Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 178: Boating on Taihu

“This is Taihu Lake...”

The small wupeng boat[1] drifted aimlessly on the lake. Zhao Changhe lay at the bow, basking in the sunlight, unfazed by the warmth.

The breeze from the lake brought a refreshing chill.

Or perhaps it was simply because his heart was truly calm at the moment?

Looking at the vast expanse of the lake, the clear water revealed even the fish below. There were also other boats in the distance, accompanied by the melodious songs of boatmen carried by the wind, which were incredibly soothing to listen to.

For a man from the north who had never seen the sea, this felt like the ocean, yet it was surely calmer than the vastness of the sea, or the rushing currents of a river. It was more delicate, serene, and gentle.

Just like Tang Wanzhuang.

It was as if all the beauty of the world had gathered in her, encapsulating the essence of Jiangnan at a glance.

People often compared Xi Lake to Xi Shi[2], and the same could be said for Tang Wanzhuang. Whether lightly adorned or heavily covered in makeup, she always looked beautiful.

She sat in the cabin, leisurely playing the guqin, playing melodies that Zhao Changhe had never heard before.

In ordinary circumstances, these tunes might have seemed slow and uninteresting, impossible for someone like him to appreciate. But at this moment and in this setting, they rippled through his soul like water, brushing against his cheeks like the gentle breeze on the lake, leaving him unwilling to think about anything else, simply intoxicated by the serene lake and the clear breeze.

In this moment, the glare of blades, the moments of life and death, the troubled times that plagued the world, all of it seemed distant. It was as if they were in a different realm altogether.

Zhao Changhe reached for his old wine gourd and took a big gulp of liquor.

The jianghu that Yue Hongling dreams of... isn’t this it?

Wandering the jianghu carrying sword and gourd, indulging in women with slender waists and delicate hands... Indeed, this is it.

It’s just that the slender waist doesn’t really belong to me, but it’s close enough, right?

Tang Wanzhuang’s beautiful eyes fell on Zhao Changhe as he was lounging at the bow, drinking leisurely, and there was a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

She initially thought that he would play the guqin for her, but it turned out to be the other way around. He lay there drinking, looking as if he had invited a girl from the bamboo pavilion of the Myriad Flowers Building in Sword Lake City to accompany him.

Tang Wanzhuang found it somewhat amusing. She felt that his attitude was really casual.

In the past, he would always think carefully before speaking, but now he seemed so relaxed, as if nothing was holding him back anymore.

“Hey!” she finally could not help but call out. “Are you letting me rest, or are you making me your personal musician to accompany your leisure?”

From outside the cabin, Zhao Changhe’s voice came faintly amidst the lake breeze, “Didn’t you just tell me to live for myself?”

Tang Wanzhuang was both amused and annoyed, “You’re quite good at turning the tables, aren’t you. Is it because Sisi left and you’re short of a maid now?”

“No way, how could that be? You’re my master,” Zhao Changhe laughed. “But why bother about who plays for whom? I’m just taking it easy. Don’t you feel content right now?”

Tang Wanzhuang actually wanted to agree with him but decided to put on a stern face instead. “You play, I lie there and drink. I’ll be content that way.”

“How stingy,” Zhao Changhe leisurely got up and slipped into the cabin. “I’m still not that good at the guqin. Master, can you continue teaching me?”

In order to create a relaxed atmosphere, they deliberately did not use the Tang Clan’s large boat, opting for a small, simple boat instead. Zhao Changhe, being as big as he was, felt like he took up half of the cabin as soon as he entered.

Tang Wanzhuang reluctantly shifted to make room for him before gesturing for him to sit by the guqin.

But as soon as he sat down, it felt cramped, and their arms were nearly touching.

Tang Wanzhuang glanced sideways with an expressionless face while Zhao Changhe stiffly focused on the guqin.

“Never mind,” Tang Wanzhuang decided not to dwell on it and began teaching, “Playing the guqin involved fingering techniques. It’s not just a matter of plucking the strings to make a sound. Watch carefully...”

Her white, jade-like fingers danced on the strings, graceful and elegant as they pressed and pinched the strings. She was clearly demonstrating the finger techniques, but Zhao Changhe ended up getting captivated by the movements of her hands rather than paying attention to the technique.

How beautiful.

“Alright, why don’t you give it a try?” Tang Wanzhuang nudged him with her shoulder, slightly expectant.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Changhe lowered his head and said, “I didn’t get it. Can you demonstrate it again?”

Tang Wanzhuang said with curiosity, “When you were learning such complex ultimate techniques in the morning, and even though they contained countless sword intents and endless variations, you mastered them after just practicing them a few times. This fingering technique should be very simple for you in comparison, especially since you have experience with Yue Hongling’s hidden weapons techniques. Why are you suddenly acting stupid?”

Zhao Changhe lowered his head and muttered, “I was just watching your hands...”

Tang Wanzhuang was speechless.

Zhao Changhe also shut his mouth, well aware that he had put his foot in it.

