Author: Jiang Huaiyu
Source: Cangshu Yuan
Chapter 1
A BRIGHT MOON AND COOL BREEZE ON THE FIFTEENTH NIGHT,
TEN THOUSAND REJOICE WHILE ONE GRIEVES.
"On this full moon night of cool breeze and bright moon,
Ten thousand seek joy, while one is sorrowful."
On the shores of Changbi Lake, silence reigned on all sides, amidst dense groves of red osmanthus.
In the dead of night on a mid-autumn evening, the lake water shimmered, the moonlight dancing upon its depths. The red osmanthus wafted a sweet fragrance, and all around was dead silent.
Suddenly, the splashing of oars broke the tranquility of the Mid-Autumn night. A luxurious, splendidly decorated pleasure boat slowly glided in from the east. The boat was brilliantly lit, hung with colorful lanterns on all sides that illuminated the surrounding water and sky. At the bow of the boat stood a tea table. Seated there was a young gentleman in white, about sixteen or seventeen years old. He was exceptionally handsome, elegant and ethereal, possessing an extraordinary temperament and a majestic yet gentle demeanor. His attire was extremely luxurious and exquisite, revealing his incomparably noble status. An old man wearing a green robe and a formal headpiece sat beside him, dressed in neat, proper attire. The young gentleman gazed into the far distance, seemingly lost in thought.
The old man raised his cup of fragrant tea, took a sip, pondered for a moment, and then asked:
“What is Your Majesty thinking about?”
The young gentleman in white seemed to awaken from a dream. He let out a soft exclamation, then smiled and said:
“I am not thinking of anything. The scenery here is as beautiful as a painting, truly enchanting.”
Ripples creased the lake's surface, reflecting the shimmering golden moonlight. Around the shores, reeds and red osmanthus grew in abundance. All was quiet. A light boat glided across the water. Above was the moon, below was the boat. The scenery was like a painting. Hearing this, the old man felt even more worried. He sighed softly and said:
“It seems Your Majesty has something on your mind? If there is something troubling you, please speak of it, and your heart will be lighter.”
The young gentleman in white smiled faintly and said:
“I am fine! Sir, you need not worry so much!”
Seeing that the youth did not wish to speak, the old man did not ask further. As a subject, he could not pry too deeply into his sovereign's private matters. He slowly stood up, raised his head to look at the bright moon, exhaled softly, and began to chant in a low voice:
“Those who chase after fame and fortune
Bustle endlessly in the mortal world.
For what reason does the long Huai River
Flow eastward, never finding rest?”
The young gentleman in white chuckled and also chanted softly:
“Knowing that common stones can polish jade,
Do not ask how they might be refined to mend the heavens.”
The old man sighed and said:
“This old man is truly old now!”
The young gentleman in white smiled:
“Compared to Peng Zu, you are still very young,
And compared to Nanshan, you are but a youth.
Sir, your hands do not shake, your knees are not weary, your hair has not turned white, and your eyes are not dim. Why are you in such a hurry to declare yourself old!”
Before the old man could reply, a large, brilliantly lit ship suddenly came sailing straight toward them with the wind. This ship seemed to have no helmsman, rushing headlong to collide with their pleasure boat. The helmsman of the pleasure boat was evidently an experienced hand on the water. Without waiting for his master's orders, he immediately steered the boat aside to avoid it. Another crewman carrying a pole rushed to the bow, holding a bamboo pole, and shouted loudly:
“Hey, you over there! Open your eyes and look closely! What do you mean by letting your ship crash into ours?”
He shouted a few more times, but still heard no response from the large vessel. Yet, it kept hurtling straight toward them. Could it be a ghost ship, drifting along with no one at the helm? Or was everyone aboard already dead? In a panic, the man holding the pole quickly jabbed his bamboo pole against the large vessel to push his own boat away. Just then, a gentle breeze blew. Pushed hard by the pole, the large vessel veered to one side. The two boats grazed past each other, narrowly avoiding a collision. It was an incredibly close call.
The man with the pole barked angrily:
“Are you all dead over there? How could you let your boat drift blindly like this?”
