Chapter 15#

Lema#

“The Beirong forces have currently deployed along the northern bank of the Liexing River, planning to cross,” said Yue Lianlou. “But the Liexing River hasn’t frozen over. The Beirong have no ships, so they’re currently in a standoff on the bridge. The magistrate of Pingzhou City wants to blow it up, but news from Liangjing orders him to stand down.”

Jin Yue was instantly stunned.

There was a large swathe of Dayu territory north of the Liexing River—so the Beirong forces being deployed there meant that all northern territory had already been occupied?!

“When did this happen?” Jin Yue immediately asked back. “There are three commanders in the Northern Border Army—Left, Central, and Right. How did it reach the point of needing to blow up a bridge?”

The Northern Border Army, due to its vast defensive area, had three commanders and over ten deputy commanders working together to secure Dayu’s northern frontier. One of the three commanders was even Jin Mingzhao’s master and Dayu’s renowned general, Jian Liangying. Jian was over sixty, but still vigorous and strict in military discipline, always the stabilizing pillar of the Northern Border Army.

Back when Jin Mingzhao was transferred to the Northern Border Army, it was precisely when Jian Liangying’s wife had passed away and he had fallen ill with grief. But now Jian Liangying had returned to the northern forces; it was impossible for him to allow the Beirong to advance unimpeded all the way to the Liexing River.

“After General Zhongzhao died in battle, General Jian and Left Commander Zhang Yue were transferred to White Sparrow Pass to fight the Jinqiang,” Yue Lianlou explained. “When the Beirong invaded, only Right Commander Lu Yuan remained with the Northern Border Army.”

Jin Yue felt as if his throat was being strangled, making it hard to speak.

This was an unquestionable error in troop deployment—two of the three Northern Border Army commanders had been transferred, leaving only the youngest general, Right Commander Lu Yuan, in his thirties, with limited battlefield experience. In an emergency, it would be even harder to mobilize the veteran Left and Central commanders.

It all seemed meticulously calculated: the Jinqiang invaded the border, Jin Mingzhao fought them at White Sparrow Pass; simultaneously, the Beirong pressed in. Dayu, stretched thin, had to sign the Pingzhou Accord with them. The Beirong specifically demanded Jin Yue as a hostage, and Dayu, relieved that the Pingzhou Accord was successfully signed, relaxed.

—Then came Jin Mingzhao’s death at White Sparrow Pass. The court, believing the northern border secure, transferred two of the northern commanders to the northwest. And the Beirong “just happened” to invade again at this exact moment, advancing as if through an empty land, straight to the Liexing River.

The Liexing River was Liangjing’s last barrier.

“…The Beirong’s target shouldn’t be Liangjing. If the Beirong Tianjun really stormed Liangjing, his rear base in Beidu would be left vulnerable. Having just quelled the internal strife among the five great tribes and with the Jinqiang still nearby, he wouldn’t risk it.” Jin Yue’s thoughts raced. “The five great tribes are loyal again. The Beirong need to reassess the meritorious deeds of tribal leaders and redraw tribal boundaries and spheres of influence.”

Yue Lianlou looked at him: “So?”

Jin Yue: “The Beirong are targeting the twelve cities north of the Liexing River, led by Pingzhou City.”

There were many Beirong tribespeople living north of the Liexing River. The twelve northern cities were Dayu territory but also heavily infused with Beirong customs. Trade and intermarriage between the two regions were frequent. In the Dayu court, there had long been ministers who advised that the culture of the twelve northern cities had changed, with fewer Han surnames, posing a great danger. Now, if the Beirong obtained these twelve cities, managing them would be effortless.

“The court is also unwilling to continue fighting. With both the Beirong and the Jinqiang, Dayu’s military strength is limited; it’s impossible to fight on two fronts.” Jin Yue lowered his voice. “The Northwestern Border Army has suffered heavy losses, and Father died in battle—these will all shake military morale.”

