Un joven errante

Capítulo 18

The surname of the Eastern Jin imperial family was Sima. Therefore, Brother Sima must also be a member of the imperial family. I suspect Yunying already knew, but for some reason, she never told me. Judging from the innate dignified air about Brother Sima, he must be some kind of prince. I should ask Yunying to inquire whether there's a handsome and charismatic prince like Brother Sima. Hehe, that way, I can ask him to help me figure out how to get me out of the palace. It's too boring here.

And every day they had to listen to all sorts of scandals about the concubines vying for the emperor's favor. Today, Consort Wang deliberately went to dance in the Imperial Garden, and the emperor happened to see her as he passed by. That very night, the emperor chose her. Another beauty from an ordinary family tied a swing to the White Flower Grove, where the emperor often frequented, and swung there under the scorching sun, her voice sweet and melodious. The emperor heard her and praised her voice as being like a lark. He personally took her down and chose her as his concubine that very night... All sorts of tricks and schemes came up one after another. These women were truly... Was this not the tragedy of women in this era, dependent on men, with men as their heaven, earth, and only god?

After several days of frantic work, I finally finished this month's tasks. I had already asked Xiao Qi to find someone to help me in the palace, but I still haven't told him the truth about my true gender. It's not that I intentionally hide it from him, it's just not the right time to tell him yet. He simply assumes I'll be working in the palace for a while, and I think, with his intelligence, it's impossible for him not to have doubts. But his unconditional trust in me is a sign of respect for his master. I know that even if he has suspicions, he won't investigate. This is Xiao Qi, who has always followed me. Someone I consider family.

Feeling inexplicably irritated, I decided to take a walk alone while Yunying was napping and Xiao Quanzi was out playing with his friends. Of course, I chose secluded, inconspicuous spots; I didn't want to run into the currently favored Wang Dieyi and Huan Shuangshuang. It wasn't that I was afraid of their sarcasm and ridicule, but I wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble. Besides, I had just offended some unknown sugar daddy, and I didn't believe he would let me off the hook after what happened last time. So, for my own safety, I decided to keep a low profile.

I wandered around, turning left and right, for ages, until the scenery became increasingly unfamiliar and the buildings increasingly desolate. Then it dawned on me: I, the most directionally challenged person, was completely lost. I gave a wry smile, resignedly trying to turn back, hoping to find even a eunuch or palace maid to ask for directions. But it was eerily quiet; there wasn't a soul in sight.

Just as I was wondering what to do, I suddenly heard a beautiful flute melody coming from not far away. It was quiet and profound, even more beautiful than the one my brother Sima played when we were going through the trials together. I couldn't help but forget my current lost situation and followed the flute music to find its source.

As I walked, I came to the door of a strange house. What was strange was that in a place like the palace, there would be a house that looked like an ordinary person's home. I pushed open the door with a puzzled look and went inside. In the distance, I saw a lonely man standing by a courtyard, his back to me. The faint sound of a flute came from his mouth and between his fingers, confusing me as I wandered off.

I stood there, stunned, for a very long time, until my own thoughts began to wander. His figure became somewhat blurry and ethereal in my vision. He was truly a celestial being, but unfortunately, the sorrowful atmosphere in the flute music was too strong. However, this was quite normal; in this era, nine out of ten men were talented but unfulfilled, dying in despair.

He must have his own compelling reasons for living alone in such a remote and quiet place.

Just as I was lost in thought, his flute playing suddenly stopped. He abruptly turned around, and when he saw me, who had appeared there out of nowhere, he was startled for a moment, then coldly said, "Who are you? Who gave you permission to enter my room?"

Another icy man, but the deep, melancholic blue in his eyes when he turned around didn't fool me. They're all cold on the outside but fragile on the inside. Why are there hedgehogs everywhere here? Since I came to this era, two-thirds of the men I've met are like this. Really—

I ignored the rudeness in his tone and looked around the decent-looking yard. Although it was monotonous and had no flowers or plants, it was at least clean.

