The four travelers ate dinner at a restaurant on the first floor of an inn. They were in Xuzhou, a large port city next to the White River. The next day they would ferry their carriage and horses across the rapids and arrive in Luoyi not long after.
Xiyun leaned forward to pick the last strand of boiled vegetables, however, before he could, Danlu’s quick hands snatched it first. Xiyun stared at the other boy who held a wide grin.
Danlu had been trying many things to elicit a reaction from the quiet boy. He knew he saw a subtle shift in Xiyun’s mood when it was something concerning food. Xiyun would always stare back, but wouldn’t say anything, Danlu found it quite amusing.
This time, Xiyun spoke. “Yeon.”
Before he could switch his gaze, a shadow flew across the table. When Danlu looked down, he saw that the pork belly that was in his bowl was gone. He immediately pointed at Yeon, who had something stuffed in her mouth. “You stole my pork belly!”
“Did not. Do you have evidence?”
“I saw you!”
Yeon smiled. “But did you?”
At first, Danlu wanted to reply but he realized it was true. He didn’t see a thing. The restaurant continued in its loudness. He felt a void in the back of his mind, a feeling of oddness.
Chu Su did not feel anything strange. It was not the first time Chu Su witnessed the antics of the children. He took his jug of yellow wine and served himself another cup.
Xiyun skimmed a look at the scene but proceeded to eat in peace as he had succeeded in distracting both Yeon and Danlu.
“How did you do that?” Danlu finally said. He then grasped that when Yeon referred to herself as a bodyguard, she implied she knew martial arts. Danlu’s eye brightened in excitement. “Are you a cultivator?”
Yeon’s expression creased. “I’m a martial artist,” she spat.
“Aren’t they the same?”
“Of course they aren’t! A cultivator doesn’t know how to fight. Mysterious methods are all cheap tricks before true strength.”
Danlu eyed Yeon skeptically. Luoyi was among the largest and most important cities in Great Zhao, unlike the mundane countryside. When he was young, Danlu always heard gossip about the many heroes that made an appearance in the city.
He even once witnessed one of the famous “duels before the walls”. The two cultivators stood far apart when the fight began, but one suddenly dropped dead to the ground before anyone even moved. It couldn’t even be called a fight, but none of the spectators complained. It was because the eeriness everyone felt then was multiple times more than he did now.
Danlu shook his head and waved his hand. “If I could cultivate, I wouldn’t be beaten by some martial arts.”
Yeon frowned before sighing exaggeratedly, “If you had any talent for cultivation, you would already have been found and taken by an expert now.”
“What? I can totally cultivate. I just need to find the cave of an immortal first.”
Yeon rolled her eyes.
Chu Su suddenly interrupted. “If you go off seeking death, who will look after me when I am old?”
“You’re already old, old man.” Danlu dodged a smack from Chu Su before laughing. “Yeah, yeah. I am going to be a successful merchant. I’ll take care of us.”
Yeon turned to Xiyun. Without needing her to ask, Xiyun nodded a confirmation to the question she had on her mind.
“Shouldn’t you be aiming to become a scholar?” she said.
Chu Su sputtered. “Ba! Like he is smart enough to become some scholar.”
Danlu first grasped his chest as he took offense, but then opened his arms to clarify. “People look down on merchants, but business is all around us! It ties the world together. Everyone trades in one way or another. To become a merchant, you don’t need wealth, authority, brawn, or knowledge. You just need ingenuity and luck to compete- most importantly luck- because trade exists on every scale. Everyone can start small and the best will succeed- unless you’re lucky, then you’ll succeed anyway. Here’s hoping the Heaven’s give me luck!”
Yeon and Xiyun couldn’t bother disagreeing with the bright display.
Danlu proceeded to grimly smile. “I don’t know if I can share the story.” He looked to his father.
Chu Su’s face was completely flushed. “How can I not trust them?” he spat.
Danlu smiled to show his white teeth. He faced Xiyun and Yeon. “Do you know who began this carriage service?”
Yeon thought about the question, but Xiyun thought about why the question was asked. He took a look at Chu Su.
