Chapter Twenty: Flaunting Amid Hardship

Inside the spacious carriage made from polished paulownia wood, the floor was covered by a leather mat smooth as a mirror. Upon the two sandalwood dining couches, seamlessly joined to the side walls, lay two sets of snow-white porcelain tea ware, far more exquisite than what Du Shiyi had used before at Songyang Temple. Since it was summer, the bamboo blinds at each side and both ends were all fashioned from finely polished jade bamboo, letting in the breeze and shielding the sun. Not only did the passing scenery reveal itself, but even the ox pulling the carriage ahead could be faintly seen. The dainty golden bells hanging at the front chimed with crisp, melodious notes as they went along, their gleam under the blazing sun adding a unique color to the journey.

Du Shiyi glanced at Du Thirteen, Bamboo Shade, and the dark-skinned figure beside the coachman outside, then lifted his eyes toward Cui Jianxuan riding his tall horse at the head. Once again, he regretted agreeing to accompany them to visit the famed recluse Lu Hong—a decision he now considered a grave mistake.

He had brought Du Thirteen out for a change of air because his sister had traveled such a distance to seek medical help for him at Song Mountain, then suffered an illness herself. Now, he wished to make it up to her. Yet, Du Thirteen insisted on bringing Bamboo Shade along, who in turn deemed it prudent to bring the manservant Tian Mo for safety. As for Cui Jianxuan, his entourage had swelled to eight attendants today—not counting the coachman—compared to the two he’d brought when they wandered the villages before.

Du Shiyi had envisioned a simple trip: first ascending Junji Peak, then visiting Dengfeng Platform that Du Thirteen longed to see, followed by Qinggang Plain and then Xuanlian Peak—a mountain route both scenic and convenient. Why resort to such ostentation, traveling by ox-cart along the main road? Was this a scholarly pilgrimage, or a parade of wealth?

“Brother,” Du Thirteen said, her face troubled as she saw him sigh again, “if I hadn’t come today, you wouldn’t have had to be so conspicuous.”

Her words brought Du Shiyi back to himself. Inwardly, he agreed wholeheartedly with her critique of Cui Jianxuan’s ostentation, but outwardly he smiled and replied, “It’s nothing. The heat grows stronger, and you’ve just recovered; having followed me for days, you deserve some respite. With Brother Eleven’s ox-cart, we can save our strength. Besides, we’ll still have to walk mountain paths at Xuanlian Peak, so preserving our energy is no bad thing.”

“Thirteen, your brother is right. Don’t be fooled by how the mountain trail seems shorter—halfway up, you might be exhausted and need your brother to carry you, and that would be quite embarrassing!” Cui Jianxuan, now riding alongside the ox-cart, spoke with a half-smile. “This ox-cart may be slow, but it’s steady and spacious—perfect for ladies and convalescents. I doubt you’d want your brother and me riding horses under the scorching sun, would you?”

Du Thirteen glanced at Du Shiyi, who nodded slightly, and bit her lip in silence. Her intention was for her brother to seek learning from Lu Hong, while she herself could either stay in the thatched cottage beneath Junji Peak or return to Fan Chuan with Bamboo Shade—it didn’t matter, so long as her brother’s future would be bright.

But Cui Jianxuan was too capricious; had she not come, her brother might have been swayed by his words and forsaken this great opportunity for study. Despite all her caution, she hadn’t foreseen Cui Jianxuan making such a spectacle of their journey, as if they were seeking marriage, not learning. Those who lived in reclusion were renowned for their lofty, austere temperaments; what would they think of such a first impression? Yet, Cui Jianxuan had spoken as though everything was for her and her brother’s sake—she couldn’t very well turn back now.

Seeing his sister’s furrowed brow, Du Shiyi couldn’t help but smile, tapping her forehead gently with his forefinger, then massaging it lightly. “Don’t frown—don’t let such worries crease your brow so young. Relax; when the boat reaches the bridge, it’ll find its way across. No need to be anxious. If, at Xuanlian Peak, we meet Master Lu, it will be my fortune; if not, it is my fate.”

Du Thirteen gazed at him for a long moment after hearing those concise words. She felt that her brother was more open-minded than before, and a smile returned to her face as she nodded gently. Meanwhile, Cui Jianxuan, riding beside the ox-cart, heard it all and raised his brows.

This Nineteen is surprisingly philosophical… Yes, he truly suits my taste!

No one knew how long they traveled before the carriage and horses halted. Beside the main road, a small path led into a dense forest, the sound of a mountain stream faintly audible. Du Shiyi helped Du Thirteen down, grateful that his sister wore practical men’s attire today for ease of movement. As for himself, though unsure of his riding skills, once in the saddle he found he could manage a slow pace without trouble.

