Chapter 82 - A Deadlock in the Woods

The spring rain fell in a ceaseless drizzle, but this spring season, the Great Jin Dynasty did not experience the vigour of life brought about by the spring rain. Instead, it was enveloped by a thick shroud of gloom. Fortunately, in the capital city, the distribution of congee carried on uninterrupted, and some kind hearted and wealthy merchants had, one by one, joined the group of people donating provisions. The number of troops on garrison duty had doubled, and the trouble-making refugees had dwindled in number. Apart from the continued challenge of daily living, in other aspects there was not much difference between the time before the flood crisis and the present.

The citizens had neither food enough to eat or clothes enough to keep warm, and were even less likely to pay heed to major events in the imperial court. Despite this, the news of General Guan’s triumphant return had still recently become the most talked-about topic all throughout the capital city. The courageous and skillful army led by Guan Liang Han would reach the capital that very night.

However, the Guan Liang Han who was on the tip of everyone’s tongues was currently sitting in Dong Feng Lou, merrily drinking a cup of a recent vintage of Guanshan pear wine. Beside him, Mo Cong said, “Second Brother, the entire capital city knows that you are returning tonight. You’re really not going to put on a show?”

“False appearances,” Guan Liang Han said with a scoff. “I returned to the capital city much earlier, what show should I put on? If we keep talking about it further it will eventually be night time anyways, and who really cares about such things? Only idiotic people who make a big fuss over nothing.”

Mo Cong shrugged his shoulders and said, “The rain is so heavy. Who knows where they are at this moment and whether they will be able to reach the capital on schedule.”

“Don’t worry.” Guan Liang Han wiped his mouth. “My subordinates are no pushovers, even if the rain were heavier, it would be no problem. Right now, they should have reached Wulin (Black Forest) Road.”

Wulin Road was not an official road. The official road had been inundated by the rising water a few days ago, and so the horses could not get through. Wulin Road wound through a vast forest of ebony trees, stretching on for miles, and the terrain was complicated. The trees were lush and grew in profusion, and if one were not careful, it would be easy to lose one’s sense of direction. Moreover, there were wild beasts roaming around in the forest. However, the entire army was there, so it would not be an issue. Guan Liang Han tilted his head, poured wine into his mouth and said carelessly, “Just wait without worrying about it.”

* * *

In the Jiang fu, Jiang Ruan was lost in thought as she sat by the window watching the falling rain. For some inexplicable reason, she had been feeling uneasy from the time she had woken up early in the morning. Although she had been able to suppress the feeling, it still rendered her slightly preoccupied.

Lian Qiao hurried in and said, “Miss, this maidservant saw an unfamiliar old woman entering Yan Hua Yuan. She looked very happy when she left, and the people in Yan Hua Yuan seemed particularly jubilant as well.”

Jiang Ruan eyes leapt. She asked, “Are you sure?”

Lian Qiao nodded. Jiang Ruan said, “I’m going out straightaway. Bai Zhi, Lian Qiao, come with me. Lu Zhu, you stay in the fu; if that side asks, I have gone out with Miss Wen to select some jewellery.”

Lu Zhu nodded and said, “Miss, be careful.”

Xia Yan had been busy with her own affairs for the past few days, and did not have time to think about Jiang Ruan. Or, perhaps she thought that Jiang Ruan would not stir up much trouble, and would be even less of a threat once Jiang Xin Zhi was dead. Thus, she was more benevolent towards her at the moment. Concurrently, Jiang Ruan had also become close to Dong Yinger and some others, so it was very convenient to use them as an excuse for going out once in a while.

Jiang Ruan and the two maidservants left the fu. Bai Zhi hailed a horse carriage, and the three of them hurried off to the General fu. Upon reaching the fu’s main entrance, they saw Zhao Yi and Zhao Yuan Feng leading a troop of imperial bodyguards out of the door. Zhao Yuan Feng was slightly taken aback on seeing Jiang Ruan, and immediately said, “The informer that Father placed in the Xia family sent news that the Xia family departed for Wulin Road at first light.” After a pause, he continued, “The Li family is also involved in this matter.”

