“Gao Lingjun is ruthless!”
Even though half a month had already passed, Lu Si’an was still seething with hatred, especially now, at the turn of July to August, when the time came for him to leave the capital and take up his post.
No wonder he was so bitter. He had thought that being punished with reassignment to the Northwest was harsh enough, but after several petitions from Gao Lingjun, he was finally sent off to the Southern Circuit instead.
And the reasoning sounded so perfectly justified: Jiang Wenyuan had risen to prominence in the Southern Circuit, where he had once suppressed the southern tribes. If Lu Si’an wanted to understand how hard a general’s merits were won, he ought to start by retracing Jiang Wenyuan’s very first steps.
Fine words – but everyone understood the real intent. This was clearly meant to take Lu Si’an’s life. In a place like the Southern Circuit, miasma and plague were everywhere. Of ten men sent there, nine would die, and the last would be left chronically ill, dragging out a feeble existence.
It was nothing more than killing the chicken to scare the monkeys – warning everyone what would happen if they crossed Gao Lingjun!
Officials hated being posted out of the capital; those in the capital delayed as long as they could. Lu Si’an was no exception – except his posting was to a place virtually certain to kill him. His family was already half ready to hold a funeral in advance, but the Ministry of Personnel kept pressing him to depart, almost driving him out by force.
“This isn’t a posting – this is an escort under guard!” Lu Si’an set down the wine bowl in his hand, speaking with both anger and grief.
At that moment, in the fine private room of Desheng Pavilion, all those who had come to drink with him and see him off were feeling the same heavy mood.
Drink in gloom, and it takes less to get drunk; many of those present were already tipsy.
“…What ‘failure to investigate,’ what ‘slander of a general’ – what can’t a military man say?” one man put down his cup, speaking thick-tongued from drink. “So he had merit – so what? Back then, Wang Wencheng had great merit too, and wasn’t he executed all the same? They couldn’t even be bothered to make up a decent excuse… Since when can an official like Master Lu not even speak about a general? The world has been turned upside down!”
“And what of it? This matter has nothing to do with those generals – it’s all because of Gao Lingjun!” another exclaimed indignantly.
At those words, the atmosphere around the table sank heavy again.
Yes – it was all because of Gao Lingjun. And Gao Lingjun had succeeded. That was the most disheartening thing of all.
“Today is for bidding farewell to Brother Si’an – don’t mention that detestable man again!” someone roused himself to say.
“Yes. And here, Brother Lu, this is something good I’ve prepared for you.” Another man spoke, taking out a small porcelain jar.
Everyone at the table grew curious and pressed him to reveal what it was.
“This is a medicine pill I managed to obtain with great difficulty from the household of Tong Neihan,” the man said with some pride.
At those words, the entire company lit up with surprise and delight.
Ever since three years ago, when Tong Neihan had come back from the brink of death, the tale had been on everyone’s lips. His white hair turned black, his complexion grew radiant, as if he had regained his youth. This was not from the mineral elixirs he had always taken, but rather from a single medicine he had received from that divine doctor.
The divine doctor had since vanished without a trace, but there was once an apothecary where she was said to have practiced. It was rumored that both the Tong family and the Peng family had managed to purchase that medicine from the shop.
But the medicine was far too rare; no one else had been able to obtain any. In recent years it had disappeared entirely, and the few pills still kept by the Tong and Peng households had become priceless treasures, beyond all value.
No one expected this man to have secured a bottle. Though it was but a small one, it was enough to fill everyone present with astonished joy.
“Tong Neihan first began taking mineral elixirs because, in his youth, he was injured down in the Southern Circuit. Now he no longer needs those elixirs – he takes these pills instead, and walks with the stride of a vigorous man. His newborn daughter is even younger than his granddaughter…” the man said, while handing over the porcelain vial. “Brother Lu, take this with you – when you reach the Southern Circuit, it will surely guard your health and replenish your strength.”
This truly was a fine gift.
Though tales of spirits and gods were hardly to be believed, the world did hold certain secrets that bordered on the miraculous.
Lu Si’an finally allowed a faint smile to show. He reached out, accepted the vial, and gave his thanks.
“Speaking of warding off miasma and chill,” another man recalled, “I had planned to order some Passing Immortal from Immortal’s Abode. But who would have thought – the place has actually closed today.” He spoke with deep regret. “Once you leave the capital, you won’t find Passing Immortal anywhere.”
“It’s easy enough to make it yourself,” someone joked.
“That wouldn’t be Passing Immortal – that would just be ‘eat-as-you-please’!” the man quickly shook his head and corrected solemnly.
“Why did Immortal’s Abode close? They don’t even shut their doors at New Year,” someone asked in curiosity.
“I heard one of the attendants say they were fetching their master,” the man replied. “But fetching the master shouldn’t require closing the shop. I don’t really understand what happened.”
As the conversation drifted toward talk of the restaurants, someone quickly coughed to steer it back.
“Other people’s affairs are none of ours. Today is about sending Brother Lu off,” he said.
“Right, right. What’s done is done – we must look ahead. I’m sure Master Chen will find a way to protect you. Perhaps before you even reach the Southern Circuit, a new order will be issued reassigning you,” another quickly chimed in with a smile, eager to turn the topic back.
Lu Si’an forced a smile and drank with each of them in turn.
Yes… what else could he do? He could only pin his hopes on Chen Shao gaining the upper hand soon enough to pull him back. But as the saying went, once a man leaves, the tea grows cold. With so many people in the capital, by then – would anyone even still remember him?
Lu Si’an lifted his wine bowl and drained it in one gulp. He put a mouthful of food into his mouth, yet could not rid himself of the bitter taste filling it.
