Chapter 38: Miss Yan
Miss Yan Shierniang was also unwilling to go and refused to see Yan Shiyi.
Yan Shiyi was very puzzled and called his sister’s personal maid, Baozhu:
“What’s wrong with your young lady? She went out happily to admire lotuses yesterday, so why is she sulking in her room and refusing to see anyone after returning?”
Baozhu’s round face turned pale with fright, and she lowered her eyes, saying, “My young lady is tired from playing and wants to rest.”
Yan Shiyi had always been carefree and didn’t suspect his sister was hiding anything from him. Their parents had passed away early, and he and Shierniang had grown up under their elder brother’s protection.
They had been closer than other siblings since childhood and had always been frank with each other. He believed that if Shierniang had something on her mind, she would tell him.
If she hadn’t told him, it meant there was nothing wrong.
Therefore, he smiled and called into the room:
“Shierniang, are you really not going? I heard that King Li is very handsome. Don’t you always like to look at handsome young masters?”
Shierniang, inside the room, was both shy and angry, shouting, “I’m not going! Who wants to see King Li!”
Shiyi Lang no longer insisted and said, “Then you rest. I’ll buy you roast goose from Zuixiangju later.”
He left the manor with a flourish and met up with three or five old friends to go watch the excitement at the city gate.
Little did he know that his sister at home was in a state of budding young love, both shy and distressed.
Thinking about what happened yesterday at Yanlai Lake, she was so embarrassed that she buried her head in the pillow, wishing she could suffocate herself.
Because after she returned yesterday, she quietly asked a doctor and learned that in the areas along the river and coast, there was indeed a practice of breathing into the mouths of drowning victims to save them.
It was said that drowning victims would experience a state of apparent death, with their souls already on their way to the underworld. Only by breathing into the other person’s mouth could this breath of life bring their soul back.
In other words, that handsome young master was truly saving her life!
Yan Shierniang, at sixteen years old, had never seen such a handsome man before. Unlike the rugged men of Yandi, his skin was delicate and fair, and his eyes were gentle.
He was also gentle and elegant. If a man from Yandi were called a pervert or misunderstood, he would surely shout and defend himself.
But he only gently explained and comforted her not to be afraid, and he never thought of asking the Yan family for repayment.
Thus, Yan Shierniang’s impression of the young master she met yesterday changed greatly overnight, from a pervert to a gentle and handsome savior.
She wanted to see that person again, but she didn’t dare to let the Yan family inquire everywhere, so she only asked Baozhu to inquire outside.
Such a handsome young master, if he entered Yanzhou City, should be easy to find, but Baozhu couldn’t find him.
Today, hearing her elder brother say they were going to see King Li, let alone that he was an imperial prince, even if he were the King of Heaven, in Yan Shierniang’s heart, he couldn’t compare to her savior.
“Baozhu, go look again! Not only in Yanzhou City, but also outside the city. Be quiet, don’t let elder brother know.”
Baozhu softly hummed and asked in a low voice, “Young lady, what will you do if you find him?”
Yan Shierniang looked at her hands. Yesterday, it was with these hands that she had slapped that young master:
“I must say sorry to him and thank him.”
At the same time, the elegant young master she was thinking about was no different from the men of Yandi, equally rugged and arrogant.
Leading the Black Feather Camp soldiers, they unfurled banners outside the Yancheng gate, beating gongs and drums, shouting, “Return our military pay!”
…
Prefect Li was drinking tea in his manor, waiting for the good news that King Li had been driven away.
But hearing the commotion from the street outside his manor and the shouts, he couldn’t sit still.
He quickly sent someone to inquire what had happened in the city.
Upon learning that King Li had no intention of entering the city at all, and that he was not here to settle in Yanzhou City but to demand pay for the Black Feather Army and the Tuntian Army.
Prefect Li almost spat out his tea and hurried to the city wall. Many Yanzhou officials were already on the city wall, along with young masters who enjoyed watching the excitement.
Outside the city gate, the streets were crowded with Yanzhou citizens. The Chinese people’s natural inclination to watch a spectacle, let alone such a grand one.
