Nightfall

It was early summer in Chang’an. Though it wasn’t that hot, the rich had already set ice pots in their rooms. The breeze flowed across the rooms, leaving coolness in the room, making it feel like winter.

Master Chu was sweating, and he kept his shirt open. He couldn’t stop waving the cattail leaf fan in his hand, because he felt so hot after hearing the news; it felt that even his heart was burning.

“Is it true? Really?” He stared at Chu Youxian, asking in a low and mysterious voice, “Don’t say it if it’s inconvenient for you. Just give me a wink.”

Chu Youxian looked at his father, then he sighed and face-palmed because he didn’t know how to answer it. Though the rumor had been spreading in the house recently, he simply couldn’t admit it.

Master Chu had read the answer from his reaction. His wrinkles stretched. Then he laughed while patting his son on the shoulder excitedly, saying, “I was wondering why I didn’t see you at home or in the House of Red Sleeves. I wasn’t expecting you could start a new life. Now you’ve become an official. That’s nice. I was right earlier to have paid the high tuition fee of yours in the Academy.”

Master Chu was the well-known rich man in Chang’an. And it was his life’s wish for his descendants to have high positions in the government. Chu Youxian’s position might not be that high, but it was crucial for the imperial court. Master Chu then had every reason to be pleased when hearing the news.

He looked at Chu Youxian and warned, “You should be clear about how you’ve reached the position. Your grades at school were such a mess, and you had no outstanding working abilities. You have the position only because Mr. Thirteen cherished your friendship. You should never let him down. Be cautious, and don’t get dizzy from success.”

Chu Youxian couldn’t bear it any longer when he heard those words. He waved his arms and shouted angrily, “Who’s getting dizzy from success anyway? Who? I am a secret guard, a fact that cannot be disclosed to anybody! Why did you have to pay a thousand taels of silver to have me investigated? Now that you’ve found out, how can I continue my job? Will you spend more to shut people’s mouths? Why do you have to make everything so troublesome?”

Master Chu was lectured but he couldn’t talk back, because he had indeed acted inappropriately. He flushed and paled, then he said, “I won’t say a word about you from today on.”

Chu Youxian stood up. He was about to leave in anger.

Master Chu had been as humble as he could, but his son wouldn’t buy it. He was seriously irritated and shouted, “I can still beat you even if you’re an imperial official now! Where are you going? It’s so late at night.”

Chu Youxian said, “There’s a party at the House of Red Sleeves tonight, I have to go.”

Master Chu said angrily, “I haven’t been there for ten days, who do you think you are to be there now?”

Chu Youxian said annoyedly, “It’s the reunion party for schoolmates in the Academy. I won’t go if you don’t let me.”

Master Chu was going to say “what if you don’t go” before it occurred to him that Mr. Thirteen was also a schoolmate of his son’s. So he swallowed the words back and said, “Just go and come back early.”

In early summer, Chang’an was covered by green trees. People could see the large green area even if looking at the city from far away, the scene was so comforting.

The most beautiful scenery would be boring if people looked at it for too long, just like the Headmaster felt the world was so boring after he had watched it for over a thousand years, so he wanted to visit somewhere else; or like the Empress who had lived more than ten years in the city, she had felt bored for long without being accompanied.

Ning Que came up with two people when he was standing on the city wall, looking at the woods and lakes in the city. Then he remembered the words Ye Hongyu said by Yanming Lake.

“You will be trapped in Chang’an City till you die, being an angry prisoner.”

He went outside of the city for the Qingming Festival, so it had been days after the last time he went outside of the city. He was bored, but not yet angry. He knew he had already become a prisoner.

A warm breeze blew gently on the city wall. Early summer, together with late spring, were the two warmest and most beautiful seasons of Chang’an. Eldest Brother was still in his cotton jacket.

Ning Que was sure, that Eldest Brother’s cotton jacket hadn’t been washed since he met him on the day in the 13th year of Tianqi. He always looked dusty yet felt so clean, why?

“Because my heart is clean.” Eldest Brother said slowly.

Ning Que smiled and said, “I heard that a tranquil heart isolates people from the crowd around, and yet I’ve never heard that a clean heart keeps the body clean, you’re just being unreasonable.”

Eldest Brother walked to him slowly, and looked down at the streets and alleys under the city wall, saying “A tranquil heart isolates people from the crowd around… that’s interesting, what a pity that you can’t keep your heart in tranquillity.”

If one’s heart could reach absolute tranquility, his mind would be able to experience the whole world, even when he was being physically trapped. Ning Que clearly knew clearly about what Eldest Brother meant, but he couldn’t feel the tranquility now because of the current situation.

Eldest Brother looked at him sympathetically and said, “If your heart isn’t a tranquil one, then just try to move.”

Ning Que thought it over, and replied, “The risk is too high.”

Eldest Brother said, “The God-stunning Array is still working, and it can resist for quite a while even if I am not here. You can’t just waste your life while for nothing here.”

