Once they left the city, all three of them were startled, a large group of people dressed in ragged clothes gathered outside. At the end of the first month of the year, when the weather was still so frigid, many people were dying. Occasionally, someone would try to enter the city, but would be yelled at loudly by the city guards. In the distance, there was even a row of archers, ready to shoot those who would try breaking in.
The three of them looked at each other, and Leng Feiyan asked their guide, "Why are there so many people gathered here?" The guide was a construction head, that Murong Yan had sent to help Yang Lianting fix his ancestral grave. At this time, his expression was grave as he just shook his head, saying, "It's some refugees, who really couldn't continue surviving, and came here trying to find a living."
Leng Feiyan asked, "Is there somewhere that is suffering from a disaster?" The guide took a look at her, saying, "Missy, you're making a joke, as in this day and age...... who needs a natural disaster to occur for this to happen."
Leng Feiyan was shocked, "There isn't a natural disaster? Then how come they would......" The guide dared to make a passing joke, saying, "Every year, Great Yan continues to make tribute offerings to Western Jing, Tuhe, Hao Country, Ling Zhi, and Shan Rong would invade our borders every year. There is constant warfare, aye......" He sighed, but suddenly recovered his composure, saying, "It's better if we don't talk about the political situation, a few of my brothers are already waiting by gentleman Yang's ancestral tomb, and only need gentleman Yang to take a look over some of the details to make adjustments. Hey, we are the ones that actually helped Tai Chang prince's maternal grandfather fix his tomb before, so we guarantee that you will be satisfied......"
He kept gibbering and jabbering on the horse, and Zuo Canglang just galloped her horse ahead, passing by the refugees that were waiting by the wayside. Their eyes were all very glum, and their lips were all growing white. Hearing the horse gallop, some people opened their eyes wide to take a look, seeming as though they wanted to rise, but ultimately, only moved a bit, before lying back down on the ground.
"Big sister......" a little boy ran over, reaching out with a pair of emaciated and black hands, his two eyes were particularly big, looking with a look full of anticipation at them. Zuo Canglang touched her own waist, and she naturally didn't even have a single coin. The guide said, "Move aside, lest you get whipped."
The little child retreated, depressed. The people who had come for the renovations could be counted as putting in pretty good effort, as the wild grasses that were growing over the graves were already nowhere to be found. Yang Lianting knelt before the tombstones, while Leng Feiyan and Zuo Canglang burned some paper money for him; the previous relationship between them, now, there was only the lonely tomb. Yang Lianting actually couldn't feel any tears, but rather, only just stared at the tombstone.
The sun in early spring, only revealed a small bit of itself, and was quickly covered again; but the sky was a sheet of clear white. The three knelt before the tombstone, the paper money was slowly licked away at by the flame's tongues. On the tombstone, there was only a faint lettering of Yang Gong. Yang Lianting spread open his two arms, hugging the tombstone, and Zuo Canglang lightly patted his shoulder. He finally lifted his head, saying, "I'm fine."
Leng Feiyan said, "That's right, what's there to be sad about. You don't even know for sure if the one inside is even your ancestor." Yang Lianting angrily looked at her, and she couldn't but help loosening her shoulders, "The truth is always not pleasing to the ears."
The Yang family ancestral tomb wasn't particularly renovated, and after Yang Lianting had paid some respects, that afternoon, the three of them returned to the city. Wang Yunzhao had already ordered some people to come and receive them, and Zuo Canglang asked, "Steward Wang, where are we going now?" Wang Yunzhao said, "His highness ordered this old servant to bring mistress Zuo into the estate, while mistress Leng and gentleman Leng will stay at an inn to rest for now, as they will have different orders in a few days."
Zuo Canglang was still a bit unrelieved, asking, "Does steward happen to know what sort of preparations they are?"
Wang Yunzhao smiled, but rather graciously said, "His highness naturally wouldn't treat three young masters lightly, so mistress Zuo you can relax." Leng Feiyan, seemingly smiling but not smiling, said, "Now things are good, someone has gotten into what she wanted."
Zuo Canglang immediately blushed heavily, and immediately picked her foot up to give her a small kick. Leng Feiyan agilely jumped away, laughing gleefully. Yang Lianting shook his head, watching the two mess around. Right as they had gotten to the bridge, some servants came to help Leng Feiyan and Yang Lianting stable their horses. Wang Yunzhao said, "Mistress Zuo, please follow this old servant."
At the grayish-white bridge, there were a few weeping willows. Zuo Canglang turned around, and saw that Leng Feiyan and Yang Lianting were both also watching her. They all looked at each other, knowingly, but without words, for a long time, and then Leng Feiyan waved her hands, and rode her horse with the servants, leaving. Yang Lianting moved his mouth a bit, finally saying, "I will be careful; you also-- take care."
Zuo Canglang nodded, and Yang Lianting also rode off. His horse moved rapidly, growing more and more distant, before finally disappearing in the light fog. Zuo Canglang followed Wang Yunzhao, not in a hurry, heading towards Murong Yan's estate.
