"How is he?" You Miao asked as soon as he returned to his room.
"The doctor said it's nothing critical," Shiqi replied. "Only flesh wounds. He told us to get a Heavenly King Life-Preservation Pill[1] for several of his internal injuries. He also has a lingering cold that's never gotten better, so the doctor's worried it might've hurt his lungs. The doctor said to call him again if he doesn't get better after a while even with the prescription."
After You Miao nodded, Shiqi added, "But the Heavenly King Life-Preservation Pill isn't cheap. It also costs ten silver…"
You Miao couldn't stop himself from wincing, but he'd already spent two hundred silver—what was another ten more? He took out the money and handed it over.
"Go. Buy it," he said.
Shiqi brought the prescribed medication back that very afternoon. You Miao first fed Li Zhifeng the life-preservation pill, then took a crockpot and sat in the room to decoct the medicinal herbs. As the pot simmered, You Miao suddenly stopped. Wait. He was the high and mighty young master—how come he became the one waiting on a slave?!
"Ugh." You Miao groaned, feeling a little depressed. "I've got it hard this time, all for you. You waste of money. Hurry and take your meds and get better, yeah? Then you can do something afterward."
The color of Li Zhifeng's complexion looked better after taking the Heavenly King Life-Preservation Pill, but he only continued to stare at You Miao.
"This is messed up. How come I'm the one serving you?" You Miao griped. "Just drink this."
You Miao passed him the bowl of medicine. He didn't bother to clean up afterward, though, and went to play dead in bed instead. After an entire day of toil, he was thoroughly exhausted.
That night, Li Zhifeng's appetite improved and he was able to hold down the thick chicken congee. All You Miao wanted was for him to recover faster, so he had the kitchen stew a massive bowl's worth. He also got Shiqi to buy some ginseng, some ganoderma, and other such herbal supplements—anything that could help Li Zhifeng was fed to him to prevent him from lying around more than necessary. Before bed, You Miao stewed another large bowl of thick ginseng broth to dunk into the man, and it was only after that You Miao finally retired.
There was some noise in the middle of the night, and You Miao snapped awake at once. At first, he thought there was a thief who had gotten in. When he looked up, however, he recognized the figure in the room as Li Zhifeng.
He couldn't be thinking of stealing something and then running away? You Miao wondered, not daring to move. Borrowing the light from outside the window, he could see better—and found that Li Zhifeng was cleaning up the medicine and food bowls and putting the hand warmer away. When he reached the desk to tidy it, he paused, seeming to have seen his own slave deed. However, he placed it aside and continued on like it didn't concern him.
The next day, because of that incident with Li Yan, no one came to look for You Miao to hang out. There was no way You Miao would saunter over himself, so he hung around the house bored out of his mind. Sometimes he'd go over to check if Li Zhifeng was better, and sometimes he'd chat him up. Li Zhifeng's words were sparse; he was like a log. However, You Miao was very curious about his background and bombarded him with questions.
"What's Quanrong?" You Miao asked.
"A people," Li Zhifeng replied.
"How did you end up getting sold to the capital?" You Miao asked.
"Lost a battle," Li Zhifeng replied.
"Do you want to go home?"
Li Zhifeng shook his head.
"So, what did you do at the Royal Academy?"
At that question, Li Zhifeng only stared at You Miao, not speaking a word.
The medicine pot started to boil, so You Miao said, "Go drink it up."
Li Zhifeng silently heeded and went to drink the decoction without a word.
"Hey, Quanrong slave," You Miao called. "How are you going to repay me?"
"From now on, I'll do whatever you tell me to," Li Zhifeng answered. "If you order me to live, then I shall live; if you order me to die, then I shall die."
You Miao was a little moved by this. He never thought this guy knew how to say such long sentences. Nonetheless, he couldn't think of any orders at the moment to issue him.
"Can you work? Do you know how to serve? Do you know how to coiffe hair?" You Miao asked. Then he added, after Li Zhifeng nodded to the questions, "Do you know how to do laundry, cooking, cleaning, and other menial labor?"
Li Zhifeng gave a slight nod. His eyes focused on the bowl of medicine.
"Know how to fight?" You Miao asked.
"A little," Li Zhifeng replied.
"What else can you do?"
