Chapter 28: Parting Sorrows and Lingering Affections

On the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, the autumn air was crisp and refreshing, with the sky clear for ten thousand miles.

Wu Tiande led his entire household, along with the mother-son duo of Lou and Bu, as well as Jia Zhi, Liu Jing, Liu Qin, and Qu Feiyan, departing from Beiping and heading west.

Liu Qin and Jia Jun had sparred; their swordsmanship was evenly matched, but due to the influence of Sub-master Xue, Jia Jun had also been studying hard-body techniques like the Iron Shirt and Golden Bell Shield under Master Wu Tiande. When Liu Qin’s wooden sword struck Jia Jun, the latter felt neither pain nor itch, but when Jia Jun’s wooden sword struck Liu Qin, it made him howl in tears. In the end, Liu Qin lost the duel. According to their agreement, he was to serve as Jia Jun’s sparring partner for a year.

Liu Zhengfeng was somewhat uneasy upon hearing this, but among the martial arts fraternity, promises were held in the highest regard; there was no turning back on one’s word. Moreover, since Wu Tiande’s party was heading to Tongguan, which was quite close to the Huashan Sect, having Liu Qin represent the Hengshan Sect in visiting the mountain would be beneficial for the internal relations of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance. Thus, Liu Zhengfeng simply allowed his daughter, Liu Jing, to accompany them so the two would have company on the road.

Wu Tiande had previously offended Jia Zhen of the Ning Mansion, so he dared not make a grand display upon leaving Beiping. Those who saw them off that day were few: his father-in-law Qin Ye, his uncle Wu Xindeng, Deng Gang of the Divine Mechanism Camp, his old neighbor Bao Er, and the couple Duo Guan and Deng Er. As they all had their own matters to attend to, they only escorted the group outside the Fucheng Gate before bidding a tearful farewell.

Wu Tiande felt quite fine, imbued with a sense of "the sea is wide for the fish to leap, the sky is high for the bird to fly," but his wife, Qin Keqing, wept uncontrollably. She was worried about her father’s frail health and lack of care, and fearful that his naturally cautious nature would lead him to stumble in his official career.

Wu Tiande comforted her, "Don’t worry. That new maid is clever and capable; she will have no trouble taking care of an old man. I have also spoken to Old Man Qu; if he is in Beiping, he has agreed to look after my father-in-law from time to time." He added, "Your father’s position as a Ministry of Works official was secured through the personal connections of Prince Wang Ziteng, Commander of the Capital Garrison. If anything were to happen to your father, the official who recommended him would likely be charged with negligence, so they will not ignore him."

"That is good," Qin Keqing nodded. Although her heart was filled with anxiety, the presence of her brother, Qin Zhong, helped alleviate her sorrow at leaving.

For this journey, Wu Tiande had long since planned their route. To distract his wife, he explained, "We will first pass through Lugou Bridge, exit Wanping City, and enter the ancient path at the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains. After passing Baoding Prefecture, we will head south along the Juma River to Dingzhou, turn southwest, pass through the treacherous Jingxing Pass, and enter the Sanjin Province. After a short rest in Taiyuan Prefecture, we will head south along the Fen River valley, passing Linfen and Yuncheng, until we reach the Puzin Ferry on the eastern bank of the Yellow River. Once we cross that natural barrier, we will step into Shaanxi territory. Finally, we head west along the northern bank of the Wei River, pass Huayin County, and we will see the majestic Tongguan Pass standing at the confluence of the Qinling Mountains and the Yellow River. That is our destination."

Although Qin Keqing was literate, she knew little of geography. She had never even heard of the long string of names Wu Tiande recited, so she simply deferred to her husband’s arrangements.

"Everything follows my arrangement?" Wu Tiande teased. Looking at her flower-like face and graceful figure, and thinking about how they had not been intimate for several days due to the move, his mind began to wander. He patted her plump hip, signaling her to lean on the wooden bench. The two personal maids in the carriage, Ruizhu and Baozhu, were so frightened that they immediately found excuses to flee.

"What are you doing?" Qin Keqing asked, blushing with shame and anger. But then she thought, if she could not satisfy her husband’s unreasonable demands, what if he sought entertainment elsewhere? Although public indecency was improper, doing it in the dead of night would surely be overheard by everyone, which would be even worse. It was better to let this scoundrel vent while the carriage was moving over the dirt road, where the noise was loud.

"I give you the time of one incense stick; if you can't finish, then stop," Qin Keqing said, biting her lip.

"Fine, fine," Wu Tiande said happily.

Wu Tiande intended to quietly build his strength at Tongguan, so he brought not only his family, bodyguards, and servants but also significant wealth and luggage, requiring four transport carriages. He, Qin Keqing, and the two maids rode in one. Lou, Bu, Qingwen, Liu Jing, and Qu Feiyan shared another. Jia Zhi, Jia Yun, Jia Jun, Qin Zhong, Wu Caiming, and Liu Qin were split into two groups, each in a separate carriage.

