CCWAD – Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Vinegar Fire

Epigraph:

“I thought the scar on my shoulder was my only mark, until Li Shishi saw the letter from Lu Junyi. She twirled the paper between her fingers and chuckled, ‘Your elder brother is more troublesome than Tong Guan.’ That night, she knocked over the vinegar jar, and the entire small courtyard was filled with sourness.”

—

The wound on her shoulder throbbed, a constant reminder to Yan Qing of the bloody covenant that night. As promised, she was “recuperating” in the small courtyard. Apart from Shi Xiu occasionally bringing food and city gossip, only Li Shishi visited under the cover of night, checking her injuries and exchanging the latest intelligence.

Tong Guan, as expected, reacted. Upon learning of Yan Qing’s “attack,” he ceased sending secret envoys directly but conveyed his “concern” and “reassurance” through intermediaries, hinting that the matter would not end there and advising Yan Qing to rest assured and recover, promising great rewards in the future. This attitude confirmed Li Shishi’s judgment: Tong Guan had already marked Cai Jing’s faction for this incident.

In the imperial court, the debate about Liangshan Marsh flared up again due to this event. The faction advocating for suppression grew louder, arguing that the Liangshan rebels were unruly and dared to attack those who had “surrendered” in the Eastern Capital, suggesting that amnesty would be like nurturing a tiger. The faction advocating for pacification countered that the evidence was insufficient and that it was unwise to let a minor incident derail the grand plan for amnesty. The stalemate in their arguments inadvertently delayed the process of amnesty, giving Li Shishi and Yan Qing more time to maneuver.

One day, Yan Qing was leaning on her couch, flipping through a leisure book by the light of the window, when the courtyard gate was knocked. A courier had arrived with a letter from Liangshan Marsh.

The envelope bore Lu Junyi’s handwriting, steady and strong. Yan Qing’s heart warmed slightly, tinged with an inexplicable guilt. She opened the letter. Lu Junyi first inquired with concern about the progress of her “medical treatment” in the Eastern Capital and whether her health had improved, his words conveying genuine care. Then, his tone shifted as he mentioned the recent situation at the stronghold, noting that Brother Song Jiang seemed more enthusiastic about amnesty, having discussed the details with leaders who had descended the mountain several times. He subtly asked if Yan Qing had heard any rumors in the Eastern Capital and what her opinion was on the prospects of amnesty.

At the end of the letter, Lu Junyi wrote: “…Your brother knows you are plagued by injuries and illness and should not exert yourself. However, the future of the stronghold concerns the lives of all the brothers. Little Yi, you have always been astute and, being in the capital region, have access to information. If you have any true insights, please do not hesitate to share them. Your brother and all the others eagerly await them. Also, I hear the Eastern Capital is prosperous but filled with treacherous people. Little Yi, you must take care of yourself and think thrice before acting. Your brother worries day and night for you at Liangshan.”

Putting down the letter, Yan Qing remained silent for a long time. Lu Junyi’s trust and reliance felt like a warm brand, making her heart flutter uneasily. How should she reply? Should she continue to subtly convey her “worries” about amnesty, or say something else?

As she was lost in thought, staring at the letter, Li Shishi arrived silently. She seemed to be in good spirits today, bringing a box of delicate pastries.

“Is your injury feeling better?” she asked, walking to the couch and naturally reaching out to touch Yan Qing’s forehead, as if to check for a fever.

Yan Qing instinctively tilted her head slightly to avoid the touch. This subtle movement made Li Shishi’s hand freeze in mid-air. Her gaze immediately fell upon the unfolded letter still in Yan Qing’s hand, and the familiar handwriting of Lu Junyi on the envelope.

The faint smile on Li Shishi’s face vanished instantly. She withdrew her hand and asked, her tone unreadable, “Did Steward Lu send a letter? What did he say?”

Without much thought, Yan Qing handed the letter over, “My elder brother is inquiring about the amnesty and my current situation.”

Li Shishi took the letter and quickly scanned it. Her eyes swept over the words of concern and greeting, lingering for a moment on the phrase “worries day and night.” Her slender fingers unconsciously fiddled with the edge of the paper, with such force that she almost tore it.

An eerie silence fell upon the room.

Suddenly, Li Shishi chuckled lightly, tossed the letter back into Yan Qing’s lap, and said with a deliberately casual sarcasm, “Your elder brother is indeed devoted and righteous. Across mountains and rivers, he ‘worries day and night’ like this. He is far more sincere than that Marshal Tong’s five hundred taels of gold.”

Yan Qing blinked, looking up at Li Shishi. She saw a smile on her face, but her eyes were like a frozen lake, devoid of any warmth.

“Why do you say that, Sister?” Yan Qing asked, feeling somewhat bewildered. “My elder brother, he just…”

“He just cares about you, I know,” Li Shishi interrupted, walking to the table. She picked up the box of pastries she had brought, opened it, looked inside, and then snapped the lid shut with a “snap,” her voice turning somewhat cold. “It seems I was being meddlesome. Since Young Master Yan has the concern of his Liangshan brothers, he surely doesn’t lack for my mere pastries.”

Only then did Yan Qing sense something unusual. Li Shishi’s reaction… wasn’t it like someone being difficult? Jealous? The thought itself seemed absurd to her. How could Li Shishi be jealous over a letter from Lu Junyi? They were allies, co-conspirators, even “accomplices,” but certainly not…

Yet, Li Shishi’s barbed words and the palpable low pressure emanating from her were undeniably real.

“Sister…” Yan Qing attempted to explain, “My elder brother treats me like a sibling, and I respect him as such. That’s all. The matter we are planning is of utmost importance, and my elder brother’s attitude is also crucial…”

“Yes, crucially important,” Li Shishi turned around, her back to Yan Qing. Her voice regained its calm, but it felt more distant than before. “Steward Lu is the second in command at Liangshan; his attitude is naturally far more important than mine, a woman from the pleasure quarters. Young Master Yan should think carefully about how to reply to your ‘devoted and righteous’ elder brother.”

With that, she no longer lingered and walked directly towards the door.

“Sister!” Yan Qing quickly stood up. The movement tugged at the wound on her shoulder, sending a sharp pain through her that made her gasp involuntarily, her face instantly paling.

Li Shishi paused at the doorway, her steps faltering, but she did not turn back.

Yan Qing endured the pain and said in a low voice, “What I am planning concerns life and death. Liangshan is our foundation, but the path forward… is guided by you. Without you, Yan Qing would merely be a lost pawn sent to the Eastern Capital by Liangshan, perhaps even dead by now. I understand the weight of this, and I will measure it accordingly.”

Li Shishi’s silhouette seemed to stiffen slightly.

After a long moment, she slowly said, “Remember to eat the pastries; they’ll hurt your stomach if they get cold.” Her tone remained indifferent, but the sharpness from earlier had diminished.

The door was gently closed, and Li Shishi disappeared outside.

Yan Qing slowly sat back on the couch, the pain in her shoulder intertwined with the tangled mess in her heart. She looked at the box of pastries that Li Shishi had dismissed, then at Lu Junyi’s earnest letter, feeling a headache coming on.

What was all this?

She sighed and resignedly picked up her brush, beginning to draft her reply to Lu Junyi. She needed to maintain the previous “worries” about amnesty without being too direct and arousing suspicion, all while carefully balancing the nuances to avoid truly shaking Liangshan’s foundation… This was more mentally taxing than dealing with Tong Guan’s secret envoys.

And in the air, there still seemed to linger a faint hint of… the sourness of an overturned vinegar jar.

—

(End of Chapter 20)