Lin Chong
Deep inside my heart, I was secretly astonished, but my expression remained calm as I let Ah Yuan help me up.
Wei An also stood up from the steps, still holding his tools, his astonishment evident on his face.
"This is Cui Junshi from Jingzhou. He arrived in Wancheng today to meet Furen." Pei Qian told me. With just a few words, I couldn't discern the details, but observing his unchanged expression, I felt a bit calmer.
Cui Ting bowed to me from the pushcart and said, "One hopes Furen has been well."
I looked at him and returned the gesture with composure, saying, "It turns out to be Cui GonzZi."
Pei Qian seemed somewhat surprised, "Junshi knows Fu Furen?"
Cui Ting smiled, "Last year, Mou visited Yunshi Xiansheng in the Southern mountains and had the chance to meet Furen." As he spoke, he glanced at Wei An, "Si Gongzi even gifted Mou this pushcart and horse saddle."
Wei An looked at him, his expression showing a slight change.
"Not all of it was a gift," he pursed his lips, turning his head slightly, "One just modified the pushcart."
Cui Ting looked at him, his smile gentle, "Yet Mou haven't expressed One's gratitude."
Wei An said calmly, "No need for thanks." After speaking, he placed his tools on the couch and turned to walk away.
A "clang" of a closing door came from the other side of the room, leaving everyone looking at each other in place.
Pei Qian's expression remained calm, while Cui Ting gazed in the direction of Wei An's room, lost in thought.
"Xiao Shu isn't feeling well today. Please forgive any rudeness on our part," I said, casting my gaze downward and apologizing with a slight bow.
Cui Ting looked at me and gave a faint smile, "Furen, no need for excessive courtesy. Since Si Gongzi isn't feeling well, Mou shall come to pay respects some other day." After saying that, he bowed to me and then turned to Pei Qian, "Jiyuan, would you please show me around the city?"
Pei Qian nodded, "Just as Yuanlin wishes." He glanced at me, his expression seemingly reassuring, then instructed the attendants to move Cui Ting's pushcart away.
The courtyard gate closed once again, leaving a few of us in the courtyard. As we exchanged glances, our expressions varied.
"If the young lad had encountered Mou earlier, he wouldn't have to spend his whole life in a wheelchair due to paralysis," Wei Jiao shook his head and said in a leisurely manner.
"Is this Cui Junshi the same Cui Ting who serves Liang Wen?" Gongyang Gui asked as he polished a wooden stick that he used as a makeshift sword, looking towards the gate as he approached.
"Indeed," I replied.
Gongyang Gui blew off some wood shavings from his stick and swung it up and down with a "whoosh" sound.
"You should advise Si Gongzi that this is not the time for impulsiveness," he looked at me and said in a calm tone.
*****
Until it was time to eat, Wei An still hadn't come out. After considering for a moment, I had no choice but to go and call him myself.
After a while, Wei An finally opened the door.
His hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had been lying on the couch, yet there was no trace of sleepiness on his face.
"Si Shu has not eaten yet?" I asked.
Wei An shook his head, "Not hungry."
"How can you not be hungry?" I said in a tone that brooked no resistance, "The meal is in my room. Si Shu, come over and let's have a meal together."
Wei An looked at me, somewhat reluctant, but he didn't defy my request.
During the meal, neither of us spoke. After finishing, as Wei An was about to leave, I stopped him, saying, "Si Shu, please have a seat. There's something I need to discuss."
Wei An hesitated for a moment but then sat back down at the table.
"How has Si Shu been these past few days?" I asked.
Wei An replied, "Hmm, I'm managing."
I looked at him and sighed, "It's my fault as your Zhangsao, has caused Si Shu trouble and confinement here. These days, while I was lying in bed recuperating, couldn't properly take care of Si Shu."
Wei An's face flushed slightly under my gaze.
"There's no need for Zhangsao to blame yourself," he scratched his head and hurriedly said, "I'm alright, well, I'm just alright. No one disturbs me here, and I don't feel uncomfortable."
Seeing him like this, I smiled and said, "In that case, could it be that Si Shu was upset after meeting Cui Gongzi today?"
Wei An paused for a moment.
"It's not the same," he bit his lip, his gaze turning somber again.
"If Si Shu has something on your mind, you might want to talk about it to Zhangsao," I added further.
Wei An hesitated, looking at me for a while before saying, "Zhangsao, if I hadn't helped Cui Gongzi repair his pushcart and hadn't given him the horse saddle equipment back then, would he have been unable to go to Jingzhou? Fuqin and Xiongzhang might not have suffered defeat..." His voice grew quieter, his face filled with unease.
This aligns closely with what I suspected, and now I understand it better.
"I recall that Si Shu always held Cui Gongzi in high regard," I said.
Wei An looked ashamed and nodded.
I smiled gently, "Si Shu also believed that Cui Gongzi possessed great talent. Back in the day, Fujun even invited him to Yongdu, but unfortunately, Cui Gongzi declined. I've heard that Liang Wen promised Cui Gongzi the position of Military Advisor (junshi) and the authority to allocate his own troops and horses in order to persuade him to come to Jingzhou. Si Shu thinks, with Liang Wen's determination, would he have changed his mind just because he lacked a mere pushcart and horse saddle equipment?"
Wei An fell silent.
I continued, "I believe Si Shu doesn't need to dwell on this too much. In times of war, factions align with their respective leaders. If you and I were still in the Wei camp, it would be natural to engage in battles to vent grievances. But now, the circumstances are entirely different. Si Shu is ambitious. One should know the right time to advance or to retreat."
Wei An still furrowed his brow.
"I'm a prisoner now, so should I bow down?" he said.
"Who says Si Shu is a prisoner?" I smiled, "Si Shu is a person, and what Zhangsao is saying, is a way of conduct."
