In the stillness of the mountains, the first chirp of a bird at dawn stirred Si awake.
The vast darkness began to slowly fade as a faint light gradually diffused. Si's heart fluttered, and she quickly waved her hand in front of her eyes, but saw nothing.
It was another illusion.
Si's eyes, once vibrant, now dimmed like a flickering candle. It was only after losing her sight that she discovered the blind could still sense light, though it was of no help to her; she remained unable to see.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
The knocking at the door disrupted her thoughts. Si's otherwise empty gaze flickered once more. She suddenly sat up, stumbling to the door, and hastily opened it.
"Husband, you're back?"
"Young Madam, it's me! Aunt Li!"
At the sound of a woman's voice, Si's hope dimmed. She put away her disappointment and smiled lightly, "Auntie, you're up so early! I thought it was my husband returning."
Aunt Li was employed by Jiang Hui, Si's husband, to take care of her in the mountains. The woman was straightforward and warm-hearted. She helped Si to her seat while teasing, "He's only been gone a few days; how could he be back so soon? You two youngsters are really something. At home, one of you would act all stern, the other all shy, not daring to speak properly. Now that the husband is away, you're missing him, aren't you?"
Si smiled, thinking that Aunt Li was deceived by appearances. In truth, Jiang Hui's composed demeanor was an act, and her shyness was also a facade.
She let Aunt Li lead her to a seat in the courtyard.
The woman brought over porridge and began to chatter, "My niece just gave birth a few days ago, and the baby is so pretty! Jiang Hui is tall and handsome, and the young madam is beautiful too. When the two of you have children, they'll surely look like little immortals!"
Si, though married and with her hair styled in a matronly bun, still carried the innocent gaze of an unmarried girl. Her eyes showed bewilderment as Aunt Li spoke.
To think Aunt Li wouldn't believe her, but in the three months they had known each other, two months of running away together, and half a month of marriage, Si and Jiang Hui, despite calling each other "husband" and "wife," had not even held hands or embraced properly. The few times they rode together were their most intimate moments, though even then they maintained a distance of a fist between them.
There was also the time before she lost her sight, when Jiang Hui was changing clothes. As he had just taken off his shirt, Si accidentally entered the room, catching sight of his bare, sturdy chest and a mole on his chest.
Unwilling to appear flustered, she suppressed the urge to flee, pretending to calmly admire him for a moment, and even deliberately commented, "Your physique is quite solid." The usually aloof man furrowed his brows slightly, but his ear tips subtly reddened.
Unfortunately, even if he did blush secretly now, she could no longer see it. Nor did she know if or when she could regain her sight.
Si sighed silently, pushing her thoughts aside.
Her eyes were inherently alluring. When she lowered her long lashes and pondered, there was a subtle, reserved charm to her.
A gentle mountain breeze carried the scent of grass. The maiden sat casually on a stump, her figure slender and balanced, her plain hemp dress billowed softly in the wind, exuding a peculiar grace.
Aunt Li couldn't help but glance a few more times. She didn't even notice someone knocking at the gate until Si pointed it out. The woman finally returned to her senses, awkwardly laughing as she went to open the door, "I bet this time it's Jiang Hui coming back!"
Si was also hopeful. New to this place and blind, she relied on Aunt Li for daily needs. But with her husband away, she couldn't shake the unease, fearing that refugees might invade the mountains or unwelcome guests arrive.
She listened attentively, but the voice belonged not to Jiang Hui but to an unfamiliar woman.
Si's mood sank slightly. She quickly turned her back to the gate and clutched the object hidden in her sleeve.
The woman was Aunt Li's neighbor. She peeked into the worn-out yard while absent-mindedly chatting with Aunt Li, "We're moving out of the mountains. Do you want to come with us?"
Aunt Li was surprised, "In this world, what place is better than the mountains? Besides, weren't the Xiongnu driven away?"