However, the six of them—Jia Zhi, Jia Yun, and the others—were also responsible for scouting, driving, guarding, and keeping watch, so they spent little time sitting in the carriages. In addition, Wu Tiande had equipped several horses for everyone to ride. Consequently, the group moved quickly and arrived outside Wanping City that afternoon.

As a low-ranking military officer, Wu Tiande was technically eligible to stay in local post stations. However, Wanping was a major thoroughfare filled with dignitaries, and he feared trouble. Moreover, his entourage exceeded the station’s capacity, which could lead to accusations of overstepping. It was better to stay at an inn in the city; though it would cost a few coins, the service was better and the food was hot.

"Everyone, hold on a little longer. I hear the braised beef at the Yuelai Inn in the city is excellent. I’ll treat you all to a big meal there," Wu Tiande encouraged them.

"Great!" everyone cheered.

As the sun set, the sign for the "Yuelai Inn" finally appeared at the end of the dusty official road. Having traveled all afternoon, everyone was famished. "Innkeeper, bring your best wine and food!" Wu Tiande shouted as soon as they sat down, sweat streaming down his face.

Soon, steaming dishes arrived: tender braised pork, stir-fried greens, and a rich pot of chicken soup. Everyone fell upon the food, but Jia Zhi seemed distracted. He put down his chopsticks after a few bites, muttering, "I don't have much of an appetite for this food today." He took a sip of tea, then coughed, "Ahem... I choked." The others were too busy eating to notice his oddity, assuming he was tired from the road.

Jia Zhi smiled, took the remaining two steamed buns and a piece of braised beef from the table, wrapped them in oil paper, tucked them into his robe, and whispered, "I really can't eat anymore; I'll save these for later."

Seeing no one paying attention, Jia Zhi slipped out of the inn. At a shadowy street corner, a graceful woman named Jiao Ya was waiting. Her eyes lit up as she saw him. "A-Zhi, you finally came out," she said softly.

Jia Zhi held her hands, "Sorry for the wait, there were too many people inside." He handed her the food. "Eat, I saved this for you." Jiao Ya’s eyes reddened. They had fallen in love when the Jiao brothers married, and she had followed him without hesitation.

"A-Zhi, when can we be together openly?" Jiao Ya asked.

Jia Zhi sighed and patted her head, "Wait a bit longer. We are too close to Beiping. In a few days, when we are further away, I will speak to Commander Wu and try to get you settled in Tongguan."

"Hmm," Jiao Ya nodded, leaning on his shoulder.

Just then, voices drifted from behind the wall. "Did the estate managers decide on a plan while gathered in Wanping?" a raspy voice asked.

"No, nothing was decided," another sighed. "Wu Jinxiao, the manager of the Ning Mansion, isn't helping. We wanted to claim that poor weather reduced the harvest to cut our quotas in half. But Wu says that Master Zhen of the Ning Mansion suffered a loss against the Divine Mechanism Camp and is currently short on funds. He needs to send ten thousand taels of silver to Shi Guangzhu, the Assistant Regional Commander of Tongguan, to suppress someone, so he’s keeping a tight watch on us."

Jia Zhi and Jiao Ya froze. They returned to the inn and told Wu Tiande everything.

Wu Tiande was shocked. Shi Guangzhu, a grandson of the Duke of Shanguo, was the superior of his own superior at Tongguan. How was he supposed to survive? However, knowing this in advance gave him an advantage. If Jia Zhen’s silver hadn't arrived, Shi Guangzhu wouldn't risk offending Prince Wang Ziteng to cause trouble for Wu Tiande.

Wu Tiande suddenly had an idea. "Your elopement is a bad influence. If the Jiao family finds out, I could be charged with human trafficking. Why don't you two ride ahead and lead the way to Tongguan?"

Jia Zhi and Jiao Ya were delighted and thanked him profusely. Wu Tiande laughed, "Don't thank me yet, I need your help!" He whispered instructions to Jia Zhi about what to do upon reaching Tongguan.

Jia Zhi gasped, "Two thousand taels of silver? Would Master Zhen really be that generous? Eunuchs from the palace usually settle for two hundred taels. Would Commander Shi believe this?"

"True," Wu Tiande mused. "Jia Zhen is a miser. Let's adjust the story to fit his character. Spread a rumor in the Tongguan Guard that Master Zhen never offers less than five hundred taels for favors. Say he spent hundreds of taels on the Ministry of Internal Affairs when he redeemed his stewards Lai Er and Yu Lu!"

Jia Zhi agreed, "We leave at dawn tomorrow. The mission will be accomplished."