Rising with the Wind (Part One)

The moment the older Liu Jili entered, Xie An felt a touch of ill fortune.

His first thought was that this was the hunchbacked scholar who had stood by the roadside, coldly watching his carriage procession that day... and on closer reflection, it was not just his appearance. Hadn't the place and time matched too?

Hadn't they said these men delivered goods through their connection to Master Du Ming's fortified manor? That was right at the junction on the Jurong highway before Flower Mountain.

Of course, Xie Eastern Mountain was a cultivated man. Besides, the man before him seemed a little too old. Sitting cross-legged on his couch, he flicked the crimson Dust-Tail Fan that had recently made such a splash for him in Jiankang and greeted him with a smile. "Liu Lang, is it? Sit down."

There was no special courtesy of stepping down from the couch, only a small folding stool. Nor did he rise to welcome his guest; he merely waved his Dust-Tail Fan. But considering the differences in their age, reputation, and family standing, at most this meant he had offered no exceptional honors.

Besides, before entering, Liu Lang had repeatedly reminded himself that this opportunity was hard to come by. He had already wasted too many chances because of his rotten temper. This time, he had to hold steady. It did not matter if he continued drifting through life without achieving anything, but he must not drag Acheng and the others down with him.

Thus, Liu Jili did not lose his temper. Instead, he bowed with cupped hands and calmly introduced himself. "Liu Lang of Pengcheng, childhood name Jili, pays his respects to Xie Eastern Mountain."

Only then did he sit on the folding stool, his chest held upright.

"Jili, then. My thanks for hunting that tiger." Xie An nodded. "Were you the one playing the flute that day?"

"I was, but my kinsman Liu Acheng taught me the tune." Liu Jili's face reddened as he answered cautiously.

"So that story about me was something he heard too?" Xie An asked with a smile.

"Indeed."

There was nowhere else to take that subject. Xie An nodded several times, then returned to the matter at hand. "Jili, since you belong to the Liu Clan of Pengcheng, may I ask your honored father's name? If we happened to be acquainted, that would be an honor."

"My late father's name was Yong, courtesy name Junzhi. He served our dynasty as a Secretariat gentleman and governor of Yongjia..." Liu Lang sat ramrod straight, answering point by point.

At the first sentence, Xie An froze. He immediately matched the name to someone he knew and interrupted in surprise. "Was your honored mother surnamed Zheng?!"

"No." Liu Lang had anticipated this question, but his face still flushed crimson. "That was my father's principal wife... I will only be twenty-two after the New Year. My birth mother was a northerner, of course. His principal wife died young and left no children."

Understanding dawned on Xie An. In an instant, he grasped the man's origins and all the awkward complications surrounding them, including why he had fallen so low.

It did not even take someone like Xie An. Anyone born into a respectable aristocratic family in this age, with broad knowledge and a good memory, would have understood. This was basic training for them.

As it turned out, Liu Jili's branch really did descend from the most illustrious branch of the Liu Clan of Pengcheng after their crossing of the Yangtze. Its most important member was Liu Kui, Emperor Yuan Sima Rui's most trusted intimate minister. He had once served as Imperial Censor-in-Chief, then as Northern Expeditionary General and Commander of Military Affairs in Four Provinces.

But by helping Emperor Yuan centralize authority and discipline the aristocratic clans, this branch had also provoked their wholesale counterattack in the Wang Dun Rebellion. On the surface, the rebellion ended in defeat for Wang Dun, his Jingzhou forces, and his native southern supporters. Yet throughout it, the aristocratic clans defected or stood aside, watching Wang Dun take Stone City and bring about Emperor Yuan's death. In this way, they effectively crushed imperial authority and secured an overall victory for the great clans.

As the ostensible target of Wang Dun's campaign to purge the emperor's entourage, Liu Kui could only take more than two hundred members of his clan north to seek refuge with Later Zhao, with Sima Rui's tacit consent, once the whole situation collapsed.

That affair directly ensured that even if Liu Jili's branch returned now, its standing as a family would decline and it would be politically marginalized.

The Langya Wang Clan was still there, after all, and remained a first-rank great house. The other aristocratic clans Liu Kui had ruthlessly disciplined were still there too, as were the northern and southern clans that had played opportunists during the Wang Dun Rebellion! As for Liu Kui, even after an official judgment was passed on the rebellion, he was never publicly exonerated. Instead, he was condemned as a harsh man whose severity had caused the disorder.