“Impossible,” Yeon muttered.
“It is possible. We were living on the streets at one point, but Father began a rickshaw business in Luoyi that eventually became the best and only one in the city. After selling the business, Father and his friends used the money to begin this carriage service which now extends all the way to Jiyang,” Danlu said.
“If you were the boss of the business at some point, how did you become one of its drivers?” Yeon said.
Chu Su sighed. “In a business which uses the prime property in multiple large cities and the routes between these cities, what do you think is even more important than money?” Chu Si took another sip of alcohol. “It is backing! Even with the rickshaw business, we made friends with the largest local gang. If you want a large business to run well, you need backing. Otherwise, people will take advantage of you.”
“What about the law?” Yeon said.
“Well I’m still alive and healthy, so I guess that means the law is working. No one can just get rid of me. Other than that, the law exists in that connections to the government or military is also a form of backing. But without backing, there are plenty of ways to get pressured, even legally. For example, stores can be trashed by anonymously paid thugs, and the bailiffs can decide it’s too troublesome to help you. After setting up the main service in Luoyi and having success, we found a large family to officially work under to open services in other cities. Each additional service multiplied our productivity. However, these types of deals are always a fight for control. The family was eventually able to take over and I was positioned far away in Jiyang, so I no longer had any influence.”
“That sounds unfair,” Yeon said.
Chu Su laughed. “Actually it isn’t. I knew the risk from the start. But we wanted to use the family just like they wanted to use us. Everything they did, I would have done the same in their position. I lost fair and square.”
“Will you remain as a driver?” Yeon asked.
“We are saving up money as we wait for our contracts to end. After that, we can do anything.” Danlu grinned but some regret was still found in his eyes.
Yeon returned the smile and continued eating.
The evening passed and everyone returned to their rooms to prepare for the next day.
…
Danlu was the first to spot the Jianchun Gate of Luoyi by standing on top of the horse.
The gray colossal walls were imposing to every traveler on the road. A heavy stronghold, rivaling the height of the walls itself, sat on top of the eastern gate.
Under the gate, the normal procedures were processed and the carriage entered the city.
The stone cut avenue was smoother than everywhere else they had ridden through. Each building facing the avenue was a two-story brick building with an open storefront selling various goods, while in the backdrop, tall trees give shade to the street. Although there were more people than in Jiyang, the wider avenues of Luoyi allowed the carriages to pass unimpeded.
Both Chu Su and Danlu were silent as they breathed in the city air.
“What now?” Yeon said to Xiyun.
“We find an inn like usual, right?”
“Then, let’s tour the city!” Yeon beamed. “Are there any martial halls here?”
Danlu heard the question. “If you mean training halls, there are a lot.”
“I know a cheap inn by the river.” Chu Su said.
“River?” Yeon said.
“The Luo River cuts through the middle of the city. You may not know that the old imperial palace forms the entire northwest quarter of the city, but even they have their entrance in front of the river.” Chu Su turned to Xiyun. “How about you, boy? Do you know anything interesting about the river?”
“Interesting?”
“You are always reading those history books of yours. Ever learn anything about the Luo River that stuck out before?”
Xiyun thought about it. “Emperor Taizong happened to quite like the Luo River.”
Chu Su coughed. The last time he heard that phrase used, it referred to the gambling and entertainment boats on the river. “Well, I guess. Luoyi was his base of support when he was a prince.”
Their conversation did not stop their movement. Yeon stuck her head outside as they went. Unlike the cold Jiyang, lush green trees intertwined within the city. The spring humidity allowed the scent to linger.
The carriage eventually stopped in front of a two-story establishment nestled between two shops. Inside the front entrance was a small dining area.
“These types of small lodgings are popular come autumn when scholars arrive to take the Prefectural Exam,” Chu Su said.
Yeon jumped out of the carriage. “Where can we find you two?”
“We’ll be at our headquarters, it’s by Changxia Gate at the south wall,” Danlu said.
Xiyun stepped down, taking his box while leaving behind a string of coins. He joined Yeon and Danlu who stood at the entrance of the inn.
