Seeing the man toss away his club and walk off, the members of the Xie clan were left somewhat dumbfounded.
It was Xie Daoyun who reacted first. Frowning at once, she snapped at her elder brother, "Third Elder Brother, I know the Pengcheng Liu clan has fallen into decline since Wang Dun's rebellion, and these men are plainly newly relocated refugees without the slightest pedigree to speak of... Yet they just subdued that tiger for our sake, which amounts to saving our lives. If you won't even say a single word, aren't you afraid that word will get out and the other great families will mock you instead?"
This time, Xie Quan looked entirely solemn. "This is something you don't understand, Little Sister. If I were truly to speak with them, I would surely be ridiculed by the other great families."
Xie Daoyun was left utterly speechless.
"That's not the point," the youngest among them, Xie Xuan, piped up as he leaped up from the ground to come to his elder sister's rescue. "Elder Brother, these men managed to subdue a tiger so swiftly armed with nothing more than clubs and cleavers. That proves how formidable and fierce they are—easily surpassing that beast! Meanwhile, we brothers and sisters were out in the wild on Huashan, and upon seeing a single tiger, we could only scatter and flee in every direction. If we anger these petty men of humble birth and stoke their fury, what if they simply beat us to death on the spot? 'A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall'—wasn't it you who taught me that, Elder Brother?"
Hearing this, Xie Quan was left tongue-tied, and terror gripped him all over again.
Fortunately, after that man walked back, he only halted off to one side and watched from afar. The rest of them continued hauling the tiger over amidst cheers, clearly having swallowed the offense from earlier.
This time, in the spirit of "a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall," Xie Quan dared not be remiss. Waving Steward Qian aside, he prepared to deal with them in person, intending to give these lowborn gentry a taste of the great families' lofty demeanor—perhaps it might even leave behind an elegant anecdote to be passed down.
However, as the men carried the massive tiger closer, while they were still tens of paces away, a gust of wind swept by, carrying a reeking, bloody stench right into their faces. Xie Quan happened to open his mouth, taking a full gulp straight down into his belly. When he caught sight of the tiger's head—beaten swollen beyond recognition yet still bleeding from all seven orifices—a violent surge of disgust welled up inside him. He turned aside and vomited onto the ground, unable even to stand back up.
Xie Daoyun was thoroughly disgusted by her third brother. Casting aside the propriety between men and women, she proudly strode forward to meet them.
Liu Huzi had already felt uneasy. Seeing a noble young lady of twelve or thirteen come forward, he grew flustered and tongue-tied. He glanced sideways at Liu Cheng, only to find the youth standing stiff and motionless as a wooden post.
Having no other choice, Liu Huzi bit the bullet and opened his mouth: "Liu Hu... Liu Jian of Pengcheng greets, greets the young lady. The Grand Commander is embarking on the Northern Expedition, and my... my household crossed south from Pengcheng... We are currently behind in Langya Commandery. I was cutting firewood up and down with the camp... I..."
Before he had even finished speaking, he was drenched in cold sweat, his speech stumbling terribly. He had even forgotten to mention the deeds of his father and grandfather. But he was not stupid after all; by now, he realized that Liu Cheng had wanted to use his stammering and nervousness to project an air of "sincerity."
A destitute youth of the lowest-ranking gentry who had fled south, upon coming face to face with a fairy-like twelve- or thirteen-year-old lady from the Xie clan of Chen Commandery, was supposed to be this nervous, wasn't he?
Thus, he managed to follow the instructions he had been given, stating his identity, claiming that he had only come here to gather firewood and happened upon the beast by chance, and finally requesting that she bestow the tiger upon them.
Sure enough, after listening attentively, the young lady in brocade smiled. "You have all worked hard to slay the tiger for my siblings. You hunted this tiger yourselves; why speak of us bestowing it? Tomorrow, if you worthy father and son should meet my uncle-in-law, please convey my greetings to him."
Liu Huzi could only nod, his face flushed crimson, while a wave of lingering dread washed over him—this Xie family of Wuyi Lane was indeed an in-law of the Grand Commander's household.
Liu Cheng took the opportunity to cup his hands in salute. "I dare not inquire as to your name, Young Lady. This humble one is Liu Cheng of Pengcheng, and I have an uncalled-for request."
