In the depths of the night, Zuo Canglang was fast asleep when she suddenly heard a voice calling by her ear, "General? General?"
Zuo Canglang opened her eyes to the familiar sight of Nanqing Palace. It took her a moment to recognize the voice. "Yuan Xi, is that you?" As she spoke, she pulled back the brocade curtains. Sure enough, Yuan Xi was kneeling outside. Zuo Canglang asked, "Why are you here?"
Yuan Xi kept his head bowed. "I am passing through this place and came specifically to bid the General farewell."
Zuo Canglang said, "Weren't you already at Yuhou Pass? How could you be passing through Jinyang?"
Yuan Xi remained silent. Zuo Canglang leaned closer and suddenly asked, "Yuan Xi, why can't I see your face clearly?"
Yuan Xi still kept his head lowered. "My features are coarse and unsightly; I fear I might frighten the General."
Zuo Canglang laughed. "Is there any part of your face I haven't seen before?"
Yuan Xi said, "Time is short. General, I must go."
Zuo Canglang asked, "It's the middle of the night, where are you going?"
Yuan Xi did not answer. He simply stood up, turned, and walked out of Nanqing Palace. Zuo Canglang threw on a robe and followed him out. "It's still snowing, where are you going?"
He did not look back, and his figure soon vanished into the wind and snow. A gust of cold wind blew past, and Zuo Canglang opened her eyes, realizing it had all been a dream. The window was not tightly shut, and the wind seeping in made her heart uneasy. Her pulse was racing, and she found she could no longer sleep. She rose and dressed, still feeling unsettled. After some thought, she wrote a note and sent it to Daxi Qin’s manor via a gyrfalcon.
Daxi Qin seemed to be awake as well. About half an hour later, the gyrfalcon returned with his reply: "I am personally overseeing the provisions and military equipment for this campaign. I will do my utmost; please rest easy, General."
Zuo Canglang burned the note and sat by her desk until dawn.
On the third day of the second month, news arrived from Yuhou Pass. Yuan Xi and his men had been utterly defeated by the Tuhe at Ilu Mountain. Yuan Xi had fallen in battle, and the forty thousand soldiers under his command had been completely annihilated. Zhou Xin had rushed to provide aid, but he only managed to recover the bodies of Yuan Xi and Zhuge Jin.
Following the battle, Zheng Chu submitted his resignation, taking the blame and requesting to return to his hometown. Murong Yan granted his request and ordered the construction of ancestral shrines in Jinyang for Yuan Xi, Zhuge Jin, and Wen Qi, decreeing that they be honored with eternal sacrifices.
On the twentieth day of the second month, the coffins of Yuan Xi and Zhuge Jin were transported back to Jinyang. Murong Yan dispatched Zhou Xin and Zuo Canglang to the East Gate to receive them. They walked as far as Yurang Bridge. Zhou Xin kept his head low the entire time. After a long silence, he said, "It is all my fault. I knew General Yuan and the others were unfamiliar with the terrain of Yuhou Pass. If I had only..."
He looked up and realized Zuo Canglang was not looking at him, causing his words to trail off. Zuo Canglang walked forward a few steps to the edge of the Washing Sword Pool, watching the mist rise from the water.
Zhou Xin called out, "Ah-Zuo?"
Zuo Canglang looked down, seeing her own reflection shimmering faintly in the water. She said, "After I left Jinyang, I stayed at Ilu Mountain for over a year." Zhou Xin froze. Without turning back, she continued to herself, "In that year, I had many dealings with the Tuhe. I know their combat strength very well."
Zhou Xin’s expression changed. "What do you mean by that?"
Only then did Zuo Canglang look up. Her eyes were bloodshot, yet her expression remained gentle and calm. She said, "Exactly what I said."
Zhou Xin asked, "Are you suspecting there was another reason for General Yuan’s death?"
Zuo Canglang replied, "Since the Great Marshal went to their rescue, you surely know better than I. Was there another reason for their deaths?"
Zhou Xin said, "They... they died at the hands of the Tuhe."
Zuo Canglang said, "Then that is that. Even if I trust no one else, the Great Marshal’s words cannot be false."
Zhou Xin lowered his head. After a long while, he said, "Ah-Zuo, let this matter end here. I will personally oversee the compensation for every one of the fallen brothers' families." *Please, I beg you, do not get involved any further. I truly do not want to experience that kind of heart-wrenching pain again.*
Zuo Canglang looked down again, staring at the pool. A breeze passed, and the ripples distorted her reflection. She said, "I shall trouble the Great Marshal then."
