One.

The first time Lu Yao saw Pei Jianwen was at a teahouse on the Yingtian Official Road. 

Although this trip was for official duty, he had to conceal his mouvements. Lu Yao, of course, did not wear the eye-catching fish-pattern official uniform¹, and the Embroidered Spring Sword² he usually wore was replaced with an ordinary iron sword.

“Brother, bring me a pot of good tea,” Pei Jianwen jumped off his horse, not bothering to tie it up. He walked into the teahouse with big strides and sat down at an empty table, “Also, bring a plate of salted edamame³.”

“Okay.” The waiter brought a copper kettle with a narrow mouth and poured him a cup of cold boiled water to quench his thirst, and then went to the stove at the back to make tea.

There were many people resting in the teahouse, some chatting and laughing, some fanning themselves to cool off, just like the hot summer weather of Grain in Ear⁴. Lu Yao, wearing travel-worn old clothes, held his forehead with his left hand to shield from the sun, while his right hand held a half-cup of warm tea. The presence of another person at the table next to him did not distract him at all.

The things that Pei Jianwen wanted were placed on the table. He wiped his hands with the towel handed over by the waiter, and ate edamame while waiting for the tea to cool down. The untied white horse was also obedient, wagging its tail and strolling to the side of the road to nibble on the grass, waiting for its master to eat and drink before going on the road.

From a distance, a horseman came running straight towards them, causing Pei Jianwen to slightly furrow his brows. 

He had good hearing and, before even seeing any sign of dust⁵, he had already heard the sound of hooves. The sound was urgent, chaotic, hasty and heavy. It was obvious that the rider had been traveling day and night without resting for who knows how long. Pei Jianwen is a horse lover. He felt that the horse was already at the end of its strength. If it continued to run, it would probably die of exhaustion. He couldn’t help but grunt coldly in his heart. When he saw the person on the horse, he couldn’t help but inwardly say, “So that’s how it is,” and a mocking smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

A dog⁶ that doesn’t even care whether a human life is gone. Young Master Pei sipped a mouthful of tea that was half-hot, thinking to himself that the biggest joke would be if they knew how to cherish life.

The galloping horse swept past the teahouse without even slightly slowing down, but the rider suddenly tightened the reins and barely turned the horse halfway around before stopping. The horse could hardly withstand the force of the sudden stop. It neighed miserably and then kneeled on the ground with its front legs limp. It was unknown whether it had suddenly lost strength or collapsed completely.

The man on the horse has exceptionally graceful light-body skills. When he reined in his horse, he immediately took off the stirrups, and there was no sign of him using any external force. He just leaped up three feet in the air, turned around and got off the horse,  landing on the ground without shaking.

However, no one dared to utter a word of praise. Everyone in the teahouse seemed as if they had been struck at the head with a heavy blow. They watched as this evil figure⁷ walked closer step by step. Let alone talking, even their breathing had become lighter, for fear of bringing trouble upon themselves.

Everyone knows that the leader of the Eastern Depot⁸ has under his command, besides the chief of punishment (thousand households⁹) and the officer managing punishment (hundred households¹⁰): more than forty people managing teams, leading groups, and overseeing . These are divided into twelve units, corresponding to the twelve Earthly Branches¹¹, and each one has an officier in charge that wears a round hat, black boots, and a brown shirt. This is exactly the appearance of the person coming.

It should be said that this person has indeed met Lu Yao a few times in the past. Although they are not familiar, he’s surely able to recognize his face. Lu Yao, having just finished his business this time, has not yet reported back to the official¹². Unwilling to reveal his identity and cause unnecessary complications, he hastily glanced at him, then lowered his head like everyone else, propping his elbow on the table, and holding the teacup to cover half of his face

The man walked to the entrance of the teahouse, but did not enter nor ask for tea. He just looked around and asked coldly, “Whose white horse is the one outside?”

Pei Jianwen did not respond, but picked up a bean with his hand, peeling it slowly while looking directly into the eyes of the man who came.

This official in charge was named Ding Zan. Although he hated this young man in front of him for provoking him, he also understood that there was an urgent matter at hand. He did not even bother to say a single official, formal word, and leaped directly toward the white horse by the roadside not far away.

He wanted to show off his kung fu, performing the ‘Swallow Skimming Water’ move, which he was most proud of. He flew across the ground, not leaving a trace of dust, and when he reached the horse, he placed his hand on the saddle and gracefully mounted it. His movements were indeed exquisite

Pei Jianwen, however, was not in a hurry, and his face wore an expression of someone waiting to see a good show.

