→ Yet, in the thirty-ninth year of Chu, his love for beauty became even more pronounced.
That night, a sudden fierce wind arose, throwing the capital and its surroundings into chaos.
Since it was the second watch of the night, most people had already fallen asleep. Suddenly, they heard the shrill howling through the cracks of the windows, followed by the clanging and clattering of things placed outside, continuously making noise. They hurriedly got up, calling out to the people in their homes in a succession of shouts.
“Where did this strong wind come from?”
People fearfully tidied up their homes, and seeing roof tiles falling to the ground, they shrank back inside, not daring to go out.
Although winds were common in spring in previous years, they were never this exaggerated, especially in the middle of the night when it was pitch dark outside and nothing could be seen. The lanterns hanging in the neighborhood were blown away, and some areas were even unluckily caught on fire.
“Water is coming!”
Someone was banging on a copper basin, shouting anxiously.
The night watchmen who were taking shelter from the wind in the alleys also hurriedly ran to put out the fire.
There were high walls in the neighborhoods, and ordinary fires could not spread far, but tonight the wind was fierce, and no one knew what it would turn into. The houses in the neighborhoods were not far apart from each other. Saving others was like saving oneself. At that moment, everyone, despite their fear, braved the wind and rushed to the water tanks and wells to fetch water to extinguish the fire.
Fortunately, the wind only blew for a while and soon calmed down.
Thunder rumbled faintly on the horizon, as if it was going to rain.
Meanwhile, Mo Li heard the sound of the wind and pushed the window open. Upon seeing the faint firelight in the distance, mixed with people’s shouts, he immediately put on his clothes and jumped over the wall to go out.
—The house specially found for them by General Liu was very close to the encircling wall.
Near the Yiguang Gate were official residences, still unoccupied and thus, eerily quiet without causing any chaos. However, the situation was different in the several civilian neighborhoods outside Yiguang Gate. This area was exactly where the wind blew the strongest, unusually strong.
Meng Qi followed Mo Li out, rushing forward, the further they went, the more off the path they got.
The larger houses had lanterns shaped like ram’s horns, so there was no danger of flooding. Even if a fire started, there were servants to put it out promptly. The main danger was among the low houses where ordinary people lived.
Relying on his lightfoot skills and good vision, it didn’t take long for Mo Li to reach Xichang Fang, where the fires were most numerous.
People hurriedly carried buckets toward the place of the fire, shouting here and there, turning into a chaotic mess.
At a glance, Mo Li saw commoners in single garments, constables stationed in Xichang Fang for inspection, and even the armored imperial guards, men and women, young and old, all kinds of people.
Mo Li blended in, and no one gave him a second look; someone even handed him a wooden bucket.
It was dark, with only the firelight.
Shadows flickered everywhere. If not for his high martial skills, Mo Li would probably have been swept away by the crowd, losing sight of Meng Qi immediately.
The neighborhood had water tanks scattered around, managed by the Taijing Prefecture Yamen, precisely to prevent the spread of fire during water shortages.
At first, Mo Li didn’t know where the water tanks were, following the crowd aimlessly for a while until Meng Qi pulled him to the nearest water tank.
Because they acted quickly, the fire was not too big. Otherwise, Mo Li would wonder whether it was faster to lift the water tank single-handedly to fight the fire or to let the Taijing dragon vein indicate the underground water source, digging it out more quickly.
The second method would not be used if it wasn’t necessary. Water could spray out, but it couldn’t be pushed back in.
The area was crowded with people and houses.
If this place turned into a pond, wouldn’t people become homeless?
Fortunately, under the cover of night, no one could see the actions of others clearly. In the time it took them to carry a bucket of water, Mo Li and Meng Qi could run back and forth ten times.
After pouring two buckets of water, cries and wails were heard from inside. Mo Li realized that it was better to save people directly rather than fighting the fire.
The smoke was too thick, and even if the fire was extinguished, the ground remained scorching hot. People outside couldn’t enter for a while, and those inside couldn’t come out, possibly suffocating inside.
Mo Li handed the wooden bucket to a civilian who came out to fight the fire and immediately used his internal energy to disperse the smoke and entered the house billowing with thick smoke.
“There’s movement over there, seems like someone is there.”
Meng Qi pointed in a direction and then carried a child who was ceaselessly crying out.
Mo Li understood, it was better for them to split up to save people, as the fire had broken out in more than one place.
After busying himself for a while, Mo Li was covered in soot, and his face and hair inevitably got some on them too, even though his martial arts skills were high. If it were someone else, their face would probably be covered in black ash by now.
The fire had not been burning for long, and the houses had not collapsed, so naturally, no one was trapped under the beams.
