Chapter Twenty: Rumors of the White Deer

Time flies like a white steed passing a gap, and the years flow on like the endless waters of the Luo River. In the blink of an eye, spring has departed and winter has arrived; another year and more have passed.

In the first month of the third year of the Taikang era (282 AD), the snow on the plains of Luoyang lay thick and deep. The fields and paths were a vast, blinding expanse of white, and the farmers kept their doors tightly shut. Were it not for the wisps of grayish smoke rising from the houses, it would seem as if the world had been stripped of all signs of human life. Twelve-year-old Shi Chao, accompanied by a few attendants, moved through this vast, icy, white world like a short, winding black earthworm.

They had set out from the markets of Luoyang, dressed in sharp, pitch-black training clothes, with three-foot swords at their waists and riding six-foot-tall, green-maned horses. At a glance, they were clearly from a wealthy family, yet they traveled along a path unexpectedly desolate. Departing from the main road, they rode along the frozen, solid ice of the Luo River, heading east. The signs of human habitation grew sparse, and Mount Beimang loomed closer. The snow beneath their feet deepened from their heels to their knees. After riding for about two hours, they finally arrived at their destination: the East Fort of the Duke of Anle.

Although it was called a fort, the East Fort was in reality nothing more than a small village of thirty or forty households. The dwellings were arranged on either side of a ditch, guarding a three-story pavilion, all enclosed by a simple fence. In total, it covered no more than two or three mu of land.

Shi Chao, familiar with the route, arrived at the pavilion, dismounted, and, ignoring etiquette, strode to the door. He tapped on it repeatedly with his riding crop and called out loudly, "Liu Piji! Liu Piji! I am here! Open the door quickly!"

With a creak, the door swung inward, and a tall woman appeared before Shi Chao, catching his eye. She appeared to be in her thirties, dressed in a long-sleeved, pale-blue pleated skirt patterned with lotus flowers. Her hair was styled in a towering "hanging cloud" bun, adorned with swaying pearl ornaments. She looked dignified yet elegant. Though the passage of time had etched faint lines at the corners of her eyes, it only made her gaze more profound, as if always holding a hint of a smile.

This woman was Zhang Ximiao. Looking at the boy before her, she appeared quite pleased. Taking Shi Chao’s cloak from him, she spoke as if he were her own child: "It is Xinu! Why did you not send someone to let us know you were coming from so far away?"

"It’s no great matter." Shi Chao blushed, lowered his head, and asked, "Auntie, is Piji at home?"

"He is, he is upstairs copying books! If you wish to find him, just go right up." After pointing out the way, Ximiao added with concern, "Are you cold? I shall heat a pot of honey water for you in a moment."

Before she could finish, Shi Chao had already dashed upstairs in a flash. Zhang Ximiao shook her head with a smile and hurried to greet the guards at the door, telling them to rest in the front hall. She then went to the kitchen to instruct A'chun to fetch some candied fruits and place them on a tray with the honey water.

Once everything was prepared, Zhang Ximiao carried the tray upstairs herself. As she ascended, the sound of the two boys laughing and talking reached her ears. This sound made her feel both comforted and somewhat amazed.

Roughly speaking, twenty years had passed since the fall of Shu-Han, and it had been eleven years since the death of the old Duke of Anle, Liu Shan. After the fall of Shu-Han, the royal clan of Shu had not exactly lived a life of smooth sailing in Luoyang, but generally speaking, they had enough to eat and wear. Yet, for all this time, the household of the Duke of Anle had never been truly accepted by the nobility of Luoyang.

This was not hard to understand. The royal families of defeated kingdoms were always viewed with suspicion. Moreover, after decades of development, the ties between the northern clans had become unprecedentedly tight, and they had carved up all the power in the court. Aside from the military, there was no room left in the government for outsiders. Correspondingly, the social circles of these clans were impenetrable. Those who could befriend the founding heroes of the Western Jin dynasty were either world-renowned talents or from equally prestigious, high-ranking families.

Take the family of Zhang Hua, for example. They lived right next door to the Duke of Anle’s residence; one could even hear the sound of the zither from next door at night. Yet, beyond exchanging gifts during major holidays, the two families had no further interaction.

Under such circumstances, for Liu Xian to break through these barriers and become close friends with Shi Chao, who hailed from the Shi family of Bohai, was truly a marvel.

As for the reason they became friends, it could be called a twist of fate. Years ago, when Ma Long led three thousand men on an expedition to Liangzhou, Liu Xian had accidentally encountered Shi Chao and analyzed the merits and flaws of Ma Long’s campaign. These were merely offhand remarks, yet they unexpectedly won Shi Chao’s favor.

As it turned out, Shi Chao was different from other aristocratic youths. Most descendants of the founding heroes, such as Jia Mi or Pei Song, wanted only to rest on the laurels of their fathers and grandfathers, hoping to become pampered officials in the capital. This offered high status and power without any risk—the dream of most aspiring officials. But Shi Chao was naturally active; he disliked the atmosphere of constant bowing and scraping in the capital. Influenced by the early military exploits of his grandfather, Shi Bao, he had aspired since childhood to leave the capital and become a military commander.