Ning Que pointed at pedestrians in the streets and alleys, then he said, “Their lives and their future all depend on me, I can’t take the risk of losing them.”

Eldest Brother said, “You’re now the guardian of the city and its citizens, but if you can’t get out of the city ever again, it will be the citizens who would be protecting you instead.”

After a long silence, Ning Que said, “I get it.”

Eldest Brother said, “Just move as how we’ve planned days ago. Jun Mo and I are not worried about Chang’an; we’re more afraid of something happening to you on your way.”

Ning Que said, “If everything goes according to Fourth Brother’s calculations, I’ll be able to solve whatever trouble I meet. Now we have to confirm the news from the West-Hill Palace.”

Eldest Brother asked, “How long will it take?”

Ning Que said after a moment’s silence, ”Probably forever. I’ll try to get more information before making the final decision. And I may need your help in that case.”

Eldest Brother said gently, “Then you can stay and see if you can get more information. I have to go now.”

Ning Que asked, “Are you going back to the palace?”

Eldest Brother said, “Something is wrong with the Weihe River Dam. Officials from the Ministry of Workers are quarreling with those from the Ministry of Revenue. His Majesty and Li Yu are waiting for me to decide.”

Ning Que asked sincerely, “Is there anything you are not capable of, Senior Brother?”

Eldest Brother smiled and said, “I know nothing about Talisman Taoism, or I’d be the prisoner of the city, but if that really happened, I’ll be fine with it.”

Eldest Brother left, leaving Ning Que standing on the city wall for a time. He watched the sunset. He saw the city wall shining, reflecting the golden glow, and he saw the city under the wall becoming an ocean of flowers.

Thousands of Tang soldiers came into the city amongst people waving hands, showered by the floating flower petals. They served the Northern Army, which was the most sufferable force in this battle. They had to put off the coming-back date because of the pressure from the Golden Palace, and it was not until the early summer that they were able to return to Chang’an and get awarded for their honor.

Ning Que walked down off the city wall and left for the House of Red Sleeves.

The whole House of Red Sleeves was booked by the Academy graduates of the 13th year of Tianqi.

Ning Que was standing by the window and looked at the young generals who wouldn’t give up drinking, and at those new officials of all departments. He saw Chu Zhongtian with a thick beard who no longer looked young. He saw Wang Ying from Lin Chuan, who was now well respected in the Imperial Academy. He saw Chen Simiao, He Yingqin, and Chen Zixian; those were his classmates in Classroom Three.

Situ Yilan and Jin Wucai sat at the table, hand in hand, telling the stories that had happened after their last separation. Situ Yilan saw Ning Que’s figure by the window, and she asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to go downstairs?”

Ning Que shook his head. Then he turned away to the table and sat down.

He felt it uncomfortable if he went downstairs considering his social status now. He didn’t want to make those postures. This room was just fine with Chu Youxian and the two girls he was familiar with.

Jin Wucai married a young official from the Ministry of Workers as soon as her mourning period ended. Her marriage must have been a happy one because she looked gentle and quiet now. Nobody knew that from time to time, she would miss the man named Xie Chengyun.

Situ Yilan had been in the army since last year. She had been fighting against the cavalry of the Golden Palace in the Northern Frontier and had just come back to Chang’an today. The school reunion was held today mainly because other people were waiting for her to come.

Chu Youxian toasted others and when he noticed Situ Yilan’s expression; he knew she had things to say to Ning Que. So he winked at Jin Wucai and the two left the room to go downstairs.

Situ Yilan looked Ning Que in the eyes and said, “It’s said that ceding Xiangwan Plain was the His Highness’ idea. Nobody, including the soldiers in the Northern Army, would blame them because if His Highness died, even the Empress would die. But I know that decision must have been authorized by the Academy.”

She was in casual clothes at the moment, and though she might have been burned by the sun in the Northern Frontier, she was still beautiful as before. Only the cloth wrapped around her head felt weird.

Ning Que looked at her and said, “I know what you mean. You’re right. The Academy, or I, to be specific, authorized all the agreements, including the one ceding Xiangwan Plain to the Golden Palace, and the one ceding Dongshan County to the Kingdom of Yan.”

Situ Yilan asked, “Why? Ceding Dongshan County might be a deliberate showing of weakness, but why Xiangwan Plain? You know how much its pasture means to the Empire.”

Ning Que said, “You may have known that something has happened to the Academy, forcing us to draw back.”

Situ Yilan said, “But the Golden Palace was really powerful, we lost lots of people there. I feel so restless as long as I know that they’re probably growing stronger.”

Ning Que said, “No worries, I’ll kill them all.”

Situ Yilan trusted him. She knew that no matter how powerful a cultivator was, it was still impossible to kill all of the people of the Golden Palace alone, but she had no worries because the promise was made by the Academy.

She noticed that Ning Que kept staring at something on her. So she smiled and said, “Want to have a look?”

Ning Que nodded.

She unwrapped the cloth on her head.

Her hair, which used to be as smooth as waterfall, had been cut short, in the most casual way.