Nightfall

Torches were lit behind Ning Que and left a clear shadow of him in the front.

A small table was placed on top of the city wall. There was a pot on the table. The finest charcoal was burned in the pot that made no smoke at all. The soup was boiling in the copper pot, and plates of vegetables and meat were placed around the pot. It became warmer. A Tang soldier placed some sauce, a bowl, and chopsticks in front of him and asked, “Master, do you want a drink tonight?”

“Yes please.”

Ning Que had spent all his time on top of the city wall for days. He had gotten used to dining in the chilly autumn wind. The hot pot and liquor could only warm him up a bit.

The juicy beef and lamb were boiled in the well cooked bone soup and smelled amazing. Then the vegetables were put into the soup.

Ning Que sat down by the table and started eating. He did not have a guest to entertain or a companion to chat with. Although the food was great, he felt lonely.

The dinner was lonely. But the liquor was the strongest double distilled kind and the dishes were the finest delivered from the imperial palace. The mouth watering scent spread out together with the steam of boiling soup and fell onto the human world under the city wall. It was carried by the autumn chill and went down the spotted and moss-covered walls. It passed a hawk nest and awoke the eyas. They looked around and searched for food. Then it continued onto the Vermilion Bird Avenue and annoyed the very few passers-by on the dark street.

During the Abbey Dean’s visit to Chang’an years ago, the southern part of the Vermilion Bird Avenue was almost destroyed during a fierce battle. Although its glory had been restored throughout the recent years, the newly built buildings lacked the cumulative mellowness and seemed quite cold.

It was long after dinner time. The stores along the Vermilion Bird Avenue were no longer busy. But inside people’s houses, it was not so quiet compared with the chilling street. There were sounds of people playing chess, bowls falling on the ovens, or women scolding kids. It was very lively.

In an autumn night inside Chang’an, it was more bustling in Restaurant Songhe than in people’s houses. Several tables were set ready for a feast. A young master of a well-off family had sneaked some money from their family accountant and called a bunch of friends for a gathering. They were after all young and inexperienced. They could not tell the liquor was blended as the Headmaster did. Before long, they were so drunk that no one could care about being punished for getting back home in the next morning.

In the House of Red Sleeves, it was another scene of liveliness. Those officials and businessmen, who had no idea where their kids were having fun, were sitting by the table and enjoying the liquor. They were restrained despite the lively show, charming music, and whirling dresses. It was lively but not noisy.

Compared with ordinary people, those inside the imperial court were much less relaxed, especially those inside the brightly lit pavilions in the meadow. It seemed they would stay up all night. Dozens of Tang soldiers ran fast between the pavilions, delivered messages from the boarders and prefectures, and waited anxiously for answers.

The Divine Halls of West-Hill had started the prelude of war. But the war was not yet officially launched, or had the troops of West-Hill arrived at the border of the Tang Empire. Yet in the Military Ministry of the Tang, they already entered the state of war and were vigilant and solemn. Cups of tea were served rounds after rounds, but no one touched the desserts on the side.

For the most important decisions, the Military Ministry could not decide on its own. The generals stayed up all night, and so did many people inside the imperial city. From the Yulin Royal Guards to regular guards, from the chief eunuch of the Imperial Study to ordinary tea odalisques, everyone had to stay up.

Compared with the past, there were two more scrolls hanging in the Imperial Study. The two scrolls were written by two different people and of distinctively different levels. But they were equally important to the imperial palace now. They were the scrolls of “Fish Leaping” and “Blossom”.

The emperor was no longer a kid but was still young. The Academy would not allow him to stay up the whole night, so he was already in bed. Now inside the Imperial Study, Li Yue was reading and commenting on the memorials.

She was still elegant and pretty, but quite pale. It was probably because she had stayed inside the imperial palace for too long and seldomly saw the daylight. And she was very slim.

She had been reading the memorials and dispatches from various prefectures for a long while. Out of thirst, she reached out for tea but tipped over the cup. Then she realized it was the white fungus broth that some odalisque had delivered previously.

The white fungus broth was thick but easy to clean even though it fell on the memorials.

On top of the city wall, the soup spilled from the hotpot and sizzled on the hot surface. It immediately steamed and left some pale stains. A few drops dripped down along the table leg onto an iron arrow.

Ning Que did not pay any attention and continued to enjoy the juicy lamb, rich beef, and strong liquor.

He ate very slowly. He had lots of time to kill as he had to stay on top of the city wall. But it was just a dinner. No matter how slowly he ate, it was finished shortly. He put down the chopsticks and several Tang soldiers came to clean the table. They left the liquor and a small plate of snack.

He took out the handkerchief and wiped his mouth. Then he wiped the table and picked up the iron arrow to clean the soup stain. He placed the arrow back onto the string to make sure he could shoot it at any time.

He looked again to the south and to Linkang. The Drunkard did not expose himself previously. Therefore he probably would not see him tonight. But he had to keep watching.

Until then, he was not quite sure about what had happened in Linkang. But he knew that Liu Yiqing was already dead not only because the Eldest Brother could not interfere, and also because Liu Yiqing had sought for it.

Ning Que poured the liquor onto the floor as a memorial ceremony.

Liu Yiqing was dead, but the Drunkard was still alive. What a pity.

But it did not matter. Although he could not kill him tonight, he would definitely get him some day.

The liquor wetted the floor and the black bricks turned darker. The moonlight was brighter and creamier. He did not notice that the moon was very bright tonight, even though it was not a full moon.

The bright moon shone on the human world. To shine on is to look after.

Ning Que filled up the cup and proposed to the bright moon above, “Master, please keep looking after us. And I will look after this world for you.”

…

…

Far away in the south, the City of Linkang was in an uproar and everything seemed to be burning except for the area in front of a collapsed gate of the imperial city. It was nothing but quietness, terrifying quietness.

The Drunkard asked, “But the question is for how long could Ning Que be watching?”

The Eldest Brother said nothing. No one could keep watching forever.

The Drunkard looked at him emotionlessly and asked, “Apart from you, who else could let him see me?”

Hearing this, the Eldest Brother turned serious and implored, “Please don’t do that.”

The indigo gown was not soaked. And the flagon was not opened.

The Drunkard disappeared from where the wind arose.