Murong Yan hadn't become a titled Duke yet, so his estate was limited in what was proper, and wasn't particularly extravagant. But after taking a stroll inside, there were some things that were overlooked, and it was apparent that it its master had good taste.
Wang Yunzhao led Zuo Canglang inside, and Murong Yan was inside by a pond, looking at a book. Seeing her arrive, asked, "Today, was everything smooth with sailing when you went to sweep the tombs with Yang Lianting?"
Wang Yunzhao slowly retreated, and Zuo Canglang reverently responded, "Responding to lord master, everything went well. Only......" Murong Yan lifted his head, and Zuo Canglang continued, saying, "Only regarding Yang family's case, he still has some suspicions."
Murong Yan put his book aside, and stood up, walking to the side of the pavilion. From here, looking out towards the outer gardens, one could see the blueness of the pond, and the jade bridge crossing over a small stream. The night wind was coming, and some rain drops had penetrated the screens, coming over, landing under the roof, one's head could somewhat feel a nagging chill.
Zuo Canglang finally lifted her head, asking him, "Lord master, was the Yang family really framed by someone?"
Murong Yan said, "Yang Jiling's case, it really is strange. Although father king ordered the execution, but when Yang Jiling was being escorted to Xingchang, right before he got there, he was already dead. Additionally, not long after the Yang family was executed, Yang estate was burnt down, and a large fire burned not just everything in the house, but Yang Jiling's study was burnt to a crisp. Even though Yang Lianting was sold as a slave as a child, but someone had tried to make a move against his life covertly. Not even leaving a child to live, other than if they were afraid their guilt would be exposed, there doesn't seem to be any other reason to explain it."
Zuo Canlang raised her head, "Was it that Wen Weishu he spoke of?"
Murong Yan said, "Back then, Yang Jiling indeed criticized Wen Weishu over privately gathering military forces, but the memorandum never got to father king's desk. At the time, father king's body was not well, and the crown prince was serving as regent. This memorandum, who had affirmed it, or where it ultimately ended up, I am not clear of. But, so what if he was the perpetrator? So what if he isn't the perpetrator? This many years, Yang Jiling is already dead, and on one fact, he is still in an untouchably high position as the Tai Pu official."
Zuo Canglang lowered her head, and said two phrases, "Today when we left the city, we saw many refugees."
Murong Yan said, "You all were in the orphan camp, so you were pretty much separated from current events. Currently the situation in Great Yan, you all probably have no idea. Perhaps, you will feel that my making you all kill each other was very cruel?" Zuo Canglang didn't say anything, but actually back then, at that time, it was impossible not to have this type of thought. Murong Yan said, "Some things, hearing about it doesn't make it false, but slowly, you all will finally realize my difficulties." Right as he finished, a servant girl announced from outside, "Your highness, are you eating dinner here?"
Murong Yan said, "Send it in."
The servant girl sent in the meal, four dishes and one soup, a light meal, but it also had a stack of roasted meat that was extraordinarily fresh. Zuo Canglang prepared to retreat, but Murong Yan said, "Sit down." Zuo Canglang was startled, but then sat across from him; Murong Yan passed her a peat of that barbequed meat, saying, "I've always eaten lightly for my meals; you probably can't get used to it. That's why I especially ordered my people to add an extra dish for you, go ahead and taste it."
Zuo Canglang was startled and embarrassed to receive such favor, but Murong Yan said, "No need to find it out of the ordinary. Back then, Yang Lianting was heavily injured, and you sworn an oath to me, and I accepted your oath. Now, everything of you belongs to me. The way I will treat you will of course be different from other people."
Zuo Canglang said, "Lord master kept me by his side just because of this thing?" Murong Yan motioned her to eat, waving his hand, saying, "Because back then, your oath, because of your abilities and your brain, because of your name, because of your gaze."
Zuo Canglang lost her appetite, her heart feeling a strange lightness slowly spreading, it was like a piece of candy, slowly melting under a high temperature, carrying her longing, and blooming for a long time. But, no matter what it looked like when it melted, as long as she took another look, there was a bittersweetness as it entered her soul.
Murong Yan sat on the left, watching her eat. His gaze was accepting as the spring breeze, his gaze filled with discernment, the nose of the his bridge was high, and his eyebrows were thin, and he would occasionally smile; without reason, he could let people fall into a trance.
As it entered the night, Zuo Canglang was assigned to a solitary yard within the estate, and Wang Yunzhao came and gifted her the uniform of a guard, saying, "In the future, mistress will be his highness's confident, and his highness has two other bodyguards, one is Zhou Xin, the other is Feng Ping. Mistress, before the appropriate time has arrived, you will need to exchange duties with them. If there is anything, you also need to inform Feng Ping immediately, anyways, his highness cannot ever be by himself......"
He detailedly explained the rules of being a confident, and Zuo Canglang touched the uniform of the guard that was in her left hand, it was like the fulfillment of her dream.
