Lingzhou, the grain-transport wharf.
As usual, Lin Wu came to the wharf with a bamboo basket hooked over her arm.
The wharf had grown considerably livelier over the past two days, all because Jincheng Trading House was due to depart for the capital tomorrow. Porters and carts had been streaming endlessly between the warehouses and the docks, carrying cargo back and forth.
After making inquiries at the wharf over the past few days, Lin Wu had gained a rough idea of how to get to Chuzhou.
Taking a passenger boat was out of the question. Before any vessel left the wharf, whether cargo or passenger, it had to undergo inspection. Passenger boats were overseen by the yamen patrols, whose main concern was checking travelers’ official passes. Cargo boats, on the other hand, were inspected by tax clerks, who checked the goods and collected the taxes. If a boatman had the right connections, the tax clerk would often turn a blind eye to one or two extra passengers without documents.
Thus, many small local cargo boats secretly took on travelers without official passes, charging a steep fare for the privilege. It was, naturally, not a business just anyone could undertake. If they encountered a strict inspection along the way or were reported by someone, the consequences could be as dire as capsizing and losing both boat and crew.
There were, however, some seasoned boatmen who traveled regularly between Lingzhou and Chuzhou, usually transporting timber, medicinal herbs, and other such goods produced in Lingzhou. Their cargo was not particularly valuable, but because they had been making the trip for years, they were familiar with the tax clerks and the lock keepers along the route. Usually, a little “tea money” was enough to get them through. Naturally, that expense had to be passed on to the passengers.
For the past two days, Lin Wu had been asking around about these local cargo boats, hoping to find a reliable boatman.
“Sister Lin!”
She had just rounded a corner when she heard a familiar voice calling out. Turning around, she saw Xiao Zhao hurrying toward her.
“Brother Zhao, are you finished for the day?”
“Not yet. We’re setting out first thing tomorrow morning, so there’s plenty left to do today.” Xiao Zhao grinned, then let out a sigh. “Once we leave, who knows when we’ll meet again? Ah, but that’s how traveling for trade is. You’re here today, and tomorrow you could be anywhere.”
“We’ve truly been indebted to you and the manager for looking after us these past few days. Without you, I don’t know how Little Jing and I would have managed to find a foothold in a place as large as Lingzhou.” Lin Wu sighed as well. Then she took out two paper-wrapped parcels and held them out to him. “I hope everything goes smoothly for Jincheng Trading House from here on.”
Yesterday, when Xiao Zhao had come to buy buns, he had lamented that he might never get to eat the ones she made again. He had specially ordered five steamed flatbreads to take along for the journey tomorrow.
“Oh, they’re still warm!” Xiao Zhao accepted the parcels. “You’ve gone to all this trouble, Sister Lin. But wait—the number and weight don’t seem quite right?”
“You’re too kind. I don’t have anything else worth giving you, so I made a few extra steamed buns and packed them in as well. I heard you’re leaving early tomorrow. Warm them up on the road; at least they’ll tide you over.”
“That’s incredibly thoughtful.” Xiao Zhao thanked her with a smile. Then he reached into his robe, pulled out a handful of copper coins, bent down, and pressed them into Lin Jing’s hand. “Here, Little Shopkeeper. Put these away.”
Lin Jing took the heavy handful of coins in his small hand and looked up at Lin Wu.
Lin Wu smiled. “Five flatbreads cost fifteen coins.”
The little boy lowered his head, his small face solemn as he counted the coins one by one.
“Little Jing’s mother, do you know how much fifteen is?” Xiao Zhao asked with a grin as he watched the boy count.
Lin Jing did not answer at once. He merely kept his head bowed, completely absorbed in arranging the coins. First he counted out ten, placing them one by one into the little cloth pouch hanging before him. Then he counted out five more and tucked those inside as well.
Afterward, he gathered the remaining coins in his hand, rose onto his toes, and held them back out to Xiao Zhao. Looking up with complete seriousness, he said, “Fifteen is one ten and one five. You gave me too much.”
Xiao Zhao burst out laughing, but he did not take the coins. “I didn’t give you too much. You gave me extra flatbreads and steamed buns. This is what I ought to pay.”
“Go on and put them away, Brother Zhao,” Lin Wu said with a smile. “It’s just a small token of our gratitude. If you take the money, it’ll seem as if I forced you to buy them.”
“Well, I… How could I accept this? Thank you, truly!” Xiao Zhao scratched his head, then finally took back the coins.
A burly man who had been watching for some time now came over, looking astonished. “Well, look at that! This little tyke can really do arithmetic?”
