering his eyes, murmuring, "Brother Ting, I will definitely find someone to heal you."
Upon hearing this, He Tingzhi's tone hardened slightly, "Wan'er, I've said it before, whether you're blind or not doesn't matter. Life and death are predestined, there's no need to force it."
Su Wan'er looked distressed and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, trying her best to comfort him, "Rest for a while. I've had some soup made to calm your nerves."
As the two walked away into the distance, I turned back, still feeling a bit unsatisfied. I saw Lou Xiyue smiling, tilting his head to look at me. He was reclining by a pillar in the corridor. "Have you seen enough?"
I chuckled dryly and said with feigned seriousness, "'Observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation' are the guiding principles of medicine. I was just observing He Tingzhi's complexion. In my opinion, he has been poisoned, and the poisoning is quite severe."
Lou Xiyue rested her cheek on her hand, playing with her fan. "Let's go out now that we've seen enough."
I nodded and leaned closer to discuss with him, "You know, He Tingzhi really doesn't neglect either side. Tsk tsk, he can't seem to get tired of splitting his heart in two."
Lou Xiyue glanced at me and said slowly, "He loves Lu Xiaoyue."
"How do you know? I think he's just a womanizer."
Lou Xiyue looked at me and smiled, "I'm a man, so of course I can tell."
I sensed something was off about what he said, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I started walking out of the courtyard, saying, "Come on, come on, let me take you to the night market!"
Text [05] Green Calyx Withers (Part 2)
Lou Xiyue and I strolled through the streets of Xuzhou. It was May, near the Dragon Boat Festival. The night market was bustling and lively. Lou Xiyue seemed to be enjoying looking for a fan hilt for his peach blossom fan, stopping frequently to browse the vendors' stalls.
Hearing cheers, I looked over and saw that there seemed to be a juggling performance not far away. Many people had surrounded the area and were clapping and cheering.
Just as I was about to join in the fun, someone bumped into me. I felt a sudden emptiness behind me and realized that the ribbon I used to tie my hair was gone, and my hair was hanging loose. Someone supported my shoulder, and I heard Lou Xiyue's voice, "Master, don't move yet, let me tie your hair up for you." He fiddled with my hair for a while, then looked at me with a smile and nodded in satisfaction.
I pointed to the restaurant not far away, my eyes fixed intently on Lou Xiyue. "Xiyue, it's time for you to repay your master. I'm going to have my first taste of meat."
Lou Xiyue said generously, "Alright. These days I've been well taken care of by my master, eating and drinking to my heart's content, as you please."
I found a seat by the window, ordered some snacks to go with the drinks, and two pots of Shaoxing wine. Shaoxing wine is one of my favorite wines because the name reminds me of Dafeng. Whether he admits it or not, he is a white-shouldered Shaoxing wine. If one day Dafeng grows old and passes away, maybe I can use him to brew a pot of the finest wine.
Looking at the twinkling lights outside the restaurant, it was the perfect day to compose poems, invite the moon to be admired together.