Nie Siran X Su Ruhe (5)
Candlelight was lit within the room, holding up one small realm of brightness.
Nie Siran tossed the blood-stained white handkerchief into the basin, then drew out a small bottle of wound medicine from his sleeve. Lowering his head, his gaze fell upon Su Ruhe’s neck. Against that fair, slender neck had appeared one abrupt and vivid red sword wound, jarring to the eye no matter how one looked at it.
“Whom has Vice Minister Su offended, that they would not even spare you on Qiqiao?” His voice was calm as he carefully sprinkled the medicinal powder over the wound.
Su Ruhe’s hands were clasped together and hanging over his knees. Pressing his lips together, he sat upright and proper. After a long while, beneath the gaze of those dark eyes, he lowered his head first.
“Many thanks to Young Master Nie for resolving the danger tonight. On another day, I shall certainly repay this favor generously.” The answer came out rigid and proper, and beyond that, he was unwilling to say even one more sentence.
The corners of Nie Siran’s mouth lifted, yet no smile showed in it. He ignored his reply entirely and said instead, “Then let this one make a guess. The one who came to assassinate you is connected with the earlier embezzlement case at the Daoist temple.”
Su Ruhe said nothing.
Nie Siran said, “What is this? Are Prince Li’s shadow guards no longer protecting you in secret?”
Su Ruhe picked at his fingers. Ignoring the pain coming from his neck, he said, “The matter entrusted to me by Prince Li has already been completed. Naturally, there is no longer any need for shadow guards.”
“Is that so?” Nie Siran stared at him. “Since the matter has already ended, why then did you encounter an assassination today?”
“Had I not followed you all along, even my own shadow guards could not have acted in time to save you. Do you know that tonight, it was very likely you would have died in this lane?”
Su Ruhe fell silent for a moment.
Su Ruhe said, “Those things need not trouble Young Master Nie’s concern. The night is already deep. Young Master Nie should return early.”
A cold laugh came from above his head.
Then the person before him moved.
Su Ruhe thought he meant to leave. Slowly, he raised his head. The next moment, however, a pair of hands reached toward him, and soft gauze was wound about his neck.
Only, it seemed that some anger had indeed stirred in the depths of this person’s heart, for the movements with which he wrapped the gauze were not gentle.
Su Ruhe gave a small hiss of pain. His brows drew together, and he raised a hand, meaning to stop him. “I will do it myself...”
Nie Siran looked down at him from above. “Can you see where the wound is?”
“...”
Su Ruhe quietly let him finish wrapping the gauze.
“Thank you.”
Nie Siran was about to step outside to wash his hands. A trace of medicinal powder still clung to them. Hearing the thanks from behind him, he turned back at once. “Does Vice Minister Su know only how to say thank you?”
Having said that, and without caring whether Su Ruhe would answer or not, he stepped outside.
There was a water vat in the courtyard. Listening to the sound of water outside, Su Ruhe hesitated at some length before rising and going out.
Standing upon the steps, he looked at that handsome back in the courtyard and asked the doubt in his heart. “Is Young Master Nie angry?”
Just now, he had clearly heard a faint edge of anger in his words.
Nie Siran lowered his eyes and wiped the moisture from his hands, his expression indifferent. “Why should I be angry? Vice Minister Su has never regarded me as a friend. I do not have the standing to be angry.”
Su Ruhe’s lips moved slightly, as though he had thought of something. Yet after the words turned once upon his tongue, he still swallowed them back down.
Behind him, it was quiet for a long while.
Only after a great pause did that familiar slow and measured voice speak. “Young Master Nie, walk slowly.”
“Su gongzi,” the bookboy said while helping Su Ruhe pack his luggage, then glanced out the door. “Young Master Nie has not come here in these past several days.”
Su Ruhe was gathering up clothes. He bent and set them into the trunk. The gauze at his neck had already been removed, and the wound had scabbed over, slowly healing.
The bookboy stole a glance at Su Ruhe. Several days had already passed, and no matter how dull he was, he could still tell that his gongzi and Young Master Nie had quarreled.
“The day after tomorrow I leave Ye Jing. At present there are many more matters to keep me busy. Is it not better that he does not come?” Su Ruhe handed him the bedding.