Noticing his rising anger, I smiled sweetly at him and praised, "You play the flute so well, you even attracted this lost girl here. Hehe." I continued with a smile, "This courtyard is very nice. Do you live here alone?"

“By the way,” I continued before he could respond, “I’m Xie Weiying. And you, what’s your name? That’s strange, what are you doing here?”

Seeing his stunned expression, it seemed he was bewildered by my barrage of questions.

Before he could react, I rudely entered his room. The inside was as plain as the outside, but very clean. The room was piled high with books. I randomly picked one up—*The Great Learning*. Looking at the others, they were all classics by sages; he truly was a scholar. After flipping through them, I finally found one I recognized: Sun Bin's *The Art of War* (including the Thirty-Six Stratagems). Since I was bored anyway, I decided to borrow it.

"What are you doing?!" A roar rang out, and without even looking up, one knew it was that guy.

He strode over with an unfriendly expression, took the book from my hand, carefully put it back, then turned around and said sternly, "Miss, I don't know who you are, but please have some self-respect. Entering a strange man's room without permission is not the behavior of a good young lady."

Instead of being angry, I laughed. What a pedantic scholar, spouting ancient doctrines of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues again.

"Can I borrow that book? I'll return it to you after I'm done, okay?" I asked casually.

He suddenly turned his head and looked at me as if I were a strange creature. I touched my face, wondering if there was something dirty on it.

After a long silence, he stammered, "You read books like this...?" His tone was full of doubt.

I smiled disdainfully, "I read this kind of book when I was very young. I'm just too bored now, and all you have here are those poems and classics, so I have to read them again."

He still didn't believe me. Actually, I wasn't lying; I did see it when I was very young in modern times, though that doesn't count as ancient times.

I looked at him amusedly. "What, you don't believe me? Do you want me to recite it for you?"

He then began reciting: "The Thirty-Six Stratagems are divided into six sets. The first set is for winning battles. The first stratagem is 'Crossing the Sea Under Cover of Darkness,' the second is 'Besieging Wei to Rescue Zhao,' the third is 'Killing with a Borrowed Knife,' the fourth is 'Waiting for the Exhausted Enemy at Ease,' the fifth is 'Taking Advantage of a Fire to Loot,' and the sixth is 'Feinting to the East and Attacking in the West.' The second set is for fighting the enemy. It includes the seventh stratagem, 'Creating Something from Nothing,' the eighth stratagem, 'Secretly Crossing the Chencang Pass,' the ninth stratagem, 'Watching the Fire from Across the River'... The third set is for attacking battles. It includes the thirteenth stratagem, 'Startling the Snake in the Grass'... The fourth set is for chaotic battles. It includes the nineteenth stratagem, 'Drawing the Firewood from Under the Cauldron'... The fifth set is for combined battles. It includes the twenty-fifth stratagem, 'Stealing the Beams and Replacing the Pillars'... The last set is for losing battles. It includes the thirty-first stratagem, 'The Beauty Trap'... Okay, there's one last stratagem. As the saying goes, of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, running away is the best policy. Hehe."

My mouth was a little dry; it took me a full half hour to memorize it. Sigh, my memory isn't what it used to be. Actually, it's because I haven't practiced in a long time. While memorizing, I was thinking and reciting at the same time, so it was very slow. Ignoring his stunned expression, why was I working so hard to memorize it? I wasn't just doing it for fun; I was trying to prove to this pedantic scholar that we women are not to be underestimated. We are strong too. However, I know it's all meaningless. So I also know how childish and foolish my earlier act of spite was!

I looked at him again; he still had a blank expression. I walked over and waved my hand in front of his face, but there was no reaction. I waved again, still no reaction. Without hesitation, I slapped him hard on the shoulder and said, "Hey, brother, what's wrong with you?"

He pointed to himself again and said, "You're not scared out of your wits, are you?" What's so surprising about that? Confused.

He snapped out of his reverie and said sadly, "I'm fine. Just now, looking at the girl reminded me of someone and a past event."

I joked, "Is it the woman you like?"

