Runexi's notes:
Uhh... it has been a while m(_ _)m
I hope it will be more constant from now on. I amended a few details for the past chapters (you might not even be able to tell I changed anything. Ha~)
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Duke Qin was the Left Prime Minister's brother. The two siblings, along with the current Emperor, were as harmonious as real brothers during their younger years. The older Qin, the Left Prime Minister, had changed his surname after he married the Imperial Family's Royal Princess, the current Emperor's own younger sister.
Although the society normally felt pity towards men who had to bear their wife's family name, no one thought the Left Prime Minister, Min Lizhang, brought dishonor to the Qin clan by changing his surname.
Duke Qin had a pair of Di son and daughter from his main wife. Qin Zhe was the older brother and the heir of the Qin clan. Currently at sixteen years old, he was an accomplished youth and was in close relationship with his cousins from the Left Prime Minister, as well as the current Princes of Taishan.
Qin Zhe's courtyard was as scrupulous looking as the owner. The small garden, the building style, color scheme, and the ornaments used projected subdued and simplistic approach. The lanterns were plain in color, there were no flowers planted, even the servants of the courtyard wore muted colored attire. The paths were just brown gravels, the paint used for the buildings were either black, grey, or brown.
Nobility in Taishan normally liked to use red paint on at least the pillars of their buildings, to symbolize good fortune.
Although she disliked anything opulent, even Xu Yejing thought the courtyard looked overly somber. Her own courtyard was also simple-looking, but she still had some feminine touches to her abode. She loved softer reds and purples, and practically chose such colors for most of her furnishing. Perhaps a nobleman's tomb would have more colors and decorations than Qin Zhe's courtyard.
The kindest term Xu Yejing could come up with about Qin Zhe's style was 'steady' or 'restrained'.
The butler bowed towards Xu Yejing and Fu Chun, before retreating.
Fu Chun did not let her guard down, but she still relished in the atmosphere, nodding in satisfaction, "That Qin Zhe boy has a good taste."
Xu Yejing, "...... ." For a female, Fu Chun had a unique taste.
The owner of the courtyard, Qin Zhe, finally came out of his room. His gaze rippled a little as he saw the two female guests. There was a trace of delight on his usually expressionless face, even his usually furrowed brows smoothed out somewhat.
"Miss Fu Chun, Sister Yejing, you've finally arrived." He bowed lightly towards the two females. Xu Yejing avoided his greeting by stepping sideways slightly. After all she was younger than him and the Xu clan was also not higher in status than the Qin's. But Fu Chun let the young man - the very youth a lot of young girls were fighting for to be engaged with - bow deeply towards her. She merely nodded in acknowledgment.
Qin Zhe was an outstanding looking young man, even in the Xinlu city where good looking people were like pebbles by the river side. Smooth fair skin, jet black hair, symmetrical facial features, high nose and cheek bones projecting a stalwart and strong personality.
His accomplishment however, was to be the uncontested winner of Taishan's younger generation's literary arts ranking, ever since he came of age. Rumors said, he even triumphed over the well-educated and respected Princes of Taishan. Although the princes did not participate in such rankings any longer due to their age, they were quite close to Qin Zhe and supposedly had also exchanged ideas about various scholarly and political topics with him.
If not for the fact this young man was a stone in expressing emotions and could not act tenderly towards the opposite gender, the families who would offer their daughters would probably line up in front of Duke Qin's estate, from Xinlu City to the closest Flaming Cauldron Sect's branch.
Then again, Duke Qin obviously took Qin Zhe's marriage prospects extra seriously. Some noble families mentioned the Emperor himself might make an arrangement about it.
"Yejing said she's been itching to play some good rounds of chess with you," Fu Chun spoke, telling Qin Zhe what Xu Yejing wanted to say.
Qin Zhe was already used to the peculiar way of Xu Yejing conversing with him. He frowned a little, "Miss Fu Chun... where is Brother Fu Yan?" The pair of unidentical twins would usually never separated. Qin Zhe also knew about the arrangement of the siblings having to be by Xu Yejing's side at all times. Now, Fu Yan was missing.
Fu Chun waved her hand nonchalantly before fixing her tilted sword on her belt, "He has a tiny matter to do and will join us soon."
Qin Zhe did not question it further.
Inside Qin Zhe's room, a square table with a chess board on it was already set up. Xu Yejing saw the chess pieces on top of it were already positioned on certain spots.
Having maintained friendship with Xu Yejing for a number of years, despite having not seen her face before, Qin Zhe could perceive some of her thought or intention just by the small gestures she makes. He explained, "I was waiting too long and played a few games by myself. I imagined what you would do if I did certain moves... ."
Xu Yejing sat at one end of the table and moved one of white pieces. She smiled beneath her veil, "Then let's save some time and just continue this game."
Fu Chun relayed her thought to Qin Zhe and the latter sat across Xu Yejing. Soon, the both of them looked engrossed in their game, only the clacking sounds of chess pieces moved could be heard.
When there were hardly any white pieces left on the board, Qin Zhe sighed in disappointment, "Your mind is not on the game. There's no point to continue."
Fu Chun patted Xu Yejing's shoulder, "Fu Yan will be alright. He looks unreliable, but his skills are better than mine."
