Love in Red Dust - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

In the end, it must be said that they had taken a rather long, roundabout path. When Prince Chun’s estate discovered their master had gone missing, it turned into a chaotic mess. The priority was, of course, finding the Twelfth Prince. They doubled back, calling out for "Master" as they went, anxiety mounting until they were ready to burst, but they couldn’t catch even a glimpse of him.

Sha Tong was on the verge of tears. The mountains were vast and wild—where could the Twelfth Prince possibly be? Not only had he failed to bring Mu Xiaoshu back, but he had also lost his master; this was a job worth dying for. He grimaced as the biting northwest wind poured into his mouth, then slapped himself twice. "Useless slave! If any harm comes to the master, you might as well go die!"

The Twelfth Prince’s household was completely different from the Seventh Prince’s. Take their servants, for instance: those from the Twelfth Prince’s estate knew the meaning of shame. Without the master even saying a word, having followed him on campaigns through Khalkha, they regarded the master’s life as their own. The Seventh Prince’s household, however, was a pack of wolves and a mob of dogs; they were experts at causing trouble and creating chaos. In front of the master, they were sycophants with shifty, impudent faces. When trouble struck, they panicked faster than anyone. This was the difference in the caliber of leadership between the two heads of the houses.

One group had been pushing forward, the other had been searching behind, and they bumped into each other at a mountain cliff. Sha Tong, with a woeful expression, dropped to one knee and asked the Seventh Prince, "Have you seen our master? This servant is incompetent and lost him; my gut is twisted with worry. What can we do now?"

The Seventh Prince was stunned. "Doesn't this mean we have to search the entire mountain? I haven't seen him." A thought occurred to him, and he realized with dread: they had likely run into each other, and once paired up, they had ditched everyone else. A sense of desolation welled up in his heart. They were his servants, by what right did the old Twelfth always get to them first? Was there no justice in this world? The old Twelfth was acting completely out of line. He couldn't swallow this humiliation; he would go appeal to the Emperor! He would report him for abducting his own banner bondsman! Even if he wasn't a Prince of the First Rank with a permanent iron-hat title, he was still the head of a banner; how could he tolerate his servants being snatched away? As long as he gave the word, even if Mu Xiaoshu were dead, he would have to be buried in the graveyard of the Prince's estate. Hongce could just watch and weep—after all, different banners were like different worlds!

While he was seething, he also resented his own consistent lack of foresight. Come to think of it, Hongce was truly bold; he had no taboos at all. Had he simply decided to throw caution to the wind? No matter how good Mu Xiaoshu was, he was still a man. A prince of the Great British (Qing) Dynasty—if he wanted to engage in a "cut-sleeve" relationship, he would just do it. He had that kind of resolve; why couldn’t the Seventh Prince? The Seventh Prince puffed out his chest. Even the old Twelfth, that habitual "filial son and grandson," dared to defy worldly conventions, so was he any worse? He decided: once he caught him, he would pin him to the bed. If he didn't know how to do it, he would research it until he learned, and once the raw rice was cooked into porridge, he would deal with the rest later. As for the future… a man couldn't ask for a formal title, but he could buy him a house, land, and servants. A poor lad falling into a golden nest—wouldn’t he be happy to death?

His mind was made up, but affairs had their order of priority; finding the person was the most urgent thing right now. In the middle of nowhere, if something truly happened to him, it would be too late. The Seventh Prince waved his hand. "Don't just stand there, spread out and search." He pointed in various directions. "One group that way, one group there… keep your eyes sharp. If you come back with nothing but a lost shoe, I’ll have you branded!"

The guards responded in unison and quickly disappeared into the forest. The Seventh Prince looked around desolately. The wind kicked up the fine snow on the ground; the cold was so biting it made one gasp. If not for this cursed mission, he would be back in Beijing, roasting by a coal brazier and listening to opera! What was most infuriating was Mu Xiaoshu. Along the way, through every province and town, there were plenty of chances to escape, so why leave it until now? Wasn't this just asking for trouble? Did he think he wouldn't be chased into the deep mountain wilderness? This time, once he fell into his hands, he would strip him of two layers of clothing first!

The wind and snow settled slightly, and the night color turned from thick to pale. Birdsong echoed faintly from the branches; dawn was approaching.

It had been a torturous night, and everyone was stumbling. Looking down from the second hill, through the haze, one could see a row of shacks nestled in the mountain hollow. Surely that must be the slave camp!

