Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Chapter 21 (Part 4)

When Duan Ling wakes up the next day, Wu Du is out in the hall spacing out at their breakfast of plain congee on the table, waiting for him to get out of bed.

“You’ll have to go to class today,” Wu Du picks up his congee bowl and says to Duan Ling.

Thinking about how he’ll have to go to class, Duan Ling feels a bit apprehensive. He feels like he’s back in Shangjing again, with Li Jianhong telling him, “You’ll have to go to school today, my son.”

Every single time, he’d wanted his father to stay with him always; how wonderful it would have been if they never had to part. Walking into Biyong College felt like going to jail.

He wonders if Lang Junxia will come back and try to kill him. Lang Junxia may not have any time on his hands, but would he have already told Cai Yan?

“Then what are you going to do at home?” Duan Ling asks.

“I’ll keep you safe. You don’t need to be afraid.”

“You probably won’t have to. Chang Liujun is usually around when Mu Qing is around, and I think that … that person probably won’t dare come after me.”

Wu Du stares at Duan Ling. Duan Ling adds, “Your injuries aren’t healed yet. Don’t move around too much.”

“My foot’s almost entirely healed, and I can use a sword with my right hand.”

Wu Du’s probably not planning to crouch on the ceiling beam and watch him study from there, Duan Ling thinks, because working that hard everyday is just too exhausting. He can’t exactly use his status as the crown prince to order him to stay put either — Wu Du will get angry.

“All I’m going to do at home is sleep. Hurry up and eat, and leave as soon as you finish eating. Stop your prattling.”

Duan Ling has no choice but to drop it. “Then if you do happen to run into Chang Liujun, please don’t start a fight.”

“Naturally, I’m not about to sink to his level.”

Duan Ling tries to clean up after breakfast, but Wu Du hurries him and says he should just leave it. Duan Ling can but pick up his books and leave the house. Before he goes, he looks back to find Wu Du picking up after the dishes and chopsticks on his own. They don’t allow servants in their courtyard house, so Wu Du is putting the dirty dishes in a wooden basin and leaving them outside the gates for someone to pick it up.

“I’m leaving now. You don’t have to go,” Duan Ling says to Wu Du.

Wu Du waves dismissively at him indicating that should hurry up and go.

Duan Ling winds through the many gates and courtyards to his class with Mu Qing; the new chancellor estate is far bigger than the one in Xichuan. By the time he gets to the classroom, Mu Qing and their teacher are already waiting. Duan Ling immediately apologises, and just as before, sits down across from Mu Qing.

Soon afterwards, Chang Liujun comes in and sits down cross-legged next to Mu Qing after carrying over a table for himself.

“What are you doing here?” Mu Qing asks.

With a mask over his face, Chang Liujun sounds a bit unhappy. “I’m here to study with you.”

Duan Ling gives him a curious glance to find Chang Liujun holding a copy of the Thousand Character Classic2. He recalls Mu Kuangda once mentioned that Chang Liujun couldn’t read, and nearly sprays his tea all over the table. No way — Wu Du didn’t manage to kick him where he hurt last night, and so he’s decided to become an assassin who can read, did he?

“Do you remember what you were learning before your trip? Recite it once over.”

“Certainly.” Duan Ling has a really good memory. He pulls the Great Learning he was studying before leaving Xichuan out of his head, and recites three of the chapters from memory.

The teacher nods, and begins to instruct them on essay writing. He says to Mu Qing, “You’ve been slacking for a while now, so from today on you should put playing out of mind. As Wang Shan is back, if you continue to not take your studies seriously, don’t blame me for hitting your palm with the ruler.”

Duan Ling only finds out now that Mu Qing hasn’t been studying at all since the capital relocation; it truly makes his head want to explode.

“Yellow.” Duan Ling turns to the Chang Liujun sitting next to him and says, “It’s ‘yellow’ as in ‘black sky yellow earth’.”

Chang Liujun nods, not daring to make a sound.

“Wang Shan, why do you keep looking above your head?” The teacher asks.

“No reason,” Duan Ling says. “I sprained my neck sleeping last night.”

Duan Ling keeps searching for a sign of Wu Du on the ceiling beam above, but he hasn’t been able to spot it. Since Chang Liujun is present though, Wu Du doesn’t even need to come anymore. And yet before he knows it, the sound of wooden sandals are echoing down the hallway.

“Who built this place?” Wu Du says, “All these winding pathways — doesn’t Chancellor Mu himself get lost in his own estate?”

