Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Dense fog shrouded the South Sea.

Li Zhi, the Magistrate of South Sea County, sat in his residence, repeatedly flipping through the most recently received correspondence.

It was said to be a place of quiet solitude, but in reality, it was desolate and remote. Yet, Li Zhi did not mind the crude environment. He sipped tea while reading, his figure gaunt and refined, his wide sleeves fluttering; he carried the distinct air of a great Confucian scholar of the age.

When the late Empress was still alive, Li Zhi had been the prominent leader of the Li clan, heading the various noble families of Chang’an in their resistance against imperial power. However, the Empress had been gone for a year now. The Li clan had long since been driven back to Jinling by the Emperor to live out their days in retirement, and Li Zhi himself had been relegated to Lingnan.

The current Emperor was a fascinating man.

When the Empress was alive, he had fought her faction to a stalemate; once she passed, he had appeared "grieved to the point of death," ordering the entire world to mourn her for a full year. They even said the reason the Emperor hadn’t wiped out the Li clan entirely was out of respect for the late Empress.

Whether that was true or not, it didn’t matter; the Emperor would say what he pleased.

In any case, Li Zhi had been demoted to the bird-forsaken South Sea County, and he likely wouldn’t have the chance to return for the rest of his life.

The letter Li Zhi was currently reviewing was from his niece, Princess Danyang, Mu Wanyao. She had intended to visit him in person, but before she even arrived, she had vanished without a trace. At the mention of this niece, Li Zhi took a sip of tea, filled with sighs…

The bamboo door was pushed open as Lady Li entered to refill her husband’s tea. Seeing his wife, Li Zhi casually asked, “Has another letter arrived from the Princess?”

Lady Li replied, “There has been no word from the Princess for three days now… Husband, should we send someone to look for her?”

Li Zhi’s expression shifted slightly, and he unconsciously tapped his long desk with his finger. Lingnan was no place for the faint of heart. When he had first arrived, his youngest son had nearly perished from illness. And Mu Wanyao, such a delicate, pampered young lady… Li Zhi immediately ordered, “Call the county assistant in. We must send men to go and retrieve the Princess.”

That afternoon, a troop of riders departed from South Sea, spurring their horses in a frantic dash toward Dayu Ridge to search for Princess Danyang.

Meanwhile, deep in the dense forest, the fog hung heavy and thick.

Mu Wanyao and Chunhua picked their way unevenly through the pits and uneven terrain of the mountain forest, while Fang Tong and the other guards followed close behind the Princess after ensuring the horse carriage was properly attended to.

They had been wandering in the woods for several days, all in search of the White Cow tea tree.

In her heart, Mu Wanyao cursed Second Brother Yan over and over again. Why tell me about an obscure tea tree? If this tea is so interesting, why didn’t he just offer it to me? Why must he make me search for it myself?

Second Brother Yan had gone off to take his exams, but in Mu Wanyao’s mind, his efforts were in vain—it would have been better had he stayed to help her search for the tea tree.

For several days in a row, the fog in the mountain forest had grown ever denser.

They were outsiders and felt nothing out of the ordinary, merely finding the region’s transport inconvenient, the forest vast, and the terrain rugged. The guards were only on high alert to ensure the Princess wasn’t injured by wild beasts or didn’t fall into a ravine or waterfall; beyond that, no one felt they were in any danger.

Trapped deep in the forest, Mu Wanyao grew increasingly irritable with every step.

Suddenly, Chunhua, who was supporting her arm, pointed toward a cliff protruding diagonally upward from the hillside and cried out in surprise: “My Lady, look! Is that the White Cow tea tree we are looking for?”

The group looked where Chunhua pointed and saw a lush, short tree growing in isolation against the cliff wall. Comparing it to the illustration in the Princess’s hand, it was an exact match.

Immediately, everyone was invigorated.

Mu Wanyao finally broke into a smile, the first in many days: “Let’s go. There must be other tea trees nearby. We shall dig up a few to take back to Chang’an. Once we’ve secured this tree, we will go to South Sea to see my uncle.”

Chunhua was about to agree when she suddenly felt a drop of water fall from above, splashing onto her forehead.

Chunhua wiped her brow and looked up at the grey, hazy sky. She said with concern: “My Lady, it seems it is going to rain.”

Mu Wanyao reassured her: “It is fine. We will leave as soon as we finish digging up the tree; it will not take too long.”

