Chapter 7

Travelers on the official road gradually grew more numerous. Wei Xun suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, what's your name? I can't very well call you Princess in front of passersby."

The girl lowered her head, a blush slowly spreading over her cheeks.

In those days, the names of young ladies from distinguished families were kept secret throughout the realm. Men and women did not ask each other's names; only their closest family members knew them. A princess's personal name was more precious still, never leaving the palace or appearing in the histories. Only when a princess was about to marry, when marriage documents were exchanged with the groom's family, would her name be revealed.

But now that she had been cast adrift among the common people, how could she spare any thought for such taboos? With a trace of shyness, she said softly, "My real name is Baozhu-the zhu means pearl. But you mustn't call me that."

Wei Xun's back suddenly gave a slight shudder.

Thirteenth Son asked in bewilderment, "If people aren't allowed to say your name, what's the point of having one?"

Baozhu did not want to explain all the rules of etiquette surrounding personal names. Remembering that Emperor Xuanzong liked his subjects to call him the Third Son Emperor, she merely said, "I'm ninth in my family. You can call me Ninth Lady."

Whether in the palace or among commoners, acquaintances most often addressed men as "Son" and women as "Lady," preceded by their order of birth.

Having heard her personal name, Thirteenth Son suddenly remembered something and muttered, "Li Baozhu. The pearl is a living pearl..." A thought stirred in his mind, and he called out, "Eldest Brother!"

Wei Xun seemed not to hear. He led the donkey by its reins and continued walking. Puzzled, Thirteenth Son called to him again. Wei Xun answered absently but did not turn around. Though Thirteenth Son could not see his expression, he noticed that his steps were unsteady and disordered. He even accidentally kicked a stone flying from the roadside.

Thirteenth Son knew that his eldest brother had practiced the Mirage Step to a realm of supernatural mastery. Even hurrying through pitch-darkness, he would never have done such a thing. Clearly, his distracted state meant he too had discovered some clue in the girl's name.

Each absorbed in their own thoughts, the three continued east.

As they approached Baqiao, they reached the customary final stop for those seeing travelers off from Chang'an. Those parting found it hard to tear themselves away and traditionally broke willow branches as farewell gifts. This should have been a season of lush greenery, but Guanzhong was suffering a severe drought. Heaven had sent no rain for more than half a year, and even the willows looked bare. Even had there been willow branches, no one here knew her, and no one would see her off.

Baozhu had often heard poems speak of partings at Baqiao. Now, seeing the withered willow branches, she was moved by the scene and could not help shedding tears.

Wei Xun said, "It's not too late to regret this and turn back."

Baozhu stubbornly refused to admit anything. "I don't regret it at all. Coming to Baqiao just made me miss my little brother."

Wei Xun said mildly, "He's all right. He's staying in Qingyuan Hall for now. But just like you, once he starts crying, there's no end to it."

Startled by this, Baozhu hastily leaned down toward him and asked in a low voice, "How do you know?!"

Wei Xun turned back with a sly smile. "I took a look while I was stealing oranges."

Baozhu covered her mouth, struggling not to cry aloud in her excitement. Daming Palace lay northeast of the imperial city. Traveling from Green Micro Temple to the imperial tribute storehouse would never take anyone through the inner palace, whereas someone returning from the inner palace could pass the storehouse. He had not glanced in on Li Yuanyi while stealing fruit. He had gone expressly to visit her young brother and picked up a few oranges along the way.

Qingyuan Hall was Dowager Consort Song's residence. She was a gentle old woman who kept aloof from worldly strife. With Yuanyi in her care, at least he would not be mistreated. Overcome with emotion, Baozhu's tears fell all the more freely. Would that child remember his sister's words and keep practicing his handwriting every day?

Seeing her weep like pear blossoms drenched in rain, her throat choked with sobs, Wei Xun sighed. "It seems Ninth Lady won't find any cheer until we've crossed Baqiao."

Baozhu wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said despondently, "What is there to be cheerful about, reduced to this?"