Danlu scratched the back of his neck. “So this is the end again.”
“Meetings never end. Even if you all disappear, I will still find you. I will test this out tomorrow, but for now, I’ll miss you two,” Yeon said.
Danlu nodded. “I will miss you two as well.” He looked at Xiyun.
“I may miss you,” Xiyun said.
A smile still surfaced on Danlu. “Good enough.”
“For your business, young patrons, thank you.” Chu Su climbed back on the carriage. “Come on, son.”
Danlu joined his father. “You never call me that.”
The four split ways once more. Xiyun and Yeon watched the carriage disappear.
Xiyun walked in and asked for a room. Although the room was small, to their surprise, there were two wood beds against opposing walls and a round table with stools in the middle of the room.
“Luoyi really is different,” Yeon remarked.
Xiyun placed his remaining string of fifty coins and two gold sycees on the table. “All together this is about three thousand and fifty coins or three hundred and five taels.”
“Chu Su did say ten coins can last a month of frugal living with room and food.
“However, you eat a lot, so a month of living should cost fifteen coins.”
“What you mean to say is, because you are a picky eater, it comes up to fifteen coins.”
“Add in the cost of ink and paper, it rises to twenty coins.”
Yeon raised an eyebrow, but it was up to Xiyun how to spend his money.
“In total, this can last at least a dozen years,” Xiyun said.
“Wow. Though I don’t know if this is considered high or low for the Liu Family. I guess this is considered an alright amount. For now, we should find your family.”
“That is not happening.”
Yeon did not speak but faced Xiyun to think about his thoughts.
“My mother and father are definitely dead, but Master liked me so he raised me, that I do know. These people are distant relatives.”
Yeon shook her head. “They can be your aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents.”
“We still have no connection.”
“They are potential people to make connections. A connection trusted by blood.”
“But I don’t want it.”
Yeon frowned. She thought about everything she knew about the boy since they had met. “Why do you see connections this way? What about Chu Su and Chu Danlu?”
Xiyun’s lips closed. “They were people we hired,” he said slowly. “Do you really believe that?”
“Either way, that connection has ended, my connection with Master has ended. From this point on, I cannot gain, but I cannot lose. I am fine right now. Why should I change anything?”
Yeon thought she saw something. “If you believe that then I am the same as them. A hired connection without value. I can help you glimpse the potential of family, but if you disagree, we will split ways right here.”
Xiyun could not speak. The boy was still stoic, however, his mouth did not close completely. He stared at the surface of the table as moments passed. Silently, he took out a letter from his travel case and gave it Yeon to see.
Yeon held the letter somewhat confusedly. She saw the writing on the back of the letter stating, ‘Xiao. Luoyi, Qinsi Ward.’ She smiled.
Xiyun realized she had dimples.
…
Xiyun and Yeon ate a meal together on the first floor of the small inn.
“The letter says what ward, but it doesn’t say the street or building,” Yeon said.
“There is a surname that we can use.”
“True. Perhaps they are working as servants and do not own any property. We can ask around when we’re there.”
“We are just taking a peek.”
“Of course we are.” Yeon left the table to the back of the building where a plump woman was watching over the inn. “Excuse me, do you know where Qinsi Ward is?”
…
It was midday as Xiyun and Yeon walked the streets of Luoyi. It was just like when they were in Jiyang, but now there was some additional beautiful greenery for Yeon to gaze at.
The directions to Qinsi Ward were simple. They had to cross one of the bridges above the Luo River and continue north on the avenue.
When they stepped out the street they were on, they arrived before the river. The most prosperous shops of Luoyi were all facing the river. On each side of the riverway, there were public gardens and private courtyards close enough to touch the water. Each side of the street was especially busy because there were many light construction going on.
Yeon asked a passerby what it was about.
“It’s for tomorrow’s Lantern Festival. Good heavens, kids should know at least this much these days. The capital may get three days of lifted curfew, but Luoyi has the Luo River. It will be a wonderful sight,” they said.
“Lantern Festival?” Yeon asked Xiyun.
“It’s a festival on the fifteenth of the first month during the first full moon of the year.”