Li Zhifeng took a gulp of the decoction and answered, "Bed warming."
It came back to You Miao now. He asked, "Did you sleep with Li Yan?"
Li Zhifeng shook his head. After a moment's thought, You Miao said, "Why don't you serve me, then, once you're all better? If you do a good job, I'll free you in a few years and let you go home."
You Miao had no idea how men had fun in bed, but judging by the state of Li Zhifeng, the man was barely half the shape You Miao was in. They couldn't fool around right now; it'd be torturing him. You Miao wouldn't be getting his money's worth if Li Zhifeng died.
"Do you know the role of a study companion?" asked You Miao, after he sat at the desk. "Come here and grind some ink for me."
Li Zhifeng drank the rest of the medicine and came over to do as he was told. With one easy sweep of his robe, he knelt on one knee next to You Miao's desk; a one-step motion done with immense grace. He then rolled up his sleeves and ground ink upon the inkstone with the inkstick held between his lean, defined fingers. You Miao stole a glimpse at him. This man was different from all the other boy servants—he possessed an indescribable class.
"Do you know how to read?" You Miao started his questions again.
Li Zhifeng nodded.
There were slaves that could read? You Miao was astonished.
Once the ink was ground, Li Zhifeng rose to his feet to tidy things again. He returned a moment later and sat down, kneeling next to You Miao. He raised a fist to his nose force down a few coughs. As for You Miao, he only wrote a few random lines before he started to doodle on the paper; he couldn't concentrate on studying and was bored out of his mind. As he sprawled over his desk, his mind was instead on the affair with Li Yan. Being at home was rather dull, but after offending Li Yan, You Miao couldn't really go over and seek his contempt.
And the more troublesome thing was that his money was almost gone. It hadn't even been three months since he received that sum of five hundred silver. He had to think of a way to ask for more money from home.
You Miao side-eyed the main culprit who caused him to lose money and saw Li Zhifeng was looking at what he'd doodled on the paper with an impassive expression. When he sensed You Miao's eyes on him, he turned and met his gaze.
It wasn't just Li Zhifeng's ink-grinding posture that was unusual—even the way he was kneeling was weird. Everyone else either knelt or sat simply, whereas Li Zhifeng had both hands resting on his knees and his back was as straight as a brush. Much like a soldier in the military, there was a hint of killing intent about him.
"Come." You Miao waved him over.
Li Zhifeng got up and approached in two easy steps, then bowed and knelt to sit once more. Even when he was simply kneeling like this, he was still a head taller than You Miao, and regarded him with his head hung. You Miao kept thinking there was something indescribable in those eyes.
With his right hand still holding the brush, You Miao reached out with his left to peel open Li Zhifeng's collar and fished out the jade pendant.
"I knew this protection charm would be effective," You Miao said. "My mom left it for me. See? You recovered from your half-dead state in two days."
Li Zhifeng didn't respond.
"How do men do that together?" You Miao asked.
Li Zhifeng still didn't answer, so You Miao urged, "C'mon. Speak."
He finally understood why Li Yan had beaten this guy up. If You Miao himself had made the original purchase and got a man who acted like he was all that and did not respond to commands, You Miao might've wanted to beat him up too. Fortunately, he had already anticipated this, so he didn't mind as much.
"It's hard to explain," Li Zhifeng finally said.
"Then why don't you accompany me in bed some other day?" You Miao asked. "Teach me how to play. I've never done something like that with men before. Now that I've spent two hundred silver buying you, it seems such a waste just to have you serve beverages."
Li Zhifeng nodded, and the two stared at each other for a moment. All You Miao could think was this guy was genuinely too dull.
"Turn over a bit."
You Miao gestured for him to turn. He was tired of sitting and was just looking for something to lean on, so he leaned into Li Zhifeng's arms while he continued to flip lazily through his book. He could hear Li Zhifeng's chest heaving. Maybe he had asthma. After an entire afternoon like that, You Miao gradually fell asleep. And yet Li Zhifeng didn't move a muscle, sitting upright like a block of wood for him to lean on. When You Miao roused around dusk and got up, Li Zhifeng staggered—his legs had obviously fallen asleep. You Miao laughed heartily at him and told him to go decoct his own medicine.
