Volume 2 Chapter 38: Strolling along the Pond
Lin Jianlan had no idea what he meant. According to his own understanding, if he really couldn't get along with the government officials, he wouldn't be so upset. It was just a chance meeting, and they would go their separate ways the next moment, and perhaps they would never see each other again in their lives.
The Jianghu seems to be independent of officials and civilians, with its own set of rules. It is an existence that ordinary people cannot feel. However, Yuan Xingjian is a little different. He takes in refugees and fights against harsh policies. Although he possesses peerless martial arts, he rarely walks around in the Jianghu, yet it seems that they are all inextricably linked.
The night was as cool as water, and the waiter on duty was a little sleepy. Lin Jianlan whispered to him to make a pot of tea. He leaned back in his chair and sipped the tea slowly to relieve his sleepiness. He looked at Yuan Xingjian who was lying on the table and saw that he was no longer talking, only occasionally making a few drunken mutters. He could not hear clearly, so he waited quietly, wondering when he would wake up.
The sound of the second watch drum could be heard faintly outside the window. Facing the solitary lamp on the table, his thoughts seemed to be clearer. Although many worrying and disturbing things were happening around him, it seemed that everyone else was worried. Yuan Xingjian would soon face the imperial army, Xie Zhongju was worried about the people, Qing Shu's Kuang Yi Gang had also reached this point, and "Luansong" had been operating in secret under a false name for his ambition more than ten years ago. In comparison, the separation from his parents over the years was not so sad to the point that it could not be more painful. Thinking of this, his brows, which had never been relaxed since he left Chang'an, slowly stopped frowning.
Looking back, he saw that the waiter had dozed off leaning against the table, with his saliva flowing half a foot. Suddenly, his head drooped, waking him up. He looked around hurriedly, and his eyelids drooped again. Lin Jianlan could not help but smile, and just lay on the window frame, looking at the moonlight.
This moment of silence did not last long. Suddenly, Yuan Xingjian screamed, "Why are you all like this!" Lin Jianlan was shocked and turned around quickly. He saw Yuan Xingjian sweating profusely and his face was extremely pale . His expression was both sad and angry. He was stunned for a long while before he exhaled softly and whispered, "Alas, it was just a dream."
Lin Jianlan hurriedly poured a cup of tea and handed it to Yuan Xingjian. Yuan Xingjian took it silently and drank a few sips before taking out some silver from his waist and putting it on the table, saying, "Young Master Lin, please accompany me, a drunk man, tonight. I can't rest peacefully after running around all day. Let's go back now."
A cool breeze blew across the long street, as if a stream of cool water was flowing. Although Lin Jianlan felt that Yuan Xingjian's condition seemed different today, he didn't want to ask him about his past sorrows. He walked beside him without saying a word, but heard Yuan Xingjian sigh and say, "Young Master Lin, you must have some questions in your mind, right?"
Lin Jianlan said: "Brother Yuan shoulders a heavy responsibility. It is not an exaggeration to say that half of the lives of the people of Taihu Lake depend on him. After carrying the burden for a long time, he will naturally be exhausted both physically and mentally. If Brother Yuan does not mind, you may talk to me, maybe I can feel more relaxed."
Yuan Xingjian asked, "What does Young Master Lin think of Xie Zhongju?"
Lin Jianlan didn't expect that he would ask about Xie Zhongju. He thought about it carefully and said, "Brother Yuan, I have never met any government officials. The only people I have met are those thieves from the Yukou Division who killed our martial arts heroes. Lord Xie is really loyal and fearless. He is dedicated to the people. But in my opinion, he serves the people because of his loyalty to the Wu family, which he will never betray until his death."
Yuan Xingjian frowned, then said sadly: "You are right. What I don't understand is why they can die so easily."
Lin Jianlan asked in surprise: "Who are they?"
Yuan Xingjian was silent for a while, then said, "I have nothing to hide. I was the one who assassinated Zhou Xing, but I did it not for the sake of the loyal subjects and common people of the world, but for my own revenge."
Lin Jianlan stopped walking and stood there in a daze, staring at Yuan Xingjian, thinking to himself, "So Brother Yuan is the hero, but he didn't make a fuss. I really admire him. When he killed Zhou Xing, he was determined to die. No wonder Lord Xie said this to refute him. But he said revenge, but I don't know who he was avenging for."
Yuan Xingjian walked a few steps, then stopped and looked back, saying, "If Zhou Xing hadn't existed, I would have gone to Chang'an to take the exam like Xie Zhongju did, and used my talents to serve the court and become a capable official who could govern the country."