This time, leaving two attendants to guard the ox-cart, the rest mounted horses and followed Du Shiyi, Cui Jianxuan, and Du Thirteen along the narrow path, guided by a servant from the Cui family who had visited Lu’s cottage before. The journey was winding, passing jagged stones and deep ravines, with streams murmuring and lush grass and forest everywhere. Every turn revealed unexpected vistas; bird song, fragrant flowers, insects chirping, and the occasional whisper of wind through leaves filled the air. The group, once lively, gradually fell silent.

“No wonder Master Lu refuses to enter officialdom!” Cui Jianxuan’s sudden exclamation broke the rare tranquility, his voice ringing out as he said, “If I were to build a cottage in such secluded beauty, I’d never want to leave!”

Watching Cui Jianxuan peer about, his delicate, feminine face now wearing a calculating expression, as if seriously considering constructing a hut here, Du Shiyi didn’t hesitate to douse his enthusiasm. “If Brother Eleven truly means it, I’ll wager with you. If you can live alone in this beautiful place for a month—no, ten days—I’ll let you command me to do anything.”

“Hm?” Cui Jianxuan’s phoenix eyes gleamed, about to accept, when he suddenly realized the hidden trap and snorted, “Living alone here? I’d die of boredom! I won’t fall for your trick.”

Though the journey was not perilous, nearly an hour had passed, and the mountain paths, though scenic, were inconvenient. Du Shiyi, recalling what he’d learned about Lu Hong’s reputation during his locust-hunting adventures, now felt he understood the sage’s character better. For Lu Hong to abandon the prestigious Lu clan of Fanyang and the comforts of Luoyang for a reclusive life in the wilds—and not merely for his own sake, but to teach many disciples while steadfastly refusing official summonses—his integrity must be unwavering. Even with the heavy recommendations that he and Cui Jianxuan carried, it would not be easy.

“Brother, it sounds like someone is singing.”

Du Thirteen’s sudden remark cut off Cui Jianxuan, who had been about to retort. The others listened intently, and soon a robust singing voice carried on the mountain breeze: “The mountain is my home, the grass my hall; orchids are my medicine. Rue and fragrant grass line the walls, and the ramparts are paved with orchids. Rue and lily make the cottage, shaded and fragrant, and within dwell those whose faith endures. Reading golden books and drinking jade nectar, youthful faces and secluded integrity endure not long.”

The ancient, evocative song drifted nearer. The Cui family servant at the front listened closely and announced, “It’s coming from the forest to the left—most likely a woodcutter.”

Du Shiyi, accustomed to the woodcutters’ songs after many visits to Junji Peak, found nothing unusual in the unfamiliar verse. Cui Jianxuan, however, frowned; poetry interested him not at all, and the obscure words annoyed him. He snorted, “Even the woodcutters get poetic—how dull!”

No sooner had he spoken than the singing ceased abruptly, followed by a startled cry, then a blood-curdling scream. Du Shiyi was briefly stunned, then called out, “Someone seems in trouble in the forest. Tian Mo, go see!”

Tian Mo, startled, dashed toward the source of the sound, swiftly scrambling up the rocks and vanishing into the woods.

“Hey, you go see as well!” Cui Jianxuan instructed the family servant, who hesitated but then hurried into the forest. Cui Jianxuan barked at the other servants, “Circle around—if some beast leaps out, we’ll be ready!”

“There are people settled here for years; it’s unlikely to be a tiger, but a snake is more probable.”

Seeing Du Thirteen and Bamboo Shade pale with fear, Du Shiyi quickly reassured them. After a long wait, Tian Mo and the servant had not returned, but suddenly a man tumbled out of the woods, clothing torn, wild-haired and filthy, but Du Shiyi recognized him instantly.

Was it not Liu Ximing, whom he'd met once at Songyang Temple?

At the same moment, Liu Ximing recognized Du Shiyi. After their encounter at Songyang Temple, though Sima Chengzhen had favored him and even met him again before his departure, Liu later heard from gossiping servants that Du Shiyi had volunteered for the arduous, thankless task of locust hunting. Liu had felt schadenfreude, dismissing him entirely.

Last year's locust plague in Shandong, with Yao Chong barely convincing the hesitant emperor to mobilize the counties for eradication, had only just been managed. Now, with another plague, Yao Chong’s position was precarious; criticism in court was fierce, and anyone involved was doomed to misfortune. Moreover, Du Shiyi was but an unranked commoner.

Yet, through a recommendation from his uncle Song Fuzhen, Liu had managed to enter Lu’s cottage as a disciple, believing his prospects bright. Just now, however, he had suffered his most humiliating moment, only to encounter Du Shiyi, clad in silk robes and headgear, surrounded by attendants, showing no trace of hardship. Worse still, Du Shiyi greeted him with a friendly smile and a courteous bow, as if meeting him in ordinary circumstances.

“So it’s Brother Liu—truly, the world is small, and fate brings us together everywhere!”