BY THE TIME the sky paled, the snowstorm had stopped, and Xiahou Lian finally saw Dai Shengyan and Xie Jinglan arrive. Surprisingly, Xie Bingfeng accompanied them. His square jaw was tense, and when he saw Xiahou Lian's pale, nearly lifeless appearance, a hint of guilt flashed across his face. Given Xie Bingfeng's past hypocrisy, however, Xiahou Lian couldn't shake the feeling that it was an act.
Dai Shengyan felt Xiahou Lian's forehead and neck. "You have an excellent constitution, my young friend. To think, you spent the entire night in this drafty shed, and you aren't feverish." He took off his own cloak and wrapped it around Xiahou Lian.
The cloak was made of mink fur, and its soft fluffiness against Xiahou Lian's face restored some warmth to his frozen cheeks.
Dai Shengyan's words were pointed, and Xie Bingfeng reddened slightly. He walked over to Xiahou Lian and patted his head. "You're fine now." He sighed. "The mistress really is too harsh. You're just a child. Although you made a mistake, she shouldn't have punished you so severely. Since you're all right, go back and get some rest. And don't break any more rules."
What Xie Bingfeng said sounded comforting, but each word reinforced that Xiahou Lian had deserved punishment; he had broken the rules, and the Xie family, in their mercy, was letting him go. Hearing him, Xiahou Lian almost coughed up blood. He wanted to make a retort, but Xie Jinglan grabbed his hand, shaking his head slightly.
Xie Jinglan hadn't been shut in the shed, yet his face was even paler than Xiahou Lian's, devoid of all color—as if the one locked inside all night had been him.
Xiahou Lian was worried. "Are you all right?"
Before Xie Jinglan could respond, a shrill female voice rang out. Everyone turned to see a tall, thin woman approach alongside several maids. Her eyes were cold, her nails bright red. It was Lady Xiao. "A mere servant, yet nonetheless so esteemed, for the head of the Xie family and the great scholar Dai to hurry here at the crack of dawn. Seeing a crowd gathered at such an early hour, I thought the shed might've caught fire! Speaking of the shed, this is all my fault. I acted too harshly, locking this child up for the night. Shall I apologize to him directly?"
Xie Bingfeng looked pained but forced himself to reply, "Let's put this matter behind us. The boy has been scolded and punished. Let him go back and rest. The Xie family has strict rules, yes, but we've always treated our servants kindly. Remember that next time."
It would've been better if he'd said nothing. Lady Xiao bristled like a cat whose tail he'd stepped on, her expression darkening. She smiled coldly.
"Yes, you're right. I manage the house incompetently, and I mistreat our servants; both things bring you shame. But I will remember the family teachings and strive to be kinder in the future. That said, this Xiahou Lian has a clever tongue, and I find myself rather fond of him. Why not let him stay and entertain me? What do you think?"
Both Xie Jinglan and Xiahou Lian felt a chill run down their spines, instinctively stepping backward to hide behind Dai Shengyan. Xiahou Lian glanced nervously at Xie Jinglan, whose expression was also full of worry.
Dai Shengyan subtly shielded them. "Unfortunately, I've already purchased this child," he said calmly. "He's my servant now."
"Oh? Is that so?" Lady Xiao asked in astonishment.
Xie Bingfeng nodded. "As I said, Teacher, if you like this child, you may have him. As a gentleman, I would never ask for payment; money changing hands brings discord."
Lady Xiao smiled, a hand over her mouth. "What a coincidence! I also like this child very much. I still have his deed of sale. If I insist on keeping him, will Dai-xiansheng challenge me over it?"
Dai Shengyan's expression finally turned grave.
The atmosphere in the shed was stifling. With five people inside, the space was cramped, and Xiahou Lian struggled for air. He no longer felt cold; in fact, it seemed a little too warm. The smell of rotting wood, mixed with the odor of Lady Xiao's perfume, only made it harder to breathe.
Dai Shengyan placed his thin, bony hand on Xiahou Lian's head. That hand was so shrunken, it felt like a tree branch. The weather was frigid, the earth frozen. Only Dai Shengyan's palm still radiated gentle warmth.
But that slight warmth was enough, and Xiahou Lian calmed down.
Dai Shengyan stroked his beard and spoke slowly. "To be honest, I find this child exceptionally bright and talented. With proper guidance, he could become a great scholar or military strategist, capable of bringing peace and security to our nation. Whether he carries on the teachings of Confucius and Zhu Xi or follows in the footsteps of Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi, he will become a sage of unmatched greatness, a model for all generations to come. I trust you wouldn't let such talent go to waste."
A sage of unmatched greatness? A model for generations to come?