His face flushed instantly, and he stammered, "Miss, please don't talk nonsense, I, I—"

"Alright, after all this talk, you still haven't told me your name?" I urged. "You wouldn't be so stingy as to not even dare to tell me your name, would you? I'm leaving soon, what kind of man acts like this, all coy and hesitant?"

Seeing that I had already said that, he took a deep breath and said, "My name is Li Jiu."

I paused, stunned. Wait, why does that name sound so familiar? Li Jiu, Li Jiu, where have I heard that name before? Just as I was about to give up, ask for directions, and go back, a thought struck me—Li Jiu, it's him!

I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Wasn't Li Jiu the arrogant top scholar who had challenged the talented Mu Wanyan in the Yichun Garden back then? I heard he disappeared after that. How did he end up in this remote corner of the palace? I remember when I was passing the trials in the Yichun Garden, listening to those gossips, I thought to myself, "Why does that name sound a bit strange?"

I stopped laughing and suddenly said in a dismissive tone, "Young Master Li, I've heard so much about you. May I ask if you know the talented Ms. Mu Wanyan?"

Volume 2, Chapter 31: Remembering a Beauty

Not long ago, I met someone who gave me a jar of wine. He said that after drinking it, you could forget everything you'd ever done. I was very curious why such a wine existed. The biggest trouble for people is having too good a memory. If you could forget everything, every day would be a new beginning—how wonderful would that be?

I don't know why, but after leaving that house that day, I remembered a dialogue from Wong Kar-wai's "Ashes of Time".

I recall that jar of "Drunken Life, Dreamy Death".

I asked Xiao Quanzi to get me a few bottles of wine—my favorite plum wine from before I entered the palace. It's strange, but the plum wine my brother Sima always brought me to Yichun Garden was from the palace. And it was a rare variety, known to very few; I probably wouldn't have found it if I hadn't specifically asked Xiao Quanzi to look for it. As I drank, I remembered the nameless swordsman's words from the movie: "Do you know the difference between drinking wine and drinking water? Wine warms you the more you drink. Water chills you the more you drink." I don't know why I did this. But I couldn't control myself.

Does drinking more water make you feel warmer? Why do I feel increasingly exhausted, both physically and mentally?

Will there come a day when I can say with nonchalance: "The 'living a life of debauchery' was just a joke fate played on me; the more you try to forget, the clearer the memory becomes." Like now, I'm gradually forgetting that I don't belong here, that I'm not from this world, that I can't, shouldn't love anyone here. But in reality, I did love, inexplicably fell in love, without even realizing it myself. Until now, through that illusion of a life of debauchery, I've admitted my cowardice and escapism. I dare not admit that even now I still fantasize about one day returning, returning to the world I know, returning to my family, and to the person I've loved for nine long years.

I got myself completely drunk, and gradually my vision blurred, my head spinning. Looking at Yunying's worried face, I—

My body had already gone limp, but why did my mind gradually become clear again in the dream when I closed my eyes? It was a strange extreme, but I knew I was recalling the time I left that strange house.

I remember abruptly asking: "Does Young Master Li know the talented woman, Mu Wanyan?"

His face turned pale, and his body suddenly swayed. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

After a long silence, he gave a bitter smile and said, "You must know Miss Mu, and therefore you must know about my youthful arrogance back then. Are you using this to mock me for overestimating my abilities?"

Upon hearing his words, I immediately regretted not reopening old wounds out of momentary anger. Then, I said with shame, "I'm sorry."

He shook his head calmly, and his eyes, once filled with panic and fleeting pain, were now completely calm. However, his face remained pale.

He sighed deeply and gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Miss, there's no need for that. It was indeed I who overestimated myself back then, which is why I was defeated by Miss Mu's talent. I brought this upon myself, so I must bear the consequences."

I've been watching him intently ever since, and I certainly didn't miss the fleeting hope, pain, and confusion in his eyes when he spoke of Wan Yan. Could it be that, could it be that after his failed provocation back then, he fell in love with the talented and beautiful Mu Da?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Since he had no resentment, yet was willing to live in seclusion and hide here, he must have had some thoughts he shouldn't have had. But because he was defeated by the woman he loved, he didn't have the courage to speak out and could only run away.