The neighbor woman was anxious, "The Xiongnu may be gone, but who can guarantee they won't return? I hear they now control half of Yongzhou. Zhuxi City is only separated from Yongzhou by Weixing Prefecture. This time, if it weren't for the Elder Young Master Yan of the Yan Family defending Weixing Prefecture, the entire prefecture might be under Xiongnu control now! I hear that young master is in Zhuxi now! He'll likely return to Jiankang in two days."
"If they leave and the Xiongnu return... I'm really scared. My son also told me that many refugees are coming from the north, and even the bark on the trees might be eaten!"
The woman's son worked in the Zhuxi City Lord's residence and was well-informed. Hearing her say this, Aunt Li grew panicked, wringing her hands nervously, "Then, where can we possibly hide..."
The neighbor sighed, "We plan to move to Xincheng Prefecture, become tenants for those big families. It'll be hard, but they have fortified castles and their own private soldiers. Even if the Xiongnu don't come, the grain we give them as tenants is less than what we’d give the government."
Aunt Li's usually cheerful mouth drooped with worry. Uncertain, she hesitated, while the neighbor woman peered through the crack in the gate, her eyes half-closed as if pondering something.
Aunt Li blocked her gaze and laughed, "That's our young madam. New brides are shy, don't stare."
The neighbor withdrew her gaze, "Are you coming down the mountain?"
Aunt Li wrung her hands, unable to make a decision.
Through the partially open gate, their conversation reached Si's ears, making her face turn pale.
Jiang Hui hadn't mentioned when he would return. If Aunt Li decided to leave now, what would she do?
Fortunately, Aunt Li hesitated only a moment before firming up, "No matter how urgent, we can still live in peace for another ten or fifteen days. My husband will be back in a couple of days. He saved me, so I must look after the young madam properly. Besides, Jiang Hui is skilled in martial arts and seems knowledgeable. I'll ask him when he returns."
Si felt a little more at ease. The unfamiliar woman chatted a bit more before leaving. Aunt Li returned to the yard, trying to sound casual, "That woman is always like that, getting all worked up over small things. Don't be scared by her, madam. Let's continue eating!"
Even so, Si could hear the underlying fear in her words. In the few days they'd been together, Si had come to understand Aunt Li's character. If she expressed her own unease, Aunt Li would only become more frightened. So, she just gave a faint smile, "Auntie, don't worry. With Weixing Prefecture secured, downstream is the heart of Jingzhou. If Jingzhou falls, it will lead to the downfall of Yangzhou and Jiankang. The government won't let Weixing fall into enemy hands. Moreover, I've heard that Weixing is where the Yan Clan's ancestors rose to prominence. Even for their ancestors, the Yan Family will do their best to defend Weixing. As long as Weixing is safe, our Zhuxi will be stable, at least for the next few months."
She concocted the first half on instinct.
Si, herself, didn't even know where she got this knowledge, but the aim was to create an aura of ambiguity, enough to pacify Aunt Li.
Aunt Li indeed was confused and gradually relaxed. Hearing about "ancestors," she completely calmed down—even prominent families had to protect their ancestral tombs! Seeing Si, a blind woman, remain so composed, Aunt Li's fears were soothed, and her tense lips lifted into a smile, "If that's the case, I can relax. Young madam truly is well-informed!"
Si smiled. She had only memories for the past six months, how could she be called well-informed? It was all made up.
Aunt Li calmed down, but her anxiety transferred to Si. Using the excuse to return to the room, Si sat by the bed, rubbing the hilt of the dagger with her fingertips.
Having been victims of a villain's schemes, escaped only to lose her sight, she was already tense from successive blows. With her husband often away, she had asked him for the dagger. She kept it in her sleeve during the day and under her pillow at night for reassurance.
Yet, hearing from the woman about the Elder Young Master Yan being in Zhuxi now, Si couldn't help but feel a stir.
What a twist of fate. To avoid being delivered to a noble's bedchamber and becoming a plaything, she had escaped with Jiang Hui, only for that noble to end up in Zhuxi as well.
Fortunately, the root of the issue didn't lie with him.
Otherwise, to circle back to the same place would be ironic indeed.
While Si was uneasy in the mountainside courtyard, the woman on the mountain path also knitted her brows and walked hesitantly.