Everyone in the classroom turns their attention on Wu Du in unison. Wu Du kicks off his sandals, and bends down to put them away before walking into the room on bare feet. He bows at the teacher first, then carries over another table to sit down next to Duan Ling.

Everyone stares at him silently.

“You’re here too,” Mu Qing says.

“I’m going to study with him,” Wu Du replies. “Education is for everyone. Isn’t that the saying, sir?”

The teacher says, “Education is for everyone. No fighting in the classroom.”

Duan Ling hasn’t realised that Wu Du’s idea of “guarding him” is to guard him so openly, and he starts to laugh.

Wu Du points at Duan Ling’s paper and ink to let him know he should not worry about his presence here, and accidentally catches a glimpse of the Thousand Character Classic in Chang Liujun’s hand. He says, sounding quite astonished, “Chang Liujun, you can’t read?”

The atmosphere around them seems to solidify.

“He’s reviewing,” Mu Qing says without missing a beat.

“One who attains new understanding by reviewing old teachings is fit to be a teacher,” Duan Ling adds a quote.3

Chang Liujun doesn’t say a thing.

Only then does Wu Du nod and doesn’t ask any more questions. As he reads, Chang Liujun’s forehead becomes beaded with sweat, but he doesn’t dare read out loud. The teacher urges his two students to write an essay, then he gets up and leaves the room.

As soon as the teacher leaves, both Duan Ling and Mu Qing relax and start slouching. Mu Qing had some alcohol last night and his head’s still dizzy with a hangover, so he falls onto the desk and dozes off, while Duan Ling leans lazily against the handlebar on the table, with one leg thrown over Wu Du’s thigh. Dazzling autumn sunlight shines through the window panes, warming them through; Duan Ling is suddenly aware of how wonderful life is — even studying feels meaningful. He’s no longer alone.

“Wang Shan.” Mu Qing feels a bit jealous, watching them. “Come over to this side of the table. I want to talk to you about something. Help me out with this.”

Duan Ling is about to get up when Wu Du says, “It’s not even noon yet. What are you two up to?”

So Mu Qing has no option but to keep sitting there, squirming in his seat. They’re not off for lunch until the teacher comes back, checks over the essays that they have finished writing, and the gong for noon has sounded. They spread out in a line, sitting together on a plank of wood on the veranda, each carrying a lunch box, chatting as they eat. Mu Qing and Chang Liujun are called away halfway through their lunch boxes, leaving Duan Ling and Wu Du on their own.

“Where do you think they’ve gone?” Duan Ling says to Wu Du.

“I’m guessing they’ve gone to see a guest. Probably getting some good food. You want some?”

Duan Ling waves off the question. An autumn breeze pleasantly fills the afternoon air with the rustling of leaves and the tinkling of wind chimes, while sunlight spills into the courtyard at an incline. Jiangzhou is truly a wonderful place, all four seasons distinct, not at all like the constant gloomy overcast that plagued Xichuan year-round.

Noticing that Duan Ling is getting tired, Wu Du lets him lean on his shoulder. Soon they’re leaning on each other, taking a short nap in the winding gallery. Duan Ling rubs his eyes when he wakes up from his nap to find that Mu Qing hasn’t come back yet. Since there’s time, Wu Du spends a little while teaching him swordplay. Holding a wooden ruler each, Wu Du keeps one hand behind his back, and stands tall and unmoving like a mountain in the courtyard to spar with Duan Ling.

“Your shoulder is too high. The key to the ‘split mountain’ move is in the arm and not the shoulder. As soon as you raise your shoulder it’ll get pared off.”

Duan Ling follows his instructions and takes a sudden step forward, chopping down. Wu Du turns on the spot to dodge him, and Duan Ling nearly falls over. Wu Du starts to laugh, quickly wrapping one hand around Duan Ling’s waist to put him back solidly on his feet.

This chapter is scrapped from readlightnovel.org

“Again. When my foot’s better I’ll help you train you in the lightness arts.”

Mu Qing comes back, and tosses something at Duan Ling. “Here, for you.”

It’s a string of coral beads. Duan Ling realises at a glance that it’s Mongolian. He’s never seen beads like these in the Mu estate before.

“Where’d this come from?” Duan Ling says.

“Dad gave it to me. He said to give you one too. Are you training in swordplay? Can I learn too?”

Seeing that Mu Qing has given Duan Ling something, Wu Du thinks it would be improper for him to give him something for nothing, he teaches Mu Qing a few moves as well, and Duan Ling and Mu Qing spar with each other. Chang Liujun watches them for a while. “You’re teaching them the Sword of the Realm?”

