Chapter 485: An Old Friend Journeys North Along the Yi River

Jiang Gan and Zhou Yu were true fellow townsmen and old schoolmates — what is called a childhood bond of close friendship. And now, at the same time, both had achieved renown and success, their futures boundless, yet they also stood on opposite sides in the great conflict between north and south... which only made their friendship seem all the more precious.

And so the two of them clasped arms and reminisced about old times, feasting together at the same table by day and sleeping in the same bed by night, until Jiang Ziyi lingered for a full three days before finally bidding farewell to Zhou Gongjin.

In those three days, as the visitor, Jiang Gan truly never once touched upon official matters, nor did he make the slightest probe into political stances — they spoke only of old times and fond memories, as the saying goes. And when the three days were up, the man simply shook out his sleeves in parting and took his leave with the clear breeze alone, not even taking half a wisp of cloud with him... which left Zhou Gongjin gazing out over the Yi River until his eyes could see no more, his heart growing ever more reluctant to part.

"So, according to this, during Ziyi's three days in Tancheng, Zhou Gongjin did not avoid him in any way? Nor did he keep military secrets from him?"

By the end of the seventh month, Jiang Gan met the man in charge of this region in the government hall of Linzi City in Qi State, Qingzhou — the former Left Chancellor, now Governor of Qingzhou, Shen Pei. He had come to make a routine report, and the one asking the question was naturally Shen Zhengnan himself, who had just lifted his head from a desk piled high with case files.

"Exactly so."

Shen Pei's political standing was among the highest in Hebei, and he was also renowned for his stern and upright character, so Jiang Gan could not help but be somewhat in awe of him, and his words became more cautious... In truth, this was simply because Jiang Gan had never met Guan Yu; otherwise, he would have understood how Guo Jia had come to be the way he was.

"Did you not take the opportunity to probe a little?" Shen Pei asked, slightly curious. "Or at least catch a glimpse of something?"

"This subordinate did have such intentions," Jiang Gan replied, as if he had long anticipated this question. "But once I met Gongjin, we spoke with great delight, and moreover, since he held nothing back from me, it instead showed a magnanimous and lofty character... This subordinate felt he was not a man who could be swayed by words, and to sneak a look at military documents would have been even more laughable. So I simply abandoned all superfluous thoughts, contented myself with reminiscing and heartfelt talk, and then returned directly north."

Shen Zhengnan seemed lost in thought, then nodded slightly. "If this story spreads, it will make a fine tale..."

"To be honest with you, Lord Shen..." Jiang Gan hesitated briefly. "When this subordinate volunteered to go south that day, I originally harbored the intention of using my personal connections to win over the officers of Huainan. But along the way, the men I met — Lu Zijing, Liu Ziyang, and others — all possessed lofty virtue. And once I reached Huainan and took my parents and clansmen into my care, I was also specially summoned and seen off by Liu Xuande, and came to witness the man's magnanimity and breadth of spirit. From that point on, I abandoned any thought of swaying the Huainan commanders with words."

Shen Pei nodded again, but could not help sighing with emotion. "That is only natural. How could Cao and Liu be men of empty reputation? Setting aside Cao Cao's strict and meticulous laws — how he did not hesitate to temporarily banish his own father and brother to implement his new policies — and setting aside how even now there are people in Pingyuan who still cherish the memory of Liu Bei... the matter of winning men's hearts alone is enough to glimpse the whole leopard through a tube, and to know that these two are indeed great foes of our Hebei. I recall back when Xuande was still serving under our lord, his rank was below mine, and even then I felt that our lord looked upon him with particular regard. I did not understand it then; only today have I come to see the truth... In the end, our lord's judgment is a cut above."

"..."

"Setting that aside for now, what is the current situation in the Central Plains and Huainan?" Shen Pei collected himself and continued his questioning.

