Chapter 205: Artistic Director
For the rest of the afternoon, Jian Xingxia and Lin Sanniang followed right behind the scholar, moving wherever he pointed.
If the scholar said to arrange the bamboo chairs a certain way, the two of them would lunged forward and move them with a series of loud thuds.
If the scholar said this flower was no good and should be replaced with that grass, one of them would carry the flower while the other shifted the grass.
If the scholar said a bamboo curtain was needed here and a straw mat there, Jian Xingxia would note them down one by one, intending to look through both the ancient and modern selections later to pick whichever was more convenient to acquire.
And truth be told, although they were still missing some fish vats, screens, and bamboo curtains according to the scholar’s plan, the courtyard indeed looked much more elegant and interesting after his adjustments.
The scholar even remarked with quite a bit of regret, “If we could hang two birdcages under this tree and raise a pair of parrots, it would be even more delightful.”
“If this open space outside the courtyard could be fenced off for cockfighting, the guesthouse’s business would surely be even better.”
Jian Xingxia calmed herself down. “Let’s put that on hold.”
The chickens at home were currently all managed by Da-hua. They were let out during the day to find insects to eat in the wild on their own.
When called back at night, they were fed some leftovers, and every single one of them grew sleek, plump, and shiny-feathered.
The hens laid an egg a day without ever stopping, and while the ducks weren’t quite as prolific, they still laid plenty of eggs.
As for the big white geese, after realizing they couldn’t defeat Da-hua, they had long since established their own separate faction. They led the ducks down to the stream to float and swim, rarely picking fights with Da-hua anymore.
Jian Xingxia had only just managed to usher in a period of peace and quiet for her small courtyard; she certainly didn’t want things like cockfighting or cricket fighting to pop up.
The scholar lamented, “Very well, no cricket fighting then. But this open space shouldn’t be left empty either. We should build a stage that can be seen directly from the courtyard. If we hire a few musicians and dancers, it will surely be a splendid sight.”
As the scholar spoke, he even began to hum an ancient tune. “Back then, when my money was swindled from me in the capital, I composed music for a restaurant and managed to earn myself lodging and food.”
The scholar said earnestly to Jian Xingxia, “This place of yours, Lady Villa Owner, is deeply to my liking. Since you do not care for my bamboo weavings, I can also compose music for you in exchange for meals…”
Although the meals at the mountain villa were simple, the flavors were fresh and delicious, very much to the scholar’s taste.
Jian Xingxia wiped the sweat from her brow.
She finally understood why the scholar couldn’t pass the imperial examinations. This fellow, under the guise of studying, was absolutely proficient in every single extracurricular subject except his core curriculum.
However—
“Who said I don’t like your bamboo weavings?”
Jian Xingxia had actually been meaning to talk to the scholar about this. “I’ve placed your bamboo weavings in the guesthouse. They look great, and some guests even want to buy them. You don’t need to compose music to trade for meals either. If you have free time, just help me weave more bamboo items.”
The scholar was overjoyed. “Really? Bamboo weavings alone can be traded for meals?”
Seeing Jian Xingxia nod, the scholar let out a massive sigh of relief. “Lady Villa Owner, you have no idea. Along the way, I also attempted to trade my calligraphy, paintings, and bamboo weavings for money, and I even parted with my two most beloved crickets at a low price… Alas, no one recognizes quality goods, no one recognizes quality goods!”
He was either rejected or swindled.
To think he was a grand talent of Luzhou; though he only ranked in the top twenty, he still possessed some measure of renown.
Having fallen into such a wretched state, the scholar didn’t even dare to return to his hometown.
The scholar would defend his reputation in his hometown to the death, and Jian Xingxia didn’t know his background anyway. Since she had already hired him, she just let him stay to weave bamboo items.
……
It wasn’t until around dinner time that Shang Yue finally made his belated appearance.
The scholar and Lin Sanniang had already gone back. Taking advantage of the fact that the sky wasn’t dark yet, Jian Xingxia went to the foot of the mountain to wait for him.
When Shang Yue arrived, his appearance was even more wretched than before, with many new wounds covering his body.
Yet, his expression was significantly more relaxed.
“Benefactor, we succeeded!”
Having gone without sleep for a day and a night, Shang Yue reported to Jian Xingxia through his exhaustion.
Last night, he had taken the iron wire, wire cutters, razor blades, and other items back to rendezvous with Lu Bo and the others.
The twenty-odd people they rescued, combined with Lu Bo’s followers, formed a band of over sixty men.
The iron wire Shang Yue brought back became their ultimate lethal weapon.
They gathered wooden clubs on the spot, cutting them down directly from the mountains. Fashioning the sharp iron wire into caltrops and binding them to the wooden clubs, they created the most formidable weapons.
They directly rebelled against the soldiers and rescued many people.
