i Changsu sat in his gardens under the branches of a banyan tree heavy with greenery, playing a guessing ga with Fei Liu as he listened to Tong Lus report on the events that had occurred that day during the Princess send-off. Aside from the ntion of Yuwen Xuans unexpected appearance, during which i Changsu appeared to be listening intently, he did not seem particularly interested in the rest of the report. As for Xiao Jingruis competition with the Eyun disciple Nian Nian, he didnt even raise an eyebrow, only giving an absent Ng in answer.
Though on careful reflection, his attitude was not really that unusual. Neither Xiao Jingrui, nor that disciple of Yue Xiuze had much status in martial arts circles, and it was natural that competitions at this level would not be of much interest to Mister i of Jiangzuo, the chief of the worlds greatest sect, who must have seen countless contests of this nature by now. If it were not for the fact that Xiao Jingrui was his friend, he probably would not even be interested in the result of the fight.
Left! Fei Liu shouted loudly, as he uncovered his eyes. i Changsu smiled and opened his left fist, which was empty. The youths face screwed up imdiately, and even Tong Lu, standing to the side, couldnt help laughing.
Alright, youve lost three tis, there must be a punishnt. Go and help Aunt Ji cut the lons, Su gege wants to have a piece.
lons! Fei Liu loved fruits, and as the season for tangerines had passed, he had moved on to lons. i Changsu often teased that he could finish a whole field of them in a day, and to prevent him from getting sick, he had to pose a limit on the number of lons the youth was allowed to have each day.
Fei Liu darted away, and i Changsus smile disappeared. His tone was cool when he spoke again: Inform Mister Shisan, it is ti to make a move against the Crimson Sleeves. He may initiate the first step, and it must be done cleanly.
Yes. Tong Lu bowed hurriedly. Does the Chief have any other orders?
i Changsu leaned down and rested his head on the pillow, closing his eyes. You do not need to co tomorrow.
Tong Lu paled abruptly and fell to the floor in a bow, saying in a trembling voice, Has Tong Ludisappointed the Chief in so way?
i Changsu, startled by his reaction, turned his head to look at him. I was just going to let you take a day off, where have your thoughts got to?
Ah? . Tong Lu let out a sigh of relief and sat up, scratching his head. I thought the Chief was telling not to co again in the futureit wasnt easy earning this opportunity to work directly for the Chief, and Tong Lu would be sad to see it go.
Silly child, i Changsu couldnt help smiling as he patted his head. Actually, it is I who needs a good days rest, without anything to think or worry about. I want to put aside all troubles and spend a day in serenity and peace, and gather my strength for the days ahead.
Tong Lu didnt understand the importance of the days to co, but he was not overly curious by nature and knew when to hold his tongue, so he did not ask further, and only continued to gaze reverently at his chief, waiting quietly for his orders.
Tell Gong Yu, she must rest well tomorrow too.
Yes.
Theres nothing else, you may leave.
Tong Lu bowed deeply, and then got up and left. Li Gang entered in his wake, holding a large platter with a lid tied shut with red cloth.
Chief, its arrived, here it is for your inspection.
i Changsu sat up and untied the red cloth. On the platter stood a small bottle carved out of dark green jade. At first glance, it did not catch the eye, but on closer inspection, there were running horses carved into the surface of the jade , racing with carefree abandon along the natural pattern of the jade itself. The design was so intricate and the handiwork so delicate and refined that the overall piece was astonishing to behold.
And yet, no matter how beautiful the jade bottle itself appeared, its greatest value lay inside.
How many?
Chief, there are ten.
i Changsu picked up the jade bottle and removed its cork stopper, then lifted it to his nose and sniffed it lightly before replacing the cork and turning the bottle over in his hands gently.
Li Gangs gaze shifted, as if he was trying to decide whether to speak or not.
Li dage, if you have anything to say, please say it freely. i Changsu had not even lifted his head, and it was impossible to know how he had seen Li Gangs expression.
Chief, would this gift be a little too much? Li Gang spoke softly. A jade bottle hand-carved by Great Master Huo, heart protection pills that can save a persons life either one of these gifts would be enough to astound any audience, why put the two together?
i Changsu was quiet for awhile, and there was grief and compassion in his gaze when he finally answered, After this birthday, I fear that even gifts more precious than these would not hold any aning for Jingrui.
Li Gang lowered his head, biting his lip.
But you are correct, if we send him a gift like this, it would indeed be a little too ostentatious. I have been thoughtless in my consideration. i Changsus finger traced the surface of the jade as he sighed lightly. Put the pills into a plain bottle.
Yes.
The jade bottle was replaced onto the platter, but i Changsus gaze still lingered on the carving of the sprinting horses. Finally, he looked away, and then closed his eyes. When he first chose this jade bottle, it was because of this carving, because he knew that Jingrui had loved horses since he was a boy and so would like the design, and thus he had forgotten all along its staggering cost.
It would appear that his heart, which he had thought as calm as a still pond, was not immune to slight ripples in its surface, especially as that day drew closer and closer.
Li dage, bring my zither.
Yes.
Li Gang, who had been watching i Changsus every expression with concern, retreated quickly with the platter and returned almost imdiately carrying wooden zither, which he placed carefully on a small table under the window.
The table was low, and there was no chair before it, only a thin mat. i Changsu sat down cross-legged and tuned the instrunt. Then his finger tips skipped lightly over the strings, and a soft lody drifted through the air, gentle as water flowing down a stream The Joy of Peace and Tranquility.