"In reply to Lord Shen," Jiang Gan quickly composed himself and answered, "this subordinate believes that the word 'situation' must be examined from several angles. One must take status as a dividing line — the gentry and powerful families behave entirely differently from the common people. One must take the Battle of Guandu as a dividing line — the reactions of scholars and commoners before and after are also entirely different. And finally, one must take Huainan and the Central Plains as a dividing line — for the governance under Cao and Liu is also very different."

"Broadly speaking, then?"

"Broadly speaking, the gentry and powerful families pay more attention to military affairs and the political situation, and are easily swayed by the course of the war, whereas the common people care only about whether they can live in peace and stability — they care only about military conscription and corvée labor..." Jiang Gan stood below the hall and spoke with eloquence. "Thus, before our lord's great victory at Guandu, the gentry and powerful families were more stirred up, clearly harboring many ambitions for merit and achievement, while the common people were mostly fearful and anxious, dreading conscription and labor. After the great victory at Guandu, the gentry and powerful families, who had been so stirred before, are now just as cowed and shaken — so much so that some have taken the initiative to contact me. The common people, on the other hand, having gradually grown accustomed to the labor, have actually slowly settled into stability. As for the Central Plains and Huainan, they are two entirely different worlds. Leaving aside the Central Plains, which has become the front line, when this subordinate was in Huainan, apart from the civilian laborers transporting grain back and forth, I truly could not detect much sense of urgency about the war..."

Behind his desk, Shen Pei furrowed his brow slightly and suddenly interrupted. "What of Xuzhou?"

"The greater part of Xuzhou falls under Huainan, so naturally one cannot see much sign of tension there either..." Jiang Gan hastily replied.

"According to this, the Huainan direction actually has strength to spare?" Shen Pei's brow furrowed further.

"That is not what I mean!" Jiang Gan answered solemnly. "From what this subordinate observed, the reason the Huainan direction can remain relatively stable at present is mainly due to two things. First, they have not come into direct contact with the front lines, nor have they triggered any fighting, so they have not witnessed the peril of war. Second, the grain stores and military supplies they have accumulated over many years are still sufficient. After all, the war has been underway for less than three months — not long enough for their supplies to run tight."

"Now that is more like it!" Shen Pei nodded heavily. "Then how long do you think the southern army can hold out?"

"This subordinate truly does not know," Jiang Gan replied, looking somewhat troubled. "The only thing this subordinate can say for certain is that they absolutely cannot outlast us!"

"That, at least, is the truth." Shen Zhengnan finally broke into a smile.

"Aside from these matters," Jiang Ziyi hesitated briefly, "this subordinate has one more judgment, though I do not know if it is presumptuous..."

"It does not matter."

"The Huainan commanders are mostly young talents, and their temperaments are naturally sharper... From Huainan's present perspective, the reserves they have built up over many years are being drained away day by day like flowing water, they suffered grievous losses at the Battle of Guandu — Chen Shuzhi and Lu Dinggong both perished — and with the current stalemate at Guandu showing no sign of an opening... they may well harbor thoughts of bypassing Cao Mengde and rashly advancing on their own!" At this point, Jiang Gan bowed in apology. "These are all this subordinate's speculations. To speak of them may lead Lord Shen to misjudge, yet to remain silent felt like a breach of a subject's duty... I beg Lord Shen to judge clearly."

"It is no matter." Shen Zhengnan looked at the young man before him and could not help smiling again. "I will naturally give this matter further thought. You need not worry."

"Yes!"

"Let me tell you something... a private, unworthy request." As Shen Pei spoke, he took a document from his desk and gestured for the other man to take it.

Jiang Gan stepped forward, received it, and looked it over. It was an official dispatch issued by the Chancellery, signed by the General Who Guards the North, Gongsun Fan, who was acting in the duties of Right Chancellor. It instructed Jiang Ziyi, within one month of arriving at Shen Pei's location, to settle his family and then report to the main White Horse Volunteers unit at Guandu.