Ding Zan stretched out his hand to grab the reins and clamped his legs together. But he didn’t expect that the white horse, which had been obedient like a rabbit until now and had already let him sit on it, would also know how to plan before and act later, catching him off guard. It trotted two steps and then suddenly stood up. Although Ding Zan reacted in time, he could only stabilize his body in a hurry.

Usually, a horse standing up is only about the height of a person, but this white horse clearly has very powerful hind legs. With just one kick and one stand, it nearly soared into the sky. When it kicked up, it didn’t follow its usual behavior pattern. It dashed and jumped in all directions with unpredictable angles.

Although Ding Zan is good at light-foot skills, he has never tamed a horse before. For a moment, his hands and feet were tied, unable to properly grip the horse’s belly, so he could only forcefully pull on the reins. As a result the horse suddenly stopped and retreated, with its head facing toward the ground. The force was so great that it was caught off guard and caused it to topple forward. This wasn’t over yet. Seeing that the stranger on its back had not been thrown off, the horse was as unhappy as its master. It stood up again, stomped its rear hooves, and jumped in different directions. It simply ran around, charging left and right, turning and retreating skillfully, which made Ding Zan feel extremely uncomfortable. At first, he was still holding on the horse’s body with ease, but after a few swayings, he had already lost 80% of his energy. At this moment, he was barely sitting on the horse, and his posture has become awkward and disheveled.

Ding Zan’s anger rushed to his head, he had no choice but to use the same trick again. He loosened his feet and got off the horse. He was no longer as complacent as before, after staggering a step before he stood up. Filled with k*lling intent, he could no longer hold back and drew out the sword from his waist, determined to k*ll this stubborn beast.

Four years after the start of the Tianqi reign¹³, Feng Feng, the governor of the Eastern Depot, controlled the inner cabinet¹⁴ with one hand. The Jinyiwei¹⁵, which was originally directly under the current emperor and was on the same level as the Eastern Depot, had long been in name only and was secretly incorporated into Feng Feng’s army. Even Lu Yao, a third-rank commander of Jinyiwei, had to kneel down and call Feng Feng “Depot Lord” when he saw him.

The master’s power and influence were overwhelming and his subordinates also gained status and prestige¹⁶. Lu Yao had heard and seen many times how arrogant and domineering were the elite troops of the Eastern Depot. Usually, he turned a blind eye, but at this moment, he was moved by the horse’s talent and could not bear to see such a rare good horse being beheaded. He quickly pressed his left hand on the table and used his hidden strength in a skillful and precise move. The chopstick holder on the table did not move at all, but a wooden chopstick shot out. With his right hand, he flicked the end of the chopstick, and as if the chopstick had eyes, it hit precisely Ding Zan’s wrist, where he held his sword.

When Ding Zan drew his sword, Pei Jianwen had already rushed out of the teahouse. His figure was as fast as a ghost, and he was no less fast than the light wooden chopstick. Lu Yao saw it clearly and thought to himself, ‘This horse owner is also an expert in hidden weapons.’ A green shadow rushed in front of the man, chasing the wind and the sun¹⁷. It was the salted edamame that had been peeled but not yet eaten.

The bean was shot with extreme viciousness, aiming straight at Ding Zan’s eyes. If it hit him, he would be blinded. Lu Yao, hindered by considerations of his relationship with the governor of the Eastern Depot, controlled his strength appropriately when he shot. He was thinking of shooting again to knock away that streak of green shadow, but saw that the other party had the same thought. Pei Jianwen’s second streak of green shadow acted after him but was quicker and took control first. However, it wasn’t to save anyone; instead, it made things worse. The angle was perfect as the bean hit the end of the chopstick, causing the chopstick to turn and fly rapidly toward a critical part of Ding Zan’s throat.

At this point, Lu Yao gave up the idea of ​​saving people and just shouted “well done!” in his heart. It was not only because of the horse owner’s skill in using hidden weapons, but also because when he shot the second hidden weapon, he turned around swiftly while in mid-air and flew back to sit at the table in the teahouse. Lu Yao thought that the accuracy and lightness of his moves were on par with his own.

Ding Zan was also no mediocre fighter. At the critical moment, he withdrew his sword and slid his foot, narrowly avoiding two vicious hidden weapons. However, his vision was not as sharp as Lu Yao’s. He clearly saw the wooden chopstick but failed to notice the fleeting green shadow. He glared angrily at the direction where the chopstick came from, and was about to attack, but suddenly he was startled.

