The Sixth Year of Yonghe

The fifth year of Yonghe drew to a close. Considering the hardships of that year, Liu Cheng felt not the slightest nostalgia for it. Yet over the days of the New Year festival, staying here with his Uncle Gao, he had indeed lived quite comfortably. It had been nearly half a year since his transmigration, and he had finally found a place that treated him as a proper guest—how could he not be comfortable? Besides, with that massive pile of gifts resting right there, he could enjoy his ease with an entirely clear conscience. After concluding their discussion of serious business on the first day, he did not mention a word of it over the days that followed. He simply took Tall Liu around the estate, eating and drinking to his heart's content, and even accompanied Gao Rou to the coast to gaze upon the sea and strolled along the banks of the Cao'e River to visit Cao'e Temple. When he heard there would be a temple fair before the spring plowing, he even had the Xi residence's bondservants who had come to fetch him carry a letter back to Xi Chao. On that broad sheet of stationery, only thirteen characters were written: *It is joyful here; I have no thought of Shu. I shall return after the Cao'e Temple Fair.* He was in no hurry, but others were. Of course, it was not Xi Jiabin, but Xi Yin and Lu Song. Xi Yin sent someone to ask Liu Cheng if he knew when Lu Song would return, even wanting his own little retainer to travel to Qiantang to escort him back. Lu Song, meanwhile, having bribed Master Du's son and successfully secured Master Du's permission, rushed back into the city of Shanyin to consult and linger with other preceptors of the order. Somehow learning that Liu Cheng was actually here in Shangyu, he could restrain himself no longer and wrote directly to ask when he ought to arrive. These two were of one heart and mind, yet had to be kept dangling—truly a pair of star-crossed lovers. Naturally, Liu Cheng could only mock them inwardly. He continued to keep both dangling, replying to each with letters urging them to remain calm and patient. He waited until the seventh day of the first month, when the Cao'e Temple Fair began. Unable to bear it any longer, Lu Song came straight to Qiuting to seek out Liu Cheng. Liu Cheng naturally understood how the man felt and could hardly drag things out, but since he had previously told Xi Chao that this journey was not meant for meeting this northern Daoist, he had to provide an explanation. He first introduced Lu Song to Gao Rou, then wrote a letter and had Tall Liu personally deliver it to Xi Jiabin, explaining the situation and inviting the eldest son of the Xi clan to grace Qiuting in person to confer on the matter. When young master Xi Chao arrived with a furrowed brow, Liu Cheng made no attempt to conceal anything. Gathering everyone together, he formally laid out his entire plan. Lu Song naturally had nothing to object to. If this undertaking succeeded, he would firmly establish himself in Kuaiji and secure his standing before Xi Yin. He was merely a little anxious, worried that he might not handle the matter properly. After all, having a legitimate lineage from the northern Daoist orders was one thing, but the many rules and traditions of the northern orders that Liu Cheng had fabricated for him were quite another. Yet if one asked whether he would give it up, that was out of the question. He was not willing to go back to serving as an officer in the Revenue Section. Besides, even if he went back now, would there still be a post in the Revenue Section waiting for him? Xi Chao was the second person to learn of this plan. Many aspects of it had only been able to unfold because of his tacit approval and backing, yet at this moment, he could not help imitating Gao Rou and asking, "Liu Cheng, what is it that you want?" Liu Cheng did not hide anything either, simply reiterating his ambition. At this, Xi Chao was left speechless, and in fact felt somewhat eager to give it a try. To put it plainly, when it came to stirring up trouble, Xi Jiabin was quite looking forward to it. Assigning seats of precedence to the figures of Kuaiji, exerting influence on the northern situation—all of it sounded well suited to him. Then, listening to Liu Cheng's analysis, Xi Chao realized he had learned of the incident with Cai Mo four or five days later than Liu Cheng had. He was flabbergasted, then incensed. It was not just a matter of finding out four or five days later than his own servant boy; many of the finer details remained unknown to him even now, including whether the Northern Garrison might take up arms in rebellion to rescue Cai Mo. Even if it were mere rumor, he ought to have been