Many days passed thus. Every morning when You Miao rose, Li Zhifeng was there to wait on him. He helped him dress, brushed his hair, and fastened his hat. Every time he knelt to fix the hems of You Miao's robes, it would always be on one knee, displaying zero sign of inferiority or meek obedience. Gradually, You Miao began to think every move and every action this slave made gave off an inexplicable sense of carefree grace.
After taking the two prescribed medications, it took less than ten days for Li Zhifeng's health to recover; he just never left the house. In those ten days, You Miao had also sent all the servants of his chamber away and had Li Zhifeng be the sole one serving him. Unexpectedly, not only was Li Zhifeng willing to do the work, the two seemed to share an excellent tacit understanding.
The second a thought struck You Miao, it would be as though Li Zhifeng could read his mind. He would come over with a cup and place it on his desk. After writing a bit, Li Zhifeng would bring a towel to wipe his hands. You Miao would stretch, and Li Zhifeng would come put away the brush and take the inkstone to wash. It went on like this for days in a row, and You Miao discovered that this guy was fairly easy to use.
Aside from serving him in bed, which had yet to be tried, Li Zhifeng could take care of everything else without needing to be ordered. The only downside was that he was too quiet. Sometimes when You Miao was at home studying, Li Zhifeng would gaze out the door, hugging one knee. Who knew what he was looking at, but he could gaze for an entire afternoon—except for when he detected movement from You Miao, in which case he would turn his head and get up to go over.
Of all the servants You Miao had ever commanded, he felt it the most comfortable to use Li Zhifeng. All in all, You Miao concluded that it was because Li Zhifeng treated him and his affairs with care. The other servants would try to slack off whenever they could, whereas Li Zhifeng was filled with gratitude because You Miao had saved his life. Li Zhifeng knew to repay him for his kindness.
Very good. Excellent.
You Miao was so very pleased with Li Zhifeng that he even sent Shiqi away, leaving only Li Zhifeng to wait on him. A few more layers of bedding were added to the small area behind the screen where Li Zhifeng slept, and it now resembled a den built with blankets. Meanwhile, Li Zhifeng was like a dog who came and went at You Miao's beck and call. No…calling him a dog wasn't quite right, either. You Miao didn't even need to call him; he only needed to noticehim. When the two met eyes, Li Zhifeng could tell whether he was needed or if You Miao had simply dropped a casual glance at him.
It was simply too comfortable to be with Li Zhifeng, but his words were also genuinely too little. If he could talk more and have casual conversations, then he'd be perfect.
Nearly half a month had passed since You Miao left the house at this point. He'd been staying put at home studying with the plan of catching up on all the homework he'd deserted. You Deyou had come by a few times to check up on him, and every time You Miao sensed such a disturbance, he'd order Li Zhifeng to hide behind the screen.
You Deyou thought his nephew had a change of heart, but only You Miao himself knew it best deep down—he was out of money. He had barely sixty silver left, and that was all he had at his disposal until the next time he asked his dad for money. It'd only been three months since he'd last asked; after New Year's was over, he would have to think of a way to coax his dad for some more allowance.
Yet just when You Miao was stifled so much indoors that a bird was going to hatch, Li Yan showed up at his door.
"You Miao!" Li Yan called out from the yard.
Without a care of whether You Miao was home, he swaggered inside with a book boy in tow. You Miao fixed his robes before going out to greet him. It just so happened that You Deyou wasn't home that day, so his little concubine Yanhong was peeping around the corner, trying to sneak looks. It was bright and clear on this wintry day, but it was a strange thing regardless for Li Yan to come knocking. You Miao was a little flattered by the show of favor.
"What's going on?" You Miao asked.
Li Yan went up and gave him a shove. "I should be the one asking you that. What are you doing, hiding out at home all day?"
"I'm studying," You Miao replied with a heh-heh laugh.
Li Yan scoffed. "Yeah, right. Your family is so rich, but I've never seen you study. What are you reading at this time of the day?"
You Miao knew that this was Li Yan dropping his young master act to come and apologize, so he warmly put his arm around his shoulder as the two bros headed to the inner courtyard.
"Not gonna lie, but my old man is about to throw a fit over me spending money without studying," You Miao said with a laugh. "He's gonna cut my purse strings if I don't start hitting the books."