It was a sleepless night; the next day, Murong Yan was ordered by King Yan to go to Xi Hua gate, to receive an emissary from Western jing; Zuo Canglang followed along. Murong Yan sat in the carriage, and Zuo Canglang walked by the carriage window. It was early in the morning, and there were not yet many people on the street. Zuo Canglang was a bit suspicious, "Western Jing sent an emissary to court, but why do they need your highness to go and receive them so early?"
Murong Yan said, "Yan country, right now, is under the suzerainty of Western Jing. Their emissary's coming, is as if the Western jin emperor arrived himself. Not just me, but even if father king was here, he also could not be late."
Zuo Canglang found it very out of the ordinary, "Western Jing's emissary, entering court, they actually need Yan king to personally guide him into Jinyang city? This......"
Murong Yan smiled, "Back then, during the event at Ping Du gate, our country's military might was used up. If it was because Great General Jun Wenqi fighting to the death and not giving up, and turning the situation around, Great Yan would already have been crushed beneath the steel banners of Western Jing's armies. Afterwards, Western Jing relaxed, and were willing to preserve Yan country, and treat the status between the two countries as superior and client state, resulting in Great Yan having to offer tribute every year, and to refer to themselves as vassal states, thereby finally resulting in peace. Our country is a client state, so Western Jing's ambassador's arrogance is naturally higher."
Zuo Canglang nodded her head, following the carriage along. Murong Yan continued, saying, "When we arrive at Xi Hua gate, it'll be fine if you just follow behind me. What you should do, I will tell you."
Zuo Canglang affirmed, a little bit nervous. After all she was just a fifteen year old youth, and had just come out of an orphan camp, and was clueless to court politics or intrigues. She hadn't even learned the proper court etiquette. Suddenly following Murong Yan to receive another country's emissary, it was hard to avoid not being a bit nervous or anxious.
Two hours later, they finally arrived at Xi Hua gate. There were already many civil and military officials waiting here, but King Yan hadn't arrived yet. The high officials were all here in groups of two or three, softly gossiping. Seeing Murong Yan come over, everyone all tried avoiding him, but even Zuo Canglang saw this; these high officials only paid lip service and the minimum required etiquette in their respect towards him.
Murong Yan didn't have a duty in court, so since he had come of age, he didn't actually receive a title. He nodded towards the great majority of people, and walked over to stand by his own position. Zuo Canglang followed behind him, but Murong Yan suddenly lifted his chin, motioning towards a place not far away, saying, "That person, is Great General Jun Wenqi."
Zuo Canglang lifted her gaze, looking over, the heralded Wenqi; even in a place like the orphan camp, the children all had heard of him. He is Great Yan's hero, and back then, based on the Du Guan battle, when the Yan army was in disarry and couldn't form a coherent force, King Yan quickly made him Field Marshal. His age wasn't over twenty, received the order, leading a force of defeated troops that numbered less than thirty thousand to fight to the death. Finally, he managed to deplete the Jing forces' rations, causing them to agree to start peace talks.
It was exactly in that battle, that Wenqi's father, Wen Laoyezi lost a leg.
But this legendary Great General didn't actually have three heads or six arms.1 He stood there in his own spot, and occasionally there would be officials that would greet him, but he would only slightly nod in acknowledgement. King Yan hadn't yet arrived, resulting in the officials forming crowds of three or five, making the factionalism of the court clearly apparent.
Zuo Canglang was just quietly observing this person, when suddenly there was a disturbance. She raised her eyes, looking over, only seeing King Yan slowly nearing, with a red-faced crown prince accompanying him. The military and civil officials split into two sides, and paid their respects by bowing. King Yan, Murong Yuan, slowly descended from his six dragon palanquin, with heavy movements, slowly descending.
He walked by Murong Yan's side, but his gaze didn't stop for long on him, but rather walked to linger by Wenqi's side, and helped him up, talking softly with him.
The sky slowly got brighter, and the road outside of Xi Hua gate was swept until it was extremely clean, and the officials all quieted down, no longer speaking. Not long later, the sound of a horse carriage neared, and someone called out, "Reporting-- King Yan, the emissary from Xi Jing, official Zhu is already outside the city gate!"
King Yan, Murong Yuan, softly lifted his right hand, and immediately instruments started playing. Xi Jing's emissary, Zhu official had arrived. King Yan personally went forward, personally inviting him into Jinyang city, the whole way, towards Great Yan's palace. Zuo Canglang followed behind Murong Yan, along for the whole trip there. Murong Yan didn't say anything, and she didn't ask anything more.
Then, it seemed as though someone was speaking by hear ear, with a voice that was extremely familiar. Zuo Canglang turned around, seeing that Leng Feiyan was holding some unknown desert in her hand, eating it while squinting her eyes at her. Yang Lianting was following behind her, his expression was entirely helpless.
The two of them didn't have an assignment at the moment, but had rather come out to watch the commotion.
TN: 1. This is a Chinese phrase for saying "larger than life." Because someone with three heads can think more and someone with six arms can do more. So it's like saying, those larger than life figures usually give an impression of being able to do anything. And someone that can do anything usually has way more appendages/faculties than us plebians.