Chapter 5 – Jiumeng City

 

The Dufeng sailed from Yun Sea, around Guren current, and headed southwest. After passing Shagui Bay, they turned and followed the Big Dipper. Taking advantage of the winds, they travelled at full sail for fifteen days before finally arriving at Tisu.

Ever since the Amber Emperor1 Abale inherited the Tisu throne from his brother, Tisu grew stronger. They firmly controlled the two main paths leading south to Dongzhou and north to the desert. Relying on their navy’s prowess, they also rapidly plundered and accumulated wealth. Rumor even had it that the pirates of Yun Sea were working for the Amber Emperor. But no matter the reason, within a mere ten years, Tisu had become a powerful country. If the Northern Hong Kingdom2 and the various people of the Beimo were counted as well, then Tisu could be considered the largest country among the wastelands.

Fang Tinglan was in his cabin. He headed for the main deck only left after finishing the two letters he was writing.

After the deal was made, the first mate and a group of Dongzhou soldiers had escorted the prisoners back to Southern Hong. Another group of soldiers had disguised themselves as pirates, taken the Dufeng, and headed for Jiumeng City. Their journey was smooth — meeting neither pirates nor the military.

Tisu’s capital was within sight. In the distance, white buildings could be seen peeking out between green cloaked mountains — Jiumeng City.

Fang Tinglan had seen Jiumeng City only in his father’s stories. His father had described the second largest city of the wastelands as a swan in a lush forest.

“Their capital has an imposing terrace made of white jade, about as tall as Taiyi Tower in Taiyan. During celebrations and royal announcements, everyone gathers below it to watch. The Tisu people called it … called it … I can’t remember now, but we call it Qiwu3 Terrace, a place where even a Phoenix would stop.”

“Phoenix?” The eight-year-old Fang Tinglan blinked.

“Yes,” His father continued. “There were many trees and flowers, attracting many birds too. There were also many merchants and many poets. Those Tisu people spoke beautifully, just like birds. Especially the girls in Jiumeng. Wearing lovely white dresses and golden jewelry, they would sing at the taverns, those jade green eyes blinking at you. Tsk tsk tsk. One could get drunk just by looking!”

“I’m telling Mom you secretly listen to them sing.” Little Fang Tinglan was mercilessly straightforward.

His father clicked his tongue and pinched his cheek.

“Your mom was sitting right next to me!” His father took another sip of wine.

The summer breeze passed by the corridor; it was light and airy. From the clearing, the full moon was in full view. On nights like this, Fang Tinglan’s father liked to chat with him and have a few drinks. But he’d never let Fang Tinglan have a taste.

“Wait until you’re a little older.” He would laugh and motion about a head higher than Fang Tinglan.

“When you’re this tall, I’ll take you and your mother out to sea. We won’t be drinking Taiyan’s ‘Xuhuachun’ or ‘Xijiangyi’ — we’ll have Jiumeng’s grape wine4, alright?”

Little Fang Tinglan nodded and squeezed his dad’s hand.

“You’re Lord Zhenhai, a navy admiral. You’d better keep your promises!”

But only a year later, the empire’s capital of Taiyan was invaded. The emperor fled and Dongzhou split in two. The illustrious Hong dynasty split their land from east to west into northern and southern kingdoms. His father had no choice but to shift his loyalties.

Fang Tinglan looked at his palm. He bit his lower lip, escaping his memories and turning his attention to the person seated at the head of the ship.

Tisu people were said to have brown hair and green eyes, but the only person on this ship hailing from Jiumeng had the same black hair and black eyes as Fang Tinglan.

Since an agreement had been reached, the young pirate’s shackles were naturally undone, and nobody dared approach him. He came and went all by himself. At least, he kept to himself.

Swinging his calves, he sat with one hand holding the railing and the other absentmindedly played with a coin . The sea breeze brushed through his hair and billowed his clothes. He seemed like a bird — a heron ready to fly away at any moment.

“Of ‘birds above the sea’, there are many. Like a mountain of endless treasures, or a gathering of many guests; seeing once cannot compare to hearing a hundred times.” Fang Tinglan sighed as he approached the ‘sea bird’. He stared off to the distance.