Xu Yejing apologized in her mind towards Fu Chun and nodded lightly towards Qin Zhe in regret. Fu Chun and Qin Zhe were right, she was not in the mood to play chess. It was not the first time Fu Yan had left her to check on certain things he would not tell her about, but this time Xu Yejing could feel it was different.
Fu Chun was normally very good in blocking her mind from Xu Yejing. However, not long after she started the chess game, Fu Chun had let loose her inner thoughts once in a while, causing Xu Yejing to be able to perceive Fu Chun's worry and discomfort as well.
If even Fu Chun was worried, the 'tiny matter' Fu Yan was taking care of might not be tiny after all.
As though the heavens agreed to her fretting, Fu Chun snapped her head towards the door, her brows tightly knotted. Xu Yejing always knew Fu Chun and Fu Yan had other means to communicate to each other although they were apart. At the very least, with how ashen Fu Chun looked at the moment, even if Xu Yejing were to think with her toes, she could tell something had happened to Fu Yan.
"Chun-jie... go, please," Xu Yejing hated she could not help Fu Chun and Fu Yan. The two siblings were closer to her than her own blood family were, "I will be alright."
Fu Chun looked at her with conflicted gaze, her hand was already on her blade, as though she was itching to bolt and reach where her brother was, "Master Uncle and Master instructed us to never let yourself be alone."
"I... am not alone. Qin Zhe is with me," Xu Yejing's heart beat loudly, but she smiled reassuringly towards Fu Chun.
Fu Chun seemed to weigh her options and asked Qin Zhe, "What about Qin Qiu?" Qin Qiu was Qin Zhe's younger sister, the one who was engaged to Xu Yejing's half-brother, Xu Biyao. Because of the frequency of having visited each other between Xu Yejing and Qin Zhe, Xu Yejing had also been acquainted with Qin Qiu.
What was more, in contrast to the scholarly-minded Qin Zhe, Qin Qiu was more valiant and did martial arts as a hobby. Fu Chun probably thought Qin Qiu would be able to protect Xu Yejing better. Qin Zhe replied, "My younger sister is running an errand with our mother. My father is not around either. This is the reason I invited Sister Yejing to come to my estate instead of myself going there."
Fu Chun finally bit her lips before taking two steps to stand before Qin Zhe. Qin Zhe used to have to look up to Fu Chun in the past but now they were almost the same height. Fu Chun grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, "Can I leave Yejing's safety in your hand until I return?"
Surprise flitted across his face for a split second before he straightened his back. His bearing did not look like a sixteen-year old youth. "Miss Fu Chun, rest assured. I will not betray your trust."
Fu Chun nodded slightly, before pushing a small pouch into Xu Yejing's hands, "If I'm not back by sunset, you must not return home by yourself. Open this pouch and a message will automatically be transmitted to our Sect's branch and someone will come to protect you in my stead." She did not speak through her mind, in order to let Qin Zhe listen as well, "Qin Zhe, I don't care if the Qin clan is burnt to the ground. If anything untoward were to happen to Yejing, you may as well consider your clan as finished regardless. From the time you wanted to be friends with Xu Yejing, you should have been prepared."
Qin Zhe was respected in Xinlu City and by the Princes of Taishan themselves, even some of the lower-ranked older officials had to bow when they saw him. It was considered very rude for Fu Chun to speak as such towards someone of Qin Zhe's status and lineage. However, there was no dissatisfaction or anger on his face. He merely bowed deeply to acknowledge her words.
Fu Chun flicked a last look towards the pair of youths, before disappearing outside the door. Only a gust of gentle breeze was left as the door gently swayed, leaving a faint scent of pinegrass.
Qin Zhe walked solemnly towards the door, where Fu Chun's scent still lingered. He immediately summoned his stewards and male servants to barricade his courtyard, as well as a couple of trusted female maids to keep Xu Yejing company.
Although Xu Yejing and Qin Zhe had been friends for a long time, it was not proper for an unmarried male and female to be by themselves inside a room. If Qin Zhe's younger sister, Qin Qiu was not currently away from the estate, Qin Zhe would prefer for the two girls to stay together.
Xu Yejing was silent at first as she could not communicate with Qin Zhe through her mind. After all, Qin Zhe had not construed a blood pact with her jade bangle. She wanted to chat through brush and paper, if only to ease her anxiety. However, looking at the stern-looking young man, Xu Yejing thought it would just be a chore.
Fortunately, Qin Zhe seemed to notice her mood and asked for his servant to bring some brush and paper, "I am not good at talking, but let's try to compose some poetry to pass the time?"
Xu Yejing was not overly good at poetry either, but there was a particular poem close to her heart. On her birthdays, a letter would always accompany the gifts sent from Flaming Cauldron Sect. The brushstroke on the letters was elegant but unwavering, and only one poem was written every single time. She wrote it on a blank piece of paper,
[Ten years, life and death caused us sunder.]
[Despite not trying to remember, forgetting is hard.]
[Even if we met, you wouldn't know me,]
[Dust on my face, Hair like frost.]
[In a dream last night, suddenly I was home.]
[By the pavilion's window, you were combing your hair and getting dressed up.]
[You turned and looked, no word spoken,]
[Only lines of tears coursing down.]
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Runexi's notes:
By now you've probably realized this story carries heavy use of ancient poetry.
Song of River City in more modern application, through song:
江城子