He said with perfect seriousness, "We'll have left Chang'an. The decree to wear mourning and abstain from meat doesn't cross the bridge. Look at those food stalls ahead. They even dare sell fried fish, duck, blood soup, and cheap meat dishes made from hearts, livers, stomachs, and lungs. Ten coins a portion-a bargain that won't break the purse. Ninth Lady needn't keep a vegetarian fast for Princess Wanshou anymore. You can finally eat meat as you wished!"

Hearing this jumble of ridiculous nonsense, Baozhu was both angry and tempted to laugh. She scolded him for talking rubbish, while Thirteenth Son complained that his feet hurt and begged for a coin to buy an Oil Pastry. Between the two of them, they diverted her from her sorrow.

Chang'an's million inhabitants consumed enormous quantities of grain, vegetables, and charcoal each day. These bulk goods had to be brought from every region, and ox- and horse-drawn freight carts came and went without cease. Since prices outside the city were slightly cheaper than within, drivers and porters often gathered here to rest, making the place as bustling as a market.

The nearby food stalls catered specifically to those who sweated and toiled for a living. Whatever the flavor, they certainly did not stint on salt. The men had peeled off the upper halves of their robes and rolled them around their waists. Their sun-blackened torsos bare and their backs streaming with sweat, they crowded together to eat and drink.

One look was enough for Baozhu to refuse firmly to eat there.

Wei Xun said, "Everything the noble folk in the palace eat and use is delivered by these men. Does Ninth Lady despise them?"

Baozhu would not admit it. She merely said that their undressed state was rather indecorous, and it would be inappropriate for her to join them.

She also saw many ragged refugees crowded on the other side. Unwilling to spend even ten coins on a portion of coarse food and drink, they gnawed dry cakes with cold water.

The porters had bared their torsos because of the heat, but these refugees truly lacked enough clothing to cover their bodies. Their garments were pieced together from scraps of rotten cloth, covering the top only to leave the bottom exposed. Many tiny children were entirely naked, carried in baskets like piglets for sale.

Baozhu asked, "Are these people going to Chang'an too?"

Wei Xun replied calmly, "Yes. Perhaps soldiers or bandits swept through, perhaps there was a great drought, or perhaps locusts came. Since they can't survive in their home villages, they might as well seek a livelihood in the city. Whether as hired servants or laborers, they can earn something with their strength. If all else fails, they can sell themselves and become slaves who needn't worry about food and drink."

Baozhu froze. She had never imagined such a way of surviving. Along with her sympathy came a faint fear that these two little thieves might sell her once their travel money ran out.

Thirteenth Son took the money and bought two piping-hot Oil Pastries, then placed them in the girl's hands. Seeing the dark-yellow balls of pastry and catching a faint rancid smell, she wondered how many months the frying oil had gone unchanged and refused to eat them. Thus the little novice monk got both.

They had been walking for less than four hours when a fat, dark-skinned man riding a mule suddenly caught up from behind. His head was as large as a bushel measure, his face like a platter of meat, and his eyes were squeezed into slits. His head seemed set directly into his shoulders, with no visible neck at all. He held a white banner reading "Wondrous Hands Restore Spring," and a medicine chest hung from his mule. He appeared to be an itinerant physician.

The man was huge and the mule scrawny, like a large meatball pressing down on a small one-a thoroughly comical sight. Baozhu could not help looking twice. Unexpectedly, the fat man looked back and examined her from head to toe, his tiny eyes glittering as though he were pricing meat on a chopping block. It made her deeply uncomfortable.

"A fine donkey."

The girl was furious. He had actually praised the donkey first!

"A beauty, too."

Baozhu tightened her grip on the riding whip, waiting for him to come close enough for her to lash him hard.

Just then, Wei Xun, who was holding the reins, glided inward from the outer side, placing himself between her and the physician.

The dark, fat man asked ingratiatingly, "Where did Eldest Brother get such a sturdy donkey and beautiful maid?"

Without looking back, Wei Xun said coldly, "I bought them."

