Chapter 30 - The Gathering Storm
After a quick lunch at the escort agency, Ye Beizhi went to find Chi Nanwei to let her know he was back safely. Before he left the courtyard, Steward Song pulled him aside.
"Young Master Ye, Master Wu requests your presence." Steward Song's tone was as polite and serene as ever.
Ye Beizhi thought for a moment, nodded, and decided to visit Chi Nanwei after he met with Master Wu.
At the entrance of Master Wu's small courtyard, Ye Beizhi pushed open the door and entered.
This time, Master Wu was not sitting at the stone table in the courtyard but was seated in the main hall directly facing the courtyard door, holding a cup of Chinese tea.
Steward Song quietly closed the door and withdrew. In the hall, the old man lowered his head and gently blew across the tea leaves in his cup, the rising steam obscued his expression.
Master Wu put down his cup and looked up when he heard Ye Beizhi step into the hall. Calmly, he gestured for Ye Beizhi to sit on the other side.
"I have a good friend in Luzhou," the old man mentioned after a long while.
Ye Beizhi just sat there looking at Master Wu, patiently waiting for him to finish speaking.
Master Wu sipped his tea and continued, "Have you heard of Li Muxian?"
Ye Beizhi thought for a moment and shook his head. "I haven't."
"You need to go out more," Master Wu snorted. "Li Muxian, Old Li, is one of the greatest scholars of our time. Although he has not served as an official in the imperial court, many of the civil officials in the current court have been directly or indirectly taught by him. You can imagine how many students he must have."
Ye Beizhi nodded disinterestedly.
Seeing Ye Beizhi’s eyes glaze over, Master Wu realized he wasn’t interested in the details. "It's like I'm playing music for a donkey," he sighed. "Never mind, this letter is for him… I have a close personal friendship with Old Li, so when you meet him, try not to offend or insult him on my behalf."
Ye Beizhi thought for a moment and grunted in agreement.
The old man picked up his teacup and fell into a heavy silence. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Take Nanwei with you, she met Old Li a few times when she was young, so it would be nice for her to visit him this time. She might want to get out and stretch her legs. It has been a while since she was able to go out and enjoy herself."
Ye Beizhi was somewhat surprised and looked up at the old man in a different light. Master Wu was staring distantly at the teacup in his hand as steam swirled above it.
The two fell into silence again, leaving much unsaid.
The old man suddenly pulled out a letter sealed with red wax from his pocket and handed it over. "You should leave first thing tomorrow," he said.
He looked into Ye Beizhi’s eyes and made sure to say each word clearly and slowly.
"The mountains are sealed by snow… The path will not be easy. Be very careful."
Leaving Master Wu’s courtyard, Ye Beizhi, on a rare occasion, was brimming with questions. He stayed silent because he understood Master Wu's unyielding personality. If Master Wu wanted to say something, he would say it directly. If he didn’t, there would be a reason too, asking further would be useless.
Lost in his thoughts, Ye Beizhi inadvertently found himself before Chi Nanwei’s residence.
Ye Beizhi looked up and saw several plum branches peeking out from the humble courtyard, trembling slightly in the wintry wind. Snow accumulated thinly on the branches and blew off in flurries.
From within the courtyard, the sentimental sound of a zither resonated.
Ye Beizhi paused outside the courtyard and cocked his head to listen. He recognized the piece; it was called "Lead Plum Blossom."
The unhurried pace shifted to a quicker pace in a sudden crescendo. In his head, Ye Beizhi could imagine the delicate hand pressing and plucking the zither strings, gently grasping the rise in intensity.
After several stimulating rises and falls, the music gradually relaxed and became soothing again. The melody repeated this cycle three times before tapering off with its starting sentimental refrain.
Ye Beizhi pushed open the door to the courtyard, which was left slightly ajar. Chi Nanwei sat under the eaves and basked in the lingering tune as her fingers plucked the final note. A charcoal stove quietly burned behind her, lending a serendipitous warmth to the scene.
Engrossed in the zither, she had not noticed her unexpected guest yet. She was dressed in all white, complementing the heavy snow. The cold wind strummed at her flowing hair and her fluffy shawl, making her appear like a solitary plum blossom nestled in the snow.
After standing for a long time, Ye Beizhi managed to ask, "You can play the zither?"
Chi Nanwei looked up upon hearing the voice and realized Ye Beizhi was standing by the courtyard door, "Yea—You’re back?"
Ye Beizhi nodded and walked over. Head lowered, he focused on humming zither.
"I heard there was a huge incident outside the city… Are you alright?" Chi Nanwei shot up from her stool, examining Ye Beizhi worriedly.
"I’m fine," Ye Beizhi assured. Running his hand over the zither strings, he began, "It’s the first time I’ve seen you play the zither…"
"Ah"—a red hue crept up Chi Nanwei's face—"I, but I don’t play very well…" she mumbled.
Ye Beizhi turned to look at her and said, "You play well." Feeling like he hadn't said enough he sincerely added, "Truly."
Chi Nanwei’s face turned crimson from the praise. She hugged the zither and shyly scurried into her home.
Watching Chi Nanwei retreat into her room, Ye Beizhi stood outside and said, "I’m going to Luzhou tomorrow."
The figure holding the zither stopped in place. "Luzhou?" she asked?
"Mm… Master Wu asked me to deliver a letter."
"Grandpa Wu?" Chi Nanwei turned around, perplexed. "But, but with such heavy snow…"
"Delivering this letter… It’s not an official escort mission." Ye Beizhi looked at Chi Nanwei, noticing that she seemed anxious but wasn't sure what he should do to soothe her.
"But-but—"
"You're coming too. We're going together," Ye Beizhi cut in. He paused and explained, "Master Wu planned it."
"But… eh?" Chi Nanwei looked astonished, pointing at Ye Beizhi and then at herself. "You, me? Together?"
Ye Beizhi nodded seriously. "Master Wu said… I should bring you out to enjoy yourself."
"Haha!" Chi Nanwei jumped for joy, her neat braids coming undone.
Ye Beizhi looked at the enthusiastic girl in front of him, but his thoughts were on something Master Wu’s emphasized: the path is not easy… Since the path would be difficult, why bring his precious adopted granddaughter along?
Unable to make sense of it, Ye Beizhi pushed these thoughts aside. "We leave early tomorrow," he warned Chi Nanwei, "Don’t wake up too late."
However, Chi Nanwei seemed not to hear Ye Beizhi’s instructions. She was tapping her chin with her nails, mulling over what she should bring along.
Ye Beizhi stood there, watching over Chi Nanwei for a while, and then quietly left.
***
Wu Changfeng, who his subordinates called Master Wu, sat alone in the agency's grand hall. His tea had chilled a long time ago.
His fingers drummed intermittently on the table. After a long while, Master Wu took out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. It was a wanted notice.
The image on the notice depicted an unfamiliar man, but the text below was shocking.
Imperial Fugitive Wanted Dead or Alive
Ye Beizhi, male, skilled with a blade. Dangerous murderer. Has committed unforgivable crimes. One thousand silver taels reward for information leading to his arrest.
Wu Changfeng sighed. He set the notice aflame, and the fire spread over it, gradually consuming it. The grand hall went dark, leaving a pile of fading ashes.
Meanwhile, rolls of that identical wanted notice lay in the bags of couriers traveling between cities everywhere. Across the central plains, the wanted notice spread like a wildfire.
The northerly wind howled and the blizzard only raged on harder.
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