Book 60 Chapter 13 – Grandmaster Yi Jian
Hou Xibai tilted his head upward to sniff, he said, “It’s the scent of agarwood [Chinese eaglewood/Aquilaria agallocha].”
Kou Zhong shook his head and said, “I have been to Chen Xiang [agarwood] Pavilion today, the smell is different.”
Ba Fenghan said with a sneer, “At the Xing Qing Palace’s Chen Xiang pavilion you can only smell the fragrance of peony flowers, where did the agarwood come from?”
The imperial bodyguards at a door listened to them discussing the fragrance coming out of Ling Yan Pavilion, everybody revealed a blank expression, because they did not smell any fragrance.
Wei Gonggong said, “Someone’s coming!”
Hearing that, the four men looked into the pavilion, but they did not see any movement. Suddenly, two dots of light appeared, two women wearing plain clothes, carrying lanterns, elegant and supple, with graceful bearing, appeared from the depths of the forest path.
Kou Zhong and the others shivered in fear, knowing that Wei Gonggong was revealing his skill. Although they were talking because of the scent and thus were distracted, obviously in term of internal school’s sense of hearing Wei Gonggong was a notch higher than them, which made them feel that Wei Gonggong’s skill was hidden in secret and was not revealed, deep and unmeasurable, so that they really need to re-estimate.
The plain-clothed girls gradually approached. Under the illumination of the two lanterns, they were shrouded in a halo. From headgear to shoes, it was all spotlessly white; combined with their beautiful flowery countenance, immediately the Ling Yan Pavilion was transformed into the world of the immortals on the earth.
Kou Zhong seized this opportunity to tell Wei Gonggong, “We might have to stay all night long tonight, no need for Gonggong to wait for us here.”
Evidently Wei Gonggong’s original idea was to accompany them to see Fu Cailin so that he could report to Li Yuan, but since Kou Zhong said so, he had no choice but to nod his head to agree, Kou Zhong pushed him that he had no way out.
When the two women came to the door, they bowed to everyone to show their respect in a uniform movement, and then in their delicate and beautiful voices they spoke a string of Gaoli words that they did not understand. They hurriedly returned the salute.
Kou Zhong said, “I wonder if two Jiejie [older sister] understand Han language?”
The two women smiled and shook their heads, indicating that they did not understand what he was saying. They only signaled them with their hands to ask them to come inside, and then they turned around to show the way.
Kou Zhong waved goodbye to Wei Gonggong, and took the lead the run behind the two women. Xu Ziling and others hurriedly followed.
Ling Yan Pavilion in the moonlit night had a different ambience, which made people feel that the architect worked hard to focus on the spring and skillfully used the brilliant technique of borrowing scenery. As a garden pavilion, it gave people the intoxicating sense of ‘even though it was man-made, it was like designed by the heaven’. From a distance, the pavilions appeared and disappeared among the trees, like a mirage, hidden from view, with long bridges and small streams, rockeries, rock gardens and ingenious stones, wintersweet [Chimonanthus praecox], cold hardy banana [Musa basjoo], wisterias, and osmanthus flowers, arranged in the garden plot with utmost care, elegant and wild, appropriate to the occasion, charming and enchanting.
On the other side of the main building complex, there was a faint sound of singing and music, which made people’s heart and spirit yearning, wanting to speed up their pace to see what happened there.
Too bad the two women were still leading the way at the front, carrying the lantern, neither slow nor quick, so they had no choice but to be patient and came to the bridge where they met Liexia this morning. Suddenly they saw Fu Junyu, wearing plain white clothes, standing at the head of the bridge.
Fu Junyu said a few words to the two women, the two women accepted the order and left on their own.
Fu Junyu’s expression cold, she swept her gaze over at Ba Fenghan, finally her eyes fell on Kou Zhong, she said, “Xiuning Gongzhu has come to see Xiufang Dajia, to ask her to pass on her message to you.”
Staring blankly, Kou Zhong asked, “What did she say?”
Fu Junyu spoke indifferently, “Xiuning Gongzhu is asking you to find a way to save her Er Wang Xiong’s life.”
Stunned, Kou Zhong said, “Xiufang, she …”
Fu Junyu sighed and said, “Xiufang Dajia is afraid that there will be a scene she doesn’t want to see in the night meeting in the Ling Yan Pavilion tonight, hence she deliberately avoided it. Ay! Did you see how bad the situation you created?”
Kou Zhong could only respond with a wry smile, hiding the feeing-as-if-having-his- heart-cut-out [idiom] pain in his heart, not only because of Shang Xiufang, but also because of Li Xiuning and Li Yuan’s heartless treatment of Li Shimin, which must have broken Li Xiuning’s heart, while he himself, until to this moment, still did not have the full confidence that he could reverse Li Shimin’s misfortune.