Tang Wanzhuang expressionlessly held her hands in front of his eyes. “Have you seen enough yet? If not, you can keep looking for another hour.”

Before Zhao Changhe could say anything, her hand suddenly moved and swiftly smacked him in the face. “Don’t be shy, I can even let you feel it!”

“Fuck...” Zhao Changhe’s face stung, not from the slap, but from embarrassment.

Tang Wanzhuang glanced at him for a moment before saying, “Actually, if you learn this, you can develop it into a set of acupoint manipulation techniques. The time you’ve had to practice martial arts is incredibly short, and most of your skills are with the saber. When it comes to barehanded combat, you are far behind. This could be a great supplement for that.”

Zhao Changhe instantly felt energized. “Quick, demonstrate it again! I only need to see it once and I’ll get it!”

Tang Wanzhuang simply did not know where to laugh or cry seeing his reaction.

But it was true. Once Zhao Changhe linked this to his understanding of martial arts, he indeed learned it after just watching it once. Although he was relatively unfamiliar with it, his understanding of the movements was really thorough, and he did not require a third demonstration.

“Now let me teach you how to slide your fingers along the strings...”

The small boat floated leisurely on the lake. The male disciple and the female master sat closely together in the cramped cabin. A refreshing fragrance filled their noses, and their shoulders occasionally brushed against each other as they whispered softly, exchanging words intimately.

A passing boatman could not help but smile at the heartwarming scene.

What a wonderful scene. When I get home, I’ll remind that stinky brat to go and look for a wife. He’s already grown old enough, yet all he does is fool around every day.

As the sun set, the lake’s surface shimmered with golden light. Occasionally, fish leaped out of the water, sending ripples across the lake’s surface. In the distance, the songs of boatwomen could be heard, in the tender speech of Wu[3], soothing the heart more than the songs Zhao Changhe had heard around Qinghe.

Leaning against the cabin, Tang Wanzhuang held a small and exquisite wine flagon in her hand, sipping leisurely from it.

Her poor disciple was still inside, familiarizing himself with the finger techniques. As for whether he could really turn them into a set of acupoint manipulation techniques, she had no idea. That was something she had simply made up on the fly.

He’s the one who was supposed to be playing the guqin from the start anyway. Did he really think that I was just some girl he got from the bamboo pavilion behind the Myriad Flowers Building in Sword Lake City?

However, Tang Wanzhuang was actually formulating a set of acupoint manipulation techniques in her mind, tweaking her own techniques and incorporating some finger techniques from the guqin into it. When the time came, she could teach them to him and present them as a complete set.

Did he think that I can’t trick people just because I’m the chief of some official bureau? Anyway, the set of techniques I’ll impart to him at that time won’t be that bad; they might even end up becoming renowned throughout the world...

Songs sung by boatwomen rose and fell melodiously on the lake, most of which were love songs. Tang Wanzhuang could not quite decide on how to feel about that.

In the past, she had actually been somewhat afraid of such scenes and songs, fearing that they would distract people from their duties with their soft melodies. Today, however, they seemed fitting, apart from the fact that love songs didn’t exactly suit the two of them.

“Hey,” Tang Wanzhuang took a leisurely sip of wine and called out at the cabin. “You said you had some songs in mind. Why don’t you join the atmosphere and sing a song yourself?”

“Aren’t these ladies’ songs quite nice? Their voices are great too. I even feel like giving them a tip. Why would I want to interrupt them?”

“Are these soft, gentle songs suitable for a man like you? How about a song from the jianghu? I’d like to hear what powerful words the Bloodthirsty Asura has.”

“But this atmosphere is not suitable for forceful songs at all. Are you trying to detach yourself from this soft mood?”

Tang Wanzhuang fell silent and drank without saying a word.

He’s so sharp. How does he understand me so well? It’s really strange how he does that when we’ve hardly had any interaction.

Zhao Changhe suddenly asked, “Forget about forceful songs, do you want to hear a woman’s song?”

Tang Wanzhuang came back to her senses and asked curiously, “Aren’t the people singing around us women?”

“There are plenty of women in the world, how can they all be attuned to the lasting romance between men and women?” Zhao Changhe plucked a few of the guqin’s strings. The sound of his playing shifted from the stiffness when he was practicing to something more free-spirited.

Tang Wanzhuang glanced back at the cabin. She then heard an unfamiliar-sounding voice sing, “No matter how cold the wind is, I don’t want to escape. No matter how beautiful the flowers are, I don’t want them. I drift about...”

Tang Wanzhuang stared blankly at the setting sun in the distance, intending to say, “This song seems to suit Yue Hongling more, not me.” However, as she listened, she gradually became entranced, and those words never left her mouth.

1. Traditional boat with black awning. ☜

2. One of the Four Beauties of China, four women in Chinese history whose beauty gave them influence over kingdoms. ☜

3. Wu Chinese, and particularly its prestige dialect, the Suzhou dialect, are considered soft and soothing to the ear. ☜