It should be explained that when the White Horse Volunteers were not with the army, they were administered by the Right Chancellor through the Chancellery — and this was the formal purpose of Jiang Gan's visit to Shen Pei: to collect his reporting orders. This was the transfer point agreed upon when he had left the unit earlier, except that at that time the Right Chancellor had still been Lou Gui, and the Governor of Qingzhou had still been Guan Yu.

"Please speak, Lord Shen." Jiang Gan took the document, naturally having no objection.

"When I was young, like you, I had an old friend named Ju Teng, a man of Beihai who served as Grand Administrator of Xuantu. Later, in the course of his official career, he died far from home in the south. When his family was returning to Beihai, they encountered turmoil and lost all trace... Since coming to Qingzhou, I have made careful inquiries, and recently I heard that one of his concubines and a son born of her seem to have drifted to Donghai. Might I presume upon your goodwill to write a letter to Tancheng and help me inquire about this matter? If there is any news, you may send word to me at your leisure." Shen Pei spoke with earnest sincerity.

In such a matter, Jiang Ziyi naturally agreed wholeheartedly.

And so, with the handover complete, Jiang Gan hurriedly took his leave, preparing to go to the relay station east of the city to find his parents and family waiting there, and then to write a letter to Zhou Yu to express his thanks and, incidentally, entrust him with finding the people in question... But in the government hall, which had been temporarily cleared of personnel for Jiang Gan's audience, a figure suddenly emerged from a side door.

"What does Fengxiao think?" Shen Pei did not even raise his head.

"This subordinate does not know what to think either," Guo Jia replied, standing with his hand on his sword before Shen Pei in the hall, shaking his head with solemnity. "I had thought I might find some clue from Jiang Ziyi, to glimpse Zhou Yu's intentions. But I did not expect lofty mountains and flowing waters, a noble friendship between gentlemen — it instead makes me seem somewhat petty-minded. However... Jiang Ziyi is no common man either. Although he had no exchange with Zhou Yu on military or political matters, he still caught the scent of something, which matches what we had surmised."

"But it is still difficult!" Watching as countless clerks filed back in to resume their work, Shen Pei suddenly sighed, threw his brush onto the desk, rose with his hand on his sword, and walked out of the hall, forcing the tall, rigidly standing Guo Jia to hurry after him. "The human heart is the hardest thing to judge... This is why our lord often says that Jia Wenhe's wisdom is peerless! Because he can judge the human heart — others cannot!"

When these words began, Shen Pei was still in the hall; by the time he finished, Shen Zhengnan was already standing under the eaves outside the hall, gazing up at the overcast sky with a furrowed brow and wordless, while Guo Fengxiao could only stand rigidly straight, silent and solemn behind him.

It must be explained that the matter the two men were discussing was a rumor that had recently begun circulating in the heartland of Qingzhou... It said that Zang Ba, the Grand Administrator of Langye, was a double-dealer, and that in the midst of this great war, he had actually been bought off by Zhou Yu. It was very possible that he would suddenly turn coat, join forces with Zhou Yu from the direction of Xuzhou to strike straight into the Qingzhou heartland, and trap Guan Yu, who was currently west of Mount Tai, like shutting the door to beat the dog!

At first hearing, this rumor was naturally absurd in the extreme, but in reality, it forced one to treat it with the utmost seriousness — and yet, once one took it seriously, the matter became all the more bewildering and elusive, making one feel ever more vigilant and troubled.

There were three reasons:

First, as Jiang Gan had speculated, Zhou Yu, as one of the southern army's young stalwarts — and the only young stalwart who actually held an independent sector command (Lu Su, Liu Ye, and Sun Ce were all under Cao Cao's direct command) — did have a need to proactively launch a campaign to reverse the unfavorable situation.

In other words, Zhou Gongjin had ample motive to stir things up.