Still, there was another story concerning Liu Jili's father.

As Liu Kui's nephew, he had married a woman of unusual standing... At the time, this marriage had seemed a sycophantic gesture by Liu Kui to curry favor with Emperor Yuan Sima Rui. Now, however, it ought to have become the foundation for Liu Jili's branch to recover its fortunes... for no other reason than that this lady, surnamed Zheng, was the third younger sister of Lady of Jianping Garden Zheng Achun, Emperor Yuan's favorite consort in his later years.

Zheng Achun had borne Emperor Yuan his last few sons and daughters, including the current ruling prince, Sima Yu, Prince of Kuaiji, and two princesses. One had married Xun Xian, the current chief administrator of the Northern Expeditionary General's staff. The other had married Liu Tan, the former Danyang Governor, Xie An's friend and brother-in-law, who had died only a year earlier.

Unfortunately, none of this had anything to do with Liu Jili. Indeed, it was probably the very source of his personal embarrassment. Liu Lang had not mentioned his mother's family, suggesting that Liu Yong had likely lost his wife after reaching the north and then married into some humble household, or even entered a marriage arranged by Later Zhao.

Perhaps she had even been of mixed barbarian stock. Otherwise, where had that enormous build come from?

If Sima Yu's branch learned of it, they would probably feel nothing but disgust.

But these were only private conjectures. Xie An could hardly probe into them, nor did he intend to. After a sigh, he continued asking, "A pity we never met... Has your entire branch returned now?"

"No," Liu Jili answered solemnly. "My father previously held office in Henan, and I stayed with him at his post. Three years ago, he unfortunately passed away. I felt the north could never be relied upon, so I fled back with only one slave retainer... Still, now that Later Zhao has utterly collapsed, I imagine my elder cousin Liu Bo has no reason to remain in the north either. I only hope he can turn misfortune into good fortune and that we brothers may meet again."

Xie An nodded and continued, "Since you have been here for several years, why did you not seek out your relatives? You should know that another branch of your Liu Clan of Pengcheng, close kin to your own, remains in Jiankang."

Xie An meant the branch of Liu Kui's uncle Liu Ne. Liu Ne had been one of the Twenty-Four Friends of the Golden Valley before the southward migration. After crossing the Yangtze, this branch had achieved nothing remarkable, but it had maintained the basic standing of an aristocratic clan and served as the Liu Clan of Pengcheng's public face in Jiankang.

"I went to them at first." Liu Jili remained uneasy. "But I was young and hotheaded then. Some people talked behind my back, saying how things would be if I had been born to my father's principal wife... I grew resentful and left on my own."

Exactly. I was just thinking how much better it would be if you had been born to Lady Zheng.

Xie An grumbled inwardly, but remained composed. "You were of the same clan and had come a thousand miles to seek shelter. They ought to have treated you as their own blood, without distinction. Whatever the circumstances, it was wrong to gossip about your birth... How have you lived these past few years?"

"I have merely scraped by among my kinsmen in Jingkou," Liu Jili hurriedly answered. "I am now attached to Liu Rengong, son of Lord Xi, the Former Yanmen Governor and Protector-General of the Xiongnu. The Grand Commander summoned Liu Rengong here just this year, but unexpectedly fell gravely ill. No one provided relief for the villagers who came with us, so several kinsmen and I have been gathering firewood in the hills, selling mats in the city, or seeking help from the Way of the Celestial Masters, hoping to keep those thousand-odd people alive through the winter. That was how we had the good fortune to meet the distinguished members of the Xie Family on Flower Mountain, and to meet you, Xie Eastern Mountain."

Xie An turned it over in his mind. How could he fail to understand what had happened? This was the mess Xun Xian had made.

Still, his brother-in-law had only brought in forty or fifty thousand refugees from the Huai River region this time, and they had been dispersed around Jingkou. It should not cause any great trouble, so there was no need to dwell on it.

As for Liu Jili, although he was a thorny case, awkward at every turn, he did have a proper lineage. The Liu Clan of Pengcheng had branches and leaves in abundance. There was no harm in pushing his boat along with the current and offering a recommendation. Besides, Xie An had already thought of a suitable destination for him.

With that thought, he waved his Dust-Tail Fan and returned to the subject. "Jili, the past is gone. There is no need to speak more of it. Since you have returned to the South of the Yangtze, how can you spend all day gathering and delivering firewood? Tell me, what is your ambition?"

