The Ten Canvases

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Without slowing down, Xiang Yang dashed out of the forest with Zhao Wanyan in his arms. Only when he saw the town ahead of him, he stopped and put Zhao Wanyan down. He then tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve and bandaged the wound on his left leg. As she noticed his left leg was bleeding non-stop, Zhao Wanyan was very worried. She asked, “Let’s go to the town and find a physician?” Xiang Yang shook his head and said with a smile, “I can cope with this level of injury by myself. You don’t have to trouble yourself.” Feeling unsettled, Zhao Wanyan looked for an inn to stay for the night so that he could recuperate from his injury.

The two went into the guest room. Zhao Wanyan put Little White Tiger down after tipping the attendant. Feeling strange, the attendant asked, “Lady, your cat seems strange. Look at its stripes, it looks like a little tiger.” Zhao Wanyan smiled and answered, “That’s what it is. Brother attendant, you can get on with your work!” The attendant exited the room with an odd expression.

Xiang Yang’s left leg injury was quite severe after the intense battle today. In order not to worry Zhao Wanyan, he kept talking and laughing casually as if everything was alright. When he inquired about the white tiger, Xiang Yang’s face was flushed as she mumbled the story clearly. Xiang Yang did not know whether to be surprised or amused about what had happened. After she finished narrating in a low voice, she said timidly, “Brother Xiang, will…will you look down on me?” Xiang Yang said with a smile, “Why would I?” She replied hurriedly, “But…but I actually felt…that way the other time… I’m very sorry…”

Xiang Yang’s heart skipped a beat. He hugged Zhao Wanyan tightly and said softly, “Wanyan, don’t overthink it! It’s just a tiger. You have done nothing wrong nor are you sorry to me.”

A tinge of happiness grew in Zhao Wanyan’s heart. She lowered her head and Tong Wanhu’s words suddenly flashed across her mind. Her heart was filled with sorrow and she sighed. Xiang Yang asked curiously, “Wanyan?” Zhao Wanyan replied in a low voice, “Brother Xiang, my father is the King of Jing Wei and he is famous for his bad reputation. I don't know whether it’s true or not.” Xiang Yan answered, “I’m not sure too.” Zhao Wanyan said, “Brother Xiang, all this while, I dared not tell you…you…” Xiang Yang kissed Zhao Wanyan gently and said, “I don’t care if your father is kind or evil, poor or rich; as long as you’re still so gentle, lovely, and kind, what more could I care?”

Zhao Wanyan leaned her head against Xiang Yang’s shoulder. Bliss filled her heart as her sorrows disappeared. Both of them were pumped up by lust that night. Shyness grew in Zhao Wanyan’s heart as she thought of the incident regarding the white tiger. She acted more delicate and was so lost in the feeling that she did not hold back her voice, forgetting the fact that she was in the inn. A feeling of tenderness rose in Xiang Yang’s heart as he saw her letting go of her shame and appeared much more attractive. Their bodies were entangled and their hearts were deeply connected as love filled the room. 

Little White Tiger sprawled on the table and stared at them without moving as though it was dumbfounded.

It was late at night and Zhao Wanyan had already fallen asleep. Xiang Yang lightly covered her with a blanket, warmth filled his heart as he looked at her beautiful and elegant face. “What more can I ask for, having a partner like her?” Little White Tiger was sleeping soundly in the corner of the room. The surroundings were very peaceful. The bright moon outside the window could be clearly seen and sounds of crickets chirping could be heard.

The sounds of crickets chirping were familiar to Xiang Yang as he had heard them since childhood. He suddenly recalled how he used to catch crickets with his junior siblings when they were still kids. He could not help smiling and thought, I wonder how the juniors are doing now. Maybe my junior brother has already found a decent girl and my junior sister has also met the right person. Absorbed in his thought, he gradually fell into a slumber.

At the same time, the sound of a guqin echoed through the moonlit night. It was from the fingertips of a young man on a small sailing boat on one of the lakes in Jiangnan. He walked out of the cabin with a swoosh after he finished playing the last note of his song. Then, he recited, “Stone Fish Lake, like Dongting Lake, its water rises to the fullest during summer, whereas Junshan Island was green and lush. The island is a goblet of wine, the water is the liquor, and many winebibbers sit around in the middle of the island. No matter how strong the winds and waves stirred up incessantly, they could not stop our little boat, which carried the wine. With a bottle gourd in my hand, I sat steadily on Baqiu Hill, pouring wine for everyone around me to dispel my worries.”

After he finished reciting the poem, the young man lifted a bronze wine pot. He laughed and said, “Yuan Cishan! It was indeed a good poem. Too bad there are no guests on this lake, and I am not good at drinking. Wine brother, wine brother, little brother Wen Yuan is sorry!” As soon as he ended his sentence, he swung his sleeves and hurled the wine pot high into the night sky. The liquor splashed across the air, creating a broken arc. Then, he turned around and returned to the cabin.

Once again, the sound of the guqin resounded. It was then that the wine pot fell into the lake with a plop, its liquor pouring down like rain.