Liang Shanbo: The Poor Scholar-Emperor

Chapter 103 Farewell to Wansong Academy, Arrival at Xie Family Manor

Two years ago, on the day Liang Shanbo became Meng Wenlang's disciple, he told Zhu Yingtai that he would accompany her to the library to read for half an hour every day after returning from listening to the teacher's lectures at Songzha.

For the past two years, Liang Shanbo has consistently practiced this principle.

That day, Liang Shanbo returned to the school from Songzha, and Zhu Yingtai asked, "Brother Liang, shall we go to the library to study again this afternoon?"

Liang Shanbo smiled and asked in return, "Do you want to go?"

Zhu Yingtai nodded without hesitation and replied, "I want to go."

Liang Shanbo smiled slightly: "Then I will accompany you. What book would you like to read today?"

Zhu Yingtai blurted out, "The Songs of Chu."

Liang Shanbo understood and smiled, "Then I will read the Records of the Grand Historian: The Basic Annals of the Five Emperors today."

Zhu Yingtai smiled sweetly.

The two understood each other without saying a word.

The first time the two of them read side by side in the library, she read "Chu Ci" and he read "Records of the Grand Historian: Basic Annals of the Five Emperors". Today, the scene of that day is repeated, just as the two of them today are still the same two of them, yet they are no longer the same two of them.

The two left the schoolhouse and walked slowly along the familiar bluestone path toward the library. The snow had been swept away, the stone path was quiet and secluded, and the pines and cypresses on both sides were as green as ever.

The library remains the same as before, a two-story building with white and gray walls and blue-gray tiles. A plaque hangs in front of the building with the three characters "Library".

Stepping into the spacious hall on the first floor, rows of bookshelves line the four walls, filled with books. The air is filled with the mellow fragrance of bamboo and wood, the ink of paper, and the insect-repelling scent of rue, all blending together in a subtle and soothing way that calms the mind and spirit.

Liang Shanbo walked directly to a bookshelf and picked out a volume of "Records of the Grand Historian: Basic Annals of the Five Emperors".

Zhu Yingtai then took out a volume of "Chu Ci" from another bookshelf.

The two went up the wooden stairs to the second floor and walked to the most familiar window seat.

Zhu Yingtai knelt down at the Lin family's table and gently placed the "Chu Ci" (Songs of Chu) on the low table. Liang Shanbo also sat down and placed the "Records of the Grand Historian: Basic Annals of the Five Emperors" in front of him.

The winter sun shone through the window and fell on their shoulders, just like any other day.

The two exchanged a glance, and without prior arrangement, smiled slightly.

Back then, the first time they sat side by side here, she was reading "The Songs of Chu" and he was reading "Records of the Grand Historian".

Now, more than two years have passed in the blink of an eye. The last time they came here to study, they still sat side by side under the same window, with the same book in front of them.

Zhu Yingtai slowly unfolded the "Chu Ci" and turned to the "Xiang Furen" chapter in the "Nine Songs".

"The emperor's daughter descended to the northern shore, her eyes filled with sorrow."

A gentle autumn breeze blows, and leaves fall from the trees on the rippling waves of Dongting Lake.

I climb the white mountain and gaze afar, longing for our auspicious rendezvous at dusk.

Why do birds gather among the duckweed? Why are fishing nets placed on the trees?

"The Yuan River has angelica, the Li River has orchids; I think of my lord, but dare not speak of it."

She couldn't help but raise her head and look at Brother Liang beside her. In the winter sunlight, his brow bone was as handsome as ever, and his nose bridge was as straight and high as ever. His lips were pursed as he calmly looked at the book.

But now, she no longer needed to "dare not speak." The words hidden in her heart, she had already spoken, and he had already responded. The Lady of Xiang, who lingered and hesitated on the banks of the Yuan and Li rivers, wanting to speak but holding back, was no longer Zhu Yingtai.

Liang Shanbo was intently reading "Records of the Grand Historian: Basic Annals of the Five Emperors".

"The Yellow Emperor was the son of Shaodian, surnamed Gongsun, and named Xuanyuan. He was born with divine spirit, could speak in his infancy, was quick-witted in his youth, became diligent and intelligent as he grew up, and was wise in his maturity—"

He already knew these words by heart.

