Chapter Eleven: The Secret Letter

"The sixth daughter of Liu Quan?" Xu You stopped in his tracks, turned to Shan Zong, and looked at him with a faint smile. "Did you just happen to catch her bathing, or had you been coveting her for some time and deliberately chose that moment to barge in?"

Zuo Wen frowned. "The sixth daughter? Is that Liu Hongyu, who made it onto the Ninth-Rank List?"

Xu You, being a martial man, hadn't reacted at first, but upon hearing Zuo Wen's words, he was taken aback. "You mean that young lady who loves wielding a broadsword and is called 'the Wandering Knight'?"

Shan Zong replied awkwardly, "How could I be that sort of person? How was I to know that the fellow dressed in men's clothes would turn out to be a young lady once she took off her robes? You can't blame me for this..."

Zuo Wen nodded. "If I remember correctly, Liu Hongyu is sixth among Liu Governor's twenty-seven children. She loves dressing as a man, wields a violet-tinged ai-blade with unmatched skill, and is rather famous throughout the southeast."

"With flowing hair controlling a swift horse, and a violet ai-blade at her side. The morning wind stirs her silken sash, the setting sun glimmers on her beaded robe..." Xu You smiled. "It's said this ballad of the wandering knight was composed by a certain scholar passing through Wu County, who was struck by the sight of Liu Hongyu galloping wildly through the marketplace. Since then, the name 'Wandering Knight' has spread far and wide. Shan Zong, as a pirate of the Dark Sea, you wander the rivers and seas, hear all manner of news—how could you not know of Liu Hongyu?"

Shan Zong protested, "Of course I know of her! But I'd never seen her in person—how could I have known she'd be on that very ship?"

"It's said Liu Hongyu is strikingly beautiful, her bearing surpassing all others. You must have been overcome by desire, tried to commit some unspeakable act, and fled in panic when discovered—hence why Mo Yundu is still chasing you, am I right?"

Shan Zong retorted angrily, "I didn't see anything! I had just snuck into the room and was discovered through the screen, then she chased me with her sword for fifty li along the river. If I hadn't mentioned it later while arguing with Mo Yundu's men, I'd never have known I'd encountered the daughter of that old dog Liu."

Xu You stroked his chin, eyes roaming Shan Zong's face as if weighing the truth of his words. Shan Zong stared back, cheeks puffed with indignation, his gaze unwavering, as if to say, "This time I'm telling the whole truth—if you slander me again, it's truly a stain on your conscience."

"Feng Hu, take a hundred thousand coins and prepare to hire people to spread word of Brother Shan's deeds..."

Shan Zong could hardly believe his ears. Outraged, he burst out, "Faithless southerner! Treacherous Xi dog! Blood-drinking barbarian!"

Xu You pointed at him. "Gag his mouth!"

Zuo Wen found a strip of burlap and stuffed it into Shan Zong's mouth. Xu You said coldly, "I've given you two chances. Yet you still take me for a gullible youth. Thanks to your favor, Brother Shan, the House of Shan in Henei will become the laughingstock of the world come tomorrow."

Shan Zong's eyes bulged with fury as he writhed and thrashed, pounding the deck with loud thuds. Xu You left without looking back, leaving Zuo Wen to guard the cabin. After a while, Zuo Wen stepped out as well, admiration in his eyes as he looked at Xu You. In a low voice, he said, "He wishes to see you, my lord—he claims he has something important to tell."

Xu You smiled. "He is, indeed, cunning. Twice now he has confessed, yet still he's kept something back!"

Zuo Wen was surprised. "Did you not already sense he was withholding something, and that's why you pretended anger and left, to unsettle him?"

"I'm no immortal," Xu You said with a laugh. "I was merely testing him. If he could have held out for another ten breaths, refusing to speak, I would have believed him."