Xie Bingfeng and Lady Xiao looked at Xiahou Lian. A string of mucus had run from his nose to his lip. He sniffed hard, and the snot disappeared, leaving a shiny trail.
Xie Jinglan and Dai Shengyan couldn't help averting their eyes a little.
Although embarrassed, Xiahou Lian said brazenly, "Maybe Confucius was also a snotty kid when he was twelve."
"By twelve, Confucius could already set up and carry out sacrificial zudou rites," whispered Xie Jinglan.
"What's a zudou rite? Some kind of tasty bean?"11
Xie Jinglan didn't dignify that with a response.
Having served as an official for many years, Dai Shengyan had mastered the art of lying through his teeth. Convincing himself that he saw the shadow of a great sage in the slouching Xiahou Lian, he continued, "This child is naturally gifted. I've seen countless people in my life, so I'm absolutely sure of that. I'm determined to take him as my disciple. If the mistress struggles to part with him, I'll have no choice but to invite the esteemed prefectural magistrate himself to join us so that he can have a constructive discussion with the mistress."
Jinling's prefectural magistrate, Su Zhuocheng, was one of Dai Shengyan's countless disciples. The magistrate was known for his unquenchable thirst for talent. If they involved him, they would be handing Xiahou Lian over themselves.
Now it was Lady Xiao's turn to look displeased. She could oppress others with her power, but Dai Shengyan could likewise bring his seniority to bear. Xiahou Lian was indeed an official servant of the Xie household—if they refused to let him go, he would never be able to leave the residence. Even so, etiquette took precedence, and Dai Shengyan was the nation's foremost scholar. If the Xie household refused to release Xiahou Lian, they'd gain notoriety for suppressing someone talented.
Even if that person hadn't learned to recite a single poem nor to read the words of a single sage.
"My wife is being rude," said Xie Bingfeng. "Please don't listen to her. I know you never discriminate when it comes to accepting pupils. Discovering a beloved disciple in humble circumstances is inspirational, and it isn't something my wife ought to try to prevent." Xie Bingfeng turned to look at Lady Xiao. "Lady, it's early in the morning and chilly outside. You should head back and rest."
Lady Xiao snorted coldly. "Then allow me to congratulate Dai-xiansheng on his new beloved disciple. I hope the child lives up to your expectations and becomes a man capable of governing the country and protecting the people!"
Xiahou Lian was very self-aware; he figured it'd be a miracle if he didn't upend the country. As for him governing it, he feared the country would quickly collapse under such circumstances.
Dai Shengyan smiled calmly. "Of course," he said, rather than "thank you." Lady Xiao's face turned even uglier.
Xie Jinglan's complexion was a ghastly paper white. As Lady Xiao and Xie Bingfeng left, Xiahou Lian touched the other boy's face. Unsurprisingly, he was burning with fever.
Xie Jinglan was more fragile than even those noblewomen who never left their chambers, but Xiahou Lian didn't have time to click his tongue in astonishment. He hoisted Xie Jinglan onto his back, then—offering Dai Shengyan hasty thanks—rushed back toward Qiuwu Courtyard. Dai Shengyan was left standing alone in the snow, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
After that, Qiuwu Courtyard was once again in chaos.
Xie Jinglan remained sick and bedridden for several days. Thanks to his confinement, Xiahou Lian also suffered a brief period of lethargy, but before long, he was back to his lively self. He was strong and robust from years of martial arts training and swordplay, with a strong constitution—when stricken with fever, all he had to do was sweat it out. He stood in sharp contrast to Xie Jinglan, whose spirit seemed to be traveling to the gates of hell and back, terrifying everyone around him.
The distressed Lianxiang couldn't help muttering, "Why did Dai-xiansheng have to stay at Magistrate Su's house that night? This is all his fault. The moment Shaoye woke up, he climbed over the wall to find Dai-xiansheng, even though he was still sick! It's so vexing!"
"It couldn't be helped," Aunt Lan soothed her. "Fortunately, the young master is fine now. He just needs more rest."
Suddenly, Xiahou Lian popped in without warning, startling Lianxiang. "Lianxiang-jie, did you say Shaoye went out to get help for me?"
The day before, Xiahou Lian had received his own deed of sale. After mulling it over a while, he decided not to throw it away or burn it. Instead, he went to Dai Shengyan and asked whether he could give the deed to Xie Jinglan. Dai Shengyan neither permitted nor forbade it, saying he was free to do as he pleased. Pocketing the deed of sale again, Xiahou Lian made his way back. As he passed the kitchen, he'd happened to overhear Lianxiang muttering.
He'd never imagined that Xie Jinglan could have mustered the strength to crawl out of bed and track down help for him—all while delirious with fever.