For the first time, curiosity appeared in Yue Lianlou’s eyes. The Jin Yue before him was utterly different from the youth he’d first met floundering in the snow, as if reborn. He asked: “What do you think the court will do?”

“…Cede territory, sue for peace,” Jin Yue said calmly. “Using the Liexing River as the border, redraw the boundary between Beirong and Dayu.”

After speaking, he gasped a few times, his heart aching as if twisted.

Being in Beirong and a slave, Jin Yue himself had extremely limited information. But in the few conversations he’d had with Helan Jinying, the other party had unintentionally revealed precious information, such as the fact that Beirong forces had actually appeared at White Sparrow Pass.

It was clear that the Beirong and Jinqiang attacking simultaneously was no coincidence. The two nations had secretly allied to swallow Dayu’s territory.

His homeland was in imminent danger.

He couldn’t help but recall the procession he’d seen with Ruan Buqi fleeing Yetai. General Hu and Helan Jinying heading south—they were going to attack Dayu. And now Beidu was full of joy, and Helan Jinying and General Hu had specifically brought their families to live in Beidu, clearly preparing to celebrate their victory.

He swayed as he sat down, his face dejected. Yue Lianlou’s hands and feet grew restless again, wanting to embrace him. This time, Jin Yue didn’t resist, curling listlessly in his arms. Yue Lianlou ran his fingers through his hair and said softly, “Jin Yue, listen well. The first piece of good news is, we’ve found a lead on your mother.”

Jin Yue nearly jumped up: “Where is she!”

“She was seen at an inn outside Fenghu City,” Yue Lianlou said. “Princess Shunyi is in decent spirits, still accompanied by the original retainers from the Jin residence. But at that time, General Jian Liangying had already arrived in Fenghu City and was at White Sparrow Pass facing the enemy; the entire city was sealed. Whether she entered the city, and how she did so, is still under investigation.”

Jin Yue, however, breathed a huge sigh of relief. Learning his mother’s whereabouts was the only thing that had brought him genuine joy during this long period of suffering.

“The second piece of good news: someone in the Liangjing imperial family is using underworld methods to search for you.”

“Who?”

“We can’t say,” Yue Lianlou smiled. “This person started looking for you the moment news of General Jin Mingzhao’s death reached the palace.”

Jin Yue tried to recall everyone he knew in Liangjing, but couldn’t think of who it might be. However, in his view, someone from the palace looking for him wasn’t particularly good news. When he thought of his family’s various hardships, what surged in his heart was not nostalgia, but resentment.

Yue Lianlou pointed to the young man standing nearby: “The third piece of good news concerns him. His name is Chen Shuang. He’s a guard the Mingye Hall has given to you. You need to find the right opportunity to have your friend buy him, just like he bought Ruan Buqi.”

Jin Yue nodded at Chen Shuang in gratitude, then turned to stare at Yue Lianlou. After thinking for a moment, he asked: “How did you know I had a Ruan Buqi with me? Did you also know she was bought by Helan Feng?”

Yue Lianlou still wore a smile, but he frowned very slightly.

“Since our last meeting, you haven’t come to Yetai to find me, yet you seem to know all about my whereabouts, and you weren’t surprised to see me in Beidu,” Jin Yue said. “Does Yetai have people from your Mingye Hall?”

Yue Lianlou didn’t speak. Jin Yue continued, “I was already monitored for ten years in Liangjing. Yue Lianlou, I hate the feeling of being watched constantly.”

Yue Lianlou toyed with a pair of red jade earrings in his palm, smiling: “Look at you, making a big fuss out of nothing. Why would the Hall Master send me to this broken, snowy place to find you? With the Little General’s sharp mind, you wouldn’t need our help to protect yourself and return to Dayu.”