Like something had occurred to him, Li Yan took out that wad of two hundred silver bills from his breast pocket.
"Here. You can have this back," Li Yan said, tossing the bundle to You Miao.
Now You Miao was truly touched. He knew it wouldn't be good of him to take it, though, so he quickly refused, "No, no. The business was done and the transaction complete. How can I take that?"
"If I give it to you, then just take it!" exclaimed Li Yan, who yanked You Miao by the collar and pushed him toward the chambers.
"My family does business for a living. We never take return payments!" You Miao protested.
"Trying to get yelled at some more, are you?" Li Yan spat.
"The man came back from the brink of death, so just take it as if I really did buy him from you…"
Li Yan and You Miao pushed back and forth, and Li Yan felt the urge to pin You Miao under him and to fondle and rub wherever he pleased. The door suddenly opened and You Miao felt his back bump against someone else. When he turned his head, he realized it was Li Zhifeng.
Li Yan's face darkened immediately at the sight of him. Li Zhifeng pulled You Miao behind him without a word, but his lips moved, looking as if he wanted to say something. You Miao had been wholly enjoying how easy it was to order this man around, and was scared Li Yan was going to ask for him back in order to kill him.
You Miao quickly said, "Since I bought him, he's mine now, yeah?"
This angered Li Yan, however. "Insolence!" he yelled at Li Zhifeng. "You're nothing but a dog! Kneel right this instant!"
Li Zhifeng remained unmoved. When You Miao saw how upset Li Yan was getting, he quickly ordered, "Kneel, kneel. Li Zhifeng, on your knees."
Without hesitation, Li Zhifeng bent to the ground, resting his left hand on one knee while the right dropped to the ground balled into a fist. He bowed slightly toward You Miao.
You Miao grinned and said with a laugh, "How about this?"
He took the wad of two hundred silver in Li Yan's hand, took a hundred's worth, then stuffed the other hundred in Li Yan's hands.
"His surname is Li. Was it you who gave him that name?" he asked.
Li Yan snorted in reply.
"Well, I'll leave the name unchanged," You Miao said. "As for this Quanrong slave, let's just say you gave him to me as a present. And this bit of money? It's me treating you to drinks, that okay?"
"He's your slave now," Li Yan said. "Are you gonna let me beat him or nah?"
"Of course you can," You Miao said agreeably. "Beat him all you want."
Li Yan swung his leg and knocked Li Zhifeng down with a kick. He then picked up a vase and smashed it over his head. Amidst the resounding sound of broken porcelain, the vase shattered to pieces all over the ground. Blood seeped from Li Zhifeng's forehead. He staggered for a moment before returning to a proper kneeling position.
With his hands tucked in his sleeves, You Miao's face twitched as he watched the violence.
"Piece of crap," Li Yan spat. "You got off easy."
"Good. You good now?" You Miao asked.
"I'll give you some face and let it go this time," Li Yan said.
You Miao had no idea what grievance Li Yan had with this Quanrong slave, but now that the air was cleared, Li Yan wouldn't be able to give him trouble in the future. That meant You Miao could bring Li Zhifeng out next time.
Li Yan turned around and moved toward the yard. You Miao rejoiced inwardly; the case was technically closed now, and things had been talked out with Li Yan.
"Where are we going to have fun today?" You Miao asked.
"That brat Lin just got a good horse from the Western Territories. Let's go check it out. Come," Li Yan said.
Li Zhifeng was left still kneeling inside the room, moving not a muscle. All the while, You Miao and Li Yan crossed through the corridors and left, their arms over each other's shoulders.
Once the boys left, the little concubine Yanhong emerged from behind the corridor pillar. She curiously peered into You Miao's room and saw Li Zhifeng with a head covered in blood and kneeling on one knee as he cleaned up the broken pieces of the shattered vase.
"You're one of Young Master You's people?" Yanhong asked. "How come I've never seen you before?"
Li Zhifeng looked up and glanced at her.
Yanhong then asked, "You're a mute?"
That day, You Miao and Li Yan visited the abode of the Vice Minister of Rites. They laughed and chatted and checked out the new little horse their wastrel friend had gotten. You Miao didn't know how to ride a horse, and Li Yan said he would teach him. However, just as they were about to go out of the city to ride together, a boy servant from the You residence came to deliver a message that ordered him to return at once.
