Because of this conscription, Lin’an Town, already desolate, became even less lively—the marketplace no longer held its former bustle.

The New Year had already passed, and apart from weddings or funerals, few households slaughtered pigs anymore. Thus, Fan Changyu suddenly found herself idle.

Business in the meat market was also poor. Many butcher shops had temporarily closed. Since Qingping County was not far from Lucheng, many people were uneasy. Some well-informed wealthy merchants had even sold off their properties and fled south.

For the past two days, Fan Changyu had been at home taking care of the two children. Though she had not read much, she still recognized all the characters in The Three-Character Classic and The Thousand Character Text. She had intended to teach Changning and Yu Bao’er to read.

Unexpectedly, Yu Bao’er, though still very young, already recognized quite a few characters. When he held a charcoal stick and wrote on the ground, the words he wrote were quite decent.

In most things, Changning was better than Yu Bao’er. Usually, when they played together, Yu Bao’er followed her lead.

Yet upon discovering that this seemingly dull little fellow was better than herself at reading and writing, Changning felt unconvinced and no longer wanted to play. She pestered Fan Changyu to teach her to read.

Yu Bao’er, however, was enthusiastic. “If you want to learn, I can teach you.”

Changning tugged at Fan Changyu’s sleeve and snorted through her nose. “I’m not learning from you. I have my elder sister to teach me. When my elder sister has taught me all the words she knows, my brother-in-law will teach me too. I’ll read even better than you!”

Fan Changyu had just opened The Three-Character Classic to teach Changning today’s lesson when she suddenly heard her mention Yan Zheng. For an instant, she was lost in thought.

So many days had already passed, yet she still did not know whether the conscripted soldiers had reached Lucheng. This time, tens of thousands had been drafted. Carpenter Zhao had gone as a veterinarian and carpenter. If Yan Zheng had been assigned to the infantry camp, Zhao would hardly have a chance to encounter him.

If he had been chosen for the cavalry camp, Zhao’s chances of hearing news about him would be a little better.

Changning noticed that Fan Changyu held the book without speaking for a long while. She gently shook her sleeve. “Elder sister, what’s wrong?”

Fan Changyu gathered her thoughts and said, “It’s nothing. Come, let’s learn these five characters first today…”

Since brush, ink, paper, and inkstones were precious, Fan Changyu did not let the two children waste them. She only gave them charcoal sticks to write on a clean slab of stone.

While Changning bent over to practice her writing, Fan Changyu slowly opened the Four Books annotated in detail by Yan Zheng. She began with The Analects, for Yan Zheng had already taught her two chapters before and made detailed notes throughout. Reading it was, therefore, not too difficult for her.

At noon, the gate of the Fan household was knocked upon.

Fan Changyu went to open the door and saw that the visitor was Yu Qianqian. She hurried to welcome her warmly inside.

Yu Qianqian was draped in a dark cloak. Though her face carried a smile, she appeared somewhat haggard. She said, “Sister Changyu, I’m truly in a hurry today. I won’t go in. I’ve come to take Bao’er home.”

When Yu Bao’er heard her voice, she had already run out from the courtyard, hugging Yu Qianqian’s leg and looking up joyfully to call, “Mother!”

Yu Qianqian patted the child and then said to Fan Changyu, “Bao’er has troubled you much during these days here, Sister Changyu.”

Fan Changyu quickly said it was nothing.

Not seeing Xie Zheng, Yu Qianqian asked, “The conscription a few days ago—did your husband also go to Lucheng?”

Fan Changyu answered yes, and once more invited Yu Qianqian to come inside, but Yu Qianqian still politely declined.

She looked at Fan Changyu and, after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Sister Changyu, to tell you the truth—right now, all the wealthy merchants in Qingping County are pulling strings, moving their assets south. I’ve already sold the two Yixiang Tower restaurants at a discount. The connections at the city gate have been arranged; at You hour [5–7 p.m.], my entire family will leave the city for Jiangnan. No one knows whether Lucheng can still be held. Sister Changyu, come with me to Jiangnan. If you’re worried about your husband, you can return to Qingping after the war ends.”

Fan Changyu finally understood why Yu Qianqian seemed so rushed this time. She hesitated for a moment before politely refusing: “Thank you for your kindness, Shopkeeper, but there are still many matters at home I haven’t arranged. If I leave rashly and the authorities issue another order for taxation or grain collection, the nine households linked to mine in this alley will suffer.”

The ten neighboring households could not move their residence at will. Even if they wished to, they had to apply through the authorities for a household-transfer document—a process exceedingly cumbersome.