“So it’s the Great Full Moon Festival! I remember failing to sneak out with Eldest Brother and Senior Sister for that once. We definitely need to come here tomorrow.”
Xiyun accepted it. “Sure.”
They crossed the stone bridge. The bridge was a flat bridge, the width of a street, supported by dozens of stone arch beams. It spanned multiple fields because the Luo River was vast. It was crowded, so when Xiyun walked at the side of the bridge, Yeon walked on top of the stone railings.
They arrived at Qinsi Ward, yet unlike other wards, there were no streets or alleys going through it. It was almost completely walled. After passing multiple side entrances they came to the main entrance at the south. There was busy activity as people entered and left.
“So this is why the address was so simple. Is it all connected?” Yeon said.
She walked to the entrance, with Xiyun following, to encounter a straight street that branched into multiple side paths. There were many large buildings facing the street, however, behind the surrounding buildings were individual courtyards and even more structures.
The street was just as busy as a public street. Some people were hanging up lantern decorations for the festival and some were children playing.
“This should be a compound, with the entire ward used as one. Each courtyard should house one or more families. Though, these types of compounds are more common in the countryside where there is cheaper property,” Xiyun said.
Yeon nodded. “Obviously the people in charge are richer than most. We need to figure out which courtyard is the right one.”
Xiyun was about to speak when the sound of a carriage and the neigh of a horse interrupted him.
A small two-wheeled carriage pulled by a horse was forced to stop in front of Xiyun and Yeon.
The driver was a young man growing a light beard. “Stay clear of the entrance and road! We should know this by now! Which courtyard are you from?”
Yeon had a great idea. “The Xiao Family courtyard!”
The driver looked at her like she was an idiot. He then saw Xiyun next to her and his white robe. These two aren’t from a family in the compound. They are obviously children of another estate coming to make trouble. “You brats! Do you think you can play here? Haven’t your elders taught you better? Don’t think I won’t find out which estate you’re from.”
“We have business here,” Yeon said.
The driver narrowed his eyes, but before he could say anything, a man exited the carriage.
The man looked to be near thirty and possessed straight features and posture. His expression was particularly haughty. He wore a blue cross color robe adorned by a circular jade ornament tied to his sash. He had paid attention to the commotion from inside the carriage. “What is this about?”
Xiyun didn’t want to explain anything so he raised the letter instead. “We are searching for a family here.”
Yeon saw Xiyun handing the letter over. “What if they rip it?”
“Good.” Xiyun received a light jab at his side for that. The man suspiciously took the letter and opened it.
Xiyun had already read what was inside. It was a simple introduction statement consisting of his name, Madam Liu’s name, and a seal. Nothing more.
After finishing the letter the man did not react, rather his reaction was a frozen expression. He came out of his stupor and gazed around as if he had forgotten where he was. When he saw the driver he gave him the letter.
“Take this to my father, immediately. Use this if you need to enter the Back Manor or if anyone tries to stop you.” The man handed the driver a wooden token.
The driver did not understand why he had suddenly become a runner, but he did not take his duty lightly. “Right away, Mister Qui!” He took off with the carriage.
Mister Qiu took a look at the two youths, assessing them. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped.
Xiyun thought the situation was becoming odd. “I think things are escalating more than we planned.”
Yeon must have agreed because she grasped his hand. “Run for it?” she whispered.
Mister Qiu suddenly spoke. “I am Qui Gaokang. My father, Steward Qiu, decides on all affairs relating to the family. How about I invite you two to tea while we wait for him? There is a tea pavilion ahead just for these occasions.” He did not wait for an answer before he began walking.
Yeon and Xiyun decided to at least follow him down the street, but they did not walk particularly fast.
They came to a yard at the end of the street. Mister Qui’s carriage was stopped here. On both sides of the yard were two large trees. At the front was a wall and a decorated gate that was left open. Behind the gate was a yard leading to a large manor.
Xiyun discovered that the estate was divided into two sections. A servant compound in the south and the family manor in the north. Xiyun focused on the giant signboard above the gate next. Written in a bold brush was two words.
‘Xiao Family’.