Second, if Zang Ba truly did rebel, the consequences would be absolutely dire, because at this moment Qingzhou was empty... The main local forces of Qingzhou had all been taken by Guan Yu west of Mount Tai to contend with Xiahou Dun for that vital passage between the Great Wild Marsh, the Wen River, and the Si River. The ground forces meant to directly confront Zhou Yu and the Xuzhou troops were precisely Zang Ba's Langye forces. As for the reinforcements from Cheng Yu in Yingzhou that Shen Pei and Guo Jia knew of at this time, they probably had not even begun to mobilize yet — the autumn harvest was coming!

So if Zang Ba were to suddenly turn coat at this moment and join with Zhou Yu to advance north, they would likely meet no resistance, and Qingzhou's ten thousand naval troops would probably only be able to barely retreat and hold the Yellow River... and Guan Yunchang would truly become a drowning dog.

Finally, Zang Ba of Langye was indeed suspicious!

After all, Langye was a historical leftover problem, and the so-called Langye Commandery was not a place where Zang Ba alone had the final say — Zang Ba was at most a semi-leader. It was a bloc, a collection of warlords composed, at its core, of Mount Tai bandits backed by the Yimeng mountain range. Such men, and newly surrendered at that, were of course untrustworthy. They had been able to expel Yu Du when Tao Qian was gravely ill and submit to Hebei; today, to preserve their own independent status, they might just as well turn around and help the southern army stab Hebei!

In fact, in another timeline, this group of Mount Tai bandits did not truly cease their de facto separatist behavior until the era of Cao Pi.

In the late afternoon, raindrops began to patter onto the eaves. This was not a good omen, for once the autumn rains began, they would linger on and on. And now it was the end of the seventh month, with the autumn harvest approaching — this year, the Qingzhou and Xuzhou region would likely see reduced yields, and to make matters worse, the whole realm was at war!

"I am new to Qingzhou and still somewhat unfamiliar with Langye," Shen Zhengnan finally spoke again after a long silence, as the autumn rain dripped down. "Fengxiao, you personally took part in the surrender of the Langye Mount Tai bandits back then. Tell me something... Since the world speaks of Langye and only mentions Zang Ba of Langye, and has done so for all these years, just how much authority does Zang Ba hold among the Langye bandits, and what kind of man is he?"

"This subordinate did indeed have dealings with the Mount Tai bandits," Guo Jia answered solemnly from behind him. "As for Zang Ba, the man is truly a hero, one might call him a man of integrity and principle. But while he can control the overall situation, he absolutely cannot control every part of it... In Langye, there are plenty who do not submit to Zang Ba!"

"A man of integrity and principle?" Shen Pei's brow furrowed further.

"A man who keeps his word," Guo Jia added.

"If he keeps his word, why did he surrender back then? And why are you so worried today?" Shen Pei finally turned his head.

"In reply to Lord Shen," Guo Jia answered frankly, "Zang Ba's integrity is more toward the private than the public! More toward personal bonds than toward the law!"

Shen Pei understood at once — because this was too much like himself when he was young, except that the other man had been a bandit for half his life, so it was bound to be even more extreme, and tinged with more of the outlaw's air.

"The reason he surrendered back then was that Tao Qian, to whom he owed a great debt of gratitude, was on the verge of death, and there was no one in Xuzhou who could sway him. Moreover, at the moment of his greatest hesitation, Guan Zhendong actually went to a meeting alone, bearing only his blade, and went straight to Langye to see him. The man was so awed and shaken that he bowed his head and submitted," Guo Jia explained slowly and solemnly. "Now Guan Zhendong is locked in a seesaw struggle with Xiahou Dun west of Mount Tai, while Tao Qian is alive and well in his hometown of Danyang. Add to that the fact that this Zhou Gongjin is said to be a man of the very highest talent, brilliance, and charm, and of course the fact that within Langye the various bandit groups do not answer to one another, yet none of them wish to see anyone unify the realm and destroy their separatist comfort and pleasure — it is only natural that this subordinate would worry about the situation in Langye!"