the first to know. Yet he could only swallow his anger and sit there listening to the two northern émigrés deliberate back and forth. "I can assemble the ritual paraphernalia and arrangements," Lu Song said earnestly and urgently. "I have thought through this carefully over the past few days. With Master Du and the order willing to lend support, we have the manpower. With Lord Xi willing to provide funds, materials will naturally pose no problem. There is enough time as well... but there are still two most troublesome matters, both concerning your immortal music. For an observance of such scale, we cannot rely on a single tune. In addition to the 'Rhapsody on Orchid Grass' ('Orchid Grass'), 'Rhapsody in Praise of Heaven' ('Mom is the Best in the World'), and 'Rhapsody on the Mighty Tiger' ('Two Tigers') that you performed earlier, it would be best to have one or two pieces suited to the Shangsi Festival." "There are some. I have them," Liu Cheng replied briskly. Picking up his bamboo flute, he performed "Let Us Sway Twin Oars" on the spot. When the piece concluded, not only Lu Song, but even Gao Rou and Xi Chao, who were listening from the side, were dumbfounded. Lu Song immediately summoned a female Daoist follower who had accompanied him and had her play it once more, which reduced Gao Rou's simple hall to dead silence. It was because the melody was simply too fitting. "Fitting, isn't it?" Liu Cheng naturally claimed the credit. He had spent a great deal of thought before coming up with a tune that was both fitting and simple enough for him to play directly. "This piece is titled 'Rhapsody on Shangsi.' It was originally composed specifically for the Shangsi Festival, describing the elegant spirit of young scholars and maidens who, while studying under their masters in spring, board small boats to drift along the Yi River... When the time comes, you can say this was an old melody of the northern Shangsi Festival." "Splendid!" Lu Song came to his senses, thoroughly invigorated. "Splendid... But is there more? If there could be another piece praising the spring scenery, that would make it complete." "There is." Liu Cheng had the musically adept female follower called back in and played "Little Swallow" on the spot. Then he declared with utter conviction, "This is the 'Rhapsody on the Returning Swallows.' It tells of spring swallows returning to their nests, yearning for the springs of years past and clinging fondly to their old home." "Brother Acheng, you have truly exerted yourself to the utmost. That leaves only one matter, though it still concerns music." Lu Song, having listened to the female follower perform it again, was visibly suppressing his soaring excitement. He hurriedly ushered her out, then pointed after her retreating figure and said, "The south truly lacks a tradition of musical accompaniment, and followers in our order who can play instruments like this are exceptionally rare. Take this woman, for instance: she was formerly a singing courtesan in the Yuan household of Runan, cast out when she grew older... Were it not for that, I wouldn't have been able to find even one." "Indeed." Liu Cheng nodded, then turned his gaze toward Xi Chao, who sat comfortably upon the couch. Xi Chao frowned slightly. "How many do you need?" "I have asked around," Lu Song said earnestly. "It would be best to have twelve or thirteen people, each handling their own instrument: flute, zither, drum, pipes..." "No, no, no. The more, the better," Liu Cheng interrupted directly. "It should ideally reach the scale of eight rows of dancers performing in the courtyard, or even to the point of people playing along just to make up the numbers... Twelve or thirteen is too few. Twenty or thirty is not too few, but eighty to a hundred would not be too many... In fact, besides instrumental accompaniment, it would be best to have dance as well, though that is something I truly know nothing about." At these words, the other three men present were left gaping. Evidently, the entire conspiracy felt this fellow was being far too extreme. Xi Chao and Gao Rou were men of wide experience, and Lu Song had transitioned properly from the northern Daoist orders to the south, yet all of them found the idea absurd. Xi Chao was the first to shake his head. "Even with my family's full support, gathering people from Linhai, Jingkou, and Jiankang, twenty or thirty might still be assembled, but more than that would be truly difficult." "Twenty or thirty is the absolute limit," Gao Rou chimed in. "Worthy nephew, you may not know this, but Xie Renzu is renowned for his refined extravagance, and Song Yi, the disciple of Lüzhu, has always resided in his household. Even so, the