After dinner, Shu Cailing and Hongshi returned to their room.
Having gone on a shopping spree for the first time, Shu Cailing excitedly opened his qiankun bag and dug out everything he'd bought: books, snacks, and other knick knacks. Hongshi took a seat and pulled out a cup and his recently purchased wine, watching Shu Cailing rummaged through to see what he wanted to start reading today.
"You're more eager to read than usual," he commented.
Picking up a book on supernatural encounters, Shu Cailing rolled his eyes. "I don't mean this in a bad way, Shige, but most of the books you and Shifu read to me are not books read for enjoyment, least of all for children. I did read a lot more after studying modern script, but Mister Yu wouldn't let me take his book collection out of his pavilion. Only after I managed to go to the libraries on my own did I realize that most books are even comprehensible."
"I know. Dad read me only texts on cosmology and state affairs back when I first formed into a spirit. When he started compiling it, he read me his draft of the Diagrams of Bai Ze. I understood so little of it, and it used to baffle him." With a snort, Hongshi filled his cup and took a sip. "Consequence of being born with the knowledge of all creatures and being privy to the secrets of Heaven. He read you those books on Internal Medicine when you were five, but back when I was the yao equivalent of that age, he was trying to detail the formation of the universe."
"T-the formation of the universe?"
"It was as ridiculous as it sounds. Only after he was told off by…"
He stopped. Shu Cailing blinked, waiting, but Hongshi was staring at his wine with an unreadable expression. Only after the silence stretched long enough to end the conversation did he continue, "After he was told off by someone else, he stopped trying to explain that and let me pick what I wanted to learn."
"...At least when asked, Shifu is actually good at explaining."
The peculiar tension in Hongshi's shoulders started to melt away. "Mm. He just doesn't know that normal people's general level of knowledge is miles behind his. That said, Qingling was the one to teach you the modern script?"
Qingling was a spirit born of an auspicious piece of jade. He lived in human society around a hundred years ago, even becoming the Director of the Department of State Affairs, whatever that meant. All that Shu Cailing really cared about were his stories about the rather bizarre and finicky rituals and habits of the imperial court, and the collection of four hundred books he brought with him to the island.
"Yeah, mostly! But he himself couldn't read the old script, which he apparently said predated even the bronzeware script he already can't read, so… We spent most of the time trying to figure out how to do it. In the end he just taught me how to read anew." Shu Cailing laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But later on we did work a bit on identifying the evolution of a couple hundred or so words? But the only text we had in both the old script and modern script was, well, the Diagrams of Bai Ze. I still have the notes if you need it."
The old notebook Shu Cailing had was rather worn with somewhat crooked handwriting, but it was filled with observations on particular patterns and similarities. As Hongshi flipped through it, he nodded at the detailed explanation of how he arrived at certain conclusions.
"This will be helpful. Thank you."
Shu Cailing grinned back at him.
And like that, they spent the night reading.
____
"Good morning!"
"Good morning Junyao, Tao-xiongtai," Xu Boyan greeted with a smile. "Ready to set off?"
After another uneventful day of reading and shopping, it was time to depart. Mid-morning, a plainly dressed woman knocked on their door and led them to a small, quiet park. Maple trees lined the area, burning a brilliant red under the sunlight.
If previously the matter of Xu Boyan and He Zhecheng's backgrounds was only a speculation, it was now abundantly clear that they were not ordinary people. A small entourage of three carriages and four horses lined up in the deserted area. He Jian and two other people were crowding the back of the last carriage, shifting things around, while eight men in plain black clothes stood straight in a formation. They had swords strapped to their waists.
"You will have to share the carriage with us, if that is okay," Xu Boyan said, gesturing at the middle one.
"We're not picky," Shu Cailing reassured.
Xu Boyan climbed in first, to his surprise. As He Jian pushed He Zhecheng's wheelchair closer to the carriage, He Zhecheng took out a cane and slowly, with a barely audible, yet audibly pained hiss, rose to his feet. His other hand grabbed onto the doorway of the carriage, and the whole thing dipped and tipped over to one side for one terrifying moment, but the weight of a person inside seemed to act as a counterbalance. As He Zhecheng heaved himself inside with the strength of his arms alone, Xu Boyan hovered nearby, seemingly ready to catch him at any time.
He Zhecheng sat down with a great thump.
He Jian took away the wheelchair and stored it on the third carriage, which seemed to be where all the belongings went. As Shu Cailing stared at the entire process of pulling a ramp, wheeling it up, and blocking the wheelchair into place with a heavy-looking wooden chest, though, Hongshi put a hand on his shoulder.