Hanging her head low, Fu Junyu spoke in a low voice, “Shizun is waiting for you, come with me!”
Kou Zhong struggled hard to rouse his spirit, he ran after her and crossed the bridge side-by-side with her on her left; he said, “Will Liexia, that kid also attend?”
Fu Junyu said, “Am I not vexed enough? How could I let him add fuel to the fire?”
Kou Zhong said, “It should not be that bad, right? Xiao Ling and I not only look into our heart, no shame [idiom: have a clear conscience], but also have the sincerity to split open metal and stone.”
Fu Junyu sighed again, but she was silent and did not say anything, as she led them rounding around the corridor, the passage north of the pavilion, entering deep into the building complex.
Walking behind them, Xu Ziling nudged Ba Fenghan, telling him to chase forward to talk to Fu Junyu.
At first Ba Fenghan shook his head resolutely, but after Xu Ziling pushed him harder twice, he finally softened, nodded slightly, but was still hesitating.
Xu Ziling stretched his hand forward, while generating a stream of pulling force. Kou Zhong responded to the force and understood what he wanted; he hurriedly fell back.
At the same time, Xu Ziling leaned close to Ba Fenghan, focused his voice into a thread and sent it into his ears, saying, “Ask her to have breakfast with you at Fu Ju Lou of the West Market at chen hour [7-9 am] tomorrow.”
Ba Fenghan shook his head with a wry smile, he rushed two steps forward, and spoke humbly in low voice, “Can I have a word with Junyu?”
Fu Junyu’s tender body trembled slightly, but the tone of her voice was very cold, she said, “Is now the right time?”
Ba Fenghan was about to beat the return drum [idiom: retreat], Xu Ziling poked his waist lightly with a wisp of finger wind. He had no choice but to thicken his face and said, “In that case, how about I wait respectfully for Junyu at Fu Ju Lou of the West Market tomorrow morning at chen hour?”
Fu Junyu acted as if she did not hear him, she continued walking slowly at the front. Rounding the long corridor, the vast Ling Yan Chi [lit. soaring smoke pond/lake] appeared before their eyes, in terms of both scenery and atmosphere, the four men could only stare blankly.
Flying pavilion flowing cinnabar, deep green pine and dripping bluish-green.
Ling Yan Pavilion was not just one pavilion, but a building complex built around the Ling Yan Pond. Each building [jianzhu – construction/building] was surrounded by lou [multi-story building], dian [palace hall], ting [pavilion], and ge [also pavilion, usually two-storied]; there was scenery within scenery, old pine trees were planted everywhere by the Ling Yan Pond.
The main pavilion [ge] was located south of the pond, a two-storied wooden construction, with vermillion doors and cinnabar windows, the flying eaves lining up the roof [cornices], painted columns and carved beams, elegant and tall, an out of the ordinary grandeur.
Kou Zhong and the others strolled along the long corridor through the garden to the west of the main pavilion, straight toward the Ling Yan Pond. The arch stone bridge connecting the pavilion and terrace in the middle of the pond had a unique shape. From the south end to the north end, there were small arches, large arches, also large arches that were connected to small arches. The small arch and the large arch at either end formed a joint arch, brimming with rhythm and cadence feeling. On the bridge floor, each side had fifteen observation pillars, the carvings were exquisite. The whole bridge reached directly to the center of the lake, looking like a shortcut to the paradise [lit. fairyland] on the other shore [paramita in Buddhism].
Ling Yan Pavilion’s garden design was outside common practice, the pond water tributary winding around and between the landscape and buildings and pavilions, becoming like a stream, becoming like a spring. The waterfront corridor was connected inside and outside through the windows, so that the view of the landscape was not obstructed.
The bluish-green ripples of the main lake reflected the shadows of the trees, the flowers, the clouds, and the moon. Along the flowing stream, there were ripples caused by swimming fish, producing a blurry picture that was both real and illusory. The buildings, pavilions, and Ling Yan Pond providing scenery to each other, connected by corridors and bridges from end to end, forming an indivisible whole.
In just such a landscape, three colored-lanterns were hung on each of the four corners of the square pavilion in the middle of the pond. The platform next to the pavilion facing the pond was covered with thick and soft, pure-white carpet, several dozen zhang long, forming a large carpet, transforming the cold and hard brick platform into a cozy place comfortable enough to sit or lie down, on the carpet, there were giant putuan, which could be used as pillows or to lean on, so that people felt that once they lie down, they would fall asleep and would not want to get up.
More than a dozen Gaoli beauties in plain clothes, either sitting or lying down, or softly playing musical instruments, or singing in a low voice, adorned the strange world in the middle of the lake with beauty, life and fragrance, multiplying the unfathomably mysterious atmosphere of the moonlit night.