They waited until noon when the coffins of the fallen soldiers finally arrived. The wailing of the relatives grew sharp and piercing. Zhou Xin said, "General? Shall we go over and look?"
Zuo Canglang said, "I currently hold no military rank and am ignorant of the details of this battle. It is better if the Great Marshal goes."
Zhou Xin was uneasy and reluctant to leave. "You..." Zuo Canglang turned back and saw him hesitating. She said, "It is said that this Washing Sword Pool was where the founding monarch of Yan, Murong Qi, and Great General Wen Li once washed their blades together. But tell me, back then, did Murong Qi and Wen Li do it for personal ambition, or truly for the people of Yan? This power and the human heart... in the end, they only leave one disheartened, turning hot blood into cold ash."
Zhou Xin’s face paled. "Ah-Zuo! Watch your words!"
Zuo Canglang gave a faint smile. She reached back, unslung the divine bow, Nine Dragon Tongue, and tossed it away. With a soft splash, the divine bow entered the water and vanished in an instant. Zhou Xin exclaimed, "Ah-Zuo, the Nine Dragon Tongue was a gift from His Majesty! How can you discard it so carelessly?"
Zuo Canglang stood up, watching the ripples finally fade into nothingness. "A divine weapon possesses a soul; it should follow the clear currents. Why should it stay with me to be covered in dust, its prestige squandered in vain?"
She turned and walked toward the coffins of Yuan Xi and the others.
Together with Zhou Xin, Zuo Canglang escorted the coffins into the city. Zhou Xin naturally had to comfort the families of the fallen. Zuo Canglang did not stay long. As she stepped out of the Yuan residence, Weiwei was waiting outside. "General, shall we return to the palace?"
Zuo Canglang bent over, clutching her chest. "Weiwei, my chest hurts so much."
Weiwei grew frantic. "What’s wrong? I’ll take you to see a physician!"
Zuo Canglang said, "Go to Deyi Hall and see if Jiang Xing is still there."
Weiwei was the type to act before thinking. She agreed immediately and hurried off. Only after she had walked down the street did she suddenly realize—she had left the General alone on the main road! She quickly turned back to look, but Zuo Canglang was already gone.
The streets and alleys of Jinyang seemed unchanged over the years. Zuo Canglang raised her hand and knocked on a door. Before long, the door opened, revealing a young girl's face. Seeing a stranger, she asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Zuo Canglang studied her slowly. "Miss Wei Bing'er."
Upon hearing that name, the girl’s expression shifted instantly. She asked warily, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
Zuo Canglang walked inside slowly. *What an innocent and simple girl,* she thought. Just by looking at her wariness, Zuo Canglang knew her guess was correct. This was indeed Wei Tongyao’s daughter. She asked, "You have been in Jinyang for so many years; have you lived here the whole time? Did Xia Chang not make other arrangements?"
Wei Bing'er closed the door. "Who exactly are you?"
Zuo Canglang did not answer, only asking, "Do you truly wish to avenge your father?"
Wei Bing'er looked into her eyes. "Do you want to help me?"
Zuo Canglang said, "Answer me first. Do you truly wish to avenge your father?"
Wei Bing'er said, "That is the sole purpose of my existence."
Zuo Canglang said, "It will require a great price. Do you not mind?"
Wei Bing'er said, "Even if it costs me my life."
Zuo Canglang said, "In a few days, a group of palace maids will be selected to enter the palace. Your age is just right."
"You want me to enter the palace?" Wei Bing'er looked at her with suspicion. "Who are you?"
Zuo Canglang said nothing, simply turning and walking out of the old residence.
That night, Murong Yan summoned Zhou Xin. "How are the matters being handled?"
Zhou Xin knelt on one knee. "All compensations have been distributed. The families of General Yuan and General Zhuge have chosen auspicious dates for their burials."
Murong Yan asked, "Are there any rumors or idle talk?"
Zhou Xin lowered his head. "To answer Your Majesty, there are none."
Murong Yan stared at him and finally asked, "And her?"
Zhou Xin knew exactly who he meant. "Ah-Zuo has said nothing either."
Murong Yan said, "Nothing? If she has nothing to say, how does she dare to sink the Nine Dragon Tongue I bestowed upon her into the Washing Sword Pool?"
Zhou Xin finally looked up. "Your Majesty, of the three young lords and the two of us, Feng Ping and myself, who followed Your Majesty back then, only Ah-Zuo and I remain. Does Your Majesty intend to... even her..." His eyes filled with tears, and his voice choked with emotion.
