A Clash Across the Distance

"Fallen ill?" Li Zhao stroked his white beard. "At a time like this?" So many people were waiting to measure the new Governor-General's mettle. "By rights, he should have crossed into Xiazhou yesterday, but with this delay, there is no telling when he will reach Dunyu," Shu Qian said. "Nian Zanli sent a small band of rebels around the front lines, raiding nearly a hundred li deep into Xiazhou. Several shops belonging to my family and the Zhan clan were plundered, suffering heavy losses. It seems to me the Zhans have already resolved to leave. Even though you warned them, they have still been secretly liquidating their assets these past few days." Old Master Li sighed. "Rain must fall, and a widowed mother must remarry—some things cannot be stopped. Since they hold no faith in Dunyu's future, let them do as they please." *Old fox,* Shu Qian cursed silently. When the Li clan's warnings failed to deter the Zhans, they had slashed their purchase offers to rock bottom—so low it threatened to break through the floorboards. Yet the Li clan was Dunyu's most overbearing local tyrant; whatever price they offered, who else would dare outbid them? If the Zhan clan truly sold at such a wretched price, it would be no different from carving off their own flesh and gouging out their eyes. Seventy percent of the wealth accumulated over decades of hard work would be stripped away; even if they managed to leave Dunyu, they would depart as little more than a bloody skeleton. By now, the Zhans surely hated the Lis to the bone. This was especially true because the Zhan clan had produced promising talent in recent years, steadily rising through the ranks of the royal court. The main family had straightened its back and spoken with greater authority as a result, even trying to wrestle with the Li clan just last year. The Li clan wanted to seize this opportunity to teach them a harsh lesson, reminding them that Old Master Li was still Old Master Li. *Alas, how could this old bastard surnamed Li merely be called a fox? He is a vulture, a jackal.* "Do you place that much faith in the new Governor-General?" This was the question the head of the Shu clan had truly sent Shu Qian to pry out. "Can he really join forces with General Zhao Pan and halt Nian Zanli's offensive?" Dunyu's populace was on edge, and the prominent families could not help but contemplate flight. If they ran too late and the iron hooves of Nian Zanli's vast army swept southward, leaving only rubble in their wake, everything they had painstakingly built over decades would vanish like foam on water. "This Governor-General He does possess some ability. He slew Sun Fuping, crushed the rebel army, and apparently saved Ke Jihai's life in Shihuan City just recently. Had he not, the western front would be in grave peril. Taking over Xiazhou's defense in the face of crisis, he must have a few tricks up his sleeve." Having said all this in a single breath, Li Zhao paused to wheeze. A maid at his side immediately served tea, neither too hot nor too cold, just right. "His Excellency the Minister sent word: Dunyu is the very foundation of the Li clan's prosperity, and we cannot abandon it lightly." He had only said they could not abandon it *lightly*, not that they never would, nor that they were guaranteed to stay. Dunyu lay very close to the southern provincial border, making escape to the south relatively easy. Shu Qian hesitated. "Could Governor-General He also intend to look into the granary fire?" "The case has already been tried, and the culprit has been sent to the capital. Most importantly, the grain has all burned to ashes. What left is there for him to investigate?" A birdcage hung in the hall, housing a pair of lovebirds with green heads, red beaks, and yellow bellies. Outside, snow fell in swirling flurries, but the room was as warm as spring, and the two little birds were lively. Old Master Li walked over and fed them himself, remarking, "For Governor-General He, the most critical task ahead is wholehearted cooperation with the Four Great Clans." Otherwise, He Chunhua would find his hands tied at every turn, just like every other official before him and all those who remained. Officials were fleeting visitors, but the Four Great Clans were carved in stone. "Since he comes both to govern and to wage war, he will inevitably ask us for money, grain, or men." Shu Qian glanced at the lovebirds, noticing tiny strips of paper tied around their ankles, though he had no idea what purpose they served. "That will depend