Fuzhu's Ballad

25

CHAPTER 25 Swinging the pendulum too far

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The dull, overcast sky shrouded the travelers’ journey as they trekked through the light snowfall. Darkness had already descended upon the land as they approached Zhaoling. In the distance, they could make out the silhouette of the city gate tower, adorned with two rows of yellow lights that flickered in the gloom. The tower’s simple and robust structure gave the impression of a typical border town, especially in the faint light.

Lan Dan’s legs were sore from the friction, and she followed the team with her head down, only thinking about reaching the resting place quickly. Zhaoling was situated in a remote region, where the inhabitants were known for their peaceful and honest nature. At this hour, the majority of the population had extinguished their lights and retired to bed. Only a few government offices were still lit with lanterns, and the rest of the streets and markets were immersed in the darkness and silence.

Upon receiving the news, the county magistrate had eagerly awaited their arrival at the intersection near the government office, clutching a lamp in hand. Su Yi Ming appeared to be well acquainted with him, as they shared a few jovial jests. The Zhaoling county magistrate was a man in his thirties, exuding an air of poise and competence. He spoke to Shentu Rui with a sense of self-assurance and reason, earning the latter’s admiration. Shentu Rui even dismounted his horse to engage in conversation with him, impressed by his manner.

Lan Dan shivered on her horse, disinterested in their conversation. However, she caught one sentence that she only cared about. It seemed that both the post station and government office were too small to accommodate their sizable entourage. In response, they had arranged for the Prince of Yan and his company to lodge in two adjacent residences situated along the same street as the government office.

The county magistrate of Zhaoling made extremely appropriate arrangements. The two residences were both typical four-sided courtyards, cleaned and tidied up, with cozy kang beds and softly glowing lamps, emitting a warm and inviting aura. Lan Dan only hoped to crawl into the warm bed and have a good rest after a simple wash. Sun Shi Xiang picked a room for her, and she dragged herself inside without even saying goodbye to the others.

Shentu Rui remained silent throughout their journey, only exchanging brief words with the county magistrate before retiring to the room adjacent to Lan Dan’s. Su Yi Ming’s eyes glimmered with curiosity. He seized Sun Shi Xiang, who was also yearning for rest, and inquired in hushed tones, “Your master does not sleep with that girl?”

Sun Shi Xiang was also exhausted and answered honestly, “Never slept together.”

“Oh——” Su Yi drew a long tone, lost in thought, and walked back to his own room.

That night, silence hung heavy in the air. The warmth of the bed cocooned them from the chill of the winter air, and with no pressing matters at hand, everyone slept until noon the following day.

After washing up, Lan Dan’s hair had dried, but she didn’t see Shentu Rui come out of his room. She wondered if he had silently left again. But when she saw Sun Shi Xiang running around in the courtyard, she knew he was still inside. She couldn’t help but worry that he might be sick again. His expression while playing the reed flute was too sad, and his mood had been low since then. It was no wonder that the freezing cold weather had caused his old illness to relapse.

She was standing in front of the door in a daze when Su Yi Ming came in from the courtyard, greeted her with a smile and called her “Fu Zhu,” but her mind was elsewhere, and she failed to respond. Su Yi Ming assumed she was deep in thought and didn’t think much of it. He approached her with a smile and called her name again, “Miss Fu Zhu.”