“Like that’s any of your sodding business,” Wu Du replies.

Duan Ling keeps his mouth shut.

The only disciple the White Tiger Hall has left is Wu Du, so naturally he’s the head of the sect and he can teach whomever he feels like. Chang Liujun has no right to butt in, so all he can do is stand there and watch. In the end he asks, “Did you find the qi method?”

“Nope.”

Chang Liujun sneers and says, “If you don’t have the qi method, why even bother.”

“Go read your book.” Wu Du says impatiently, “Why do you talk so much?”

Chang Liujun shuts up.

From that day on, Wu Du and Chang Liujun join Duan Ling and Mu Qing as students in their classes. Chang Liujun would occasionally leave to stay with Mu Kuangda, but Wu Du is almost there everyday. The weather gradually cools, and the first snow begins to fall as they start lighting braziers in the classroom. Daytime only makes one feel more indolent; winter’s arrival makes Wu Du seem like a heater, glowing with heat all over, warming both Duan Ling’s hands and feet. They’re even more joined at the hip than before, and Mu Qing’s full of envy watching them.

Jiangzhou’s snow is fine and continuous, very clean as it flutters in the wind. Every plant is covered in a thin white gauze.

As soon as Wu Du gets to the classroom today, he’s called away by Mu Kuangda, leaving Duan Ling and Mu Qing to sit warming themselves by the fire pan, giggling and laughing as they chat. Soon, Wu Du hurries back and says to Duan Ling from outside the classroom, “I have to head to the palace.”

“Did something happen?”

“I’m not sure. They say a foreign envoy’s here, and His Majesty summoned me by name and wants me to meet with them.”

“Then go ahead. Do you want me to wait for you to have dinner tonight?”

“I fear there may be a banquet. I’ll definitely come back later tonight. You be …”

Duan Ling knows the next half of Wu Du’s sentence is “you be careful”, and so comprehending, he nods. It’s been nearly three months since they’ve come to Jiangzhou, Lang Junxia hasn’t tried to kill him, and the crown prince hasn’t done anything either, so maybe they don’t plan to do anything to him? Duan Ling often relaxes his vigilance, but he has no choice but to buck up and remind himself that he must be careful.

“Shan,” Mu Qing says to Duan Ling, and Duan Ling comes back to himself. “Let’s study. The exams are coming up next month.”

Mu Qing is always calling him like that, and Duan Ling feels pretty odd about it. Even though it’s just the single character of his name, it always seems a bit too intimate.

“Wu Du is a really cunning person,” Mu Qing says with perfect earnestness, “he must have deceived you.”

“What?” When Duan Ling hears the word “deceived” in the same sentence with Wu Du, he feels an odd numbness in his skull and his stomach starts to hurt.

“That’s what Chang Pin said. You shouldn’t always trust Wu Du and do whatever he asks you to do.”

“No no,” Duan Ling defends him. “He wouldn’t deceive me.”

If what Wu Du really wanted was imperial favour, Duan Ling would be dead by now. There’s no way he’d be sitting here talking to Mu Qing.

Mu Qing can but stay quiet, and turns over a page of his book. Duan Ling is a bit curious though; he knows Mu Qing is saying that in Duan Ling’s best interest, however, Duan Ling is heartless. Leaving everything aside, if he can return to court successfully someday, he’ll surely have a falling out with the Mus — after all, he holds too many of Mu Kuangda’s secrets in his grasp, while in a sense the Mus are the ones who saved his life.

That’s why he’s constantly trying to stop himself from getting too close to Mu Qing, and leaves some distance between them. Aside from studying and preparing for the exams, he doesn’t give Mu Qing any chances to develop a deeper relationship with him. Otherwise, when it comes time to settle their differences it’ll only hurt both of them more.

“Why did Chang Pin say something like that?” Duan Ling has keenly perceived that since what Mu Qing said earlier came out of Chang Pin’s mouth, then it mustn’t be something he said without reason — that the words must contain more between the lines.

I do not monetise my hobby translations, but if you’d like to support my work generally or support my light novel habit, you can either buy me a coffee or commission me. This is also to note that if you see this message anywhere else than on tumblr, do come to my tumblr. It’s ad-free. ↩︎

A thousand common characters made into a poem, where none of the characters repeat. Essentially the alphabet. ↩︎

From the Analects of Confucius. ↩︎