Chapter Eight: In Harmonious Accord, United Without Discord

Feng Tong considered his plan to be ingenious and was somewhat impatient with Xu You’s hesitation, yet could not refuse him and replied with a bow, “Please speak, sir. As long as it is within my power, I will do my utmost.”

“The first matter is this: I have a maid who has just caught a cold. If she does not rest for a day or two, I fear she is not suited for travel.”

“That is easily resolved. There happens to be a renowned physician from Jinling aboard the boat I came on. I shall send for him at once to examine her and prescribe medicine. With a night’s rest, she will surely recover, and we can set out tomorrow without delay.”

Xu You understood well that this so-called Jinling physician had been brought specially for his own sake, to prevent his health from deteriorating due to the hardships of travel. It was clear that Yuan Jie was determined to meet him, no matter what.

“The second matter,” Xu You continued, lowering his head, “might I trouble you, Steward Feng, to prepare some wine and food? To tell you the truth, I have not had my fill in days.”

Feng Tong was momentarily stunned. He would never have guessed that Xu You’s so-called two difficulties amounted to nothing more than seeking a doctor for an inconsequential maid and asking for a proper meal to assuage his hunger. Contempt welled up in his heart, and he looked down on Xu You all the more. Even a servant such as he understood the principle that a gentleman does not eat food handed out with a sigh, yet Xu Qilang had thoroughly disgraced the Xu clan.

But Xu You, though proud, was not one to be rigid or die clinging to pride. He would never suffer just to save face! Since it was the Yuan family that needed something from him, and with Qiu Fen gravely ill, there was nothing shameful in asking for a meal.

“I will instruct the servants to bring food at once. Please eat your fill, sir!”

“Good. Once my maid is better, I shall set out with you, Steward Feng, tomorrow.”

Feng Tong was overjoyed. Whatever Xu You’s character, as long as he agreed to go to Jinling, that was all that mattered. Besides, he was well aware of his master’s intentions and agreed with them wholeheartedly. Afraid that Xu You might change his mind, he hurried outside to make the arrangements.

Watching Feng Tong leave, Xu You lifted the curtain and entered the inner room. He found Qiu Fen leaning weakly against the headboard, her listless eyes fixed on him. “Why are you sitting up? Lie down at once.”

“Young master, did someone from the Yuan family come?”

Xu You tucked her back under the quilt. “How did you know?”

“I heard you talking while I was half asleep. You mentioned Jinling, and someone called Lord Yuan…”

“Yes, General Yuan wants me to go to Jinling.” Yuan Jie was a general of the Left Army, often called General Yuan. Xu You used this more distant title deliberately. “It happens that we’re headed for Qiantang. After that, north and south will separate us, and who knows when we’ll meet again. It’s better to make some things clear in advance.”

Qiu Fen was still feverish, her face pale and worn, yet at his words, a spark of life lit her eyes. “Is it about your marriage, young master? It must be that the Yuan family’s daughter, knowing of our clan’s misfortune, wishes to wed early to care for you… Young master, I’ve dreamed of her. The Yuan family’s daughter is like a fairy, surely gentle and good, truly good… cough, cough!”

She pressed her lips, coughing weakly. Xu You patted her back gently, his heart aching. “Yes, yes, you’re right. The lady I’ve chosen could never be lacking. When she enters our household, you’ll surely get along and be as close as sisters.”

“As close as sisters… Young master, you speak so beautifully, but I wouldn’t dare. Even if the mistress beats and scolds me, it’s only right.”

“Nonsense. She’s not even wed and you’re already calling her mistress. Are you not ashamed?” Xu You tapped her nose. “Rest now. Soon the doctor will come—tell him all your discomforts. The Yuan family is footing the bill, so there’s no need to spare their expense.”

“Hee hee, I understand!”

Qiu Fen answered with a delicate laugh, lying on her side pressed close to Xu You. Her long black hair spilled across the bedside, entwining around his fingers. Moonlight poured through the room, bringing inexplicable peace and joy.

That night, the famed physician summoned by Feng Tong took Qiu Fen’s pulse, decocted medicine, and fed it to her, assuring them that her illness was of no grave concern. Only then did Xu You truly relax. In this era, one could endure many hardships, but sickness often meant death, which made it all the more troubling. After the examination, Feng Tong and his men went to find lodging at an inn, agreeing to depart together at noon the next day.

The following morning, as the first light crept across the sky, Xu You went to the Prefect’s office to collect the migration documents. As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, four men in blue stood up from either side of the deserted street. Each had thick, knotted fingers and eyes sharp with concealed energy. Even an untrained eye could see they were not ordinary men.