As Jiang Ruan raised an eyebrow, Zhao Yi added, “It was not ideal for Grandfather to come out, so I and Third Uncle will work together. These men are all Zhao family soldiers; they are dressed this way to fool people. Biaomei, you should wait in the fu. We will definitely rescue Xin Zhi and bring him home.”

Jiang Ruan shook her head and said, “I will go with you all.”

Without waiting for Zhao Yi’s response, Zhao Yuan Feng categorically refused to allow it. “No, it’s too dangerous. You will wait here.”

“Third Maternal Uncle, if I don’t go, I will not be at ease for the rest of my life. This situation is extremely urgent; please don’t waste time here, Third Maternal Uncle. I am able to protect myself. If it comes to a state where the situation is so treacherous that I cannot do so, then it can be assumed that it is no longer possible to control the situation. In that case, being able to die together with my dage will be a blessing.”

Her tone was indifferent, as if living or dying was of no concern to her. Zhao Yuan Feng’s heart sank as he looked once again at Jiang Ruan’s determined appearance, and he thought about Zhao Guang’s assessment of Jiang Ruan the previous day. With his thoughts in a whirl, he said, “All right. However, you have to be careful. The sword does not discriminate; if you were to die by some unfortunate incident, how would I be able to account for it before your departed mother?”

Jiang Ruan nodded slightly. Zhao Yi hesitated momentarily, but, as there was nothing he could do, he led out a horse from the rear and asked, “Biaomei, can you ride a horse?”

Before he had even finished speaking, Jiang Ruan had placed one foot in the stirrup, performed an elegant turn and sat squarely on the horse’s back, donning a douli[1] she had randomly grabbed. The agility with which she had assumed her position caused the surrounding imperial bodyguards’ eyes to light up. In her previous life, a beauty from the Western Regions who could ride a horse had arrived at the palace. Her horsemanship was exceptionally elegant, and it set off a craze for horse riding in the inner palace. Unfortunately, Jiang Ruan had never been taught how to ride a horse. In the end, Xuan Li had personally taught her how to do so. Although her horsemanship was not outstanding, Jiang Ruan had practised continually in order to make him sit up and take notice of her skill. Thus, she had become quite a proficient equestrienne. She had never imagined that the first time she would reveal her skill at horse riding in this lifetime would be in order to rescue Jiang Xin Zhi.

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[1] Dou li ( 斗笠 ) – conical hat commonly seen throughout Asia. More here.

Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao could not ride and hence had to remain behind at the General fu. With concern in their voices, they exhorted Jiang Ruan, “Miss, be careful throughout the journey.”

They could not tarry as time was of the essence. Zhao Yuan Feng galvanised them like a horsewhip, “Let’s go!”

The entire party spurred their horses onwards as they galloped out of the city. The horses’ hooves splashed through the water on the roads in crisp, clear bursts of sound.

Zhao Yi and Zhao Yuan Feng were initially somewhat anxious about Jiang Ruan. After all, ladies were physically more delicate, and she might not be able to endure the constant jolting that resulted from galloping at such high speed. However, Jiang Ruan showed no signs of discomfort throughout the journey, so they felt more at ease. The horses galloped even faster.

* * *

At the same time, Mo Cong and Guan Liang Han had just descended the stairs at Dong Feng Lou. On seeing Xiao Shao there, they greeted one another and were about to engage in conversation when they saw a group of people on horseback gallop past. The water that was kicked up by the horses splashed on Mo Cong, who retreated a few steps and said angrily, “Hey, this young master’s clothes have been sullied!”

Guan Liang Han burst out in uproarious laughter. “You’re a man, why are you fussing over such trivial things? Eh, isn’t that Zhao Yuan Feng?”

Xiao Shao was a little startled and followed Guan Liang Han’s line of sight. At one glance, he noticed the slender figure in the middle of the party, a particularly striking sight due to the husky figures around it. Although the figure was wearing a douli, on noticing that Zhao Yuan Feng and Zhao Yi were riding next to this person, and recalling the recent information he had gathered that the Jiang family’s eldest di daughter was a recent visitor at the General fu, it was not difficult to guess the identity of this person.

“What are they going to do? Guan Liang Han muttered to himself.

Xiao Shao said, “The men following them are Zhao family soldiers, dressed up as imperial bodyguards,” thereby calling his attention to that detail.