When he first opened the scroll and read this chronicle in this library, all he wanted to do was to memorize the entire Records of the Grand Historian so that he could use it for future use.

But now, rereading this piece, his thoughts and ambitions are now focused on the world, on establishing an empire to replace the Jin dynasty, and on becoming the new ruler of the world.

He said these words neither to Meng Wenlang nor to Zhu Yingtai.

At least, it's not convenient to say right now.

Half an hour passed quietly in silence and focus.

The two rolled up the scrolls again, got up, and walked down the wooden stairs. Their footsteps made soft sounds on the floorboards, as if each sound was a farewell to the library.

Zhu Yingtai walked to the bookshelf, put the "Chu Ci" back in its place, gently stroked the scroll end with her hand, then withdrew her hand, walked to Liang Shanbo, her face full of emotion: "Brother Liang, this is the last time we will study here."

Liang Shanbo nodded and slowly strolled over the densely packed books on the bookshelf.

This library houses thousands of books, and in the past two years, he has read many of them. With his ability to memorize what he has read, he has memorized many classics, including the complete version of the Records of the Grand Historian, the complete version of the Book of Han, and various military treatises.

At this moment, what he was reluctant to part with were not only those books, but also the time he spent quietly reading with Zhu Yingtai in this library.

He withdrew his gaze, looked at Zhu Yingtai, and suddenly leaned closer, whispering, "If things go smoothly between us, we will study together for the rest of our lives. We will study every day, every month, every year, until we grow old together."

Zhu Yingtai gave a soft "Mmm," broke into a bright smile, and said loudly, "Let's go."

The two walked out of the library, one after the other.

The building door was wide open behind us, and no one came to close it.

The thousands of books in the building still lie quietly on the bookshelves, waiting for the next destined person to open them.

In the afternoon, at feeding time.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai headed to the dining hall as usual, with Yin Xin silently following behind them.

The canteen is still in that separate courtyard. The courtyard wall is not very high, and there is a stone well in the center of the courtyard. Several wooden buckets filled with water are placed next to the well.

At this moment, many students are moving about in the courtyard, the sound of scooping water splashing, footsteps and conversations rising and falling, creating a lively and interesting scene.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai walked to the stone well. Yin Xin scooped water for Zhu Yingtai to wash her hands, while Liang Shanbo scooped water to wash himself.

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hand.

The two then walked side by side into the central fine kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, steam rose thick and fast. Zhang, the cook, stood before the same earthenware steamers and cauldrons, a wooden ladle in hand. She had been cooking here for many years, welcoming and seeing off countless students. Now, seeing Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai enter, she grinned, revealing a familiar air about them.

The two took their respective food trays and went to Zhang's side. Zhu Yingtai took out her food card and handed it to Zhang: "Two servings of wild rice, two servings of mutton, and two servings of vegetable soup."

Zhang responded and quickly turned around to scoop out two bowls of wild rice from the earthenware pot, two bowls of mutton from the earthenware cauldron, and two bowls of vegetable soup from another earthenware cauldron, placing them on the table for the two of them.

The two men, carrying food trays, sat side by side on straw mats.

Zhu Yingtai looked down at her food table. It still had the same color and the same aroma, just like the first time she ate here with Brother Liang.

That day, she ate with a man from another country for the first time, feeling both awkward and excited.

Now, more than two years have passed, and the last time they ate at this canteen, they sat side by side in the same fine food kitchen, with the same wild rice, mutton, and vegetable soup in front of them.

The shy and reserved girl she once was is now confident and radiant.

She turned to look at Liang Shanbo, who was still eating silently and attentively, just like usual.

She smiled slightly, then lowered her head and began to eat.

Inside the kitchen, the students all kept quiet, with only occasional whispered conversations.

Dusk is approaching.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, carrying the silver heart, left the school through the back gate, crossed the withered yellow fields, and embarked on the mountain path.

This was their last time practicing archery in the pine forest behind the mountain.

More than two years ago, they came to the pine forest to practice archery for the first time. At that time, Zhu Yingtai was drawing the bow for the first time and could not even draw it steadily. After shooting a whole quiver of arrows, she did not hit the target with a single arrow.

