Chapter 32 Jianghu and the imperial court
Zhao Zimu was not a qualified master. She seldomly taught them personally and would just threw them books about the things they wanted to learn. As for how much they could learn depended on their ability to comprehend.
She would also not interfere in the path they wanted to choose. Zhao Zimu was very young, but that didn’t compromise her prestige.
Because she had rescued them from the danger of death and gave them a second chance in life, although she looked too young, she was more mature and decisive than them. She passed like thunder and moved like the wind.
- Pass like thunder and move like the wind: swift and decisive
Ye Yiqiu would never forget the scene when he was rescued that time. Originally, Zhao Zimu didn’t intend to save him. After all, there were a lot of people surrounding Ye Yiqiu and the old subordinates of his father. To silence people, the assassins also targeted Zhao Zimu who was passing by.
In the past, when Zhao Zimu roamed the Jianghu, she often disguised herself as a man. She dressed in white and wore a silver patterned black mask on her face. At such a young age, she carried a three feet flexible sword and go on a rampage in the martial arts circles. The moment she acted, she wouldn’t have mercy on anyone, and her temperament was cold and cruel.
Ye Yiqiu got to know about these later on. That year, the people who chased after him truly irritated Zhao Zimu. Seeing that she was young and even though she was wearing a mask, they didn’t see any harm. They attacked her without thinking. At that time, her body looked only about thirteen or fourteen-year-old.
Although, the expression of the irritated youngster couldn’t be seen, but one could still see her displeasure from the tight lips exposed under the silver patterned black mask.
At that time, Ye Yiqiu and his henchmen had given up all hope. They had about thirty people. Most of them were too young and too old and injuries were all over their bodies. Even the veterans who had survived on the battlefield couldn’t kill the thirty young and vigorous big men opposite of them. Moreover, this was the result after they (YY) divided their forces. When the time was up, their reinforcement would catch up and behead them (YY).
Ye Yiqiu watched the white clothed black-haired youngster drew out a three feet flexible sword. With an attitude that ignored that she could also be harmed, she rushed into the crowd coldly.
The cold light exuded by the flexible sword danced in the air. In just a blink of an eye, she neatly cut of the throat of the enemy and snatched the bow and arrow of the one on a horse. Under the horrified eyes of the leader, three arrows were fired in a row. Moreover, each of the arrow were more forceful than the other. He even heard the sound of the feather arrows breaking through the air among the sound of the swords.
The arrow simply pierced through the heart of the leader who he still considered to have quite good martial arts. He died with remaining grievances. Also, the leader was a coach who trained the guards at his home. He was a veteran under his father with good martial arts. After his father retired from the battlefield, he became the coach of the guards at their home. Even his martial arts at that time had been taught by him.
The martial arts of this kind of people may not be as exquisite as the people of the Jianghu but they were cruel and practical. At that time, Zhao Zimu looked younger than him. Even if she had learned martial arts from her own house, she wouldn’t be able to compare with this kind of decades-old veteran who had retired from the battlefield. However, she was vicious beyond everyone’s imagination. Two arrows took down the weapon of the veteran and the third arrow pierced through him. The splashed blood from the arrow made everyone tremble.
Carrying a sword, the youngster looked like a god from hell. She was more ferocious, brutal and bloody than all of them.
What happened afterwards was a lot simpler. Under the overwhelming force of Zhao Zimu, several people with high level martial arts were beheaded. Soon, they were defeated and they got saved.
Ye Yiqiu admired her power and took her as his master in order to repay Zhao Zimu. Even though, she was very indifferent and although every time he asked for her advice, he was dismissed by a few books, he still felt that she cared about them.
Later, he got two junior brothers. Although, they were not very reliable, he was still very happy. Also, he didn’t have to worry anymore about being chased.
In the past, Zhao Zimu would stay here for a while every time she came back. However, now it was fewer and fewer times that she came back. They didn’t even know after this time, when they would see each other again.
Liu Dejin smiled slyly with his chubby eyes and said, “Master, you drift without a resting place. If we have something to ask you, how can we find you?”
The little chubby brother had used such words countless times in various methods to get to know who his master was and that’s she wasn’t just a swordswoman from hell.
Ye Yiqiu and Zhang Yong also wanted to know. Hence, they would cooperate every time with Liu Dejin. However, his junior brother or “senior brother” seemed to have a bad strategy and failed every time.
Zhao Zimu didn’t speak and just tapped the table with two knuckles and made a muffled sound. It seemed to be knocking on their hearts repeatedly. She looked outside of the window as if she was thinking of something.
The three of them suddenly became embarrassed. Ye Yiqiu and Zhang Yong moved their eyes on Lui Dejin. Liu Dejin looked at them unreconciled. What are you looking at? You are timid and had to let me ask the question. If master gets angry, I will drive you two away with a beating!
Ye Yiqiu and Zhang Yong, “…” Junior brother’s (senior brother’s) eyes are so clear, making us even unable to pretend to not have understood.
Until when a few blue birds appeared in the sky outside the window that Zhao Zimu’s gaze returned. After she chuckled, she said, “If you have something to tell me in the future, you can go to Fengya Pavilion in capital Liang and find the shopkeeper there. I will naturally know then.”