You Miao deflated immediately, but still had to temporarily wave goodbye to his band of buddies to go home. The moment he entered the residence, he saw Li Zhifeng kneeling in the middle of the main hall, and his slave deed on the table. You Deyou lay in his chair, so angry he was like a quaking mountain of meat. You Miao immediately understood the situation.
"This man…" You Miao started, "...is someone a friend gave me. He's a slave."
"Is a slave something you can just take?!" You Deyou scolded. "And you think he's a regular slave? This one's extremely hard to keep! You don't know anything! Send him away at once! Send him away, this instant. Don't stir up trouble!"
You Miao's heart stopped for a second. He looked at Li Zhifeng and asked, "Did you cause trouble?"
Li Zhifeng didn't nod or shake his head.
You Miao laughed with a heh-heh and said, "Shu,[2] just let me keep him. This guy is more worry-free than Shiqi-er, you know."
"Not possible!" You Deyou shouted, his roar as booming as crashing thunder.
Sitting next to You Deyou was his wife, and she jumped in surprise at the sudden yell, spilling tea all over herself.
"Calm down, laoye, don't be angry…." she quickly soothed. "Miao-er, that isn't just any regular slave. He's a Quanrong! We can't keep a Quanrong slave in our household—it'll spell trouble!"
"Quanrong?" You Miao didn't quite understand. What was wrong with the Quanrong?
"Miao-zi, oh Miao-zi," You Deyou scolded bitterly, "you don't know just how much the government despises the Quanrong! One year when I went beyond the Great Wall to transport a shipment of goods, we Han and the Quanrong started fighting. Men fell like wheat under the scythe. The Quanrong raped our Han women, set fires to our Han houses, and stabbed our children dead. They've done every evil deed possible!"
"Oh," You Miao said.
"..."
Everyone was rendered speechless by You Miao's dispassionate response.
Shaking in rage, You Deyou pointed at the kneeling Li Zhifeng and yelled, "If we capture any Quanrong beyond the Great Wall, there should be no holding back—we must peel their skins and pull their tendons! And yet you dare bring this wolf back home! Aren't you even scared that—"
"But isn't everything laid out on the slave deed?" You Miao said, cutting You Deyou off. "Here, Shu. See? This man was fed that whatchamacallit pill, so he's no different from us—"
"Nope! Nope! You don't understand! Send him away this instant! I mean it! Right now!" You Deyou screamed, and dust from the ceiling fell from the shockwaves of his hysterical voice.
You Miao tried to laugh this off with his continuous little heh-hehs, but that only enraged You Deyou further.
"Laugh! What are you laughing about?!" he rebuked.
"But he was punished already," You Miao tried to explain. "Li Yan beat him half to death a while ago. In any case, I've only just saved him from the brink of death. So for the man himself, plus the cost of seeing the doctor, he's cost me two hundred and fifty silver…"
His confession had everyone in the room roll their eyes all the way back into their heads. You Deyou slumped in his chair like a pig, his eyes bugging out. The madam was so shaken she collapsed and slipped off her seat. The little concubine eavesdropping outside fainted with a "Eep."
Two hundred and fifty silver?! The expenses of the You residence, including grants to servants, was only eighty silver a year!
You Miao added, "You wouldn't be able to make back two hundred and fifty silver even if you cut him up and sell him by the pound. Wouldn't you say, Shu?"
You Deyou couldn't even speak anymore. "You, you, you… Very good. I'm going to write to your dad. We'll see how he disciplines you…you little beast!"
"Don't be angry, Shu," You Miao quickly said. "And besides, the Chancellor's young master is the one who sold him to me—"
"Even if the crown prince had been the one to sell him, you still can't take him!" You Deyou exclaimed. "Send him away immediately! I'm going to write to your dad right now…"
You Miao had never imagined housing a Quanrong person would be this difficult of an issue. Anything that got roped into state feuds would no longer be a simple matter. Any basic books of wisdom speak of the principle that "people of different races cannot be trusted," but when You Miao gazed at the kneeling Li Zhifeng, an odd wave of emotions surged in him.
