A full moon slowly rose to the heart of the sky. Beneath its brightness, the stars were sparse, and crows flew south. The autumn wind swept bleakly across the wilderness, brushing through their clothes with a penetrating chill. Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng rode behind the Yan imperial carriage procession, returning to Ice Well Terrace in Ye City.
Long ago, while serving as an official in Luoyang, Zhang Han had felt the autumn wind rise and begun longing for the garden vegetables, water-shield soup, and sliced raw perch of his native Wu Commandery. He had sighed, "What matters in life is following one's heart. Why should I be tethered to office thousands of miles away, seeking fame and rank?" Then he had ordered his carriage prepared and gone home. Now, as Chen Caozhi felt the autumn wind rise, he too longed deeply for home, yet he could only remain a traveler in a foreign kingdom. He had to strive to break through the predicaments facing both himself and his homeland.
After they parted from the imperial procession at the north gate, Ran Sheng brought his horse alongside and said quietly, "Elder Brother, I met an old acquaintance at Longgang Temple just now-"
Quick-witted as ever, Chen Caozhi raised his dark brows and immediately asked, "A former subordinate of your father, Wang of Wei?"
"He was my late father's Commandant of the Sili, and also Uncle Jing's master. His name is Ji Pi. There's no mistaking him."
Chen Caozhi knew that Ran Sheng was no longer the rash youth who had once given Chen Liu a savage beating. If he had confirmed Ji Pi's identity, there could be no mistake. He said, "It seems you resemble Wang of Wei quite closely in face and build, Xiao Sheng. Since Ji Pi recognized