Murong Yan said, "Rise. After all these years, do you still not know how I feel about her?" Only then did Zhou Xin stand. Murong Yan thought for a while and said, "Tomorrow, send a few men to the Washing Sword Pool to retrieve the bow and return it to her. In ancient times, there was a man who marked his boat to find a lost sword; though it was foolish, today, I shall emulate him once."
Zhou Xin bowed. "Yes."
However, though Zhou Xin searched the Washing Sword Pool for two months, he never found the bow again. Perhaps the divine weapon truly possessed a soul and had followed the clear currents away.
Murong Yan did not visit Nanqing Palace for two months. One night, driven by some inexplicable impulse, he finally went. At the table, Zuo Canglang offered him a cup of wine, but he did not take it. Wang Yunzhao noticed this and quickly stepped forward to take the cup, placing it before Murong Yan. Yet, from beginning to end, he never touched the wine. He understood Zuo Canglang’s nature very well; she could be submissive and compromise for the sake of the whole, but she was also incredibly stubborn. She would not yield so easily.
Therefore... even if it was wine she offered, he could not drink it with peace of mind.
Zuo Canglang saw through him but did not press the matter. She sat down beside him. Murong Yan asked, "Do you have nothing else to ask me?"
Zuo Canglang said, "At this point, what would Your Majesty have me ask?"
Murong Yan tilted her chin up. "True, you really shouldn't ask anything. You only need to stay here, stay by my side." He pulled her into his embrace. "Ah-Zuo, do not listen to the turmoil outside; those things have nothing to do with you. You are mine, mine alone."
His thumb brushed lightly over her cheek and covered her eyes. "Do not listen, do not look. I will arrange everything properly. Alright?"
Zuo Canglang leaned into his chest. "I truly do not want to listen or look anymore."
*I thought I could see clearly, but I still miscalculated you. So I will not look; the wind brushing the eaves and the rain dripping from the roof—it all frightens me.*
A short while later, Weiwei came up. She didn't dare look at the two of them, keeping her head down as she set the evening meal. Murong Yan noticed the dishes were very much to his taste. He said, "The food is good today. It's rare to see you put effort into such things."
Zuo Canglang no longer touched his utensils. "How can Your Majesty tell I put effort into it? It's just a coincidence that the Imperial Kitchen changed to a chef who suits your palate. But even if the chef is suitable, I wonder if Your Majesty can truly be at ease."
Murong Yan knew she had noticed his wariness. "Can you not speak without thorns?" Beside them, Wang Yunzhao stepped forward with a smile, having someone test the food with silver chopsticks. "General, please do not mind. Are the palace rules not always thus?"
Zuo Canglang said nothing. Murong Yan picked up some of the tested food and gave it to her. *Such a person, like a hedgehog. Close together, they hurt one another; far apart, they yearn for each other day and night.*
Zuo Canglang seemed not to mind. She took a sip of soup and noticed the charcoal fire was dim. "Weiwei..." She turned and realized neither Weiwei nor Zhitong was there. She gave a bitter smile and rose to add charcoal herself. "This palace only took in a group of servants when Your Majesty ascended the throne; there is always a shortage of hands. Now that Ke Qing has moved out, it's even more insufficient."
Murong Yan said, "Tell Wang Yunzhao to pick a few more for you."
Zuo Canglang said, "Better not. After what happened with the little princess..." This was the first time she had mentioned Murong Jiao'er. Murong Yan’s expression turned cold. Her voice dropped lower. "I still have lingering fears. When I think about it, even now I don't know why my jewelry appeared at the scene and became a murder weapon. If I hadn't been able to prove I wasn't there that day, I'm afraid today..."
Murong Yan said, "That matter is in the past; do not think on it further." He understood her concerns. Previously, Jiang Biyan was the sole mistress of the palace; how many of the servants were her confidants? Then there was Jiang Biyao. In this palace, who knew who belonged to whom?
Her worry was justified.
Zuo Canglang said, "How can I not think on it? Surviving in this palace is no easier than on the battlefield."
Murong Yan said calmly, "I understand what you are saying. Things were chaotic before, and I couldn't attend to the inner palace. Now, it is indeed time for a reorganization."
The next day, Murong Yan issued a decree to release some of the older palace maids and select new ones. Wang Yunzhao became the busiest man in the palace. In the current palace, people could be sent to Jiang Bilan’s side at will; Murong Yan wouldn't care. With Jiang Biyao’s flamboyant personality, she would certainly want to pick her own.
Zuo Canglang’s side and Xiao Anzi in the Imperial Study required special attention; reliable hands had to be placed there. Ban Yang, Luo Sha, and Ke Qing could be consulted for their preferences, but they could be handled last.
On the day the new palace maids entered, Wang Yunzhao invited Zuo Canglang to select some.