It wasn't so much that he couldn't bear to throw Li Zhifeng away, but at the very least, he had saved this man with his own hands. Feelings would grow for anything picked off the streets—it would be like that for a cat or a dog, never mind a human.
Another thing came to You Miao's mind as he watched Li Zhifeng: did this Quanrong slave harbor feelings for him? There should be something, right? Elsewise he wouldn't have gone on that whole spiel about "order me to live, then I shall live; order me to die, then I shall die."
But sometimes, what was said and what was done were two completely separate things.
"Hey!" You Deyou glared at him.
You Miao snapped out of it and threw a little heh-heh laugh. You Deyou had stopped falling for his innocent act, however. He gathered himself and was just about to yell some more when You Miao stumped his uncle first.
"How about this?" You Miao suggested. "Shu, I'm in the middle of a quarrel with Li Yan. When he comes looking for me in a few days, I'll give this guy back."
Li Zhifeng raised his head slightly when he heard this and glanced at You Miao.
"Well, don't wait on it! Take care of it as soon as possible!" You Deyou said.
"Okay, okay, okay," You Miao placated. He then gave Li Zhifeng a kick and ordered him to follow him out.
"Miao-zi," the madam hastily called after him. "Don't take this man to your room anymore, lest he seeks revenge…"
"Fine, fine, fine," You Miao replied. "I know what I'm doing, Shenniang."
As soon as You Miao returned to his wing, the butler came to make sure Li Zhifeng would sleep in the firewood shed. You Miao knew he couldn't mess around anymore, so he had no choice but to tell Li Zhifeng to move. The butler dismissed Li Zhifeng with a set of tattered bedding, but when You Miao saw the butler was going to lock up the shed, he got angry.
"What are you doing?!" You Miao barked.
"It's the master's orders," the butler quickly explained. "In case he acts out."
"I've kept him in my room for half the month, and he hasn't done anything to me! Now you're afraid he's going to act out?!" You Miao demanded.
"W-w-well…" stammered the butler. "Shaoye, this is the master's order…"
You Miao didn't care anymore. He exclaimed, "I spent two hundred and fifty silver on him, yanno! He's gotta serve me. If you're gonna lock him up, why don't you pay me back my money, huh?!"
"How about this?" said the butler after a moment of hesitation. "Shaoye can have the key?"
"Give it here," You Miao said tersely.
The butler locked the shed door. You Miao subsequently took the key and reopened it right in front of the butler's face, but the butler had no choice but to leave resentfully. You Miao peered into the firewood shed. Li Zhifeng was leaning against the wall, hugging his knees. When the door reopened, he looked up and gazed at You Miao.
You Miao left. Over the next many days, Li Zhifeng still did everything as normal, except now he lived in the firewood shed in the backyard. Every morning, he rose before the sun was up and sat outside You Miao's room. Once You Miao was up and opened the door, he'd go in to wait on him.
The servants all whispered among themselves about this newcomer, but Li Zhifeng didn't talk to anyone. The little concubine had expressed admiration for this giant of a man, while the madam believed Li Zhifeng was only trying to demonstrate his loyalty.
Many more days passed. With only a few dozen of silver left, You Miao went out to find Li Yan to ask him about the Quanrong slave. He had to get the truth straightened out before he knew what to do with the guy.
That day, while You Miao and Li Yan were watching a play, You Miao decided to ask his questions.
"Hey," You Miao called.
Li Yan shot him a side glance. You Miao scooted over and cuddled him as he whispered affectionately into his ear, "Let me ask you something. About that Quanrong slave…"
"What, he popped your cherry?" Li Yan asked.
"No, no… Wait, what are you saying? Ah! Did he pop your cherry? Ha ha ha…" You Miao laughed, pointing at Li Yan.
Li Yan flew into a rage and retorted, "Keep talking shit and I'll cut off your tongue!"
You Miao motioned for them to go back on topic and asked, "The Quanrong… The capital doesn't permit them to be kept?"
"Just say I gave him to you, and it'll be fine," Li Yan said. "Legally, they can't be kept. But you think I'd be afraid of those kiss-asses in the Ministry of Justice?"
"Why can't we keep them?" You Miao asked.
"Thanks to state feuds, more or less," Li Yan replied dismissively. "Why else would there be so many crappy rules?"
"Is it that serious?"