And at this point, Guo Fengxiao paused briefly, then earnestly gave his own judgment: "In truth, this subordinate does not give credence to the recent rumors, because I do not believe that a man of Zang Ba's character would stab Guan Zhendong in the back... But conversely, given the chaotic situation in Langye, to say that no one has been persuaded by Zhou Yu seems equally unlikely. So in all likelihood, trouble will break out in Langye! And the most critical point is that in the current situation, a single hair pulled can move the whole body... We have been entrusted with this place; even if we cannot speak of making gains, we absolutely cannot allow any mishap that would fail our lord and Guan Zhendong!"

"This is precisely the viciousness of that rumor!" Shen Pei suddenly turned from anger to a smile. "And it is also Zhou Gongjin's skill... Consider that most of Xuzhou's manpower and resources have been sent to the heartland of the Central Plains. Zhou Gongjin has at his front only five thousand combat troops, ten thousand auxiliary soldiers, and ten thousand naval troops — originally, by any reckoning, nothing to take seriously. Yet he seized a fleeting moment in the situation and, with two simple rumors, has forced us to act."

Guo Jia immediately grew solemn.

"No matter what, as you just said, Fengxiao, since we have been entrusted with this command, we may not be able to bring the masses of Qingzhou to share our lord's burdens, but we absolutely cannot allow trouble to arise on the eastern front! The life and safety of ourselves and the millions of soldiers and civilians in Qingzhou are not something we can entrust to others to handle!" As he spoke, Shen Pei, standing with his hands clasped behind his back before the pattering curtain of rain, gradually took on a stern expression. "Langya cannot be left to fend for itself!"

"If that is the case, I request permission to go to Langya first!" At that moment, Guo Jia suddenly removed his sword, grasped it, and volunteered for the mission. "If it is only a rumor, I will urge the commanders of Langya to march south into Donghai Commandery! If there are officers within Langya secretly colluding with Zhou Yu, I will assist Zang Ba there in purging Langya and securing the defensive line! If all the commanders of Langya, from Zang Ba down, have turned traitor, I will do my utmost to delay them and ensure that I wait until Guan Zhendong returns with reinforcements, or until the troops from Yingzhou arrive!"

Shen Pei was momentarily taken aback, but when his gaze shifted to the sword in the other man's hand, he nodded heavily.

The autumn rain fell steadily, not ceasing even into the night. Perhaps because the summer heat had not yet dissipated, there was even thunder and lightning; after a rolling peal of thunder, the rain poured down even harder, showing signs of intensifying. At that moment, in a side room of the Duting post station east of Linzi City, a man who should have long been asleep suddenly rose amid the heavy rain, then sat on the couch, drenched in sweat and momentarily dazed.

It was none other than the former prodigy of Jiujiang, now a talented young man serving before Duke Yan — Jiang Gan, Jiang Ziyi.

"Husband?"

A young woman sharing the same couch was also startled awake. She immediately rose, removed the seal from the earthenware jar on the table, poured a bowl of warm water, and handed it to Jiang Gan, a trace of surprise and doubt on her face... Indeed, this was none other than Jiang Gan's wife, Wang Yi, who, having heard that her parents-in-law were arriving, had come specially from Yexia to wait here for many days. Her features were delicate and beautiful, with a touch of heroic spirit — an unquestionable beauty.

In fact, this was precisely why Jiang Gan was someone who "should have long been asleep"... Thanks to his bold journey north in those years, this former prodigy of Jiujiang now had a brilliant future ahead of him. His name was well known to the supreme ruler of the realm and several of the Chancellors. Even if this journey south proved fruitless, he had long since earned sufficient merit in Xiliang and Bashu and was already among the most outstanding of this cohort of volunteer followers — his future prospects were absolutely vast.

Not only that, he had now successfully brought his parents to the more stable north, and had such a lovely wife by his side. In this life, what more could a man ask for?

