Upon leaving the Gong residence, Left Canglang had not even entered the gates of the Wen manor before she saw Wen Xingye waiting in the central courtyard. The moment she stepped inside, he asked, "Have you been to the Gong residence?"
Left Canglang gave a soft affirmation. Wen Xingye pressed further, "How was Lord Gong’s attitude?"
Seeing the worry in his eyes, Left Canglang said, "You truly needn't worry so much. Though there was no affection of husband and wife between General Wen and me, there was the bond of master and disciple. As long as I remain, the Wen household shall be as it was when he was alive."
Wen Xingye was stunned for a moment, but Left Canglang had already started walking inside. She happened to cross paths with Wen Yixuan; he brushed past her without a glance, acting as if she did not exist.
Ever since their mother, Qiu Shu, had departed, Yirong had clamored daily to find her. Yixuan, being twelve years old, did not cry or make a scene, but from that day forward, he treated Left Canglang like a stranger. He refused to pay his respects to her and never uttered a single word when they met.
Left Canglang never spoke to him either. Wen Yirong, however, was still young and often snuck over to play with her.
That afternoon, Wen Xingye was practicing his martial arts in the garden when he suddenly overheard his two grandsons speaking in low voices. Wen Yixuan was asking his younger brother, "Where are you going?"
Wen Yirong replied, "I’m going to find Auntie to play! She said yesterday she’d take me horse riding today!"
Wen Yixuan snapped, "Shut up! She isn't our Auntie. She’s a wicked woman; she’s the one who forced our mother away! You aren't allowed to play with her!"
Wen Xingye’s expression shifted instantly. Flying into a rage, he ordered the servants to bring the rod for family discipline and sentenced the boy to thirty strokes.
A twelve-year-old child could hardly withstand such punishment. As Wen Yixuan wailed and screamed, Wen Xingye’s eyes welled with tears, yet he only shouted, "I have taught you to read and understand propriety since you were three! Is this the etiquette you show your mother?!"
Wen Yixuan screamed back, "She isn't my mother! She caused Father’s death and drove Mother away! She’s a bad woman! I hate her!"
In his fury, Wen Xingye brought the rod down again. "You insolent brat! Where did you hear such nonsense? I’ll beat the lack of upbringing out of you!"
Hearing the commotion, Left Canglang stepped out of her room but did not move forward to intervene. After Wen Xingye had struck the boy for a while, he began to feel a sense of doubt—*I’m beating the child like this; the least you could do is come forward to plead for him and win some of his favor! Do you really intend for me to beat him to death before you’re satisfied?*
But Left Canglang did nothing. Seeing that further blows might truly leave the boy crippled, Wen Xingye was forced to stop, his face dark with frustration. Left Canglang stepped forward, looking at the tear-streaked Wen Yixuan, and asked, "Does it hurt?"
Wen Yixuan pushed her away. "I don't need you to care!"
Left Canglang stepped back slightly to avoid getting the blood from his hands on her clothes. Wen Yixuan froze. For as long as he could remember, though Wen Xingye was a strict disciplinarian, his grandmother and mother would always tend to him with tears whenever he was beaten. No one had ever pulled away from his touch with such cold indifference.
Left Canglang said softly, "I don't intend to care. Because you no longer have a father, and you no longer have a mother."
Wen Yixuan looked up in shock, meeting her indifferent eyes. Then, he suddenly realized it was true. He had no father, and he had no mother. He was left with only an aging grandmother, a grandfather with one leg, and a younger brother who knew nothing of the world.
Terror appeared, unmasked, in his young eyes.
Meeting that gaze, which looked ready to overflow with tears, Left Canglang said, "If you are cold to me, I will ignore you. I will not find you a master, and I will not let you practice martial arts. I will let you grow into a useless waste, forever lacking the ability to care for your grandfather and grandmother, and forever lacking the ability to bring your mother back.
"You will only be able to watch helplessly as others bully you, bully your elderly grandmother, and bully your grandfather who can barely walk! Someone will dig up your father’s grave, steal all the burial goods inside, and even strip the clothes from his body to drag him out of his coffin, leaving his broken bones scattered across the ground..."
"No..." Tears gushed from the boy's small eyes. "Stop! Stop talking!"
Left Canglang continued, "At that time, you will only be able to do what you are doing now—kneeling before those people, begging them not to do it."
She turned and walked away, leaving him abandoned on the blood-stained bench. This was the ultimate weapon Murong Yan’s orphan camp used to handle every child within its walls: making them understand clearly that they no longer had any kin in this world.
The next day, after paying their respects to their grandparents, Wen Yixuan led Wen Yirong to the door of Left Canglang’s room. Wen Yixuan quietly held a basin of fresh water, and after waiting for her to finish washing, he said softly, "Good morning, Mother."
Left Canglang nodded. She picked up a jar of medicinal salve from her dressing table and handed it to Wen Yirong. "Help your brother apply this."