"Naturally, to carry on the aspirations of my father and forebears." Liu Jili proudly cupped his hands toward the north. "To sweep Great Jin clean."

Xie An fell silent for a moment. He simply did not dare ask which aspirations of his father and forebears the man intended to carry on, or whom he planned to sweep out of Great Jin. He could only nod vaguely. "Such an ambition is naturally a good thing..."

"Unfortunately, I have no door through which to serve my country." Knowing the crucial moment had arrived, Liu Jili immediately rose and bowed. "Master Eastern Mountain, these past three years in the South of the Yangtze, I have been destitute and without support, little better than a beggar. Though my forebears' aspirations remain and my desire to serve my country still lives, I fear only that day after day will slip away and time be wasted. I beg a word or letter from you. Whether as a minor commandery clerk or an elite soldier before the horses, I will devote all my strength to serving the country and fulfilling my wish!"

If I hadn't already thought of somewhere suitable for you, I would regret letting you in.

Xie An felt a chill of belated alarm, but it did not stop him from raising one knee on the couch and replying with a smile. "Jili, you think too highly of me. I have spent years roaming at leisure on Eastern Mountain and repeatedly refused imperial summons. Those holding power at court already dislike me. As I understand it, someone is preparing to impeach me and bar me from office for life. Under such circumstances, how could I recommend you for government service? As for your willingness to become an elite soldier before the horses or a minor commandery clerk, that can certainly be arranged. My eldest cousin commands the Western Command; you could become a banner chief there. My own elder brother serves in the Ministry of Personnel and knows many local governors. A word from him could make you a Household Office clerk in Kuaiji Commandery. All that would take no more than lifting a hand. But would it not ruin your prospects and destroy your ambition? How could a Household Office clerk or banner chief sweep Great Jin clean?"

Liu Jili was terribly nervous and torn. He nearly blurted out that, if there was no other way, a Household Office post would do, and so would a banner chief's position.

But just then, Xie An put down his Dust-Tail Fan. Stroking his knee with one hand, he continued smiling. "However, I happen to know someone who is a veteran statesman of our dynasty and a former holder of one of the Three Excellencies. Although he and your great-uncle differed in temperament, both were Emperor Yuan's intimate ministers and loyal servants. They could be called comrades in purpose. He is preparing to open a charitable school in Jiankang. I could write a letter explaining your origins and recommend you to him as a student. What do you think? In my view, that is the proper path into office."

Liu Jili was both astonished and delighted. If this was true, becoming a student of a former Excellency might not equal being personally recruited by one, but provided he did not disgrace himself too badly, someone previously recruited by that Excellency would almost certainly recruit him in turn. The formalities of the Nine-Rank System would naturally follow. This was unquestionably the best possible outcome.

He hastened to ask, "May I ask, Master Eastern Mountain, who this man is?"

"The former Minister of the Masses, Supervisor of the Secretariat, and Yangzhou Governor, Cai Mo, courtesy name Daoming." Xie An did not prolong the suspense.

Liu Jili paused. Of course he knew Cai Mo, but the problem was that he knew of no connection between his great-uncle and Cai Mo. Besides, Cai Mo...

Apparently seeing what he was thinking, Xie An pointed toward the brush and ink on a distant table, signaling for him to bring them to the armrest before the couch, and explained with a smile:

"Lord Cai did nothing during the Wang Dun Rebellion because Wang Dun had happened to recruit him as his chief administrator of the left just beforehand. His position was awkward...

"That recruitment did not mean he was disloyal to Emperor Yuan. Quite the opposite. The situation then was complicated. Before Wang Dun rose in revolt, each side had men within the other's ranks, and both were probing and hesitating. This was precisely an attempt by both sides to ease their relations...

"Afterward, no one at court accused him over it. Certainly, everyone was sick of disorder and unwilling to stir up more, but it was also because he had never devised a single plan or stratagem for Wang Dun. Not to mention his immense contributions during the later Su Jun Rebellion. His reputation as one of the Three Luminaries of the Restoration was thoroughly deserved.

"An old intimate minister of Emperor Yuan like him is bound to look upon you differently... Is Jili your only childhood name?"

"Yes." Absorbed in listening, Liu Jili hurriedly answered.