Dingyi’s heart ignited with hope. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered, "Twelfth Prince, look! We'll be there once we get down the mountain!"

The Twelfth Prince stood under a tree. Before he could speak, a squirrel jumped overhead, shaking down a branch full of accumulated snow, covering him completely. She exclaimed in surprise and hurried over to brush it off for him. He turned to look at her, smiling. The horizon was stained with a patch of red; the weather should clear up today. He let out a long sigh: "It’s been many years since I watched a sunrise in the wild. I remember when I was twelve, going on a fall hunt with my Imperial Father. We arrived at the hunting ground before dawn, and the brothers gathered around the lookout tower, listening to them blow the deer whistles, watching the sun rise slowly… I have never seen such a large, red sun; even after all these years, I remember it clearly. Those times were truly good…"

Dingyi looked out along his line of sight. What he missed was not just the scene itself, but the high spirits and ambition of his youth. And now? The older one gets, the more worries there are—it’s the same for everyone.

"What about you?" he asked. "Did you have any happy times when you were a child? What did you usually play?"

"Me…" She thought about it carefully. "My family fell when I was six, so there wasn't much to do. I don't remember many things clearly, just that I loved fishing for goldfish in the pond. My brother was capable; they incubated the eggs themselves. I knew that the 'Crane Red' type was quite fierce and hardy, but if you didn't look after them well, they would die. The 'Golden Scales' and 'Ranchu' were easier to keep if you fed them well. My knowledge of those games all came from my brother. Later, when I was drifting outside, I wasn't so particular. There were many children in the village, so I had playmates; mostly we climbed trees and went into the river. We'd catch cicadas or crickets… just playing aimlessly." She turned to look at him. "Twelfth Prince, I always have endless words to say to you. You don't find me noisy, do you?"

He shook his head. "I love watching you… talk." For quite a while, he had been making conversation just to look at her a few more times. As long as she made a sound, he could frankly and openly observe her.

Her gaze drifted elsewhere, a faint smile hanging on her lips. She could taste the flavor in his words; she felt the Twelfth Prince must like her a little. How wonderful that was—what a great stroke of fortune. Even if she ended up with someone else in the future, she could look back and feel proud.

She took a deep breath. The sky grew brighter, and the road down the mountain became clearer. The closer they got to the truth, the more cowardly she felt. The mountain hollow looked like a huge, gaping mouth, as if it would swallow everything. She gritted her teeth. "Twelfth Prince, do you think they could be there?"

To be honest, the hope was very slim. This sprawling mountain range had buried countless souls and dreams. A person plunged into it was less likely to stir a ripple than a stone tossed into the water. But how could he tell her that? He paused slightly and said, "Whether they are still alive or not, you must be prepared to accept it."

She nodded slowly. "I thought a lot last night. Even if I can't accept it, there's no other way. If they are gone, I can't follow them to the grave. I still have my master to honor, and I have my responsibilities. Just as you said, since I could live before, I can certainly live in the future, and it will only get better… but I am just afraid. I feel like they should be alive; for all these years, I have been thinking of them…"

He said, "Then go and look. Once you’ve searched, your heart will be settled, and then you will know how to proceed."

The road down the mountain was harder to walk than the ascent. With every step, one didn't know the depth of the snow. The two supported each other, inching forward. When they neared the camp, they heard the sounds of coughing and shouting. A moment later, over a dozen soldiers wielding blades emerged. They held whips in their hands, wearing winter hats crookedly, standing with their legs spread in a ferocious, menacing manner.

Those slaves (Aha) filed out from the gates, each one hunched over, shoulders retracted. They wore tattered old cotton jackets made of coarse cloth, the colors long since faded. The torn sections revealed mottled, yellowish cotton batting, uneven in thickness, and they were shivering violently from the cold. The suffering was too deep; even their eyes were dull. Discovering someone was coming, they glanced over sluggishly, then lowered their heads again. Nothing in this world had anything to do with them. In the biting wind, they tucked their hands into their sleeves, disheveled and filthy, dragging cotton shoes that exposed their toes. Each step made a heavy, thumping sound against the earth. Their situation was different from the prisoners in the Shuntian Prefecture jail—it was even worse than the beggars on the street.

Tears welled up in Dingyi’s eyes. If Ruliang and the others were among them, how could they ever be linked to the young gentlemen they once were?

