It is a Straight Road - Volume 1 - Chapter 1.14

Zhou Wen Wu enters the hall and sees Xu Zhi watching a song and dance performance entitled “Flying Fairy”. This is the umpteenth time she has seen the performance and although she shows no sign that she is tired of watching the same thing over and over again, Zhou Wen has seen through her disinterest.  Over the past month, he has come to realize that beyond her scholarly pursuits, she has little interest in how she dresses, what she eats, what she watches, etc. Her schedule, in fact, her whole life, is arranged by her assistants and had they not been nobles once upon a time, would Xu Zhi’s dressing and lifestyle follow that of a commoner?

Zhou Wen Wu commands the musicians to halt the performance and they put down their instruments obediently. When Xu Zhi looks at him, he shrugs. “This music is making me sleepy.”

”Oh…” Xu Zhi has no objections and after a minute, she turns to look at the lead performer, Yun Qing. “If that is the case, can you sing me a Xi Xuan love song?”

The whole hall falls silent and Yun Qing lowers his eyes. “Yes.”

“Can you sing the song with feeling? I have always wondered at the difference between a love song sang with feeling versus a love song sang without feelings.”

Yun Qing looks at her but has no idea what she is trying to do. “If that is the case, I will need to invite Da Gu Niang to come to the centre of the stage.”

As she passes a fuming Zhou Wen Wu, the latter remarks coldly. “Xu Zhi, do you know what are Xi Xuan love songs meant for?”

“Of course I do.”

As he digests her answer which imply that she sees no special meaning in his kisses, Xu Zhi has moved to the stage centre. “I’m ready. Please start.”

Yun Qing shots Zhou Wen Wu a discrete look before starting to sing. When he has finished, Xu Zhi  has a question for him. “Is this love song sang without feelings?”

“Yes.” Yun Qing bites his lip to keep his patience and tries another track to find out what she is angling for. “Would you like me to sing you a love song with feelings next?”

“Yes, please sing me an emotion-packed song.”

Jiang Jiu happens to be passing by the hall and hears Yun Qing’s melodious voice. “My shoulders are broad and sturdy, my maiden, are you willing to lean on me? My body is muscled and strong, my maiden, are you willing to touch?”

Yun Qing circles around Xu Zhi as he sings; all the while looking at her with eyes filled with longing. It is hard to imagine how any woman can resist his request and when Zhou Wen Wu sees that Xu Zhi’s eyes are gleaming, he cannot take it anymore and overturns the table in front of him. “Xu Zhi, are you really going to let a minstrel finish singing the song to you? Do you know how sacred our love song is to Xi Xuan people?”

Xu Zhi is about to praise Yun Qing for his wonderful performance but she swallowed the words which are at the tip of her tongue. She can feel the emotions and is amazed at Yun Qing’s talent. Unlike what Zhou Wen Wu fears, she is unaffected by Yun Qing’s so-called love declaration. After all, they have only met a handful of times prior to this and there is no way she can believe that Yun Qing has fallen for her. Given that he does not love her and yet can inject such emotions into his voice…

Zhou Wen Wu and Jiang Jiu look on in shock as Xu Zhi suddenly grabs Yun Qing’s hands in both of hers. “You are so wonderful! I have never imagine that the same song by the same singer to the same audience can sound so different! So this is a true Xi Xuan love song? If so, any woman who hears it will surely be moved…”

Zhou Wen Wu narrows his eyes dangerously while Yun Qing wonders if he should laugh or cry. Before he can do either, Xu Zhi smiles at him warmly and continues. “Frankly, I cannot tell the difference before today….”

Jiang Jiu wants to control the situation before it goes out of hand. He steps into the hall and is about to suggest Xu Zhi to reward the performers before dismissing them, when he hears her next words. “You are so talented. Have you considered becoming a scholar?”

Yun Qing’s mind turns blank and Jiang Jiu quickly steps forward to help. “Da Gu Niang, he is a former nobleman whose surname is Wei. Do you remember him?”

“No. Does it mean anything?”

“It is understandable if Da Gu Niang does not remember the Weis. They were punished a few years back and decreed to become musicians for life. I am afraid…”

“So what if there is a royal decree to condemn them to remain musicians for life?” Xu Zhi is unconcerned. “There are no boundaries in the realm of knowledge and look at Yan San if you need an example. Who cares if he is a lowly person from Nan Ling…” She trails off when Yun Qing grips her hand tightly and she studies him intently. Is this man trying to contain his inner excitement?