Now, Liang Shanbo's archery skills have reached a high level of excellence, and Zhu Yingtai's archery skills have also attracted much attention.

After the archery practice was finished, it was nearly dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the pine branches and leaves, illuminating the clearing in the forest and the ground covered with pine needles, creating dappled light and shadow, like a dream.

Zhu Yingtai handed the mulberry wood bow to Yinxin, then quietly gazed at the pine forest, at the old, gnarled pines on the slope at the end of the clearing, and at the shadows in the setting sun.

Starting tomorrow, I will no longer come here to practice archery.

This pine forest, this clearing, and these targets she shot at countless times will all remain here, in her memory.

She withdrew her gaze, smiled slightly at Liang Shanbo, and her reluctance was evident in that smile.

Then, together with Brother Liang, we walked down the mountain path as dusk fell.

Night fell heavily.

This was the last night that Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai stayed at the school dormitory.

Inside the school building, a charcoal fire was burning.

The coarse pottery lamp was lit again, but its light remained dim.

Zhu Yingtai's true gender was no longer a secret, and she and Liang Shanbo had pledged their lives to each other. Under these circumstances, the atmosphere of the two living in the same dormitory was naturally different from before.

Zhu Yingtai was more relaxed than before, no longer constantly on guard, but also more shy. Occasionally, her eyes would sparkle with a touch of girlish charm.

As usual, Yin Xin fetched two basins of hot water from the canteen, one for Zhu Yingtai and the other for Liang Shanbo to wash themselves.

After they finished washing themselves, they sat facing each other on their respective wooden couches, with the charcoal brazier still placed between the two couches.

Zhu Yingtai said, "Brother Liang, please teach me the last lesson that Mr. Meng gave at Songzha today."

Liang Shanbo nodded and then carefully explained to her what Mr. Meng had taught her that day.

That map of the world, the Yongjia Rebellion and Emperor Gaozu's southward migration, the current situation in the north and the aggressive rule of Fu Jian of the Former Qin, the deeply entrenched Jiangzuo clans' open and covert struggles, and the gentleman's last question, "Where are you from?"

Just like the past two years, whatever Mr. Meng taught him, he taught her, meticulously.

As always, she listened attentively, occasionally interjecting with a question or two.

After they finished speaking, the two chatted for a while longer.

They talked about the bits and pieces of the past two years, those unforgettable days, the joy and emotion hidden in the trivialities of daily life, about the future, about the marriage that they dared not hope for but were full of anticipation for, and even about what they should do in the future if they really got married.

As night deepened, Zhu Yingtai, as usual, got up and gently blew out the oil lamp on the small table.

In the dim light, the two of them turned around and took off their clothes as usual, and then lay down in their own beds.

Liang Shanbo turned his head and, by the faint light left by the charcoal brazier, looked at the blurry silhouette on the opposite couch, and whispered, "Goodnight, Yingtai."

Zhu Yingtai blinked in the dim light and asked, "Brother Liang, does 'goodnight' mean 'rest in peace'?"

Liang Shanbo smiled slightly in the dim light and explained softly, "Yes, and not entirely. Think about it, the character '晚' (wan, meaning evening) signifies dusk, the end of the day; the character '安' (an, meaning peace) signifies a woman under the roof, a place of peace for the heart. Putting these two characters together, it means:"

The day has finally come to an end, and with you here safe and sound, I feel the world has quieted down, and my heart is at peace.

A warm feeling welled up in Zhu Yingtai's heart, and she replied with exceptional gentleness, "Good night, Brother Liang."

The next day, the weather was perfect; it was a sunny winter day.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai got up early and started working.

There was quite a lot of luggage to take, including clothes, books, writing brushes, ink, paper, and bows and arrows.

There was also a considerable amount of money, including the 20,000 coins that Liang Shanbo had prepared for the wedding, most of which had been exchanged for lightweight and portable currency.

The silk was tied tightly.

Liang Shanbo, Zhu Yingtai, and Yin Xin, carrying their luggage, left the schoolhouse and arrived at the school gate.