"Ho! We brothers only just parted company, and Eldest Brother has already struck it rich."

Wei Xun shot him a sidelong glance. "Do you have a problem with that?"

The fat man hastily lowered his head and said with utmost respect, "Your fourth brother wouldn't dare!"

At this point, Thirteenth Son called weakly, "Fourth Brother."

Only then did Baozhu realize that this dark, fat man was their fellow disciple!

The physician on the mule rambled about this and that, trying to discover where the money had come from. Wei Xun simply ignored him. Unable to endure it, Baozhu asked the fat man, "Can't you see that I'm riding the donkey while he walks? What makes you decide I'm a maid?"

The fat man laughed heartily. "Eldest Brother has always been eccentric, flouting every convention. What's so remarkable about this? All I know is that he'd sooner die than become anyone's servant, so naturally you must be the maid."

He spoke with such brazen certainty that Baozhu secretly ground her teeth, wanting nothing more than to lash him. Unfortunately, his mount swayed along at a distance just beyond the whip's reach.

The mule and donkey traveled side by side. After a long bout of small talk, with Wei Xun barely answering and never looking him squarely in the eye, the fat man could only honestly state his purpose. "No one under heaven can match Eldest Brother's eye. Why work alone? Join forces with us. You need only read the qi and pinpoint the burial sites. You won't have to touch any of the other chores, and we brothers will give you thirty percent of the profits. How about it?"

Wei Xun refused flatly. "No."

Steeling himself, the fat man held up four fingers. "Forty percent. We truly can't go any higher. Unlike you, we can't live so freely. We have families to feed, and our expenses are considerable."

Wei Xun dismissed it with a laugh. "Am I saving up to buy myself a coffin? Even if you gave me everything, I wouldn't do it."

Utterly defeated, the fat man assumed he had another source of income. Knowing too that this proud, aloof man could not be persuaded with words, he had no choice but to abandon the idea. After a few idle remarks, he bade them farewell. Before leaving, he took one last lingering look at the girl and donkey and muttered to himself:

"Beautiful this girl may be. Pity she's alive."

Baozhu could bear no more. Squeezing with both legs, she urged the donkey forward. To her surprise, the scrawny donkey surged ahead with tremendous force, leaping right behind the mule. Had she not ridden horses for years, she would almost have been thrown off. The distance was perfect, and she immediately lashed out at the fat man's back, broad as a table.

The whip struck his back squarely, but the sound was muffled, as though it had hit a wooden post. The fat man seemed utterly unaware. As if nothing had happened, he rode off without even turning his head.

Baozhu stared for a while, then said angrily to Wei Xun, "That dark-faced fellow was so insolent and rude. Why didn't you kill him?"

Wei Xun shook his head. "Killing him would be easy, but I'd suffer a few minor injuries too. Not worth it."

Thirteenth Son, who had remained silent all this time, now let out a great sigh of relief. He walked over to her and advised, "That fat man is very troublesome. Ninth Lady, don't provoke him. Fortunately, it was Eldest Brother you met in the tomb. If Fourth Brother had been the one digging it open, you would have been in for disaster."

"What sort of disaster?"

"Well... better not say."

Seeing his evasive gaze and the words he held back, Baozhu knew it was clearly nothing fit for a sheltered young lady's ears. She asked instead, "That dark-faced fellow looks well into his thirties. How is he fourth, while Wei Xun is the eldest brother?"

Thirteenth Son answered, "We aren't ranked by age, but by when we became disciples."

Baozhu thought that this group included monks, Daoists, and itinerant physicians, every one of them bizarre in appearance and brazen beyond belief. Had she not left the palace and seen them with her own eyes, she would never have believed such strange people existed.

They walked a little farther, only to find the dark, fat man waiting again at the junction ahead.

Filled with disgust, Baozhu told Wei Xun, "If he insults me again, I'm going to shoot him with an arrow."

Wei Xun smiled and made no attempt to stop her. "You can try."

