Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Seventy-three,
Shou Yi

At morning court each day, He Heng’s face would get darker than the last, it could be seen that Nan Liang’s situation was also going on a decline. He Xuan was staring at the cloud patterns on the Pan dragon pillar within the hall, pondering over the plans to pacify the south he showed He Heng, when he suddenly heard He Heng call his name, and said.

“Constructing a Jiang Nan branch[1] in Qing Ling, the Crown Prince He Xuan shall be the branch minister, in charge of the matter with pacifying the south. Main General Lan Shou Yi shall be the army’s marshal, to resolve the country’s armed forces.”

He Xuan froze, he subconsciously glanced towards the back right, and suddenly recalled that He Yang had broken his leg and was still recovering in his residence, then took back his gaze, and came out from the line and gave his thanks for the order.

“This son thanks Father for bestowing the grace, [I] will definitely not betray expectations, and will definitely quell the rebellion.”

“En.” He Heng wearily rubbed his temples, and waved his hand while speaking.

“Is there anything else from the officials?”

After coming down from the courts, He Xuan purposefully walked slower, and once Lan Shou Yi slowly got up from his seat, he then walked to his side. Lan Shou Yi, because he had been attacked by Tu Jue’s Šaeujiya Khan’s son, took a heavy hit to his leg- though it was said it no longer interfered with walking, but once the autumn and winter’s weather turns cold, the leg would still faintly hurt. He Heng, to express concern for an old subject, would especially grant Lan Shou Yi a seat each day in the morning court.

“This old subject greets your Highness the Crown Prince.” When He Xuan saw Lan Shou Yi was going to bend his waist to bow, he hurriedly bent down and lifted him up, and said, “General Lan has no need to be too courteous.”

Lan Shou Yi smiled, lifted his head up and carefully observed He Xuan, then patted his shoulder in relief, “It has been many years since, your Highness is taller than this old subject now.”

When He Xuan was young, Lan Shou Yi once taught him some martial arts, so he was fairly respectful to this old general. When he saw the teacher he worshipped when he was young have wrinkles pile on the corners of his eyes, he could not help but sigh a bit, “General Lan’s grace is still present.”

Lan Shou Yi waved his hand, “[I’ve] aged, I’ve aged, your Highness needs not to coax this old subject.”

“Pacifying the south this time, is much complicated, [I’m] afraid there will be a difficult battle, so before setting off, might General have some free time, so us two can discuss the plans on pacifying the south?”

Once He Xuan arranged a time with Lan Shou Yi, he no longer bothered him, and said a few things, then separated at the fork of the palace doors.

As for the matter of pacifying the south, even though He Xuan long made preparations, but when it came close to really leaving, his heart had a feeling of upset constantly lingered around. The carriage rolled over the leaves fallen onto the side of the path, He Xuan, in this rustling melody, also savoured the taste of departing for the first time in his life.

❀

Xiao Zuo was in the middle of the yard playing with a cat underneath the gingko tree, now that it was mentioned, there were no cats in the residence before, He Xuan typically did not have any interest in raising any cats, dogs or any living beings. But when he saw Xiao Zuo have nothing he could pass the time with in the residence other than reading books or playing chess, he had the steward purchase an all-white cat[2]. Xiao Zuo liked it very much, and even gave it a name, called Mr. Yin Su[3]. Xiao Zuo explained because the small cat was completely white like snow, he then gave it the name of Yin Su. When He Xuan could not remember it, he would randomly call it xiao’Bai, Mr. Yin Su would also answer to it, probably since did not mind the nickname He Xuan gave it.

“Your Highness!” Perhaps it was because Xiao Zuo heard the sounds of hooves striking the ground, he tossed the branch he was using to play with the cat to the side, and made a small run over. His forehead was covered with thin sweat, making the fair skin seem even smoother, “Your Highness, why are you back so late today, the kitchen has already readied lunch.”

“There was something important to announce in the courts today, and was delayed for a while.” He Xuan used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat for Xiao Zuo, and said, “Hungry yet? Instruct them to bring the food then.”

“Something important?” Xiao Zuo perceptively heard there was something, his steps came to a pause, and knitted his eyebrows, “Could it be related with Nan Liang?”

“En.” He Xuan’s right hand gripped into a fist, and was a bit nervous for the time being, “Have a meal first, I will speak to you in detail when we eat.”

“Alright.” Xiao Zuo pretended to be calm on the surface, but his heart was already extremely nervous, and hurriedly walked into the room, then urged the maid servants to go to the kitchen to bring the food in.

Today’s lunch had the braised fish Xiao Zuo liked eating, a thick fragrant sauce poured over the back of the fish, the greens of the leeks complimented the garlic whites, the plate’s appearance and smell were all present, in the regular day, Xiao Zuo would definitely raise his chopsticks and go for that plate of fish. He Xuan lifted his eyes to look at him, at this time, he instead grabbed the fried seasonal vegetables in front of him from time to time, and randomly ate the rice in his bowl.

Just when Xiao Zuo was thinking to Nan Liang, all of a sudden, he saw a piece of fish appear in his bowl. He slightly vacantly lifted his head up, He Xuan took back his chopsticks, and indifferently looked at him, “Have a taste, you like eating it.”