Lin Jianlan hurried over, and the two slowly walked forward. Yuan Xingjian said, "When Zhou Xing was in power, he used the name of treason to capture innocent people, fabricated charges, and then tortured them to extract confessions. When the tortured people could no longer bear it, they would give out the 'people they wanted'. Some died under this brutal torture, while others could not bear the torture and did not want to implicate innocent people, so they committed suicide. He persecuted and wronged countless officials, and my father was one of them."
Lin Jianlan was shocked again, thinking to himself, "So Brother Yuan is from an official family. No wonder he always has a scholarly air. I heard that he was also a military strategist in Taihu. I guess he received strict education when he was young."
Yuan Xingjian said: "Compared to those famous ministers, my father was just a small official, not worth mentioning, but he also had his own integrity. When he was interrogated by Zhou Xing, the whole family knew that there was no return, but they still held a glimmer of hope, hoping that he could persist in living. But those tortures are beyond the imagination of ordinary people, they are simply not human." At this point, Yuan Xingjian clenched his teeth, and his whole body exuded a burst of anger: "What 'Phoenix Spreads Wings', 'Immortal Offering Fruit', in my opinion, they have turned into evil spirits!"
After a while, Yuan Xingjian's anger gradually subsided, and he said sadly: "My father insisted on not getting involved with others, and was tortured every day, and finally died. My mother followed him that night, and my family was broken up. However, I was still captured by Zhou Xing's men and was going to be registered as a slave. I fled overnight and wandered for many years. I heard that Zhou Xing was exiled, so I was desperate to avenge my parents. This was just for my own hatred, and I don't deserve the name of "eliminating harm for the people", so I never told anyone."
Lin Jianlan said: "But Lord Xie seems to know that it was Brother Yuan who did it."
Yuan Xingjian said: "The court has many spies. Some of the people from the Anti-Cat Guards escorted Zhou Xing that day, but they were not very dedicated and escaped unscathed afterwards. I think they went back to report."
Lin Jianlan nodded and said, "I'm afraid the people from the Imperial Guards had already received orders from Wu to just watch from the sidelines. Zhou Xing was just an abandoned child of hers. I understand. Because your father committed suicide to sacrifice his life for his country, Brother Yuan was deeply moved when he saw Lord Xie trying to die in the chaos, and he acted without mercy."
Yuan Xingjian said: "I don't understand why they can easily talk about death. No matter what, we must live on. Only then can we have hope and continue to serve our country."
The bloody flower when Lei Kan hit the wall suddenly appeared in Lin Jianlan's mind. He felt very sad. After thinking for a long time, he said, "I have also had the same confusion as Brother Yuan. I have never been able to understand it without experiencing it myself. Maybe the word 'innocence' is more important to them than their lives."
Yuan Xingjian said, "Perhaps. I won't think too much about it. Jiangnan's affairs have already made me extremely anxious. I'm afraid I will have to rush back to discuss with Chief Li tomorrow."
Lin Jianlan said, "Brother Yuan, why don't you have another deep talk with Lord Xie? I think he really doesn't want his army to destroy Jiangnan, and he is trying his best to find a way to save the situation."
Yuan Xingjian walked a few steps, then stopped and said, "I know, Young Master Lin, do you know what Taihu Lake looks like now?"
Lin Jianlan shook his head and said, "I've never been there."
Yuan Xingjian said: "Thanks to the assistance from all over, they all have weapons, and the army organization is also very complete. They have repelled several encirclements by the imperial court. This period of time can be regarded as a small rest. The Taihu area is not large. People who can't make a living in the nearby areas of Jiangnan flock here. Even people from remote areas come here to surrender. All camps and villages are very crowded. However, even so, the small open space beside the camp is planted with vegetables. Taihu has limited arable land, and the little food is not enough for the army to use, not to mention that most of the people here come here with their families, and the burden is several times greater. In the past few years, they have relied on the support of the Kuangyi Gang and other factions. However, if this money is used to support an army, it is like flowing water."
Lin Jianlan said: "This... the expenses are naturally high, but if it weren't for the changes in the Kuangyi Gang, Uncle Qing would definitely continue to support it."
Yuan Xingjian said blankly, "I'm not talking about the money. Chief Li and I don't want to 'act on behalf of heaven' as Xie Zhongju said, and we have never thought about 'taking over'. We don't have the ability to do so. The people don't want to fight for the world. If they can live in peace, who would want to become a bandit? Fighting on the battlefield is not what they are good at. Regardless of victory or defeat, there will always be a large number of casualties among the people. This is not my original intention... But somehow, it has become like this today. If it continues like this, I don't know where the future will go."
