(Happy National Day!)

The venerable scholar returned the travel permit to the young man named Chen Ping’an.

This academy instructor was greatly impressed by the individual.

The old master glanced at Chen Ping’an, his long sword and book chest slung across his back – a pleasing sight.

To carry books and a sword, traveling thousands of miles for learning, was precisely what scholars should do and did best.

Chen Ping’an inquired, “Does sir know a little girl named Li Baoping? She likes to wear red cotton-padded jackets and red ruqun skirts.”

The old master chuckled, “Who in our academy doesn’t know that little lass? Not just the academy, top to bottom, but I reckon she’s explored the entire Great Sui capital! She’s brimming with vitality every day, making us old codgers, barely able to walk, envious! Why, she skipped class today to sneak out again. Had you arrived half an hour earlier, you might have bumped into Little Baoping.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Did she leave the academy alone?”

The old master nodded, “Always does.”

Seeing Chen Ping’an’s worried expression, the old master smiled, “Rest assured, the little girl has gone out so many times without a hitch. After all, she’s an academy disciple. Besides, our Great Sui capital has always been stable, with simple and honest customs. Moreover, the Minister of Rites is also the academy’s Mountain Master, frequently visiting this Little Eastern Mountain to drink tea with the Deputy Mountain Masters. Nothing will happen.”

Only then did Chen Ping’an feel slightly relieved.

The old master inquired, “So, this visit to Cliff Academy is to find Little Baoping? Looking at your travel permit, your registered residence is also Dragon Spring County of Great Li. Not only are you from the same hometown as the little girl, but are you also relatives?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Just from the same hometown, not relatives. A few years ago, I came to the Great Sui capital with Little Baoping and the others, but that time, I didn’t ascend the mountain to enter the academy.”

The old master felt a bit strange. Back then, when this group of Dragon Spring County children entered New Cliff Academy to study, first, elite cavalry were dispatched to the border to escort them, and then, His Majesty the Emperor personally visited the academy, a grand affair. He was even greatly pleased, bestowing imperial gifts to all the traveling students. Logically speaking, even if this young man from Great Li, named Chen Ping’an, didn’t enter the academy, he should have caught his eye.

The old master asked, “Will you wait here for Li Baoping to return to the academy?”

Chen Ping’an nodded.

Of course, he hoped that the first person he saw at Cliff Academy would be Little Baoping.

Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, Xie Xie – Chen Ping’an would certainly see them as well, especially the youngest, Li Huai.

But they all couldn’t compare to the little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket in autumn, winter, and spring, and only a red skirt in summer. Chen Ping’an never denied his partiality; he was closest to Little Baoping. It was the same on the journey to Great Sui, and later, when he went to Upside-Down Mountain alone, he only sent letters to Li Baoping, asking the little girl who received them to help him, her little martial uncle, forward the other letters to them. The painting scroll by the Fan family painter on the summit of Osmanthus Island was also only given to Li Baoping, not to Li Huai and the others.

This preferential treatment, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, and Xie Xie, certainly understood, but they might not have cared. Lin Shouyi was a jade of cultivation, and Yu Lu and Xie Xie were important figures in the Lu Clan Dynasty.

As for Li Huai, who was good at being a bully at home, he probably still felt that Chen Ping’an and A Liang were the closest to him.

The old master waved his hand and smiled, “I advise you to go into the academy guesthouse first to put down your belongings. Every time Li Baoping sneaks out, even if she leaves early in the morning, she never returns until dusk at the earliest. There are no exceptions. If you wait for her here at the gate, you’ll have to wait at least three hours. There’s no need.”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment, then turned to look at Pei Qian and the others. If it were just him, he wouldn’t mind waiting here.

He turned to look at the end of the street.

Zhu Lian had been observing the academy buildings behind the mountain gate. Built against the mountain, although newly constructed by the Ministry of Works of Great Sui, it was done with great care, creating an atmosphere of simplicity and antiquity.