“Private soldiers? Oh-ho, is this Zhao family joker not afraid to die?” Guan Liang Han said in delight.

Xiao Shao frowned, then abruptly turned and left. Upon seeing this, Guan Liang Han hurried followed him and asked, “Third Brother, where are you going? I still have something to discuss with you.”

Xiao Shao walked over to the hitching post. As he untied his horse’s reins, he said, “We’ll talk when I return.”

Guan Liang Han looked at him and asked, “You’re thinking of following Zhao Yuan Feng?”

Xiao Shao did not reply, being entirely focused on setting off, which was in itself a kind of tacit agreement. Out of the blue, Guan Liang Han laughed out loud and said, “This is interesting! I, too, want to see what this Zhao family rascal is up to. Seventh Brother, lead my horse over here.” He then patted Xiao Shao’s shoulder and said, “I will go with you.”

Mo Cong reluctantly led over Guan Liang Han’s horse and asked, “Second Brother, Third Brother, can you take me with you?”

There was nothing in heaven or on earth that Mo Cong feared, apart from riding a horse. When he was small, a horse had thrown him off its back. It took him three months to recover, and he was never willing to ride alone on a horse again.

Xiao Shao said, “No.”

Mo Cong rubbed his nose and heard Guan Liang Han say, “Just be a good boy and stay here.” So saying, he turned and vaulted onto his horse. Without sparing Mo Cong a glance, he raised his whip, whereupon his horse galloped away. Left behind, Mo Cong’s face was ashen in fury, but he could do nothing about the situation.

In single file, the two horses followed after the party in front of them. When Guan Liang Han caught up with Xiao Shao, his face took on a serious cast as he asked, “Third Brother, is there something that you know?” Xiao Shao did not normally have any friendly dealings with the people from the General fu, so it could not be that he was chasing after them merely to chat about good times. Something must have happened. Being a military official, Guan Liang Han was seldom in the capital city, so he also wanted to know if the Zhao family had any secrets.

Xiao Shao heard him and eyed him with astonishment. With his beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, he said, coolly, “They are heading out of the city.”

“Yes, and what of it?” Guan Liang Han asked. At present, it was only refugees coming into the capital city; none of the citizens were leaving it. The situation in the capital city was many times better than that of the outer regions. Moreover, that Zhao Yuan Feng and Zhao Yi were leading Zhao family soldiers dressed as imperial bodyguards indicated that there was definitely another reason; what on earth could that reason be? Although Guan Liang Han was usually away in the distant frontier regions, he was still able to figure out the temperament of his fellow imperial officials. This Zhao Yuan Feng, the third young master of the Zhao family, was usually rude and impetuous. However, he did not do things willfully. Furthermore, the Zhao family was known for its strict and rigorous upbringing, similar to that in the military, so it was not possible for him to have taken the soldiers to do something at will.

“Where would your army be right now?” Xiao Shao asked.

“The official road has been destroyed, so they should be at Wulin Road. I returned by that route as well, so, estimating the course of their journey, they should be entering Wulin Road right now.” After he had finished speaking, a realisation seemed to strike him, whereupon he looked at Xiao Shao in amazement and said, “Third Brother, you don’t mean to say that the Zhao family is charging for my troops? There are absolutely no relations between the Zhao family and my Guan family. At present, only you and Seventh Brother know about my return to the capital city. There is no way that the Zhao family is going to Wulin Road to meet me, and it can’t be that they are charging for me.”

Xiao Shao shook his head and said, “No. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Then, what do you mean?” Guan Liang Han was even more puzzled by his reply.

Xiao Shao gripped his horse tightly with his knees as his horse shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. He half-closed his eyes and said, “I can’t really say what’s going on, either.”

* * *

After days of continuous rain, the roads were extremely muddy, and the possibility of minor rockslides added greater risk to the journey, such that a journey on foot that normally took three days now took at least five days. The General Guan’s troops had been marching for several days in their haste to return to the capital, and the troops were both physically and mentally tired. In front of them was Wulin Road. The rains had deluged the official road; the forest was dense around them and it was very easy to lose one’s bearings, especially as the forest stretched on uninterrupted into the distance. The troops stopped for a rest just before Wulin Road.

As Guan Liang Han was not with them, the entire army was under the command of Jiang Xin Zhi. Some soldiers called out to him in a friendly greeting, “Deputy General, come and sit down and have something to eat!”

