Actually, you don't need to be so "extreme." With a little guidance, I'll understand. It's just that I don't quite understand. There are so many men and women in the world, and we're destined to meet hundreds or even thousands in this lifetime. How can I be so sure that the person waiting for me in the dim light is the one I'm looking for, or that the person is waiting for me?
My senior brother said that love between a man and a woman only needs three meetings: love at first sight, infatuation at the second meeting, and a lifelong commitment at the third meeting.
But I still have doubts about the feelings of longing for each other by the riverbank, and I also find the arranged marriage by my master's school to be suspicious.
Therefore, I have decided to leave home for a few days. During this time, if Ziyu suddenly realizes his mistake or finds another love, please do not worry. I will send him a generous gift to congratulate him.
I am sending back the spring clothes with this letter. The clothes have been washed and ironed. Thank you very much.
July 14th, Yu Zigui wrote
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Ziyu, I have received your letter and clothing.
I'd often heard people say that Shangguan shops were everywhere, but I never knew there was a teahouse like yours in the mountains of Lingui. When the tea server called me Miss Yu, I was truly astonished.
Okay, it was a bit inappropriate for me to run away from home, but it was by no means an attempt to escape or break a promise. Besides, after thinking it over, I really don't remember making any promises with you.
I understand that if I stay in Nanzhu, I will eventually wait for you, and I will inevitably be influenced by you.
Ziyu, this is not fair.
This time, I'll go to Tiger Leaping Cliff first. Although my parents' remains are gone, I'll still be able to gather a handful of their earth. When I was little, I often lived in the mountains. My father promised that when I grew up, he would take my mother and me to see all the beautiful landscapes. Now, it's the same if I take them there. Although my father might feel that this is challenging his position as the head of the family, what can he do?
Ziyu, I am being frank with you, and I hope you will respond with sincerity as well. Please do not take me as a challenge.
Thank you for returning this Taoist robe. It seems one piece is missing, but it's alright. Thank you very much!
On the first day of the ninth lunar month, I visited Longyin Rock in Lingui, Zigui.
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Ziyu, thank you for your sincerity. I will definitely send the agreed monthly letter on time. This is the first one.
As I put pen to paper, I had already passed Jianmen Pass. The road to Shu is difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven; even the yellow crane cannot fly across, and monkeys and apes struggle to climb. I now truly understand Li Bai's lament; no natural barrier or strategic location surpasses this.
As fate would have it, when I was preparing to enter Sichuan from Lingui, I happened to run into a group of officials who were on their way to take up their posts. This gentleman was the newly appointed Chancellor of Xichuan, and he happened to have an unmarried daughter. Hearing that I knew some martial arts, he asked me to accompany him and protect the young lady, which was very kind of me.
I will write another letter next month.
Best wishes.
October 21st, Zigui at Jianmen Pass
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Ziyu, just as you said, even though the Sichuan roads are difficult, they are not as difficult as the official roads.
At the beginning of my journey, I thought only that Miss Nian was delicate and prone to crying, but I never imagined that Lord Nian was bringing his family to Shu with the intention of sacrificing himself. Although the current emperor has purged the princes of the Central Plains, the ruler of Xichuan is still Prince Mu, and six Grand Secretaries have died in office in four years.
If one person is willing to die for their country, so be it; why implicate the whole family? Miss Nian said this is called serving one's emperor with utmost loyalty, such "righteousness" is truly moving beyond words. If it were me, I would definitely flee overnight, and before leaving, I might go to "pay my respects" to the emperor for whom six Grand Secretaries would sacrifice their lives.
Ziyu, look, I'm just a cowardly woman who's afraid of death. You'd better think it over.
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Ziyu, no wonder people say "Yangzhou is first and Chengdu is second". Everything in Chengdu is better than Jiangdu, or even better.
Along the banks of the Jinjiang River, the night market continues until the third watch, and the treasures of Baoshu are truly rare in the world. With such a prosperous nation and abundant people, it's no wonder that the current emperor was willing to use six Grand Secretaries as stepping stones.
Although Jincheng is now a land of feasts and pleasures, it will one day become a place where merchants are buried, and the fat of the merchants will become the meat that the current emperor covets.
Even if I don't say it, you, being foolish, already know.
Enclosed with this letter is a jar of Sichuan wine, a small token of my gratitude for your repeated gifts.
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Ziyu, before I knew it, this was already the tenth letter, and before I knew it, I had been in Shu for almost a year. You have urged me several times, and I know that the peace in Shu is coming to an end.
"Don't go to Sichuan when you're young," as the saying goes, and Chengdu is truly a place full of allure. Even if I had to avoid tigers in the morning and snakes in the evening, and arrived here covered in dust, the trip would have been worthwhile, and my return date would have been postponed again and again.
I missed the hibiscus blooming season when I first arrived, and it wasn't until last month that I witnessed the beautiful sight of "the city of Chengdu in full bloom." This is enough for me; I will set off after finishing this letter.
The lands of Bashu are remote and inaccessible; they were unaware that the imperial court had issued a ban on sharp weapons. However, the wooden sword used in Taoist practices should not be among the prohibited weapons.
Thank you for your kind advice, Ziyu. Don't worry about it.
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Ziyu, during the six months you were away from Sichuan, every letter you wrote, though not explicitly mentioning Nanjing, was filled with words about Nanjing.
I praised Hunan embroidery, and you called it Yunnan brocade. I mentioned Wuling Peach Blossom Spring, and you spoke of the misty willows of Taicheng. In my last letter, I merely mentioned my chance encounter with Cong Luan at the Yellow Crane Tower and exclaimed, "The trees of Hanyang stand clearly in the clear river," to which you replied, "Phoenixes roam on the Phoenix Terrace."
Not to mention the Nanjing delicacies you send over every now and then. Although I am curious about how these delicacies can stay hot while traveling hundreds of miles upstream along the Yangtze River, I have to admit that I am indeed tempted.
My travels over the past two years have made me increasingly greedy, which is very bad, extremely bad.
However, one should not forget one's ancestors. Before going to Nanjing, I would like to go to Jinyang to pay homage to my ancestors.
If you, Ziyu, have some free time, perhaps we could get together? (There are traces of deletions in this section.)
Just as I was about to leave, I realized that I had fallen into your trap from the very beginning.
Ziyu, Ziyu, who is Ziyu?
On the first day of the seventh lunar month, Zigui visited the Nanshan Temple on Dongting Lake.