“Of course he can. The little fellow’s sharp,” Xiao Zhao said with a laugh.
Lin Jing pressed his lips together and quietly edged behind Lin Wu, revealing only half his face.
“He comes here with me every day to sell flatbreads. When we get home, he likes to play with the coins, counting them over and over. That’s how he learned.” Lin Wu spoke lightly as she reached out and gently drew him closer by the shoulder.
“Our Little Shopkeeper certainly has the air of the real thing. He’s practically fallen into a money pit!” Xiao Zhao teased.
“He’s clever, that’s what he is,” the burly man praised. He bent slightly and smiled at Lin Jing. “So, if I buy two flatbreads, how much do I owe you?”
Lin Jing lowered his head and counted on his fingers. Then he emerged from behind Lin Wu, raised both hands—one palm spread open and the other showing a single finger—and said to the man, “Six copper coins.”
“Well, would you look at that! He really does know!” Delighted, the man immediately counted out six copper coins and handed them over. “Here, Little Shopkeeper. Put these away.”
Then he turned to Lin Wu. “Sister-in-law, give me two flatbreads.”
“Coming right up.” Lin Wu smiled and deftly lifted the cloth covering the basket.
Xiao Zhao watched from the side and sighed. “Looks like he isn’t the Little Shopkeeper after all. He’s the Little God of Wealth.”
The man took the flatbreads and eagerly bit into one. After a satisfied sigh, he said, “That’s a proper bite of food! Every night, I look forward to coming here the next morning and getting one of these. It gives me something to look forward to when I come to the wharf to haul sacks.”
“Thank you for your patronage,” Lin Wu said with a smile, her hands moving swiftly as she wrapped up a flatbread for the next customer.
“Sister Lin, your cooking really is something,” Xiao Zhao added. He nodded toward the front. “Just look—how many days has it been? You already have regular customers coming specifically for your flatbreads.”
“I truly have to thank everyone for looking after me.” Lin Wu continued working as she spoke in a gentle voice. “I’m a stranger here, and when I first arrived, everyone was kind enough not to turn up their noses at my humble cooking. I’ll remember this kindness.”
“Listen to you. We should be thanking you for taking such good care of our stomachs,” Xiao Zhao said. When the customer who had been buying flatbreads moved away, he lowered his voice and leaned half a step closer. “By the way, Manager Zhang told me that Zhi Yun Trading House is heading to Nanya this time. They should be setting out within the next few days. It isn’t on your route, though. What a pity.”
Lin Wu instinctively looked startled. “Nanya?”
That place-name made her heart tighten every time she heard it.
“That’s right,” Xiao Zhao continued. “The Shen family knows that trade route well, though it’s a dangerous one. This time, Young Master Shen is taking charge on his own. He only came of age this year, so it’s obvious the old master is sending him out to gain experience.”
“I see.” Lin Wu nodded, somewhat dazed.
“Well, I’d better get back and finish packing. Boats won’t wait for anyone tomorrow morning.” Seeing more and more people gathering around Jincheng Trading House, Xiao Zhao stepped back and cupped his fists toward Lin Wu. “Sister Lin, I wish you and Little Jing a smooth journey from here on, and a safe arrival in Chuzhou. Until we meet again!”
“Have a safe journey, Brother Zhao.” Lin Wu paused in her work and waved to him with genuine feeling. “Take good care of yourself.”
Xiao Zhao nodded and bent down to ruffle Lin Jing’s hair. “I’m off, Little Shopkeeper!”
With that, he picked up the paper-wrapped parcels and turned to leave.
Lin Jing watched his departing back until the figure disappeared into the crowd. Only then did he slowly lower the little hand he had kept raised in farewell.
The journey from Wucang County to Lingzhou had been rough and chaotic. If not for all the help from Xiao Zhao and Manager Zhang, they truly might not have been able to take even a single step. Their parting was inevitably tinged with melancholy. Now, in this vast city of Lingzhou, the last people they could call familiar had left as well. This was what it truly meant to be strangers in a strange place.
Lin Wu shook her head and came back to herself, continuing to fill the flatbreads with brisk, practiced movements. Yet the two words “Weaving Cloud” and “Southern Cliffs” kept circling through her mind.
By now, the crowd had gathered around Jincheng Trading House, and the noise all around them had quieted somewhat. A few men resting nearby and chatting among themselves could now be heard quite clearly.
“I heard the exile party will reach Lingzhou in three days.”
“That soon?”
“What do you mean, soon? It’s already been eight or nine days since they set out from the capital.”
“Will they be taken into the city? If so, I’ll have to go take a look.”