This Cliff Academy, relocated from Great Li to the Great Sui capital, was one of the seventy-two Confucian academies of the vast world in the past.

A place where Sages lectured, with the sound of books resounding, its reputation known throughout the world.

When Cliff Academy was first built in Great Li, the first Mountain Master proposed a progressive creed of learning, advocating that the four elements of learning and reflection should be grounded in the single word: action.

As Zhu Lian gazed at the academy, Shi Rou didn’t dare to breathe loudly.

Although Shi Rou resided in the remains of a celestial being, capable of resisting the formless righteous energy, the instinct of ghosts and specters still filled her heart with terror.

Pei Qian remained silent, seemingly even more nervous than Shi Rou.

When disembarking at Old Dragon City, Pei Qian had declared in her heart that she would meet Li Baoping, but upon arriving at the gate of the Great Sui capital, she began to feel weak.

Upon reaching the mountain gate of Cliff Academy, she was even more timid.

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “May I ask, sir, if we enter the academy, stay in the guesthouse, and want to visit Mountain Master Mao, do we need to notify him in advance and wait for a reply?”

The old gentleman smiled, “Actually, notification is of little use. The main reason is that our Mountain Master Mao doesn’t like guests. In recent years, he has almost declined all visits and social engagements. Even the Minister of Rites may not be able to see Mountain Master Mao when he comes to the academy. However, Young Master Chen has come from afar and is from Dragon Spring County. I reckon a greeting will suffice. Although our Mountain Master Mao is rigorous in his studies, he is actually easy to talk to. It’s just that the famous scholars of Great Sui have always valued metaphysical discussions, so they can’t find common ground with Mountain Master Mao.”

Chen Ping’an still didn’t immediately enter the academy, and asked, “If I remember correctly, the one responsible for the security and order of the Great Sui capital is the Infantry Commander’s Office?”

The old gentleman understood, realizing he was still worried about Li Baoping, and smiled, “That’s right. Moreover, the youngest son of the head of that office is currently studying at the academy.”

Chen Ping’an breathed another sigh of relief.

After Chen Ping’an inquired about some trivial matters concerning Li Baoping, he bid farewell to the old gentleman and entered the academy.

Pei Qian walked with heavy steps, especially after passing through the gate, walking up a gently sloping mountain path, as if wading through a river, trudging through snow.

The academy had a guesthouse specifically for accommodating relatives and elders of students. The Li family had stayed in the guesthouse in the past.

The academy only charged a symbolic amount of copper coins, ten coins per day for each guesthouse. After learning that there were few guests staying in the guesthouse now, Chen Ping’an took four adjacent guesthouses in one go.

After putting away their luggage, Pei Qian came to Chen Ping’an’s room to copy books.
Chen Ping’an unslung his bamboo chest, even removing the gourd for nurturing swords at his waist, along with the half-immortal weapon, the “Sword Immortal.”

Zhu Lian inquired if he wanted to explore the academy together. Chen Ping’an declined, stating that Pei Qian was busy copying books and would not pay Zhu Lian any mind.

Zhu Lian then went to knock on Shi Rou’s door. Feeling ill at ease and in low spirits, Shi Rou was in no mood for visitors. Zhu Lian, standing outside, began spouting strange, flowery words laced with vulgar undertones. Shi Rou rewarded him with a single, resounding “Scram!”

Left with no other choice, Zhu Lian wandered the academy grounds alone.

Li Baoping, in her own way, might understand this capital city even better than the natives who were born and raised within its walls.

She had visited Tianchang Gate, nicknamed the “Grain Gate” by the common folk, on the southern side. Grain arriving via the canal was inspected by Ministry of Revenue officials before being stored in the granaries – a confluence of rice and millet from all directions. She once spent half a day near the docks, observing the busy officials and clerks, along with the sweating porters. She also knew there was a popular Fox Spirit Shrine, not recognized by the imperial Ministry of Rites as an orthodox temple, yet not a lewd shrine either. Its origins were strange, venerating a section of fox tail, lustrous and seemingly new. There was also a crazy old woman selling enchanted water and a face reader, said to be from Guanzhong during the reign of Great Sui. The old man and woman were constantly bickering.

