Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Crow

“You want to go to Feng Province?” Fu Zhan Chuan hurriedly pressed his voice down, he guiltily peeked all around, then swallowed the plum blossom pastry in his throat down, and asked, “Have you gone mad? At most, his Highness will come back in half a year, if you are bored, you can just find me some more.”

Xiao Zuo poured wine for himself, and put it by his lips to take a sip, “That…… that is not the reason why.”

“Not because of that?” Fu Zhan Chuan did not know about Xiao You Ci, and only thought Xiao Zuo was too bored alone in the crown prince residence, then briefly thought about going out. At this time, he knitted his eyebrows and asked, “Then why?”

“Some personal matters, I will tell you later.”

Fu Zhan Chuan stared at Xiao Zuo for a moment, seeing Xiao Zuo only lower his head and drink wine without any intent of loosening up, he then sat back in his chair in slight disappointment and shrugged, “Fine, if you don’t want to say, I won’t ask. But you know too, this identity of yours…… even if his Majesty does not say it publically, the eyes secretly watching your each and every move is as vast as the sea, if you run to Feng Province, do you not want Zi Wan and the others’ lives anymore?”

“I know.” Xiao Zuo sighed, “So I would seek you out to think of a way.”

Fu Zhan Chuan went silent for a moment, the light in his eyes flickered about, the shaking lashes seemed like the wings of a crow bringing an ill omen, fanning the black flames from hell, “You haven’t given up yet?”

Xiao Zuo froze, the warm wine choked in his throat, the bitter and spicy taste instantly rushed up to the top of the head, making him bend down and start coughing, “Keh…… keh…… you……”

To the side, Fu Zhan Chuan’s eyes flashed by with an instant of frost, Xiao Zuo blinked, then saw him clumsily get up to get water for him, the hem of the clothes slid to the table’s cups, and in an instant, they all fell down with a clatter, and the table and the floor was all the mess of cups.

Perhaps he saw wrong.

“Aye, why so clumsy.” Fu Zhan Chuan handed a cup of water to him, while the right hand patted his back, “Have some water.”

Xiao Zuo finished that cup of water, then his breathing became uniform, and he opened up, “Give up?”

Fu Zhan Chuan paused, XIao Zuo shook his head, with his voice a bit hoarse, “I don’t know either, I……”

“Perhaps it’s just my own wishful thinking. For the commoners, as long as the crops in the field grow well, no harsh losses or extra taxes, no war or forced labour, whether the emperor’s last name is Xiao or He, what difference does it make for them?”

Fu Zhan Chuan silently looked at him, Xiao Zuo chuckled, “Never mind, I was too harsh, let’s eat.”

Western Moon’s house specialty grilled fish was placed right in the middle, the outer skin was grilled to a crisp, fragrant and crunchy, while the flesh inside was smoth and tender, along with Western Moon’s secret sauce and scallions, it made people’s appetite grow big.

Xiao Zuo at this time only picked two pieces of fish, placed it in the soup to dip, then covered it over the rice.

“If you want to go, it’s not like there isn’t any way.”

“What?”

Fu Zhan Chuan hummed for a moment, then spoke, “But there will be some hardships.”

“Hardships?” Xiao Zuo smiled, “It’s fine, say it.”

“I will arrange some people to pretend to be Bai Xiao’s subordinates, and kidnap you to Nan Liang. Now that Bai Xiao and Nan Liang’s rebel generals already look to be declining, using dangerous military tactics is common, it won’t be easy to draw in doubt.”

“With this, you would be forcibly kidnapped to Nan Liang, Zi Wan and the others would not be guilty, then at that time, have his Highness save you, then it would be……” Fu Zhan Chuan did not say the last part, “What do you think?”

Xiao Zuo did not notice the sudden stop Fu Zhan Chuan made, he secretly pondered for a moment, there certainly wasn’t any way better than this, so he nodded his head, “But…… will it implicate you too?”

Fu Zhan Chuan generously lifted his hand and gave him a slap, and angrily said, “So you still have some kindness in you.”

“But……” Fu Zhan Chuan picked up some noodles, slurped it all up, then wiped his mouth, “I have my own ways, don’t worry.”

Seeing Fu Zhan Chuan answer so readily, Xiao Zuo then calmed down. He looked at Fu Zhan Chuan eating with such vigour, and felt like he should speak up. He typically was not good at expressing his thanks, in the past, he had things come too easily, to the point that there was pretty much no chance for him to say thanks. He only needed to lightly stand at a high place, then there would naturally be large crowds shouting, with many fawning over him.

He squeezed the chopsticks and played it out inside for a long time inside, then lightly coughed, and used his elbow to push Fu Zhan Chuan, and said, “Thank you.”

Fu Zhan Chuan was gluttonously gnawing on a pork hock, and at this time, he looked at him strange with his mouth full of oil, so the sight was a bit unbearable. Xiao Zuo silently handed him a handkerchief, Fu Zhan Chuan accepted it without a sliver of shame to be seen, and smiled, “No need, what are we, if you say it like that, it would make us look estranged.”

After finishing, Fu Zhan Chuan grabbed the remaining last pork hock and placed it into Xiao Zuo’s bowl, and said, “Have a taste, it’s quite delicious.”

Leaving Xiao Zuo alone to stare at the pork hock in his bowl, and the scene once again turned a bit awkward.