I cautiously probed, "Young Master Li, why don't you travel far and wide like Miss Mu, and learn as you go? It would be such a waste to spend your life alone. You've already used up most of your youth; if you continue like this, you'll truly be wasting your life."

He stared blankly ahead and said softly, "At first, I lacked courage and couldn't be open-minded. But when I finally understood everything and everything became clear, I was no longer in control of my own destiny."

“Miss Mu is indeed extraordinary, a woman of exceptional beauty and talent.” I sighed as we stood side by side.

He gave me a strange look. What, because of my appearance, you still don't believe what I'm saying?

“A few years ago, I heard about a boy named An Jin who made her willingly admit defeat.” He suddenly turned and looked at me abruptly. “You’ve heard of him, haven’t you?”

I was startled by his words, and after a long pause, I chuckled awkwardly, "That's just hearsay. That An Jin isn't that amazing. It's just that the talented Mu is being too modest. Anyway, just don't believe it." I laughed. Sigh… If I had known that plagiarizing a poem by a timeless poet would cause this, I wouldn't have gone with Brother Sima to try and conquer the trials. But if I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have met Sister Danyi.

"Do you know him? Are you sure Fei Ming would humbly let him have his way?"

“That’s not the point of our discussion today,” I interrupted his speculation. “Are you sure you’re not going to see her?”

"Her?! Who did you say?!" He looked at me in confusion.

I looked at him, staring straight into his eyes, trying to see if he was faking it, but I was wrong. This fool, there wasn't a trace of affection in his eyes. I guess in this era, pedantic scholars often can't even distinguish their own feelings. And these things weren't taught in books. If I asked him, I imagine he'd innocently tell me the same thing.

It turns out that he himself was unaware of his feelings.

I looked at him with some sympathy, and before leaving, I patted him on the shoulder gently, saying, "Anyway, failure is the mother of success. Be strong, don't let one failure defeat you completely. Remember this: if you fall down, get up from there." After saying that, I smiled at him and walked away without looking back.

My hints were pretty strong, weren't they? I practically said, "You stumbled with Mu Wanyan, so go find her, reclaim your lost self-respect, and get back up on her back." Haha. I just hope he'll come to his senses someday; then, the world will have another perfect couple, a truly blessed union.

A dark figure lurked in the corner, silently watching the drunken woman acting out in the distance. She was wildly twisting her small waist inappropriately with a broom in the yard, chanting something incoherent and nonsensical. It was impossible to know what was going on in this girl's head. She was jumping and shouting, and what was most intolerable was that she was stripping off her clothes until she was down to only her last white undergarment. Even more outrageous, she was clearly so drunk she could barely stand, yet she kept jumping and twisting. One was genuinely worried she would take off her last thin garment.

That mischievous girl, always so clever and quirky. Thinking back to the past, I couldn't help but chuckle.

His body swayed left and right, and the world spun around him. The person who had been yelling and holding a broom stumbled and was about to fall to the ground and be smashed into a pulp.

Yunying, who was standing not far away, saw that her mistress was about to fall, but she was unable to catch her in time. Just as she was screaming "Miss" in frustration and surprise, a white figure suddenly flashed out from the shadows in the distance and caught her just as she was about to make intimate contact with the ground.

"Master Sang." Yunying recognized the figure; it was none other than Master Sang Qin, who had been missing for so long. What a close call! Yunying patted her chest to calm herself.

"How could you be so careless?" Sang Qin hugged the person who had slipped down, frowning with heartache. The person in his arms was completely unaware, showing no surprise after the close call. She remained calm and peaceful, and eventually fell into a deep sleep in his arms, still unconsciously whimpering a few times.

Looking at the face that looked exactly like hers as she slept peacefully in his arms, Sang Qin couldn't help but kiss her forehead and murmured, "Ranran, Ranran... I've finally found you."