After several murder cases had occurred at her house, she had planned to take Changning elsewhere to lie low. That would have required handling her property and those official documents. She had delayed for days, and by the time the case was concluded at the yamen, the paperwork still wasn’t done. Later, deciding not to live in hiding, she had set the matter aside.

Yu Qianqian knew well how difficult it was for ordinary families to obtain such documents while the city-sealing order remained in effect. Even merchants like her had had to offer considerable favors to the officials before getting approval, under the pretext of sending trade caravans to purchase goods.

She grasped Fan Changyu’s hand firmly and said, “I’m only a merchant, I can’t take everyone. But if you’re willing to come with me, be at the city gate at You hour today.”

Fan Changyu nodded. “I understand your goodwill, Shopkeeper.”

But she truly could not leave now. Beyond the troublesome household-transfer procedures, Carpenter Zhao had already been conscripted, leaving only Old Madam Zhao alone at home. Fan Changyu could not abandon her.

Old Madam Zhao was half like a grandmother to her and Changning.

Seeing that Fan Changyu could not be persuaded, Yu Qianqian did not press further. She looked down at Yu Bao’er and said, “Bao’er, say goodbye to Aunt Changyu and Sister Changning.”

Yu Bao’er knew his mother had come to fetch him but had not expected they would be leaving Qingping entirely. He turned to Fan Changyu and said, “Goodbye, Aunt Changyu.”

Then he looked at Changning, who was clutching Fan Changyu’s skirt hem. “I’ll teach you to read next time.”

Changning retorted indignantly, “I’ll know more characters than you for sure!”

The two children were too busy bickering, and both Fan Changyu and Yu Qianqian couldn’t help laughing, the sorrow of parting easing somewhat.

Fan Changyu held Changning’s hand and walked Yu Qianqian and her son to the carriage at the end of the alley.

Just as Yu Bao’er was about to climb into the carriage, he suddenly ran back, took the jade pendant from around his neck, and handed it to Changning. “This is for you.”

Fan Changyu hurriedly said that wouldn’t do, and told Yu Qianqian, “This is too valuable.”

But Yu Qianqian smiled gently. “Let Ning-niang keep it. This child is too lonely—every time he meets a playmate, he can’t bear to part and always gives away his favorite thing. It’s just a token of his affection.”

Only after Fan Changyu nodded did Changning accept the jade pendant.

She tugged at her hem and looked at Yu Bao’er. “But I don’t have anything to give you.”

Yu Bao’er pointed at the straw-woven grasshopper hanging from her little pouch. “I want that.”

Changning had been raised mostly by Fan Changyu and was often a straightforward child. She had never seen jade before and didn’t know how precious it was—only that it looked beautifully white and shiny.

But she also really liked her straw grasshopper. She hesitated a moment, saw that Yu Bao’er truly seemed to like it, and finally untied it and handed it to him.

She said, “This grasshopper was woven for me by Uncle Zhao before he was taken away. Uncle Zhao has gone to the army now, and no one will weave grasshoppers for me anymore. You must keep it well. If one day you don’t want it anymore, bring it back and trade it with me for your little pendant.”

Yu Bao’er said, “I’ll keep it.”

He was still too small to climb into the carriage on his own. When Yu Qianqian lifted him up, the wide sleeve of her cloak slid down a little, and the pair of wide jade bangles on her wrist slipped down as well.

Fan Changyu noticed faint marks on Yu Qianqian’s wrist—like traces left by bindings.

She guessed they were from Yu Qianqian’s time in prison, and her brows furrowed in distress and pity.

When Yu Qianqian turned back to bid her farewell, she saw Fan Changyu’s gaze fixed on her wrist. The smile on her face faltered slightly. Instinctively, she pulled her sleeve down to cover the scars before continuing, “Then we’ll be on our way.”

Fan Changyu didn’t notice the motion—she only smiled and said, “Safe travels.”

After Yu Qianqian climbed into the carriage, the driver flicked his whip, and the carriage rolled away.

As Fan Changyu led Changning home, she noticed the girl had her head lowered, occasionally kicking at small pebbles on the ground with the tip of her shoe, her mood clearly low.

When Fan Changyu crouched down, she saw that her eyes were red.

Fan Changyu asked, “You can’t bear to part with Bao’er?”

Changning nodded, then shook her head, and said sadly, “Sun-sun left, brother-in-law left, and Uncle Zhao left too. Ning-niang misses them…”

Fan Changyu gathered her little sister into her arms, gently patting her back. For a moment, she too felt a quiet melancholy.