Jiang Xin Zhi smiled as he shook his head and said, “No need!”

The soldiers did not ask again. It had taken Jiang Xin Zhi five years to rise through the ranks, from a junior camp cook soldier to the Deputy General whose scope of responsibility encompassed the entire battlefield. The Jiang family valued the pen more than the sword. When he was growing up, he had studied the Four Books and the Five Classics[2], and had never practised any martial or military arts. However, when it came to the point where he could not even protect his own meimei, he realised that utter uselessness was the way of the scholar. When he first arrived at the barracks, he was treated with no small amount of indifference. On the battlefield, though, the sword did not discriminate. That he was able to protect himself despite his lack of aptitude was a definite blessing from heaven. However, Jiang Xin Zhi still strived and finally managed to achieve his current position.

[2] Si shu wi jing ( 四书五经 ) – the Four Books are the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects of Confucius, and of Mencius. The Five Classics of Confucianism are the Book of Songs, the Book of History, the Classic of Rites, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. These are the authoritative texts on Confucianism in ancient China; every son from a rich/ noble family had to know them inside out, and they were part of the set texts for the civil service/ Imperial examination. Read more here.

He rubbed his horse’s head, feeling unexpectedly nervous. At that time, the decisions to enlist had been due to the temperament of a youth. Thereafter, once on the battlefield, he was no longer his own master. Indeed, he had not returned to the capital city in the past five years. On thinking about it now, placing Jiang Ruan in the exploitative and oppressive environment of the Jiang family was truly not a good idea. Over the past few years, he had secretly sent people to deliver his letters, written under different names, to Jiang Ruan, but he had never received a reply. The closer he got to the capital city, the more concerned he grew – in all these years, had Jiang Ruan fared well, or had she met with bitter experiences? After Zhao Mei’s death, Xia Yan had concealed her hard heart with a smiling face, and Jiang Quan had never liked the siblings. Cut off from all forms of support, would Jiang Ruan have been bullied by other Jiang family members? The more he thought about this, the more a peculiar, indescribable, jittery feeling rose up in his heart.

He was lost in thought when the horse by his side lowered its head and nudged his body, its hooves pawing the ground restlessly. Jiang Xin Zhi laughed and said, “Got it, Hei Feng (Black Wind), I’ll take you to drink water.”

There had been no water source along the way, and the water on the ground was contaminated with the decomposing bodies of dead animals, and mud. For fear of falling sick due to drinking the contaminated water, the water they had brought with them had been reserved for the troops and horses in ill health. Hei Feng had been thirsty for a long time. There was a little stream in the middle of Wulin Road, so Jiang Xin Zhi instructed a soldier nearby, “I’ll take Hei Feng to fetch some water. You get the men to rest here first. I’ll be back shortly.”

The soldier accepted his instructions and left. Jiang Xin Zhi turned and mounted his horse, intimately patting Hei Feng’s neck. “Go.”

Hei Feng snorted and stretched his legs to gallop forward. Although it was easy to lose one’s bearings in the dense forest around Wulin Road, Hei Feng was experienced and knew the way, so Jiang Xin Zhi was not worried.

Hei Feng had only gone a short distance when a winding creek appeared ahead. Because the dense canopy of ebony tree branches had kept off most of the rain, as far as the eye could see, the creek water was crystal clear, pure and limpid, without any contamination from the mud at all. Jiang Xin Zhi was overjoyed, but Hei Feng stopped moving right at that moment.

Jiang Xin Zhi thought his horse was tired, so he patted its head and said, “We’ll be there soon, Hei Feng, just keep going.”

To Jiang Xin Zhi’s complete astonishment, Hei Feng huffed out a few breaths, picked up its front hooves and set them down again heavily, clearly and unexpectedly refusing to move forward. Hei Feng began fretfully stamping the ground where it stood.

Hei Feng was a warhorse with battlefield experience and was obviously intelligent, so Jiang Xin Zhi became suspicious. He calmly stoked Hei Feng’s mane, whereupon the horse, on sensing his pacifying touch, gradually quietened down. Jiang Xin Zhi was furrowing his brows in concentration when a ‘swoosh’ broke the quiet of the forest. Jiang Xin Zhi abruptly stretched out his hand and caught the object; it was an arrow, with a red cloth bag tied to it. With great suspicion, Jiang Xin Zhi tore off the bag and opened it – inside was half a piece of amber. He was stunned, and found himself clenching his fists tightly.