"Get in."
"Oh! Right. Sorry."
Shu Cailing climbed inside. The carriage was larger than it appeared outside, with seats on both sides of the interior. Though Xu Boyan had climbed in first, the one sitting further from the door was He Zhecheng, whose expression was unreadable. Xu Boyan, though, retained his pleasant smile as he gestured at Shu Cailing to walk further inside and sit opposite He Zhecheng, allowing Hongshi to sit beside the door.
As they sat in silence, the people outside went about to finish preparations. Then, there were two slight shifts in the carriage as two men climbed up the front, and they were off.
"So that's what it feels like," Shu Cailing commented under his breath as he poked aside the curtain to peek outside. He watched the stream of people and buildings flow past them, watched people glance over as the entourage stopped for examinations at the gates. The muted conversation from the men ahead quickly resolved. They resumed their journey.
He Zhecheng raised an eyebrow. "And what do you make of it?"
"Boring," Shu Cailing admitted. "I guess I'll just read."
As Xu Boyan laughed, Shu Cailing dug out several books from his bag. The first thing he pulled out was the book of poetry; after further consideration, he took the medical texts he bought too.
The book, bound under the title of "Laments for the River Ji", was primarily composed of patriotic poetry recounting the abject suffering of war, the sacrifices of soldiers, and the loss that resonated throughout the lands. Many areas and landmarks seemed to be mentioned, but Shu Cailing wasn't sure what it was supposed to indicate; he was sure he was missing historical context here. The rest, however, seemed to be gifted poems, like "A Welcome to Lieutenant Jiang Upon His Return from Bianling" and "A Poem Composed Upon Seeing the Chrysanthemums Bloom at the Jingying Lake Gardens with Prince Xian". Lengthy titles for poems that told him little about the people mentioned, but Shu Cailing had a feeling that Mister Yu Qingling would whack him with a bamboo slip scroll for his sheer lack of cultural education.
If this education I got is good enough for a divine beast…
The second book was more interesting: it was one on moxibustion, which Bai Mingyuan had never dabbled in, given that it involved pressing burning mugwort onto the skin and he in general disliked such close proximity with fire. Acupuncture did comprise a large third of Shu Cailing's education, though, and the treatise went into details comparing the effectiveness between the two. As he read, he hummed in consideration at several passages of a discourse, raised an eyebrow at a rather grandiose claim, and almost tugged at Hongshi's sleeve to ascertain whether a specific god really invented moxibustion at least twice.
As he finished up chapter two, Shu Cailing put his book down to peek outside. The sun was high in the sky now, lighting up the golden foliage of the roadside trees, and he stared at the passing scenery. When he let go of the curtain and turned to Hongshi, however, he paused.
"He-xiong? Are you okay?"
He Zhecheng only grunted in annoyance, hissing afterwards. Shu Cailing frowned.
The carriage had been silent for so long that he'd assumed everyone else had taken a nap or something, but while Hongshi meditated, Xu Boyan and He Zhecheng apparently had just been… sitting in silence? And at some point, He Zhecheng was struck with a flare-up.
"If it hurts, you should speak up, you know." Shu Cailing put his book down, extending a hand. "Can you hold out y—"
"Oh shut up," He Zhecheng snapped. "It's ten times more bearable without someone nagging me endlessly about what I should or shouldn't do. Fuck off. I'm the one in pain anyway."
Shu Cailing's frown deepened, but he didn't take the outburst to heart. Instead, he glanced at Xu Boyan. Though his expression seemed unbothered, as if he was used to it, he didn't seem to really be there. Sighing, Shu Cailing replied, "I am trying to help, you know? All right, let me…"
Since the issue was resentment, the first solution that came to mind was the jade token. A Bai Ze motif carved into a flat piece of pure white jade, it was a charm given to him by his shifu back when he was a baby, both to ward off evil and illness. Though the efficacy in the latter could be called into question given Shu Cailing's childhood, its ability in the former should not be.
As he moved to untie it from his waist, however, Hongshi opened his eyes and gripped his wrist.
"Do not," he enunciated, "and I mean do not take that off."
Saying that, he untied his own token and handed it to Shu Cailing, tassel and all. Taking it, Shu Cailing warmed the jade with his palms for a few moments before leaning down and pressing it against He Zhecheng's lower leg.