Three pairs of eyes immediately turned to her with a look of surprise. Little chubby brother Liu Dejin rubbed his hands nervously and then asked carefully, “Then, what should we say?”
“My name is Zhao Zimu.” The jade-like voice sounded coldly. They looked at her. At this time, Zhao Zimu took off her mask and looked at them calmly.
Zhao Zimu didn’t disguise her face this time. It was her original face. Her face was graceful and cold. Her eyes were indifferent but they had a faint gentleness like a cold snow lotus that bathed in the sunlight. The white clothes on her whole body made her appear like a beautiful woman who wasn’t sullied by the worldly affairs, but she was also alienated and apathetic.
They were shocked for a moment. It was as if they had seen a beautiful woman from a painting. Their senses only returned when Zhao Zimu already went out. They hastily run to the door and followed with their eyes that figure who left leaving a trace of dusts.
Liu Dejin patted his chubby face and then asked Ye Yiqiu and Zhang Yong, “Is that really our master?”
So young.
So beautiful.
So cold.
Ye Yiqiu and Zhang Yong were also speechless. They also didn’t know what to say. In the past, Zhao Zimu either had a mask on or had disguised her face. They had never seen her true face. Although, they had guessed it, but when finally seeing her true face, they were still shocked.
“Senior brother, what are you thinking about?” Liu Dejin asked Ye Yiqiu. Ye Yiqiu’s gaze was complicated and said, “She is younger than me.”
Senior brother, what were you thinking at that time when you took master as master? Were you enchanted by master’s martial arts? Otherwise, how would you accept someone younger than yourself as a master?
Liu Dejin’s gaze turned to Zhang Yong. Unexpectedly, this guy displayed the shamelessness of a scholar fully, “What is shameful about taking an eminent person as master? However, we have to put our best in the affairs that master ordered us to do. Anyway, I had given my life to master. Whatever she lets me do, I will do it.”
Liu Dejin and Ye Yiqiu nodded at the same time. The three of them exchanged a glance and then returned to the house. They had to think well about this affair.
—
Let’s not mention the three junior and senior anymore. Zhao Zimu rushed all the way in the direction of capital Liang on a horse.
And capital Liang that was a few miles away, in a pavilion of the Department of Supervision where Jui Qiansui handled his work, he was listening to the report of eunuch Li.
The autumn of this year was here again. The days were becoming colder. Every year at this time, the grassland at northern part that was enriched with the habitat of water sources and grass would meet a severe winter. The paraquat would fall through and every kind of animal would go into hibernation. The food would decrease. The fine horses of those people on the grassland would become unruly.
The people of the grassland hunted on the horseback. They led a nomadic life through the four seasons and didn’t have a fixed place. They lived wherever the cattle and sheep went.
The long-term nomadic life had cultivated their habit of coming and going like the wind. The fierce and combative habits and the impoverished resources of the grassland made their eyes gawk like a wolf towards the country that was huge and rich in their eyes.
Great Liang’s land was vast. The citizens lived and worked in peace and contentment. The people who lived all four seasons on the grassland envied this kind of life without the worry to be without a fixed residence and to roam without a destination.
These were fatal temptation for the people of the grassland. Every year at this time, they would go to Great Liang to catch the autumn breeze. Of course, it would be better if they could make it their own forever.
They were fierce, combative and their way reeked of blood. They would rob the citizens at the border whenever they had the chance. Gold, silver, money, valuables, food and women were their targets. Moreover, they would kill and burn everything when they went to rob. Their methods were heinous.
The Ministry of War asked again for funds to raise the army provisions. Lin Qing threw the scroll to eunuch Wang who was in charge of putting on the seal and asked, “What do you think?”
Eunuch Wang was about fifty-year-old. He was an elder in the palace. He was a bit obese and his eyes were not nimble. However, many things needed him. Also, people like eunuch Wang lived long and had experienced a lot of things. They knew how to deal with a lot of matters.
However, today eunuch Wang said, “What does Qiansui think?”
Lin Qing’s title of Jiu Qiansui wasn’t given recklessly by the citizens. Instead, it was given by emperor Jinghui himself. Although, he has no real power, but his status was extremely high. Non-imperial nobles had to pay their respect to him when they saw him.
Lin Qing sneered. He turned the green jade ring on his finger of his left hand and said faintly, “The scroll of the Ministry of War would be submitted at this tine every year and would always ask for more and not less. Presumably, general Pingxi’s body is truly in a bad condition. The people of my Great Liang are strong and there is an abundant of army provisions. How come all the battles would end in defeat every year? Eunuch Wang, do you think these tribes would be able to break through our city in a few years?”
Eunuch Wang comforted him, “Qiansui, in my opinion, we invested a lot of money when the Wei River burst last year. Stone, wood and labor are all money. The finances are tight. Let’s put aside the matter of the border for a moment. Otherwise, what to do if the treasury becomes empty? Moreover, the taxes of Jiangnan had been reduced again. It would even be difficult to handle for His Majesty!”
Eunuch Wang sighed. He was right. Lin Qing tapped his little finger that had a golden armor around it.
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