A bullock cart, which was Meng Wenlang's usual vehicle, was parked in front of the gate. This time, Master Meng specially ordered his driver to bring the bullock cart to take Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai to the Qiantang River ferry. It was a final token of his affection from his teacher to his disciples who were about to embark on their long journey.

Zhu Yingtai and Yin Xin sat inside the carriage, while Liang Shanbo sat outside alongside the coachman.

The driver gave a soft shout and tapped the ox's body with his bamboo pole. The ox then set off, and the oxcart slowly drove away from the school gate.

Zhu Yingtai lifted the window curtain and looked at the schoolhouse receding into the distance outside the window, recalling the conversation she had with Brother Liang the night before, sitting opposite each other by the charcoal brazier.

She asked softly, "Brother Liang, after we leave the academy, will we ever come back?"

Brother Liang replied softly, "Yes, one day we will come back to visit Mr. Meng and revisit our old haunts. Perhaps it will be a year later, or perhaps several years later, but we will definitely come back."

As the oxcart rumbled along, passing the Caoqiao Gate in the east of the city, Zhu Yingtai once again lifted the window curtain, gazing at the thatched-roof Caoqiao Pavilion and the Caoqiao Bridge outside it, her heart filled with countless emotions, surging like a tide.

Sitting next to the coachman, Liang Shanbo also gazed at the thatched pavilion and the thatched bridge, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

The two met at the Grass Bridge Pavilion and became sworn brothers on the Grass Bridge. It was the spring of the second year of Ningkang. Liang Shanbo was a young man who had just entered the world of martial arts, while Zhu Yingtai was disguised as a young man named "Zhu Jiuling".

It is now midwinter of the first year of the Taiyuan era. In less than two months, Liang Shanbo will turn eighteen and Zhu Yingtai will turn seventeen.

Two years is not a long time, but it's not short either.

He grew long enough to transform a poor boy from nothing into a talented individual skilled in both literature and martial arts, who gained the favor of the Xie family of Chenjun.

She grew up long enough for a noblewoman to transform from a timid girl who disguised herself as a man into a strong-willed woman who dared to wear women's clothing, tell her beloved the truth, and entrust her life to him.

So brief was the sunlight that fell on the grass bridge that day, it still seemed to warmly embrace the two of them.

So brief were those two greetings, "Brother Liang" and "Brother Liang," that still seem to linger in my ears, never fading away.

The oxcart did not stop. The grass bridge pavilion and the grass bridge gradually receded from view, becoming smaller and smaller, until they were finally obscured by the trees along the roadside.

The wheels continued to rumble, steadily heading towards the Qiantang River.

This time, from Qiantang to Shining, Liang Shanbo chose to travel by water because he was accompanied by Zhu Yingtai and Yin Xin and was carrying a lot of luggage and items.

The journey begins at Wansong Academy, first to Liupu Ferry in Qiantang, then across the river to Xiling Ferry on the south bank, and then by boat along the Zhejiang East Canal eastward all the way to Shining.

Both Liupu Ferry and Xiling Ferry were official ferries, bustling with boats coming and going. They were far more busy and lively than the desolate ferry that Liang Shanbo had crossed when he traveled alone.

The oxcart arrived at Liupu Ferry.

Many ferries of all sizes were moored along the shore, including small boats with canopies and large boats with high canopies.

The ferry crossing was bustling with people. There were peddlers carrying loads, travelers leading tall horses, ordinary people with their families and large and small bags, and boatmen calling out to attract customers. The noise rose and fell, creating a scene of everyday life.

Liang Shanbo, Zhu Yingtai, and Yin Xin alighted from the oxcart and unloaded their luggage. Liang Shanbo bowed to the driver to thank him for his hard work. The driver smiled kindly, then turned the oxcart around and headed back the way they had come.

The three chose a ferry at the dock and carried their luggage onto the bow. The boatman untied the mooring rope, and the ferry leisurely left the shore, soon arriving at Xiling Ferry on the south bank.

Xilingdu was not only an important ferry crossing on the Qiantang River, but also the starting point of the Zhejiang East Canal. The flow of people was even more mixed than at Liupudu on the north bank. Teahouses, taverns, warehouses and stores lined the riverbank, and the noise was constant. In addition, there was an official checkpoint here, with officials stationed to check the passing pedestrians and goods.