music troupe of the Xie residence numbers at most a dozen or so. Gathering all those who understand music together would, as Jiabin said, max out at twenty or thirty." "Twenty or thirty should be enough, shouldn't it?" Lu Song also tried to persuade him. "I never even imagined twenty or thirty people performing together; twelve or thirteen would actually suffice." "I am not saying it must be so. If twenty or thirty is all we have, then twenty or thirty it is. But what about dancers? Can we gather more of them?" Liu Cheng explained earnestly. "I am truly not trying to make trouble for everyone. Rather, when it comes to rituals, the grander they are, the more they shake people's souls. Speaking only of music, the effect of an individual, a few people, a dozen people, dozens of people, or a hundred people playing—even if it is the very same piece—is entirely different. Especially since we are holding a Daoist ritual, what we need is sacred solemnity. No matter how simple the melody, when played together by a hundred people, it will stun the audience out of their wits. If we can overawe all the famed gentlemen of Kuaiji in one stroke, not only will Brother Asong's standing in Kuaiji become unshakeable, but more importantly, those famed gentlemen will not dare lightly meddle with the subsequent ritual arrangements, and we can do whatever we please." "There is some sense in that," Xi Chao nodded in agreement. "It is what one calls seizing the initiative to overawe the crowd. But aside from the imperial palace, where could one find a music troupe of a hundred people? Borrowing from other clans is theoretically possible, but first, since you harbor other motives, it is best kept secret. If word gets out and causes a stir, whether it is Wang Lantian trying to usurp leadership or others within the Celestial Masters growing envious, it will mean trouble. Second, the more people there are and the more disparate their origins, the harder it will be to rehearse them into harmony within two months. That is no easier than drilling troops." "Jiabin is right; that is indeed the truth." Liu Cheng was immediately convinced. "We must not bite off more than we can chew. The scale can be elevated gradually later; the priority is to make this venture succeed... Twenty to thirty people would be best, but if not, twelve or thirteen will do. There is no need to summon people all the way from Jingkou and Linhai. The third day of the third month seems distant, but in truth, less than two months remain." "Then we will not assemble so many," Lu Song breathed a sigh of relief. "I shall trouble... Brother Jiabin to gather your household's music troupe. I will do my best to scrape together a few more from among the Daoist followers. We must hasten to assemble in Shan County and conduct rehearsals behind closed doors." Xi Jiabin watched him speak with great interest, merely smiling. "Of course, of course. We shall have to trouble Preceptor Lu as well." "Actually," Gao Rou, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up, "I know of a household that possesses a music troupe of a full hundred people, and they gather regularly to practice. What is even better is that they are nearby. If we can borrow them, nothing will be delayed." The other three turned to look at him in surprise. Gao Rou did not keep them in suspense, revealing the answer at once. "Back when the Wuxing Shen clan was at its height, that fellow Shen Chong was exceedingly fond of song and dance. Just as he established a copper foundry in Longxi and minted a vast number of Shenlang coins that circulate to this day, he also established a music troupe in Qianxi, having the entire village learn singing and dancing to delight the senses, and even composed the 'Qianxi Song' himself. Later, he died, but the singing and dancing of Qianxi have never ceased. Even common folk south of the river who could not survive and wanted their daughters to become courtesans would send them there specifically to study. That is why I say, if we can borrow the Qianxi music troupe, this matter will be resolved effortlessly." The others were astonished, but Xi Chao's brow soon furrowed. "The Shen family is a convict clan. It is not that we cannot borrow them; in fact, if we ask in my father's name, it will succeed eight or nine times out of ten... But first, the rebellion of Wang Dun drew clear lines between loyalty and treachery, and my grandfather was the meritorious official who opposed Wang Dun and eliminated the Shens. Over several decades of traveling to and from Wuxing, we have never had dealings with that family. How could we associate with them for the sake of a mere music troupe? Second, I hear Shen Jin has been seeking