Recalling the maiden's appearance as seen through the crack in the gate earlier, the woman muttered doubtfully, "Could it really be her?"
The "her" the woman referred to was a figure in a painting, though she hadn't seen it herself. Her son, who worked in the city lord's residence, had told her the painted maiden was extremely beautiful, around sixteen or seventeen years old, accompanied by a young man—much like the one in the yard.
That was the person the Elder Young Master Yan was searching for.
Even a tiny morsel of useful information could yield great rewards. The woman pondered as she walked, then clapped her hands and hurried down the mountain.
By the time she reached the city, the sun was already setting. She found a side gate of a wealthy household. Hesitant to approach, she stood before the dazzling vermilion gate as the evening sun cast its crimson glow onto her dull, coarse linen clothes, making them seem almost like brocade. Gazing at her worn-out sole, she clenched her teeth and knocked on the door.
After a long while, a young man, somewhat resembling the woman, emerged. They exchanged a few words, and soon the young man's face lit up with joy. He quickly disappeared behind the gates.
The hem of his robe brushed past numerous paths and thresholds, and that piece of news was relayed through many mouths, eventually traversing half the city to reach a man in dark attire.
Upon hearing the news, the guard turned and entered the garden behind him.
Night had fallen, and the lush bamboos in the courtyard were cloaked in the twilight, resembling elegant, unbridled gentlemen of leisure. The moonlight cast their graceful shadows on the windows.
The window lightly swayed, revealing a white figure.
It was a young nobleman sitting by the window at his desk, his long eyes half-closed, calmly looking at a wounded rabbit in his arm. He was gently, tenderly feeding it.
The dark-clad guard approached and knocked on the door. Without looking up, the young nobleman spoke softly, "Is it Po Wu?"
The guard entered the room, "Elder Young Master, there are two matters—one official, the other personal."
A boy of thirteen or fourteen beside the nobleman scoffed, "Po Wu, you dullard! Knowing our master's habit, naturally, he'd prefer to hear the personal matter first!"
Their master, being the Yan Clan's Elder Young Master, was always diligent in affairs of the family, yet he was also a refined individual who sought amusement in monotony. Thus, whenever news contained both official and personal matters, the Elder Young Master would always start with the personal to find joy before diving into the official paperwork.
But this time, he was mistaken. The nobleman continued feeding the rabbit, not looking up as he said, "Chuan Yun knows me well. Since that is so, let us hear the official matter first."
The guard spoke methodically, "One of ours apprehended a man near Zhuxi City, suspected to be an assassin. However, the man had disfigured his face and took his own life before capture. Judging by his build and facial structure, he appears to be of the Xianbei Murong Clan, a Western Yan man."
The Elder Young Master pondered briefly, his interest piqued, "What do you think? Did he disfigure his face to mislead or to provoke?"
The guard replied, "Both possibilities exist: if he aimed to mislead, it implies the assassin was sent by Western Yan; if he sought to provoke, then it may be an attempt to sow discord, considering the current good relations between Western Yan and Great Zhou."
The Elder Young Master nodded slightly, handing the rabbit to the boy behind him, "The current clues are insufficient to determine. Continue the hunt for other assassins, and preserve the evidence. If someone truly wishes to sow discord, perhaps we should ride the wind and act accordingly."
With that, he slowly stood up and stood before a gilded incense burner shaped like a mythical beast, picking up a feather whisk to stir the ash within.
His hands were exquisite, long fingers like white jade flutes, and his movements as he tended the burner were pleasing to the eye.
The nobleman asked again, "And the personal matter?"
The guard's eyes flickered, "A report came in the evening, stating that a young lady, somewhat resembling the one you seek, was seen in a village twenty miles outside the city."
With that, he lifted his gaze to meet the young man's eyes.
The nobleman's hand paused slightly, his long lashes lifting briefly before lowering again. The candlelight cast shadows beneath his eyes, deepening the enigmatic and playful smile that had settled on his face.
"A misstep," he chuckled softly.
"I should have listened to the personal matter first."
