At daybreak the next morning, Shen Jin had already departed early. Meanwhile, Liu Cheng received what was unquestionably the most valuable gift he had obtained since arriving in Great Jin: a tall, fine horse, a straight saber, a stiff bow, a bolt of brocade, and a bar of gold whose weight he could not even guess.
Liu Cheng hesitated for a moment before earnestly asking the estate steward, "Since this is a gift from Brother Shijian, may I gift it to others?"
Though the estate steward cursed inwardly at his meddling, he kept a beaming smile on his face. "What are you saying, young master? You are my master's honored guest. Wherever you wish to send these things, just say the word!"
"Send the horse, bow, and gold to Garrison Commander Gao Jian at the Jiangsheng garrison in Jingkou. I'll leave a letter to be delivered along with them," Liu Cheng instructed in earnest. "I'll keep the straight saber with me. As for the brocade, deliver it on my behalf to Barrier Officer Huang at Zhangpu Pass, and tell him this is your master's apology."
The steward was speechless. *What right do you have to apologize to someone on behalf of my master? I'll definitely have to consult the master before doing any such thing.*
Outwardly, however, he nodded. "Understood. Please write your letter, young master."
He clearly wanted nothing more than to send this fellow on his way as quickly as possible.
Liu Cheng nodded, stepped into an adjacent room, and wrote the letter. He instructed Liu Jili to use the gold to purchase appropriate outfits and rent a proper residence so he could mingle with the scions of the high nobility, while the horse and bow were naturally for Liu Huzi.
Having penned a few brief lines, he handed the letter to the steward, strapped the straight saber to his waist, climbed back onto the cart concealing the military crossbow, and resumed the journey.
Only after they had traveled a dozen li did the members of the Celestial Masters beside him finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Daoist Feng and several others rode abreast and exchanged a few words. Then, visibly nudged forward by the rest, Feng urged his horse forward on his own initiative to catch up and thank Liu Cheng for his aid the previous night.
"What is there to thank me for?" Liu Cheng, intently driving the cart, replied with genuine sincerity. "We are traveling the same road. Helping you was helping myself... Even that Shen Jin had no real need to thank me. Once he came to his senses, he would have realized the same truth on his own. It was merely that his family is wealthy, and a gift offered freely is a gift worth taking."
"That is not so," Daoist Feng said with a wry smile and a shake of his head from atop his horse. "Young Master Cheng is still young and kindhearted, so you do not yet understand the ways of this world... People are not regarded equally. The exact same deed, the exact same words, mean something entirely different coming from you than from us... Even regarding what you said to the master of the Shen clan—having said it a day earlier makes it your great service. But if folk like us had spoken those very words, they wouldn't have amounted to anything at all. In fact, if the one who spoke to him last night had been a famed gentleman of Kuaiji, believe me, that Shen clan head would have bowed his head to the ground right then and there!"
Liu Cheng smiled and nodded in agreement.
This was not merely playing along; things truly were as described. Otherwise, why would he cling so stubbornly to his persona as the scion of an impoverished noble house?
Still, whether last night or up until Daoist Feng came over to speak, he had felt no genuine emotional attachment to the people and happenings along the road. They were merely travelers who had met by chance and accompanied one another. It was just that when traveling away from home, everyone had to maintain an image, inevitably indulging in social pleasantries, pretending to be fast friends, and putting on a show of harmony.
Did anyone truly expect that a single remark yesterday would lead Shen Half-Commandery to revere him as a peerless prodigy of the realm, to the point of marrying off a sister or daughter on the spot?
In this era, just as Daoist Feng said, people cared about status and pedigree. Therefore, if Liu Cheng reached Kuaiji and managed to secure a reputation among some "Eight Worthies of Kuaiji" or "Thirteen Friends of East Mountain," Shen Jin would surely boast to everyone that a single word from Liu Cheng had saved his entire clan's miserable hides—and he would badger him repeatedly to ask if he had taken a wife yet!
Until then, maintaining his persona was all that mattered.
And so the party entered the heart of Wuxing Commandery. This leg of the journey was visibly dull and monotonous, for aside from walled cities, the commandery consisted entirely of estates—sprawling estates, one adjoining another... In truth, though Liu Cheng did not know it, the descriptions he thought were exaggerations were cold reality: at present, the official yellow and white registers of this commandery recorded just over twenty thousand households, with the actual population uncounted; yet after the founding of the Liu Song dynasty, when the census was properly redone, the count surged directly to nearly fifty thousand households.
The underlying reason was obvious without asking.