In the land of Guangzhou, a large number of scholars emerged from the provincial examination compound, all feeling light-headed and unsteady on their feet.

Yan Shisheng stood by the entrance, watching the stream of students exit, and when he remembered Mu Wanyao’s comment from a few days ago about how Lingnan couldn’t even send two scholars to Chang’an in a year, he couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy.

Compared to the prosperity of the Central Plains, Lingnan was known as a “place without learning.” If an ordinary person from the Central Plains was demoted here, they were simply waiting to die—where was the luxury of hoping to return?

It was all just a gamble against fate.

Even with his own studies, his father spent his days drinking and paid him no mind. The Yan family had exhausted their collective effort to support his schooling, but that was only because they had few family members and didn’t lack for money, and Second Brother Yan was too thin and delicate to work the fields…

As Yan Shisheng pondered these things, students behind him kept greeting him. Yan Shisheng returned their smiles and greetings one by one, wishing them all good results.

In truth, most of them knew they had no future to look forward to, but because Yan Shisheng spoke with such gentleness and warmth—as refreshing as a spring breeze—everyone enjoyed interacting with him. A voice called out from behind: “Second Brother Yan, haven’t you left yet?”

Yan Shisheng turned back to see the young genius, Liu Wenji, approaching.

Upon seeing Liu Wenji arrive, the scholars gathered around Yan Shisheng had flickering expressions and quickly slipped away: “Second Brother Yan, I have other business to attend to; let’s talk another day.”

Liu Wenji approached, and seeing the empty space around Yan Shisheng, he didn’t feel at all that the scholars were annoyed by him. He said: “A bunch of rabble. Why do you always mingle with such useless people?”

Yan Shisheng’s expression remained unchanged: “A desolate village in Lingnan, reading scholars of the world. What is useful and what is useless? Brother Liu’s words are quite unreasonable.”

A trace of disdain flitted across Liu Wenji’s handsome face.

Yan Shisheng had always made sure not to offend anyone, but Liu Wenji was different. These mediocrities would never leave Lingnan in their entire lives, but once he left, he would certainly never return.

Although Liu Wenji prided himself on his outstanding talent, his father was always praising Yan Shisheng’s smooth way of handling affairs in front of him, which left Liu Wenji with a subtle sense of jealousy and disdain when facing Yan Shisheng.

Liu Wenji probed Yan Shisheng: “The poem and the rhapsody we wrote for the exam—how did you do? Do you have confidence this year?”

Yan Shisheng recognized the wary look in Liu Wenji’s eyes.

Yan Shisheng smiled.

He said: “Brother Liu knows me well. I have never been good at poetry, and my rhapsody was merely conventional. With Brother Liu here, how could I have any confidence?”

The corners of Liu Wenji’s mouth curled upward.

But he felt it unseemly to appear too arrogant, so he hypocritically praised: “Actually, you are quite impressive; my father often praises you in front of me. If there are two spots for the provincial exams, the spot under me is certainly yours!”

Yan Shisheng nodded with interest; he found Liu Wenji’s strained compliment rather amusing.

Liu Wenji followed behind him: “Second Brother Yan, are you planning to go home?”

Yan Shisheng nodded: “I won’t hide it from you, Brother Liu, but after several days of travel, I am exhausted and intend to go home and sleep for two days straight.”

Liu Wenji’s heart stirred.

He thought of the beautiful maid he had seen at Yan Shisheng’s home.

That maid had been staying at the Yan house with her mistress—he wondered if they were still there?

Liu Wenji felt awkward asking Yan Shisheng directly, so he offered: “Your home is nearby; may I rest at your place for two days before returning to my own?”

Yan Shisheng looked at Liu Wenji, lost in thought.

In a flash of insight, he connected the series of traces Liu Wenji had left behind at his home.

Though he had his suspicions, he didn’t show it on his face, remaining as cordial as ever: “Very well.”

The rain finally began to fall, fine and soft as sand.

As Mu Wanyao had anticipated, there were indeed several tea trees growing by the cliff.

Afraid that her guards’ clumsy hands would damage them, she and Chunhua decided to dig them out themselves.

At first, there were no accidents. Just as the roots were being pulled from the soil and everyone had relaxed their guard, a snake emerged from the dirt. With lightning speed, it lunged, baring its fangs at the mud-stained hands of the two young women.

Chunhua let out a shriek as the snake bit her wrist. She kicked and thrashed at the snake, but she couldn't shake it off; a sharp, stinging pain tore through her wrist!