"You southerners don't understand…" Li Yan started.
As Li Yan began his explanation as to why a Quanrong slave couldn't be kept, it just so happened that the play on stage was "Lady Zhaojun Crossing the Frontier[3]".
The Tianqi Dynasty [4] had always experienced conflicts at the northern border. A hundred years ago, a treaty was signed with the Barbarian tribe Di, and both sides enjoyed peace for a number of decades. However, ten years ago, the Barbarian tribes north of the border began to rise up, causing havoc and small skirmishes along the frontier.
At the time, five Barbarian tribes—the Quanrong, Xianbei, Jie, Qiang, and Di—had formed an alliance and frequently encroached on the Tianqi border. The Tianqi were beaten back at the Battle of Mount Jueyue. Seven great cities along the border had suffered bloody massacres at the hands of foreign invaders, planting a deep-seated hatred between the Han people and the Barbarians. Both sides had been at odds for years, with victories and losses split here and there.
Later, when the Quanrong king passed away, a number of Quanrong princes fought endlessly for the throne. The flames of their civil war spread, setting the other Barbarian tribes ablaze. The Han people used this chance to dispatch a new wave of troops to the Yin Mountains.[5] After a gruesome battle, the Quanrong retreated beyond the Great Wall. Their power had suffered significant damage, and as they had been simultaneously facing political decline, they lost their place of leadership among the tribes.
The prisoners of war had been transported back to the imperial capital. There were rumors that the Quanrong king's youngest son had gone missing; the eldest son ascended the throne but never came to seek the return of prisoners of war. Thus, some Quanrong captives were held in custody, some were sent to do hard labor, and some were sold to the Royal Academy. Every Quanrong was an expert fighter; one Quanrong warrior was equal to a hundred men. This was why when they were brought in, they were force-fed muscle paralysis powder to deplete them of their strength and put them at anyone's mercy.
You Miao was dumbfounded by what he heard.
Li Yan went on to explain further. "Trust me. If that guy could use martial arts, we'd be the first ones he'd kill. When the Quanrong encounter us Han, they'll fight without hesitation. The Quanrong rape our women, and we Han slaughter their villages. This isn't something where a few nice words can change a mind."
You Miao was dubious about that claim, but when he thought about it, it was true. Anyone would surely seek to kill in vengeance if they were tortured into such a horrible state by Li Yan.
"Then why didn't you…" You Miao prodded carefully, "come up with a more reliable method?"
"That's why I was gonna kill him!" Li Yan said. "But in the end, you took him, didn't you?"
You Miao had nothing to say to that, so he only gave an embarrassed laugh. "Heh, heh, heh. C'mon, I didn't know!"
"At first, I was just gonna bring him home for some fun. But that guy was super stubborn…" Li trailed off. "Whatever, forget it. You just take it easy with him. Play around for a few days, then kill him. It's only one swing of a blade. If you can't do it, send him back here and I'll kill him for you."
The whole speech had You Miao feeling rather worried. Just as they were getting back into the play, a servant came to call for him, saying a letter had arrived from the master back in Pei County in Liu Prefecture. You Miao's stomach dropped. He hastily bade Li Yan farewell and went straight home.
The northerly winds were blowing hard inside the courtyard. You Miao rubbed his hands as he descended the sedan. On the way to the study, You Miao stopped when he saw Li Zhifeng sweeping the snow in the east wing. Li Zhifeng immediately noticed him and put the broom down, looking like he wanted to come over but didn't dare to. It was severely cold out, yet Li Zhifeng only wore a thin layer of clothing. It was as if he wasn't afraid of the cold at all—the thin, coarse cloth robe only showed off his tall and muscular body, like silk wrapping iron.
"Go inside by the fire!" You Miao called to him.
Li Zhifeng looked like he wanted to say something, but You Miao gestured for him to go in while he himself turned and entered the study.
Inside, You Deyou glared at You Miao.
"So, what did my dad say?" You Miao asked with a bubbly smile, having changed his face.
"Why don't you see for yourself?" You Deyou tossed the letter at him. He stared hard at his nephew's face to gauge his reaction as You Miao opened it.