And yet, this very man, who had only just arrived at the great rear area and barely settled in, had startled awake in the night — no wonder his wife was surprised and doubtful.

"I... was thinking of Gongjin." After a mouthful of warm water, the sweat-drenched Jiang Gan, facing his lovely wife, spoke of his own accord.

Wang Yi was still puzzled: "Didn't you say at dinner that you and your classmate got along very well?"

"It is precisely because we got along so well that my heart is so troubled." Jiang Ziyi swallowed another large mouthful of warm water before speaking slowly. "Ayi, think about it — in such a grand situation, what good outcome can Gongjin possibly have?"

Wang Yi, wearing only her inner garments, sat sideways on the couch. She was briefly startled, then understood... No matter what people in the Central Plains or Huainan thought, those in the north did not doubt that Gongsun Xun would sweep the four seas clean and unify the realm.

"In truth, during those three days, Gongjin thought I did not know, but I had long since seen through his true state." Jiang Gan spoke somberly. "On the surface, he was debonair and composed, entertaining me well the entire time without the slightest fault. But in his heart, he was likely already driven to frantic distress by the larger situation, struggling and suffering. It was precisely because of this that I never once broached the subject of military or political affairs, nor did I utter a single word urging him to reconsider his allegiance."

"That being the case..." Wang Yi took the earthenware bowl, turned and placed it upside down on the side table, then turned back and climbed onto the couch, unable to resist her curiosity. "But husband, after so many years apart from your classmate, how could you tell that his heart was actually frantic with distress?"

By now, Jiang Gan had recovered his composure. He shook his head with a rueful smile, then reached out and embraced his beloved wife: "Ayi, have you ever heard a certain saying?"

"What saying?"

"When a tune errs, the Zhou lad turns."

"What kind of saying is that? How could I have heard it?"

"It is precisely a saying you were destined never to have heard, but one I know by heart... This 'Zhou lad' is none other than my classmate Gongjin." Jiang Gan spoke frankly. "Ayi, let me ask you — how do you rate your husband's looks?"

Though somewhat helpless, Wang Yi could only flatter him: "My husband is naturally the most outstanding."

"Though I cannot claim to be the most outstanding, I can still be said to have above-average looks." Jiang Gan gave a bitter laugh and, holding his wife's shoulder, spoke slowly. "Moreover, from childhood I was called a prodigy, so in my youth I was naturally proud and self-satisfied... But when I reached the age of binding my hair and studying, I met this Zhou Gongjin, and in an instant, I went from being a precious pearl to a fish eye."

Wang Yi found this amusing and pressed him in her husband's embrace: "So then, this Zhou Gongjin must truly be a rare figure in the realm?"

"That is only natural." Jiang Gan answered candidly. "This man Zhou Gongjin — first, his family background is extremely high; their Zhou clan once produced a Three Excellencies and is the foremost high clan in Yangzhou. Second, he himself is indeed handsome in appearance, debonair and dashing. Third, this man is supremely intelligent — classics, martial arts, military strategy, music — he grasps them all at a touch... My family background cannot match his, my looks cannot match his, my talent and learning cannot match his; only my tongue is a bit quicker than his. So in front of him, am I not exactly a fish eye?"

"But tell me, what is this 'When a tune errs, the Zhou lad turns'?"

"It concerns music... Gongjin's attainment in music is extremely high. Back then, when we studied under Master Zhao in Lujiang, Master Zhao, imitating the story of Master Ma of old, would often have serving girls dance and play instruments on either side during lectures... Most of the time, Gongjin would not glance sideways and focused solely on the lecture. But whenever there was a mistake in the music, Gongjin would always be the first to notice, and he would turn his head to look."

"That is rather interesting..."

