Chapter 6: Warm Days At Lanting
The wind was gentle, and the birds chirped. In the study room, shaded by flowers, a young man and woman knelt before a low table, facing each other and practicing calligraphy on a purple and red Lan Ting.
Fragrant flowers and ink filled the study room, along with a faint, almost imperceptible scent of a young woman, which made Lu Yun feel incredibly peaceful without needing to burn the calming incense.
This was one of the assignments Lu Xin had given his children before leaving home. From the age of seven, they had to practice calligraphy like this every day. Lu Xin’s household education was strict; no matter how busy he was with official duties, he would check their work daily and explain classical texts to them. This had been their routine for nearly ten years.
While practicing calligraphy, Lu Yun was completely absorbed, as if in a state of Zen. Lu Ying, however, was rather absent-minded. She propped her chin in her hands, watching her brother write for a while, then gazing at the birds outside the window. Only when she grew truly bored would she pick up her brush and write a few characters on the paper.
After finishing his calligraphy, Lu Yun put down his brush, moved the paperweight, and examined his work. He shook his head lightly after reading it, appearing somewhat dissatisfied.
Lu Ying, while practicing calligraphy, kept an eye on everything. Seeing Lu Yun’s demeanor, she playfully pointed at him with her brush, saying, “Father said your calligraphy already possesses seventy percent of the Right Army’s skill. Are you deliberately trying to discourage me like this?”
“Father was encouraging me; I only have the form, not the spirit,” Lu Yun said, dodging his sister’s playful attack. He looked at her half-finished calligraphy and added, “Your handwriting, on the other hand, is round and flowing, elegant and graceful, with a style that is unconventional and uniquely your own.”
“I don’t have such high aspirations; I just write however I’m happy,” Lu Ying said, a slight, proud smirk on her lips. She glanced at Lu Yun and continued, “As for you, younger brother, you always want to do your best in everything. How tiring it must be to compete with the ancients.”
“Writing is also a form of cultivation, and the path of cultivation is endless…” Lu Yun stated solemnly.
“Alright, alright!” Lu Ying covered her ears with a look of helplessness. “So pedantic…”
Lu Yun smiled helplessly and continued to examine his calligraphy.
Seeing his dedication, Lu Ying also refocused and continued her practice. When she wrote, ‘Here are steep mountains and lofty peaks, dense forests and luxuriant bamboo; there are also clear streams that rush and flow, reflecting and winding to the left and right, drawing water for flowing cups around the bends…,’ she suddenly tapped her forehead, exclaiming excitedly, “It’s almost the Third Month Festival, the day of Qu Shui Liu Shang!”
“…” Lu Yun couldn’t help but cough. Finally, he couldn’t resist reaching out and pressing her hand back onto the table, saying earnestly, “Concentrate…”
“Moo…” Lu Ying made a face, puffed out her cheeks, and continued to practice calligraphy. A moment later, she looked up at the doorway again, opening her mouth as if to speak, but then adopting an expression that said, ‘You won’t let me speak.’
Lu Yun had already heard someone outside the door. He stood up and smiled at Lu Ying, saying, “Elder Sister, practice your calligraphy well; I’ll be back soon.”
Lu Ying nodded listlessly, her head almost drooping onto the paper.
Lu Yun walked out of the room, put on his shoes, and was met by Uncle Bao with an excited expression. Before Uncle Bao could speak, Lu Yun stopped him with a look. Lu Yun gently closed the study door and gestured for Uncle Bao to follow him back to his room to talk.
Lu Ying watched the two of them acting sneakily, and a hint of worry welled up in her clear autumn-like eyes…
.
East Wing, Lu Yun’s room.
Lu Yun knelt on an ivory-colored fine bamboo mat and poured Uncle Bao a cup of spring water, saying, “Uncle Bao, it’s rare for you to visit during the day.”
“Heh…” Uncle Bao said with a wry smile, “I was anxious. You are truly a master strategist, Young Master!”
“Oh, so it really is Liu Qianqian?” Lu Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was his first time testing the waters, and he was inevitably a little unconfident.
“It should be correct!” Uncle Bao said hoarsely. “Today, those dissolute young masters wanted to invite Liu Qianqian to spend the Third Month Festival with them, but they were told she had important matters that day and could not accompany them.”
“Mm…” Lu Yun nodded, then heard Uncle Bao continue, “The Third Day of the Third Lunar Month is a festival for talented scholars and beautiful women to indulge in elegant pursuits. All the singing girls and dancers in Yuhang are putting all their effort into making a splash that day. Yet Liu Qianqian is refusing all visitors. Those dissolute young masters won’t give up, insisting on finding out the reason, but the people on the painted boat are all keeping their mouths shut…”
“So it’s definitely not for any other reason; she must be entertaining some incredibly important figure!” Having said that, Uncle Bao summarized word by word, “And in Yuhang City at this time, the only ones with that kind of influence are the Commandery Governor or Xiahou Lei!”