There was still no response from the other vessel. On the pleasure boat, the young master in white remained seated quietly, while the old man in the long robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the dangerous near-miss that had just unfolded. Both remained perfectly calm, showing not the slightest hint of panic.
Seeing that the other vessel had almost crashed into their pleasure boat yet the other party still ignored them as if nothing had happened—with no one showing their face and no voice responding—the man with the bamboo pole lost his patience. He bellowed:
“Hey! Are you all dead or what?”
Despite his loud shouting, there was still no reply from the other boat. Changbi Lake spanned thousands of acres, surrounded on all sides by dense reeds taller than a man. The large, two-masted vessel was now drifting at an angle into the reeds. The old man on the pleasure boat felt a stir of curiosity and wondered to himself:
“It seems there is no one at the helm of that vessel. But could it really be that there is not a single soul aboard? Why, then, are the lamps inside still burning so brightly, as if someone were there?”
Deeply intrigued, he ordered the boatman to steer closer to investigate. The young master in white seemed as if he wanted to stop him, but for some reason, he remained silent. The pleasure boat drew close to the reeds, pulling up alongside the large vessel. The old man in the long robe stared at the lights inside the other boat, listening intently for any sound for a moment, before turning to the man with the pole:
“There is something strange about that vessel! Go over and take a look!”
The man with the pole bowed in obedience, set down his bamboo pole, and leaped onto the other vessel. His movements were incredibly agile, clearly marking him as a first-rate martial artist of the jianghu. It was surprising that someone of his caliber was serving merely as a boatman—a testament to the saying that hidden dragons and crouching tigers were everywhere. With his hands clasped behind his back, the old man gazed at the moon, lost in thought. Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out. Frowning slightly, the old man lifted his long robe and leaped across. Everyone else on the pleasure boat turned to look as well.
The moment the old man set foot inside the cabin, a sudden gust of wind blew into his face, carrying a pungent, metallic stench—unmistakably the smell of fresh blood. It appeared a bloody massacre had just taken place here. Stopping immediately at the cabin door, he cleared his throat and asked:
“Is anyone inside?”
The man with the pole rushed out from the stern and said:
“Chief Manager, please come inside and take a look.”
The old man nodded slightly and stepped fully inside. Standing in the middle of the cabin, he scanned his surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes caught a gold tassel tied to the hilt of a sword, fluttering in the wind. A longsword had impaled a richly dressed man, piercing straight through his chest and out his back. The tip of the blade was driven deep into the wooden wall, buried all the way to the hilt. It was clear that the strike had been delivered with immense force.
Under the bright firelight, the old man could clearly see the other person leaning slightly to one side. This person was still young, his face pale, yet it did not diminish his noble bearing and handsome, refined features. The old man let out a soft sigh. The pole-wielding man stood respectfully behind him.
Inside the spacious cabin, which was as large as a room and luxuriously decorated, a horrific tragedy had unfolded. Tables were overturned, chairs toppled, and blood splattered everywhere. Near the center of the cabin, a middle-aged man lay face down on the floor, his head shattered. Another man lay sprawled beside him, his chest crushed and blood seeping from his seven orifices, having drawn his last breath long ago. The old man frowned slightly, let out a soft sigh, and muttered:
“What a truly horrific sight!”
The old man swept his gaze around and spotted a long-bearded man in black standing behind the cabin door. His legs were straight, and his ten fingertips were dug deep into the wooden paneling. At first glance, he looked as though he were merely leaning against the wall, but upon closer inspection, he had long since stopped breathing, his body already stiff. Because his fingertips were embedded so deeply in the wood, the corpse did not fall. There were no visible wounds on his body, but blood still seeped continuously from his nose and mouth. It appeared he had been struck by an incredibly powerful palm force that ruptured his meridians and shattered his internal organs, killing him.
The bright light shining upon the corpses, each in a different state of death, painted a truly gruesome picture.