"There are several visiting cards on the left side of that table. Bring one over." As he spoke, Xie An had already finished his recommendation to Cai Mo, a man who disliked him quite a bit and whom he himself disliked quite a bit. He had Liu Jili fetch a visiting card, slipped the short letter into its envelope, and handed it over without sealing it. "Lord Cai is wise and discerning, with insight reaching a thousand miles. Study the practical workings of Confucian teachings under him, and you will surely become a man of great ability."

Liu Jili bent forward and respectfully accepted the letter, his hands trembling.

He knew that even if he failed to seize this opportunity later, that would be his own responsibility. With this one letter and one visiting card alone, his former fate of poverty, destitution, and near-beggary had already been completely transformed.

He therefore bowed respectfully once more. "Master Eastern Mountain's kindness is something I will never forget until my teeth have fallen from my mouth."

Xie An accepted this calmly and raised a hand. "Call that kinsman of yours in... Which branch of your Pengcheng clan does he belong to?"

Liu Jili came back to himself, momentarily bewildered. He truly did not know how to answer, so he hastily explained, "Acheng also fled from the north, but he is only fifteen or sixteen, much younger than I was when I first arrived. I suspect he is deeply ashamed that his father and forebears served the barbarians, so I do not know either. Still, young as Acheng is, his talent and virtue surpass mine tenfold. You will see for yourself once you meet him, Master Eastern Mountain."

Xie An felt only weariness. On one hand, the boy was fifteen or sixteen and unable to master his shame enough to name his family. On the other, his talent and virtue supposedly surpassed Liu Jili's tenfold. If they surpassed his tenfold, why would he still be too ashamed to name his family?

But he merely continued smiling. "I see. Then I shall meet him myself."

Liu Jili bowed repeatedly and withdrew respectfully. He hurried around to the kitchen service yard, no longer able to hide his delight, and immediately called Liu Cheng over.

Though Liu Cheng saw the joy written across his face, he could hardly ask questions. He merely reminded Steward Qian beside him, "You see, things have gone very smoothly for Brother Jili. You can set your mind at ease, Steward Qian. Once I go in, show the dyed paper to our host, or we will hold things up."

Seeing that the fellow still remembered this matter even now, Steward Qian did not know whether to admire him or laugh at his inability to judge priorities. He merely nodded vaguely and urged him to hurry over.

Thus, led by a slave retainer, Liu Acheng walked halfway around the outside of what seemed to be a large courtyard, then took two more turns and entered a courtyard with its own separate entrance. Finally, the slave retainer pointed toward a particularly bright room and stopped just inside the courtyard gate.

Liu Acheng took a deep breath, then walked inside with his head held high.

Upon entering, he saw a man seated on a couch against the western wall, barefoot, with one knee raised. The crimson Dust-Tail Fan he himself had chosen rested on that knee, completely hiding the man's lowered face.

Where were the courtesans from the stories?

That was Liu Acheng's first reaction, but it did not stop him from immediately bowing respectfully just inside the door. "Liu Cheng of Pengcheng pays his respects to Xie Eastern Mountain."

Xie An raised his head. Seeing that this really was a boy of fifteen or sixteen, with thick brows and large eyes, he relaxed considerably. A child-those were what he handled best. The boy looked honest too. Most importantly, apart from Liu Jili's branch, the other branches of the Liu Clan of Pengcheng had no great complications. Assuming a slightly stern air, he repeatedly lowered his head to question him, without offering a seat. "You are Liu Acheng? How old are you this year? Have you begun your studies? What is your honored father's name, and where does he hold office?"

Liu Acheng dared not be negligent and answered according to the story he had prepared. "Master Eastern Mountain, I am fifteen this year and will be sixteen after the New Year. Because we wandered through hardships in the north, I only learned from my father and grandfather some historical accounts of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the rise of Emperor Gao of Han at the end of Qin, and the course of events from the late Han and Three Kingdoms to our present dynasty. I have studied no other subjects. That is why I secretly listened to your lectures whenever I delivered firewood, and thus disturbed you..."

Facing Liu Jili, who prized his dignity and occupied an awkward position, Xie An had been cautious upon cautious. With this oddly spoken youth, he was much more direct and interrupted on the spot. "You did it deliberately that day, didn't you? You thought that killing the tiger on Flower Mountain counted as a favor to our Xie Family, so you wanted to use the opportunity to attract my attention and seek a future."

