Chapter 89

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

The bird's sentence sounded like escorting a prisoner or an enemy scout, originating from the accumulation of "practicing military tactics" by the Hou River in Taoxi Township.

Zhan Zhan stood on Shaowei's arm, his fluffy chest puffed out, one wing flung back, eyes bright, indeed looking very much like a soldier.

Shaowei hurriedly asked: "Where is he right now!"

Zhan Zhan waved the wing flung back like a battle flag back and forth several times, tapped his two claws, and loudly said: "Right outside the tent! Waiting for the Great King's order to summon!"

Hearing it shouting wildly again, Shaowei hurriedly made a shushing gesture to it, then quickly turned back around.

Zhan Zhan followed Shaowei's movement of lowering her arm and turning, climbing along her arm all the way to her shoulder to squat down and close its mouth.

Shaowei brushed past the dumbfounded Deng Hu, jumped straight to the bamboo curtain, and said to Liu Qi in the outer room: "The household slaves have already been found, just behind the mansion. I must go see him immediately! Where should I exit the mansion?"

Liu Qi glanced at the beautiful parrot squatting on her shoulder; as his gaze moved downward, it fell on her raised right foot. He proposed: "Since they have been found, they should naturally be invited into the mansion for hospitality. The Brocade-Cloth Guards have not gone far, and there are likely spies from all sides probing Wuling Commandery these days. It is safest to meet inside the mansion."

After Liu Qi finished speaking, seeing Shaowei thinking and not immediately objecting, he gave orders: "Deng Hu, you go quickly to welcome them behind the mansion, to avoid misunderstandings and strife."

"Understood." Deng Hu agreed and withdrew.

Seeing Liu Qi had given his orders, Shaowei no longer dwelled on it. Eager to see the household slave, she hurriedly asked: "Where in the mansion is most suitable for us to meet and talk? I will go wait there right now!"

"The back garden is untrodden by anyone, convenient for you and your servant to meet." Liu Qi answered her first, then turned to Deng Hu, who had already retreated to the door: "Bring the person directly to the Taiqing Pool side of the back garden."

Deng Hu acknowledged and left in quick steps.

Shaowei urged anxiously: "Send another person to guide me!"

Liu Qi rose from his seat: "I will guide you myself."

Hearing his voice, Shaowei subconsciously looked at his left arm.

"The hardest part has already been endured." Liu Qi's expression was relaxed: "Right now I feel relieved, and my movements are free."

As if speaking of the body, yet also as if speaking of the state of mind.

While speaking, he walked to behind the book desk, took out a cloud-carved incense yellow rosewood staff standing vertically beside the bookshelf, held it in his hand, and handed it to Shaowei: "It's roughly a quarter of an hour's walk. Come, I'll take you there."

A slave servant was not worth him personally going to see while injured, but since this slave servant could act with her and was valued by her so much, he must have extraordinary qualities.

Moreover, she was very vigilant, insisting on waiting until this slave servant arrived before saying anything else, so his understanding of her had been very limited until now. At this time, he might take the opportunity of meeting this household slave to deepen his understanding of her.

She was truly very rare, well worth his serious treatment.

He gave her all the respect she deserved, but facing the possibility of going further, he would not stand by idly and miss this opportunity.

Shaowei did not hesitate. She took the yellow rosewood staff, looked seriously at Liu Qi, and said: "But I want to speak with him alone. At that time, you cannot eavesdrop."

"..." Liu Qi was stunned and silent for a moment, then nodded: "That is only natural."

As soon as the words fell, she was already hopping out with the staff, nimbly jumping over the door threshold.

Liu Qi suddenly showed a slight smile.

She was indeed especially sharp, noticing that trace of "intrusion" in his intention, but she probably also knew he had no hostility, so she generously allowed him to follow, just not forgetting to frankly warn him to mind the boundaries—he could not eavesdrop on her conversation.

Liu Qi lifted his leg and followed.

There were two other attendants in the courtyard, both Liu Qi's confidants. Seeing their commandery prince follow behind a strange maidservant who limped on one leg and used a staff, yet moved with great energy, they bowed after saluting, then lowered their heads, saying nothing and looking at nothing.

Exiting through the side gate of this residence would lead to the back garden Liu Qi spoke of.

Liu Qi's residence was located in the middle-rear of the Commandery Prince's Mansion; in front were the offices and residences of the mansion's officials.

This back garden was truly Liu Qi's private property. He had a cold and unpredictable temperament. After these years of "adjustment," those who should be removed had been removed, and those who could not be moved were not allowed to approach his residence and back garden without permission.

This large garden lacked careful tending and pruning, and had few precious flowers and plants. As the seasons turned, the original craftsmanship was covered by freely growing branches, leaves, and moss, accidentally giving rise to a natural, unrestrained wild charm.

In September, the plants had not yet become too desolate. After a light rain last night, the washed green and yellow hues stretched and piled up like mountains, and the winding paths seemed hidden among these mountains.

Liu Qi, walking a few steps behind, looked at that figure ahead.

