Chapter 9: Different People, Different Fates

Different people, different destinies.

Little Hua finally put down the pipa in her hands, picked up a basin, and went over to wash and scald the vegetables with practiced efficiency.

The sickly senior leaned in and whispered, "Pitying the fairer sex, or keeping a beauty hidden in a golden house?"

Tie Xinyuan took the teacup from the senior's hand and replied, "She simply isn't cut out to be a singing girl. If she keeps doing this, she'll just starve to death."

The sickly senior gave a light chuckle. "So you're playing the savior. But as the saying goes, if you save someone, save them all the way to the Western Paradise. You've just cut off her only way of making a living, so what's to become of her?"

Tie Xinyuan smiled. "You underestimate this young woman. She has a real knack for wrapping and boiling wontons. Just selling breakfast might earn her no less money and grain than you and I get in the Imperial Academy."

"Since our junior brother is so confident, as your elder brother, I won't say any more. Men of letters hold starting and finishing things well as paramount. I hope junior brother and your foolish brother here can encourage each other in this regard."

The sickly senior merely smiled casually, an air of vicissitudes inadvertently revealing itself. It seemed he was not a simple fellow.

"Senior brother, please don't be annoyed. I'm just very curious: why hasn't senior brother taken the autumn imperial examinations directly instead of wasting time here at the Imperial Academy?"

The sickly senior smiled. "If one can walk the grand highway, who would want to tread a narrow sheep path? It's simply out of helplessness. Have you heard the news of Liu San's death?"

"Which Liu San? Oh, you mean Liu Yong, Liu Sanbian? I remember when he left, he told me he planned to return to his hometown in Wuyishan to watch the rice blossoms. I wonder if he ever made it back."

The sickly senior smiled. "He did. Come to think of it, a man famed throughout the world for his poetry and lyrics returned to Wuyishan, and faced with those verdant mountains and clear waters, not a single scrap of paper ever flowed from his brush again. Whenever people asked him about it, he would always point to his chest and say, 'It's all in my heart; worldly people have no affinity to hear it.' He drowned in a paddy field last year when the rice blossoms were blooming. They say that when he died, the red-fin fish in the paddy field gathered around, trying to lift him up, but in the end, they couldn't manage it..."

Hearing the news of Liu Yong's death, Tie Xinyuan set down his tea, poured a cup of wine instead, and sat alone by the water channel with his feet immersed in the chilling water. Raising his wine cup toward the southern horizon, he offered a distant toast, then drained the cup in a single gulp.

Falling by the willow-lined bank or falling amid the fragrance of rice blossoms—there was little difference. As long as one fell on home soil, there was nothing to regret. To use a bellyful of marvelous poetry and lyrics as a burial companion could also be considered an elegant affair. If others did not know the ci poetry that Liu Yong had once chanted, how could Tie Xinyuan not know them?

"Last night, you fell asleep with your robes on.
Tonight, once more, you fall asleep with your robes on.
Returning from a light drink, past the first watch, slightly intoxicated.
After midnight, what startles you awake?
The frosty sky is cold, the wind blows fine and thin.
It touches the sparse lattice window, making the lamp flicker and sway.
Tossing and turning on an empty bed, recalling it over and over again;
The dream of clouds and rain—lean upon the pillow as I may, it cannot be continued.
Ten thousand threads within an inch of my heart, a world apart though close at hand.
Such fine scenery and fair days, yet we share only a mutual pity in vain,
With no way to plan our tenderness."

Thinking of Liu Yong's passing, these lines of the ci poem *Baluomen Ling* involuntarily welled up in his heart.

Compared to Liu Yong's other poems and lyrics, this *Baluomen Ling* was Tie Xinyuan's absolute favorite. It was written with such soaring agility and crystal-clear layers.

Once recited, sorrow instantly wells up. In the past, he had chanted many poems and lyrics simply out of necessity, but who would have thought that reciting these things so often would make it impossible to stop? In the end, it became a habit, branded into his soul, impossible to shake off even after passing through two lifetimes.

Tie Xinyuan did not like sorrow, believing it to be entirely a negative emotion. That was why he had submerged his feet in the icy water, hoping the flowing current could wash away the sorrow in his heart.