Jiang Jiu continues with a practical question. “Do you think His Majesty will agree to his change in status?” He turns towards Yun Qing and his next words are meant for all to hear although it is addressed at him. “Yun Qing, I know you like to dance, sing and compose. You are incredibly talented and can choreograph the most complicated dances and arrange different type of melodies. You may be unparalleled across the land in arena of music, but are you keen to become a scholar?”

Yun Qing looks at him and hearing the hint beneath his speech, he suddenly kneels down before Xu Zhi and performs a full courtly bow. “I entreat Da Gu Niang to help fulfill my dream of becoming a scholar. In return Wei Yun Qing will gladly repay you in this life and next.”

*******

The third floor of Zui Jiu Lou is reserved and the normally exclusive room becomes totally inaccessible to all who wishes to enter.

“So you mean to say that Xu Zhi will be leaving Xi Xuan after the Hunting Festival?”

“Yes.”

It has started to drizzle and Zhou Wen Cheng looks at the street below him that is dotted with people holding umbrellas over their heads paper. When he spotted a scholar hurrying down the street, he sighs. “The capital of Xi Xuan probably boast of the most number of scholars in the land and it is Zhen (Emperor’s way of saying “I”) wish that Xu Zhi can recover soon and continue to bring glory to our land. Besides being my prized subject, we are also friends on a personal level, and had it not been for the Hunting Festival, I would grant her request to leave immediately.” Unfortunately, the Hunting Festival is a major festival in the Xi Xuan calendar and he needs her to be present for the opening ceremony, least her absence triggers any unnecessary speculation on her well-being, especially among the scholars.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Did the Tu Yue troupe people really agree to bring you there?”

“Yes” Jiang Jiu replies respectfully. “I have tested them many times and they do not appear to be lying.   Besides releasing them from prison, I have also befriended them and shown them our culture. They seem like a simple folks who are happy to put the unhappy past behind and this trip does not look like a trap.”

Zhou Wen Cheng pauses and looks at Zhi Jin Wu who is standing at a corner. “How did Ting Wei react to this?”

Like everyone else in the room, Zhi Jin Wu is dressed in commoner’s clothing for this meeting to avoid unnecessary attention although his customary big knife is beside him as always. “Ting Wei may not have come to see Xu Zhi in person, but he has written to her and sent his men several times to request that she release the prisoners to him.”

“Hmm, so Ting Wei is no longer willing to even see her? What is the content of his letter?”

Jiang Jiu is the one who answers. “Da Gu Niang tore and threw away the letter after reading it. She said that Ting Wei is writing to let her admire his calligraphy and there is nothing else to it.”

Zhou Wen Cheng nearly laughed out loud. “I thought Xu Zhi never lies? So she can also utter untruths if she is annoyed enough? But then again, Ting Wei is probably the only person in Xi Xuan who dares to oppose her. Did any of you see the letter by Ting Wei?”

At the ensuing silence, Zhou Wen Cheng continues. “I forgot. Your upbringing would have prevented you from peeking. No matter, Ting Wei is my trusted aid and I trust what he is doing. Ting Wei is excellent at calligraphy and Xu Zhi probably said what she said because she admires his talent, even if Ting Wei is a pain in the butt to her. Do you know that she has once publicly suggest for Ting Wei to become a scholar? But he ignored her completely that time which is why I know he is absolutely loyal to Zhen. Speaking of which, what happened to Yun Qing?”

At another corner of the room, Jiu Xing swallows his surprise at the well-informed Majesty. From what he understand, this is a regular monthly meeting between Jiang Jiu and His Majesty, and if the latter already knows about Yun Qing prior to the meeting, that means he has other eyes and ears in the residence….

Jiang Jiu kneels to the floor and begs forgiveness for neglecting to monitor Yun Qing properly but Zhou Wen Cheng did not fault him for Yun Qing’s change to become a scholar and credits the turn of events to coincidence. “Xu Zhi is not a scheming woman and had she not requested Yun Qing to sing her a love song, all this would not have happened. Perhaps this is all predestined. Speaking of Yun Qing, I recall that you tow used to be good friends before he was banished to be a musician? I seem to recall that you used to look out for him so that he can focus on his beloved music.”

When Jiang Jiu remains silent, Zhou Wen Cheng waves his hand and advises him not to dwell on the past. “You have done your best. Ever since you have chosen to become Xu Zhi’s personnel assistant instead of passing the role to him, being a musician is the only choice open to him. As for his subsequent entry into the Xu Residence….”

Zhou Wen Cheng looks at Jiang Jiu as if to ascertain the coincidence but Jiang Jiu appears unaffected by the loaded silence. “Had I known that he would end up in the Xu Residence, your guilty subject here would not have been so harsh towards him all those years ago, which is causing all the awkwardness now whenever we meet.”