This was likely also a key reason why Kuaiji had become a gathering place for the elegance of famed gentlemen and the southern cultural center of the era. According to the Great Jin court's strategy of maintaining tranquility after the southward crossing, the lands on both banks of Lake Tai had been developed early and carved up completely by southern aristocratic magnates. Under these circumstances, to avoid core conflicts, the northern high clans seeking to seize vast tracts of mountains, forests, and fields had no choice but to push further south—occupying land and extracting wealth south of the Zhe River.
When the high nobility, holding sway over public opinion and top political offices, began enjoying their lives and attributing cultural refined meaning to such an existence on the southern bank of the Zhe River in Kuaiji, a new cultural center naturally took shape.
Liu Cheng reached the Zhe River—later known as the Qiantang River—on the eighth day of the twelfth month. Yet he did not cross the river immediately, heading instead to an estate north of Qiantang City on the northern bank. Upon arriving, Liu Cheng learned that Master Du himself was originally from Qiantang, and his clan as well as his very first Daoist abbey were situated right here.
Now his ties with the Kuaiji gentry and the financial backing he received from Shen Jin's clan made even more sense.
Master Du was not present, though several of his sons were. Even after the Daoists reported Liu Cheng's circumstances, the sons showed no interest whatsoever in meeting him. Not only that, but they intercepted fully seventy to eighty percent of the wealth and provisions meant to be transported to Shanyin in Kuaiji. When they set out once more, only five carts remained, two of which were mostly empty. Yet not a single traveler among the Daoist entourage was left behind; they all clustered around these five carts, and because the horses ridden by several long-robed Daoists had been requisitioned, those men were forced to crouch inside the cart behind Liu Cheng.
The spectacle resembled the time when Liu Cheng and a dozen others had escorted a single cart of charcoal.
Yet the atmosphere was entirely different. The several managing long-robed Daoists had clearly been holding their tempers along the way. Once they boarded large ferryboats, crossed the river, and arrived in Kuaiji Commandery on the opposite shore, their restraint finally broke. Even then, they dared not openly curse those surnamed Du; instead, they debated among themselves over who was the most outstanding among Master Du's direct disciples.
Back and forth they argued, moving from Preceptor Xu to the newly arrived Lu Song, and then to Preceptor Sun, Preceptor Qian, and Preceptor Li—yet not a soul mentioned Master Du's sons.
Liu Cheng had no business meddling in the internal strife of their sect, so he simply pricked up his ears, driving the cart while listening with quiet amusement.
And so it went. After crossing the river and turning east from the southern flank of Xiaoshan, they came upon a great lake after barely a day's journey. It lay smooth upon the earth like a polished mirror, flawlessly reflecting the mountain peaks and rolling hills to the south. Upon asking, he learned it had originally been a Han dynasty water conservancy project and was now aptly named Mirror Lake.
Having reached this point, the long-robed Daoists dared not speak carelessly any longer. Following the northern shore of Mirror Lake, on the morning of the eleventh, they finally arrived at Shanyin, the administrative seat of Kuaiji Commandery.
With that, they had formally reached their destination.
Yet, completely unfamiliar with the place, Liu Cheng did not part ways with the Celestial Masters Daoists right away. Instead, he followed them straight into the Celestial Masters' stronghold within the city of Kuaiji.
Only upon entering did he discover that Master Du and several trusted disciples were actually here in person. Upon hearing the Daoists' report, this southern leader of the Celestial Masters was visibly intrigued and summoned Liu Cheng.
Stepping into the hall, Liu Cheng was immediately taken aback.
It was indeed the dead of winter, yet Kuaiji was considerably warmer than Jingkou. Liu Cheng had felt hot even while driving the cart in his fur-lined winter clothes, yet this hall was filled everywhere with charcoal braziers and bronze incense stoves, thick with billowing smoke. The moment he stepped inside, the sweltering heat made him dizzy, and his face likely turned crimson on the spot. If that were not enough, given the oppressive heat, everyone in the hall—from the leader to those seated or standing along both sides, including the serving women and youth—wore loose, airy garments.
In particular, the man at the head of the hall appeared to be in his forties or fifties, his hair tied in a topknot and his beard thick and wild. Yet he wore a shoulder-strap garment, exposing his snow-white shoulders, with only the ribbon tying his hair being crimson. At the moment, he was reclining against a plump woman clad only in sheer silk, looking groggy and completely unfocused, seemingly unaware that the person he had summoned had even arrived.
As for the others, a single glance told Liu Cheng that they were divided into two main groups: those who served and those who were served. The servers consisted of women and adolescent youths of both sexes. Those being served were also divided into two kinds: one group was half-conscious like the man above, while the other remained distinctly sober, many of them taking note of Liu Cheng's entrance immediately and scrutinizing him.
