Ninety-Four: Parting After Reunion

You said Du Fu. Not yet. But I will find him.

You said his name was Du Fu.

Yes. Why?

Li Bai shook his head and said, "Nothing. I have only heard the name in passing. He is from Xiangyang. How did you come to know him?"

At the mention of how she had met Du Fu, Chen Yage was reminded of that unbearable memory of being sold away, and her mood sank at once.

"Yage, what's wrong?" Li Bai asked with concern when he saw her head droop.

"That day, after I left the Xu residence, I ran into Wang Qingtian on the street. He was one of Wang Zhiguo's men. I nearly got hit by their carriage. Luckily, You Huan appeared in time and saved me. After that, I wandered alone, walking and walking for a very, very long time. I kept thinking of the things you had said to me. The more I thought, the sadder I became, and the sadder I became, the more I thought. Do you know? At that time, I truly wanted to hate you. But I couldn't..."

As she spoke, Chen Yage suddenly gave a foolish little laugh.

"Later, I was seized by Wang Zhiguo's men. They sold me into the Hall of Wind and Shadow..."

"The Hall of Wind and Shadow?" Li Bai stared, his mouth falling open in disbelief.

"Yes, the Hall of Wind and Shadow. Do you remember the day you were drinking there when a woman in green suddenly burst in? That was me. They gave me a drug that weakened my body, and they made me take another that stole my voice. I had neither strength nor speech. And the saddest thing was that I was so close to you, yet you failed to recognize me. Though we stood almost within arm's reach, I was stranger to you than a stranger."

"I'm sorry, Yage. I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you..."

"I don't blame you. After leaving that room, I escaped from the Hall of Wind and Shadow. On the street, I saw you drunk and followed you all the way to the Xu residence. Seeing you and Ziyan get along so well, I could not bear to intrude, so I left..."

"No, Yage, it's not what you think," Li Bai said urgently. He had never imagined that after leaving the Xu residence, Chen Yage had endured so much. Guilt and regret swelled in his heart, but what frightened him more was her misunderstanding. He wanted desperately to explain everything.

Chen Yage cut him off. "Let me finish, Brother Bai. That was the last time I saw you. That night I planned to leave Xiangyang. Who would have thought that after leaving the Xu residence, I would run into a drunken brute? He was not truly drunk, but one of a gang of traffickers. They knocked me unconscious. They intended to sell me to the south of the Yangtze. Yet on the road I caught a chill and fell gravely ill. They had no choice but to stop and treat me. It was then that I met Du Fu. He saved me from that sea of suffering. Afterward, I traveled with him until I met you."

"It seems I owe Du Fu far more than just my life. I owe him too much. We must find him." Li Bai spoke with solemn conviction. "From now on, I will remain by your side, always with you, always protecting you."

Li Bai's words were, to Chen Yage, like the finest medicine. They brought peace and eased the pain at once.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out ahead of them, followed by the wailing of a woman. Then came a soldier's curses: "What are you, daring to go against me? You are going against the court itself! That is a capital offense! Have you lost your mind?"

Chen Yage pushed through the crowd to look. It was Du Fu, confronting the soldier. He had one hand clamped tightly around the soldier's whip, while with the other he bent down to help a woman up from the ground.

"Are you all right?" Chen Yage asked as she helped Du Fu lift the woman.

The woman kept thanking Du Fu over and over. She was not very old, only dressed as a married lady, about twenty years of age, and was crying so bitterly that she looked heartbreakingly fragile.

Du Fu shook his head and said to the soldier, "Is it the court that tells you to oppress the common people like this? If so, I have nothing more to say. But if not, then you are guilty of the grave crime of deceiving the sovereign. That is a crime that can wipe out your entire clan."

Du Fu's words were clearly effective. The soldiers exchanged glances, and the one in command stepped forward. "What is going on here? Move along, what are you dawdling for?"

The soldier shot Du Fu a vicious glare. Chen Yage glared back.

Seeing the childlike expression on Yage's face, Du Fu smiled and said, "Where is that friend of yours? Did you leave him behind and come out of the inn alone? He is ill at the moment. Go back and take care of him quickly."

If not for Du Fu mentioning Li Bai, Chen Yage would never have noticed that Li Bai was no longer beside her. She looked around. The crowd surged and swayed, coming and going. Panicked, she pushed her way out through the throng, but though the place was packed tight, she could not find Li Bai anywhere.

Suddenly, two soldiers ran over and seized her. Chen Yage kicked backward and broke free of their grip.

Her resistance brought more soldiers rushing in. Seeing that Chen Yage knew martial arts, they all drew their blades. Du Fu cried out anxiously, "No, Yage! Do not act rashly!"

Watching the soldiers gather in greater and greater numbers, Chen Yage hesitated as well. In the end, she gave herself up. Turning to the soldier who held her, she asked, "Sir, have you seen in this crowd a man in white? He has striking brows and eyes, and is very handsome and graceful."

"I don't know," the soldier said impatiently. "If you have questions, ask them when we get to Mount Zhongnan. Stop chattering like this. If you keep asking, I'll cut out your tongue."

Though Chen Yage knew the soldier was only trying to frighten her, she did not wish to clash with the imperial troops. The odds were too great against her, and she would gain nothing from it.

Before she knew it, half a month had passed. Along the way, Chen Yage kept inquiring everywhere for news of Li Bai, yet there was still no trace of him. She and Du Fu were not far apart.

Their party consisted of twenty women. Some had been forcibly seized; others had come of their own will, since each month they were given a small stipend of twenty cash coins. Some families were so poor that they came simply for the chance to eat one full meal.

Among them was a woman named Qingmei, who grew very close to Chen Yage. She had come for the sake of a meal. Spirited and energetic, she often helped Chen Yage search for Li Bai.

"Still no news at all?" Qingmei asked as she sat down on the grass and leaned toward the absent-minded Chen Yage.

Chen Yage did not reply. Qingmei took her hand tightly and said, "Don't worry too much. Your Brother Bai is blessed by heaven. He will surely be all right."

"Thank you, Qingmei." Chen Yage gave a faint smile, a smile that was bitter and full of pain.

Two days later, they finally arrived at Mount Zhongnan. It was a towering, majestic peak, about a thousand meters high. At the foot of the mountain, Qingmei could not help exclaiming, "What a high mountain! Is the Zhongnan Hall really to be built on the mountain? Wouldn't that be terribly troublesome? To build such a vast palace up there, how many years would it take? Won't I be old and worn before it's finished? No, no, I can't stay in this place. I haven't even married yet. I must leave here."