"This might hu—"
Before he could even finish, Shu Cailing saw a knee jerking straight towards his face and shut his eyes. A powerful tug on his arm made them open in surprise, and he heard a rather painful-sounding thwack followed by the carriage jostling— by the time Shu Cailing could figure out what was going on, he was sprawled over Hongshi, and Xu Boyan was massaging his arm. He Zhecheng was glaring at the floor. There was a dead silence.
Xu Boyan took a breath. "I'm sorry—"
"Press that on your own legs yourself," Hongshi said coldly. With a barely perceptible sigh, Xu Boyan leaned down and picked up the fallen jade, handing it to He Zhecheng.
"Nobody fucking told him to do it himself," He Zhecheng spat out, brows furrowed and gaze diverted. Hongshi's expression grew even colder.
"All right, all right," Shu Cailing sighed. Patting Hongshi's knee comfortingly, he slid back to his seat and continued, "He-xiong, if you would. Xu-xiong, it's all right, it's something that will hurt at first but will make things feel better after that initial spike of pain. Shige, please."
Shu Cailing kept an eye on everyone as he waited for them to calm down. As both Hongshi and He Zhecheng averted their gazes, leaning away from one another, he internally nodded and reassessed the situation.
A hesitant voice came from the front of the carriage. "Sir…?"
"Everything's fine," Xu Boyan called out. "Let's keep moving."
____
Shu Cailing got another chapter of the moxibustion treatise done before they stopped at a rest station. After curiously peeking outside and spotting He Jian and several others entering the building, Shu Cailing decided to hop off. Soundlessly, Hongshi followed.
"My butt is getting sore," he complained as they walked. "We have to go for another few days? Have you traveled far before, Shige?"
"En," Hongshi said. Amusement had crept back into his voice, which was a relief given he had been cold as stone since He Zhecheng's outburst. "Rode on Dad's back to the North Sea Palace. It was worse than riding a horse. He strapped me to his back halfway through."
"Eh? How long did that take?"
"A whole month. It would've taken three by normal means."
Fresh air and having his two feet on solid ground felt fantastic after so long. Though it was just a short distance, Shu Cailing could feel the tension in his body loosen.
He Jian was just on his way back out when they bumped into him.
"Mr. Shu, Mr. Tao," he greeted. "We were just about to order food for lunch."
"What's on the menu?" Shu Cailing asked.
"They're a bit simple, but there is chicken. They're taking a table to sit on outside, but there are chairs inside too."
"Oh, I really would enjoy eating outside. It's hot, but I do miss sunlight and the breeze."
It was a great day, actually. The rest station wasn't that big, and Shu Cailing could hear the bustle from the back as the kitchen started cooking for a large group. As they waited, a lady from Xu Boyan's group served them tea.
"He Zhecheng would've broken your nose if his knee landed," Hongshi suddenly said. Shu Cailing, his mind having wandered back to the medical treatise he read, blinked in confusion.
"Eh?"
"His other leg was also trying to kick you. That was blocked by Xu Boyan in the end."
"Huh. Military training?"
Scowling, Hongshi flicked a drying leaf at his face. "He's a patient, but he could've injured you."
Shu Cailing sighed. "And I have you and Xu-xiong to thank for my safety."
"...In some respects, you're as much of a pushover as Dad."
"Shige, look, it's like this. If I respond in anger then, what does it achieve other than escalate the situation? We were in an enclosed space and will be for days. I was thinking of talking with him later—"
The conversation was cut short by the same lady coming over to serve them food. Sighing, he switched tactics and started tugging at the bead on Hongshi’s bracelet instead.
"Shige, don't be angry, okay? I promise you I don't actually want or like being treated like dough. But I also have a sense of measure. Sick people have a lot of attitude, they often thrash around when in pain, if I take offense to each instance like they were personally out to rob me, I won't get anything done ba." Shu Cailing caringly clipped Hongshi's favorites onto his bowl. "If you're angry with me, who do I come crying to when I do get bullied?"
The sigh Hongshi let out was heavy, but Shu Cailing knew that he had already acquiesced. Their meal was quiet, but it wasn't awkward.
Hongshi excused himself as soon as they were done, and Shu Cailing waved him off. Piling the plates to take back to the kitchen, he was stopped by an unfamiliar man who hurriedly took the dishes away, looking like he was worried for his life.
…That was weird, but all right.
With little else to do, Shu Cailing headed back to the front of the building, only to spot Xu Boyan walking over to the rest station in a daze. Though his back was straight, something in his eyes betrayed a physical exhaustion.
"Eh, Xu-xiong? You came out?"