"I have made myself a laughingstock before you, Master Eastern Mountain. Truly, my poverty and helplessness had reached their utmost..."

Liu Acheng could only admit it. He quickly explained, one by one, the difficulties he had encountered in Jingkou while following Liu Rengong's band of refugees, then turned the conversation toward Liu Huzi. "So I hoped to meet you, Master Eastern Mountain, and ask your permission to bring the tiger hide here, lest we squander such a precious gift of nature... Of course, I also hoped to seek a future for my brother Liu Jian.

"Though he is young, he has long practiced archery and horsemanship and knows the terrain and climate of the Huai River region. Even now, several hundred households of clansmen and over a thousand neighboring households follow his family. Moreover, the Liu Clan of Pengcheng has branches in Pengcheng, Pei Kingdom, and Qiao Commandery. Its roots run deep. Make him a general, and he would be well equipped to deal with the north."

Having heard this, Xie An was already tempted. This was indeed a good example of the so-called "general's stock," fitting the recruitment traditions of both the Western Command and Northern Command.

"Does he himself wish to become a general?" Though he knew this was what they wanted, he still had to ask.

"Naturally he does," Liu Acheng hastened to answer on his behalf. "His grandfather served as Yanmen Governor and Protector-General of the Xiongnu. He comes from a military lineage."

Xie An nodded repeatedly, thoroughly pleased-not with this Liu Huzi or Liu Jian whom he had yet to meet, but with the boy, who depended on others for shelter yet knew to speak first for the absent man. That counted as simple-hearted honesty. Only now, as though he had just remembered, did he casually point to the folding stool. "If Liu Jian is willing, he need only come here to present the tiger hide... You still have not told me your honored father's name or where he held office."

"My father's name is Xie. He once served as magistrate of Gaoyuan County under Later Zhao." Seated now, Liu Acheng spoke without a change of expression or a quickened heartbeat. "When Later Zhao collapsed, we became separated beside the great river. I do not know whether he is alive or dead."

What was this supposed to be?

"Your honored father is a good man and Heaven will protect him. You will surely meet again." Inwardly speechless, Xie An offered a consolation he did not believe himself, then asked, "And your honored grandfather?"

"My grandfather's name was Zhao. He moved to Qiao Commandery in his early years and served our dynasty as magistrate of Ancheng County. Later, he served a term as governor of Jibei Commandery under Later Zhao." Liu Acheng continued inventing freely. Let him investigate if he liked. "He passed away long ago."

Xie An grew still more speechless. He was now practically certain that the boy's family ranked among the lowest even within the Liu Clan of Pengcheng. Moreover, judging by this frank manner, he hardly seemed too ashamed to mention it, as Liu Jili had claimed. He seemed rather pleased with himself.

So had Liu Jili been feeling ashamed on this child's behalf?

But with such low family standing, what was he to do with him? Write another letter and send him to Cai Mo to study the Confucian classics? Or have him follow Liu Jian and become military stock?

There was no way to keep this conversation going!

Wait. Had he forgotten something?

"Acheng, did you compose that anecdote about me, the Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai story?" Xie An suddenly raised his head from the couch to ask.

"The Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai story was indeed something I heard," Liu Acheng answered without hesitation. "I did not fabricate it from nothing. I merely attached your name to it, Master Eastern Mountain."

"Oh." At last, Xie An showed some interest. "Do you know something of music theory?"

"I truly do not. Those are tunes my grandfather collected, arranged, and compiled in Qiao Commandery, then passed on to my father. My father had no time to teach them to me; he merely played them often to express his longing for home and old acquaintances. I heard them many times, so I recall whichever tunes I can." Liu Acheng hurriedly offered another evasive answer.

"I see." Xie An sighed. "That makes sense. The tune was mournful, gentle, and lingering. Even Aunt Song called it an exquisite piece. It could not have been composed from a young boy's state of mind... Where in Qiao Commandery did your family formerly live?"

"North of the Wo River, between Zhi County and Chengfu." Liu Acheng continued answering promptly.

"I see." Xie An finally found something that interested him. "Ji Kang's home country."

"Indeed. My grandfather no longer remembered the circumstances, but my father always revered Ji Kang. He even said that as a child he had gone specifically to Ji Kang's grave to play the flute." Liu Acheng had prepared this too, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. He also knew that his fabricated identity offered little of interest. At last, there was something to discuss.