The old man bent down to examine each corpse thoroughly. When he reached the youth in splendid attire, a look of astonishment crossed his face. Though a sword had pierced completely through the youth's body and pinned him to the cabin wall, his heart was still beating weakly. He quickly ordered the pole-wielding man to carry the youth over to their pleasure boat. The sight of blood spilled in the dead of night, with the cold wind howling through the windows, sent a shiver through the heart of even this exceptionally brave old man. He shook his head, let out a soft sigh, and slowly stepped out of the cabin, intending to return to his own vessel.
Suddenly, a faint groan seemed to echo from a corner of the cabin. Possessing incredibly sharp hearing, the old man caught the soft sound and froze in his tracks. He slowly backed up, his eyes scanning the room. The gruesome sight of the corpses grew more unsettling the longer he looked. Hearing nothing further, he began to think he had misheard.
Finding nothing unusual, he was about to turn back to his boat when the faint groan rose once more. This time, it was much clearer. He could tell it was the groan of someone gravely injured, clinging to their last breath. He hesitated for a moment, but then a look of determination flashed in his eyes, and he muttered to himself:
“This person is on the brink of death. How can I just stand by and not save them?”
With that, he stepped back into the cabin. Straining his eyes to peer into the shadows of the corner, he spotted a young girl in a green dress curled up on the floor. Her long hair was tangled and disheveled, her body covered in blood, and her upper torso leaned weakly against the wooden wall. A sudden wave of pity washed over the old man. He turned and walked out of the cabin to call for help from his boat. Immediately, two agile men hurried over.
The old man removed a door panel from the cabin, carrying the injured young woman and laying her upon it. Under the firelight, he could clearly see her pale face and half-closed eyes. Fresh blood soaked more than half of the clothes she wore. Suddenly, she opened her eyes to look at him once, then immediately closed them tight, her expression peaceful. Perhaps, seeing that she was saved, her mind was put at ease; yet it was precisely because of this that the mental and physical strength she had used to fight her severe injuries gave way all at once, causing her to faint again. Two burly men quickly carried her over to the pleasure boat.
The old man turned to leave the cabin, flicking his hand lightly to tip over the oil lamp. By the time he returned to the pleasure boat, thick smoke was already billowing from the large two-masted ship, and flames flickered through the windows, bursting outward. At this moment, the night wind picked up, blowing quite strongly and causing the fire to spread rapidly.
Seeing the fire raging so fiercely, the old man barked in a deep voice:
“Row the boat away, quickly!”
The boatmen hurriedly set their oars to work, rowing with all their might. Under the strength of these first-class masters, the pleasure boat shot forward, escaping the smoke and flames. Once they were far away, everyone looked back to see the other ship engulfed in towering flames. The fire had even spread to the surrounding reed bed, burning a large swath of it to ashes. The young master in white looked at the old man and said softly:
“This fire is your doing, Elder!”
The old man nodded and said:
“Such a tragic scene is heartbreaking; it was best not to leave it behind. But this old man did not expect the night wind to suddenly pick up, causing the fire to spread. Truly, man proposes, Heaven disposes! Heaven's will is indeed unpredictable!”
The young master in white shook his head slightly, saying nothing. The old man looked at him and said:
“Though they are severely injured, they still have a spark of life left. I beg my Lord to extend your hand and save them.”
The young master in white nodded slightly, but kept his eyes fixed on the burning ship for a moment longer before quietly entering the cabin. The old man also hurriedly followed behind.
After the young woman in green fainted, she lost all sensation. She only felt as if her body were floating on the clouds, drifting away, further and further. The scenery was as illusory as a dream. She was terrified. She still had important matters to attend to. She still had a family feud to avenge. She did not want to die yet. She feared this dream would last forever, and she would never wake up again.
A long time later, she suddenly felt a cool breeze gently caressing her skin, bringing a refreshing, ethereal sensation.