on Governor-General He's conduct." Teasing the lovebirds, Old Master Li gave a thoroughly confident smile. "Cooperation between officials and the gentry requires sincerity from both sides." "Then... shall we proceed as usual?" Shu Qian asked, referring to the traditional routine for newly appointed officials taking office. "I will return and consult my elder brother about sending Governor-General He an additional, lavish gift." Shu Qian rose to his feet. Old Master Li beamed. "As it should be." Offer the toast first, after all. Once Shu Qian departed, the smile vanished from Old Master Li's face. Dinner was as sumptuous as ever, but he took only a few bites. His two sons grew concerned and questioned him repeatedly. Old Master Li saw right through their polite inquiries, which only left him feeling more suffocated. If these sons of his had inherited even a fraction of his true capabilities and engaged in less internal strife, he would not have to shoulder the burden of the vast Li clan all by himself. He was seventy years old, after all. He was old. His sole comfort lay in his sixth grandson, who possessed decent natural talent. With another two years of careful grooming, perhaps the boy could take his place. That grandson belonged to his second son's branch; his eldest son, recognizing their father's intent, had been relentlessly suppressing his brother ever since. *Alas, what misfortune upon the household.* In truth, Old Master Li held no great hopes for Dunyu. Strictly speaking, he held no hope for the royal court of Great Yuan. Old men of his age might still be immersed in the past glory and prosperity of Great Yuan, but his eyes were not clouded, and his mind was not blind. The dynasty's power was crumbling. Old Master Li sneered inwardly. The Li clan did not conduct its affairs as brazenly as the Zhan clan, advertising the sale of their lands and manors to the entire city. Once the enemy arrived, would land still hold any value? Over the past two years, the Li clan's wealth had been quietly shifted toward the interior. He and Minister Li had already picked out an auspicious haven. If the flames of war spread south, they would immediately relocate the entire clan. Basking in the warmth of the room's brazier, he began to feel drowsy again. Seeing this, the maid beside him whispered, "Old Master, it is time to rest." Old Master Li nodded. She went to the outer chamber to take down the birdcage and hung it before the bed curtains. Two thirteen-year-old maidservants had already warmed the bed for him and would curl up at his feet tonight as usual. Before climbing into bed, Old Master Li routinely checked the bed curtains. The two bronze medallions tied to the hanging cords were both in place. These were evil-warding medallions; should any foul entity draw near, it would be bewildered by the medallions, unable to see him or catch his scent. He then pointed toward the canopy, and the maid fetched a red sachet from the drapery. Li Zhao opened it with his own hands and verified the yellow protective talisman hidden inside. The sigil was correct. "Put it back." Now he could sleep peacefully. Having made countless enemies over the decades, he had grown accustomed to taking every precaution. *** Covered in travel dust, Manager Qian arrived once more in Ru County to meet He Chunhua. "Governor-General He is ill?" The door closed, leaving no one else inside. He Chunhua stood up at once and wiped his face with a towel, removing the sallow, waxen tint from his skin. "Ill? From where would an illness come? I have been waiting for your good news, Manager Qian." Butler Lao Mo served warm tea. Parched with thirst, Manager Qian gulped down several mouthfuls before smiling. "Fortunately, I did not fail your commission." He produced a blue cloth bundle tied securely with cords and unwrapped it. Inside were two layers of oiled paper. Unfolding the oiled paper revealed two layers of coarse paper. And resting in the center of the coarse paper was a porcelain vial no larger than a little finger. Given its diminutive size, it looked perfectly suited for poisoning someone. "What is this?" He Chunhua reached for it, but Manager Qian hastily warned him, "It has a foul, rank stench, Your Excellency. Take care." The Governor-General paused, hesitating. "I assumed you would bring hair, fingernails, or the like." The charcoal brazier made the room comfortably warm. Having stepped in from the freezing snow, Manager Qian found a bead of sweat breaking out on his forehead. "I had hoped to, as well. But Old