It turned out I strained myself beyond physical limits. My health did not improve but entered a downward spiral of misery, one I never had the pleasure of knowing before. It felt like I was thrown into a blazing fire a left to cook. My clothes stuck from the sweat and my skin burned and prickled. I slept for the majority of the time and my consciousness could be considered obscure at best. At some point I thought more people appeared, attendants and other military men with funny hats, and another time I thought apple-loving Cinnamon and Biao were talking to me. It just seemed too real, and I had deep philosophical conversations with them.

Even stranger, I thought I felt a rough, calloused hand holding mine.

“You’ll be well again.”

…

The next time I woke I was in a plain room with only a small table, a cup of tea, and a bed. I slowly blinked, drank every drop in the cup, then went outside for a small inconvenience*. When I stepped out, I was surprised by the splendid view.

There was a large courtyard with several people conversing or walking, and the wooden columns beside me were red like cedar, the rooftops slick with glazed black tiles. Not yet become a ghost; I reached General Zhou’s mansion. Thinking on how miraculous that was, my ears heard a quiet gossiping like the buzz of a fly, and I looked down the hall to see three servants avert their gazes. Well…the sun was already high in the sky, but I wandered outside wearing one thin layer of inner clothes. My collar wasn’t even pulled up nor sash tied properly, so my collarbone and somewhat emaciated chest were on full display. Hair hadn’t been brushed either, tangled and untethered like a barbarian¹Refers to northerners (opposing faction) also in ancient times it was considered that those who didn't tie their hair up were uncivilized like those in the north. .

I heard a gasp. “….he’s alive?!”

“Quick, let’s get the physician!”

“Aiya, I’m afraid to ask him…”

By the time I opened my mouth to ask a question, the servants fled quick little steps…had I done something embarrassing? In no time a man rushed towards me up the stairs of the courtyard. His face was a red, round, and pudgy, reminding me of a persimmon, and his body was also ample in width, wrinkles and folds.

“Excuse me, Mister Fang!”

The persimmon was flustered, his voice rather nasally. He was wearing a blue cotton vest and an extra jade token on his belt, and it seemed he was called over from the ruckus I made. Looking over my appearance, he winced.

“Mister Fang…you don’t need to lie down anymore?”

“I feel much better now, thank you. But I worry others think I’m a ghost.”

“Good, good,” he said, then cupped his hands to introduce himself, “I serve as the Steward* here, simply call me Tang Su. Now that Mister Fang is feeling better, you can…would you like to take a little while to ready yourself, then I can inform you of your responsibilities?”

He had a new set of clothes bundled in his arms and a pair of shoes that he offered.

“Er…” I was perplexed, “…what responsibilities?”

Tang Su’s mouth hung open in a circle like a fish’s, but quickly corrected it. He likely figured I had spotty memory from my illness.

“Master Zhou has employed you as his personal attendant. Is this correct? This includes arranging his methods of transport, clothing, and such…he also mentioned you had experience in scholarly matters, and so designated that you aid in documentation.”

I was stunned. It seems that preventing me from carrying out my wishes wasn’t enough for Zhou Liang, he had to intrude into every aspect of my life, create a wound then dig it open every few days, waiting for it to fester. I was considering staying here for a while, patiently waiting to escape, but there was no way I’d do redundant and mundane paperwork again! Nope! Perhaps if Zhou Liang were here to ‘convince’ in person, but if it’s this persimmon…

“Ah yes, I remember now,” I replied. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Tang Su said in an agreeable manner, “I understand completely. You’ve only just recovered, after all, but if Master Zhou trusts you to manage the Zhou family documentation, you certainly are a learned Sir.”

Such a meritorious position, I decided to put on an ebullient smile. It was no wonder this Tang Su was speaking to me ever so politely; my standing should not be too low. Looking over the railing and to the large building in the back center, I continued,

“Then, where is General Zhou now?”

“The Master has gone to the Heishun town and won’t return for a couple of weeks. He stated that Mister Fang take his time to rest and become accustomed to his living arrangement.”

Great, he’s gone! I bowed slightly. “In that case, I will have to trouble Steward Tang.”

Tang Su appeared to be the sedulous type. He was pleased with my humbleness, the corners of his pudgy mouth curving, small eyes alight with a twinkle; There was always something good about having a new person around that could take some workload off your shoulders. Of course, Tang Su didn’t know I would circumvent my all my duties. He showed me around the mansion’s three courtyards, places such as the kitchen, warehouse, main hall, latrines…the architecture was not very ornate, it could even be considered austere for a favored General’s residence, but it did have a sense of sophistication.

