Chapter 485: Two Years of Spring and Autumn: Xie Yuan

At the end of the same year, the Great Sui and Great Qi resumed peace talks and redrew their border.

The people of Great Qi widely expressed dissatisfaction; four of the Nine Surnames advocated war.

The Emperor of Great Qi issued a self-censure edict, yet still failed to quell the turbulent times.

In the spring of the following year, the Third Master of the Academy returned with a letter penned by the Master himself, which stated: "Do not lightly initiate war."

Thus, the court, the martial world, and the common people gradually settled down.

In March, the two states formally concluded an alliance.

The army returned to the capital; Xie Ling was dispatched by the court to the western frontier and could not return to the capital.

In the same month, a demonic disturbance erupted in Jiannan Circuit, led by three demons—the Green Ox, the Mountain Python, and the Carp—who proclaimed themselves Great Saint of the Peaceful Sky, Demon King of the River Dragon, and Bodhisattva of the Heavenly Passage, rallying over ten thousand demons to ravage the region.

The following month, several uprisings broke out in Longyou Circuit and were fully suppressed fifteen days later.

This year, you are eleven years old; though you have not set foot in a classroom all year, you have mastered the essence of the Confucian Four Books and Five Classics and the canonical texts of scholarship.

Dong Shao came six times in total, and each time you received him with courtesy, never showing the slightest impatience on your face.

You have been practicing the calligraphy copies left by Dong Shao for over a year.

Yet Dong Shao never taught you any knowledge; he merely provided books for you to study on your own, and when you had questions, he answered only briefly.

Life at the Xie Mansion had changed, but it affected neither you nor your servant.

The Xie family, this grand mansion that had weathered generations of storms, though its reputation suffered, remained rooted and flourishing, its foundation unshaken.

In contrast, Yuan Lady in the main courtyard was the most anxious, for her eldest son was the heir to the title; she was deeply troubled by Xie Ling's stripping of the Marquis of Dingyuan title.

The second courtyard of the Xie Mansion remained remarkably calm; even the mistress there recently wore brightly colored clothing.

The old matriarch of the Xie family appealed to her youngest son, Xie Hong, asking him to plead for Xie Ling.

Yet Xie Hong politely declined, citing his withdrawal from the Academy and court, and his refusal to interfere in state affairs.

Even Yuan Lady of the main courtyard personally visited Qingliang Temple, weeping and begging Xie Hong to intervene, urging him to emerge from seclusion and plead for Xie Ling before Prime Minister Su Xiang.

Yet Xie Hong steadfastly refused.

From then on, a quiet rift emerged between the main courtyard and the second courtyard of the Xie Mansion.

But for you, the illegitimate son, it caused no ripple whatsoever.

Suddenly, autumn arrived; though Bianjing's climate was not unbearably hot, it carried a chill.

On ordinary days it was tolerable, but whenever wind or rain came, temperatures dropped sharply, requiring prompt clothing adjustments for warmth.

On clear, sunny days, thin robes were needed.

Today, though sunlight was present, the wind was strong.

You were focused on practicing calligraphy in the small courtyard.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.

"Young Master Yuan, Madam specially prepared a fur-lined trousers for you—you forgot to wear them."

A woman's voice came from behind; only Zhang Ma, the personal maid of Lady Zhuge and Xie Yuan's wet nurse, would dare call him "Young Master Yuan" instead of "Lord Yunyun."

"Oh dear, I know, no martial hero roams the Jianghu wearing such things."

"Zhang Ma, don't let me lose face before Brother Guan."

After dismissing Zhang Ma, Xie Yuan prepared to enter the small courtyard.

Seeing his cousin Zhang Yunzhi's half-smiling expression, Xie Yuan felt dejected—another embarrassing incident added to his list.

He awkwardly adjusted his attire, then stepped into the courtyard and called out loudly: "Wutong, brew tea for Lord Yunyun!"

Over the past year, Xie Yuan had visited this courtyard four or five times a month; he was already well-acquainted with you and Wutong.

At first, he was unaccustomed to the tea in your courtyard, but seeing you drink it daily, he grew curious.

After trying it once, the tea tasted sour and bitter, yet this unique flavor was something he had never experienced before, and he found it intriguing.

Seeing this, you smiled and said: "Bitterness ends, sweetness follows. Do not all great heroes of the Jianghu drink coarse tea and simple meals? How could they brew tea daily for pleasure?"

Hearing this, Xie Yuan was delighted; from then on, every visit to your courtyard required a pot of this tea.

Today, Wutong was not in the courtyard.