She had visited the Changfu Temple fair, a sea of humanity. She coveted a type of toy serpent made from ox horn. Many wealthy individuals came to this place, even servants who appeared more arrogant than the sons of dignitaries, disguised in darkened raccoon fur coats to appear as if they were wearing expensive sable fur.

Li Baoping had also frequented the area near the Imperial City, spending many afternoons there. She learned that cart drivers and embroiderers, not palace staff, were allowed to enter and exit the Imperial City, as long as they carried a waist token. There was also the Wenhua Hall, where dynastic histories were compiled and written, employing many scribes and papermakers.

Circling around to the northern rear gate of the Imperial City, called the Dijiu Gate, Li Baoping visited even more often. It was a bustling place. She once witnessed a noisy commotion at a silver shop when soldiers apprehended a petty thief. Later, she learned from a nearby shopkeeper that the shop, which engaged in illicit business but still made a fortune, was a den for stolen goods. Many of the items sold were Imperial objects stolen from the Great Sui Palace, including hidden purses and sachets, even pieces of tin used to repair the palace’s drainage systems. Palace maintenance leftovers were also coveted by merchants outside. The reported losses and damages in the manufacturing departments, especially the gold and jade workshops and the box-making section, were quite lucrative, as it was easy to smuggle items out of the palace and turn them into real silver and gold.

At the time, Li Baoping couldn’t understand how people dared to steal from the Emperor’s own household, right under his nose. The old shopkeeper, who had grown familiar with her, smiled and said, “There are people willing to risk their heads for profit, but no one is willing to lose money.”

Li Baoping had also visited Embroidery Bridge, not far from Dijiu Gate. There was a large lake there, but the walls of the royal and high-ranking officials’ mansions blocked it. The Infantry Commander’s Yamen was located in a place called Sable Hat Alley. Li Baoping walked back and forth there, eating pastries, because a classmate she disliked always boasted that his father was the highest-ranking official in that Yamen, and no one would dare to interfere even if he relieved himself on the stone lions there.

Li Baoping also visited Zhongguan Alley on the south side of the city, where elderly eunuchs and white-haired palace maids spent their twilight years after leaving the palace. There were many temples and Taoist temples there, but none were large. The eunuchs and palace maids were generous patrons, donating to them with fervent devotion.

Therefore, Li Baoping often saw hunched old men, supported by servants or leaning on canes, going to burn incense.

After visiting the place many times, Li Baoping learned that the most senior palace maids, revered as the “Inner Court Grannies,” were elderly female officials who served the Emperor and Empress. Among them, the old palace maid who styled the Emperor’s hair every morning held the highest position of honor. Some were even granted the title of “Madam.”

In the eastern part of the capital, there was the largest market in Great Sui, filled with shops, carriages, and people, a place where the flow of people was the flow of money. Li Baoping particularly enjoyed browsing the bookstores there. Some daring bookstore owners secretly sold books that were forbidden by imperial law to leave the country. Envoys from various tributary states often sent servants to purchase them privately, but if they were unlucky enough to be caught by patrolling guards, they would be dragged to the Yamen to suffer the consequences.

These past three years…

The little girl, always dressed in bright red cotton-padded jackets and clothes, had supported many staggering old people going to burn incense, helped children standing under trees crying, retrieve their kites,

She pushed ox carts stuck in the snowy mud, along with shabbily dressed old men. Watched old men playing chess in the alley corners. Stood on her tiptoes in antique shops, inquiring about the prices of various scholar’s objects. Sat on the steps under the bridge, listening to the storytellers’ tales. Countless times, she brushed past hawkers carrying loads on the streets. She even intervened in quarrels between children fighting on the ground…