Inside the pavilion, on top of the round stone table, there was a large copper burner, agarwood smoke was rising from the stove, slowly wafting through the air, enveloping the pavilion with haze like a light gauze, the fragrance permeated the air all around.
But what attracted the four men’s attention was the sitting-on-the-pillow, his-long-hair-draped-over-his-shoulders, wearing-white-clothes man, looking up at the starry sky. Although because he had his back against them hence they could not see his face, everybody could still feel from his immovable posture like a boulder that he had special affection toward the night sky.
‘Yi Jian Dashi’ Fu Cailin.
Fu Junyu’s feet did not stop, she led them straight to the platform in the middle of the pond. She stopped outside the thick and soft white carpet and said, “Reporting to Shizun, Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Ba Fenghan, Hou Xibai, are asking for an audience.”
It was as if Fu Cailin did not hear Fu Junyu’s words, he was completely without any reaction, Fu Junyu was silent and did not speak either.
The four exchanged glances, they had the same feeling that Fu Cailin’s air was bigger than the emperor’s.
However, the crowd of girls, using Gaoli language, following the music and the drumbeat singing folksong was certainly fascinating, waiting a moment longer would not feel depressing.
Fu Junqiang, whom they had not seen for a long time, was leaning on the pillow, lying down on Fu Cailin’s right side. Among the girls, she was the one closest to Fu Cailin, which showed that Fu Cailin doted on her very much. Moreover, among the girls, her countenance was the most beautiful, only Fu Junyu could compare with her. What made the four annoyed and amused at the same time was that she did not even cast a glance at them out of the corner of her eyes, she was putting on an air of ignoring them completely.
Even though Fu Cailin was half-sitting, half-lying with his back on them that they were unable to see his build, he was still giving up an unusual impression. On both his left and right, there were two flower vases, filled with the not well-known safflowers [Carthamus tinctorius], so that his image as a whole was filled with the early-spring-mountain-and-fields flavor. Even half-lying on the carpet, it could still be seen that his frame was gigantic, yet there was not the slightest impression that he was obese, which gave the white clothes on his body more out of the ordinary awe-inspiring air, which made people did not dare to have a disparaging, underestimating heart.
From Fu Cailin to all the girls, everybody was barefooted, they all appeared to be relaxed and at ease, carefree and comfy.
The singing and the music finally stopped, the pleasant lingering effect was still hovering, without dispersing – across the starry sky above the platform.
Fu Cailin was still gazing at the night sky, he suddenly said, “What is life, who can answer me?” Like a long wind, his rich bass voice continuously entered everyone’s eardrums.
Kou Zhong and the others were greatly astonished, wondering whom Fu Cailin was asking? Should they answer? What gave them even more headache was that even Da Luo Jin Xian descended to the world, it would still be difficult for him to provide an answer to this question.
More than a dozen bright eyes, Fu Junqiang included, were cast at them, not to mention that Fu Cailin was waiting for one of them to answer.
Hou Xibai laughed calmly and stepped out of the crowd. He came to the edge of the carpet where white shoes were spread over an area, he spoke cheerfully, “What really is life? I’m afraid we need you, the Senior to personally give us pointers. To me, life is like seeds and rhizomes. Although the flowers and leaves that blossom outside are thriving and withered, but the vitality underground will last forever.”
Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and Ba Fenghan cried, ‘Marvelous!’ inwardly. The words and ink inside Hou Xibai, this kid’s belly indeed far surpassed theirs, lucky that he could figure out the answer that was not the answer.
Fu Cailin spoke indifferently, “Who is speaking?”
Hou Xibai respectfully said, “This kid is Hou Xibai, a poor pedantic who admires Dashi.”
Kou Zhong and the others were amused inwardly, if Hou Xibai, whose one painting worth a thousand [catties] of gold – was considered a poor pedantic, could there be any scholar with riches and honor in the world?
Tranquil, Fu Cailin said, “Sit down! No need to stand on ceremony!”
Seeing he had rendered a great merit, Hou Xibai gave them a triumphant wink. Kou Zhong, three men were also happy to pass this barrier without a hitch, they went to the front to see what Fu Cailin really looked like.
They were about to take off their shoes, Fu Junyu scolded in low voice, “Only Hou Xibai.”
Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and Ba Fenghan were all stunned and looked at each other, they finally realized that it was Hou Xibai, not them, who passed the test.
Slightly displeased, Fu Junyu spoke to Hou Xibai, who did not budge as if his acupoint was sealed, “Still have not taken off your boots and found your seat?”
Hou Xibai flashed a helpless wry smile at the three, he blankly stood motionless, showing the yiqi of advancing and retreating together.
Fu Cailin said again, “What is life?”
Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, two boys you looked at me I gazed at you, they groaned inwardly.
However, the refined light Ba Fenghan’s pair of eyes flaring greatly, his right hand grabbed the hilt of the Stealing-the-Heaven Sword.