In the midst of the lively drinking and toasting, a sudden commotion broke out on the street outside. The noise of voices swelled, and the company exchanged glances. One of the men nearest the window stood up and pushed it open.
At once, the uproar poured in even louder.
“There are so many people in the street,” the man said.
“There are always plenty of people in the street,” someone inside laughed.
“No, no – this looks different. It seems something is happening. People are making way, and setting something down…” the man went on.
The curiosity of the capital’s folk had never cared for rank, age, or station. Several of those at the table could not resist coming over to look outside as well. Sure enough, the street below was packed with people, and the crowd was only growing. From the neighboring windows, one head after another leaned out to watch the spectacle, and footsteps sounded in the corridor as others came hurrying to see.
“They’ve set out wine jars and bowls,” someone said, peering down at the street.
“Why would anyone be setting wine jars out in the street? Is it some gimmick by a tavern to attract business?” another, more worldly, person speculated.
“Look, it’s not just one. All along the street, every so often there’s another,” someone else pointed out below.
Everyone raised their eyes, and sure enough – they saw that all down the street, at intervals, groups of people had gathered.
Almost everyone at the table stood up and went to the window to watch the spectacle. Only Lu Si’an remained seated, slowly drinking his wine.
This was the capital: splendid, bustling, forever full of novelty. Yet he was about to lose the chance to see it – perhaps never again in his lifetime. In the midst of all that brightness and noise, Lu Si’an’s heart was desolate as though in midwinter.
He drained his cup, then rose to his feet. Looking at his companions still crowded by the window, pointing and gesturing toward the street below, he said nothing – just opened the door and walked out.
The corridor was anything but quiet; many people were hurrying back and forth with heavy footsteps.
“What on earth is going on?”
“Have you asked and found out?”
They were all the attendants and servants of various households, sent out to inquire about the commotion.
Amid this bustle inside and out, Lu Si’an walked on at his own pace.
Out in the street, the voices of those asking questions grew louder and more numerous.
“It’s wine, it’s wine,” one of the men setting down the jars finally answered, helpless beneath the barrage of questions.
That reply instantly brought a fresh wave of inquiries.
“What kind of wine?”
“Is it for sale?”
“It’s not for sale – it’s being given away,” the man replied.
Free wine! The thought of such a bargain set the crowd buzzing even more. The same questions and answers were happening up and down the street, and in an instant the whole avenue was boiling with excitement.
“Don’t push, don’t push! The wine isn’t being given out yet – you have to wait until the master arrives!”
The master? What kind of master could this be?
Lu Si’an, who had been trying to make his way through the crowd, could not help but pause. Suddenly, a phrase he had just heard from his companions surfaced in his mind:
“Why did Immortal’s Abode close? They don’t even close at New Year.”
“I heard one of the attendants say they were going to fetch their master.”
Could it be that the ‘master’ this man spoke of was the very master of Immortal’s Abode?
So it really was a tavern’s trick to drum up business.
Lu Si’an shook his head and lifted his foot to walk on. But before he had taken two steps, the uproar behind him swelled even louder.
“…The master is dead?”
A dead master?
Lu Si’an stopped in his tracks and turned back. He saw the man standing by the roadside, surrounded by the crowd, nod his head.
“Yes, their master has passed away. This is to bring back the coffin for burial,” he said. “We’ve only been hired to set out the wine.”
Burial!
So this was a funeral procession?
“That’s right – it’s a funeral cortege. From the western gate straight through the city, all the way out the eastern gate. The wine is set out along the entire route,” the man continued.
That meant crossing the whole capital!
Lu Si’an rose on tiptoe to look. Just on this one street, there were ten men doing the same thing. From the west gate to the east gate, there would be at least a dozen such streets. How many people must have been hired, how many jars of wine must have been set out!
“What kind of wine is this you’ve brought? Must be the cheap stuff, eh?”
No one really cared how the owner had died – that wasn’t the question on their minds. What they wanted to know was this most important matter.
But if it was being given away for free, how good could it be?
“This is their own brew,” the man replied. “Unique, not sold to the public. They say it’s the strongest liquor in the world.”
At that, the crowd burst into noise again, voices rising in dispute.
“The strongest wine is clearly Desheng Pavilion’s Cloud Gown…”
“What nonsense – it’s Qiushui Terrace’s Red Date Brew…”
The man, caught in the quarrel, looked helpless.
“I wouldn’t know. I’m just telling you what they said. Anyway, when you all taste it later, you’ll see for yourselves,” he answered.
Those words only stirred the scene into greater clamor, and even more people came surging over.
Lu Si’an didn’t care what the wine itself was worth. Just looking at the men hired for this was enough to know the expense was enormous.
These men looked ordinary, but were clearly handpicked – smooth-tongued and able to manage a crowd. None of them would come cheap.
These days some households in the capital were becoming more and more extravagant – not only staging lavish weddings, but holding grand funerals as well.
But that was the capital: such splendor, such dazzling magnificence.
It had nothing to do with him anymore.
Lu Si’an turned his head and let out a quiet sigh.
He wondered what desolation would mark his own death someday.
“Who exactly was this master?” more and more voices asked from behind.
Who? Someone with official rank would never dare to do such a thing. It could only be those with nothing but money!
“They say he was a soldier on the Northwest frontier – died in battle.”
“Five of them, all killed together. Very heroic.”
A soldier? Fallen in battle?
What rich man would ever go soldiering? What rich man would march off to die?
Impossible!
Northwest… five men… killed in battle… family in the capital…
Why did it all sound so familiar…
Lu Si’an suddenly froze in his tracks and turned back, his expression struck with shock.
Could it be…