Volume 2, Chapter 32: On Cao Cao

I changed into my usual white night clothes (I'm really fearless; wearing this color in the dark is practically suicide). It took me a long time to disguise myself. In the end, I had Xiao Quanzi guard the door, and Yunying went to my room to sleep, just in case something unexpected happened. I don't want any accidents to happen in the palace. Even a small accident could require a huge price to make up for, and I can't afford that right now.

Using his light-footed skills, he arrived at Junjin Manor. It had been a long time since he'd seen Xiao Qi, and he really missed his chubby face—so white and smooth; pinching it a few times would surely feel amazing. But fearing he might frighten him, he hadn't dared to do it.

"Young Master, you're back." Xiao Qi looked at An Jin with great joy.

The boy smiled faintly, "Yes. Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Qi."

"That's what Xiaoqi should do."

"Is Junjin alright?"

"Yes. Ever since Young Master hired those people to protect us secretly, our business across the country has been rarely disturbed. Profits have been steadily increasing. However, there is one strange thing." Xiao Qi's usually downcast eyes suddenly sharpened. An Jin saw this and smiled with satisfaction. This was the famous Vermilion Bird King.

"What is it?" The boy's expression turned slightly cold. Anything that made the usually calm Xiao Qi serious must be something important.

"In the past six months, a force in the martial arts world has suddenly emerged from its hiding place, and what they have been searching for is the young master. Now, the matter of 'Young Master Jin' is being spread like wildfire in the martial arts world, and everyone is speculating about who Young Master Jin is. The matter of the young master breaking through the Yichun Garden back then has been brought up again, and the name of 'Double Fiends' has long been known throughout the world."

The boy remained expressionless and continued, "Go on."

"Yes. This force is the 'Dark Gate,' a group with a history spanning decades. Because it involves the young master, Xiao Qi 'specially' investigated it. This organization has remained hidden since its inception. However, what puzzles Xiao Qi is that the Dark Gate rarely operates in the martial arts world, yet the timing of their activities is strangely related to some upheavals and major events in the martial arts world. Their appearance maintains the balance of the martial arts world, using methods that ordinary people would never notice. So although it has always existed, it has been overlooked by many. Recently, its activities have only been for two things: one is to find the young master's whereabouts, and the other is to resist a certain force."

The boy's face seemed to be hidden in layers of mist, and Xiao Qi couldn't see his features clearly. He glanced at Mai Qi indifferently and said, "I understand."

Mai Qi was somewhat worried by the calmness in his tone and couldn't help but remind him, "Young Master, please be careful."

"Hmm. By the way, Xiaoqi, has your mother been brought over yet?"

"Yes. I will never forget your kindness, young master."

"Have you moved into the courtyard I prepared for her?"

"Yes. My mother lives in Xiandexuan."

"Hmm. Then I'm relieved. I'll keep an eye on the secret door. Xiao Qi, just protect this family." The boy suddenly turned around and stared at Mai Qi, saying, "Xiao Qi, just wait here for the day I return. It's late tonight, so I can't greet your mother directly. Please give her my regards."

"Yes, young master."

"I'm leaving. I'll let you know if anything happens."

After speaking, he covered his face with his veil again and vanished instantly from the high stone wall. Only Mai Qi remained, stunned, staring blankly at his departing white figure and the cold, bright moon hanging in the distant sky.

"Let us drink and sing, for life is short! Like morning dew, the days gone by are many. Let us be generous and magnanimous, for sorrow is hard to forget. What can dispel sorrow? Only wine. The green of your collar, soothes my heart. For your sake, I have pondered until now. The deer cry out, feeding on the wild apples. I have guests, let us play the zither and the flute. The moon shines brightly, when can I grasp it?"

"Cao Cao's poem. Young master, you have a refined taste." I said casually, focusing on brewing tea.

“Miss Xie seems to know a lot about this.” He took the tea I offered, sipped it, and sighed, “Good tea.”

For some reason, after entering the palace, I became interested in the tea ceremony and gradually began to show off my skills.