The bookboy neatly arranged the bedding into another large trunk, his words hesitant. “That may be so, yet it was not easy for Young Master to gain a friend...”
“Do not bring up those words again. Help me fetch those five paintings.”
The bookboy trotted into the inner room and carefully carried out the landscape paintings.
“Su gongzi, that flower lantern in your room has been there for several days now. Shall this servant throw it out?”
Su Ruhe paused for a moment, then said softly, “No need. Let it remain there.”
He instructed the bookboy, “Go to the street and sell these paintings to the owner of Bu Xian Xian. There is no need to negotiate. Fifteen taels will do.”
The bookboy was greatly startled. “Gongzi, when you first bought these paintings back then, they cost nearly sixty taels. How can they be sold so cheaply?”
“It matters little if the silver is less. Left with me, they are only a waste. Better to let someone who appreciates paintings buy them instead. Go quickly.”
Seeing that Su Ruhe had already made up his mind, and knowing there was no room left to turn the matter around, the bookboy puffed out his cheeks and went out to sell the paintings.
Half an hour later, the bookboy came running all the way back, one hand pressed over his money pouch, sweat covering his face and a smile hanging there as well. “Su gongzi, Su gongzi, the owner of Bu Xian Xian is truly a good man. I said I would sell them for fifteen taels, but he insisted I had priced them too low and forcibly gave me fifty taels.”
The bookboy happily pulled out the silver and set it all onto the table in one rush, delighted beyond measure.
Su Ruhe was sitting at the table balancing accounts. One hand held the brush. After hearing the bookboy’s words, he lowered his brows and pondered for a moment. As his thoughts turned, understanding came over him, and all at once he smiled and shook his head.
The matter of his transfer to Yan Cheng had not been publicly spoken of. There were only a few at court who knew of it, yet Prince Li would certainly know it at heart.
He had originally intended to give those paintings to the calligraphy and painting shop opened by the Prince Consort free of charge, yet he understood that the Prince Consort would surely not accept them. Thus he had planned to sell them off cheaply, but even that had not been permitted.
This silver was certainly the work of His Highness and the Prince Consort.
“Then let it be kept.”
He would accept this kindness, and in the future repay the Prince Consort in turn.
Cheerfully, the bookboy put the silver into the money box upon the table, muttering all the while, “With this sum of silver, after Su gongzi goes to Yan Cheng, life will be much easier there as well.”
“I am going to serve as Prefect, not into exile. From the sound of your words, it is as though once I arrive there, I shall not even be able to eat.” Rarely did Su Ruhe joke with him in this way.
The bookboy burst into giggles. “That cannot truly be said for certain. These years, Su gongzi has helped so many people, yet he himself has lived so plainly. This little servant truly fears that gongzi will not remember to look after himself.”
Su Ruhe smiled, then raised a hand to touch the bookboy’s head. “I have already returned your contract of sale to your mother. In the future, look after your mother and yourself well.”
The bookboy gripped his sleeve hard. Lowering his head, he held back the soreness in his nose and said, “Gongzi should not always treat this servant like a child. How long is gongzi going to remain in Yan Cheng? When Su gongzi returns, this servant will continue serving gongzi.”
“Likely... a number of years, I imagine.”
Outside, the sunlight blazed brilliantly. Su Ruhe’s words scattered through the dust in the light, like tiny motes of dust too small to notice, vanishing in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, the day of departure arrived.
Before dawn had yet broken, the lane was utterly quiet. Su Ruhe pushed open the door, a small bundle strapped across his back, and climbed into the shabby carriage waiting at the gate.
One carriage, one wooden trunk, and one bundle. That was all of his baggage.
The carriage driver urged the horse forward toward the mouth of the lane. Lifting the curtain, Su Ruhe cast one last look at Wutong Lane.
He left in silence, having informed no one. Once out of the city, the sky in the distance split open the dense black curtain of night, and daylight burst forth.
Yan Cheng lay to the east, far from Ye Jing. After the weariness of the long journey by cart and horse, when Su Ruhe finally reached Yan Cheng, he had grown another circle thinner. When he left, it had still been the burning heat of summer. Now, deep autumn had already arrived.
Everything at the Prefectural residence had already been prepared. The moment he arrived, he was able to move in directly.