The music soothed the hearts of all who listened, even of the musician himself. The tune sang of winding brooks in sunlit forests, and open valleys filled with wildflowers. It cleansed the soul of grief, and wiped the brow of sorrow. When the music stopped, there was no trace of disturbance left on his face, and his eyes were as peaceful as a lake on a windless day, his gaze clear and steady.
The decision had been made long ago, and there was no use in wavering now. His sympathy and regret for Xiao Jingrui could not change the plans that had been laid, and so any sorrow that remained was aningless, even hypocritical, and it held no practical purpose, whether for himself or for that young man.
i Changsu lifted his face and took a deep breath. The warm spring sunshine fell onto his face, but he felt no warmth, only a sort of distant coolness.
He lifted a hand and placed it in the sunlight. A little pale, almost transparent. And weak, without any strength.
These hands had once tad horses and wielded swords, had once bent a bow to shoot down great birds of prey. And now, they had abandoned the reins, and relinquished the bows, and could only sit in this dim inferno, stirring the winds.
Li dage, i Changsu turned his head and looked at Li Gang, standing silently by the door. I am sorry, I have caused you worry.
Li Gang felt a sudden painful warmth well up in his chest, and he could barely control the tremor in his voice as he answered, Chief.
Go and tell Fei Liu to co, how can cutting a lon take so long. i Changsu did not appear to have noticed his loss of composure, and only cocked his head, smiling faintly.
Almost before he had finished speaking, Fei Lius slender figure bounded into the courtyard and he streaked into the room, a small white dish in one hand as he said loudly, Flower!
i Changsu turned and looked. Five flowers carved out of lon rested in the dish, and though the petals were uneven and the handiwork a bit shoddy, the shape was unmistakable, and was really quite pretty.
Did Fei Liu carve this?
Ng! Fei Lius eyes were wide and he looked delighted. Best!
You picked the five best flowers to bring here? i Changsus gaze was fond as he twisted the youths ear gently. Did Aunt Ji teach you?
Ng! Fei Liu nodded emphatically.
Can I eat them?
Eat! Fei Liu grabbed the largest flower and brought it to i Changsus lips.
Li Gang couldnt help laughing. Hey Fei Liu, since theyre going to be eaten anyway, why did you bother carving them into flowers?
Su gege eat! Fei Liu said firmly, glaring at him.
Our Fei Liu is so good, he wanted to make them beautiful because they were for Su gege to eat, is that right? i Changsu bit off a petal, and reached out with his handkerchief to wipe at the youths mouth. How much did you eat? Theres lon juice all over your chin.
Carved badly! Fei Liu said defensively.
You only ate the ones you carved badly? Thats alright then. But you must rember not to eat too many all at once, or your stomach will hurt.
Ng!
i Changsu finished the first flower, and then shook his head at Fei Liu. The youth rembered that eating too much would make ones stomach hurt, and so did not try to feed him a second piece. He stared blankly at the plate for a mont, and then seed to make up his mind, and brought the remaining four flowers to Li Gang.
For ? Li Gang laughed loudly. What favour, Im so honoured, so honoured indeed!
Fei Liu didnt understand half of what he said, but he understood the first question and nodded his answer. But when Li Gang picked up a piece of lon, his eyes, the only part of him that showed any emotion, looked longingly at the lon, as if he was unwilling to part with it.
You eat as well, we can have half each. The innocent childs feelings were written all over his face, and Li Gang held back a smile as he pushed two of the flowers back towards Fei Liu.
Fei Liu turned his head to look at i Changsu.
Just now in the kitchen, how many lons did you carve badly?
Three!
Did you eat them all?!
With Aunt Ji!
i Changsu looked at Fei Liu, his expression stern. Didnt you promise Su gege to only eat one a day?
Carved badly! Fei Lius mouth turned down, his expression clearly wronged.
Hm i Changsu thought seriously for a mont. Then we cannot bla our Fei Liu, it was Su gege who was not clear enough. From now on, no matter whether it was carved badly or cut wrongly, as long as it is lon, then Fei Liu can only eat one per day. Understood?
Fei Lius handso face still did not show any strong emotion, but his tone clearly conveyed his unhappiness. So little!
Su gege is afraid Fei Liu will get sick. i Changsu glanced at him, his smile a little wicked. How about we call Lin Chen gege to co over?
Fei Liu jumped in fear and buried his head in i Changsus chest, his arms going tightly around his waist, and refused to let go. Li Gang, who had already been shaking with suppressed laughter, completely gave up at this display and retreated outdoors, clutching his side helplessly.
You havent answered . i Changsu showed remarkable restraint as he extracted the youths head from his embrace, and repeated sternly, One?
Fei Liu was visibly torn between Lin Chen gege on the one hand and lons on the other, and finally, he lowered his head ekly. One.
i Changsu ruffled Fei Lius hair, his gaze and smile as warm as always.
Li Gang had disappeared from the courtyard. The earnest and devoted assistant had probably gone to find a suitable bottle to hold the pills which were to be a gift. Just now, the grief had been lifted by the adorable youths appearance, but a few ripples still remained nevertheless, a faint pain underneath that resurfaced on occasion. In the space between breaths, he pushed the pain away firmly, burying it deep down.
In another days ti, it would be Xiao Jingruis twenty-fifth birthday.
i Changsu knew very well that, for this young nobleman, it would be the most unforgettable day of his life.
Translators Notes:
Shes giving us fluff before the angst. (Well, I guess there was angst in this too.)
Board up your windows, everyone. THE STORM IS HERE.
(And for anyone who noticed sorry this was a few hours late! I really rushed this one too so I might go back later for so editing. But I didnt want to keep yall waiting!)
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