When he turned back, he found that the sickly senior was chewing on the tip of a writing brush, the hem of his robe covered entirely in ink-written characters. The rest of the senior students had also gathered around, pointing excitedly at the hem of the sickly senior's robe.

Tie Xinyuan couldn't help exclaiming, "What on earth are you doing?"

The sickly senior, his mouth stained black with ink, smiled and said, "Just now, seeing you with such a fountain of literary inspiration, I knew you wanted to compose poetry, though I didn't expect it to be a ci lyric. Whew, this *Baluomen Ling* is not much inferior to Liu San's lyrics, and in some places, it even surpasses them. Today I finally get to witness the demeanor of a prodigy; this foolish brother is full of admiration."

Just as Tie Xinyuan was about to speak and clarify things, he heard Brother Beaver roar, "Shut up! When it comes to poetry and lyrics, you might surpass us by a notch, but when it comes to musical temperament and rhythm, you still have to listen to Brother Liu Jing. In the realm of the pipa, second only to Li Quyuan is Liu Jing, Liu Changfeng."

Liu Jing smiled. "I thought that after Liu San's departure, there would no longer be any ci lyrics in this world worthy of me setting them to music. I never expected that after the Great Willow, there would come the Lesser Tie. Splendid! Beaver, fetch me the pipa."

Brother Beaver hurriedly brought over Little Hua's pipa. Liu Jing merely plucked a string, frowned, and looked back at Little Hua, who was watching her pipa with anxious eyes. "Not a single note is in tune. How on earth were you playing this?"

Without waiting for Little Hua to answer, he set about tuning it himself. Moments later, a crisp sound echoed through the thatched shed, followed by the sound of countless large and small pearls tumbling onto a jade plate...

The marvelous music intoxicated everyone present—everyone except Tie Xinyuan. His nerves were as tough as steel wire; the sights and sounds of the mortal world were to him nothing more than a lengthy, tedious scroll.

Secretly observing the expressions of the others, especially seeing the infatuated look on Little Hua's face, Tie Xinyuan sighed inwardly. His plan to have Little Hua move to the farming estate would likely come to nothing.

Beaver listened to the music with tears streaming down his face, while the fatty fish roasting by the fire pit was already on the verge of burning.

Tie Xinyuan crouched by the fire, gently turning the fatty fish...

No one knew how much time had passed, but by now, passing carriages and pedestrians had crowded the area around the tea shed.

When Liu Jing pressed his five fingers against the strings of the pipa, the entire place was filled with the sound of weeping and sobbing.

Liu Jing cast an unexpected glance at Tie Xinyuan, who was busy eating fish, and sighed, "I haven't touched the pipa in so long; who would have thought my skill had regressed to such a state?"

Tie Xinyuan smiled. "I am different from ordinary people—heartless, lungless, and gutless. No matter how exquisite your musical rhythm is, how could it ever move me?"

With that, he tapped his own chest with his fist, producing a hollow *thud-thud* sound.

"Did you hear that? It's empty inside!"

Liu Jing laughed dumbfoundedly. "When spring arrives, I shall not speak first; which insect dares to make a sound! If someone with such grand ambitions cannot even resist the five colorful temptations of the mortal world, then those words are nothing more than empty air."

Beaver looked at the pile of fishbones at Tie Xinyuan's feet, stamped his feet, and said, "You ate three fish all by yourself? Why didn't you choke to death?"

Tie Xinyuan smiled. "I just told you to watch how savage my eating habits are. None of you believed me then, so what are you complaining about now? By the way, Beaver, fifty coins couldn't possibly buy ten-odd fresh fish; at most, you could buy two."

Beaver snatched the fourth fish from Tie Xinyuan's hand, thrust it into Liu Jing's hands, and angrily retorted, "Who are you trying to stump with a foolish riddle like that? I used fifty coins to rent a boat and a net, cast the net in the river myself, and within an hour I had all these fish. Then I pointed out the fish-nest I discovered to the boatman who rented me the boat, and the boatman even gave me another hundred coins. After buying the seasonings, I even had enough left over to buy a chicken."