The steward and servants of the residence had all been procured by the Registrar and the Merits Officer of the prefectural office. The Registrar was a man a little over forty years of age, surnamed Liu and named Shoutian. His face was square and dark, his build average, and he wore a beard and scholar’s cap, a typical literatus’s appearance. Yet because his features were stern and fierce, this appearance seemed somewhat strange.
Su Ruhe invited him into the residence and asked in detail about the situation in Yan Cheng.
Liu Shoutian answered with great care. “In reply to Your Excellency, Yan Cheng has altogether eight counties. The largest is Fuwan County, and the smallest is Chelin County... At present, all eight county magistrates are waiting in the prefectural office for Your Excellency’s summons.”
Su Ruhe asked, “Which county lies nearest to Yan Cheng?”
Liu Shoutian answered at once, “Your Excellency, the nearest is Yunmeng County.”
The two spoke for more than an hour. Su Ruhe personally escorted the man to the gate. “Later on, I trouble Master Liu to deliver me a copy of the list of subordinate officials. Walk slowly, Master.”
Liu Shoutian naturally assented. Before the prefectural office closed for the day, he specifically sought out the eight county magistrates.
“The Prefect has given orders. He asks that all of you rest well today and go to the Prefectural residence early tomorrow morning.”
One among them could not help but catch hold of Liu Shoutian, and there was much probing in his words. “Master Liu, what manner of person is this new prefect of ours? Is he easy to work with?”
Liu Shoutian tugged his sleeve back and answered in rigidly upright fashion, “All of you need not inquire. Once you go tomorrow, you will naturally know. This subordinate takes his leave first.”
“Very well, very well. Walk slowly, Master Liu.”
Once he had gone far away, the several county magistrates looked at one another.
One of them let out a snort. “That Liu Shoutian can do no more than remain a Merits Officer for his entire life. His head does not know how to turn. He is a pedantic Confucian to the core.”
“Indeed. It was only a matter of one sentence, yet he refused to say it. He always keeps that cold face, looking as though we owe him silver.”
The few of them indulged in a round of gossip and backbiting, venting some of the bitterness in their hearts, then turned and went back to their rooms.
The next day they all rose early. Unable to judge the temperament of this new Prefect, they did not dare put on airs and thus came to wait outside the gate of the Prefectural residence very early.
After waiting for about half an hour, the steward opened the gate and invited them inside.
They had come to this Prefectural residence many times before and knew the way as well as old horses. Quite a number of the precious flowers and plants in the residence had even been gifts from them. Yet at present, every one of them kept his head lowered and did not dare look around.
The group came to the front hall. At the servant’s announcement, the eight of them entered and properly knelt in greeting.
“This subordinate pays respects to Your Excellency.”
Su Ruhe did not look at them. His gaze rested upon the blooming wood hibiscus outside the hall, and his voice came out slow and unhurried. “This official has only just arrived. Should there be matters I do not understand, I will still need to seek your guidance. Rise and be seated.”
Hearing that voice, so unusually young, the magistrates were all startled inwardly.
As they rose from the ground and lifted their heads, they unexpectedly saw a handsome face, youthful and fair.
None of the eight had expected that the newly arrived Prefect would be so young.
Judging by his face, he seemed not yet even to have reached full adulthood.
At once, the hearts of several among them began drumming again.
At the same time, looking at this youth, green and upright like bamboo of emerald jade, they were unable to hold back their jealousy.
Some people schemed and struggled for an entire lifetime, only to become some trifling little county magistrate. Yet others seemed born already standing at the heights of power, rising step by step through smooth skies the moment they entered official life.
Su Ruhe paid no mind to the expressions on their faces. As a matter of routine, he asked after the situation in each county and came to a general understanding. They spoke the entire morning. When noon approached, the steward came in to say that the meal had been prepared and to invite the several magistrates to remain for lunch. Each of them found an excuse and departed.
At once, the steward looked toward the Prefect with a measure of worry.
Being advanced in years, he could tell that these shrewd and snobbish magistrates, seeing that the Prefect was young and seemingly easy to speak to, had grown contemptuous in heart. Already they no longer maintained the cautious posture they had worn upon arriving.
He was afraid, the steward thought, that this young superior was not going to be able to hold these slippery old hands in check.