There was one thing I was rather curious about, though.

“Is it that General Zhou has not yet married or taken a concubine?” I hadn’t seen a single sign of them.

It was clear I hit on a sore spot because Steward Tang stopped in place, turning his wide frame to me.

“…a delicate matter, but indeed true. However! This mansion isn’t similar to any other you could serve at, Mister Fang.” Gesticulating as he spoke, even the extra flesh under his chin jiggled with pride. “I have served here forty-four years. Throughout it I do not have a single regret. You see, Master Zhou is an equable lord. He kindly tolerates any small and trivial mistake, and only has intolerance for misdeeds. I would go as far as to say that Master Zhou not a tiger of war, but the divine White Tiger*...”

He went on in praise and I felt like I was dying!

After all, Tang Su wasn’t the Steward of the mansion in name only, no matter Zhou Liang did or did not do, he would find a way to spin it into a point worth flattering. His words were the same as saying that although Zhou Liang was not following cultural obligations, his other contributions exceeded that.

Tang Su finished, “…what’s fair is fair, and Master Zhou has always done just so. There are only good things from it, benefiting all involved, so it really leaves no room to complain, I’d say.”

“Truly awe-inspiring,” I said.

“That he is, certainly…” Tang Su was about to continue his extolment…

I slapped my hand on the hall railing and began to cough. It was not an unobtrusive, restrained, clearing of the throat, but a severe, alarming cough that sounded like I was trying to cough up an organ or two along with whatever was clogging my throat. At my previous job I’d sometimes put on a show like this. The Minister was older so he’d worry about his health the most, and in general people were very apprehensive of catching any virulent sickness. They’d cover their mouths with a handkerchief, wave me on my way, and sometimes they’d even send some medicine over to my house.

Tang Su backpedaled a meter away, proving that my spurious act worked very well. Fearing for his life, he spoke twice as fast.

“It seems Mister Fang still needs to recover! You should rest early. Don’t worry about the other matters for now.”

As I stumbled back to my new abode, Tang Su said from the door frame, “This inept servant nearly forgot—I’ll have little stutter bring your meal. Physician Chen had prescribed some medicine, and there’s ginseng from Master Zhou as well. Then I’ll excuse myself now...”

“Little stutter?”

Tang Su paused, then seemed to understand.

“Ah, my mistake. Mister Fang naturally doesn’t know. Shen Jiu is in charge of managing Master Zhou’s ranch and stables since three years ago, so his standing isn’t actually low, but everyone calls him like this. He is…a little clumsy, an amusing fellow. The stables themselves are right across the street from here.” He rubbed his hands together. “In any case, if you need anything don’t hesitate to call on a servant…goodbye!”

Steward Tang had gone, but I was more interested in this ‘little stutter’ who helped manage Zhou Liang’s horses. Even if he’s a stable boy, he’s the one who trained that monstrous black mount of Zhou Liang’s, I couldn’t imagine how he became an outcast.

The land in the east was covered in grassy plains and the climate temperate, so there wasn’t much better place to raise horses and livestock than here, and the hinterland of Xi’an city had many ranches. Zhou Liang’s grandfather had people toil to build a high wall around the city when the lands had stabilized under Chong Empire’s control, making it a difficult place to besiege.

‘Little stutter’ finally arrived. “Mister Fang, I’ve b-rought the evening meal.” His voice wasn’t uncertain or nervous, there was only a stutter in it.

“Come in.”

A young man that looked to be twenty years or so entered, and as he came over, I gave him my amiable smile, and he stared a moment before his pupils dived to the ground.

“…s-sorry,” his cheeks had a faint hint of red.

I raised my eyebrows. “Whatever for?”

“Mister Fang hasn’t eaten much for days yet had to wait to eat after waking up. S-so I think the meal should have been brought s…sooner.”

“It wasn’t your decision. It was Steward Tang’s, wasn’t it?”

“That is true, but…” he appeared very sympathetic.

I already liked this little stutterer. It’s true that his nose is a bit round, eyes a tad small, and his voice seemed to exude awkwardness. Nevertheless, his hair his neatly put up atop his head and his figure is very good—tall, just enough meat and muscle. I could imagine him raking out the stalls of the stable and brushing horses all day long. The first person I liked had also been hardworking like this.

“Don’t stand on ceremony, call me Fang Shuren,” my demeanor was that of a gentleman’s at once, as I raised my head with a mild expression, “thank you for bringing my meal.”