Thus, seeing that Liu Xian also loved history and military affairs, they hit it off immediately. When news later arrived in Luoyang that Ma Long had recovered Liangzhou, Shi Chao grew even closer to Liu Xian. He would frequently come to discuss the battles of history, treating Liu Xian as his Sun Bin, while styling himself as Tian Ji, claiming that they would surely achieve great things for the country in the future.

For Liu Xian, this was simply gaining a friend, but in the eyes of his mother, Zhang Ximiao, it was a miracle of no small significance.

Of course, in Ximiao’s heart, this was not the only miracle Liu Xian had created.

Before he began his formal education, influenced by the madness of Liu Xun, Liu Xian had once exhibited a melancholy and detachment unsuited for his age, causing Ximiao great worry and self-reproach, as she feared he might succumb to a passive, escapist life. But to her surprise, years had passed, and not only did Liu Xian lack such tendencies, he had become even more steady and calm, possessing a patience rarely seen even in adults.

How could Zhang Ximiao not feel proud of her child’s growth? When Liu Xian was born, the mansion was suffering from the cold indifference of others, and even his biological father, Liu Xun, held no expectations for him. But now, he was not merely a puppet; he was doing things his father never could... This gave Zhang Ximiao hope: she had reason to believe that even though his background brought various limitations, he would find a way to break through them and continue to move forward with composure.

Thinking this, Ximiao pushed open the door and saw Liu Xian and Shi Chao talking and laughing by the fire. Shi Chao had taken off his boots and was warming his feet by the brazier without a care, while Liu Xian, dressed in a purple silk robe, laughed as he poked at the charcoal in the brazier.

Seeing his mother enter, Liu Xian quickly stood up and took the tray from her, saying, "Mother, you only needed to call me; why bother coming upstairs?"

Seeing him so sensible, Zhang Ximiao felt very happy, but she replied, "We have an honored guest in the house; how could I lack courtesy?" She then asked Shi Chao, "Is there anything you would like to eat, Xinu? Lunch is just about to be prepared, so there is still time."

"Do not trouble yourself, anything is fine." In front of Ximiao, Shi Chao was still somewhat shy.

Zhang Ximiao rarely had the chance to interact with other people’s children. Seeing Shi Chao’s manner, she found it interesting. Moreover, wanting to learn more about her son’s friend, she did not leave immediately but instead sought to join their conversation:

"Do not be so formal! I heard you from downstairs; were you not chatting quite happily? What were you discussing?"

Liu Xian said, "Xinu was saying that last month, he and some friends went hunting in Mount Wan'an and encountered a white deer."

"A white deer?"

"Yes." Speaking of his personal experience, Shi Chao’s face lit up, and he described it to Zhang Ximiao: "It hadn't snowed yet in those days. My sixth uncle (Shi Chong) said he needed a bearskin hat for the New Year, and hearing that there were bears in Mount Wan'an, he invited a group of us to go hunt them, and I tagged along. As it turned out, we were very unlucky that day. We scoured the mountains for three hours; let alone bears, we didn't even see many foxes, only shot a few rabbits."

"By the time it was almost dark, the water and food we brought were gone. Everyone was thirsty and hungry, so we had no choice but to head back. Just as we were returning to a shallow slope, a white shadow suddenly leapt out from the bushes nearby. I hadn't even clearly seen what it was when my sixth uncle shouted, 'A white deer!' and led the men in pursuit."

"I ran after them, and for a long while, I almost couldn't keep up. Fortunately, my sixth uncle was fast; he led the men to corner the white deer against a dead end by a cliff, so I could catch my breath and squeeze to the front to see."

"Let me tell you, that deer was truly pure white! From head to tail, except for its eyes and antlers, it was as white as snow!" Growing excited, Shi Chao began to gesture with his hands, indicating the size of the deer. "It was about as tall as I am. Its tail, ears, and antlers were very small, and its eyes were black and bright, just like the pits of longans. It was very delicate and cute. My sixth uncle and the others were all very happy, saying it was a rare and auspicious omen!"

"Indeed!" Zhang Ximiao was mesmerized by such a rare tale and chimed in, "Did you shoot and kill this white deer?"

"No, my sixth uncle said that such an auspicious omen would be a pity to kill and skin. If it were presented to the Emperor's palace, it would be a proper use of such a treasure. What a pity! We didn't catch it!" A look of frustration appeared on Shi Chao's face.

"Oh? Why didn't you catch it?" Ximiao asked, surprised.