It had never been heard of for an imperial prince to lead a group of border soldiers to demand military pay from imperial officials.
Wasn’t this slapping oneself in the face?
You are an imperial prince, shouldn’t you be on the side of the Imperial Court? Why are you standing up for the border soldiers?
Prefect Li’s face turned green with anger as he listened to King Li shouting:
“Prefect Li? Have him come out to see this King! If you don’t pay the border soldiers their military pay, this King will not leave the gates of Yanzhou City!”
The young masters laughed heartily:
“Oh, our King Li has come to beg for food! Come, come, if Prefect Li doesn’t give it to you, this young master will.”
After speaking, he threw a handful of copper coins down from the city wall, and the other young masters followed suit, laughing and throwing copper coins down.
Some even threw flatbread and Chinese cabbage. They were deliberately trying to provoke King Li.
Han Xing was furious, wishing she could draw her sword and kill these people. How could their King be insulted like this!
She was stopped by Jinsui, who smiled and said, “Let them throw. A copper coin is still money, why shouldn’t we take it?”
Cheng Zhubo watched this scene with great interest, feeling that his superior was an unusual imperial prince.
Jinsui said to Hei Hu, “Shout louder, Li Heng, come out to see this King! Shout every ten breaths until he comes out.”
Hei Hu said “oh” and then took a breath and shouted in a hoarse voice, then exhaled and asked in a deep voice, “Your Highness, who is Li Heng?”
Han Xing was speechless, “It’s Prefect Li!”
Hei Hu had no problem now. While beating the gong, he rode back and forth at the city gate, shouting every ten breaths.
When he got tired of shouting himself, he had the soldiers shout in unison.
Prefect Li on the city wall was so angry he was jumping up and down, commanding the guards:
“Shoot arrows! Shoot arrows! Drive away these border soldiers who intend to rebel!”
The Yanzhou officials quickly advised him not to, that King Li could not die outside Yanzhou City without explanation!
Prefect Li now understood Jiang Nansheng. This was not an imperial prince at all, but a rogue!
Prefect Li was convinced that these border soldiers were a disorganized mob and would leave if scared. If he didn’t harm King Li, the Imperial Court wouldn’t punish him.
So he personally took a bow and arrow, and shouted at the city below, “Are you intending to rebel? Leave quickly, or the arrow in this official’s hand will not have eyes!”
Han Xing and others quickly stepped forward to protect Jinsui, but Cheng Zhubo protected the soldiers. He suddenly walked to the very front and shouted at the city tower:
“Prefect Li, if you want to silence us, kill this official first! If you have the guts, shoot!”
As he spoke, he tore open his shirt, exposing his chest, as if afraid Prefect Li wouldn’t shoot accurately, and pointed to his heart:
“Come, shoot here! As long as you return our border soldiers’ military pay today, what does it matter if this official dies! Which of us in the Black Feather Camp fears death?”
The soldiers were both moved and angry, and they all stepped in front of Cheng Zhubo, shouting at Prefect Li:
“If you have the guts, kill us!”
Jinsui suddenly felt that her comment about the border soldiers yesterday was unfair. They were clearly very united!
She believed that even if King Li hadn’t come, and no one had stood up for them, they could still survive in that impoverished border camp.
Jinsui feared that Li Heng would be provoked, and the demand for pay would turn into a murder.
She dismounted and took out two items from her person: one was King Li’s bronze token, and the other was the imperial edict of her banishment to the border.
Holding up the imperial edict, she roared:
“Li Heng, if you dare to shoot an arrow today and injure one of my soldiers or one of my citizens, this King will drag you, the Prefect of Yanzhou, down with me even if I die!”
“The people of Yanzhou are all watching. They are all born of parents. These young masters of Yanzhou are playing with food and copper coins.”
“Officials are high and mighty, treating border soldiers like grass! And what are the border soldiers eating? They eat beans and peas, rice husks, and even worse than horse feed!”
“It would have been better if this King hadn’t come to Yandi. Since I am here today, the border army is now under my command, and I will do my best to uphold justice for them!”
