The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 9: A Lingering Kindness

"What a handsome move!"

Suddenly hearing a shout of praise, Xiao Yi reined in his horse and looked up, only to see a man of about thirty years old standing at the window of the second floor of a tavern facing the street.

The man was pale and thin, dressed in a magnificent white fur cloak, holding a golden cup, and surrounded by six beautiful women.

One of the beauties held a paper kite in the shape of a koi fish, which was very exquisite.

"Young man, I admire you." The man's voice was languid, with a hint of cynicism, as he laughed, "Why not come upstairs for a drink? I promise you a bright future."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi felt a slight stirring in his heart, but it quickly dissipated.

He was a servant in the Shi family, and changing allegiance would come at a great cost. Even if he had the opportunity, joining Guo Wei would be a better choice.

"Thank you for your kind offer, sir. I appreciate it." Xiao Yi politely declined, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Do you know who I am?"

"No matter who you are, our fate is not yet aligned."

"Heh, interesting."

Xiao Yi pulled on the reins and turned his horse around. He heard a soft snort from behind, as if the man was a little annoyed after being rejected.

He still kept the habit of keeping an eye on camera positions. Occasionally, he would glance back and see out of the corner of his eye a man in blue robes staring at him furtively from behind the long street, as if he were being followed.

Xiao Yi was unfamiliar with Kaifeng, and his chestnut horse attracted attention, so he simply waved to the other party.

The man in blue was clearly taken aback, scratched his head, and walked forward somewhat awkwardly.

Why would you go so far as to follow me?

"This horse is magnificent; its master would like to know who you are."

"So that's how it is," Xiao Yi thought, feeling that the ancients were truly idle. He didn't make things difficult for them and said calmly, "You can report to your master that I am a disciple of the Grand Tutor."

Having said that, he figured the other party wouldn't dare follow any further, so he spurred his horse and rode away.

Returning along the same route, the area in front of the Daxiangguo Temple was in a mess.

Xiao Yi dismounted, pulled on the reins, and looked around. Sure enough, he had completely lost track of the Khitan girl.

The women and children who narrowly escaped death were still alive, surrounded by a group of people.

Upon seeing Xiao Yi return, the woman at the head of the group led over the child who had almost been trampled by the startled horse.

“If it weren’t for the righteous man who stepped in to save me today, I and my children at home would not have been able to survive. Please accept my bow.”

She referred to herself as "this old woman," but was actually around forty years old. She looked very young, and the fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes did not diminish her elegant and dignified beauty. She was dressed quite simply, with a brocade jacket over a dark blue cloak, and a white jade hairpin in her hair.

Her demeanor revealed her extraordinary status, yet she was completely unpretentious, bowing deeply to Xiao Yi, who was dressed in simple clothes.

Then, she pulled the child next to her over and said, "Brother Yi, you should also thank your savior."

"Yes, Grandmother." The child, who looked about seven or eight years old, stopped sobbing, crossed his hands after wiping away his tears, and bowed respectfully to Xiao Yi, saying earnestly, "Guo Zongyi thanks you for saving my life. May I ask your honorable name?"

"Xiao Yi, how dare you!"

Before Xiao Yi could speak, a shout suddenly rang out.

Shi Dechong hurried over, bowed slightly to the woman, and said, "I have failed to discipline my servant properly, and I beg your forgiveness for offending you, Madam."

"Young Master Shi, you've misunderstood. It was he who saved this old woman..."

"Mother!" Guo Tong ran to the woman's side, helped her up, and asked with concern, "Mother, are you alright? Let me see if you are hurt."

"I'm fine, Mother. Stay calm and don't let others laugh at you."

It turned out that this woman was Guo Wei's wife, Chai Shouyu.

Shi Dechong turned to Xiao Yi and scolded, "Shi and Guo are like family. It is the duty of a servant to save his master. How dare you accept the lady's courtesy? Why don't you apologize?"

"Young Master Shi, you flatter me. Please don't blame my benefactor." Chai Shouyu turned to Xiao Yi with a smile and asked, "So, the righteous man is from the Shi family?"

"Yes."

"Young hero." Chai Shouyu did not change her attitude because of Xiao Yi's identity. Instead, she encouraged him, "Seeing you reminds me of my husband's youth. Back then, he was not a military governor, but came from a poor family."

Shi Dechong said, "Madam flatters me. I am merely a maidservant in my younger brother's courtyard who practices martial arts. I know some rudimentary martial arts. How can I be compared to Master Guo?"

Despite being repeatedly demoted and oppressed, Xiao Yi did not wallow in self-pity. After a moment's thought, he understood Shi Dechong's intention: to emphasize that it was not he personally who rescued the Guo family's women and children, but the Shi family, thereby prompting the Guo family to agree to the marriage alliance.

He then went on to say, "I was nurtured by historians to acquire this skill, but General Guo relied on his true abilities. It's a pity that I can't witness the heroic demeanor of General Guo today."

Upon hearing this, Chai Shouyu looked at Xiao Yi again, a hint of scrutiny appearing in his deep and clear eyes.

Suddenly, her expression changed, and she asked, "Are you injured?"