“En.” Just as the fish entered the mouth, the inside mixed with a spicy flavour and a bit of a taste of pickled veggies, especially crisp and appetizing. Xiao Zuo’s knitted eyebrows slightly relaxed, then he heard He Xuan speak, “Xiao’Zuo, today in the morning courts, Father already appointed an army of sixty thousand, and ordered me and General Lan to go down to the south together to pacify the rebellion.”

Xiao Zuo froze, the matter that made him toss and turn each night these days still came. The half a piece of fish in his chopsticks fell onto the table due to him shaking his hand just now, Xiao Zuo hurriedly got a handkerchief to the side of his hand, with the hanging loose hairs on his forehead just managing to hide the panic underneath his eyes.

When he opened his mouth once again, his tone was already very calm, “When are you leaving?”

“We will leave the first month of winter.”

“This soon?” It was already the last month of autumn, in less than ten days, it would be the first day of winter, “Then…… when are you coming back?”

“This journey will be rough, if the war stales, I’m afraid……”

He Xuan stopped speaking. Xiao Zuo immediately understood what He Xuan meant in his words, and immediately felt like even his most favourite fish lost its flavour. He swallowed the last piece of meat in his bowl without any interest, quietly put down his chopsticks, then like he was throwing a fit, he got up and headed towards his bedchambers without another word.

“Li……” He Xuan sighed, underneath the corridor, Xiao Zuo walked faster and faster, up until the end, he was pretty much making a mad dash towards the inner residence. His back figure with a blue robe with white fur collar seemed like a light swallow flying by, quickly disappearing at the corner, only leaving a swaying flower branch lightly shaking in the winds.

“Duke, do these clothes need……” Zi Wan just retrieved the underclothes that were washed in the laundry room two days ago, and held it in her arms about to air them with incense later, then saw Xiao Zuo rush inside like a gust of wind. Just when she opened her mouth to ask what kind of scent he wanted, she perceptively saw a smear of red hanging on the corner of Xiao Zuo’s eyes. Zi Wan hurriedly stopped speaking, and thought, did his Highness the Crown Prince make the duke unhappy again, and was hesitating if she should go up to persuade him, then heard the door close up with a crash, obvious that Xiao Zuo already made the decision for her.

Inside the door, Xiao Zuo reddened his eyes and curled himself up into a ball and hid in the corner of the bed, his right hand gripped into a fist and pressed on his mouth, but still could not suppress his whimpers.

As Nan Liang’s monarch, he should not cry. With He Xuan going now, if he could successfully pacify the situation, returning Nan Liang’s commoners peace was a wish he always had. If he fails, that means Jin’s crown prince would fall in danger- swords had no eyes[4] on the battlefield, if [He Xuan] was hurt or dead, Jin’s army would be unsteady, causing upheaval in the court. To him, this was also a good thing, he could take advantage of the chaos to profit from it, then reviving Nan Liang was also a possibility.

But he was still Xiao Zuo, Li Nu, He Xuan’s Li Nu. He already experienced many separations[5], he has seen enough, and seen to the point he couldn’t take it. He couldn’t say what he felt like right now, but felt his heart seemed to be blocked with a big ball of cotton, unable to go down or up, forcefully sucking the blood flowing in his heart dry. His entire body was left with an empty shell, barely propping up his frail skin that could not take even one strike.

The small beast with nothing to it had nothing it could lose, he desperately hugged the sole living being that accompanied him tight, even if that was a dangerous hunter.

When He Xuan came, Zi Wan just finished airing the clothes, and bowed towards him, “Your Highness.”

“En.” He Xuan pressed his voice down, and pointed to the door and asked him, “Is xiao’Zuo inside?”

Zi Wan nodded her head, “After the duke came back, he has always stayed inside.”

He Xuan waved his hand and had her retreat, he hesitated at the door for a while, then lightly pushed open the door. Xiao Zuo held a cushion, and slept while leaning on the bed. He Xuan lightly pulled the blanket from the side and put it over him, and smoothed the corner of the blanket for him. Xiao Zuo’s face seemed to be hung with dried tearstains, his eyes slightly shook while dreaming, as though sleeping unsteadily. He Xuan reached out and fixed the hair on his forehead to two sides, and propped up with his hands and gave a light peck on his brow ridge.

“Don’t go.” He Xuan lowered his head, Xiao Zuo was probably having some nightmare, his eyebrows were tightly knit, and his right hand pulled on the corner of He Xuan’s clothes, lowly muttering, “Don’t go……”

“En, I won’t go.” He Xuan grabbed Xiao Zuo’s hands, the room was burning with silver-threaded charcoal, yet his hand was ice-cold. He Xuan crouched down, and brought Xiao Zuo’s hand into his embrace, warming it while gently coaxing him, “It’s alright, I won’t go.”

Xiao Zuo seemed to have heard him in his dreams, his fingers slightly relaxed, and the hurried breathing also settled down, He Xuan pursed his lips, the fingertips passed by Xiao Zuo’s red and smooth lips, and pressed down on it with some indescribable spite.

The dreaming Xiao Zuo spilled a slight cat-like purr from the throat.