Zhang Yunzhi watched her cousin's "carefree and unrestrained" demeanor with resignation, then gazed at the small but neatly kept courtyard.

This summer, he had come again to reside at the Xie Mansion.

This was her fourth visit to your courtyard, all to escape the noise of the other ladies and young ladies of the mansion, who spoke of nothing but the elegance of some young lord from the Nine Surnames of Bianjing, or which scholar had won the Master's favor, or which poem had become wildly popular, and so on.

Unable to bear their chatter, she accompanied her cousin for the sake of peace.

Her face bore unmistakable worry; her father's affairs had grown more complicated, and her mother, consumed by anxiety, was perpetually sorrowful.

Since the war between Great Sui and Great Qi, the situation at Dezehu had shifted dramatically. Her father, who had once advocated exterminating demons to secure Great Qi, had used ruthless methods against Dezehu, causing the demon faction "Dragon Palace" to turn against Great Qi and defect to Great Sui.

After this campaign, her father faced heavy criticism from court, and had not returned to the capital for three years.

This year, Great Qi adopted a pacification policy toward the Dezehu demons; her father was utterly disheartened.

He repeatedly submitted memorials to court: "The demon threat surpasses that of Great Sui. Great Sui is of our kind; demons are a foreign race. If we allow them to run rampant, they will bring disaster upon our descendants."

Yet the court ignored him completely.

Zhang Yuzhi sighed softly and entered the courtyard.

Though she had come four times, she had never interacted with the disgraced illegitimate son of the Xie family; she merely treated this place as a refuge from noise.

Following Xie Yuan was He Xiao, the Licentiate who tutored Xie Guan; upon learning Zhang Yuzhi had arrived, he was overjoyed and hurried to join them.

Zhang Yuan came of his own accord; he had visited your courtyard many times this year.

Together with Xie Yuan's usual entourage of entertainers, the group numbered over a dozen—impressive in size.

Xie Guan's friendship with Xie Yuan had already spread through the main courtyard.

Also this year, Xie Guan's name began to circulate quietly within the mansion, carrying a hint of distinction.

He was known as a well-mannered, filial, and diligent scholar among the Xie family.

During this year's Lantern Festival, the old matriarch even sent a servant to deliver an extra bowl of tangyuan to your courtyard.

Because of this change, Wu the steward, responsible for monthly stipends and supplies for all courtyards, had come several times personally to your courtyard.

This year's autumn clothing arrived early.

Whenever Wu, the thin-faced steward with a mustache, stepped into the courtyard, Wutong always gave him a cold look and refused to brew him a pot of hot tea; in her heart, she still resented the delayed autumn clothes and the missing medicine money when her mistress died.

Yet you always greeted him warmly and chatted with him cheerfully.

At this moment!

You smiled at Xie Yuan's group: "Wutong is not here today."

Xie Hou'er, ever considerate, immediately bustled about brewing tea.

Xie Yuan watched you at the large stone table in the courtyard, brush in hand, ink flowing freely.

Beside the paper lay a dish of peanuts and greens.

"Brother Guan, you live well—every day, either reading or practicing calligraphy."

Over the past year, besides chess, Xie Yuan had challenged you multiple times to recite texts, and each time he lost utterly.

No matter the book, no matter how obscure the classic, once you read it once, you memorized it completely.

Xie Yuan had been silenced by you several times; he had gone from burning with anger to accepting it as routine.

To beat you, he memorized a book in advance, only to find you, after reading it once, could recite it backward flawlessly, even remembering exact page numbers and word counts.

Xie Yuan asked how you did it.

You replied: "After going blind, my mind grew calmer, as if my wisdom had awakened."

Zhang Yuan, listening nearby, chuckled: "Young Master Guan, perhaps an immortal patted your head and granted you sudden enlightenment."

Hearing this, Xie Yuan entertained a ludicrous thought: upon returning to his own courtyard, he considered smoking his eyes out to awaken this same latent wisdom.

True to his nature, he nearly acted on it; fortunately, Lady Zhuge discovered him in time, embraced him in tears, and stopped him.

After this incident, Xie Yuan studied even harder, often burning the midnight oil until dawn.

Only through effort did he realize the difficulty—and gradually, he came to admire you, accepting defeat with genuine respect.

Over time, your relationship grew increasingly familiar.

This year, Xie Yuan, who once viewed reading as mundane, quietly changed his attitude.

Unconsciously, he acquired the bearing of a Confucian scholar; his former extravagance and recklessness faded away.

A man filled with poetry and books naturally exudes grace!