But the fat man was not looking toward them. His attention was elsewhere. A band of officers approached from the direction of Chang'an, escorting several hundred people of all ages. They ranged from stooped old women with graying hair to children barely knee-high. Men and women, old and young, all wore prison clothes and wooden cangues. Their ceaseless weeping was so heartrending that passing travelers turned to stare.

Wei Xun and his companions moved to the roadside and stopped to watch.

Baozhu asked, "Who are all these people?"

The dark, fat man answered, "Because Princess Wanshou died so suddenly, the imperial physicians were judged to have misdiagnosed her and failed in their treatment. The emperor ordered all their relatives arrested and exiled to Qianzhong."

"What?!"

Baozhu shuddered from head to foot at the news. Shocked and ashamed, she could not tear her eyes away.

She had learned only indirectly from Wei Xun that her maids and eunuchs had been buried with her; she had not seen it herself. But this procession supported the old and carried the young, every person stricken with grief. Every traveler on the road sighed in sympathy, and even the escorting officers could not bear to whip them onward. How could she not be deeply shaken?

She murmured, "Everyone has their allotted fate. Even imperial physicians cannot bring the dead back to life. Their families should not be implicated. Our dynasty's laws are rigorous. If the three judicial authorities reviewed the case together, might there be a chance to overturn the verdict?"

The dark, fat man glanced at her and said mockingly, "You're a terribly innocent girl. What is law? This case was brought by the emperor himself. His mouth holds Heaven's decrees; his words become law. A sentence of exile was already the result of high officials pleading for mercy. Compared with a princess's life, common folk like us are no more than rats, sparrows, and ants."

As the old people, women, and children passed, the dark, fat man climbed down from his mule and watched them go in a gesture of respect. He sighed. "Qianzhong lies beyond a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers, with poisonous mists and pestilent vapors besides. At most, half these people will reach it alive. Imperial physician or traveling physician, we're all healers. I'm half a colleague to them, after all. When one creature suffers, its kind grieves."

Wei Xun's party was heading east toward Youzhou, while the exiles were heading south toward Qianzhong. The two groups parted there.

Once those people had passed out of sight and their cries could no longer be heard, the fat man swung onto his mule and shouted. The small, scrawny beast flung out its four hooves and charged with the momentum of a startled horse, carrying him away in a cloud of dust.

After witnessing all this, the three remained silent, the mood heavy.

After a while, Thirteenth Son said, "Things like this are like floods, droughts, or epidemics sent down by Heaven. Human strength can do nothing to avert them. My forebears were officials too. Later, they were convicted, and the whole family was executed. I was an infant in swaddling clothes, exempt from punishment, so they sent me to a monastery to be raised. And here I am, grown this big."

Baozhu asked in surprise, "Whose descendant are you?"

Thirteenth Son answered, "My secular surname is Du."

Baozhu fell silent. The Du He Case had been known throughout the realm. The Du family's forebear had been one of the twenty-four meritorious officials honored in Lingyan Pavilion, and his son had married a princess. Who could have imagined that unworthy descendants would become embroiled in a rebellion case? The ancestors had been ennobled and made ministers, reaching the highest rank a subject could attain, while their descendant became a little novice monk begging for his food. Truly, fate made sport of men.

Thirteenth Son spoke without anguish, as though telling someone else's story. As an infant, he could hardly have remembered his parents' affection. Having never enjoyed his family's wealth and rank, he could not feel the agony of its extermination either. Coming from his mouth, the notion that imperial fate was like a natural disaster struck all the harder.

Baozhu rallied her spirits, tightened her grip on the reins, and declared with her head held high, "If one day I can uncover the truth, I shall clear the names of those people who were just sent into exile and right their wrongs!"

Wei Xun looked up at her, a trace of approval in his eyes. "If you can think that way, you aren't entirely selfish."

Baozhu countered, "Then why are you following me? That dark-faced fellow tempted you with profit, but you wouldn't go. You aren't interested in serving as an official either. What exactly do you want?"

Holding the reins, Wei Xun said without looking back:

"Like you, I'm merely curious about the truth."