The courtyard was blanketed in pristine white snow.
At the corner of the wall, charcoal fire warmed the water.
From the neighboring kitchen wafted the aroma of baked goods.
"The swirling winds and flying dragons, how magnificent they are,
The withering grass and trees, how dejected they appear."
Little Moustache dropped his book bag,
Letting out an indistinct exclamation.
Jiang Mianmian looked up at him.
Father took off the hat from her head, revealing her crooked little sprout, and straightened it.
Then Little Moustache and Father exchanged fist greetings.
Little Mianmian also extended her little hand for the fist greeting.
Little Moustache brought the young master to pay a visit, having heard that there was a formidable figure in the area.
It was said that this person had brought in bandits to kill the local gentry, then eliminated the bandits, occupying the gentry's land. He then led the villagers to suppress bandits elsewhere. Nearby villagers had also flocked to join him, forming a small force.
While bandits were rampaging in other places and the number of refugees was increasing, in Ming County alone, the bandits had been eradicated by a group of villagers, the number of refugees did not rise, and the county town remained undisturbed, appearing almost like a utopia.
There were many rumors about their leader, Mr. Jiang.
Some said he was a son from a prominent family who was disowned for being unfilial and disobedient.
Others claimed he had an elegant demeanor and extraordinary countenance, destined for greatness.
Regardless of the rumors, he was undoubtedly a man of profound cunning.
Now, with the New Year approaching soon,
The Lord had conquered the Provincial Capital and would not be able to launch another expedition in the short term.
Thus, as a disciple, Gong Qichi took the initiative to request a mission, claiming he could capture the nearby counties without deploying troops.
Of course, not deploying troops did not mean he would not bring any; there were still many soldiers.
First, diplomacy; if that failed, then force. They would fight only if necessary.
Through his eloquence alone, he had indeed taken over the nearby counties of He and Xian.
There was a minor hiccup where the County Magistrate committed suicide,
But it was not a significant issue.
Now he had arrived in Ming County,
Only to encounter an intriguing situation.
Unlike the chaos rampant elsewhere, the villagers around Ming County were surprisingly stable.
There were also very few refugees.
As a result, he learned of this Mr. Jiang.
Everyone sang his praises, saying he helped those in need, was righteous and generous, wise and discerning, and immensely talented.
Gong Qichi brought the young master to pay him a visit.
His main task, apart from hoisting the flag, was also to serve as the young master's tutor.
Gong Qichi had an extraordinary identity - he had once been a top scholar.
He was known as a man of top scholarly talent, but he had indeed attained that highest rank.
Later, however, he was stripped of his position due to fabricated charges.
Now he had become a disciple of the rebel leader Zi Lu, also serving as the tutor for Zi Lu's only legitimate son.
Zi Lu appeared out of nowhere,
With an impressive demeanor,
Surrounded by capable people.
Ostensibly, he was a cultured bandit chief.
Upon his emergence, with lightning speed, he rallied refugees, conquered county towns, and seized the Provincial Capital.
That Gong Qichi could serve as the tutor for Zi Lu's legitimate son spoke volumes of his high standing within the group.
The young boy before them was Zi Lu's only legitimate son, Zi Congheng.
Zi Lu had several adopted sons, but only one legitimate heir.
Although Gong Qichi felt honored to be the tutor of the Lord's only legitimate son, he was also deeply worried.
The Lord had several exceptional adopted sons, each with their own talents.
But the young master, while good-looking, did not resemble the Lord.
He was exceptionally intelligent but seemed to have some illness.
Gong Qichi always brought the young master with him when he went out, not because he wanted to show him the world, but because he genuinely did not feel at ease leaving him alone.
In the cold snowy aftermath, the young master Zi Congheng sat upright, holding a bamboo cup, not speaking, but observing the people before him intently.
Zi Congheng watched the youth closely for a while, then turned to look at the little toddler.
The toddler had just fallen, then got up diligently, only to fall again, not crying or fussing, just lying obediently on the snowy ground.
She reminded him of the long-lived tortoise he kept.
Gong Qichi was also observing.
He found that Mr. Jiang was different from the rumors.
At least, he saw aspects that the rumors did not mention.
Mr. Jiang truly loved his wife and child, and his affection seemed genuine, not contrived.
Of course, if this too was an act, then his cunning was indeed profound.