Xie Daoyun had known from the start that there were three youths of the lower-ranking gentry among them. Now she was able to distinguish them at once: the first must be Liu Lang, tall and hunchbacked, cynical and proud; the second was Liu Jian, short, stocky, dark-skinned, shy, and artless, yet rather endearing; and this third one, Liu Cheng, was the most presentable in appearance, yet remarkably composed. Finding it amusing, she smiled warmly in return. "Among the daughters of my household, I rank third. It is not fitting to share my given name with you, but late last year my elders granted me a courtesy name: Daoyun. If you have anything to say, please speak freely. Provided it is within my power, I will certainly grant it."
Liu Cheng, along with everyone standing nearby, froze for a moment, glancing at the girl before he spoke up: "To tell the truth, Young Lady, more than a thousand households of our people have drifted a thousand li from Pengcheng to this place. We are destitute, helpless, and do not even know how we will survive the winter... I see your esteemed family has many canopies here, but they have been thoroughly soiled by the tiger and by us. I ask that you bestow them upon us, so that once washed, the women and children in our camp may turn them into winter clothing."
This time it was Xie Daoyun's turn to be stunned. She could not help feeling she had overestimated this youth; he was actually such a stingy person, haggling over useless scraps!
Take the famous general of this dynasty, Tao Kan—precisely because he was so petty and calculated, keeping sawdust because it could prevent slipping and saving scraps of cloth because they could wipe floors, even his immense military achievements could not wash away his reputation for stinginess, earning him the disdain of the gentry. At such a tender age, with such eloquence, why would he neglect the good and imitate the bad?
Though such thoughts ran through her mind, her expression remained unchanged. Her tone simply cooled into casual indifference, and she gave an offhand nod. "What does that amount to? As you say, since they are soiled, take them as you wish... There are also plenty of soiled pots, bowls, braziers, and chopsticks inside the tents. Take those along as well."
In contrast to when Xie Daoyun had revealed her courtesy name, which had shocked the entire Xie household, this time not a single person had any reaction. It was obvious that they would never want those items again anyway. The petty stinginess of these lowest-tier gentry—who did not even qualify as a humble family—merely confirmed their expectations. No wonder everyone said one should never associate with petty men of humble birth.
Liu Cheng had no idea that his conduct had been judged as stingy and petty by this renowned talent, and even if he had known, he probably would not have cared. On the contrary, he felt that this woman destined to leave her name in history truly lived up to her reputation. At such a young age, she handled herself with such poise, stepping up to take charge when her brothers lost their composure, while displaying such straightforward magnanimity. He simply offered his heartfelt thanks again and again, then picked up his club from the ground and stepped back.
Just like that, hauling the tiger along, the party seized the opportunity to strip the campsite bare of everything, including the canopies and camping gear. Then, under Liu Cheng's direction, instead of taking their original route back, they made their way down the mountain via the western highroad of Huashan amidst boisterous clamor and cheers.
This time, the rejoicing was genuine. No tiger could have brought everyone as much joy as those soiled fabrics and utensils.
Only when they reached the bend at the foot of the mountain did Liu Cheng give instructions to Liu Huzi: "Brother Hu, take the men and hurry along. You still need to skin the tiger and attend to other matters... Jili and I will quietly circle around the base of the mountain to look after the equipment. Once you reach the camp, send people quietly through the original ravine to meet up with us."
Liu Cheng had been giving instructions all day, and Liu Huzi, being straightforward by nature, had long felt that Cheng was bold, meticulous, and reliable. Naturally, he raised no objections and led the men ahead.
For a moment, only Liu Cheng and Liu Jili were left, turning back empty-handed.
Circling cautiously around the foot of the mountain took quite a bit of time. When they arrived once more by the stream, not only was the equipment they had discarded still there, but even the clearing where the canopies had stood was completely empty... In truth, while moving the items earlier, they had deliberately obscured their movements and observed the surroundings; the Xie clan of Chen Commandery had already begun to evacuate back then. The two were merely being cautious just to be safe.
Having confirmed there was no longer any risk of exposure, the two finally relaxed. Yet they were too drained to care about anything else. They paid no heed to the view of the river to the north, nor did they look at any chrysanthemums. Liu Cheng simply retrieved Liu Huzi's leather armor vest, and the two lay down on the southern slope of Huashan, right beside the military equipment.
The autumn afternoon sun was bright and lovely, warming the earth beneath their backs. Accompanied by the autumn breeze and the babbling stream, while it lacked the refined elegance of the Xie clan's high perch to view the river like a ribbon, it was enough to soothe several days of grueling exhaustion.