When Zhao Mei was alive, she had had two pieces of amber in half-moon shapes. Each piece was complete on its own, but the two pieces could be put together to form a whole, As it turned out, each piece had a butterfly wing on it, and, when the two pieces were put together, a butterfly could be seen right in the middle of the whole piece, vivid and lifelike. Zhao Mei had made the amber pieces into two necklaces, one for Jiang Xin Zhi, and one for Jiang Ruan. The amber piece before his eyes was obviously that belonging to Jiang Ruan!

Someone had taken Jiang Ruan’s things. For what purpose, he had no idea, but it had to do with Jiang Ruan.

Jiang Xin Zhi’s hands went up to touch the piece of amber strung around his own neck. With narrowed eyes, he seemed to emanate a kind of vicious aura.

At their current location, they were near the other troops and horses which were resting. However, there could be unknown dangers if he ventured further into the forest.

Just then, a rustling sound was heard from within the forest, and he caught a glimpse of a jacket as it flashed past in the depths of the forest, heading even further in.

Jiang Xin Zhi resolutely kicked against Hei Feng’s belly and said, “Go!”

Whether or not there was a conspiracy against him, the other party was using Jiang Ruan to threaten him. He could not remain indifferent, and did not even have the time to send word to his men. At that moment, Jiang Xin Zhi felt as if he was walking in the midst of a raging inferno, with every fibre of his body itching to burst forth in impetuous action.

Hei Feng felt his fury, and even though it did not want to move forward, it neighed lengthily and charged into the forest.

The terrain in the ebony forest was complicated in the first place, and it was Jiang Xin Zhi’s first time travelling that route. Unexpectedly, the person in front of him was highly skilled in martial arts, for this small path they were on was craggy and narrow. Hei Feng doggedly followed the trail, and the further they went into the forest, the taller the ebony trees grew. They almost obscured the sky, such that no glimmer of light was seen, and the surroundings were pitch-black. There was a momentary flash of the figure ahead of them, and then it abruptly vanished.

Hei Feng stopped suddenly. Jiang Xin Zhi sat upright on the horse, unmoving. The forest was unusually silent. He had no idea how far they had travelled from the little creek and his troops’ resting place.

Moreover, the disappearance of the person ahead of him confirmed that this was indeed a trap.

Who had set the trap, and why?

Jiang Xin Zhi’s expression was serene. The impetuous rage had dissipated, as had his worries. In fact, he was somewhat glad.

Since this was obviously a trap, perhaps Jiang Ruan was safe.

He unhurriedly withdrew the sword at his waist. Once the sword was unsheathed, three chi[3] of cold steel reflected his figure. Murder was in the eyes of this young Deputy General, for, after all, he was one who had experienced the bloodbath of battle.

[3] Chi ( 尺 ) – traditional Chinese unit of length. Depending on the era we’re in, Jiang Xin Zhi’s 3 chi sword measures somewhere from 66 cm to 1 metre (27 inches to 3 feet). More about the chi here. (We will not conjecture as to whether the length of a man’s sword reflects his . . . prowess)

With a ‘swoosh’, Jiang Xin Zhi thrust his sword forward, while simultaneously dropping his body sharply, thus narrowly avoiding the sneak attack from behind. In a flash, he turned his horse around and saw a group of strangers dressed as imperial bodyguards.

Five men in total.

He made Hei Feng take a few steps back before asking, “Who sent you?”

“Young Master Jiang, be sensible. Why don’t you surrender your life to us, and let the five of us return to report the accomplishment of our mission?” one of them said.

Jiang Xin Zhi laughed grimly and said, “I care not about life or death!” So saying, he leapt off his horse in a sudden movement and aimed his sword at the frontmost stranger.

The stranger did his best to evade the blow but was unable to do so in time, so Jiang Xin Zhi’s sword slashed his arm. They had clearly not expected that his swordsmanship would be so refined. The strangers exchanged glances and, without another word, swarmed around Jiang Xin Zhi to commence the battle.