There was nothing in the letter about how You Miao had been frittering his days away. It only vaguely mentioned that it was time for You Miao to start and establish a proper family of his own. Back in his day, his father had divided the family assets with his brothers and started out on his own at the age of fourteen. Now that You Miao had achieved some success in his studies in the capital, he needed to start thinking about his career as a man.
Incidentally, this year was colder than the previous years, and there had been rumors that the defense at the northern frontier was shaky. You Miao was dearly missed, so he should pay a visit home. If he had nothing else going on, then he should have You Deyou make the arrangements for him to join the caravan going south. They would take the northern road up first before turning southward, crossing through Cang Prefecture before entering Liu Prefecture.
That works out, You Miao thought. He could go home, check things out, and ask for money while he was there. Establishing a proper family or whatever was all just talk. His studies at the capital weren't finished, so making him go home now was more likely so they could have him marry.
"Heh." You Deyou smirked. "Take a guess about what your dad is thinking?"
"Heh, heh, heh." You Miao also knew his father's letter wouldn't deceive this seasoned fox. "He wants me to marry? To have a wife keep me in line?" he answered as he tucked the letter into his breast pocket.
"So you do know you need to have a wife to keep you in line, too, do you?" You Deyou said. "Don't hurry off. Let me ask you: where's that Quanrong? When are you going to dismiss him? You absolutely cannot bring that man home!"
After You Miao gave an "oh" in response, You Deyou added, "He must be dismissed before you go home! Return him to wherever he's from!"
You Miao was a little reluctant, so You Deyou lectured some more. "Once you're back in Liu Prefecture, you won't lack for two hundred silver from your dad!"
"Yes, yes, yes," You Miao replied.
Although that was what he said, You Miao was actually rather unwilling. He had wanted to stay for a few more days—who knows, maybe the people in the residence here would get used to having Li Zhifeng around and stop minding him so much. However, since his father had summoned him home, the Quanrong slave couldn't be left behind in his uncle's house. Otherwise, Li Zhifeng would be pawned or sold off behind his back as soon as he left.
He couldn't be sent to Li Yan's house either—Li Yan would kill him without blinking.
What if he brought him along on the road? It wasn't like You Miao could take him home, so he would have to free Li Zhifeng halfway and have him go find a life for himself. Although You Miao kept saying he spent two hundred and fifty silver, at this moment, it felt like Li Zhifeng's worth wasn't as simple as money anymore.
You Deyou sent You Miao to go prepare and pack. It just so happened that the winter merchant caravans would depart the capital in the next few days. There were two roads from the capital that led to Liu Prefecture in the Jiangbei region: the first road was along the Yellow River, going down Mount Dong then entering the borders of Cang Prefecture. However, this road was bumpy and the carriages would wobble, rendering it an incredibly unsteady ride. Furthermore, crossing through hills and mountains would make the trip take at least forty-some days.
The second road headed north of the capital and went eastward along the frontier before turning southward at the Shanhai Pass. This was an official highway, so the road was much steadier. However, the frontier suffered heavy snow and blowing winds, so the trip would take at least a month as well.
A thought struck You Miao, and he said, "I'll go with the northbound merchant caravan."
"Up to you," replied You Deyou gruffly.
You Miao added, "I'll bring the Quanrong slave with me. I'll find a random place to release him, so you don't have to worry about this anymore, Shu."
When You Miao left, You Deyou's solemn expression looked as if he'd just sent away a God of Misfortune. As You Miao passed down the corridor, he mulled over the upcoming trip. His decision to take the north road had been made on a whim. Wasn't Li Zhifeng just some Quanrong slave? When they reached the border, You Miao would just give him some money and dismiss him, grant him his freedom, and burn the slave deed after. You Miao would consider this as a good act.
[1] A fictional medicine with a cool name.
[2] 叔 / Shu: A casual address for a paternal uncle younger than one's own father.
[3] Wang Zhaojun is one of the four great beauties of ancient China. She was a palace lady-in-waiting who was chosen as a sacrifice by Emperor Yuan to keep peace at the border, and was given in marriage to the chanyu (leader) of the Hun people. "Lady Zhaojun Crossing the Frontier" is the famous tale of her journey to a foreign land for the sake of peace.
[4] The fictitious name for the ruling dynasty in this story.
[5] The Yin Mountains are in present-day Inner Mongolia.