Hai Lian turned to look at him, but didn’t respond.

Though the two had been traveling together for over half a month, they’d only spoken a handful of times. Despite the other’s amiable attitude and courteous speech, Hai Lian still instinctively disliked the Dongzhou officer. He wasn’t so dumb as to believe that this smiling, fox-like employer suddenly wanted to get along with him.

But this cold attitude didn’t bother Fang Tinglan. He continued speaking.

“I’ve always wanted to ask, by your appearance, you don’t seem to be Tisuvian5?”

“Tisu people come in all shapes and sizes. There are blondes and gingers, pale people and tan people, blue-eyed ones and green-eyed ones.” Hai Lian answered disinterestedly.

“What does that matter to you. Spit it out if you’ve got something to say.”

“Don’t be like this.” Fang Tinglan smiled. “We’ll be living together6 for a year; it’s better to get to know each other.”

“Living together?” Hai Lian frowned at the key words.

“Un. Living together. When we get to the shore, only the two of us will leave.” Fang Tinglan replied calmly.

“You’re quite brave.”

“Because I have you.”

“…”

Fang Tinglan looked the boy in the eyes.

“For the coming year, I can only trust and depend on you.” He spoke subserviently, without even blinking.

“We’re partners, Hai Lian.” He said.

Fang Tinglan’s words were completely sincere, his tone even asking for comfort. Back when he was in Southern Hong, this expression and tone could fool his classmates at Wulong Academy, and even the Emperor in Zichen Hall. Naturally, the boy in front of him would be fooled too.

Sure enough, Hai Lian fell silent under his gaze. After a while, he turned to the sea and spoke softly.

“I’m the same as you.”

Spoken in a Dongzhou dialect, these five words rendered Fang Tinglan speechless.

“I’m like you, from Southern Hong. Fifteen years ago, just before the war that split Dongzhou, my family and I escaped to Tisu. We never went back.” Hai Lian brushed his bangs to the side, trying to keep them from his wound. His fingers ran through his hair and his palm became damp from the mist.

“Then your family…”

“Died.”

“I’m sorry.” Fang Tinglan’s smile stiffened.

“It’s been so long, what’s there to apologize for.” Hai Lian jumped from the railing back onto the deck. Hongliu Harbor was just ahead.

“Don’t treat me as Dongzhou-ese, I won’t acknowledge it.”

 

The harbor was densely packed with ships, so the Dufeng could only pause by the sides. Fang Tinglan gave a few final orders to his subordinates before taking Hai Lian, along with a wooden trunk, to continue on a smaller boat. The two passed by a sea of masts, many different styles of sails, and fierce looking figureheads attached to each merchant ship. Fang Tinglan’s eyes remained fixed ahead. However, he smelled it before he saw it.

He held his breath.

“Before entering Jiumeng City, one has to smoke a cigarette first.”

The more experienced Yun Sea sailors would tell foreigners.

The scents of tobacco from Lonxibao of Beimo, spices from Chijin of Dongzhou, and wine from Lanlisai of the west continent mixed with the salty sea breeze and the aromatic smell of flowers to form a strange but intoxicating fragrance. Customs officers angrily chased down smugglers. Sea merchants return to their ships with loaded bags. Pirates openly flirted with prostitutes. Tanned footmen and short foremen gathered on the sides. Whether they wore leather shoes or no shoes, mud stained everyone’s geet and pants.

People made transactions in Dongzhou’s language, cursed in a Nanjing dialect, and sang little songs in Beimo’s dialect. Coins plated in shining silver flowed through everyone’s hands, into the many taverns near the port.

This Hongliu Harbor was livelier, more vibrant, and more barbaric than any other harbor Fang Tinglan had ever visited.

Hai Lian jumped out as soon as their boat neared the shore, and turned to Fang Tinglan.

“You’d better stay close to me, otherwise by the time we get past the harbor, the only thing you’ll have left will be your pants.”

Fang Tinglan gently smiled in response. The area was packed with people, but Hai Lian showed no signs of waiting. Fang Tinglan took a few steps before simply catching up and grabbing Hai Lian’s wrist.