Master Li is deeply suspicious by nature. Last autumn, a master diviner cast a reading for him, claiming he would face a great calamity this year, and that if he passed it safely, he would live in peace until eighty-eight. Because of that, the Li clan has been extraordinarily vigilant. Any fingernails clipped or hair shed by the old master must be specially gathered and burned. It is said he also wears a protective talisman procured at great expense. Any enemy seeking to curse him with effigies or occult hexes from the shadows would find it completely useless!" He Chunhua smiled. "Evidently, he has done far too many wicked deeds and carries a guilty conscience." Were it not for a guilty conscience, why take precautions to such an extreme? One can be a thief for a thousand days, but who can guard against thieves every single day? "Originally, I intended to obtain some of his hair through the two bed-warming maids." The old man was well advanced in years, after all; in the dead of winter, his feet grew cold, yet he found hot-water bed warmers too stifling, so he had bought two young girls of thirteen or fourteen to warm his bed. "However, those two girls are inspected and must change their clothes the moment they step out of the room. They are forbidden from carrying anything belonging to the master outside—not even a single strand of hair. "Left with no choice, I had to bribe a servant responsible for emptying the night pots." Manager Qian spread his hands. "The people assigned to that chore change constantly, so finding the right person took some effort." He handed over another slip of paper. "These are Old Master Li's Eight Characters of birth. Last year, his thirteenth grandson came to my shop to have ceremonial clothes made for his first birthday. At the time, the mother proudly bragged that the child shared the exact same month and day of birth as Old Master Li, born only three hours later. I confirmed the details repeatedly." Deducing it from that had not been difficult. He Chunhua accepted the slip and asked, "Does the rift between the Zhan and Li clans still persist?" "It does—it always has. In recent days, the Zhans wanted to liquidate their estates and flee Dunyu, but the Li clan arranged for people to drive the prices down relentlessly, leaving no one else daring to offer more. The Zhans were practically spitting blood in fury. Before I set out, members of the Zhan and Li families were brawling in the streets over the dispute." "How does that conduct differ from rustic clodhoppers?" He Chunhua shook his head. "With their descendants serving as officials in the Yuan court, do they feel no shame?" He reached out and slid a gold bar across the table. "Old Master Zhu did not praise you in vain; you truly are his most capable subordinate." Manager Qian smiled. "You flatter me, my Lord!" "However, this matter is strictly confidential..." "Rest assured, Your Excellency, my lips are sealed." Leaving himself no retreat, Manager Qian swore a vile oath upon his own mother and eighteen generations of ancestors, swearing that if the secret leaked, the Qian family's forebears would plunge into Avici Hell forever. "Good. There will be much to rely on you and the Zhu clan for in the days ahead," He Chunhua said with a smile. "The future is bright." After Manager Qian departed, He Chunhua returned to his room and slept for two hours to replenish his energy. These past few days, he had been working late into the night and sleeping in a separate room from Madam Ying. Midnight arrived. Butler Lao Mo shut the doors and windows. He Chunhua produced an azure candle, lit it, and set it upon the table. He had already repositioned the table so that it stood dead center in the room. Inside the sealed chamber, the candlelight naturally stood straight and still. He Chunhua pressed an amber-yellow paperweight into Lao Mo's hand, then sat down and began chanting under his breath. The paperweight was carved from Shoushan stone in the shape of a kite, yet it was as clear and translucent as honey, possessing a much deeper, more grounded hue than jadeite. Within it ran carrot-silk veining, resembling countless tiny blood vessels threading through the stone. The kite was entirely golden-amber, save for its two eyes, which were blood-red, lending a faint eerie touch to its otherwise stately elegance. Butler Lao Mo stood behind his master to guard the ritual. As He Chunhua chanted faster and faster, the smoke rising from the candle began to gather without dispersing—and its color was an unmistakable azure.