"Then tell me, how did your honored father judge Ji Kang and the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove?" Glancing at the collection of Ruan Ji's poems by his feet, Xie An asked partly to test him and partly because he truly did not know what else to ask.

Yet the moment the question left his mouth, Xie An regretted it. The reason was simple. If the boy's father and grandfather were ignorant, that would be one thing. But if they truly understood and he spoke some truth, it would only become embarrassing.

The reason could not have been simpler. Although the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove were treated as a single group and regarded as the first generation of celebrated metaphysical scholars of this dynasty, anyone who understood the subject knew that their political positions, their stances on Confucianism and metaphysics, their personal integrity, and even their literary and intellectual achievements differed utterly-sometimes standing in sharp opposition.

If one insisted on examining it closely, Ji Kang had essentially won the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove their immense reputation through his own charisma and influence. After his death, those within the group who had opposed him calmly stole his reputation to fatten themselves.

More specifically, Ji Kang firmly opposed the Sima Clan's Western Jin court politically. Intellectually, he firmly believed metaphysics should oppose Confucianism from beginning to end. In his personal choices, he insisted on wandering freely among mountains and forests, far from officialdom. Yet Wang Rong, the celebrated scholar of the Langya Wang Clan among the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, opposed him on every count.

In the end, Ji Kang died. The others among the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove remained silent, allowing Wang Rong to gather up his reputation, become richer than all around him, rise to the highest ministerial rank, unite Confucianism with metaphysics, and flatter the Sima Clan, before finally dying of illness during the War of the Eight Princes without having accomplished anything.

More laughably still, the celebrated scholars of subsequent generations-the Golden Valley Garden circle, then Xie An's father after the crossing of the Yangtze, and the metaphysical scholars of Xie An's own generation-all inherited Wang Rong's approach.

Others might not understand, but how could a clever man like Xie An, the leader of his generation's celebrated scholars, fail to understand?

Thus, the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, nominally the dynasty's first generation of celebrated scholars, were precisely a group that could not be discussed. Once anyone examined them seriously, it would become clear that the seven differed in merit, and that later generations had happened to inherit the legacy of the one with the worst character.

Meanwhile, Liu Acheng also fell silent. He too recognized the difficulty of this question... The reason was simple. Although he did not know the specific circumstances of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, or even the affairs of Wang Rong, he at least knew that Ji Kang was famous for opposing ritual orthodoxy, and that he had been killed for his political refusal to cooperate with the Sima Clan.

That was hardly the same as becoming a celebrated scholar nowadays and thereby obtaining high office, was it?

Yet whenever later generations spoke of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, it seemed Ji Kang alone had achieved the most. Of the others, he only remembered Liu Ling taking his clothes off, and Ruan Ji drinking wine while visiting someone else's wife.

After thinking for a long time, Liu Acheng could only say cautiously, "My father said that we should not presume to judge the celebrated scholars of Ji Kang's generation."

Xie An finally froze. Then, looking at the youth before him, his thoughts surged-this boy actually understood! It was not merely his father or grandfather who understood; he himself did too. Otherwise, why would he be so cautious?

He had underestimated this youth.

With that realization, Xie An hastily abandoned the subject he should never have raised and became solemn. "In that case, let us not discuss it. Liu Cheng, tell me, what is your ambition?"

This question was simple. Liu Acheng cupped his hands toward the north. "Naturally, to carry on the great deeds of my father and forebears, and sweep Great Jin clean!"

Which of you learned that from the other? Xie An was speechless for a moment. Then he struck the armrest before him with his Dust-Tail Fan and demanded, "Liu Cheng, do you know that your Brother Jili's ambition is also to sweep Great Jin clean?!"

How would I know?!

Liu Acheng froze and silently cursed, but on the surface he calmly spread his mouth in a grin. "Master Eastern Mountain, what I mean by sweeping clean and what Brother Jili means are not the same thing."

------I am the grinning dividing line------

"To clear" means "to empty."

-Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters, Xu Shen, Han dynasty

Lord Ruan's neighbor had a beautiful wife who sold wine behind the counter. Ruan and Wang Anfeng often went to drink wine at her establishment. When Ruan became drunk, he slept beside her. At first, her husband was deeply suspicious, but after watching and investigating, he found that Ruan had no other intentions.

-New Account of Tales of the World, "Uninhibited Conduct," twenty-three