“Mm, the Commandery Governor wouldn’t have the inclination for that these days,” Lu Yun said with an appreciative nod. “As expected of you, Uncle Bao.”
“You flatter me, Young Master,” Uncle Bao said with a terrifying smile. “The elite soldiers I’ve trained for you are finally ready to draw their swords!” Ten years of honing swords, finally time to unsheathe them; he couldn’t help but be excited!
Lu Yun, however, poured cold water on his enthusiasm, saying, “The manpower at the Lu Family Estate cannot be deployed.”
Uncle Bao couldn’t help but frown. “With just the two of us, our strength is insufficient, Young Master!”
“It’s not two people,” Lu Yun shook his head slightly, “it’s just me.”
“Ah!” Uncle Bao couldn’t help but exclaim, “Young Master, don’t be arrogant! Even if Xiahou Lei is traveling incognito, he’ll bring plenty of expert guards. Moreover, he himself was ranked among the top thirty-seven Grandmasters on the Investigative Bureau’s Earth Rank list two years ago!”
“It was thirty-seven,” Lu Yun said, taking a small sip of the ice-cold spring water, his tone turning bone-chillingly cold, “It’s just the right time to measure the gap between myself and an Earth Rank Grandmaster!”
“Your subordinate is also an Earth Rank Grandmaster…” Uncle Bao said somewhat resentfully.
“Oh.” Lu Yun touched his forehead apologetically. “Uncle Bao always holds back when he attacks me, so it can’t be considered a fight to the death.”
“Forgive your subordinate for speaking frankly, but the Young Master can fight me to a draw with seventy percent of my strength,” Uncle Bao said dejectedly.
“To ensure my body doesn’t have any issues, I can only use fifty percent of my strength,” Lu Yun said leisurely.
“Young Master…” Uncle Bao gritted his teeth, wishing he could spar with Lu Yun again immediately.
After a long while, the smell of gunpowder in the room finally dissipated. Uncle Bao gave a bitter smile, “Young Master, even if your martial arts are stronger than mine, a fierce tiger can’t defeat a pack of wolves…”
“I’ll find some help…” Lu Yun said softly.
“…” On Uncle Bao’s ferocious face, a hint of grievance that was completely out of place appeared. “Does the Young Master have other trump cards?”
“Besides Uncle Bao, I have no other helpers,” Lu Yun quickly comforted his uncle, whose emotions were a bit unstable, and stopped playing coy. “I want to invite the White Ape Society…”
“Oh…” Uncle Bao suddenly realized, “So the Young Master wants to kill two birds with one stone!”
“Exactly.” Lu Yun nodded, and the record in the black book appeared in his mind:
‘The White Ape Society was founded during the Northern Dynasty period, renowned for accepting commissions and assassinating princes and high-ranking officials, boasting that everyone has a price! After the founding of the Great Xuan, their activities moved underground, and their fame gradually faded. However, during the Baoen Temple Incident, the White Ape Society’s leader appeared with a Heavenly Rank Grandmaster, and they were accomplices in the assassination of the late emperor!’
Uncle Bao felt less upset then, but he still shook his head. “Although the White Ape Society claims they can kill anyone in the world if the price is right, I doubt they have the guts to mess with someone from the Xiahou Clan…”
“Naturally.” Lu Yun nodded, his eyebrows raising. “However, if the target wasn’t Xiahou Ba, they probably wouldn’t refuse.”
.
After seeing Uncle Bao off, Lu Yun returned to the study. He saw Lu Ying resting her chin on her hand, leaning on the low table and lost in thought. The calligraphy practice in front of her was still at the point where Lu Yun had left.
“Elder Sister, if you really don’t want to write, then don’t,” Lu Yun knelt beside Lu Ying, picked up the blue-and-white porcelain water basin, and prepared to clean their brushes.
“Little Yun’er,” Lu Ying looked at Lu Yun listlessly. “You’ve been acting strange lately…”
Lu Yun quietly stared at the water basin. After all the ink from the brushes had dispersed into the water, he carefully used his fingers to gently stroke the brush hairs. After a while, he said softly, “That’s not true.”
“You’re lying…” Lu Ying wrinkled her nose, but she didn’t press the issue. She gazed intently at Lu Yun, who was quietly washing the brushes, and after a long moment, she sighed softly. “This kind of life is very, very good. Can it last forever like this?”
Lu Yun lifted the washed brushes, waited for the water to drip completely, and then hung them back on the brush rack. He nodded and said, “Yes.”
“You’re lying…” Lu Ying mumbled softly.
Lu Yun looked at his sister’s dejected expression and thought for a moment. “On the third day of the third lunar month, how about we also participate in the Qu Shui Liu Shang?”
“Okay!” Lu Ying’s spirits immediately lifted, and all her thoughts turned to the upcoming banquet. What dress should she wear, what jewelry should she adorn herself with? What poems should she prepare, and more importantly—what delicious food should she bring?!
Only then did Lu Yun relax and wipe his hands with a white silk cloth.
