Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Fifty-nine,
Grasslands

But in the end, they did not go to the hunting ground on the first day, He Xuan only accompanied him in the clearing beside the race grounds and circled it a few times, and had Xiao Zuo familiarize with the feeling of riding a horse. When they headed back, Xiao Zuo already found it hard to bear to separate with a’Lan, and turned his head three times with every step, and promised to look for it tomorrow, then unwillingly went back home with He Xuan.

This time, He Heng planned on staying in the west capital for a month’s time, other than investigating the case of the refugees, the rest of He Xuan’s time was used to accompany Xiao Zuo in the horse grounds. The day before they had to return to Shang An’jing, Xiao Zuo already went from a layman who did not know how to ride horses, to a wind-chasing young man who can ride a’Lan on the flat grasslands.

Before leaving, He Xuan brought Xiao Zuo to the horse grounds one last time, this time, Xiao Zuo took the initiative to suggest to have He Xuan bring him together to the grasslands.

“Are you not afraid anymore?” He Xuan unexpectedly lifted his eyebrows, his steed was a big and tall pure blood horse given as tribute from the west regions, the saddles and reins were embedded with emerald-green gems, and glistened along with the galloping, all shiny and dazzling.

And at the same time, made Xiao Zuo’s a’Lan appear a bit pale in comparison, Xiao Zuo lovingly touched a’Lan’s mane, and nodded his head, “En, since it so rare to come to the northwest, we must go see the true grasslands.”

“Alright.” He Xuan smiled, then turned to say to the servants on the side, “Bring myg bow here.”

Xiao Zuo was dressed in light attire, the back of his waist also properly carried a bow and arrows, his right hand held in reins, while his calves tightened on the horse’s stomach, and entered the Li Plains to the side right behind He Xuan.

In front of his eyes was a boundless and vast grasslands. Today, the evening light burned particularly strong, as though Zhu Rong[1] randomly cast down divine fire, and burned past the sky’s canopies in an instant, to the point it burned a hole, while spattering bits of fire fell into the mountains in the human realm, linking into a span of fire-red colour.

Xiao Zuo took a deep breath in, once a’Lan beneath him entered the grasslands, she then made a mad dash like she became unrestrained, the winds in the grasslands that came crashing forward all carried an air of freedom, wrapped with the fragrance of the grasses at the end of summer, making people almost intoxicated in it.

When raising the eyes up to look, there would be a few unknown birds passing by the skies, or perhaps eagles, leaving a fleeting curve in the clouds after quickly spreading its wings. He Xuan’s horse at the front slowly stopped, he took out an arrow from the quiver on the back, pulled open the bow and put on the arrow, and aimed at a bird hovering above the skies.

From the time Xiao Zuo first saw He Xuan, he faintly felt the wild nature of the person in front of him hidden underneath the loneliness and ruthlessness. Perhaps he should not belong to the ice-cold gem-laid luxurious tall buildings and halls, he should belong to a much more vast place, just like the free winds on the grasslands, passing by mountains and rivers as it pleased.

Just before the arrow on the string released, He Xuan instead put down his hand. Xiao Zuo lightly called out, and caught up to him.

“What is it?”

He Xuan observed that bird, it seemed to not have noticed that it narrowly dodged a disaster just now, still merrily flapping its small wings, and letting out chirps.

“Nothing.” He Xuan shook his head, “Sometimes, when I see these small birds, I would suddenly realize a lot of things. Look, even this frail of a bird still revels in life’s……”

Up to here, He Xuan seemed to have felt those words just now was a bit unreasonable, he slightly smirked, and ridiculed himself, “It’s not much, just think of me being a saint for once, let us continue on.”

Xiao Zuo hung his eyes down, unknown if he listened to his words just now, and only lowly made an en sound, “Alright.”

A’Lan ran faster and faster, like she was going to leave the winds to the back. Just a bit ahead would be Tu Jue’s holy mountains, Mount An Yang. When riding horses, past the beautiful layer of clouds, one could faintly see a corner of the icy peak hidden in the skies, like the divine god had thrust a bladeless sword in the world.

The grasslands always had a mystical magic that made people unwilling to leave it- eternal winds, a passionately burning fire-red sunset, eagles hovering in the skies, as well as the distant standing snowy peaks.

That day when Xiao Zuo and He Xuan brought the horses back to the stables, Uncle Yu came out to send them off.

“Your Majesty, do you know why this place is called the Li Plains?”

He Xuan extremely straightforwardly shook his head. Uncle Yu laughed, and said, “In the past, there was no name to this grassland, and using the local Tu language, they called it Aqida, meaning grasslands. Five years ago, there was a big drought in the summer, the grasslands caught on fire, and this stretch of land was all burned cleanly.”

Uncle Yu sighed, “That time, there were many families nearby, but thankfully, there was no injury to life, just that the stockpiles accumulated for half a lifetime were gone in this fire. But us people of the grasslands’ biggest strong point is that we have great tenacity, look at these past five years, everyone’s days have gotten better and better.”

“People, must live like the grasses of the grasslands, there is a line from a poem, how did it go?”

Xiao Zuo answered, “Abundant, dense grasses of the plains, grows and withers with each age[2].”

“Right.” Uncle Yu patted his thigh, and smiled, “I am just an unlearned person, and don’t know how to say it. However, the logic is all the same. That year, the magistrate here was a literate person, after hearing this matter, he gave this grasslands the name of Li Plains, and at that time, he mentioned this line.”

Many, many years later after, when Xiao Zuo recalled the west capital, the thing that left the deepest impression was still the grasslands where he was riding a’Lan, as well as the words Uncle Yu said.