In mid-year, the old matriarch fell ill; Xie Hong returned from Qingliang Temple to visit his mother. Seeing Xie Yuan, he remarked:

"Young Master Yuan, in just a year, you've taken on the demeanor of a scholar from the Academy."

Xie Yuan's face flushed crimson.

Lady Zhuge was overjoyed; Xie Hong, a great Confucian, rarely praised anyone—this compliment struck straight to her heart.

Because of Xie Hong's words, the decade-long reputation of Xie Yuan as a frivolous nobleman was reversed.

To honor Xie Yuan's studies, Lady Zhuge personally visited and left gifts for Xie Guan.

Yet afterward, whenever someone asked about Xie Guan, Xie Yuan would say: "Brother Guan was touched by an immortal on the head—that's why he has such talent."

Zhang Yuzhi, because of her cousin Xie Yuan, paid more attention to Xie Guan, yet she remained unconvinced.

She believed that photographic memory—even auditory memory—was not extraordinary; her father had been hailed as a child prodigy in his youth and could do the same, and she had inherited his gift, able to recite poems after hearing them once.

Nothing unusual!

But Xie Yuan's claim—that one could read and memorize six nations' histories in a single day—was eighty to ninety thousand characters of text; even reading a drama or illustrated novel would be hard to finish so quickly.

Thus, Zhang Yuzhi doubted it.

She knew Xie Yuan's nature—he cared deeply for face; if he lost to an ordinary person, he would surely exaggerate.

Zhang Yuzhi always had her maid prepare a mounting stool; each time she arrived, she greeted Xie Guan first, then quietly read the latest issue of Bianjing's Gazette, leaving them undisturbed, seeking only peace.

In the small courtyard, the parasol trees were heavy with golden leaves, the sunlight warm and gentle, requiring no search for shade.

After sitting down, Zhang Yuzhi looked toward Xie Guan and nodded slightly.

Since Xie Guan had removed the cloth from his eyes, he radiated a unique aura; his features were handsome, and in both appearance and bearing, he matched any scion of a great family.

This was perhaps why she could not bring herself to dislike this boy, and why she had accompanied her cousin here so many times.

You were puzzled—Xie Yuan had visited yesterday; why had he come again today?

Xie Yuan smiled mysteriously: "Brother Guan, how about we make a wager?"

You chuckled in reply: "Sixth brother, what are you going to lose to me this time?"

Xie Yuan rubbed the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed.

Lately, he had made wagers with you frequently, but always lost more than he won, having barely tasted victory.

"If you win, I swear I will obey every command you give me henceforth—so long as it does not violate the code of the martial world—I will face fire and water without hesitation."

Xie Yuan knew you had no interest in antiques, rare curios, or pretty young servants, so he devised this wager.

At these words, even Zhang Yuzhi, who had been quietly reading nearby, lifted her head slightly, casting a curious glance.

The attendants behind Xie Guan and the entertainers all changed expression—this wager was too great. Knowing Xie Yuan's nature, none dared to intervene.

You did not immediately agree, but asked in return: "And if I lose, what then?"

Xie Yuan smiled: "Then you must complete a trivial task for me."

You furrowed your brow slightly. Seeing Xie Yuan's confident demeanor, you harbored doubts but did not refuse outright.

"What are we betting on?"

Xie Yuan shook his head, feigning mystery: "A major event occurred in court today—have you heard?"

You shook your head. Living in this quiet courtyard, with no connections, how could you hear of the outside world's whispers?

"Of course. Few in court even know of this. I only learned a little from my uncle."

Xie Yuan continued: "This concerns Jiannan Province, Zehu Lake, and Father's return to court!"

"Zehu!"

Upon hearing those two words, Zhang Yuzhi—Xie Yuan's cousin—quietly lowered her scroll onto her lap, her expression unchanged.

Xie Yuan did not delay: "The leader of the demon clans in Jiannan, the Great Sage Pacifying Heaven, has written to court, claiming they will feign allegiance to the Dragon Palace. After the Great Qi dispatches its army, they will join forces with the Great Qi to strike the Dragon Palace from within."

"But a secret message from the Great Qi's inside agent reveals that the demon clans of Jiannan have secretly contacted the Dragon Palace of Zehu. The demon clans wish to emulate the Dragon Palace by carving out autonomous territory in Jiannan, and ask the Lord of the Dragon Palace to relay to the Great Sui their plan to ambush the Great Qi's army as proof of loyalty."

Xie Yuan paused, then looked at Xie Guan: "Brother Guan, which of these two reports do you believe is true?"

I keep writing it wrong.

Xie Yuan's cousin, Zhang Yuzhi.

Xie Yuan's mother, Lady Zhuge.

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(End of Chapter)