Under normal circumstances, Jin Yue might not have understood the hidden emotions in these words. But after months of observing expressions and tones at Yetai, he had taught himself this skill. He immediately realized his impolite tone had displeased Yue Lianlou. Chen Shuang stood silently by the door, while Yue Lianlou sat on the bed in a languid posture. Jin Yue’s thoughts raced: Yue Lianlou held a high rank in the Mingye Hall; he must be a formidable figure.

His tone softened at once: “Hero Yue…”

“Don’t call me Hero. I can’t accept it, and it sounds awful.” Yue Lianlou picked his ear, tilting his head to listen to the movements upstairs.

Chen Shuang quickly pulled Jin Yue up: “Someone’s coming for you.”

Jin Yue was completely bewildered, stumbling as Chen Shuang pushed him out the door. The door closed silently behind him, as if it had never been opened. He stood stunned in the snow for a moment, then could only bow deeply toward the room, murmuring his thanks: “Jin Yue is deeply grateful for the Mingye Hall’s righteous heroes saving me from peril.”

Just as he straightened up, a voice called “Jin Yue” from above.

Helan Feng flipped directly over the second-floor railing into the yard, grabbing his shoulder: “Where did you go?”

Jin Yue rubbed his cold face, expression unchanged: “Looking for the privy.”

Helan Feng: “I’ll go with you.”

Jin Yue froze. Helan Feng raised an eyebrow: “Not going?”

“The privy isn’t here,” Jin Yue said with a lazy smile. “I’ve been looking for a while and can’t find it.”

Helan Feng surveyed the small courtyard. The snow was crisscrossed with footprints, impossible to trace comings and goings. He suddenly leaned close to Jin Yue, his prominent nose twitching as he inhaled deeply from Jin Yue’s body.

Jin Yue tensed instantly. Helan Feng’s breath brushed against his ear and temple, causing an itchy, stinging sensation.

“You have that person’s…” Helan Feng said, “…smell on you. You went to find him? Do you like him? Do you like that kind of neither-man-nor-woman…”

Jin Yue was stunned by his dog-like nose and quickly deflected: “That smell is on you too. Didn’t he just come in front of you?”

Helan Feng was half-suspicious, lifting his own collar to sniff repeatedly. Fearing he would ask more, Jin Yue hurriedly pushed him toward the building: “Go, go, to the privy. Oh right, what did you mean by ‘Lema’ when you spoke with Balongeer?”

“It’s Gaoxin language.”

“Zhuozhuo doesn’t know?”

“We didn’t teach her much Gaoxin, so of course she doesn’t.”

“What’s ‘Lema’?” Jin Yue asked curiously. “Beautiful jade? Pearl? Gemstone? Zhuye is already so stunning—what else in this world could match her?”

“In Gaoxin, ‘Lema’…” Helan Feng pressed his palm against his own chest, “…means heart.”

Jin Yue was momentarily stunned. Outside the Huixin Garden, countless silk ribbons danced and fluttered amid the shimmering moonlight and snow, bells chiming in clusters—one wave of wind chasing another. He had thought of all the beautiful, precious, valuable things in the world, wanting to assign them to the meaning of “Lema.”

But it actually meant “heart.”

Because of Balongeer’s erroneous hint and Helan Feng’s far too blunt words, Helan Jinying’s tender feelings for Zhuye were thus publicly revealed.

On the way back, Balongeer repeatedly warned Helan Feng to be careful, absolutely not to reveal tonight’s events to Helan Jinying, and especially not to let slip where the leak had occurred.

After discussing it, the group unanimously looked down at Zhuozhuo. Zhuozhuo was the sole, most uncontrollable liability. Hundar and Duze taught Zhuozhuo to lie: “‘Lema’ is the most delicious dried pear. Remember?”

Zhuozhuo, eating the honeyed fruits they had bought him, nodded repeatedly.

Jin Yue chewed on the dried meat Zhuye had given him while staring at Helan Feng’s profile. The snow in Beidu was deep, and everything was brightly lit. Helan Feng’s profile was as sharp and clean as if carved by a knife. He turned to glance at Jin Yue, asking softly “What are you looking at?”, and casually snatched the dried meat from Jin Yue’s hand, popping it into his mouth.