"We thought for sure we would catch it, but who would have thought the white deer could climb walls! On such a high, steep cliff, it leapt a few times along the cracks and climbed right up! We tried to scale the cliff to follow, but we couldn't catch up at all!" Shi Chao slapped his knee, as if he were back in that moment. "It was getting dark, and my sixth uncle wasn't willing to return empty-handed, so we wandered around in the dark with torches for another two hours. There was really nothing we could do, so we returned to Luoyang."

At this point, Shi Chao drank a cup of honey water and revealed the final outcome: "Later, my sixth uncle took men to Mount Wan'an a few more times, but we never had such good luck again. Let alone catching that white deer, we didn't even see it. Just the day before yesterday, he sighed to me and said, 'Had I known, I should have just shot it and skinned it!'"

After hearing this, Zhang Ximiao could not help but feel a bit of regret for them; after all, such an auspicious omen was rare indeed, and if it could have been presented to the Emperor, the Emperor would surely have bestowed a heavy reward.

At this moment, Liu Xian spoke up. While Shi Chao was talking, he had remained quiet, but that did not mean he was uninterested in the topic. On the contrary, he was very drawn to the white deer, though his thoughts were quite different. He said:

"Heaven and Earth produced this auspicious sign to celebrate peace in the world; to skin it would be a terrible destruction of beauty. It is a pity we could not catch it, but letting it return to the mountains is not a bad thing. If the white deer entered the forbidden palace, no one but the royal family would be able to admire it. But now that it is still in the mountains, perhaps when you and I go into the mountains, we might see it again."

As he said this, Liu Xian’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and his pupils shone brightly; clearly, he was happy that the white deer had escaped. Yet, beneath this joy, he seemed to believe with certainty that he had the luck to encounter the white deer in the future.

This optimism infected Shi Chao as well. He laughed and said, "Great minds think alike! So, in a few days when the snow melts, I plan to invite a few friends to go hunting in Mount Wan'an again. Even if we don't see the white deer, shooting a few rabbits will be fine. Will you go?"

Zhang Ximiao was still nearby, so Liu Xian found it difficult to give an answer and turned his gaze toward his mother.

Zhang Ximiao was a bit worried and asked, "Did you not say there were bears in Mount Wan'an? How many of you are going? Will it be alright?"

Shi Chao replied, "It will be fine. There will be about seven or eight of us, and we will all bring attendants. If one or two bears see us, they will run away before they can even get close!"

Zhang Ximiao felt slightly relieved and then asked, "You say seven or eight people; who are they?"

"Jia Azhen, the Third Son of the Zhang family, the Fifth Son of the Pei family, Wang Hutou, and Chen Zhinu. There was supposed to be Xun Guannu, but he is not good at hunting and hasn't given a firm answer."

Upon hearing these names, Zhang Ximiao’s expression shifted slightly. Although she did not know exactly who these nicknames referred to, there was no doubt that behind every one of these surnames lay the powerful, high-ranking families of the court. Piji was without power or influence; could he get along with these people? Ximiao was a little worried, but she thought to herself, if he could blend in with these youths, it would at least provide Piji with many more opportunities for his future career—something the Duke of Anle’s household could hardly provide.

As Ximiao pondered, Liu Xian also noticed this problem and said to Shi Chao, "I still remember when we were at Xiyang Pavilion, they all laughed at me for being the son of a deposed duke. If I go now, will I not be mocked by them again?" His tone was calm, but the emotions beneath were not without ripples.

"What are you saying!" Shi Chao clapped Liu Xian on the shoulder, feeling a bit awkward, as he had been in the group that mocked Liu Xian back then. He chuckled and said, "That was so many years ago; if you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't even remember. Just treat it as getting to know each other again, a fresh start. If anything happens, I am here!"

Liu Xian turned his gaze back to his mother to seek her opinion. Zhang Ximiao smiled, stood up, and said, "This is your affair. Since there is no danger, you decide for yourself."

With that, she turned and left, closing the door behind her. However, she did not walk away immediately but stood at the door, listening quietly to her son’s decision.

Liu Xian said to his friend, "For so many years, I have also wanted to see them; it would be good to have this opportunity."

"Are you wanting to prove yourself?"

"Yes, wanting to prove myself." Liu Xian sighed and added leisurely, "But even more, I am curious. I want to understand them, to know what kind of people they are."

"What is there to understand?" Shi Chao could not quite grasp this. "They all have one mouth and two hands; they aren't monsters."

Liu Xian shook his head slightly and laughed. "Not necessarily. Some people are far more terrifying than monsters."

"What kind of people are more terrifying than monsters?"

"Boring people are the most terrifying! It is such a long trip; if I were sitting next to a group of boring people, hahahaha..."

Hearing Liu Xian’s hearty laughter, Zhang Ximiao withdrew her ear and tucked up the hem of her skirt to walk slowly downstairs. Her heart had originally been filled with worry, but now it was offset by her child’s optimism. She could not help but think of the ancestor who grew up under the mulberry tree, the mother who guided him and left no name in history. Did she, too, feel the same entanglement and joy as she did now?