As the snake prepared to slip into the sleeve of Chunhua’s robe, a flash of white light appeared before her eyes. With a sharp ding, she saw the snake pinned to the ground by a dagger Mu Wanyao had pulled from her sleeve. The snake shuddered twice and went still.

No one had expected that the Princess carried a dagger on her person…

Fang Tong and the other guards rushed forward. Fang Tong pulled the snake-bitten Chunhua up, only to see her slender white wrist rapidly turning purple, then black…

They looked nervously at the Princess, seeing the dagger still embedded in the snake. Mu Wanyao was crouching on the ground, her face merely a shade paler. Mu Wanyao said: “I am unharmed.”

However, Fang Tong dared not be careless, for the next moment, they heard a “hissing” sound coming from every direction of the forest. He looked up, his eyes widening, to see swarms of snakes surging toward them from all sides… The guards drew their swords, sweat beading on their brows.

Mu Wanyao ordered them to pick up the tea trees she had dug out and stood up. She glanced at Chunhua, who had slumped into Fang Tong’s arms, already breaking out in a cold sweat, her body trembling.

Mu Wanyao frowned.

She had only read in books that Lingnan was full of snakes, but this was her first time witnessing it…

Fang Tong said: “Princess, we must leave this place at once!”

Mu Wanyao said in a low voice: “I fear it will be difficult to get out.”

She commanded: “Light a fire!”

Chunhua’s body felt frozen, and her consciousness was beginning to blur. Supported by the guard, she could only barely manage a single sentence to warn the Princess: “It is raining… I fear this fire… will not catch…”

Mu Wanyao remained silent.

Yet she stepped forward, letting the fine rain splash against her long eyelashes, casting everything into a misty haze. She gripped her dagger, her long robes fluttering as she stood before her guards, staring coldly at the snakes circling them: “Light the fire!”

Even if it was a struggle, she would fight her way to a path of survival!

The light rain fell continuously, rustling into the night.

In the dead of night, the Yan household heard frantic pounding on the door. Liu Wenji was also startled awake by the urgent knocking. He peered through the window to see the eldest and third sons of the Yan family throwing on rain capes and holding torches to open the gate, only to find a line of stern-looking guards standing there.

The leader of the guards barked: “Where is the Princess! Where have you hidden the Princess?”

Father Yan hid shivering in the house, not daring to step out. The youngest daughter, Yan Xiaozhou, hid behind her two brothers, timidly poking her head out to ask: “What Princess?”

The man impatiently pushed them aside: “Move aside!”

Yan Third Brother shouted: “Why are you breaking into a private residence again? Eldest Brother, let us block them!”

Yan Shisheng had gone to sleep after returning, but now he too was woken by the sound of rain and the shouting outside. He threw on a robe and stepped out, arriving just in time to see the guards and his two brothers shoving each other, the situation on the verge of conflict.

Yan Shisheng stood under the eaves in the cold rain, his robe slightly stirred, his long hair half-tied. In the frigid night, his eyes were calm, dark, and utterly serene: “What is happening?”

Yan Xiaozhou was also afraid of a fight. Looking back and seeing her second brother’s composed, dignified figure, she couldn’t help but feel relieved, complaining: “Second Brother, they are looking for some Princess! How would we know anything about a Princess?”

Yan Shisheng paused slightly.

He said slowly: “I know.”

The crowd, about to erupt into violence: “…!”

In an instant, whether it was the Yan brothers or the guards sent by the South Sea Magistrate to retrieve Mu Wanyao, all eyes turned to Yan Shisheng.

The leader of the guards sized him up, and seeing he was just a scholar, he sneered: “It seems you are the master of this house. You know what Princess we are looking for?”

Although they claimed to be looking for a Princess, they were also looking for an excuse to break into private homes at night and plunder wealth.

In remote areas, soldiers were no better than bandits. Bandits were like a comb—they took what they could—but soldiers were like a razor, leaving nothing behind.

Yan Shisheng looked at these uninvited guests and only smiled: “The person you are looking for is Princess Danyang, Mu Wanyao, who once married into the Wuman tribe and returned to our country after the Wuman dispersed, correct?”

Yan Shisheng added: “The Princess did indeed stay at my house a few days ago, but she has already departed.”

Everyone: “…!”

The three children of the Yan family, including Father Yan hiding inside the house, all stared blankly at Yan Shisheng—

Living under the same roof, eating from the same pot.

The disparity between people was truly vast.