After lying there for a while, seeing that Liu Cheng beside him was already nodding off, Liu Jili could hold it in no longer. "Today was my fault. A little impatience ruins great plans... though it wasn't much of a great plan, it was still a chance to turn our fortunes around, and I almost ruined it."
*Is this ever going to end?!*
*Must he pull this every time I'm about to fall asleep?*
Liu Cheng was utterly exasperated, yet he rallied his spirits to answer, "What are you talking about, Brother Jili? In your shoes, I would have been furious too. They looked down on people so blatantly... Besides, even if there was a mistake on our part today, didn't we slay the tiger for them from their perspective? Why take such an attitude with us? To borrow a phrase from Grand General Huan: 'If I were not like this, how could gentlemen like you sit and converse?'"
"I've heard those words of Grand General Huan too." Liu Jili nodded, though dejection still lingered in his voice. "But this isn't about holding a grudge against them. Those people have always behaved like that. I'm talking about us..."
"Us?"
"Yes. I couldn't hold it in, yet you did. You were even willing to debase yourself to fetch winter cloth for the women and children in the camp..."
"So what? People are so poor they don't know if they'll live to see tomorrow. If that kind of debasement can bring back so much good cloth, I'd jump at the chance to do it a few more times." Liu Cheng was thoroughly at a loss for words; only now did he realize that asking for those goods was seen as debasing oneself. "Brother Jili, a person has to survive before anything else can be discussed... Besides, if you ask me, saving human lives is the foremost form of true grace under heaven. Those sons of the Xie clan of Chen Commandery might not know that, but you of all people should... You've been through more than I have these past few years."
"That's precisely what baffles me the most," Liu Jili said with a sigh. "I often think about how similar our experiences have been. Yet I came south a few years earlier than you, and after grinding away for two or three years, I still can't let those things go. I still can't help getting angry and taking offense. You are only fifteen or sixteen, and you've just come south—how can you endure it? How can you do so without leaving a trace?"
Liu Cheng genuinely could not answer this, but he could not remain silent either: "I just force myself to see our present reality clearly, that's all."
Liu Jili lay there, unable to nod or shake his head. He merely glanced at the youth beside him, his expression unreadable, but the topic was finally laid to rest.
After a while, as if trying to lighten the mood, the hunchback Jili suddenly asked again, "Cheng, you are fifteen or sixteen this year, right at the age when noble youths discuss marriage. Having seen so many daughters of the Xie clan of Chen Commandery today, have you ever thought that one day you might marry a Xie daughter?"
"At Xie Daoyun's age, she is probably already discussing marriage, and it will surely be with a top-ranking clan like the Wang clan of Langya, won't it?" Liu Cheng shook his head, struggling to stay awake, finding the question absurd. "In two or three years, or even a year or two, she'll be married off. I don't even know if I'll have enough food and clothes in two or three years! Or do customs differ here in the Jiangdong region—do women wait until they are twenty-three or four to marry?"
"That's why I said a Xie daughter, not Xie Daoyun," Liu Jili chuckled.
Liu Cheng gave it serious thought, then shook his head. "Even if that day truly came, where I had the standing to marry a Xie daughter and wasn't yet betrothed, I still wouldn't marry a woman of the Xie clan."
"Then who would you marry? A daughter of the Wang clan? Or a princess?" Liu Jili was genuinely curious now.
"If that day comes, I want to marry a daughter of the Shen clan," Liu Cheng replied earnestly.
"The Shen clan... The Shen clan of Wuxing?"
"Yes."
"Then I don't understand. We're only speaking in hypotheticals... Supposing you could even marry a Xie daughter, why would you go out of your way to marry a Shen clan badgeress?"
"They have money!" Liu Cheng answered frankly. He reached into his robes, pulled out a Shenlang coin, and blew a puff of air across it. "Though I've only been in Jingkou for a month, I know that of all the clans in Jiangdong, the Shen clan is the wealthiest! If I could marry a Shen daughter... er, if I could marry a Shen daughter, I could draw on the Shen clan's wealth and resources, reach out to our Northern Chu refugees in Jingkou, and instantly raise twenty or thirty columns of the most elite Northern Garrison troops in the world. Couldn't I launch a Northern Expedition then?"