“Of course they will. They’ll be paraded through the streets for public display. That’s unavoidable.”
Lin Wu’s hand paused almost imperceptibly as she reached out with a flatbread. Lin Jing, standing beside her leg, clutched her clothing tightly.
“Big brother, what exile party are you talking about? They’re coming to Lingzhou? Will they affect my little business?” Lin Wu kept her expression calm. With practiced efficiency, she filled another flatbread, wrapped it in a dry broad leaf, and handed it to a customer while asking in an apparently casual tone.
“They’re the families of some high-ranking officials who committed crimes in the capital. Don’t worry. They’ll be taking the official road. Even if they enter the city, they’ll only pass along the main street and won’t come anywhere near the docks. They won’t interfere with your business.”
“So that’s how it is.” Lin Wu patted her chest in relief. “I thought they were being exiled here. That would have been…”
“Hahaha, Madam, you misunderstood!” The man laughed. “Lingzhou is only a stop along the way. They’re headed south, all the way to Southern Cliffs, several thousand li from here! That place is a savage wilderness, thick with poisonous miasma. Tsk, tsk… by the time they reach their destination, I’m afraid there won’t be many left alive.”
“Good heavens…” Lin Wu murmured. She lowered her eyes and continued working, keeping the same smile on her face until she had sold the last steamed bun.
After tidying away the empty basket, she took Lin Jing by the hand and turned to leave the noisy docks. On the way back, the smile she had forced onto her face finally faded. Lin Jing looked up at her several times, but in the end, he merely pressed his little lips together and asked nothing.
The two of them returned to the roadside inn in silence.
As usual, Lin Wu put away the empty bamboo basket and the cloth cover. Lin Jing poured all the copper coins from his drawstring pouch onto the table and spread them out, counting them one by one. Yet the coins he normally enjoyed handling felt unbearably heavy today. No matter how many times he counted them, the total never seemed to come out right.
He pursed his lips, his small face drawn tight.
Watching him, Lin Wu let out a heavy sigh inwardly.
She picked up the bamboo basket and cloth cover and went to the kitchen to wash them.
Water rushed and splashed, inexplicably grating on her nerves. When she had first heard about the exile party several days ago, she had thought herself prepared. But now that the day had truly arrived, she still felt as if a stone had been placed against her chest, dragging heavily downward.
Duke Gu was the father of the Crown Princess. Even during the late emperor’s reign, he had already held an exalted and unparalleled position. Grand Tutor Chen was a Hanlin scholar of impeccable reputation, and the Eastern Palace’s most trusted lecturer. Because of their close ties to the Eastern Palace, they had been implicated most deeply in this upheaval.
In her eyes, the Crown Prince was wise and capable, and the Crown Princess was intelligent as well. Duke Gu and Grand Tutor Chen were both able ministers. They should never have ended up with such a fate. But they were merely supporting characters in that novel, there to highlight the male and female leads. The downfall of supporting characters never required a reason, nor did it need to follow any logic.
Just as, before the story had completely ended, she had been unable to control even her own body and could only be pushed along by the plot to fulfill her assigned role.
Now, at last, everything had turned the page. Perhaps from here on, she would no longer be controlled by those fading lines of text.
But reality had not given them much of a chance.
She had never met the sons and daughters of the Gu and Chen families, but she had heard of their reputations. Every one of them was said to be among the most outstanding young people in the capital. Yet they had grown up in silk and brocade, pampered and honored, and the oldest among them had not even reached adulthood. How could they possibly endure walking thousands of li in the cold winds of late autumn while shackled in wooden cangues?
Enough.
She rubbed the cloth between her hands. The icy water flowing over her skin reminded her of the mountain streams from the past. Lin Jing was only four years old, yet even he had adapted quickly to life in the mountains. Besides, children raised amid fine food and luxury should have stronger constitutions than those from ordinary families.
She wrung the cloth dry with all her strength. She should take care of what was in front of her first. They were barely able to protect themselves. Where would they find the strength to worry about others? The storm surrounding those people was too great for her to touch, and she had no business moving any closer.
Three days later, the already prosperous and bustling city of Lingzhou became even livelier.
The city gates opened as usual at dawn, but the people entering the city that day were different. A slow-moving procession approached the gates, drawing sidelong glances from merchants and commoners who had risen early to travel.
The people in the procession wore tattered clothes. Their faces and hands were coated in dust and marked with old and new wounds. Every one of them wore a wooden cangue, and exhaustion seemed to seep from their very bones. They were so quiet that only an occasional cough or stumble betrayed their presence.
The commoners who had received the news had already packed both sides of the main street until not even a drop of water could pass.