Xu You, however, acted as though he hadn’t seen them, his robe sleeves fluttering as he walked away in calm composure, soon disappearing at the street corner. Among the men, one with a horse-like face and slanting brows said, “Go quickly and report to the steward that Xu You has left, destination unknown. You two, follow him and see where he goes, whom he meets, and what is said. Report back at once.”

“Yes, sir!”

The three responded in unison. Without seeming to exert themselves, their bodies leapt lightly onto the low walls, spinning through the air in strange arcs, splitting in two directions, and vanishing over the rooftops.

Xu You did not linger long at the Prefect’s office. The previous night, the arrival of the Yuan family’s carriages and boats in Yixing could not have escaped Prefect Li Zhi’s notice, so before Xu You could even speak, Li had already prepared all the necessary documents. Smiling, he said, “I guessed that with your intellect, you’d know that leaving Yixing with the Yuan family’s convoy can only bring you benefit. I made all preparations in advance. Here, take them. I wish you a safe journey and a smooth arrival in Qiantang!”

Xu You expressed his thanks respectfully. Li Zhi was a man of rare intelligence—not only had he stabilized the hearts of Yixing’s people in these turbulent times, but he managed to please all sides, offending neither the Shen clan nor Xu You, earning himself a considerable favor while in office. Whether his official skills were first-rate remained to be seen, but in personal dealings, he was unmatched.

Leaving the Prefect’s office, Xu You immediately spotted the two men in black. Not that his eyesight was particularly keen, but because they made no effort to conceal themselves, standing stiff and straight as javelins beneath the willow opposite the office, as if eager for all to know they were military men.

Xu You paused, thought for a moment, then turned and walked towards them. Ignoring their wary stares, he raised the documents with a smile, “Please inform your master that I am leaving Yixing today. There’s no need for you all to follow me so diligently any longer.” Without waiting for an answer, he walked away at his leisure.

The two men exchanged glances and nodded. One returned to report, and the other followed Xu You, this time keeping a respectful distance.

Back at the house, Xu You found Qiu Fen packing. He took the bundle from her hands. “You’ve just started to recover—why are you fussing over this?”

“It’s nothing. After a night’s rest and medicine, I feel much better. Besides, since we’re going to Jinling, I must prepare some clothes for young master. How else can you present yourself to Lord Yuan? I hear the Yuan family values scholarship and decorum above all. You mustn’t be disrespectful…”

Xu You laughed, “These two or three old rags are hardly worth packing. I doubt anyone would bother to pick them up if we threw them away. As long as our clothes are clean, I doubt the Yuan family would judge us by appearances.”

“Sigh,” Qiu Fen looked at the clothes in her hands. As Xu You said, they were plain hemp and ramie, the attire of a peasant. Still, she thought, a lady of the Yuan house would not despise young master for such things. “Then I’ll give these to Aunt Zhou and the others.”

“That’s fine. See what else in the house can still be used—beds, quilts, knives, pots—give them all to the neighbors.”

By noon, all was arranged. Feng Tong called Xu You and Qiu Fen to set out. Xu You stood in the courtyard, turning to gaze once more at the desolate little house. It had borne witness to all his joys and sorrows since his rebirth—brief, yet it was the first place he had called home since coming into this world.

In his previous life, he had been an orphan who never married, though he had cycled through girlfriends and lived in luxury. Yet he had never known the feeling of home. Here, though life was harsh, at least he had Qiu Fen—someone who was wholeheartedly devoted to him. Perhaps, for her, it was only the duty of a maid and the blind loyalty taught by her times, but that pure, selfless devotion had kindled in his frozen heart a warmth he had never known.

Thus, as he was about to leave, knowing he might never return for a long time, Xu You could not help but feel a touch of nostalgia.

But that nostalgia was cast aside the moment he turned and stepped out the gate. In an age of turmoil and bloodshed, with the destruction of his clan weighing upon him, he could not afford to cling to the peace of a small courtyard. Instead, he must exhaust his mind and strength to make every future step count.

The path to greatness has no place for weakness or hesitation.

Outside, Feng Tong said, “Sir, please board the carriage!”

A cattle-drawn carriage stood by the roadside—double-shafted and double-wheeled, its compartment crafted of the finest nanmu wood, shaped like a grand master’s chair, with a rolled mat canopy and a silken curtain embroidered with delicate plum blossoms, tasseled at the corners, bronze fittings on the yoke—extravagant in every detail. In his past life, Xu You had seen such a carriage in the murals of Jin tombs at Jiayuguan in Gansu. It was called a “Tonghuan,” a high-class carriage reserved for aristocrats. Because the wood was rare, it was left unpainted, simply lacquered, and also known as a “clear oil carriage.”