Liang Shanbo and his group arrived at the checkpoint.

A middle-aged customs officer sized them up, noticing that they were two handsome young men with a page following behind them. His gaze then fell on the three men's luggage, revealing a hint of scrutiny.

Liang Shanbo hurriedly handed over a name card from the Zhu family of Shangyu with both hands, and said loudly, "My name is Liang Shanbo. I graduated from Wansong Academy and am a disciple of Mr. Meng Wenlang. This is the young master of the Zhu family of Shangyu. He is my classmate and also graduated this year. We are going to visit the Xie family manor in Shining. Please take a look."

The middle-aged customs officer took the name card, looked it over carefully, and then looked up at Zhu Yingtai and Liang Shanbo. He noticed that the two were calm and composed. Zhu Yingtai's clothes were slightly luxurious, while Liang Shanbo's clothes, though not particularly luxurious, exuded an air of integrity.

He returned the name card to Liang Shanbo and stopped checking his luggage, simply waving his hand and saying, "Let it go, no need to check it anymore."

The visiting cards of the Zhu family of Shangyu, the signboard of the Xie family manor in Shining, and the reputation of Meng Wenlang and Wansong Academy all played a significant role.

The officials at Xilingdu wielded considerable power, responsible for verifying the credentials and passes of travelers, investigating fugitives and contraband, and collecting commercial taxes. They often took the opportunity to make things difficult for travelers and extort bribes, causing great suffering to merchants.

The fact that the three of them were able to pass the test so easily was truly due to their family background and the prestige of their master.

After passing through the checkpoint, the three of them chartered a passenger boat of moderate size, agreed on the price, and boarded the boat, placing their luggage in the cabin.

The passenger ship traveled eastward along the Zhejiang East Canal.

At noon that day, the warm winter sun shone brightly, and the surface of the canal shimmered.

Zhu Yingtai suddenly saw a pair of water birds swimming side by side on the river.

She pointed into the distance, her voice brimming with delight: "Brother Liang, look!"

Looking around, Liang Shanbo saw two water birds leisurely floating on the clear waves.

One of them has colorful plumage, with emerald green, crimson, and snow white colors complementing each other; it is a male mandarin duck. The other has plain feathers and is grayish-brown all over; it is a female mandarin duck.

They huddled together, and as they swam, the male mandarin duck would occasionally lower its head to peck at the water's surface, and the female would follow suit, their movements almost identical, a natural and tacit understanding, inseparable as shadows.

Mandarin ducks are frequent visitors to Kuaiji in winter. As migratory birds, they fly from the north every autumn to spend the winter in the lakes, rivers and ponds of Kuaiji, and then fly back north when the spring warms up the following year.

Zhu Yingtai gazed at the pair of mandarin ducks, a tender look rising in her eyes, and whispered, "Those mandarin ducks, always together."

.

Brother, what do you think their relationship is?

Liang Shanbo smiled and retorted, "What do you think?"

Zhu Yingtai bit her lip, a hint of shyness in her eyes, but answered frankly, "I believe that they are husband and wife, just like couples in the world who live in harmony and grow old together."

Liang Shanbo nodded: "Yes, indeed, they are like husband and wife."

He paused, then added softly, "Just like you and me."

Zhu Yingtai's lips suddenly curved into a smile, a smile as fresh as spring water and as delicate as peach blossoms in bloom, her eyes brimming with undisguised joy and sweetness.

As the passenger boat passed Shanyin, Zhu Yingtai's heart stirred, and she asked Liang Shanbo, "Brother Liang, would you like to go ashore to see your mother?"

Liang Shanbo shook his head: "There's no need to rush. If our journey goes smoothly, I will personally come to welcome my mother and invite her to participate in our marriage. If the journey goes poorly, it will only cause her unnecessary worry, which would be counterproductive."

Zhu Yingtai nodded, feeling that Brother Liang had thought things through thoroughly, and said no more.

The passenger ship continued eastward, the sound of oars echoing, the water calm.

Finally, the passenger ship turned into the Cao'e River along the canal and then sailed to a private dock built of bluestone.

A stone tablet stands on the dock, with two powerful and ancient characters engraved on it: Xie Family.

We've arrived at the Xie Family Manor!