Those who were trapped were just dazed, some with bruises and falls, mostly suffering from inhaling too much smoke.
Occasionally, there were a couple of people who were awake, feeling as if they were riding on clouds and mists. In the blink of an eye, they “flew” up and found themselves standing outside among the crowd, shouting in shock. But Mo Li had already gone far away.
In less than half an hour, the fire in Xichang Fang was completely extinguished.
Mo Li didn’t stay either; when he was leaving the neighborhood, he met Meng Qi and they hurried towards where there were still fires in the distance.
“What’s with this wind? Has Taijing ever experienced such strong winds in the past?”
Mo Li asked because he felt something unusual in the fierce wind.
Compared to the intoxicating abundant spiritual energy on Shangyun Mountain, this wind seemed turbid and chaotic. Fortunately, Taijing’s spiritual energy still remained and quickly dissipated it, so the wind disappeared after a short while.
Meng Qi shook his head: “This is the turbid qi of the earth’s veins, accumulating too much and then erupting. Has the doctor never encountered this?”
“…The spiritual energy in Qimao Mountain is not as abundant as in Taijing, even if there is turbid qi, it’s hard for me to notice.”
“You jest, Doctor. The blizzards in Pingzhou during winter are also influenced by turbid qi, aren’t they? It’s not because of our dragon veins. On the contrary, if there is abundant spiritual energy, it will stop quickly.”
Upon hearing this, Mo Li involuntarily thought of the day when the black dragon appeared in Zhushan County, and the blizzard stopped abruptly, clearing the sky.
Meng Qi continued: “To say it’s turbid qi is not entirely accurate. Although Taijing is occasionally affected by the dragon veins’ spiritual energy, most of the time, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning exist independently of the dragon veins.”
The sudden fierce wind, even the Taijing dragon vein was caught off guard.
They suddenly stopped because the firelight they had seen had disappeared.
Mo Li looked around, only seeing smoke, no more firelight.
“Fortunately, this is Taijing,” Mo Li said softly.
He thought of the tragic scene during the earthquake in Qiuling County, where a subsequent fire almost engulfed the entire county, and many people who could have been saved died.
“The people of Taijing are numerous, and through dynasties, there have been disasters of fires. During the Chen dynasty, a great fire killed thousands of people. This was passed down by word of mouth, and the Chu dynasty paid special attention to it, ordering inspections every month. So, the people are very careful, not daring to pile easily flammable items outside their houses.”
They stood in the alley, facing a group of people coming with buckets, complaining as they walked.
“In past springs, there would occasionally be strong winds that damaged some things, but why is it so severe this year?”
“Count it, first the comet on Yuanxiao Festival, then celestial phenomena, and now this demon wind…”
“Shh, do you have a death wish?”
Someone whispered to stop them, as the imperial guards were still searching for rebels in the neighborhood. Wasn’t it seeking death to speak such words?
Though they couldn’t speak it aloud, they all thought the same. Everyone went back to their homes, and once the doors and windows were shut, they quietly gossiped with their families.
The elders, with their white hair and walking with canes, sighed heavily after hearing the outside situation: “It seems like a change is coming.”
Within sixty years, Taijing had changed hands among three families. The Chen dynasty lasted for three hundred years, but the Chu dynasty only lasted for thirty-nine years. Now, in the sixteenth year of the Qi dynasty, there are already signs of instability. What is the reason for this?
“Let’s not talk about the previous Chen dynasty, with its foolish emperors and corrupt officials harming the people!”
The elder cursed a few words and then said with a sigh, “When we were young, life was much easier than it is now. You youngsters, living in Taijing, having a small property, just need to work hard and honestly to feed your stomach and raise your children. In your free time, going to tile-roofed houses to watch plays, tea houses to listen to stories, taverns to drink a few cups, life felt fulfilling! Ah, it wasn’t like this before!”
Elders love to reminisce, and their children and grandchildren would verbally agree, but their minds were already wandering elsewhere.
“…Rice and grain were cheap, and everywhere you could find rare items, with enough spare money in your pocket. Did you ever lack sweets back then? Nowadays, I can’t even bear to buy a sugar gourd for my grandchild, who ends up crying pitifully.”
The grandson, who had been struggling to keep his eyes open, suddenly opened them wide at the mention of sugar gourds and began tugging at his parents’ clothes. The latter, in a flurry, dragged the child off to sleep, their complaints filling the air.
The elder, trembling, went to look for the family’s jar of wine, only to find it empty. Considering this month’s finances wouldn’t stretch to buy more, he couldn’t help but grumble again, reminiscing about the Western Regions’ exquisite wines, the soft, sweet peach brews from the south, and the snake wine from beyond the northern passes.