The laborers, who had been abused and tormented for a long time, were boundlessly grateful and insisted on erecting a Long Life Tablet for Lu Bo and Shang Yue.
After discussing it, Lu Bo and Shang Yue decided to dedicate the Long Life Tablet to Jian Xingxia instead.
“If not for our benefactor’s assistance, we would have had no way to crawl out of the mine shafts. If not for our benefactor’s gifts, we would not have been able to fight the soldiers who possessed swords and spears, nor could we have rescued you.”
“We are also people who were saved. If you wish to erect a Long Life Tablet, erect it for our benefactor.”
In the end, the words Shang Yue left behind were six large characters: “Villa Owner of Xingxia Mountain Villa.”
Lu Bo and the others carved three wooden plaques and split into three groups, dispersing separately.
“Three groups?” Jian Xingxia asked.
“Yes. After most of the people were released, they still wished to return home. Big Brother Lu Bo warned them that returning home might not bring peace, and their relatives might not be trustworthy. Even if they are trustworthy, it could bring trouble upon their families. But… they are all miserable souls. To have survived, most of them kept going because they were longing for their families…”
Jian Xingxia nodded. She could understand; under those circumstances, survival required not just physical endurance, but also mental strength.
For the ancients, who possessed a strong sense of clan and family, being forced to leave their hometown was the heaviest punishment. If given the chance, they always wanted to return home.
“What about the remaining two groups?”
“One group is led by Big Brother Lu. They decided to head to the border. Right now, the border is plagued by war, and Great Yan is retreating at every turn, losing several cities in a row.”
“Big Brother Lu cannot bear to see the commoners suffer, and since he feels there is no way alive for him within Great Yan, it is better to head to the border. If they can defeat the enemy army, perhaps they can seize territory to claim as kings and make a comeback.”
Jian Xingxia was shocked. “Lu Bo intends to establish himself as a king?”
“Yes! Years ago when King Lunan was harmed, his followers and soldiers scattered in all directions, with some blending into other places. Big Brother Lu Bo decided to recall them one by one. If they are willing, they can slay the enemy at the border. Moving forward, they can establish themselves as kings, gather strength, and fight back against the dog emperor. In retreat, they can also win merit. If a few can infiltrate the imperial court, they can just as easily take the dog emperor’s head!”
Stories she had only heard of in history seemed to be unfolding right before her eyes at this moment; Jian Xingxia was still deeply shaken.
However, she caught his implication. “Then what about you?”
Shang Yue looked somewhat troubled. “I wish both to follow Big Brother Lu into battle to slay the enemy, and to secretly sneak back to my hometown to kill the beasts who harmed my father and mother. But my leg bone is fractured, so I can only recuperate nearby…”
“Among the people we rescued, there is a small faction of villagers from near the mine mountain. Their entire village was slaughtered and plundered, and the remaining people were turned into forced laborers.”
“This small faction of villagers decided to retreat into the depths of the mine mountain to rest, multiply, and rebuild their homes on the spot.”
Shang Yue and the rest of the severely injured laborers either chose or were forced to choose this third location.
Jian Xingxia asked worriedly, “Won’t the imperial court enter the mountains to capture you then?”
Shang Yue let out a miserable laugh and shook his head. “No. The imperial court might not even know of our existence in the first place…”
“Huh?”
Only then did Shang Yue speak of what had happened before. “…We were all originally people sentenced to death, who were secretly sold here. The person behind this is a high official in the court, but he does not belong to the imperial court; rather, he is a traitor to the country…”
Shang Yue and his men had captured the soldiers and carried out interrogations, following the clues, only to discover that these stone mines were actually not being excavated for the imperial court, but rather for the enemy forces.
The high official had long felt that Great Yan was showing clear signs of decline, so he had thrown his lot in with the enemy early on, becoming a traitor.
He merely left his subordinates in Great Yan to manage the mines and find ways to smuggle the mineral resources out.
Now that the subordinates guarding the mine were dead, the high official would not enter the mountain again either. He would only take his family and flee to the enemy nation.
Jian Xingxia had indeed heard from Shang Yue before that he was originally a death-row prisoner, but his enemies worried that delays would bring complications and refused to wait until autumn for the execution, which was why they sent him into the mines.
At the time, she had even wondered: surely not everyone who entered the mines would die? Were they not afraid that Shang Yue would come out to seek revenge again?
Hearing it now, it turned out this mine didn’t even belong to Great Yan anymore. If Shang Yue and the others hadn’t rebelled, they would absolutely never have made it out.
Shang Yue told Jian Xingxia, “We of the third group, after a brief rest and reorganization, have decided to retreat into the mountains under the cover of night. We will make further plans after our injuries are healed.”
Jian Xingxia understood what Shang Yue meant. “What resources do you need?”