Looking at this absurd spectacle, it seemed... hardly surprising after all.
Was this not the dual specialty of Eastern Jin famed gentlemen blended with the Celestial Masters? At most, it was just an ordinary private gathering with household entertainers after ingesting some medicinal powder or elixir—not even qualifying as an unrestricted assembly.
Still, hearing of something a hundred times could not match seeing it once. Encountering it firsthand for the first time inevitably delivered a profound shock to Liu Cheng's mind.
This was the romantic elegance of Kuaiji's famed gentlemen; this was the decadent, dissolute life of the aristocracy, including the upper echelons of the Celestial Masters. You, Liu Cheng, were no longer a refugee from Jingkou; you were now an honorable retainer of the Xi clan. And so, you had come into contact with this world.
While he was lost in thought, a man nearby rose. It was none other than Preceptor Xu, whom he had met once back in Jingkou. Standing a dozen paces away, Xu called out loudly toward the figure in the main seat: "Master, the scion of the Pengcheng Liu clan whom I mentioned before—the one from north of the Huai who has met with extraordinary fortune—has arrived."
*So 'Master' is a religious title?!*
Liu Cheng first cupped his hands to Preceptor Xu, then bowed respectfully toward the strap-clad Master Du ahead.
Regardless of how often he mocked their inability to attain official posts, proper etiquette was still required when due.
Hearing the words, the man in the high seat finally sat up, squinted at the youth bowing before him, nodded, and spoke—sounding far less muddled than expected. "You are that Liu Cheng?"
"This junior is indeed Liu Cheng, of the Pengcheng Liu clan, having just crossed the river southward this year," Liu Cheng answered respectfully. "Greetings, Master."
"Good, good, good," Master Du continued. "I heard that when you met that lad Shen Jin on the road and drew talismans to dispel sickness for Wang Pingbei, you claimed music had to be played... Is that a custom in the north?"
"It is not," Liu Cheng answered frankly. "It was purely out of fear that Shen Shijian might seize an excuse to vent his fury, so I improvised a pretext."
"So that was it." Master Du's interest visibly waned. He reclined back into the woman's bosom before asking slowly, "I see you also have an affinity with our Celestial Masters... How about it? Care to enter our Way?"
*Enter your ass!*
If before Liu Cheng had merely been wary, worrying that this was not the orthodox path of history, now that his eyes had been opened, he had to confront a realistic problem that every religious sect across every dynasty in the world eventually faced: *What if I am a handsome, thick-browed youth?*
Were handsome youths among those serving here in short supply?
Yet he knew better than to act haughty before a band of high-ranking religious figures who had most likely consumed intoxicating powder; he had to tread carefully. Thus, he turned toward Preceptor Xu, who was stroking his beard at the side, and shook his head repeatedly.
Seeing this, Preceptor Xu burst out laughing, rose, and cupped his hands. "What is the Master thinking? Little Brother Cheng was recommended by Xie Dongshan to go to the household of Xi Linhai. Given his ties with us, wouldn't it be far better for him to go there?"
"Oh." Master Du had clearly grown languid again, whether because he had already exercised off the powder or because the drug's effects had not yet reached that stage. He simply nodded. "Fine... In that case, take him to the residence of Xi Linhai."
"Understood." Preceptor Xu cupped his hands in acknowledgment, then waved toward the door as he sat back down.
Without hesitation, Liu Cheng bowed once more to the man above, then fled outside as if escaping for his life.
Perhaps such gatherings took considerable time to conclude, for they did not set out that afternoon, nor did anyone come looking for him. Liu Cheng merely ate his meals and chatted idly with the Daoists clad in long robes and crimson headwraps. Since he was a guest under their roof, he dared not speak of or inquire into sensitive matters.
Instead, he asked about the whereabouts of Kuaiji's famed gentlemen.
Only upon asking did he discover that not everyone resided here in the commandery seat of Shanyin. The only famed gentlemen living within the city were Wang Xizhi and Xu Xun, along with at most Wang Shu of the Taiyuan Wang clan, who was currently serving as the Internal Minister of Kuaiji.
As for the others, Master Du himself spent most of his time in Qiantang; Xie An's East Mountain lay further east of Shangyu; the renowned monk Zhi Daolin's monastery was situated in Yuyao, even further east of Shangyu; and another renowned monk, Zhu Faqian—who hailed from the Langya Wang clan and was the younger brother of Wang Dun—lived in seclusion in Shan County to the south of Kuaiji.