Jin Yue had never thought Helan Jinying had such a subtle, deeply affectionate side.

According to Balongeer, Zhuye had originally been a wandering musician. She had arrived in Beidu a few years ago and stayed at the Huixin Garden. Last year, when General Hu sent Helan Jinying to Beidu on business, Balongeer and the others, who had originally served under General Hu, got drunk and began talking about women, so they took him en masse to the Huixin Garden for amusement. That was how he met Zhuye.

Helan Feng had never heard his brother speak of these things, but when drunk, Helan Jinying had mentioned a few words to Balongeer and the others. In fact, Balongeer didn’t know the exact meaning of “Lema”; he thought it meant “lover” or “darling”—something with that sort of ambiguous significance.

But “Lema” was heart, the origin of bone and blood, the destination of the three souls and seven spirits. Jin Yue was dizzy from this ancient Gaoxin romance.

“Why are you still staring at me?” Helan Feng leaned closer and asked, with a hint of forced fierceness.

Jin Yue: “Are we going to the Huixin Garden again tomorrow?”

Helan Feng: “No!”

Jin Yue: “Alright.”

He actually couldn’t wait to know who Helan Feng would one day call his “Lema.”

Yue Lianlou had instructed Jin Yue to find a chance to buy Chen Shuang, but Jin Yue couldn’t go out at all. He was constantly watched over by Helan Feng, only wandering around the residence all day, his mind repeatedly turning over the affairs of Beirong and Dayu.

Hundar and Duze went to the Huixin Garden every evening to listen to music and watch dances, but they never saw Yue Lianlou again. Yue Lianlou was only friends with Zhuye; occasionally he would perform a dance or two at the Huixin Garden, take a share of the money, and then disappear again for a while.

As for that deer of Yue Lianlou’s, Jin Yue guessed its true handler must be the genuine Gaoxin, Zhuye.

Several days passed like this. One deep night, Jin Yue was startled awake by sounds outside.

All of Beidu was engulfed in a deafening sound of clashing iron. The rhythm was powerful, wave after wave, making his eardrums ache.

Helan Feng took Jin Yue up to the rooftop. For a moment, Jin Yue thought time had gone awry, as the scene before him was bustling with activity.

Sleeping Beidu had awakened. Centered on the royal palace, every main street and small alley was lit with fire torches. The streets were filled with sleepless people, cheering and jumping. At regular intervals along the alleys, high platforms had been built, each with signal torches burning. Soldiers guarding the platforms struck the iron pillars supporting the torches with their iron swords. The enormous sound rolled in like a tidal wave.

“What’s happening!” Jin Yue cried in alarm.

Helan Feng wrapped an arm around his shoulder and shouted in his ear: “The High Shaman is performing the Fire Dance! Spring has come to Beidu!”

As soon as he spoke, a burst of golden-red fireworks suddenly shot up from the distant royal palace.

The fireworks soared rapidly into the dark blue sky, exploding into a massive golden fireball.

At the same moment, flames erupted on every high platform throughout the city, illuminating all of Beidu in brilliant light. The deep winter snow melted from the heat; the streets and alleys looked as if after a heavy rain, the shallow meltwater reflecting the joyful singing and dancing figures and the city’s myriad lights.

Spring, divined by the shamans, descended upon Beirong on this night, at this moment.

Author’s Note:

Honeyed fruits (mì guǒzi) can refer to candied fruits, but also to desserts made by flattening or crushing fresh fruits and adding honey, or pear water, or rock sugar water, etc. Beirong had no sugar-refining techniques (but had natural sugars like honey), so cane sugar and malt sugar had to be obtained through trade with Dayu and were expensive. Poor people couldn’t afford them, which is why Helan Feng and Zhuozhuo were so surprised when they first ate lion candy.

Zhuozhuo: Ah, I’m so miserable, let me eat a little more!