She said softly, “When the war is over, they’ll all come back.”

· ─ ·✶· ─ · 

Several hundred li away, in Lucheng.

He Jingyuan had just arrived at the city gates with the newly conscripted soldiers when he ran into a contingent from Yanzhou. The man leading them saw him from afar and bowed with a smile. His pair of fox-like eyes looked cunning no matter how one saw them. “Lord He.”

Seeing that the man was dressed all in white—handsome as a young actor on stage—He Jingyuan couldn’t help but frown.

The Lucheng commander who came to receive He Jingyuan explained, “This is Mr. Gongsun, military adviser under the Marquis of Wu’an. He arrived in Lucheng not long ago, saying that Yanzhou’s defenses are weak and he’s come to borrow troops.”

He Jingyuan’s face darkened at once. “The rebel army’s fifty thousand men are besieging Lucheng, how could Lucheng possibly spare troops to send to Yanzhou?”

Cold sweat broke out on the commander’s back. “They all say this Mr. Gongsun is a genius strategist. I don’t know what medicine he’s selling in his gourd. I already refused him using the siege as an excuse, but he said he only wants a thousand men from the new recruits you’ve brought.”

Hearing this, He Jingyuan’s expression turned puzzled.

At that moment, Gongsun Yin, in his white robe that lent him the air of an immortal scholar, strolled leisurely toward He Jingyuan. “I’ve come, Lord He, hoping you’ll lend me a hand.”

Gongsun Yin worked for Xie Zheng. Though he held no official military post, his mind was full of schemes—no one dared to underestimate him.

He Jingyuan, as Prefect of Jizhou, was directly subordinate to the court in political matters but had to follow Xie Zheng’s command in military affairs.

Thus, when Gongsun Yin approached, He Jingyuan dismounted, and after some thought, said, “If Yanzhou is in trouble, Jizhou ought to provide aid—but as for Jizhou’s current situation, Mr. Gongsun must have seen it himself…”

Gongsun Yin smiled and said, “I came under the Marquis’s orders—to break the siege of Lucheng.”

He Jingyuan, hearing that he made no mention of borrowing troops, grew even more puzzled. “What do you mean by that?”

Gongsun Yin said, “The incident in Taizhou, where Wei Xuan killed people during the grain collection, has caused quite an uproar—and the rebels have surely had a hand in stirring it up. But it is precisely because Jizhou has salt lakes that the rebels chose to besiege it. If they cannot take Jizhou for a long time, turning their forces toward Taizhou is also possible. The Marquis’s intent is this: Yanzhou will feign weakness, and I have come to Jizhou to ‘request reinforcements.’ When the rebels see that Jizhou can still spare troops to aid Yanzhou, they will surely suspect Jizhou’s true strength and dare not act rashly for the time being.”

He Jingyuan asked, “Do you think Prince Changxin will be so easily deceived? What if he turns instead to attack Taizhou?”

The smile on Gongsun Yin’s face did not fade. “The Marquis has already sent someone else to Taizhou to borrow troops.”

He Jingyuan said nothing for a moment, silently turning the plan over in his mind.

Both Taizhou and Jizhou had been plagued by scandals over the grain conscription, leaving the people discontented and restless. The rebels’ choice to attack Jizhou was simply because of its salt lakes.

For the Marquis of Wu’an to send envoys from Yanzhou to request reinforcements from both Taizhou and Jizhou was, without a doubt, a way of telling the rebels that Yanzhou was the most vulnerable target for the taking—while Jizhou and Taizhou were strong enough to lend troops to others. It would make those two states appear far more powerful than Yanzhou.

In normal times, Prince Changxin might have suspected this to be a ruse. But now, with Jinzhou north of Yanzhou locked in battle with the Beijue people, Yanzhou’s defenses being weak was entirely believable.

At last, He Jingyuan summoned his deputy general. “Give Mr. Gongsun the number of soldiers he requests.”

Gongsun Yin gave a deep bow. “I thank Lord He for his generosity.”

He Jingyuan said, “If the siege of Lucheng can be broken and Jizhou preserved, it is I who should thank you and the Marquis.”

After exchanging a few more polite words, Gongsun Yin took his leave.

Half an hour later, Gongsun Yin—his white robes pure as snow—returned with the thousand new recruits to the encampment of the Yanzhou troops who had come with him.

As soon as he stepped into the tent, the look of mockery he had been suppressing broke free. Staring at the man lounging on the couch, bruises still darkening the corners of his eyes and face, Gongsun Yin waggled his brows and asked, “Well, now—who under heaven could’ve managed to beat you up like this?”