For a brief moment, Shu Cailing thought Xu Boyan was growing cross eyed trying to focus his gaze, but it was gone long before he could catch it. The smile on his face was diplomatic and practiced. "Ah, Junyao. Yes, I figured I'd give Zhecheng some space. Have you eaten?"
"We just finished. Have you?"
"I am about to." As Shu Cailing joined him on the short walk back inside, Xu Boyan asked, "Tao-xiongtai is not with you?"
"Oh, I'm giving him some space, too. He doesn't like being around people for too long. I think being in a carriage with three others for three shichen is the longest he'd been in the same room with more than one person in a long time."
As soon as they sat down, the ladies from before immediately brought over tea, which Xu Boyan accepted with a relieved sigh. After a cup, he looked much more grounded in the present. Rubbing his thumb against the side of the glazed porcelain, he said after further consideration, "I suppose cultivators would be used to being alone for long periods of time, huh?"
Shu Cailing stared at him for a moment before he snapped out of it. Right, they assumed he and his shige were cultivators.
"We're not all secluding ourselves, but well…" Their conversation was cut short as the ladies came back to place several dishes and a bowl of rice on the table, before one returned to slide a plate of roasted chestnuts in front of Shu Cailing. He leaned back, surprised. "Oh, right! Sorry, I forgot you were just about to eat. Am I bothering you?"
Xu Boyan let out a small laugh as he picked up his chopsticks. "Not at all. I like the company, please stay if you want to. It's not every day I have someone I chat with at leisure.”
Somehow, that was both a surprise and not. "Is it the travel? Personality-wise, Xu-xiong honestly seems like someone who wouldn't lack company, even with He-xiong sitting around saying and doing things that make people want to beat him up."
After a moment of stunned silence, Xu Boyan started laughing. "Did you know, Zhecheng is actually popular in the capital city? He's very honest, if a bit audacious at times, but that's part of his charm. We're only heading back to the capital next year, but there are already invitations to dine at newly opened restaurants sent over."
Shu Cailing… could see that. Although he had mostly interacted with He Zhecheng in a doctor-patient capacity, which seemed to sour the latter's mood more often than not, Shu Cailing could understand the appeal.
Still, it felt like he was hearing more about He Zhecheng than… Xu Boyan.
"What do you usually do then, Xu-xiong?"
Xu Boyan looked genuinely surprised, pausing with his hand hovering over the bowl of soup he was reaching for. "Ah, me? When I have the time, I enjoy gathering to appreciate flowers and listen to others compose a poem or two. I don't know if a poetry competition is appealing to you, Junyao, but should you visit the capital city, do drop by the gardens of Jingying Lake regardless. Though its pavilions are often used by nobles to host such activities, the rest of the garden is tranquil."
There was a genuine light in Xu Boyan's eyes as he talked more about the beautiful spots Shu Cailing ought to visit should he be in the area, from a peach tree grove on the northwest of the capital to a waterfall at Dongyang. Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he said, "I saw the poetry of Qian Xi among the books you were reading today. Are you interested in his works?"
"To be honest with you, Xu-xiong, poems sound pretty to me but I don't get how people write or think of them so much," Shu Cailing admitted. "I was just reading it because it seemed like something people were reading."
At that, Xu Boyan laughed. "I see. That's fine. Qian Xi is rather popular, perhaps moreso here in the east than in the capital, because his poems echo universal human experiences. At the same time, he's not particularly popular either? I'm sure you noticed this, many of his poems dealt with the tragedies of war. The borders had been stable for over a century and the country is safe; most people don't understand firsthand the suffering detailed, and need to convey that pain is limited. It is a good thing, but, ah… In any case, he has written other poems that are more mundane in themes."
Talking about Qian Xi and his poetry woke Xu Boyan better than tea. Shu Cailing jotted a mental note for later.
The interior of the rest house had been half-filled by Xu Boyan's people. It seemed like they were eating in rotation, as four men in black walked in not long after the previous four had left; if it was any indication, they should be departing again once this group finished eating. Volume dropping, Shu Cailing said, "Xu-xiong, can I ask something that will sound stupid?"
"Ah?"
"I don't know the ordering of the dynasties. When was what?"
Xu Boyan looked taken aback, but he recovered quickly. "That… Ah, so, we are in the Great Ji, and we have Qian Country to the northeast and Yong Country to the west. Around 160 years ago, the clan of Feng established this country after defeating the last emperor of Western Yan. Does that help?"
"I think so. And before the Western Yan?"