Lianxiang pressed her hand to her chest and took several deep breaths. It was a while before she managed to grumble, "What's wrong with you? Why are you always scaring people like that?! Yes, the young master knew that you were locked up, and he was beside himself with worry. I found out that Dai-xiansheng was at the Su residence, so the young master climbed over the wall and left. Aunt Lan and I couldn't stop him. Pelted with cold wind that early in the morning—it's no wonder he came down with a fever!"
Xiahou Lian snatched the medicine Lianxiang held from her hands. "I'll take this to him."
As he grabbed it, the medicine's pungent aroma wafted to his nose. The sheer bitterness made him click his tongue. How awful it must be for Xie Jinglan to have to drink it day after day. Xiahou Lian rarely took medicine when he was sick. That was firstly because his mother was rarely in the mountains, so no one would know he was ill, and secondly because he was usually tough enough to recover on his own.
Xiahou Lian carefully pushed open Xie Jinglan's door and looked in to see whether he was awake.
Xie Jinglan was leaning against the bedframe. He lifted his eyes from his pile of books to see Xiahou Lian peering in furtively, like a thief.
"You're really something else," said Xiahou Lian. "Sick as a dog, and yet you still remember to study."
"You should study too. Xiansheng's lectures will start the day after tomorrow. He said that the first class will test our understanding of Mencius's texts."
"Got it, got it," Xiahou Lian replied dismissively, bringing the medicinal soup to Xie Jinglan's lips. Xie Jinglan drank it in one gulp without batting an eye. The candied fruits Xiahou Lian had prepared for him were superfluous now.
Xie Jinglan was about to pick up his book and keep reading, but Xiahou Lian pushed his hands down. "Wait, Shaoye. Look. I'll show you a magic trick!"
"No." Xie Jinglan refused without a second thought.
"Come on, it'll be quick. Just one look!"
Xie Jinglan had no choice but to sigh and sit back, waiting for Xiahou Lian to begin his performance.
First, he showed his empty hands to Xie Jinglan. Next, he casually grabbed at the air as if catching something. His preparations complete, he shoved both hands beneath Xie Jinglan's nose.
Xiahou Lian smiled radiantly, then pursed his lips, silently signaling Xie Jinglan to pry his hands open. Xie Jinglan glanced at his face and reluctantly opened Xiahou Lian's left hand. Inside was a crumpled piece of paper—an ugly, dingy thing. It looked a bit like straw paper from the latrine.
Disgusting. Xie Jinglan didn't want to deal with this at all. He reached for his book.
"Hey, humor me! Open it and take a look!"
Xie Jinglan hesitated for a moment before finally opening the paper ball. His gaze froze on the paper. "Wh...why are you giving me your deed of sale?"
"I'm staying on as your book-boy until my mother comes for me. So I'm leaving my deed of sale with you for safekeeping."
"I don't want it. Hold on to it yourself."
Xiahou Lian shoved the paper into Xie Jinglan's hand. "Just hang on to it. Some people who want my deed of sale can't get it!"
"Hmph. You're talking about yourself like you're some precious treasure."
Despite his sardonic words, he placed Xiahou Lian's deed of sale in a small, locked box that he stashed in his clothing trunk. Then he turned back to Xiahou Lian and opened his other fist, in which he found a rusty copper coin.
Picking it up, Xie Jinglan asked, "What's this? Looks like something from the Tang dynasty."
"I found it in a grave back in the mountains. I actually found four, but my mother took the other three. She said I should keep this one as an heirloom to give to my future wife."
In a grave? Disgusting! Xie Jinglan flung the coin back at Xiahou Lian as if scalded. "Your mother must be out of her mind! Who'd want something like that? If you give that to a girl, she'll dump you without a doubt."
Xiahou Lian pressed the coin back into Xie Jinglan's hand. "You keep it. If you ever need me after I'm gone, place it at the highest point in the city. No matter where I am, if I'm alive, I'll come to you."
Xiahou Lian looked unusually serious. Xie Jinglan had never seen him like this before. Xiahou Lian was always so carefree and unkempt, even his posture while walking was sloppy. But his usual playful grin and mischievous winks were nowhere to be seen now, and Xie Jinglan felt unsettled.
The coin in his palm still carried Xiahou Lian's warmth. Xie Jinglan's hands were always cold, especially in the winter, and the coin felt as though it was burning his palm, the heat spreading up his arm to his chest. It was hot to the point of being scalding.
"You..." he stammered, stunned. He paused, then muttered, "It's fine, Xiahou Lian. I got used to my mother being gone and my father ignoring me. I'll get used to not having you by my side too. No matter what happens, I'll just have to get used to it." He rubbed the coin in his hand, then added, "Once I become an important official, though, I'll have your boss captured. You'll be free, and you won't need to steal anymore."
"Sounds good to me! I'll be counting on you, Shaoye!"