Chapter 164: Heaven’s Heartlessness

On the 16th day of the first lunar month, just as dawn was breaking, over a dozen cavalry riders sped toward Mingde Gate like the wind and lightning. The gusts they created scattered the peaceful morning mist. Mingde Gate was already open. From afar, the soldiers guarding the city saw the numerous cavalry approaching and, terrified, rushed out several dozen steps and shouted, “Stop! Stop!”

The warhorses slowed down. A captain among the guards stepped forward and asked, “Who is leaving the city?”

Li Qing’an held back his horse and said, “I am Li Qing’an from Beiting. I have urgent business outside and hope you’ll let me pass!”

The captain immediately showed respect, bowed, and said, “So it’s Envoy Li.”

He waved his hand and ordered, “Let them pass!”

The people at the gate stepped aside to make way for them. Li Qing’an bowed and said, “Thank you all, fellow villagers!”

He spurred his horse, which entered the city gate and quickly rushed out.

Last night, just as the city gates were about to close, Li Qing’an received a letter from the Prime Minister’s residence. Wu Yi, under pressure from the Cui family, had left the residence and headed for Lingnan. He was immediately filled with worry—she had traveled thousands of miles to Lingnan. He decided to chase after her right away, but the gates were already closed. After worrying all night, as dawn broke, he led over a dozen of his personal soldiers in pursuit.

After leaving Chang’an, they rode another ten miles and arrived at a three-way junction. There were three routes from Chang’an to Lingnan: one by sea, taking ships to Yangzhou and then setting sail; another by land, crossing the river from Jingxiang to Yuzhang before heading to Lingnan; and a third combining both land and water, via the Shu Road—going to Yizhou, boarding a ship on the Min River, then the Yangtze River, to Jiujiang, and finally continuing south by land.

Li Qing’an didn’t know which route Wu Yi had taken. He stopped his horse and looked around. There was a small town by the roadside, with a small restaurant right across the junction. He spurred his horse to the restaurant, where a waiter came out to greet him. “Are you soldiers looking for breakfast?”

“I’m asking you—were there two women in white here last night?”

“Yes! Two women in white passed by last night. They sat there for a while. With them was an old man with a white beard. They were discussing going to Lingnan. Are you looking for them?”

Li Qing’an was overjoyed and asked urgently, “Which route did they take?”

“The old man left a secret message before leaving, saying that if anyone searched for them, they had gone to Ziwu Valley in Shuzhong.”

Although the old man’s message was strange, Li Qing’an didn’t have time to worry about it. He turned his horse and whipped it southward, ordering, “Hurry to Ziwu Valley!”

The dozen soldiers followed him, racing toward Ziwu Valley.

Ziwu Valley was a path in Chang’an that led over Zhongnan Mountain, about a hundred li south of Chang’an and over six hundred li in length. It served as a shortcut from Chang’an to Hanzhong. During the Three Kingdoms period, Wei Yan, a general of the Shu state, repeatedly suggested using Ziwu Valley to launch surprise attacks and seize Guanzhong, but his suggestions were not adopted by Zhuge Liang.

During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Ziwu Valley became the main route for people in Guanzhong and Hanzhong to travel back and forth. All year round, merchants and travelers passed by in an endless stream, and many post stations and inns were built in the valley for travelers to rest.

In the evening, a carriage stopped in front of a large temple called Xiangji Temple. This place was two li away from the main road, on a path leading to Ziwu Valley. In the distance lay the towering Zhongnan Mountains, with steep slopes that resembled a giant green dragon spanning across the Guanzhong Plain, blocking the road southward and serving as a natural strategic barrier for Guanzhong.

Wuyi still wasn’t in high spirits. Looking at Chang’an, which grew farther and farther away, her heart was filled with disappointment and sorrow. From childhood to adulthood, she had never left Chang’an once. Now, however, she had to leave her hometown and embark on a journey whose end was unknown. She wanted to visit her parents’ graves, but she had no idea where they had been exiled to in Lingnan or where they were buried. And after that? Where should she go after visiting the graves? She was even more lost. She felt like a small boat adrift in the vast ocean, no longer in control of her own fate.

Perhaps she would go to a small town and spend her life there in peace. Looking at the entrance of Xiangji Temple, Wuyi couldn’t help but think of Cien Temple and the time when Li Qing’an personally came to pick her up in a carriage to offer sacrifices. The image of Li Qing’an’s sturdy figure appeared in her mind again—his broad shoulders seemed capable of holding up the sky for her. At that moment, she longed so much for Li Qing’an to come and find her!

At that time, Uncle Zhong rushed out of the temple, followed by two monks. Uncle Zhong smiled at Wuyi and said, “Miss Wuyi, I’ve arranged everything. Please follow me! There are guest rooms in the temple where we can rest.”

“Okay!”

Seeing that the area was quite remote with only this one temple around, Wuyi nodded and said, “Yunu, let’s go down!”

“Please, kind lady.”

The monks led the three of them to a courtyard, which served as the temple’s guest rooms. It was located next to the back wall, with a back door leading out of the temple. The buildings appeared quite old, suggesting that few people stayed there.

They entered the courtyard, where several crows cawed from the bare trees, adding to the desolate atmosphere of the dim twilight.

“Please, dear guests, make yourselves at home! This small temple doesn’t have enough grain to provide vegetarian meals. I’m sorry about that!”