"Before Western Yan was Teng, and before that was Wei." He tapped the table in thought, humming a bit before taking a sip of his soup. "I don't know if you've heard of it yet, but the former capital of Wei is rather infamous. It's quite a bit further north from here, but Xingdu, that capital, is still on fire today. It has long since been abandoned and everyone who tried to settle nearby reportedly found the area was heavy in yin qi. I don't know if this is useful information for you, but if you need more details, you should be able to find it in the history books you had earlier in the carriage."
Ah, right, the history books he hadn't touched yet because he wasn't sure where to start. In chronological order, it would then be… Wei, Teng, Western Yan and then Ji. Their contemporaries to the northeast was Qian, to the west Yong.
"It sounds like it could be helpful. Thank you, Xu-xiong!"
He received a smile in return. "It's the least I can do. I'm sorry about earlier. Zhecheng, he… it's just that he has martial training, and the pain, it makes him…"
One hand still fiddling with the roasted chestnuts, Shu Cailing raised his other hand. "Xu-xiong, it's okay. I want to reiterate that I understand. People don't always react rationally when in pain, and I know I'm young and look too easy going, but I have dealt with people before. He-xiong is not a bad person, I know that he meant neither to do that nor the words he said while lashing out. I'm sure that once he feels slightly better, he'll feel guilty about it. I can probably get an apology out of him later or something. You don't need to feel so guilty in his stead."
"You're right," Xu Boyan sighed. "Zhecheng does genuinely feel guilty for his outbursts; this isn't the first time, and he's especially sensitive towards doctors. I meddle too much, I'm aware. I should take a step back."
On one hand, a man who was very invested in the health and wellbeing of his friend, on the other, a person in chronic pain that was understandably tired of all the poking and prodding. Xu Boyan did come off as being as naggy as a parent, but Shu Cailing felt like their relationship really wasn’t just… that stifling experience.
But that aspect of their friendship could also become all-encompassing.
"You should talk to He-xiong about it," Shu Cailing said instead. "I'm sure he knows you don't mean anything bad. But if you just… stop suddenly, it might give the wrong impression."
"Mm, I understand."
"Just… try to meet each other halfway ba. You two care about each other, I'm sure it'll work out."
Shu Cailing thought back about Hongshi and Bai Mingyuan. For all Hongshi's bitterness, all the times he interpreted Bai Mingyuan's actions in the worst possible light, Shu Cailing had the sense that he didn't truly see his father as a good-for-nothing drunkard. He brewed his wine, after all, and always made sure Bai Mingyuan was there to eat lunch with them. He complained about how Bai Mingyuan's actions were thoughtless and self-destructive and foolish, yes. But Shu Cailing couldn't help but note that the concern was always hidden beneath a layer of thorns.
On the other hand, Bai Mingyuan would not speak up no matter how angry Hongshi got. He would admit he was wrong, even cook Hongshi's favorite dishes as an apology, and Shu Cailing had an inkling that he did so because understood his son's concerns. But he never explained himself, be it what he was doing or why he was like this. And it was exacerbating the issues between them, because Hongshi simply felt like his criticisms went unheard.
As far as Shu Cailing saw it, Bai Mingyuan didn't seem to know what to say, while Hongshi didn't seem to know how. And the cycle fed itself, until they both realized that it was starting to breed genuine hatred and they silently agreed to reset.
Shu Cailing could feel a shadow of this in Xu Boyan and He Zhecheng's interactions like a clench in his guts.
He hoped that they could address it before it started to fester like an open wound.
"Where there are three men walking together, one is bound to be able to teach me something," Xu Boyan laughed. Putting down his chopsticks, he gestured for the two waiting women to take away the plates, which they did with silent efficiency. "Thank you, Junyao."
"Sorry I'm meddling instead," Shu Cailing laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ignore me, ignore me.”
"Oh, I was happy to learn. I think I would do well with different perspectives; still waters run stale, after all." But with a sigh Xu Boyan rose to his feet, and Shu Cailing followed. "Unfortunately, though, we have to continue our travels. Shall we go now?"
“Eh? He-xiong isn’t going to eat?”
“He Jian already brought the food over to him earlier, don’t worry.”
In the end, though, Xu Boyan checked on the rest station people, while Shu Cailing went on ahead. As soon as he stepped outside, he paused in his tracks. Hongshi was leaning against the wall next to the doorway and probably had been for a while, because his eyebrows were raised. His amber eyes betrayed little emotion.
"Ah, Shige."
“Let’s go.”