Tie Xinyuan turned his gaze to Liu Jing. Trying to get top-grade *Longfeng* tribute tea cakes for fifty coins was absolute wishful thinking.

Liu Jing spread his hands and said, "When I go to the tea house to get tea leaves, I usually don't have to pay for it, so I also saved forty coins. There's no need to look at Qian Mu either; his family is in Jianmen, and Jiannan Shaoshun wine has been famous throughout the world since the Tang dynasty. According to him, the cellars for Jiannan Shaoshun are right on the mountain behind his house, and the person guarding the wine cellar is his father. Do you really think there's anything strange about him managing to procure some wine?"

Tie Xinyuan looked at the exquisite bottle of Jiannan Shaoshun on the table, swallowed hard, and muttered, "So it turns out that our little gathering is truly a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers lie."

Liu Jing let out a hearty laugh to the heavens. "The people of Bianjing all have their eyes stuck on their foreheads. Thinking themselves grand residents of the capital, they look down upon heroes from all under heaven—how utterly laughable! Just look around: apart from producing useless nobility, what else does the city of Bianjing produce? Even the officials in the imperial court are heroes from both banks of the Yellow River and north and south of the Great River. It's laughable that people like Li Wei thought the followers they handpicked were the true talents of the Great Song. Even if men of our caliber live in desolate villages, drink crude tea and cheap wine, and wear tattered clothes, we are still the finest talents of this world."

"Well said!" Hearing a fierce shout ring out from outside the pavilion, a stalwart man in a blue robe strode into the shed with a booming laugh, cupped his fists toward Liu Jing and the others, and said, "Yang Huaiyu of the capital greets you all. I've specially come to beg a cup of water and wine."

Liu Jing smiled. "The general who led fifty cavalry to pursue the Qiang tribes, standing tall on the frontier passes to behead thirteen barbarian horsemen and daring anyone else to step forward—Liu Jing offers this toast to apologize for his earlier inappropriate words."

Yang Huaiyu laughed heartily. "Just muddling through to earn some modest military merits, not worthy of everyone's praise. This humble person simply heard tales of Jiannan Shaoshun wine, and my cravings became unbearable, which is why I made bold to pay a visit. As for what everyone was just discussing, Yang Huaiyu is in complete agreement; otherwise, this humble person wouldn't have headed to the borderlands."

Beaver picked up a fish from the hearth, handed it to Yang Huaiyu, and said, "The general fought bloody battles on horseback, and Beaver admires you to the utmost. I can only invite the general to eat a fish to express my sincere feelings."

Yang Huaiyu smilingly accepted the roasted fish, took a bite, and gave a thumbs-up. While busily eating the fish, his eyes were already fixed on the jar of Jiannan Shaoshun.

Qian Mu smiled faintly, unsealed a jar of wine, poured it into a tea bowl without even picking it up, and made a graceful gesture inviting Yang Huaiyu to drink.

Yang Huaiyu was overjoyed, holding the fish in one hand and the wine bowl in the other. By the time he finished the fish in his hand, the dozen or so bowls of wine on the table had also been polished off completely.

After finishing the fish and wine, he wiped the fish grease and wine stains from his beard and mustache, smiled at Tie Xinyuan, bowed to Liu Jing and the others, and said, "Since I've entered the capital, I haven't yet gone to the Bureau of Military Affairs to report in. Once I've settled these worldly matters, I will certainly invite all you gentlemen for a proper drinking bout."

Amidst the cheerful farewells of everyone present, Yang Huaiyu leaped onto his warhorse and, leading a group of subordinates, galloped off toward the city gates in a cloud of dust.

Qian Mu looked at the empty bowls on the table and smiled. "A martial man like this is probably a true martial man indeed! I just wonder what urgent business brought him hurrying back to the capital. Could it be that the beacon fires of war are once again burning on the border?"

Tie Xinyuan gave a muffled hum and said, "This fellow came back to Bianjing to make babies with his wife. Over the span of seven years, he has made three trips back, and his wife has already given him two boys and a girl. Coming back this time, there's no doubt the Yang family will be adding yet another new member." (To be continued.)