"I wonder what advice Gong Qichi and young master Zi have for my humble abode?" After helping his daughter fix her hair and placing her on a small cushion nearby, Jiang Changtian sat down and asked the guests politely.
Gong Qichi was somewhat taken aback. They had not introduced themselves,
Yet Mr. Jiang had accurately addressed them by name.
Young master Zi's expression did not change.
"How did Mr. Jiang know we were coming?" Gong Qichi asked curiously.
Jiang Changtian took a sip of water, gesturing for them to drink as well.
After clearing his throat, he continued, "Ever since Commander Zi arrived at the Provincial Capital, we have been hoping that Commander Zi would come and rescue us. To be honest, it was only yesterday that my family had our first meal of dumplings, and that was because the original gentry had been killed by bandits. That gentry's daughter was the County Magistrate's concubine, and we were all very afraid. We practiced martial arts every day, but only for self-defense."
"Moreover!" He smiled bitterly, looking at Little Moustache with sincere eyes. "As someone disowned by a prominent family for being unfilial and disobedient, without qualifications to take the imperial examinations or any path to advancement, I can only hope that Commander Zi will rise to greater heights and soar to new heights, so that I too can pursue my ambitions."
These words instantly struck a chord with Gong Qichi.
He, a newly appointed top scholar, had been stripped of his position and exiled due to fabricated charges, leaving him no path for advancement, forcing him to follow a rebel leader.
And he had not expected Mr. Jiang to address them as "Commander Zi" right from the start - what an excellent title, better than the one he had held as a top scholar.
Zi Congheng glanced at the youth, then continued observing the little toddler.
Seeing her father's sincere and moist eyes, his furrowed brow, Jiang Mianmian knew that Father was about to unleash his "sincere, kind-hearted, and emotional resonance" buff skill.
The last time Father had a conversation with someone here, she saw that the person had initially come with a ferocious attitude to complain, but as they talked, the person suddenly knelt down, weeping bitterly and confessing his wrongdoings, admitting his guilt and accepting punishment...
Gong Qichi had initially come with his guard up, but in the presence of this man, he found himself opening up instinctively, wishing he could have a heart-to-heart conversation with him.
Scholars tend to be emotionally expressive.
Gong Qichi felt as though he had found a kindred spirit, and his attention towards the young master lessened slightly.
Moreover, with the young master right before his eyes, surely nothing could happen.
Jiang Mianmian noticed that the young boy beside her had been staring at her intently.
She curiously looked back at him.
After a long time, Jiang Mianmian saw a wealthy person from this era once again.
Her family could now eat their fill, and her clothes no longer had patches all over them, but Jiang Mianmian felt that they were still some distance away from being wealthy.
They had achieved modest sufficiency, nothing more.
The little girl in front of her had a fair complexion, was tall, had delicate features, and was dressed very well. Her clothing had a silky sheen, thin yet warm, likely lined with fur, unlike Mianmian who was bundled up like a ball.
The girl also wore jade pendants, while Mianmian had one that her mother kept.
Her elder sister had one too, which she kept for herself.
However, the other girl had a sword that looked quite nice, with a suitable length.
It was adorned with symmetrically placed gems.
Jiang Mianmian did not have one.
Her family didn't let her play with sharp objects.
Jiang Mianmian studied the other girl intently.
Zi Congheng, the young master, observed this little girl even more intently.
Her hair was askew, the small braid that had been neatly tied was now crooked after she tugged at it.
Her collar was crooked.
Her little robe was also askew.
"Master Zi is wise in recognizing talent, having Mr. Gong Qichi, a great scholar, by his side. He is admired by all. The young master, despite his youth, remains fearless in the face of danger, earning respect. Last night's snowfall was unexpected, but it has graced our humble abode with pristine beauty, perfect for welcoming our esteemed guests."
Mr. Jiang Changtian's words were sincere and heartfelt.
He spoke highly of Gong Qichi, a former top scholar who had fallen on hard times, putting the man's heart at ease.
Zi Congheng, however, showed no reaction.
Suddenly, he reached out his hand.
He tugged at the little girl sitting on the cushion beside him, straightening her crooked little braid to the center.
Then he spoke, "You don't have much hair, tying it like that will make it look even less."
Jiang Mianmian didn't believe him. How could she be going bald when she drank the magic spring water every day?
Had her brother really pulled out so much of her hair?
She was too astonished to see everyone staring at her.
Slowly, tears welled up in her large eyes and rolled down...
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