Fu Jingxuan had been away from Chuzhou for a year, and he had not returned when he was supposed to.
Even considering the great distance of the foreign lands, a one-year-round trip should have been more than enough time.
Before the height of summer, Fang Zesheng had not been particularly anxious, but by the onset of autumn, he could no longer sit still. It so happened that around that time, he received a customer engaged in the silk trade, who traveled year-round among the neighboring minor states and maintained connections with several foreign royals. During their idle conversation, the man brought a piece of news—
Rumor had it that internal conflict had erupted among the Northern Territory royalty. Third Prince Xiao was consumed day and night by court affairs, leaving him neither the time nor the inclination to oversee the tea competition. The tea masters dispatched by the Imperial Court found themselves stranded in that foreign land; though still treated as esteemed guests by Third Prince Xiao, they were not allowed to take a single step outside the capital. They had to wait until the Xiao family’s internal affairs were properly settled before they could depart.
But when exactly would they be settled?
Who could say for sure?
A year or two was not regarded as brief, yet eight or ten years was not necessarily long either. It was said that once the emperor received the report, he granted Third Prince Xiao an extra six months. If the prince settled his family matters within that time, all would be well; if not, he was obliged to return the imperial tea masters safely to the capital after the six months; they could not be expected to wait forever. Furthermore, he would be barred from inviting tea masters for competitions for the next several years; after all, the distance between the two nations was great and the journey took too long, so they would have to wait for another opportunity.
Upon hearing this, Fang Zesheng immediately traveled to the capital. Lord Zhang had just finished assisting Lord Xu in handling the matter and was about to send a letter to inform Fang Zesheng that Fu Jingxuan and the others would be staying in the foreign territory for another half-year when Fang Zesheng personally appeared at his door, leaning on his crutch, asking if the rumors were true.
Lord Zhang nodded in affirmation before recounting in detail how Lord Xu had sent a letter requesting him to inform the emperor, and how the emperor had subsequently issued an edict granting Third Prince Xiao a six-month extension.
Thus, the original one-year journey had stretched into a year and a half.
No matter how reluctant Fang Zesheng felt, there was no other way. He could only entreat Lord Zhang to keep an eye on movements in the foreign territory while also asking the silk merchant from before to send news to the Fang residence from time to time, fearing that an escalation of the Xiao clan’s internal conflict might spark a war and harm Fu Jingxuan and the others.
Although the authority of the Imperial Majesty was inviolable, if war were to erupt, who could guarantee anyone’s safety?
“Let him go—!” A sharp, low roar erupted from the carriage speeding along the official road. Zhou Qi, who was sitting on the outside seat, immediately turned and lifted the curtain to climb inside upon hearing the voice. “Is the Head Merchant alright?!” He asked urgently.
Fang Zesheng was dressed in a light grey robe patterned with ink-wash pines while leaning against the seat and breathing heavily. His chest heaved violently, and beads of sweat. The size of peas trickled down his forehead one by one, turning his already pale face even paler by several shades.
Seeing the panic filling his eyes, Zhou Qi knew he had suffered another nightmare. He hurriedly poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to him.
It took Fang Zesheng a long time to gradually regain his composure. He raised his slightly trembling right hand to take the cup from Zhou Qi and asked, “How many days more until we arrive?”
Zhou Qi said, “We should arrive at Linhuang Prefecture in seven or eight days. Brother Che said our journey has been very smooth and we haven’t encountered any extreme weather, which has saved us a lot of time.”
Fang Zesheng nodded and took a slow sip of the warm tea while pressing a hand over his wildly thumping heart as he closed his eyes.
He had just had a nightmare; he dreamed that Fu Jingxuan was being abducted by fierce, sinister foreigners while he, with his two crippled legs, could not catch up no matter how he tried. He could only watch helplessly, unable to do a single thing.
“Head Merchant…” Seeing how Fang Zesheng’s cheeks, which had finally gained some weight, had sunken in again over these past few days, Zhou Qi felt a wave of distress. He reached out to tuck the carriage blanket around him before crawling back outside.
Inside Linhuang Prefecture, a sense of peace prevailed.
Tao Xianzhi, who was wrapped in a fur-collared cloak, had brought Pu Ling along for a stroll through the city market.