Shen Jiu seemed a little surprised. “It’s no trouble! It’s my duty. Besides, I heard Mister Fang is not f…f-ully recovered.”

“Oh?” I watched him unload the dishes onto the table, noting a bruise on the top of his hand, then leaned against the side of the bed as though tired, “…I do feel unwell. But I still think it must have troubled you, after all, Mister Shen is already in charge of General Zhou’s horses. It must be difficult to make sure they are always in the best condition. You ought to be tired by now, yet you were sent here.”

Shen Jiu froze a moment, then gave a placating smile. “No, no...it really isn’t any trouble.”

He seemed genuinely sincere in his words, more than happy to do so.

Smiling, I asked on a whim, “These days while I am still recovering, would you like to come by when you are free, tell me about the horses? We can chat, and I will have something to occupy the time.”

“That is, uh…what does Mister Fang wish to know?”

“I never had the chance to learn much about the imperial stud farms, breeding with foreign horses from the north and west—I’ve always been curious about the matter. Can mister Shen believe I was an academic before coming here? These sorts of topics interest me.”

“Yes, yes, I can believe it…” he was astonished but frowned, hesitating. “But…”

I reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be stingy about passing knowledge*!”

Shen Jiu recoiled from the contact with a flush on the tip of his ears. “Then, this s…s-ervant does know a little about the matter.”

I placed my chin on my hand and stared at him directly, narrowing my eyes a little.

“Great. I look forward to it.”

“I-I’ll take my leave for now!” Shen Jiu said stood quickly and escaped out the door while muttering something about cleaning hooves.

For the next week and a half I faked illness.

Time passed with extreme uneventfulness and not a single interesting happening. It all blended together, really. I could firmly say that I did nothing of substance at all—only talked, ate, slept, wandered the courtyards. Tang Su, on the other hand, is always very busied. He gave up on teaching me anything, and his pandering smile has become a forced twist of the lips whenever he sees me.

I talked with little stutter every evening.

Shen Jiu could mutter about horses in his sleep and once he got started wasn’t a smidgen considerate to if the other person was bored or not. He could easily talk to me for hours.

The current breed endorsed by the emperor included a mix of a far western type and our native horse, it stands two heads taller, the build slim, neck thinner and longer, and the tail is held up high. Like this, the figure was no longer squat and stout. The coloration also varied more, instead of the typic dun, there could be sable, amber, or even white. Furthermore, the agility and stamina of this breed was higher, having excellent use for light cavalry* and chariots. And so the intricacies go on…

“So how about a celestial horse, does Master Zhou have one?” I asked while sipping tea. By now, Shen Jiu knew I wasn’t ill, but never mentioned it.

“There is one,” Shen Jiu lifted his finger in emphasis, “the celestial horse’s name is Snow White, and he has been kept here s…s-ince he was a foal.”

“Then why doesn’t Master Zhou bring him out?”

Allegedly, celestial white horses were famed to be agile and quickest of all, their steps could transcend the clouds. Every applauded painter would have a pure white steed carry a regal, immortal figure into the heavens, and I had only ever seen the Emperor and Princes ride them through the palace grounds.

Shen Jiu replied, “Snow White is a beautiful horse, the temperament is also good, but not too outstanding in other matters. The General prefers Lei She… prefers Lei S-sheng because he is more aggressive.”

…the one that tried to kick me when I got too close several times? So much for the legendary celestial horse, it’s closer to an opulent frippery here. I was still interested, though, and so I leaned closer to little stutter, the tip of my nose almost brushing his face.

“Can you show Snow White?”

Shen Jiu’s avoided my gaze. “I…, uh, that is…not…”

General Zhou’s mansion wasn’t as expansive as a palace, everyone knew each other, and gossip flew from the first courtyard to the third in the blink of an eye. It wasn’t a secret that the mysterious person Zhou Liang brought back spent his time with little stutter, but Shen Jiu was oblivious of it because he mostly kept to himself. He was probably didn’t want me to be lumped together with him, not knowing that I went around chatting and getting along with everyone just fine.

I gave a knowing grin. “You don’t have to worry about anything else, I just want to see the horses now that we’ve talked of them so many days. Do me a favor?”

“Just this once…” he eagerly stood up, more willing than he claimed.

Shen Jiu is a prodigy, trusted to raise a celestial horse, and it was purely because he had a speech impediment that others treated him poorly. I figured he grew lonesome with no one to discuss his ideas with.