When Zuo Canglang arrived, the maids were kneeling in a row. Jiang Biyao had already picked a few. Seeing Zuo Canglang, she only gave a cold snort and left without a word. Zuo Canglang looked around and said, "This girl is quite good. She looks clever."
Wang Yunzhao looked over and saw an unfamiliar girl with a pointed chin and large eyes; she did indeed look very sharp. He said, "To catch the General's eye is her good fortune."
Zuo Canglang instead said, "Forget it. In my palace, it's better not to have people who are too clever right now." Wang Yunzhao felt a bit awkward and said nothing. Zuo Canglang said, "This girl, leave her for Eunuch An."
Having said that, she chose a few passable maids and left.
Xiao Anzi naturally would not go against her word and took the girl. The girl was named Bing'er, and she was truly fair and delicate. However, new arrivals were not allowed to serve before the Emperor so quickly; at most, she would just be an assistant.
Once they had all left, Wang Yunzhao called out the maids Zuo Canglang had chosen. He said, "From now on, anything collected for Nanqing Palace must be inspected and confirmed by the Imperial Academy of Medicine. If there is any abnormality, you must report it to me immediately." After a moment's thought, fearing they might misunderstand, he added, "His Majesty worries for the General; this is for her safety."
The maids had no idea what was really going on and could only kneel and obey.
Bing'er was sent to serve in the Imperial Study. For a newly entered maid, this was something beyond one's wildest dreams. She felt uneasy. Even if she had made it here, did she really have hope for revenge?
She wasn't even qualified to see Murong Yan. Her work consisted of nothing more than fetching tea leaves or looking after soups. Before any food or drink was sent out, there were specialized attendants to test for poison. The process was rigorous, leaving no opening.
She began to feel anxious.
At Deyi Hall, Jiang Xing was still seeing patients. When Zuo Canglang arrived, he showed no surprise. He simply placed a piece of cotton cloth over her wrist and began to take her pulse without even asking about her symptoms. Zuo Canglang said, "Lian Ting is no longer here. Why does Physician Jiang still remain at Deyi Hall?"
Jiang Xing said nothing. Zuo Canglang said, "I remember that originally, you were the person His Majesty assigned to him. Presumably, Physician Jiang and His Majesty have known each other for a long time?"
Only then did Jiang Xing speak. "What do you want to ask?"
Zuo Canglang asked, "What is your relationship with Jiang Sanyi?"
Jiang Xing said, "Same surname, different clan."
Zuo Canglang nodded. "I want a prescription."
Jiang Xing asked directly, "The effect?"
Zuo Canglang said, "A chronic poison. It must leave no trace, enough to deceive even the most brilliant physician."
Jiang Xing’s expression changed slightly. "Impossible. Any medicine used leaves a trace. If it is a truly brilliant physician, like myself, it would be impossible to hide it."
Zuo Canglang said, "What if I have ten years?"
Jiang Xing froze. After a while, he suddenly asked, "Your intention is so obvious, are you not afraid I will speak of this?"
Zuo Canglang shook her head. "I'm not afraid." Seeing Jiang Xing’s confusion, she continued, "You are a relative of Jiang Sanyi. You once fabricated a pregnancy for the Queen and sent the Second Prince into the palace. Even if you explain this to His Majesty, who do you think His Majesty will suspect is the mastermind?"
Jiang Xing slowly sat down. "I can tell Jiang Sanyi."
Zuo Canglang said, "But the prescription is written by you. His Majesty... cannot tolerate anyone who poses even the slightest threat to him."
Jiang Xing finally said, "I can also refuse to write it."
Zuo Canglang said, "That would be difficult. Since I have come here and spoken to this extent, do you think there is any room left for refusal?"
Jiang Xing looked left and right. "Has Cang Ge come as well?"
Zuo Canglang said nothing. He thought for a long time and finally sat at the desk. After a long silence, he said, "I do not wish to involve myself in the matters of your palace."
Zuo Canglang said, "I know. After this, I will not trouble you again."
Leaving Deyi Hall and returning to the palace, she was stopped before she even reached the gate. Several guards stepped forward and bowed. "General, we are ordered to conduct an inspection. We ask for the General's understanding."
Zuo Canglang stopped and allowed a palace maid to come forward and search her. The maid searched very carefully and found the prescription she had obtained at Deyi Hall. However, after it was sent to the Imperial Academy of Medicine, it was found to be nothing more than a decent prescription for tonifying blood and nourishing qi.
She had nothing else on her person. The guards simply ordered people to go to the Imperial Academy of Medicine to brew the medicine for her, and the prescription was never returned to her.
***