Lin Jianlan said, "Brother Yuan is also sincere about the people, and his thoughts are more far-reaching than mine. Lord Xie openly appeased the people who took refuge in Taihu Lake in the hall, returned the farmland, and issued resettlement expenses. Today's events will spread throughout Jiangnan within a few days. After he stays in Suzhou for three days, he will continue to recruit people in other places. By then, the results will surely be very significant."
Yuan Xingjian said: "Yes, my ambition is to have land for farmers and three meals a day. If there is no war in Jiangnan, I can achieve this wish. Why not do it?"
Lin Jianlan said, "But the leader Li of the Taihu Volunteer Army may not agree. It's hard to have the scale we have today. Moreover, although Lord Xie said today that the people can return home, he did not mention how to deal with the leader of the uprising."
Yuan Xingjian smiled and said, "Chief Li and I were classmates and old friends. We have the same thoughts. We are not seeking the reputation of saving people from hardship, nor do we want to use the blood of the people to achieve our own achievements. Now that things have come to this, I really understand the thoughts of my father and Xie Zhongju. If the court wants the heads of both me and Chief Li, just take them. In exchange for a peaceful world for the people of Taihu Lake, why should we fear death?"
Lin Jianlan said anxiously, "Brother Yuan!" But he waved his hand and said, "These still need to be planned in detail. First, Xie Zhongju may not be worthy of trust, and second, I don't know if the court can trust it. I have to talk to Xie Zhongju in detail tonight."
Lin Jianlan had never expected that Yuan Xingjian had made up his mind overnight. He was just wondering what to say when he heard Yuan Xingjian say, "I saw Young Master Lin fighting with that 'Pack' that day. His Qinggong skills were very clever. They looked like Gang Leader Lin's Dongliuyunbu, but they were not quite the same."
Lin Jianlan said: "It is indeed the Dongliu Yunbu that Uncle Qing taught me, but it has more variations. Dongliu Yunbu is based on the eight trigrams and is difficult to predict. However, it is a bit rigid and not flexible enough for some situations. I learned this from eavesdropping once!"
Yuan Xingjian said "Oh" and was quite interested. Lin Jianlan continued, "If you want to 'eavesdrop', you must not be discovered. Coincidentally, the place where you land is covered with weeds. If you step on it, it will definitely make a noise. If you are fighting an enemy, there is a stone under your feet. If you step on it, it may affect the situation. You have to be unpredictable and follow the principles of the Eight Diagrams. I can just re-select the place to land according to the Eight Diagrams. I have tried it in the bamboo forest before, but I don't know how it will turn out in actual combat. Today, I fought against that 'purse', and it was not bad."
Yuan Xingjian praised, "Young Master Lin has mastered martial arts to such an extent that he will surely achieve great success in the future. How about we compare?" Lin Jianlan was about to be humble, but he saw Yuan Xingjian let out a light cry and rushed forward like an eagle. He then also used his body skills, and flew forward like a feather blown by the wind.
When they arrived at the government office, they still had the same gap as at the beginning. They couldn't help laughing at each other. Seeing that the front door was tightly closed, they went around to the back door and saw that it was indeed left open with a small gap. They stepped in and bolted the door. As they were not familiar with the backyard, they randomly picked a path and walked forward slowly. The shadows of the trees were quiet and the willow branches were swaying. It was a very beautiful view under the moonlight. There were several flower stands scattered around the pond, emitting bursts of fragrance, which was quite pleasant.
Yuan Xingjian said happily: "It seems that this is the place I saw from the flower hall. Fortunately, I didn't take the wrong road."
Lin Jianlan looked up and saw a candlelight shining softly through the window screen in a house in the distance. He said, "It seems that Master Xie is still working at his desk. Let's go over there." But he heard the croaking of frogs in the pond, as if they were woken up by someone. He whispered, "I guess we woke up the frogs."
The two were about to leave quickly when they heard someone talking not far behind them. It turned out to be a woman's voice. They looked at each other and had the same thought in their minds: "Could it be Xie Zhongju's wife?" Yuan Xingjian said to himself: "It is inconvenient to meet them. We should hide for a while and wait for them to pass before leaving." After thinking about it, he pointed to the rocks by the lake, and the two of them flashed away.
Through the rock cave, I saw the person who was talking approaching, but I couldn't see his face clearly. He only looked very elegant. When he was outside the shadow of the tree, I saw the slightly tall woman who said, "Let me show you something ." After that, she spread her hands. The other girl with two maids came closer to take a look and was quite surprised. She said, "Sister, this... is this real?"