The latter half was tacked on as an afterthought. What he was really thinking was that the Shen clan could casually gift Master Du such a fine, wealthy fortified manor. If he truly became a son-in-law of the Shen clan, his dream of owning a fortified manor would come true on the spot, wouldn't it? He wouldn't have to toil for the rest of his life!
"But if you could marry a Xie or Wang daughter, wouldn't it be better to borrow their influence, become Grand Commander directly, and lead the imperial army north?" Liu Lang was clearly still puzzled.
"Brother Jili, first of all, don't assume the Wangs and Xies are fools who would casually hand military authority to a son-in-law. Just look at the official posts held by their family heads; they know to keep a tight grip on military power. Second, if you truly want a Northern Expedition and take command of the imperial army, with backgrounds like ours, we could only trust soldiers recruited from Jingkou. Third, if the Northern Expedition fails, that's one thing; but if you manage to secure a foothold and achieve any success, do you believe the Wangs and Xies wouldn't turn around and hinder you? On the contrary, a secondary southern magnate clan like the Shen clan of Wuxing would gladly keep supplying you for the sake of their own political prospects." Liu Cheng spoke with absolute certainty. "Still, just as you said, if a man reaches the point of being eligible to marry a Xie daughter, marriage is hardly a matter of personal whim anymore."
Liu Jili fell silent once more.
After a moment, Liu Cheng, who had been sleepy earlier, found himself wide awake instead and began pestering his companion in turn: "What about you, Brother Jili? If the day came when you could marry a Xie daughter, would you?"
"No," the hunchback Jili replied with a quick shake of his head.
"Why not?" Now it was Liu Cheng's turn to be curious.
"If I truly reached that point, I would want to marry an imperial princess," Liu Jili said, equally frank. "That way, I could raise the renown of our Pengcheng Liu clan once again."
Liu Cheng nodded in convinced agreement... Either way, it was pure daydreaming.
Liu Jili himself realized that his words had gone a bit too far, and he let out an awkward laugh. "No, we're simply dreaming. What princesses, Xie daughters, or Shen daughters? We can't even be sure if we'll see the Grand Commander tomorrow, or whether this camp can safely make it through the winter! Just because we bumped into a daughter of the Xie clan, here we are indulging in wild daydreams! Truly a disgrace to our fathers and ancestors!"
"It is a dream," Liu Cheng said, squinting toward the sun as it slanted toward the west, clearly holding a different view. "Yet a person must dream to live; they ought to dream... Without dreams, in a world like this, ninety percent of the common folk under heaven would die of grief. Take our camp, for instance: who among them isn't surviving on dreams? That has been especially true after what happened on the Huai River.
"And those aristocratic clans climbing Huashan to admire the flowers—wealthy and noble as they are, don't they spend their days debating metaphysics, taking Five Minerals Powder? Isn't that dreaming too? The Way of the Celestial Masters and the Buddhists are practically racing each other to weave dreams for everyone! Even us—is thinking about wives here the only thing that counts as a dream? Weren't our grand ambitions of a Northern Expedition and reviving our clan dreams as well?
"So if you ask me, why shouldn't people be allowed to dream?"
"Yet a dream is still just a dream in the end..." Liu Jili could not resist chiming in.
"True, a dream is still a dream, which is why one cannot drown in it. One must stay clear-headed while dreaming!" Liu Cheng offered his perspective, which was also a sincere summation of his experiences and performance over the past month. "When I said earlier that we must recognize our current reality, I meant it sincerely... Having landed in such straits, we should endure pain when it's time for pain, and be passionate when it's time for passion, without letting the two get in each other's way. Only then can we carry ourselves forward, and only then is there a one-in-ten-thousand chance that our dreams might come true... At least, that's what I tell myself."
"Liu Cheng, oh, Liu Cheng..." Liu Jili sighed repeatedly, once again at a loss for words.
Yet after a brief silence, he still brought himself to ask: "I know you don't wish to answer, and if you don't, you don't have to. But I must ask: who were your father and grandfather, really? Though our Pengcheng Liu clan has a vast lineage, the number of its branches is limited, and I know every one of them in my heart."
If this question had been put to him in the past, Liu Cheng would have summoned every ounce of his wits to brush it off. Yet for some reason, at this very moment, he felt a tranquil ease within and without. He simply closed his eyes and offered no answer.
With the prolonged warmth of the sun and the whisper of the autumn breeze, a pleasant languor washed over his body within moments. Drowsiness surged up, and at last, he fell asleep.
Chapter 17