*****
Pei Qian didn't appear again until evening.
"Is Furen able to travel?" he asked Wei Jiao.
Wei Jiao looked surprised and said, "Furen has mostly recovered, but it's best for her to continue resting. Jiangjun mentioned traveling means..." He glanced at me.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
Pei Qian said, "Zhugong has ordered me to bring you all. We will set off for Yecheng tomorrow."
I understood. Wancheng was just a small town, and our stay here was nothing more than temporary confinement. The prospect of leaving was actually good news because staying here would mean that our value as captives was dwindling, which was a significantly unfavorable situation.
"If we add more cushions in the carriage and prepare some herbal soup, would that be sufficient?" I asked Wei Jiao.
Wei Jiao sighed, "One supposes that's the best we can do."
"Yecheng is at the border between Wu and Liang," Gongyang Gui pondered, glancing at Pei Qian, "Did that Cui Junshi also go today?"
Pei Qian nodded, "Indeed."
Gongyang Gui smiled faintly, "What are they going there for? After the battle is over, are the two sides going to divide the spoils?"
Pei Qian also smiled, "You could say that."
But this conversation didn't seem amusing to me at all. I thought of Wei Tan, and my heart sank.
"In this battle, how much did Chengxiang lose?" I remained silent for a moment before asking Pei Qian.
Pei Qian looked at me and said, "It's not a complete defeat. The Central Plains and the Northwest are still under his control." He paused for a moment and sighed, "The people from the South aren't accustomed to land warfare either. Moreover, Meng Jing(Wei Tan) has capable commanders in the rear, and their defensive lines are strong."
These words triggered my thoughts, and I was about to ask more questions. However, when I caught a glimpse of Pei Qian's clear gaze, my words came to a halt.
Before long, one of the attendants arrived and informed Pei Qian that someone from Wu Kun's side had arrived.
Pei Qian acknowledged with a word and followed the attendant.
"Jiyuan," Gongyang Gui called out slowly, "That sword of mine is a treasured heirloom of the Gongyang family. I'll retrieve it one day. Don't let those ignorant soldiers ruin it."
Wei An, who had been silent all along, heard this and remembered something. He said to Pei Qian, "And my chisel and hammer too."
Pei Qian didn't know whether laugh or cry at Gongyang Gui's words, but he paid no attention to him. Instead, he looked at Wei An and said, "Si Gongzi's chisel and hammer were taken by Cui Junshi. If Gongzi wants them back, Gongzi will have to ask him." With that, he turned and walked away.
"Why does Cui Junshi need those tools?" Ah Yuan asked curiously from the side.
Wei An's face tightened, his eyes filled with conflict.
*****
The next morning, everything was ready including the carriage and horses. In order to reduce the jolting of the carriage, I wrapped a cloth around my abdomen despite the heat.
Except for the day I entered Wancheng, this was the first time I had stepped out of the courtyard. As I left, I couldn't help but take a few more glances around.
The streets and houses were typical of a small town, and there were soldiers coming and going. Just as I was about to look away, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly reached my ears. I looked in the direction of the noise and saw a young man in full armor riding a horse towards us. The street was crowded with people, but he didn't slow down, causing a commotion.
"Be careful!" Seeing him approaching, Gongyang Gui quickly reached out and pulled me behind the carriage.
I heard a neigh, and the young man stopped about twenty feet from the carriage, staring at me.
"Lin Jiangjun!" The soldiers guarding us quickly saluted him.
However, the young man didn't pay attention to them; he only looked at me.
I looked back at him. He was barely of age, and his cold gaze as he sized me up was devoid of kindness. An uneasy feeling crept up my spine, and I stood behind Gongyang Gui, unconsciously guarding my abdomen beneath my sleeve.
"What brings Jiangjun here?" Gongyang Gui spoke up when we were unsure of what to do.
"Are you Fu Jin?" The young man ignored Gongyang Gui and looked at me.
Ah Yuan frowned, "How impolite..."
I held her back, looked at the young man, and said, "Exactly."
The young man sneered, suddenly drew his sword with a "clang" sound.
Gongyang Gui's body tensed.
"Jiangjun, you can't!" The soldiers beside him quickly tried to dissuade the young man.
"What can't I do!" The young man shouted, "This woman has been captured, yet she's well-fed and well-cared for, even traveling by carriage! Where is Pei Qian?! Treating enemies like this, doesn't it shame the face of Huaiyang?!"
"Stop!" Just then, Pei Qian's commanding voice rang out. Footsteps followed the chaos, and amidst the soldiers, Pei Qian strode forward. He was fully armored, holding a silver helmet in his hand. He looked at the young man with a stern expression, "Put down your sword! Zhugong has given orders that no one is to disturb Fu Furen. Do you intend to defy the order?"
The young man's expression wavered as he glared at Pei Qian. "Don't use Biao Xiong to pressure me!" He showed no fear.
"Mou is simply following orders," Pei Qian's face remained expressionless.
The young man coldly smirked, "Oh? What if I refuse?"
Pei Qian stepped forward, and with a swift "whoosh," a dozen or so soldiers lined up behind him. The young man also waved his hand, and nearly twenty people surged forward, spears and pikes at the ready, the two groups facing each other.
The onlookers paled.
"Put down your weapons!" A voice filled with authority rang out.
My heart was suspended, and upon hearing this voice, I momentarily froze.
Looking over, I saw the crowd of soldiers being dispersed, and a figure in flowing robes hurriedly stepped forward from behind.
"Lin Chong!" Wu Jiao wore jewels and fine clothes, her face adorned with meticulous makeup, but her expression was one of anger. She pointed at the young man, her elegant sleeves appearing incongruous in the wind, "Who allowed you to come? Put down your sword!"