to rid himself of the convict clan label. If he latches onto us over such a minor matter and causes rumors to spread, how will we answer for it?" "Jiabin is right," Gao Rou replied with a solemn expression. "I was only thinking of nearby music troupes and forgot this entirely. We must not jeopardize the great for the small." "Indeed," Liu Cheng agreed immediately. "We must never associate with the Shen family in the name of the Xi clan." What a joke. Crushing the Shen family had been part of Xi Jian's achievements, forming one of the political foundations of the Xi clan's present standing... Even after all this time, though the matter was insignificant to the current Xi clan, why should a family of such lofty pedigree as the Gaoping Xi clan give face to the Shen family, a convict clan, for no reason at all? Were a few singing courtesans worth even one ten-thousandth of the Xi clan's prestige? "Then we shall pay it no mind," Lu Song glanced across the group, quickly falling in line. "We should simply do our best on our own... When should I depart for Shan County?" "Wait until the Cao'e Temple Fair concludes," Liu Cheng replied. "You can take part in the rituals of the Cao'e Temple Fair first. Uncle Gao is fairly familiar with the local shamans and invocators of Cao'e Temple. As long as you do not take their money, they will be easy to deal with. Treat it as gaining experience and practicing with southern rituals... Do not be in a hurry to go to Shan County." Xi Jiabin and Gao Rou both nodded. Seeing this, Lu Song could only nod as well. Temple fairs of this kind were tied to the spring plowing, essentially consisting of multiple sacrifices and trade fairs held between the New Year and the onset of plowing. By the time matters wrapped up here and the gear was prepared, it would be past the fifteenth of the first month. Considering that the music troupe would also need preparation on that end, arriving too early would be of little use. Seeing that arrangements had been agreed upon, the four divided their tasks. Lu Song remained with Gao Rou to gather personnel and conduct practice, while Liu Cheng gave up on the Cao'e Temple Fair to return with Xi Chao to prepare the music troupe. Mainly, Xi Chao was the eldest young master; although he had agreed to and practically overseen and pushed the venture, it was impossible for him to personally manage such concrete, mundane details. Thus, the four parted ways. Xi Chao and Liu Cheng boarded a boat, slowly making their way upriver. They had traveled no more than a few li, not even reaching Shangyu yet, when Liu Cheng suddenly spoke from inside the boat. "Jiabin, let me ask you two things." Xi Chao was startled inwardly. Raising his guard, he maintained a composed expression. "Speak, Acheng." "If I were to go directly to Shen Jin and tell him that the Xi family wants your Qianxi music troupe, yet is unwilling to have the slightest open connection with your household and will only employ them in the name of the Celestial Masters—and Shen Jin agrees—do you think we could use the Qianxi music troupe?" Liu Cheng asked earnestly. Xi Chao did not answer directly, but asked in astonishment, "What kind of man is Shen Jin? Would he agree?" "Based on my understanding of him, he probably would," Liu Cheng spoke candidly. "The man is pragmatic to an extreme." Xi Chao found it increasingly strange. "How do you know Shen Jin?" There was naturally nothing to conceal about this. Liu Cheng recounted what had happened on his journey here. Xi Chao listened attentively, visibly wavering. "If that is the case, it is not entirely impossible. It has been so many years, after all. But our two families are as distinct as the Jing and Wei rivers, separated like mountains and streams. Is there any need?" Liu Cheng nodded and continued, "Indeed, there is no need. Then let me ask you the second thing... You know everything that occurred in Jiankang. When do you think Xun Xian will be formally appointed General of the Household for Gentlemen of the North, concurrent Inspector of Xu and Yan Provinces, taking full command of the Northern Garrison?" Xi Jiabin was stunned. Crossing his arms at the bow, he scrutinized his peer before asking slowly, "Acheng, what do you mean?" "I mean that the situation in the north is changing with every passing day, and your esteemed father has no heart for northern affairs. The court's appointment will come swiftly, placing Xun Xian in full command of the Northern Garrison. At most, they will appoint your uncle, who is still at court, as his army advisor, just as they previously made Xun Xian chief clerk to Grand Commander Chu Pou," Liu Cheng said seriously. "Given Xun Xian's age and character, he