Sun Chuo, celebrated alongside Xu Xun as a literary titan of the age, had indeed resided in Shanyin previously, but had recently accepted an official appointment as Magistrate of Zhang'an County, the administrative seat of Linhai Commandery, putting him quite some distance away.
Finally, the most crucial figure, Xi Yin, was even more intriguing. It was said that while serving as Commandery Administrator of Linhai to the south, he had amassed vast wealth and developed a "desire for retirement," resolving to live out his days there. He had begun building a grand mansion in the Linhai seat of Zhang'an, but because the design was excessively extravagant, construction had dragged on for a year or two without finishing. Coupled with his need to associate with friends and relatives like Xie An and Wang Xizhi, he had lately spent most of his time residing on his estate in Shan County, south of Kuaiji.
Having obtained this vital information, Liu Cheng made up his mind. Even if he had to navigate in the dark, he would leave tomorrow—even if he had to beg his way to Xi Yin's estate in Shan County, he would not stay here a moment longer. As for his beloved military crossbow, if he couldn't take it out, he would just leave it behind; it had been given to him by Preceptor Xu anyway.
Fortunately, when breakfast was served the following morning, Preceptor Xu had already arrived to summon Liu Cheng, telling him to prepare to set out for Xi Linhai's residence.
Relieved as if a heavy burden had been lifted, the youth pulled himself together and hit the road.
This final stretch was much simpler. After passing Mirror Lake and following the Cao'e River south, Liu Cheng gradually resumed his persona, growing lively and asking questions about everything... Sure enough, Master Du's title of "Master" was purely a hereditary honorific, and facing Liu Cheng, whose social status was visibly a cut above, the preceptor made little attempt to hide anything.
"For instance, that estate in Jingkou was entrusted to the old Master by the Shen clan," Preceptor Xu said with a faint smile from atop his tall horse. "Speaking in all honesty, however, eighty to ninety percent of the prestige the title of Master Du carries today was earned by the one you just met. His preaching in Kuaiji and Jiankang has been immensely successful. By dispelling sickness and expelling spirits, he has won over many scions of great families. Now that those scions have gradually become state ministers and even regent princes, our Celestial Masters' standing has naturally risen with the tide."
"In that case, will the next Master also be surnamed Du?" Liu Cheng, trying his hand at riding a mule, could not resist asking. "From what I saw, the ordinary Daoists and lay followers below only recognize the preceptors of their respective estates."
Preceptor Xu glanced back at him, his smile widening. "That is why I said, Little Brother Cheng, that if you join the faith, your prospects won't be half bad... Look at Lord Xi Linhai and Lord Wang Jiangzhou—men of such lineage have both formed desires for retirement. Why must you constantly fret about the north?"
Liu Cheng merely smiled without answering.
"You'll understand what I mean once you reach Xi Linhai's residence," Preceptor Xu remarked, shaking his head. "We both hail from the north, and there is already friendship between us. We ought to cooperate closely in the days ahead."
"You are right, quite right," Liu Cheng replied promptly, though he had no idea what the man truly meant.
And so, a day later, the two arrived in Shan County and entered an estate outside the town. There was no need to present Xie Dongshan's calling card; they walked straight in and, led by Preceptor Xu, ascended directly into the main hall.
The bondservants here were clearly long accustomed to this. Not only had they set out seats and served fragrant tea early on, but they also announced that the master would arrive shortly.
Preceptor Xu was visibly used to this treatment and began sipping the fragrant tea immediately. Though Liu Cheng disliked the taste, he could only keep him company... Just as the two were seated comfortably in the hall, horses suddenly neighed outside, accompanied by the panicked voices of bondservants. Turning their heads, they saw a pale-faced youth of fourteen or fifteen storming furiously into the hall. Faster than either man could react, he reached out, seized the cap from Liu Cheng's head as Liu Cheng looked back, and slammed it violently onto the ground.
Next, he grabbed Preceptor Xu's crimson cloak, dashed it to the ground as well, and bellowed, "You Daoist swindlers, back again to swindle money?! Guards, throw them out!"
***
*Xi Chao, courtesy name Jingxing, childhood name Jiabin, at age fourteen was studying at home in Kuaiji. At the time, Emperor Gao, the Great Ancestor, was fifteen, stranded alone in Jiangzuo. Having received a recommendation from Xie Ju, he went to seek refuge under Chao's father, Xi Linhai. The two hit it off immediately and formed a sworn brotherhood of golden fellowship; later, contemporaries likened them to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu.*
—*Old Qi*, Biographies, Volume 13
Chapter 40