However, those listening dismissed it as more of their old father’s fanciful tales.
“…You don’t believe me? Peach brew is nothing special, I hear it’s plentiful in the south. That wine seller back then became popular in Taijing only after being praised by someone from the court… a Meng, I think, though I can’t recall his title. After being recommended, his wine took off. Now, even the emperor can’t get his hands on it. How could it not be expensive?”
Taking a shortcut home, Mo Li paused slightly upon overhearing this from the rooftop and turned to look at Meng Qi.
Meng Qi, subconsciously surveying the surroundings, noticed nothing amiss.
He was some distance from the rooftop where Mo Li was. Despite martial artists’ keen hearing, it had its limits; he wouldn’t concentrate on nearby sounds without reason.
Following closely to Mo Li, Meng Qi finally heard the old man inside the house mentioning, “That Western Regions wine with roasted lamb, even Minister Deng used to love it, sending servants to buy it.”
Meng Qi raised an eyebrow slightly; indeed, that place’s lamb was not bad.
“The Huji tavern now only has one branch left in the eastern market. The Western Regions wine has become precious due to the severed trade routes. Perhaps the Doctor is interested? Then, I’d have to look in the palace.”
“Not that.”
Mo Li shook his head, looking seriously at Meng Qi, “Just now, the old man mentioned peach brew, which seems related to you?”
“That was the tribute wine of the Chu dynasty, now one would have to go to the south to find it.” Meng Qi nodded, then smiled, “Back then, I and an old friend were drinking in a tavern. The tavern keeper didn’t recognize this wine and, thinking its soft taste suited only southerners, believed it wouldn’t sell well in Taijing, thus refusing to buy the wine brought by the merchant.”
Among the founding heroes of yesteryear, there happened to be one who loved wine. Hearing about the wine, he immediately stopped the merchant, bought a jar of peach brew, and opened it for everyone to share.
“…After taking a sip, I found it odd, the wine seemed to carry a hint of spiritual energy,” Meng Qi continued reminiscing, “Coincidentally, the peach brew came from Feihe Mountain. Because of the abundant spiritual energy, even the water used for brewing was extraordinary. Marquis Jingyuan, who had developed a chronic illness on the battlefield, found his wounds ached less on rainy days after I recommended this wine to him. Somehow word got out. Since it doesn’t intoxicate, even women could drink it, and it became popular in Taijing.”
“I see.”
Mo Li resolved his curiosity and continued on his way.
However, Meng Qi found it odd and asked, “Doctor doesn’t drink, so why inquire about peach brew and my past after hearing about it?”
The imperial teacher thought: Could it be the Doctor is already concerned about me, wanting to know more upon hearing it’s related to me?
“I hadn’t heard of this wine before, and since peach flowers can be used in medicine…”
Mo Li paused, the medicine involved was mainly for conditioning. If not for medicine, just soaking in wine, the “Shen-nong’s Herbal Classics” precisely mentioned this, using peach flower buds and Angelica, sealed and soaked in old wine for over a month, then taken out for drinking.
This prescription was said to “improve one’s complexion.”
—Unexpectedly, did Master Meng care so much about appearance to influence both the court and the people of Taijing to pursue beauty?
Mo Li couldn’t be blamed for thinking this way, the Taijing people’s admiration for beauty was too apparent.
Mo Li thought if Meng Qi truly needed it, he could prescribe a few beauty-enhancing formulas.
It seemed Meng Qi’s intention might not be so, perhaps it was an excuse for Meng Qi, who had “aged” over the years but always appeared in good health, to use the peach brew.
Walking and pondering, when Mo Li met Meng Qi’s gaze, he saw the imperial teacher seemingly pleased, with uncontrollable joy and pride at the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
“…”
This joy somehow seemed irksome.
Suddenly, Mo Li said, “I only learned today that Brother Meng enjoys peach brew, but it might not be necessary for brewing. ‘Qian Jin Fang’ mentions soaking peach flowers, and drinking this water on an empty stomach can gradually widen one’s belt.”
Losing weight!
Improving complexion!
Upon first hearing about peach brew, Mo Li almost thought Meng Qi was fond of such methods.
Should fat mice lose weight? Doctor Mo fell into deep thought.
Meng Qi: “…”
The pride he initially felt had flown beyond the clouds.
Struck by lightning, he was left wide-eyed and speechless.
Author’s Note:
I’m not sure if soaking in peach blossoms truly has these effects, and whether Sun Simiao’s “Qian Jin Fang” really mentions it. Please, just take it lightly and don’t take it seriously OTZ