“How awful. Look at that child—he can barely walk.”
“Keep your voice down! They’re imperial criminals!”
“Look over there! Isn’t that one about to collapse?”
“Tsk, tsk. They should have thought of this before committing their crimes…”
Amid the buzzing commentary, a figure suddenly staggered out from the Gu family’s procession and fell to her knees before the mounted escort officer. It was Madam Liang.
Her hair was disheveled, and her face was covered in dust. She did not wail or cry out. She merely pressed her forehead hard against the cold ground, her voice hoarse and choked with grief.
“My lord, I beg you for mercy. My son, Gu Jue, has been burning with fever for two days. This morning, he lost consciousness. I dare not ask for anything else. I only beg you to allow us to find an ordinary physician in Lingzhou to examine him. Even if he can prescribe nothing more than a dose of bupleurum decoction, I will be grateful for the rest of my life. In my next life, I will repay your kindness even if I must tie grass around myself and repay it as a beast of burden.”
The escort officer on horseback merely cast her a sidelong glance and curled his lip.
“Madam Gu, do you still think this is the Duke’s estate? Do you imagine that a single word from you will bring a palace physician to your door? Get up! You’re blocking the road. If the schedule is delayed, will you take responsibility, or will I?”
With that, he waved his hand. Two soldiers immediately stepped forward, hauled Madam Liang off the ground, and shoved her back into the procession.
“Move! Whether you live or die, you’ll find out when you reach Southern Cliffs!”
Madam Liang’s entire body went limp. She nearly collapsed, and only Gu Qing’s support kept her on her feet. Tears streamed silently down her face.
Suppressed sobs rose throughout the procession. They had dragged themselves to Lingzhou with the last of their strength, believing that they might find a sliver of hope here. But now it seemed that hope had ultimately come to nothing.
Driven onward by the soldiers, the procession continued its slow advance along the main street.
The onlookers stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to see. Two boys in the procession were already unable to walk on their own. One had a pale face and his eyes were tightly shut. Two women were practically dragging him along by the arms, his feet barely touching the ground. He was Chen Wang, the eldest grandson of Grand Tutor Chen. The other was younger, lying across the back of a young woman. Were it not for his flushed little face, one might have thought he had already breathed his last. That was Gu Jue, grandson of Duke Gu.
Though neither boy had reached adulthood, they were the only legitimate male heirs of their respective families. Ever since their imprisonment, they had clearly been given special attention, as though the authorities were determined to ensure that they arrived safely at Nanya.
At long last, the procession through the streets came to an end. Under the escort of even more soldiers, they were driven to a camp prepared outside the city.
The commotion in Lingzhou gradually died down, and the streets returned to normal. The subject of conversation over tea and meals, however, had multiplied.
At the canal wharf, Lin Wu continued selling her flatbreads as usual, though business was noticeably quieter that morning.
Quite a few porters had gone to the main street to watch the exiles enter the city.
Lin Wu had not dared bring Lin Jing along. The procession had come from the capital, and some of the people in it were acquainted with Lin Jing. If anything gave him away, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Before long, the porters who had gone to watch the spectacle began returning one after another. The wharf gradually grew lively again, and so did the discussion.
“They’ve only just reached Lingzhou, and already some of them look as though they won’t make it.”
“Exactly. There’s a boy, not even fully grown, who’s terribly ill. He can’t even walk and has to be carried. He looks like he has only one breath left.”
“I heard he’s the Gu family’s only grandson.”
“He looks barely ten. With a body like that, forget making it to Nanya—even getting out of Lingzhou alive may be too much to ask.”
“When the gods above fight, it’s always the people below who suffer.”
“They’re hardly ordinary people below. They enjoyed plenty of privileges before this.”
“That may be true, but those children…”
Lin Wu lowered her head and straightened the cloth covering her stall, pretending not to hear. But she could feel Lin Jing, pressed against her leg, growing tenser by the moment. His little hand was clenched tightly around the hem of his clothes.
Without saying a word, Lin Wu shifted half a step, blocking him completely from view.
“Sister-in-law, the city was so lively this morning. Why didn’t you go sell on the main street? With that many people, business must have been better,” a regular customer asked casually as he bought two flatbreads.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare,” Lin Wu replied, swiftly wrapping the food, her voice dropping slightly. “I heard those officials are all from the capital and have very strict rules. I’m just an outsider selling food. What if I offended one of them? I couldn’t afford the consequences. Besides, the spectacle won’t be over anytime soon. After watching it, you gentlemen still have to come back to work, don’t you?”
“That’s true.”