Xiao Yi looked down and realized that his right arm was torn, and the skin underneath was a mess. It was from when he bumped into the runaway horse and fell to the ground.

"Reporting to Madam, it's just a superficial wound, nothing serious."

"How can it be alright? You are the benefactor of the Guo family." Chai Shouyu hurriedly said, "Second Brother, help Xiao Yi back to the manor to heal his injuries."

--------

The fire at the Guo residence has been extinguished, but smoke is still rising from it.

Xiao Yi followed Guo Tong to the east wing and sat down.

"Que'er, go and fetch a basin of boiled salt water, and also bring the wound medicine," Guo Tong instructed his servant. He added, "I'll clean your wound first; it will hurt a lot, so bear with it." Xiao Yi replied, "I wouldn't dare trouble Young Master Guo; I'll do it myself."

"Just call me 'Brother Qing,' that's my nickname. You saved my mother, so you're my benefactor. No need to be so polite." Guo Tong said, "Don't distrust me either. I've been tending to my grandfather's wounds since I was little, and I'm very skilled."

"Thank you very much."

Xiao Yi regretted not being able to change his fate at the banquet last night, but meeting the Guo family today is truly a blessing in disguise.

He considered asking the Guo family for help, but ultimately decided against it. Not only would it leave an impression of being fickle, but the Guo family also dared not offend the Shi family.

Guo Tong didn't ask him for anything in return; this favor was probably a way to repay the Shi family.

Xiao Yi's sleeve was cut open, and Guo Dong skillfully scooped up some salt water and poured it onto the wound, then wiped away the dirt with a fine cloth.

A sharp pain shot through Xiao Yi, veins bulging on his forehead, and he clenched his teeth.

Endure it, endure it again.

Finally, the wound was cleaned, and Guo Tong began to apply medicine to it.

"You're really good at enduring things."

"I'm used to it," Xiao Yi squeezed out through gritted teeth.

"You look like you're used to getting hurt, but I don't see any other scars on your body."

"In a place that cannot be seen."

"Have you been in war?"

"not yet."

"Are you really a servant of the Shi family? You don't seem like one at all."

"Indeed."

"I bet fifteen strings of cash that you're not."

Xiao Yi smiled and said nothing more.

After a moment of silence, Guo Tong asked casually, "I heard you work in the Second Academy of History. What kind of person is he?"

Xiao Yi pondered for a moment, then tried to say the good things, saying, "He... comes from an extraordinary background and occasionally has a knack for talent."

"You dare to be modest on his behalf."

Guo Tong muttered something under his breath, then stopped asking questions. He finished wrapping Xiao Yi in the bandage, got up, took a small brocade box, placed it in front of Xiao Yi, and opened it. Inside were several gold ingots.

"A small token of my gratitude to you for saving my family."

The gold ingot reflected in Xiao Yi's pupils, but his eyes showed no greed.

His life belongs to the Shi family; what use is gold to him? It's far better to leave a good impression on the Guo family.

“I appreciate your kindness, Erlang, but as you said, this is my duty, and I would never dare to accept such a thing.”

"Really not?"

"No."

Seeing that Xiao Yi firmly refused, Guo Tong did not force him to comply, saying, "Fine, I was just being vulgar."

"Erlang, you don't need to worry."

"Here's a bottle of wound medicine for you. It's my family's secret recipe. Change it every day, and your wound will heal quickly."

"Thank you."

Xiao Yi got up to say goodbye and walked outside.

As they reached the door, Guo Tong suddenly asked another question.

"By the way, since you're someone close to Shi Er, what's your opinion on the Shi family's marriage proposal?"

Xiao Yi stopped, but did not turn around.

Guo Tong's question seemed casual, but it was far beyond what a servant could answer. If he answered well, he might make a good relationship with the servant, but if he answered poorly, he might arouse suspicion.

He then cautiously replied, "The master's marriage is a matter of great importance and is not something a servant can interfere with."

Guo Tong was very sincere and asked again, "I don't mean to pry into your privacy, but I can't refuse the Shi family's request, and I can't trust that Shi Er whom I've never met. You are a person of outstanding character. If you can give me some advice, I would be very grateful... Don't worry, what you say will be heard by me and I will not listen to anyone else."

Xiao Yi pondered for a moment, then looked down at the medicine Guo Tong had given him and slowly spoke.

"In my humble opinion, marriage alliances are like medicine. If the medicine is wrong, even ginseng and deer antler are poison. If it is right, even coptis and sophora flavescens can save lives. The Shi family's medicine is like a strong and potent medicine, while the Guo family's medicine is like a mild and nourishing one. Whether the properties of the medicines are compatible requires a skilled physician to determine."

He didn't say whether it was suitable or not, but only talked about the risks and opportunities of the marriage alliance, reminding Guo Tong that the final decision on this matter should be made by people who truly had the authority, such as Shi Hongzhao and Guo Wei.

But the insight and sense of propriety in those words made Guo Tong slightly lose his composure.

Xiao Yi left the side room.

Guo Tong remained seated, fiddling with the brocade box containing the gold ingots. He casually closed the lid, making a soft "click" sound.

But the gold nugget's gleam seemed to still seep through the cracks...

(End of this chapter)