The market was reasonably bustling; the internal strife of the Xiao family had not significantly affected the common people of the capital. A few days ago, Tao Xianzhi had still been despondent, but as the date specifically granted by the emperor for their return grew closer, he finally began to liven up. Following the task Fang Zesheng had previously assigned him, he observed the local customs to see if he could pull off a major business deal before their departure.
Fresh green vegetables were rare in this market; most of the goods consisted of meat, fresh milk, or wild animal pelts. There was no porcelain or jade, let alone rouge or powder. Occasionally, when someone peddled Central Plains items like silk or sachets, they would be snatched up in an instant; even leftover scraps of fabric from garment cutting could be sold at a high price.
Tao Xianzhi stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves while waiting with Pu Ling in front of a small stall. The stall was piled with tea fragments; Tao Xianzhi picked up a handful and sniffed them. They were likely tea leaves from some small households in the Central Plains, but due to improper storage here, they had already begun to turn.
Commoners in the foreign territories had no access to fine tea; the tea fragments and cakes gifted by the Imperial Court were treasures reserved solely for royalty. Although the stall owner before them had been to the Central Plains, he had never tasted the sweetness of the tea, claiming the stuff was too bitter and astringent for his palate. Unable to sell it, he was forced to clear it out at a low price before moving on to the silk trade.
Tao Xianzhi paid for a package and asked the stall owner a few practiced questions before leading Pu Ling back to the carriage parked near the market.
This carriage had been specially assigned to them by Xiao Heng; if they wished to go out for leisure, they could use it as they pleased. However, trapped in a foreign land as they were, who among them had the heart for sightseeing? Hu Yunshan and Pu Ling were faring well enough, as both were orphans without strong ties to home. Young Master Tao was different; he was raised in comfort and doted by his parents, even his business trips had been made alongside his grandfather. He had never been away from his family for so long, and he often lay awake with homesickness while wrapping himself in a quilt to gaze at the moon through the window.
He had originally believed himself the only one lacking resolve, until one night he noticed Fu Jingxuan lying awake just the same. Only then did he realize someone missed home even more than he did.
“Shall we pick up my Second Master first?” Pu Ling asked from the carriage.
Tao Xianzhi nodded and instructed the coachman to take them to the city gate. He walked through the archway of the gate while carrying the package of tea fragments, he had just bought.
Outside the city gates, the wild grass sprawled across the vast plains still showing no sign of green. At the base of the wall to the left of the gate rested a large, flat stone. Tao Xianzhi, who was clutching the tea fragments, shook out his cloak and sat cross-legged on the rock. He opened the tea packet and handed it to the person beside him. “Can you tell whose tea this is?”
This person was Fu Jingxuan, likewise, wrapped in a cloak and sitting cross-legged on the stone. He rested his chin on one hand with his elbow propped on his knee. He glanced at the tea fragments Tao Xianzhi offered, spat out the withered grass blade he had been chewing, and picked up two tea stems to chew on. “High-grade dregs of ‘Red Kiln’ from the Wu family of Shangzhou. They aren’t low-quality, but this is aged tea. It shouldn’t be steeped; it needs to be boiled over a fire to bring out the flavor.”
Tao Xianzhi sniffed the tainted tea in disbelief, unable to fathom how this could be the Wu family’s high-grade dregs. He followed Fu Jingxuan’s lead and tossed two tea stems into his mouth. Before he could even swallow, the stale taste of rotting leaves made him gag. He clutched his chest and asked, “How can you possibly stomach that?!”
Fu Jingxuan paused for a moment, only then realizing the two stems in his mouth were indeed somewhat moldy. He gave a faint response but said nothing more.
A gentle breeze stirred, ruffling the stray hair on his forehead. The strands brushed against his face, grazing the faint dark stubble that had recently begun to grow beneath his nose. Seeing his unkempt appearance, Tao Xianzhi sighed and stood up. “Shall we head back?”
Fu Jingxuan gazed into the distance and asked, “Back where?”
“To Xiao Heng’s residence.” Tao Xianzhi replied.
Fu Jingxuan shook his head while toying with the semi-circular jade pendant in his hand. “You go back.”
“I’ll sit here for a while.”
This spot was the closest point to Chuzhou.
Perhaps, at this very moment, he was looking this way too.