Su Ruhe saw the concern in the steward’s eyes. He smiled and said nothing. Only after the meal did he say to the steward, “These past few days, after arriving in Yan Cheng, I have been busy with official matters the entire time. This afternoon, it is rare that I have some free leisure. I am going to walk about the city a little.”
The steward hurriedly said, “Your Excellency is unfamiliar with this place. This old one will find someone to accompany you.”
Su Ruhe waved a hand and declined. “No need. I will wander about by myself at will.”
He left the Prefectural residence alone. The autumn weather was cool and pleasant, and today the wind had risen as well. He had changed out of his official robes and wore ordinary clothing as he walked the streets without any fixed destination.
He walked about, observing the customs and local conditions that differed from those of Ye Jing. For a time, he was absorbed in what he saw. By the time he came back to himself, dusk had already settled along the horizon. Crimson clouds spread across the sky, and the fragrance of cooking drifted from all around.
Su Ruhe looked about him and could not help laughing. Without realizing it, he had walked into the commoners’ lanes.
Feeling somewhat thirsty, he found a house and knocked to ask for water. The one who opened the door was a woman. Seeing that he was handsome, and though his clothing was old it had still been washed clean, she smilingly brought him water.
“Young fellow, you are not from here, are you? I hear your accent, and it sounds as though you are from the north.” The woman was somewhat warmhearted and very easy in manner.
Su Ruhe took the bowl of water, thanked her, and casually gave an answer. “Mm, I came from the north. I heard that Yan Cheng has beautiful scenery and cheap goods, so I came to stay here a while.”
“Aiya, this place is not so good as you imagine. Do not look only at how lively it still seems now. Every year when the end of the year comes, people snatch for things as though it were war.” The woman poured out one complaint after another. “Let me tell you, we have just received a new Prefect here. No one knows how long he can last. They say he came down from court, and what we fear is that his airs will be even greater than those of the ones before him.”
Su Ruhe paused. A friendly smile appeared on his face. “What does Auntie mean by those words?”
The woman said, “Over these thirty years or so, Yan Cheng must have changed Prefects ten times or more. I do not remember the exact number, but every Prefect is transferred away very quickly. None of them remains here for long.”
Su Ruhe frowned.
Once the woman’s flood of words had been unleashed, she did not even need Su Ruhe to ask. She simply went on speaking by herself.
“You are from elsewhere and do not understand our situation here. Those officials all wish to achieve some measure of merit and claw upward, but in Yan Cheng, it is not easy for achievements to show themselves. It is, however, very easy for them to lose their black gauze hats.”
“Here, our wheat is harvested only once a year. When the end of the year comes around, there is simply not enough grain to eat. In winter it always snows too, crushing houses, and the price of grain rises terribly. When people have nothing to eat, they begin to seize and snatch. Aiya, the moment I speak of it, even I grow troubled.”
By the time she came to the end, the woman herself was already clutching her bowl and sighing long and deeply.
Su Ruhe listened in silence. After a good while, he bowed and took his leave.
“Ai, young fellow, how about staying to eat before you go?” Seeing that this young man had a kind face and a gentle temperament, the woman wished to keep him for a meal.
Su Ruhe shook his head, and, rarely, his eyes curved in a smile. “Thank you, Auntie. Today I still have some matters to attend to. I shall come visit another day.”
The woman smiled as she looked at him, and the more she looked, the more pleased she felt.
This young fellow was mild and courteous, and he spoke well too. At a glance, one could tell he was a scholar.
She caught hold of Su Ruhe’s arm and, with even greater warmth, asked, “Young fellow, are you already married?”
“Not yet.”
“Aiya, my niece from my mother’s family is seventeen this year. The more I look, the more I think the two of you have the look of husband and wife, so perhaps...”
The moment Su Ruhe heard that she meant to make a match, he hurriedly cut her off.
“I understand Auntie’s good intentions, but for the present I have no thoughts of establishing a family, so I had best not delay your niece.”
The woman still refused to give up. In the end, Su Ruhe had no choice but to steel himself and make up an excuse, then slip away.
By the time he finally returned to the Prefectural residence, he had only just stepped inside and was preparing to wash up when the steward came running over in a fluster.
“Your Excellency, Your Excellency, someone has struck the drum to cry injustice.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Thank you very much for everyone’s support. I will continue to work hard!
0 Comments