People, must live like the grasses on the grassland. Wild fires would not blow it all away, but when spring winds blow, it would live again. The imperishable free winds on the grasslands and the vigorous grasses that would not burn to the end, they all represented the same thing.

New growth, and also hope.

❀

“The investigation is pretty much done.” Xu Yu Hang’s mouth was placed with a fat and oily fried piece of duck, one of his hands grabbed a thin pancake, while the other hand used chopsticks to hungrily pile shredded cucumbers and scallions dipped in sauce on the pancake, then said indistinctly, “Actually, it was because the Fourth Highness pushed for White Ears, that would cause Tong Province’s big drought. It originally was not a big matter, he simply saw that the ancestral rite was about to come so he did not report it. But from how I see it, his Majesty, in the end, will likely bring matters up high and place it down lightly, and with Empress Liu interfering in between too, he won’t be punished much.”

He Xuan held in a mouthful of wine without any remark. Compared to Xu Yu Hang’s bowl’s vegetables that were piled like a small mountain, the inside of his bowl only had a few sparse greens, he typically did not have much in terms of appetite, so that plate of roasted duck all fell into Xu Yu Hang’s stomach.

“I understand.” He Xuan propped his chin, he slightly knitted his eyebrows, as though thinking to something, ‘But…… what if there further efforts?“

“What further efforts?” Xu Yu Hang paused for a while, right now, his whole head was full of sliced roast duck spread with sugar, the sensation of it melting as soon as it entered the mouth coupled with the crisp and cool cucumber shreds, truthfully made people want to savour it again and again. He stared at He Xuan for a while, then realized it, and nodded his head, “We can give it a try, with the Fourth Highness’ brain……”

Xu Yu Hang shrugged his shoulders, He Xuan indifferently took back his gaze, the forefinger on his right hand lightly knocked on the table, the incense burner to his back wound up with smoke, enveloping his features to make it unclear.

Not even two days later after He Heng just returned to Shang An’jing, he summoned He Xuan into the palace, He Xuan received news from Xu Yu Hang’s mouth yesterday, so he understood things clearly, and naturally neither hurriedly entered inside to greet him.

“Rise.” He Heng was rubbing the antiques on his display cabinet, seeing He Xuan come in, he calmly asked, “How has the investigation been?”

“About done.” He Xuan rose, and broadly repeated what Xu Yu Hang said to him, and after, he paused, and extremely contrarily put on the look of a loving brother, and forced himself to make mental notes, then said, “Fourth Brother he…… did it for Father’s body, in the end, he has the heart of a child, do not blame him, Father.”

“Iz also know this child’s temper, he is of no evil heart, but is never steady enough when doing things.” He Heng sighed, “Never mind, let this matter be a warning to him, Sun De Lu.”

“This servant is present.” Sun De Lu flung his horsetail whisk, and made a small run from outside into the hall. He Heng opened his mouth, “Bring my(z) words, the fourth prince did not plan the ancestral rite with effort, hence to be on house arrest for three months, punished for half a year, there is no need to go to morning courts either, reflect on it at home properly.”

As expected, it was only a superficial punishment, He Xuan indifferently stood to one side, and coldly watched He Heng instruct Sun De Lu. He faintly felt this kind of scene seemed to have been experienced countless times, to the point his heart already fell with layers of thick dust, so dim it could not see the day of light.

He Xuan remembered when he was ten years of age, He Yang accidentally shattered a jade pendant Mother had left for him. That was Mother’s most favourite jade pendant, he ran to find He Heng full of grievances inside, thinking how Father deeply loved Mother, he would definitely fiercely punish He Yang, and bring justice for him. But after He Heng heard him finish speaking, [He Heng] only slightly smiled, and randomly faulted He Yang with two lines, and told him.

“Xuan’er, you are the big brother, normally, you must take care of these little brothers. It is merely a jade pendant, if you liked it, Father will buy you another, as a man, how could one tear up because of a small matter like this, it would make others laugh.”

Yes, He Heng long forgot this was Mother’s jade pendant. In his eyes, He Xuan merely took over the title as the Yuan Empress’ eldest son- not only that, he was barely older, yet would not say some lucky words to make him happy, nor would he act spoiled and dumb to have him revel in the joys of a family. Each palace banquet, although it was said that he sat beneath He Heng, it was as though they were separated by many folds of waters and mountains, He Heng could not see the haze in his eyes, nor was [He Xuan] willing to ask of the Father who he once looked up to when he was young.

Everyone seated were guests who was greedy for happiness, since times of yore, there have only been few with deep affection.

This palace was like a pear garden, one where once you finish singing, I will go up the stage, the play had already been performed to the next act, yet those who never forgot it, had always been him alone.

Since He Xuan had been called in, He Yang went to Empress Liu’s Han Yuan Palace and paced back and forth, so anxious he grabbed his ears and scratched his cheeks. Liu Fang Rui instead was completely relaxed and leaned on the chair, with Lan Yi was kneeling on the carpet to the side, painting her nails with polish.

She glanced at He Yang, and slightly unhappily opened her mouth, “What are you nervous for? We haven’t done anything over the top, even if the crown prince were to dig three inches deep, he would not find anything.”

“Father had been in such a big rage before, shouldn’t this son be worried?” He Yang made a bitter face, and moved to Liu Fang Rui’s side and massaged her legs for her, “Mother, say, how do you think Father will punish this son?”

Liu Fang Rui hung her eyes down and watched Lan Yi paint her nails, and nonchalantly answered, “It will likely be just a punishment for half a year, something like having you be on house arrest. Be at ease, your Father has doted on you since young, there won’t be a problem.”