The little girl had heard the melodious whistling of pigeons in the sky above the capital. She had seen beautiful, swaying kites. She had eaten the most delicious wontons in the world. She had taken shelter from the rain under eaves and from the sun under trees, walking through the wind and snow, breathing into her hands to warm them…

Today, Li Baoping went to the bookstore again. On the way, she had lunch at a small, affordable restaurant. On the way back, she switched to a small alley noodle shop with a family tradition. The old owner and his wife were very familiar with her. They often offered to give her a discount, or even not charge her at all. But Li Baoping always refused, saying that maybe next time they would. However, next time never came. The two restaurants simply assumed that the little girl was just being polite, not wanting to reduce their small profits. But they actually wanted to laugh. Meeting such a lovely and sensible customer, they wouldn’t begrudge her the small amount of money, even if it was hard to earn.

In the twilight…

Li Baoping’s sprinting figure appeared on the street outside the mountain academy gate.

The little girl thought that the saying “time flies like an arrow” didn’t seem quite right. Why did it feel like time was passing so slowly for her, making her so anxious?

A little girl in a red dress, her eyes seemingly only fixed on the distance, greeted the old gatekeeper quickly and dashed through.
The dozing old scholar, recalling something, called out to the departing figure, “Little Treasure Bottle, come back here!”

Li Baoping didn’t pause in her steps, waving her hands while treading in place. She turned her head to glance at the old master waving at her, and then began to run backward, surprisingly fast…

Li Baoping ran backward to the entrance, stopped, and asked, “Master Liang, is something the matter?”

The old gentleman, surnamed Liang, asked curiously, “Didn’t you encounter any acquaintances on the way?”

Li Baoping widened her eyes and shook her head. “Nope.”

The old gentleman smiled and asked, “Then did you not turn in from Bai Mao Street today?”

Li Baoping nodded. “That’s right. Why?”

The old gentleman asked with a smile, “Baoping, before answering your question, answer mine first. Do you think my knowledge is vast?”

Li Baoping thought for a moment. “Smaller than the Lord of Mao Mountain.”

The old gentleman was instantly choked speechless by the honest little girl.

However, thinking about it from another angle, the little girl was comparing him to a Sage of the Confucian Academy, so it must be a compliment, right?

Thus, the old gentleman felt quite good. He then told Li Baoping that a young man had come to the academy looking for her. He had stood at the entrance for quite a while, then went to the guesthouse to put down his luggage, and returned here twice. The last time was half an hour ago, and he hadn’t left since.

The old gentleman smiled, “I advised him not to worry, that our Little Baoping is as familiar with the capital as wandering around her own backyard, and definitely wouldn’t get lost. But that person still walked back and forth on this street. Later, I became anxious for him and told him that you usually turn in from Bai Mao Street, guessing that he was waiting for you there. Seeing that you weren’t coming, he probably walked a little further, hoping to catch sight of you sooner. That’s why you two missed each other. It doesn’t matter, you wait here, and he’s bound to return soon.”

Li Baoping suddenly turned around, about to dash away.

The old gentleman hurriedly said, “Little Baoping, are you going to Bai Mao Street to find him? Be careful that he might have gone far from Bai Mao Street to look for you! And what if he doesn’t return the same way? Wouldn’t you miss each other again? What, are you planning to play hide-and-seek?”

Li Baoping was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, pacing around in circles.

This was a sight the academy instructors had never seen before.

Li Baoping, on the verge of tears, suddenly shouted loudly, “Little Martial Uncle!”

The old scholar’s heart trembled. He narrowed his eyes, his aura completely changing, and looked towards the end of the street.

There, a figure in white, like a streak of white rainbow, turned into view from Bai Mao Street, then swept forward at an even faster speed, arriving in an instant.

When the young man gracefully came to a stop, his two snow-white sleeves still fluttered and swayed, like a banished immortal of unparalleled grace.

He stood before the little girl in red, his smile radiant, and said softly, “Little Martial Uncle has arrived.”