What more could Zuo Wen say? He followed Xu You back to the cabin and pulled the burlap from Shan Zong's mouth. Shan Zong spat several times, glaring at Xu You. "Don't say I didn't warn you. If you don't know this secret, you can stay uninvolved. But should you learn it and trouble comes, don't blame me for not forewarning you!"

"Well then, what is this secret?"

Shan Zong gestured to Zuo Wen. "In the hidden pouch inside my trousers—it's something I pilfered from Liu Hongyu's room."

Zuo Wen searched him and found a palm-sized goatskin pouch. He checked inside, found nothing amiss, and handed it to Xu You.

Xu You pulled out a letter. There was no writing on the outside, but the wax seal had been broken—clearly, Shan Zong had already read it.

"On the eighth day of the tenth month, gengyin year, your servant Quan says: Having received your command, I grieve for the lost and worry for the living; your deep kindness is apparent in every word. The sun and moon pass swiftly, the years do not wait for me..."

Xu You frowned. Since the pre-Qin era, letters had been classified as letters, memorials, petitions, statements, or notes—each strictly distinguished by rank and etiquette, to express the subject's respect for the ruler and the royal family. The opening lines conformed to the style of a "note" from the Wei and Jin dynasties; it was in fact Liu Quan's reply to the Crown Prince.

"In the past, I served at your side, sat among the worthy, ventured out incognito, and enjoyed the music of pipes and strings within. We drank wine, composed poetry, and offered toasts of longevity..." It seemed that, in former years at the capital, Liu Quan and the Crown Prince had been very close. As he read on, Xu You's frown deepened, his expression growing colder. The letter was but two pages, not many words, and he soon reached the end: "...My light boat turns upstream, my own shadow left behind; white clouds drift in the sky, the Dragon Gate is nowhere to be seen... I can only await the distant Green River, to return in spring; when the Red Mansion opens, I shall dedicate myself in autumn. Should my hat and shoes still remain, may my place at your mat and pillow be unchanged. Even if I fill a grave, I hope my wife and children will know to return... Should you ascend to power, and the worthy gather round, may this fish-eye not offend the jade. Lest I forget my humble origins, unworthy as I am—a rare encounter in a thousand years, a debt hard to repay... With tears I bid farewell, grief gathering unbidden. I cannot fulfill the loyalty of a dog or horse; I am guilty, guilty unto death."

Xu You was silent for a long time. Only when Zuo Wen timidly called to him did he put the letter away, tucking it inside his robe. He stared at Shan Zong, a fleeting, deadly glint flashing in his eyes.

"Brother Shan, you've read this letter, haven't you?"

"That's right! I've read it through seven times, and could almost recite it backwards."

Xu You smiled faintly. "A hundred readings reveal the meaning. So Brother Shan understands the contents of this letter quite well, then?"

Shan Zong sensed something, his heart suddenly pounding. "I'm just a pirate who kills and robs on the Dark Sea. I go out by day and never know if I'll come back at night. So what if I understand? The city of Jinling is deeper and darker than the Dark Sea itself. A nobody like me, thrown in, wouldn't even make a splash. Naturally, I wouldn't be so foolish as to jump in on my own."

"Oh? So Brother Shan finally admits his connection to the House of Shan in Henei? Otherwise, how would a mere sea-thief know how deep the waters of Jinling run?"

Shan Zong sighed deeply. "You'd already guessed. What difference does it make whether I admit it or not?"

Xu You regarded him for a long while. "You're right, Brother Shan. It doesn't matter if you admit it or not. In that case, I'll keep this letter. I trust you won't speak a word of it, will you?"

"I'm heading back to the Dark Sea right away. I swear by the name of my great-grandfather, Lord Juyuan, not to set foot in Wu Prefecture for the next three years!"

When clever men speak, much can be left unsaid. Xu You nodded. "I expected you wouldn't go looking for trouble. Keeping silent is best for everyone. Not far ahead is Xiling County. Leave under cover of night, and let us part ways here—we need never meet again."