She was very anxious, walking swiftly with her staff all the way. Her figure was unsteady due to her injury, and the two hair buns on either side rose and fell with her tiptoeing movements, like two drooping ears.

The little bird on her shoulder was also tossed back and forth by her movements, like riding a boat in the waves, but the bird remained calm and composed, its two claws always gripping her shoulder clothes, with no intention of leaving at all.

One person, one bird, one staff—just hopping forward like that. Though they did not speak, they seemed to enliven this quiet and desolate garden.

Looking at her lame right leg, Liu Qi lowered his eyes and looked at his own lame left leg under his robe, suddenly showing a smile of inexplicable amusement.

Ahead, her voice suddenly rang out: "Which path should we take?"

Liu Qi raised his head and saw her standing at the crossroads, turning back to ask him.

Her appearance was disguised by three or four parts, but those naturally long eyes could not be disguised in any way. Sharp spiritual light overflowed within them; even when she did not speak, her eyes could speak for her.

At this moment, those eyes were full of urging.

Liu Qi did not stop walking. He raised one hand to point the way for her: "Go this way."

His words had not yet landed, his finger had just indicated the direction, and she had already carried her little bird and hopped over that way.

Liu Qi was not walking slowly either, but Shaowei was too anxious. At first, every time Liu Qi caught up to her, once she saw the guide had caught up, she would speed up again. Liu Qi feared she might fall if she got too anxious, so he no longer walked beside her. Instead, he stayed exactly six or seven steps behind her, indirectly slowing her pace.

When the two reached the Taiqing Pool side, Deng Hu, who was responsible for welcoming the household slave, indeed had not yet arrived.

This pool was as wide as a small lake, named Taiqing, taking the meaning of the Daoist immortal realm where the Lord of Morality and Heaven resides.

Many hibiscus were planted by the shore of the pool. Now most of the flowers had withered, with only a few snow-white ones occasionally dotting the green.

Two white cranes were kept by the poolside, presented by local officials in earlier years.

Seeing the two large birds of the same kind, Zhan Zhan finally was willing to leave Shaowei's shoulder, spreading its wings to fly over and join the liveliness.

The rain had just cleared, the water breeze was clear. A few hibiscus, still blooming lushly. The afternoon autumn sun was bright and clear. A pair of white cranes, graceful and elegant. Gazing afar, the scenery was naturally perfect.

Shaowei, however, had no mind to appreciate the scenery, and Liu Qi said nothing, accompanying her as she waited quietly by the pool.

Before long, Shaowei, standing with her yellow sandalwood cane clutched in hand, raised her brows and eyes, hurriedly looking toward the direction from which the footsteps came, and subconsciously took a few steps forward to meet them.

Her hearing was extremely keen; Liu Qi only heard those faint, urgent footsteps after he saw her move.

A moment later, Deng Hu's figure emerged from behind a clump of deep green, and the grey-robed house slaves he brought with him appeared close behind.

Shaowei's gaze passed over Deng Hu to land on the house slave; the house slave's gaze skimmed past Liu Qi to seek out Shaowei.

Seeing the house slave looking dusty and travel-worn, having grown noticeably thinner in just a few days, with messy stubble on his face, an air of weathered hardship about him all the more intense, Shaowei took it in.

The house slave saw Shaowei leaning on a cane, the round flesh on her cheeks reduced by half, her appearance also altered and disguised; she looked quite badly injured.

The two people made eye contact, both feeling the other looked remarkably wretched; one could imagine they must have had an utterly miserable time these five days traveling alone.

The house slave's gaze shifted to the side, landing on that youth who could not truly be ignored, and he silently cupped his fists in salute to him.

Liu Qi knew in his heart that this was already an exceedingly rare, supreme courtesy — for this knight-errant.

Before this, Liu Qi had already determined this "house slave" likely had something extraordinary about him, so he had mentally prepared himself; but judging by the present situation, he had still prepared far too little.

The beauty of a knight-errant lies in mystery, in unruliness, in being untamed.

This mysterious, unruly, untamed quality often increases with the knight-errant's rank.

Yet this top-tier knight-errant famous under heaven was secretly serving as someone's slave behind the scenes?

Although this behavior could also be called a kind of mystery on another level... a wild knight-errant turned house-raised slave, the sheer jarring contrast of it was truly beyond expectation.

The house slave was not good with words, forcing Shaowei to shoulder the responsibility of the household head; standing between the two of them right now, she hastily spoke up, making a perfunctory introduction: "This is Prince Liu Qi of Wuling Commandery."

She then cursorily brushed past Liu Qi with: "You two should have met."

This point could be inferred from the conversation between the two of them by the Duan Mountain River that night.

"Yes, we once had a two-sided acquaintance." Liu Qi seemed to think of something, his eyes flickering, resting on Shaowei for an instant, but he did not rush to say more.

He merely raised his hand, returning a simple salute to the grey-clothed man, and said with a smile: "Today marks the third time you and I have met, Knight-Errant Zhao."

Shaowei, with her back to Liu Qi, suddenly frowned, staring at the house slave before her in bewilderment — what Knight-Errant Zhao?