Then, before her eyes, a picturesque landscape of mountains and rivers appeared, and a gust of wind gently carried her down onto a lush green lawn. The cool breeze and singing birds lulled her slowly into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, she realized she was lying in a luxurious room with a very elegant layout. The bed was made of zitan wood, draped with shimmering pearl curtains and jade screens. Around the room hung several landscape paintings. In the left corner hung a palace lantern with a white silk shade. The lamp did not use a candle; instead, it was set with a massive precious pearl that emitted a shimmering glow. At first glance of the scene before her, she knew immediately that she was in the residence of a noble and powerful figure. She was both relieved and anxious—relieved that she had not died, but anxious because she was in a stranger's house, not knowing what the future would hold.
Suddenly, her eyes caught a flash of light. The pearl curtain was drawn aside. A young woman dressed in yellow palace attire, possessing an elegant bearing and looking as beautiful as jade, stepped lightly inside. Seeing her, even the young woman in green could not help but feel a secret pang of envy.
The young woman in palace attire, holding a basin of water in her hands, gently walked over to the bedside. With a faint smile playing on her lips, she spoke:
"Congratulations on waking up, young miss. You must be hungry. A meal has been prepared. Please wash your face and then have your meal."
As she spoke, she placed the basin on the small table beside the bed. The basin was carved from a single block of pure white jade, filled with crystal-clear water that gave off a faint, refreshing fragrance.
The young woman in green sat up, let out a soft sigh, and said hesitantly:
"Elder Sister, I was saved from the brink of death but have not yet had the chance to pay my respects and express my gratitude. I truly feel deeply apologetic."
The young woman in palace attire smiled and said:
"There is no need for thanks, young miss. The world is ever-changing, and fortune and misfortune are unpredictable. Who in the jianghu does not encounter times of peril? Please rest at ease so that you may recover quickly."
The young woman in green asked:
"I have not yet had the chance to ask for your esteemed name, Elder Sister."
The young woman in palace attire smiled and said:
"I am merely a maid serving the Master. My name is not worth mentioning."
The young woman in green quickly said:
"You are far too modest, Elder Sister. If you do not wish to say, then I will not dare to pry."
The young woman in palace attire smiled and said:
"The Master usually calls me Mai'er. You may call me that as well, young miss."
The young woman in green said sorrowfully:
"I wouldn't dare! My name is Li Ruohong. Please do not call me 'young miss' anymore, Sister Mai. My parents were harmed by wicked people and have both passed away. I am now left all alone, wandering the jianghu with no one to rely on. Everyone wants to bully me; no one has treated me as kindly as you have, Sister Mai."
The young woman in palace attire gently comforted her:
"Very well! I shall call you Hong'er then. Do not be sad anymore, Hong'er. If you have no other relatives, I will ask the Master to let you stay with us. I assure you, no one will dare to bully you. Whether they are jianghu masters, princes, nobles, generals, or ministers, they must all behave themselves when they come here."
Li Ruohong said:
"Thank you, Elder Sister. May I ask what place this is? And who is the Master? I would very much like to meet him to express my gratitude for saving my life."
The young woman in palace attire said:
"The Master's surname is Bai. As for this place, it is called Changbi Manor. Currently, the Master has some matters to attend to and has gone out with Head Steward Ouyang. They will return in a few days."
Seeing Li Ruohong still sitting dazed on the bed, she quickly urged her:
"Hong'er, quickly wash your face and come out to eat."
With that, she turned and left the room. Li Ruohong quickly washed her face and ran after her. Outside, an extremely sumptuous feast had been prepared. Li Ruohong had never seen such a luxurious meal in her life. The dishes were all delicacies of the mountains and seas, exquisitely prepared and incredibly delicious. Since she was starving, she devoured everything on the table ravenously. Only after she finished and looked at the empty dishes did she suddenly feel a wave of embarrassment. This was truly "eating like a tiger" rather than "eating like a cat." How embarrassing! Fortunately, there were no outsiders around. Otherwise, if a stranger had seen her, she would have died of embarrassment. Still, she had to admit that this was the most delicious meal she had ever eaten in her life.
Thus, Li Ruohong temporarily stayed at Changbi Manor to rest and recover from her injuries, while waiting for the Master of the manor to return so she could express her gratitude. She was someone who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges, and she felt deeply grateful to the person who had saved her life.