“So, are they leaving already? That was quick.” Lin Wu asked the question casually without pausing in her work.
“No. We had to hurry back to work, so we only saw the beginning. I heard they’ll be camping outside the city for two days. There are nearly a hundred people in the procession. They’ll need to replenish their provisions here before continuing south.”
“The road south isn’t easy either. Only this stretch around Lingzhou is relatively flat.”
“Exactly! Still, they’re lucky in one respect. The Shen family’s Zhiyun Trading House happens to be in Lingzhou. Young Master Shen is practically a god of wealth.”
Lin Wu’s hands paused ever so slightly. She looked up in puzzlement. “Oh? What does the Shen family’s trading caravan have to do with the exiles?”
The porter took a large bite of his flatbread and said indistinctly, “The procession is going to rest at the camp. By the old customs, the local authorities—or wealthy families with a reputation for charity—will usually go there to distribute porridge or donate some old clothing. After all, nearly a hundred mouths need feeding, and the daily grain alone costs no small amount. The Shen family is famous for being benevolent merchants. Ever since the weather turned cold a few days ago, they’ve been running a porridge shed outside the city and even providing free consultations with resident physicians. They’ve been at it for several days now.”
“I see.” Lin Wu nodded in sudden understanding. “But they’re still criminals being escorted into exile. Wouldn’t the Shen family’s actions cause trouble with the guards?”
“Trouble? How could they? The government has to provide grain according to the number of people anyway. If someone is willing to shoulder part of the burden, the officials are only too happy. They’d love to have more charitable families like the Shens!”
“That makes sense.” Lin Wu nodded, her expression suggesting that she understood. Yet deep down, she found the matter increasingly strange and unsettling, and her thoughts immediately tangled into confusion.
On the way back to the small inn, she began sorting through the scattered threads in her mind.
The exiled procession was headed for Nanya, and Zhiyun Trading House’s destination was Nanya as well.
Two seemingly unrelated lines had crossed outside Lingzhou on this very day.
The fact that Zhiyun Trading House and the exiles shared the same destination could be dismissed as coincidence. Zhiyun Trading House had begun setting up a porridge shed and offering free medical consultations outside the city when the weather turned cold several days ago. Nanya was also a regular trade route for them, and this trip could be considered part of Young Master Shen’s experience now that he had reached adulthood.
But Young Master Shen’s certainty that she would leave Lingzhou that day could not possibly have been coincidence. Why had he been so sure? Did he believe they were going to Nanya? And was that connected to Zhiyun Trading House’s movements?
Where, exactly, was the key?
Was it her?
Lin Wu immediately shook her head. Lin Jing?
But the Shen family were merchants from Huzhou, while Lin Jing had grown up in the palace. There was no possibility that they had met before.
Then was it the exiled procession?
The porridge and medical aid were presumably meant to ease the suffering of those people. And who was in the procession?
The Gu family. The Chen family.
Whom did the Shen family truly wish to help? One of the two families—or both?
Lin Wu suddenly stopped walking. The chaotic thoughts in her mind gradually fell into place.
The faint goodwill Young Master Shen had shown her and Lin Jing that day, along with his seemingly casual attempt to recruit them, had the same motive as the Shen family’s porridge and medical aid for the exiles. They must have seen the connection between Lin Jing and the procession.
And there was no doubt that Lin Jing’s closest connection was to the Gu family.
Lin Wu narrowed her eyes slightly.
The Shen family wanted to help the Gu family.
And it was highly likely that, because of an old connection with the Gu family, they had recognized Lin Jing’s identity.
Instead of feeling the slightest bit reassured, Lin Wu felt a chill run down her spine.
They very likely already knew who Lin Jing was.
Lin Wu shook her head and drew a deep breath. The cool air rushed into her nose, and the thoughts roiling in her mind settled somewhat.
Rather than standing here guessing, she might as well go and see for herself. At present, she was surrounded by fog and had not a single piece of solid information in hand. Such a situation could only work against her.
If Lin Jing’s identity had indeed been exposed under the Shen family’s watchful eyes, then her greatest secret was already out in the open. There was no longer anything left for her to fear.
“Ah Jing,” she said, squatting down before Lin Jing and looking at him, her voice soft. “There’s something I need to ask about at Zhiyun Trading House…”
She paused, hesitating over whether to bring him along. But then she reconsidered. The Shen family’s grandfather and grandson had already met the child, so there was no need to worry about it. She continued, “We’ll go together.”
Lin Jing’s eyes were still red. He stared at her blankly for a moment, then immediately nodded hard. His little hand reached out and clasped hers of its own accord.
The two of them set off toward the Shen residence.