Wen Yirong chirped an agreement, while Wen Yixuan said respectfully, "Thank you, Mother, for bestowing the medicine."
Left Canglang nodded. His eyes were dark and clear, but the submissiveness and obedience within them were enough to make one weep. She softened her tone. "Recover well first. You needn't come to pay respects for the next few days."
Wen Yixuan lowered his head. "It is only right for a son to pay respects to his mother. A few minor injuries are of no consequence. I only ask that Mother forgives my previous rudeness, considering my youth and ignorance."
Left Canglang said gently, "I forgive you."
Wen Yixuan led his brother out, carefully putting away the medicine she had given him. She had torn the scab from his wound, and in its place, he grew scales—a suit of armor made of pretense. From then on, he would never again be easily hurt by anything, nor would he be easily moved by anyone.
In the afternoon, Left Canglang went to find Daxi Qin. This Imperial Uncle of the Yu State had been living in Jinyang as a guest after his country fell, yet he had become even more refined. He spent his days admiring flowers and walking his birds, and many of his lyrics were sung in the brothels.
As Left Canglang reached the manor gates, she caught the faint scent of rouge and powder. Daxi Qin came out personally to greet her, dressed in white, as elegant as fine jade. He laughed heartily. "I heard the magpies chattering at the gate early this morning; indeed, a noble guest has arrived."
Left Canglang smiled. "I trust Marquis Jinyu has been well." They had met once when he surrendered, but at that time Yuan Xi was the commander. Though Left Canglang had provided the strategies, she was merely a military advisor, and the two were not well-acquainted. After the surrender, Murong Yuan had granted him the title of Marquis Jinyu, keeping him well-fed and clothed.
After Murong Yan fought his way into Jinyang, he had not troubled the Daxi clan either, so Daxi Qin now lived a life of leisure.
Daxi Qin cupped his hands. "The atmosphere of Jinyang is nourishing; I have found such joy here that I no longer think of home."
Left Canglang laughed, and the two went inside. Daxi Qin finally spoke, "General Left is a person of great influence now. For your noble feet to grace my humble abode, there must be something you wish to discuss?"
Left Canglang nodded, getting straight to the point. "Since my late husband passed, his two children, Yixuan and Yirong, have proven to be quite bright. I wished to visit you, Sir, to see if they might have the fortune of receiving a bit of your guidance."
Daxi Qin was taken aback. In Jinyang, he was a surrendered official; he had no foundation and did not possess the King’s trust. He was but an idle man. Why would Left Canglang seek him out to tutor the two young masters of the Wen family? He smiled and said, "Great Yan has many talented individuals. I fear my meager learning would only do the young masters a disservice."
Left Canglang said softly, "If you continue to decline, Sir, it will seem quite disingenuous." It was obvious that such an opportunity was something he could only dream of. He was a guest in Jinyang, and though Murong Yan had not troubled him since ascending the throne, he had shown no intention of employing him either. It was no exaggeration to say he lived his days in constant trepidation.
Daxi Qin laughed uncontrollably. "Very well. In truth, I am but a surrendered official, rootless and branchless in a foreign land, unable to cling to anyone even if I wished to. For the General to come to my door, I am actually overjoyed."
Left Canglang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You are perhaps a bit *too* candid, Sir." She stood up and bowed to Daxi Qin, saying solemnly, "In that case, I shall trouble you, Sir."
The next day, Daxi Qin waited at his manor as Left Canglang brought Wen Yixuan and Wen Yirong to his door. As Daxi Qin came out to meet them, Left Canglang ordered the two boys to perform the formal rites of three prostrations and nine kowtows. Without a word, Wen Yixuan knelt immediately and performed the rites with perfect decorum. Wen Yirong’s eyes darted around, glancing playfully at Left Canglang before following his brother’s example and kneeling to pay his respects.
Daxi Qin helped the two children up. Left Canglang said solemnly, "I belong to the military, and I will not be staying in Jinyang for long. The elders at home are aged, and the youngest is mischievous. I leave them in your hands, Sir."
Daxi Qin cupped his hands in return. "Rest assured, General. I shall do my utmost."
Little Yirong came over and hugged her leg, asking, "Auntie, Auntie, when is our mother coming back? I miss her!"
Wen Yixuan frowned and corrected him, "You must call her Mother!"
Left Canglang stroked his head and then looked at Wen Yixuan. "From now on, you two will follow Master Daxi Qin. You must regard him as a father, respecting and loving him."
Wen Yixuan held his brother’s hand and bowed respectfully. "I will keep Mother’s instructions in my heart, obey the Master’s teachings, and look after my younger brother. Please be at ease, Mother."
Left Canglang nodded. "I am very much at ease."
Fate never dotes on anyone. Its favorite pastime is to lift you into the clouds, only to dash you into the dust. Some are shattered to pieces; others are tempered into something unbreakable.
***
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