The two monks muttered a few words perfunctorily before hurrying away. There were four or five empty rooms in the courtyard, most of which had not been inhabited for a long time. The rooms were covered in dust, and the window paper was torn. The night wind blew against the torn paper, making a cracking sound. Spider webs covered the corners and behind the doors.

After searching around, they finally found a slightly cleaner room. It was the room where a scholar had stayed while studying here last year. The scholar had already left. Uncle Zhong lit an oil lamp, and its small flame illuminated the room. It was barely habitable, but at least the window paper was intact, and the empty bed wasn’t covered in much dust.

“Miss, please rest first. I’ll go get some bedding for you. There’s still some dry food in the carriage. You can stay here for the night. I heard there’s a town about fifty li ahead. We can rest properly tomorrow at noon.”

Wuyi sighed and said apologetically, “Uncle Zhong, you really go to such trouble for me.”

“Miss, don’t say that. It’s the master’s order. I’ll do my best to take care of you. Please rest. I’ll go get the things.”

Uncle Zhong left. By then, Yunu had already cleaned the bed and helped Wuyi sit down. She had been worried all the way, and now she couldn’t hold back anymore and asked softly, “Miss, are we really going to Lingnan?”

“Then where else should we go if not to Lingnan? After all, my third ancestor holds a minor position there! Besides him, do I have any other relatives?”

“But didn’t you say that your third ancestor hates your father the most? Will he accept you if you go? Besides, I heard Lingnan is hot and humid, full of miasma. With your weak health, how will you be able to endure such a long journey? Miss, although paying respects to your parents at their graves is a sign of filial piety, I think if they knew you’re traveling thousands of miles just for that, they’d be uneasy even in the afterlife. Miss, listen to me—let’s not go to Lingnan for now.”

Wuyi was also a bit shaken. Although paying respects to her parents at their graves had been her wish since childhood, she was worried that her health wouldn’t hold up during such a sorrowful journey to Lingnan. After pondering for a while, she said, “How about this! Let’s stay in Chengdu for a few months. I can play the zither at the music school and teach a few students. Once I’m a bit healthier and the weather gets warmer, we can go to Lingnan.”

Yunu lowered her head and said, “Miss, what I mean is, let’s go to Beiting!”

“You’re at it again. Didn’t I tell you? Stop bringing this up.”

“Miss, didn’t your uncle, the prime minister, tell you? Don’t blame Li Qing’an. I know he really likes you. When he heard you were sick, he rushed here without hesitation. But you… you gave him the small zither back. Miss, I beg you—go back to him!”

“Enough, stop talking!”
Wuyi, upset, said, “Go and get the zither for me. I want to play for a while.”
Yunu had no choice but to sigh and fetch the zither. Moments later, melodious sounds of the zither came from the guest room—the music seemed to tell the story of a lonely woman’s life and difficult fate. Gradually, the melody changed into “Sad Spain,” becoming more passionate. Wuyi devoted herself entirely to the music, her heart filled with a determination not to yield to fate.
Suddenly, with a sharp noise, the music stopped. Wuyi slowly stood up, listening intently to something.
“Miss, what’s wrong?”
Wuyi grabbed her tightly and asked anxiously, “Yunu, did you hear it? The six-string zither—did you hear the music?”
Yunu shook her head and said, “Miss, you must be hearing things. I didn’t hear anything.”
“No! It was the sound of a six-string zither.”
Wuyi turned and rushed toward the back yard. Yunu called after her, “Miss, it’s already dark.”
But Wuyi was already far away. Yunu smiled bitterly and chased after her. Though the girl didn’t want to mention Li Qing’an, the slightest sign of him made her ignore everything else.
The courtyard where Wuyi and the others lived was next to the back door. Behind the temple lay vast forests, with a path leading to the main road. It was completely dark outside; only the outlines of the trees could be faintly seen. The night wind rustled through the trees, producing a monotonous sound. Wuyi stood frozen on the deserted steps outside the temple gate, gazing at the gloomy woods in the distance. Extreme despair filled her heart, bringing tears to her eyes. Yunu didn’t dare disturb her and stood quietly inside, waiting.
Wuyi stood alone outside the temple gate for a long time. The moon rose, and its light filtered through the trees like a veil, illuminating the beautiful face of the lonely woman. She could no longer hold back her sorrow and cried softly against the stone tablet in front of the temple gate.
Suddenly, music came from the woods—so clear that even Yunu heard it. She stopped in her tracks and let out a soft gasp.
Wuyi slowly raised her head and looked into the woods in disbelief. There he was—Li Qing’an, coming out of the woods, holding the six-string zither and playing “Sad Spain” intently. From time to time, he looked up at her with a loving smile, filled with joy at reuniting after a long separation.

Tears streamed down Wu Yi’s face, but her eyes shone, as if filled with a flame of life that illuminated her entire face. She stared blankly at Li Qing’an as he slowly approached. Was she dreaming? He was right in front of her.
Yu Nu quietly closed the courtyard gate. At the moment she closed it, she jumped for joy, covering her mouth in fear that she might shout. She lifted the hem of her dress and ran toward the courtyard, determined to tell Uncle Zhong that they didn’t need to go to Lingnan anymore.
The sound of the zither stopped. Li Qing’an stood in front of Wu Yi, looking at this delicate and beautiful woman, his heart filled with compassion.
Wu Yi stared blankly at Li Qing’an. The strength that had supported her all this time suddenly vanished. She felt extremely exhausted. Before she could say a word, everything went dark, and she collapsed softly into Li Qing’an’s arms.