will surely strive to achieve great deeds. If he fails, so be it; but if he achieves even a modest success, then with his age, the Northern Garrison will belong to him for the next ten or twenty years—or several decades—so long as he makes no blunder himself. Where, then, does your future lie, Jiabin? Have you ever considered it?" "Acheng, I understand everything you are implying." Surprisingly, Xi Chao showed no obvious emotional outburst, merely furrowing his brow. This was not because he did not care about the issue; on the contrary, he cared about it so deeply that he had pondered this question concerning his future fate over and over again, having long calculated it in his heart. "I only want to ask you: are you discussing such grand affairs with me merely to quibble over a music troupe?" "Of course not," Liu Cheng smiled. "Though I must first admit that the music troupe is very important to me. While we are of the same age and share the same boat, our stations are worlds apart. Things beneath your notice are hurdles I must cross. Thus, I truly want to secure the Qianxi music troupe, and having my name inscribed on that letter is currently the most important thing for me... However, since we speak of the north, and even bring up the Northern Garrison and the great plan of the Northern Expedition, it would be laughable if I only cared about a music troupe." Xi Chao said nothing, waiting for him to continue. "Jiabin," Liu Cheng said solemnly. "Someone of my background seeking achievements in the Northern Expedition cannot expect to take military command of the Northern Garrison for granted, the way Xun Lingze or you, Xi Jiabin, can. When people like you reach a certain station, you simply wait for opportunity, and then it comes down to capability—whether you can seize the chance. If you seize it, you become like Wang Chilong or Huan the Western Campaigner; if you fail, you become like Chu Pou." "Even so, you cannot pin your hopes on the Shen family," Xi Chao retorted the moment he grasped Liu Cheng's meaning. "When I become General of the Household, I will naturally summon you as my army advisor or chief clerk... You also have kinsmen of the Pengcheng Liu clan. By then, recruiting several corps will make both your title and substance ring true. But if you think of following the Shen family, when and where could you ever succeed?" "Jiabin, you are speaking to me with open sincerity," Liu Cheng replied candidly. "I am very grateful. But having traveled from north to south and experienced so much, I have learned one truth: if one relies on others for everything, one will achieve nothing... This has nothing to do with whether you value me or trust me. Rather, even you, Xi Jiabin, will have to face Xun Xian's current ascendancy, with no telling when you might reclaim the Northern Garrison." Xi Chao lowered his arms and parted his lips to speak, but ultimately remained silent. "The brilliance of the Shen family lies precisely in the fact that they are a convict clan whom no one heeds," Liu Cheng continued earnestly. "Compared to the second-rank foremost clans, they are willing to look upon me with favor. Furthermore, Jiabin, have you ever considered this: if the day truly comes when you cannot reclaim the Northern Garrison, yet refuse to let your years slip away, where will you start anew to achieve glory? When that time comes, will the wealth and strapping men of the Shen family's half-commanderie truly not be worth a scrap or two of pride?" "You think you can corral the Shen family for me?" Xi Chao frowned slightly. "I do not know," Liu Cheng shook his head. "Who could make such a guarantee? It may be that Wang Huzhi recovers from his illness tomorrow, and Shen Jin marches directly on the Northern Expedition. I am only saying that if we weigh our options, for the future of your Gaoping Xi clan, the Shen family's future utility far outweighs this trifling concern over face. As for myself, I certainly have my own selfish motives: I wish, out of pragmatic interest, to serve as the liaison between you, Xi Jiabin, and Shen Jin." Xi Chao fell silent, leaving only the splash of boat oars parting the flowing water in an unbroken rhythm. *** *Upon arriving in Kuaiji, the Xi clan's lineage stood at its zenith, and Taizu served them as a guest retainer. Xi Chao, the son of Xi Linhai, was of similar age to Taizu and was on friendly terms with him, providing him with lavish support. Having suffered greatly in the north, Taizu found ease and latitude upon reaching this place; consequently, he took little delight in reading and calligraphy, favoring instead swift steeds, music, and dance.* —*Old Qi*, Volume 1, Basic Annals of Emperor Wu, Part One