Two soldiers’ whips cracked loudly. They shouted at the top of their lungs: "You wild mud-legged curs! You still have the leisure to look! You dog things, you're lazy after being fed! We'll starve you for three days until you can't even turn your necks, let’s see if you dare look again!"

"Who is it that comes?" A person draped in a cloak stood with his hands on his hips in the distance, shouting at them to leave. "This is a restricted military zone, not a place for you to sightsee! Get lost, quickly, quickly! Or we'll arrest all of you!"

Dingyi felt that this man must be the leader here, so she hurried forward a few steps. "Pardon me, I am here to ask about some people…"

Before she could finish, she was rebuffed by a string of "Get lost!" commands. "Ask about what? Don't you see we're busy here? Is this a place for you to gawk? These are all serious court criminals! Try coming closer—what are you trying to do, rob the prisoners?" Seeing the person looking stunned and unmoving—her cloak shielding her figure so he couldn't tell her frame—he scrutinized her a few times, then shrieked, "Still not moving, you damn wench? Waiting for me to toss you into a cell? We don't have much here, but we have plenty of iron chains and heavy yokes! How about it? Want to taste them?"

The shouting attracted people from the side. Upon seeing her, one of them laughed immediately: "Master Ren (Lieutenant), your eyesight is failing! A woman has come looking for her man! Keep your voice down, don't scare her."

The one surnamed Ren took another look. "A woman? A woman coming to this place—could it be she's a virtuous, chaste wife? It’s hard to find a three-legged toad, but two-legged men are everywhere! Just consider him dead since he was exiled. Find someone else! If nothing else, us brothers are willing to take over…"

The group was joking and laughing, failing to notice the person approaching from behind. A stinging slap landed squarely across the man's face. "You blind dog slave, what great gall you have!"

Master Ren was slapped so hard that stars danced before his eyes. Just as he regained his senses and prepared to kill, he turned around, only to have an identity plaque slammed against his face. Looking closely, the characters "Heshuo Prince" were carved into the base. This shock was no small matter; his rage instantly turned into shards of ice. He retreated several steps, fell to his knees, and started kowtowing. "Servant… this servant is a pig, blinded by grease, not knowing that a Prince had arrived… This servant deserves death!"

Everyone in the banners of the Great British Dynasty knew that these waist plaques were the calling cards of the imperial clan; if it said "Beile," it was a Beile; if it said "Prince," it was a Prince. Since the leader had knelt, there was no reason for the subordinates to remain standing. The guards hurried to kowtow. Thousands of slaves immediately prostrated in a massive wave. Master Ren led the cries for mercy, and the slaves joined in a chorus of grievances. The mountain hollow was instantly filled with deafening cries.

No matter how much noise was happening outside, it was of no concern to Hongce. He merely frowned and said, "Round everyone up; I have questions to ask later."

Master Ren hurriedly said "Yes," and while still kneeling, turned around and waved his hands. "Quickly, escort all these slaves to the front pasture! Whoever howls again gets their mouth stuffed with donkey dung…" He realized he was being too insolent in front of the Prince, and his voice dropped. Panicked, he glared. "Why aren't you moving? Faster!"

The soldiers bowed and obeyed, shouting and cracking their whips, the sounds echoing off the mountains. Dingyi couldn't bear to look. She turned to ask Master Ren, "How long have you been on duty here?"

Master Ren wasn't sure of her identity, but he answered anyway: "Replying to the lady, this small one is a bondsman of the Zheng Banner. For generations, our family has been stationed here in the Changbai Mountains. I started working at the Imperial Manor at fifteen, and this winter will make twenty years."

"Then do you remember the people exiled from the capital twelve years ago?" she asked urgently. "The Censor Wen Lu had three sons sent to the Imperial Manor. Where are they now? Are they among these people?"

Master Ren stared, trying to think for a long time. "Wen Lu's sons? Wen Ruliang and the others?"

Dingyi’s heart tightened. "Yes, yes, that’s them! Where are they?"

Master Ren shook his head repeatedly. "Those rebels never stopped causing trouble from the moment they arrived. They incited people to revolt, led escape attempts—they caused chaos for nearly two years. Later, they were held in the water prison for three months and quieted down. But after they got out, an epidemic struck the livestock, and they caught it. They died not long after."

She hadn't held much hope, but she hadn't been entirely hopeless either. Now that she had asked and confirmed it, they were truly gone. She simply couldn't bear it. Her mind went blank, and she collapsed, losing consciousness completely.