"Not just interesting... Some of the serving girls, after accidentally making a mistake once and discovering they could earn a glance from the Zhou lad, often could not resist deliberately making mistakes to draw Gongjin's gaze. And Gongjin, with his extremely high musical attainment, would always instinctively look whenever he heard an error while concentrating on the lecture... In time, many serving girls imitated this, deliberately making mistakes at every turn, until the music became discordant, forcing Master Zhao to abandon this method entirely."

Wang Yi laughed aloud.

But at this point, Jiang Gan suddenly grew despondent: "That day in Tancheng, during our banquet, I saw this same trick again... Yet this time, even I could hear the musical error, but the Zhou lad did not even turn to look. Tell me, if he were not oppressed by the current situation, his heart frantic with distress, how could he have come to such a state? It was from that moment that I too suddenly realized — in such chaotic times, even a transcendent hero like Gongjin is trapped by the larger situation. And even though he is trapped by the larger situation, he still entertained me with all his heart. Having received such treatment, as his classmate, why should I harbor any more vulgar intentions? So for three days, although he did not hide official business or military reports from me, I took the initiative to avoid them. I thought that this way I could remain undistracted, free of attachments, and simply leave. But now, thinking that I will depart tomorrow and that we may never meet again, and that his future is fraught with peril, I cannot help but worry for him in my heart."

Having spoken, Jiang Gan grew even more despondent. He fell silent, listening quietly to the night rain.

Wang Yi thought for a while. Seeing that her husband still showed no sign of sleepiness, she spoke softly: "In truth, I also have something I wish to tell you, husband..."

"Between husband and wife, why stand on ceremony?"

"Actually, when you were writing that letter for Master Shen today, I wanted to say — Master Shen wishes to find someone in Xuzhou, and the foremost clan of Xuzhou, the Chen clan of Xiapi, are precisely his closest friends. Yet he did not write to ask the Chen clan to help him find that person, but instead asked for your help... Why is that?"

"It was to avoid suspicion, and also to keep public and private matters distinct — and moreover, it was a mark of friendship." Jiang Gan blurted out. "Consider that Master Shen can even remember the scattered family of an old friend from many years ago — how could he possibly forget the Chen clan? It is just that the Chen clan once wavered and has long since incurred His Highness's displeasure. In this situation, the best course for Master Shen is to keep public and private matters strictly separate. Only then will he have the standing, as a private individual, to help the Chen clan manage the aftermath once His Highness has made his decision..."

At this point, Jiang Gan had already grasped the meaning in his heart. He could not help patting his wife on the back and sighing with emotion: "I only thought Master Shen was stern and upright; I never imagined he had such breadth of heart, and even used this matter to remind me. Even more unexpected is that you, Ayi, are far more intelligent than this so-called prodigy! To have such a wife in life, I must treasure you all the more!"

Outside the window, the rain fell steadily. Wang Yi, just twenty years old, blushed to her ears.

————I am the far more intelligent dividing line————

"Yu was from youth deeply versed in music. Even after three cups of wine, if there was a flaw or error, Yu would surely know it, and knowing it, would surely turn his head. Thus the people of the time had a rhyme: 'When a tune errs, the Zhou lad turns.' At the end of Han, the Grand Ancestor campaigned south. Yu served as a Grand General of Xuzhou, commanding Donghai, and was about to devise a plan to advance north. The matter was strictly secret. His classmate Jiang Gan, sent south on a mission, passed through Donghai on his return. Yu, on account of their old friendship, concealed his affairs and joined him hand in hand in travel, sharing meals at the same table and sleeping on the same couch, never once losing his composure. When at a banquet a serving girl erred in her music and he did not turn, Gan suddenly understood Yu's difficulty and said nothing, merely taking his leave and departing. Yu also understood Gan's intent and likewise said nothing, only bidding him farewell by the Yi River. The age praises the magnanimity of these two men, and thus we have the 'Friendship of the Musical Error.'" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Magnanimity

PS: Thanks to the 118th patron, Great Dawn Wind Rises!

(End of Chapter)