Convinced that the friendship has ended between Jiang Jiu and Yun Qing, Zhou Wen Cheng turns sympathetic. “It has been hard on you. But rest assured that Zhen will help repair your strained relations. If Wei agrees to become a Xi Xuan scholar for the rest of his life, I’ll retract the decree to keep him as a minstrel.”

Jiang Jiu does not exhibit any joy and mutters respectfully. “Thank you Your Majesty, for your benevolence.”

In his corner, Xiu Xing quietly observes the drama. Once Wei Yun Qing is accredited by other scholars and joins their rank as a scholar, he will be considered an international citizen so his status will cease to matter. His Majesty knows this, so his “benevolence” now is really to ensure that Wei Qing Yun remains in Xi Xuan after becoming a scholar so that he can benefit Xi Xuan? At the end of the day, his “benevolence” is really more about his own gain.

Sometimes, he rather dislikes his own intelligence for destroying many illusions…

“Jiu Xing.”

The mention of his name jots him back to the present. “Your guilty subject is here.”

“How is Da Gu Niang’s harem’s man?”

Jiu Xing wishes he can catch Jiang Jiu’s eye to clue him on what to tell, but he knows that he will be found out if he tries to do so. Just when he is hesitating to blurt out that Xu Zhi has slept with the prince, or the latter has slept with her, depending on how you view things, the sound of footsteps sounded and Tong Mo enters the room.

“Perhaps I have asked the wrong person.” drones Zhou Wen Cheng. “Jiu Xing is a man afternall and may not be too aware of the going-ons in a lady’s bedchamber. Do learn the ropes from Jiang Jiu, Zhen has high expectations of you.”

Once Tong Mo has paid her respects, she starts to sign which Jiang Jiu helps to verbalize. “Da Gu Niang views Master Zhou as her bedmate and has trained him well for his new role.”

“Oh?” Zhou Wen Cheng is surprised at Xu Zhi’s daring and voices his next question. “Is Zhou Wen Wu so obsessed with Xu Da that he is looking at Xu Zhi as a substitute? And Xu Zhi, does she only view Zhou Wen Wu as someone to warm her bed?”

He is not alone on the question. Jiang Jiu remembers his surprise when he first heard that Zhou Wen Wu has spent the night with Xu Zhi. Xu Zhi actually likes man like Zhou Wen Wu? This is contradicting to what Zai Lin told him when he first joined the household, that their mistress like her men to be quiet and unassuming, and never to take things into their own hands.

Still, he need to narrate what Tong Mo signs about the going-on between the pair, As he goes on and on, Jiu Xing can feel the goose pimples popping up on his scalp. No wonder Xu Zhi has said before that neither Jiang Jiu, Tong Mo, nor him will ever overstep their boundaries! She has probably known all along that none of the people around her are really loyal to her.

As for them – the people around Xu Zhi – so long as they do what His Majesty bidding, they will be rewarded with their lost nobility when their time is up. Jiu Xing looses track of the conversation and stares blankly at the eunuch besides Zhou Wen Cheng. Eh? Why does he look familiar?

After the meeting has ended and Zhou Wen Cheng left, Jiu Xing mentioned to Jiang Jiu that he has seen Bai Hua talking to the eunuch who was standing beside His Majesty at day when Xu Zhi was kidnapped at the clinic.

Jiang Jiu turns to Tong Mo. “Is His Majesty distrustful of us and has roped in Bai Hua? But she is from Nan Ling, and he dares trust someone from another country?”

After exchanging meaningful looks, Jiang Jiu turns to Jiu Xing. “Do you feel that we are being disloyal to Da Gu Niang? There is no need for the guilt you know. She probably knows all along what was going on and if she doesn’t mind, why should you? Just focus on taking care of her needs and the rest will work out. Your main task on hand, in fact, is to plan her safe journey to the mountain that Yi Lang mentioned.”

“Jiang Jiu, what if we reach there and find no one who can treat Da Gu Niang?”

Jiang Jiu turns solemn. “I have asked in many, many ways. The two fellows insist that their people have never left the mountain for as long as he can remember. And their medical practice is similar to the practices in Wei in some ways, yet different in others. Jiu Xing, do you know what does this mean?”

“What does this mean?”

“It means that since the founding of Wei, there have been divergences from the original treatment methods. Some methods could have been lost or forgotten, and that is exactly I’m gambling on. There could be some lost treatment method in the mountains that can make a difference. If not…” Jiang Jiu’s eyes take on a feral gleam that is telling of the violent genes of Xi Xuan people. “If not, then they can only themselves to blame for luring wolves into their lair.”