Taking Qiu Fen’s hand, Xu You was about to get in when Feng Tong stopped him, surprised: “Sir, this carriage is prepared especially for you. Only the noblest may ride it. Let Qiu Fen walk with us instead…”

It wasn’t that servants could not ride in carriages, but such a vehicle was beyond the reach of common officials or gentry. If not for Xu You’s former status and his connection to the Yuan family, even now he would not strictly be entitled to it.

“Oh? When Lord Yuan goes out, does his carriage not carry maids or companions?”

Such a question would be considered rude in the Ming or Qing dynasties, but in this age of liberal thought, where etiquette was not a cage, it was entirely common.

Feng Tong was speechless and could only watch as Xu You led Qiu Fen into the carriage. But once inside, it was Xu You’s turn to be taken aback. From the outside, it seemed grand enough, but within, the space was barely three feet square, furnished with a low table and scarcely enough room for two to kneel side by side on silk cushions—no question of reclining. Comfort was out of the question, but at least it beat walking. Moreover, the ox carriage was steady—none of the jolting of a horse-drawn cart. For a long journey, it would do.

“Truly, technology is the first productive force…”

“Young master, what did you say?”

Kneeling on the silk cushion, Xu You muttered to himself, catching Qiu Fen’s curious gaze.

“Nothing, only that for all the Yuan family’s fame, their carriage isn’t as good as the ones we used to discard. It’s a bit disappointing.”

The Yuan family of Chen Commandery valued simplicity and humility above all, avoided political entanglements, and refrained from amassing wealth. Thus, they survived and thrived among the great clans through centuries of turbulence, a testament to their wisdom. For instance, Yuan Huan of the late Han and Three Kingdoms era—a paragon of the family—chose to fill his cart with books, not treasures, when Cao Cao permitted the officials to take what they wished from the military stores. His gifts he gave away, his honesty and uprightness earned him universal respect.

Xu You’s quip about carriages was just idle grumbling. No matter how poor the Yuan family was, they were a thousand times better off than he was now. Qiu Fen looked up at him, her clear eyes full of unwavering faith. “With you here, young master, I believe the Xu family will one day have an even finer carriage.”

Xu You was momentarily stunned—she had more faith in him than he did himself. Suddenly he laughed, “If that day comes, I’ll have a carriage made of gold just for you!”

“All right!” Qiu Fen, taking it as a jest, pursed her lips and teased, “You mustn’t go back on your word, young master!”

Xu You hooked her little finger with his own. “A pinky promise—what’s promised must be done!”

Qiu Fen looked curiously at their joined pinkies. “A pinky promise? What’s that?”

Xu You was momentarily flustered. Did this era not have such childish games? He put on an air of mystery. “It’s our secret. Once we’ve made a pinky promise, neither of us can ever go back on our word.”

Qiu Fen blinked, a hint of childish innocence in her expression. She nodded solemnly, “I understand. It’s our secret!” She put special emphasis on the words “our.”

The ox carriage creaked and rolled slowly through the city, past Mingji Noodle Shop, past the Yipin Tea House. Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhou chatted by the blacksmith’s, while Old Yu’s son hurried past with a basket of fish toward the bustling market. Faces familiar and unfamiliar drifted by, as if the life Xu You had lived in Yixing replayed before his eyes.

Near the wharf, he looked up and saw in the distance the vast fortified manor on Wild Goose Lake. Now, only the charred ruins remained, standing stubbornly in the autumn sun, silently proclaiming to the world the glory and honor of its past.

Silent tears streamed down Qiu Fen’s cheeks. That had been her home since childhood. Since that dreadful night, her family was gone, her house destroyed. Terror, helplessness, confusion had nearly broken this thirteen-year-old girl—but, thankfully, young master was still alive. She wasn’t utterly alone.

A strong yet gentle arm slipped around her, drawing her close. Her head pressed to Xu You’s chest, she bit her lip to stifle her sobs. “Young master… Lord and Lady Xu, and the third and fifth young masters, their bones were all buried in unmarked graves on the back hill. We have no place even to pay our respects… I… it hurts so much…”

Xu You bowed his head and wiped the blood from her lips, then opened his hand and gazed at it, as if seeing again the blood-stained waters of Wild Goose Lake that night.

“Don’t cry. Hold in your breath, hold it tight and don’t let it go. With that breath, the Xu family will rise again. And we… we will return, openly and with honor.”