The skies darkened early in the wintertime, when the two scooped up the final bit of sweet soup and put on their cloaks and went out the door, the outside was already pitch-black. Fu Zhan Chuan went off to the driver waiting by the side, while Xiao Zuo shrunk by the side of the corridor waiting for him. The piercing frost brought in the night winds corroded the frail cloak inch by inch, while withered leaves rustled as they were plucked from the branches by the wind, and the northern winds’ crude whistles turning particularly distinct. The lone moon hung above the bleak branches at the entrance of the restaurant, like a lapis lazuli lamp about to fall down any time.

Xiao Zuo put his hands in his sleeves, then childishly blew a breath of white air, and watched it suddenly disperse in this kind of cold winter night, not leaving a single trace.

“Xiao’xiao! Come quick!” Fu Zhan Chuan was still wearing that strange furry hat of his, peeking out from the window of the carriage, and waving towards him in big motions. Xiao Zuo also extended his hand to signal he heard, then hurriedly passed by the crowd, and walked to the side of the carriage.

“Let’s go, I’ll send you back first.” The driver flung his whip, then a simple shout resounded, urging the carriage to go forward. Zi Wan was holding up a lotus lamp, her shadow was dragged quite long by the dim yellow lantern light, connected to the ground on an angle, then dispersed by the shadow of the tree on the side here and there.

“Oh, why is Zi Wan still waiting here today?” Fu Zhan Chuan merrily laughed, he typically liked teasing thin-skinned little girls, taking joy in seeing them go red in the face. Zi Wan deeply knew of this person’s ill hobbies, so she did not pay heed to him, and only turned her head to say to Xiao Zuo, “This servant saw that the duke still had a slight cough this morning, and had the kitchen cook some ginger soup for the duke when he comes back.”

“Tsk, look at you, small brat, how considerate” Fu Zhan Chuan pushed Xiao Zuo’s shoulder with a face of admiration, “How lucky.”

“Zi Wan is typically the most considerate.” Xiao Zuo smiled, then bid farewell with Fu Zhan Chuan, and got down from the carriage.

Xiao Zuo first returned to the bedchambers to wash up. A maidservant brought in water for soaking feet, the inside of the wooden tub was spread with unknown white and red flower petals, all steamy, and brought up some comfortable and relaxing mood for people in the cold winter.

Heat spread throughout the entire body along the nerves of the bottom feet, it was like Xiao Zuo’s entire being was soaked in soft hot water, all his bones were numb too, anxious that he couldn’t transform into a pool of water right there, and spread apart in the eternal spring day.

“Duke, the ginger soup is here.” Zi Wan held a porcelain bowl, the walls of the bowl were a bit hot, so she hurriedly placed the porcelain bowl onto the table, then pinched her earlobes with the right hand, and secretly sucked in some air.

“It’s still a bit hot, wait for it to cool down a bit.”

“En.” Xiao Zuo saw Zi Wan’s hands grabbing the other, biting her lip with something to say, and asked, “Is there something you want to say to me?”

“Mm, this servant……” Zi Wan paused, as though thinking how to phrase it, “This servant knows she shouldn’t be overly involved, but…… but this servant still wants to say a few things.”

“Do speak.”

“Duke, actually…… actually, the duke can trust in his Highness some more……” Zi Wan hung her head down and stared at her feet. Just as she finished, she hurriedly held up the porcelain bowl, and stuttered, “The gi…… ginger soup is cooled, you can drink it.”

Xiao Zuo hung his eyes down without speaking, he wasn’t willing to tidy his complicated and conflicting feeling and emotions in front of people, and only said lightly while avoiding the important things, “Today, Fu Zhan Chuan said he could help me.”

“Wh…… what?” Zi Wan did not react in time, and asked.

Xiao Zuo then repeated Fu Zhan Chuan’s plans, and afterwards, he added, “I feel it’s quite good. This way, it would not affect you guys, and I can reunite with Sister, it can’t be any better.”

“But……” Zi Wan worriedly knitted her eyebrows. In the past, she was actually a lady who did not know well of hardships, in this year, she tortured herself into the Sister Lin made of water[1], and learned to make that dusky eyebrow that curved like it was knit yet not frowning[2], and said, “This time would make the duke take on grievances, the duke is so precious, how could you take such running about……”

“Zi Wan.” Xiao Zuo sighed, “Since the country fell, you and I both understand, the world long already lost the Ping Zhen Emperor[3], only to leave with the sinner Xiao Zuo. Grinding an ordinary person’s physical body, doing things the people of the world can do, taking in the hardships people of the world are willing to take, what grievance is there to speak of?”

Zi Wan froze, Xiao Zuo took the ginger soup from her hands, and clutched the spoon to take sips one at a time. The ginger soup was spicy, the taste of pain sometimes instead was easier to make people addicted to it, Xiao Zuo drank up all the ginger soup in the bowl, and felt like his forehead was slightly sweating, then put the bowl down onto the table, and said, “If plans don’t change, it will likely be put to action very soon.”

“From what I heard from Fu Zhan Chuan, the imperial astronomer observed the sky at night, there will be a big snowstorm on the last third of the month” Xiao Zuo pursed his lips, with his eyes a bit dejected, “I’m afraid I will be unable to see it with you guys.”

“Duke!” Zi Wan lifted up her sleeves and rubbed her eyes, her eyes were still bright red, her throat made choking sounds, yet still obstinately replied, “In the past, Zi Wan hasn’t seen snow, but last winter, Zi Wan has seen enough, there will be chances in the future, this one time won’t be missed.”

“En!” Xiao Zuo lightly smiled, “There will be many, many winters in the future.”