Although Lu Yao had to kneel down to Feng Feng, as a mere steward Ding Zan could not afford to offend a Commander of the Jinyiwei. Under the tea stall, Lu Yao’s gaze was deep and intense. Ding Zhan didn’t know why he was there, but the look in his eyes was clearly warning him not to speak further.

“He got it easy!” Seeing that the eunuch dog¹⁸ paused, glanced at him, but then turned around and ran towards Yingtian Prefecture without saying any harsh words, Pei Jianwen snorted in surprise and laughed to himself, “A frightened stray dog!”

While thinking about this, Pei Jianwen turned his head to look at the person who had just thrown a chopstick to block the sword.

“Thank you.”  He smiled and lifted his chin with a slightly proud look. He pressed the bean pod with force and the last bean bounced up falling steadily into Young Master Pei’s mouth.

Only then did Lu Yao take a proper look at Pei Jianwen’s face. He couldn’t help but be surprised, thinking to himself how could he be so young with such skills? The person in front of him seemed to be around six or seven years younger than himself, no more than 20 years old. He wore a moon-white robe with arrow sleeves, a matching waistband embroidered with three-colored intertwined lotus flowers and a jade pendant hanging at his waist. Underneath, he had a peach-red inner robe, his legs crossed comfortably in the position of ‘Er Lang’¹⁹. He wore white satin, cloud-patterned and low-bottomed boots, and his toes were gently twitching in a leisurely manner.

The two tables outside the tea pavilion were not in the shade, and only the two of them sat there. The bright sunlight shone on the table and their faces. The people behind them had not yet come to their senses, still silent as crows and sparrows²⁰, as if the play had reached its halfway point and the people there were just serving as supporting roles, waiting only for the leading martial artist actor to make his entrance. Only then would the audience’s applause erupt like thunder.

Lu Yao suddenly remembered that before this trip for official duty, he had accompanied the Depot Master to Dan Fen Lou²¹ to listen to stories and drink tea.  The sun shone obliquely into the elegant hall on the second floor, but the tea there was much better than the one in his hand now. The tea had a color like jade, and as he listened to the storyteller recounting an interesting part, the latter struck the wooden hall table once, and with lively expression, the storyteller said:

“Looking at his appearance, his face is like beautiful jade, shiny and translucent; his eyebrows are black and true, slanting into the sky²²; his eyes clear with distinct contrast: black as lacquer, white as powdered starch, full of spirit; his nose like a jade pillar, his mouth  like painted red lacquer, and his teeth as if made of broken jade; riding a white horse with a bright saddle — indeed he truly is youthful and energetic, a young hero!”

“Thank you very much to this noble gentleman²³ for his righteous help. I am Pei Jianwen from Hangzhou Prefecture.” Pei Jianwen restrained his playful expression, clasped his hands together²⁴, and once again expressed his gratitude.

“Good name²⁵! You are indeed a man of both literary and martial talents” Lu Yao said with a smile, “I don’t deserve the thanks, I am Lu Yao from Yingtian Prefecture.”

“Oh? Your name is actually not very good.²⁶” Pei Jianwen laughed heartily, “The swan comes, but there’s no message, and the road is long, making dreams hard to achieve. It’s just not very auspicious.”

“Why don’t you say that just as distance tests a horse’s strength, so does time reveal a person’s true heart?²⁷”  Lu Yao joked, following along with his words.

“It’s a good saying: as distance tests a horse’s strength, so does time reveal a person’s true heart!” Pei Jianwen laughed heartily, and toasted Lu Yao with tea instead of wine, “I have some private matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave today. If we meet again in the future, I’ll certainly want to see for myself how well you live up to the saying ‘time reveals a person’s true heart’!”

In fact, Lu Yao could no longer remember clearly all the gorgeous words and sentences that he heard in Dan Fen Luo that day. It was as if a gentle breeze came, with falling blossoms scattering, and every word and sentence was shattered, drifting aimlessly in all directions, eventually settling into the dust

Only the last six words²⁸ were clearly remembered by Lu Yao, which were sonorous and bright like the spring thunder during Jingzhe²⁹, and the brilliant sun during Mangzhong³⁰.

And listen to that good sentence——

Youthful and energetic, a young hero!

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Maybe you want to skip the footnotes, here is a button just for youu:

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TRANSLATOR’S TIRED CORNER

Didn’t expect this to be so hard to translate, it took hours but if there are errors you can tell me. Hope the footnotes weren’t too many. Only I laughed at the storyteller’s description?

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