The early fall became early winter, the leaves were down from the trees, making a slippery mash on the ground that Jingting had to sweep away before the first frost made it so he would again slide down his path. That occasionally happened to everyone who came down from the sanctuary.
He looked up when he heard the bird screech above his head. He saw Lele coming down, and unconsciously he smiled before putting two of his fingers in his mouth, making a circle, and made a loud whistling noise. Another, now long, screech sounded from the bird before he spotted him on the path and dived straight to him.
He put the broom aside and braced his hand for the additional weight that was landing on him. At first, when Jiang Heng taught him how to call Lele, he was afraid it would hurt. The claws and the landing. But he was surprised to learn that it was just a small pressure. Nothing scary. Just additional weight under which his arm lowered a bit before he raised it to the level he needed to get out the tube with his letter.
He frowned when he noticed the tube was bigger than usual. Different. And there was nothing inside. Just a small flower made out of lavender jade. He knew what the flower was. It was Jie Geng, the balloon flower, its five petals opening, hanging on a brittle stalk. It looked so fragile and delicate Jingting was surprised it survived the flight. And also. He had never seen jade like this. It was not a light purple color, but it was deep lavender. But there was one problem…
Jingting had no idea what Liu Sheng was trying to say with this. He knew it was used to cure coughing, sore throat, or common cold, but that probably wasn’t what Liu Sheng meant… was it? Should he make some coughing medicine?
Jingting was deep in his thoughts when Xicheng slapped him over his shoulder. He was startled, and the delicate flower almost fell from his hand. The sudden movement made Lele fly away, scaring Xicheng, who did not notice the bird nor the flower at first.
Jingting was staring at him, hoping thousands of ants would crawl all over Xicheng's body during the night. What a pity it wasn’t warm anymore, he could actually sacrifice a bit of honey.
“Can you think before you act?” he asked carefully, clasping the flower in his hand.
“Oh common. It was an accident. What gift did you get now?” he asked, peeking. There was no point in hiding it, as Xicheng and his web of spies would always get to know. Jingting reached out, showing him the delicate flower.
“Holy Heavens. So this is where it went… If my imperial uncle knew this is what happened to the lavender jade he bestowed upon his savior… Well, it would get far more interesting…” Xicheng laughed while ogling the flower, then he decided it was getting too cold and went up the stairs. Jingting stared at his back for a few moments and then ran to him.
“What? What did you just say?” He grabbed Xicheng’s arm and turned him around. He saw his grin, but decided to ignore him.
“Your General stopped an arrow that was meant for my imperial uncle during the Mid-autumn festival, and so my uncle gave him his precious lavender jade. Btw… this flower was made of it; my uncle had a slab of stone. The carving and its meaning were meant for you from your general.” Somehow Jingting was speechless. His mouth was hanging open, and Xicheng lightly tapped his chin to close it back up.
It took a few weeks for him to accept the Liu family and his sister being in love with Liu Cheng. But once Jiang Heng showed him who was better at fighting and strategy and everything, well, he was soaking in all the knowledge he could from them. Definitely planning to use it against them one day.
“And what’s its meaning?” Jingting asked carefully.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Ask Xuhua, she is interested in that. I only know you can use it for sore throat and cold. So as much as you…” Jingting was actually a bit embarrassed; he was the same as this young brat. But then… he knew plants for their intended use in medicine. Not their made-up meaning.
“She went to your father in the afternoon. He came to talk about the engagement.” Jingting could see how Xicheng clenched his jaw and walked away without a word.
Well, maybe he still wasn’t that used to them being back in the open world. Once Xihua was old enough, Prince of Xing started talking about her marriage. Before she hid from it in the sanctuary, but now when Liu Cheng became Duke of Zhenshuo, a general owning a private army, winning battles, and safely guarding the northern border… Well, she was happy enough that she was Princess Changning, noble enough to marry him out in the open.
Jingting wasted no more time and went directly to the library. His father managed to rewrite all the text he lost during the Wen family massacre; some were given to him, and some were traced from outside of the sanctuary, but now it was the largest library full of knowledge of the medicinal and outer world. But nobody knew of it. Only the disciples of the Wen family were allowed inside… so well, everyone on the mountain. And two of those disciples were now sitting opposite to each other. Jin Hua and Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng was even older than Jingting, so he was usually the elder here up on the mountain. He used to be his father’s servant, so he was a bit like his father himself. Now he desperately wanted to get Jin Hua to soak up every bit of knowledge he had.
“Jiang shixiong, do we have some books about flower language?” he asked, and the look he got was just as if he grew not two heads but four of them. Before Jiang shixiong nodded, got up and found him the one he needed.
Jingting stared at the double meaning: Eternal, unchanging loyalty. The desperation of waiting. And the second one. Unfading love. Which one was he supposed to get? Jingting was so confused before Jiang shixiong came close and looked at the jade flower.
“Hold on for me through this cold separation. Do not let your heart change,” he said and walked away. That was the interpretation? Was he supposed to wait?
“Can I send the same back in silk?” he shouted at the leaving Jiang shixiong. He had no jade and no carving tools. But he knew how to make silk flowers.
“You asked me to wait, so I will. My heart is tied to yours as firmly as these woven silk threads,” he shouted back, and Jingting nodded, knowing his plans for the night.