But seeing the house slave did not deny this title, and even silently lowered his eyes, Shaowei's face twisted in a flash of shock; she forcibly endured, not questioning or exposing it on the spot.

She had called him a house slave in front of Liu Qi; that word "house" showed she knew his roots inside out. If she spoke up to question it now, it would inevitably make her look foolish and laughable — a humiliating scene Shaowei absolutely could not accept.

Moreover, right now was far from the time to wrangle over these things; Shaowei had her own sense of priority and urgency in her heart. She temporarily suppressed this question, and couldn't be bothered to let Liu Qi and the house slave exchange pleasantries, immediately saying: "Come with me over there to talk first."

She lifted her foot and went ahead on her own; the house slave immediately followed.

Liu Qi watched the knight-errant's retreating back as he followed, and surprisingly saw in it a few traces of a sense of duty — of obedience and protection.

Shaowei sensed that gaze following her from behind, and turned her head back to stare at Liu Qi.

Liu Qi understood — this was reminding him of the matter of "not eavesdropping."

Therefore he withdrew his gaze, bringing Deng Hu to avoid to the side, waiting inside the Taiqing Pavilion.

Inside the pavilion there was a small table and meditation cushions, but they had not been used for a long time; facing the water and wind, a layer of dust had settled. Deng Hu had just crouched down preparing to wipe them clean when Liu Qi stopped him: "Unnecessary, standing is fine."

Hearing a trace of genuine, unfeigned ease in the youth's tone, Deng Hu looked up in slight surprise, and answered: "Understood."

Liu Qi indeed felt a long-lost relaxation; perhaps because he had successfully found and rescued a very important person, or perhaps because he had ended a slaughter at a far smaller cost than anticipated.

Deng Hu straightened up, following his master's line of sight, and saw that young woman standing far off by the water's edge, speaking with the grey-clothed slave.

Hesitating again and again, but with no urgent business at hand right now anyway, Deng Hu screwed up his courage and finally asked in a low voice the question that had been circling in his heart for days: "Your Highness... is this woman precisely the one who, back in that year on that Bandit Mountain in Taishan Commandery, pinned you in the snow and beat you until blood flowed from your mouth and nose?"

Posture relaxed and leisurely, the youth leaning slantwise against the pavilion pillar silently looked at his overly precise subordinate.

Deng Hu knew he had misspoken, and couldn't help lowering his head and shrinking his neck — he was just afraid His Highness might not remember... but, on second thought, such a wretched and painful experience was surely hard to forget.

Deng Hu lowered his head and waited silently for a moment, before hearing his master answer: "It is her."

Deng Hu instantly felt a sense of "as expected" settling in; he knew there wouldn't easily be two people in this world possessing such a savage, powerful temperament.

Thinking of how this person had once beaten the Sixth Prince, and now meeting again, she had even slashed the Sixth Prince with a poisoned dagger; Deng Hu, who believed in ghosts, spirits, and karmic connections, felt a chill in his heart, and couldn't help adding in a low voice: "This karmic connection doesn't seem too auspicious; it has quite a sense of clashing evil influences, just like she's chasing after His Highness to beat him, pursuing and beating him like a ghost..."

Liu Qi, however, spoke up to correct him: "Wrong. It should be said that I chased her to let her beat me."

The first time, it was he who sought her out at the back mountain and blocked her path; this time is even more undeniable — it was he who reached out and grabbed her, only then taking that incoming slash of knife light.

He said: "Since it was done by my own initiative, even if there is karmic connection, it was forcibly seized by me; this matter lies not in heaven but in oneself; it is not an unprovoked disaster, so one cannot speak of ill fortune."

As they spoke, Liu Qi, leaning against the pillar, looked toward the pond, only to see a yellow-and-white shadow fly over.

Zhan Zhan attempted to join that pair of loving white cranes but failed and returned; it landed on the pavilion railing, saw Liu Qi looking at it, and so puffed out its chest and raised its head, lifting one claw to weigh it, sizing up Liu Qi with quite an arrogant, haughty air.

This was the first time Liu Qi had witnessed the master's bearing from a bird.

Since childhood he had disliked feathered fowl, and preferred furry round-haired animals like tigers, cats, dogs, and wolves; yet at this moment he surprisingly found this parrot laughably adorable to the extreme.

Liu Qi leaned forward slightly, making eye contact with that arrogant bird, and asked it: "Are you also not permitted by her to get close and eavesdrop?"

Zhan Zhan seemed to understand, and immediately flapped its wings flying toward Shaowei, with quite a demonstrative air.

Zhan Zhan landed on Shaowei's shoulder, proudly raising its head, fully displaying its status and position.

Shaowei's mind was tightly wound right now; she had no attention to spare for the bird acting mighty on her shoulder.

Her gaze fixed tightly on the house slave, and she asked in a steady voice: "You mean... she might still have a thread of a chance to live, is that right?"

Meeting those eyes that were too full of longing without self-awareness, the house slave did not speak for a moment.