“You’re supposed to be the one following me.” Fang Tinglan said in justification.

Hai Lian saw him make a pitiful expression.

“Disgusting…” He muttered. Nevertheless, he didn’t shake Fang Tinglan off, even slowing his steps.

The port was very large. The two maneuvered around the nooks and crannies, struggling to move forward. Just as they were about to leave, Fang Tinglan was stopped by a loud sob.

The cry had come from a little boy. His entire left arm was missing, and his other hand clutched pitifully to the hem of a well built, one-eyed man’s shirt. The two were arguing over something. The man was obviously too impatient to listen to the boy. Wanting to push him aside, he swore heavily at the boy. But the boy refused to let go. The man gave the boy’s arm a rough yank, causing the boy to stagger back and fall to the mud; dirt covered the boy’s torso and half his face.

Hongliu Harbor was far too busy for anyone to spare the poor, muddied child a single glance. As if a river meeting stubborn rocks, the waves of people automatically parted around the crying boy, his cries like a discordant harmony to a chaotic melody.

“Why bully a child,” Fang Tinglan looked over and couldn’t help but click his tongue.

He handed the luggage to Hai Lian and strode over. Hai Lian looked between the trunk in his hands and the sobbing child sitting with his head bowed. He didn’t move.

“Come on now, can you stand up?” Fang Tinglan crouched down and spoke in a Nanjing dialect.

The boy pressed his lips together and sniffled until his nose stopped running. He quietly made a noise.

“My… feet are bad7.”

Fang Tinglan sighed and held his hands out to the boy. He slipped his hands under the boy’s armpits and carefully lifted him from the mud to the side of the road.

“Where are your parents?” He asked gently.

The child bit his lips and shook his head. Fang Tinglan tried a couple more times, but to no avail. Instead, he flattened out the child’s wrinkled collar and smiled.

“Don’t go provoking someone like that in the future.”

The boy nodded slightly, hesitated, then called out again after Fang Tinglan had taken a couple steps. He finally managed a smile between sniffles and tears.

“Thank you, uncle.”

Fang Tinglan smiled back.

“I didn’t realize you were so nice.” Hai Lian returned the wooden trunk.

“It’s you who’s too cold, letting a child cry in the middle of the road.” Fang Tinglan sniffed at his shirt cuff and wrinkled his nose.

“When we get there, I’m going to need a bath. Even the mud around here has a nasty fishy smell.”

“Check your pocket.” Hai Lian said.

“Hmm?” Fang Tinglan startled, but followed Hai Lian’s words. After feeling around his pocket, his expression immediately darkened. He whipped his head around, but the lonely little boy with “bad feet” was long gone.

“This…” He was at a loss; at least now he knew what the boy was thanking him for.

“Around here, plenty of kids use broken arms and legs to trick old wives. They’ll steal jewelry and wallets when you wipe their tears, and even manage to leave dirty handprints on you before leaving.” Hai Lian said slowly.

“I told you to stay close. I never expected you’d fall for this sort of cheap trick, officer Fang. ”

Hai Lian finally smiled at Fang Tinglan, his eyes curving with undisguised gloating.

“That’s Tisu’s welcoming gift for you.” Hai Lian said.

“Welcome to Jiumeng City, foreigner.”

 

 

T/N: Ahhhh, FTL made my heart melt. He was so sweet with that little boy… and then he got robbed LOL <.<

1

Amber Emperor: I don’t know about everyone else, but I used to think these titles were just titles that anyone could claim. They’re actually just another name specific to the king/emperor in question.

2

Northern Hong Kingdom: The remnants of Dongzhou, since the Hong dynasty split in two. I believe Dongzhou now refers to ‘ethnically’ Dongzhou people and the country/area of northern Hong.

3

Qiwu: the term comes from a poem and refers to a phoenix resting on a Wutong tree.

4

Jiumeng’s grape wine: making a distinction because I think the Taiyan wines are rice wine.

5

Tisuvian: my invented term for someone ethnically from Tisu.

6

living together: FT uses a word that means to live alone, or, like in this case, live alone with a lover.

7

feet are bad: The boy means that he’s crippled but didn’t use any fancy words or anything, just ‘bad’ as in broken