Chapter Four: The Erhu

The journey from Quan to Changsha was long and arduous, taking nearly two months by swift horse, along with the movement of common folk. The endless jostling did little to faze the ancient generals, accustomed as they were to horseback, their bodies tough and resilient; but Jiang Wen felt as though his own backside was swollen and aching beyond endurance.

Changsha stood on imposing terrain, its walls towering high, surrounded by steep, jagged peaks, making the city perilous and difficult to attack. Any army wishing to storm Changsha would have to traverse mountains and valleys, sapping morale and leaving troops exhausted in body and spirit.

The city itself was magnificent, its fortifications solid and immense. To witness such ancient architecture with one's own eyes was deeply moving.

“Lu Zi Ming, Sima of the Separate Division, requests entry into the city!” Lu Meng called out loudly from beneath the walls.

The gates opened, and Lu Meng led five hundred soldiers and civilians through into Changsha.

Lu Meng barked at his men, “Soldiers, heed my command! Assemble at the city gate tomorrow at sunrise to rejoin the main army. For today, take your rest.”

He turned to the trembling Jiang Wen, who was struggling to dismount, and laughed heartily, “Brother Chang Su, why not rest at my home for the day?”

“Gladly! My backside hurts terribly—do you have any medicine?”

“Haha, Brother Chang Su, it’s your first time riding, so of course you’re suffering. I have excellent wound salve at home.”

Though two months to Changsha was slow by most standards, for Jiang Wen—even riding in a carriage would have been painful, let alone on horseback.

At this time, Lu Meng was not much favored. He was young, and with so many veteran generals under Sun Jian’s command, there was little need to rely on a newly grown lad.

Lu Meng was not a local aristocrat, but his position as Sima of a separate division meant his family was not impoverished. At least, Jiang Wen tasted for the first time meat that ran on the ground.

There were no stir-fried dishes yet; all meals were stews, but the flavors were quite good.

The hot, cooked food was immensely comforting after months of dry rations, which left the mouth parched.

Jiang Wen quickly finished his stew and rice, savoring the pleasure—rice at this time was not quite the same as later ages, more like noodles that clumped if left too long.

Looking at the heroic young man before him, Jiang Wen said, “Brother Zi Ming, since you have ambition, why not read more books? To be both learned and martial would be better.”

At the mention of reading, Lu Meng frowned, his heart full of aversion. “The words in those books are all flowery and pretentious. I want the valor of battle, not that nonsense!”

Jiang Wen only gave a gentle hint; seeing Lu Meng’s dislike, he said no more. After all, even Sun Quan had to urge Lu Meng many times to study.

“May I ask, how many troops does General Sun command?” Jiang Wen inquired.

“Our army numbers twenty thousand, with eight thousand elite cavalry. The traitorous old enemy will surely be defeated!” Lu Meng replied.

“That is good.” Jiang Wen nodded and continued chatting and laughing with Lu Meng...

Taor, soaking in a wooden tub, washed away all the grime, humming softly to herself.

She looked at her fair skin and blushed, wrapping her chest with a white cloth before stepping outside.

After Lu Meng departed, Jiang Wen sat on the floor and watched Taor emerge. “If she were truly a man, she’d be even more beautiful than He Lang after powdering his face—what a pity…”

Jiang Wen’s mind was quick; upon hearing her name, he already knew she was a woman. Not everyone could hide their gender for twenty years as Mulan did.

Jiang Wen smiled gently and said, “Since Taor is so handsome, why not stay in Changsha? I’ll ask Brother Zi Ming to arrange a match for you.”

Taor replied with a playful smile, “Too bad my heart isn’t in it now. If you were a woman, I’d marry you right away!”

She sat beside Jiang Wen; since the supposed scribe wanted to disguise as a man, there was no need to expose her.

“Master, you are just as I imagined—not an ordinary person. How quickly you befriended a Sima of such high rank!”

Jiang Wen smiled wordlessly. Unfortunately, he hadn’t yet met Sun Jian’s army; the distance was too great, and they had surely gone ahead.

With twenty thousand troops and eight thousand elite cavalry, their pace would surely be swift. He hoped to catch up when they stopped at Lujiang.

The next morning, as Lu Meng assembled his soldiers at the city gate, they set out immediately. He had received a bamboo letter urging him to join the main army at Lujiang without delay.

Without civilians following, Jiang Wen finally experienced what true swift riding meant.

In fifteen days they arrived at Lujiang!

“Ah, ah! Taor, gentler, gentler!” Jiang Wen lay facedown on the bed, exposing his pale backside as Taor, cheeks flushed, applied medicine.

“Is your backside still hurting? Shall I help you apply the salve?” Jiang Wen glanced at Taor and chuckled.

“Ah!”

“Master, you do it yourself!”

In such bothersome moments, teasing his cross-dressing scribe brought some amusement.

After dressing, Jiang Wen stood up with difficulty, not daring to sit, dreading the journey that lay ahead.

Long hours lying down were uncomfortable; sitting was even more painful. He could only walk around. Lu Zi Ming pushed the door open and laughed, “Brother Chang Su, your scribe is surely a woman—I saw her wandering the courtyard, blushing like a girl!”

“Brother Zi Ming, what about the matter I discussed with you?”

“No luck,” Lu Meng sighed. “Outsiders see me as seventeen and a Sima, a promising youth, but I’m not well received. Bo Fu didn’t agree to my invitation—he’s gone to Lujiang to visit a friend.”

It made sense; Lu Meng would only be valued when Sun Quan held power. Now, he had little status, and Sun Ce hadn’t accepted his invitation, leaving the once spirited Lu Zi Ming rather downcast.

Sun Ce’s friend was naturally Zhou Gongjin, the renowned general who sent Cao Mengde retreating from Red Cliffs.

But at this moment, the two were meeting for the first time.

Jiang Wen felt troubled; even with knowledge, without recognition, it was useless.

He needed a way to gain their favor!

After pondering, Jiang Wen said to Lu Meng, “Brother Zi Ming, I have another favor to ask—will you help me?”

Three days later, Lu Meng handed Jiang Wen a strange instrument, looking somewhat uneasy. “Brother Chang Su, what is this?”

“Erhu,” Jiang Wen replied with a gentle smile. Seeing the familiar instrument, he recalled learning to play as a child from his grandfather, and began to play.

Lu Meng was not a lover of music, but the erhu’s sound was unlike the guqin—deep, lingering, and intriguing to him.

Jiang Wen could not play famous melodies like “February Reflects the Spring,” but in this era there was no erhu at all; as long as he played, any tune that wasn’t torturous to the ear would sound pleasant enough.

With a hint of a smile, Jiang Wen, holding the erhu, asked Lu Meng, “Brother Zi Ming, could you take me to General Bo Fu’s friend’s home?”

The Zhou clan was a powerful local family, with Zhou’s father serving as Prefect of Luoyang—a major family in the region.