Chapter 65: New Year's Eve, Li Cha's First Night

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Under the pitch-black night.

Fang Zihou, who had finally returned home after dividing the spoils, was immediately subjected to his mother’s nagging.

Yet, Old Fang, Elder Liu, and Fang Rui merely watched Fang Zihou bustling about, unfazed by his many affairs. On the contrary, they felt a sense of pride and satisfaction in his busy engagements.

If nothing else, the recent events in Qinghe County, in Old Fang’s eyes, were more than enough to warrant a special page in the family genealogy for Zihou, to be revered by descendants for generations.

The fact that Fang Zihou had so much to do proved his capability!

On New Year’s Eve, it was customary to stay up all night. Fang Zhi set a fire in the front yard—not with wood, but with bamboo.

The crackling of burning bamboo was believed to ward off evil spirits and misfortune.

Worn-out shoes and clothes, instead of being thrown away, were buried in the yard. In earlier times, unless such items were truly beyond repair, people would have been reluctant to part with them. But with the Li family’s support, there was always an abundance of new clothes, and Tao, Zhang, and Tai wished to usher in the new year for their families by discarding the old, praying that future generations would enjoy prosperity and good fortune.

After supper,

Fang Zihou, with his mother’s help, cleaned his wounds and wrapped them with fresh bandages.

Watching his mother grumble and nearly weep at the same time, Fang Zihou quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, quietly urging her to spend more time with his aunt.

“As if your mother doesn’t know! Don’t come back too late tonight, and be careful!” Tao shot her son a reproachful glance. She was well aware that with his uncle absent, her sister-in-law must be feeling lonely.

After dressing, Fang Zihou nodded with a smile to his mother, then stepped out, greeting Old Fang, Elder Liu, and his father, before joining his cousins to light the wax lanterns.

Lanterns had been used by the nobility and imperial court since the Han dynasty. Beeswax, in particular, was precious. Over hundreds of years, lanterns became more common among ordinary folk, though most were not made with beeswax, but with candles derived, as described in “The Essential Arts for the People,” from certain seeds—less bright than beeswax, but still luminous.

The lanterns gifted by the Li family contained beeswax specially crafted by the Zuo Shangfang institute of the Sui dynasty. The moment they were lit, their radiance filled Fang Zihou, Fang Zhi, and Tai with astonishment; each took up a lantern and set out together.

In Tiao County, on New Year's Eve,

The streets were alive with throngs of people, the noise and bustle masking all traces of troubled times.

Fang Zihou, carrying his lantern, had barely reached the Li family’s gate when he saw the Li children already gathered outside, evidently having just set off firecrackers and preparing to watch the Nuo dance parade.

“Sixth brother-in-law!”

Li Yue, Li Anjing, and Li Anren called out to Fang Zihou warmly, hurrying toward him.

Even Li Zhaotian, who at first had looked down on Fang Zihou as her sixth brother-in-law, now greeted him politely.

“Sixth brother-in-law!”

Li Chengzhi, Li Chengao, and Li Lingchuan also greeted Fang Zihou with a bow. Though it was their first meeting, there was not only kinship and respect in their eyes, but also endless gratitude.

Fang Zihou returned each greeting, his gaze lingering on Li Cha and Li Qiong, both holding lanterns.

After saluting Li Qiong and receiving her gentle reply, he walked over to Li Cha.

Knowing it was Li Cha’s first time out at night and that she felt awkward and uneasy, Fang Zihou took her lantern in one hand while his own occupied the other, gently placing his hand on the stick of her lantern, and led the way, with Li Zhaotian, Li Yue, and the others following toward the bustling market.

Within Tiao County,

The lively streets resounded with drums.

Li Anjing and Li Anren, lanterns in hand, darted nimbly through the crowd.

Fang Zihou, leading Li Yue and Li Zhaotian, frequently glanced back to ensure Li Cha had not been separated, before moving onward, occasionally inquiring about the prices of goods at vendor stalls.

“Little sister, do you regret it?”

In the crowd, Li Lingchuan, carrying a lantern, watched Li Cha ahead, her lantern gently held by Fang Zihou.

Li Qiong heard her brother’s words, her exquisitely beautiful face turned toward the front, a complex emotion flickering across her features, though her eyes remained clear.

“I do not regret it,” Li Qiong replied softly. “He is the best husband for Sixth Sister, but he will never be mine.”

After finishing, her cool gaze briefly met her brother’s.

Li Lingchuan watched as his little sister walked ahead, wanting to persuade her to relinquish her obsession, but the words caught in his throat.

Their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins—all their graves still lay in that distant land; Li Lingchuan had never forgotten.

Now, as her brother, he had no power to avenge them, so how could he urge his sister to let go?

Looking ahead at Fang Zihou, who accompanied Li Yue and Li Zhaotian while holding Li Cha’s lantern, Li Lingchuan understood the deeper meaning behind his sister’s words.

Indeed, as a husband and companion, Fang Zihou was unimpeachable in everything but birth; his looks, temperament, and abilities far surpassed his peers—not only did he defeat the bandit Zhang Jincheng and rescue Qinghe County, but he had also personally negotiated with the Xie family. Though the details were unknown, under unspeakable circumstances he had brought the murderer of their third uncle to the Li family, allowing them to take their revenge.

This alone was enough to earn the Li family’s lifelong gratitude.

Yet for his sister, the Liang family of Shuofang was no mere bandit; Zhang Jincheng, savage as he was, was but a local brigand who dared attack Qinghe County only because the county was left defenseless.

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But the Liang family was a great clan of Shuofang Prefecture.

To say the least, in terms of national influence and widespread connections, the Liang family could not match the centuries-old Cui family of Qinghe or the Xie family of Chen Commandery, but within the boundaries of Shuofang, the Liang clan’s accumulated power was unrivaled.

Fang Zihou’s defeat of a rebel was impressive, but behind the Liang family stood an entire prefecture.

Moreover, it was not merely a branch of the Liang family responsible for her grandparents’ deaths, nor was it the action of a single individual—unlike the Xie family.

Thus, Li Qiong insisted that Fang Zihou would be the best husband for Sixth Sister Li Cha, but never for herself.

Even so!

Li Lingchuan wondered if his little sister truly felt no regret.

He knew her nature—proud and competitive, always the family’s pride, yet fiercely possessive.

He watched as the once-timid Sixth Sister, now in Fang Zihou’s company, revealed shy, bashful smiles.

He had seen Fang Zihou lead troops to victory over the rebels, destroy Zhang Jincheng, rescue Qinghe County, and earn the goodwill of the Cui family.

Li Lingchuan could not believe his sister had not imagined what life would be like if Fang Zihou were her husband.

Yet such thoughts were always suppressed by reason, vengeance, and pride; she would not let herself regret, nor admit to regret, nor choose to regret.

Perhaps she believed her future husband would be even more outstanding, more capable, and of noble birth.

“But even with noble birth, who would avenge the Li family?” Li Lingchuan sighed.

As his father had said, the vengeance for their grandparents was hopeless.

Behind the Liang family stood all of Shuofang, recognized by the Sui dynasty, with connections to heroes and wanderers. Other noble families or rebel forces would not risk offending the Liangs or pay the price to challenge them.

His father had said that only a force rivaling the Liang family, with ample troops and the will to fight, could hope to destroy them.

But such prospects were remote—almost impossible.

On the street,

As the drums sounded, Nuo dancers in wooden masks—men and some women dressed in Nuo costumes—performed grand, sweeping moves, accompanied by the drummers.

People parted to give the dancers room, gazing at their high-held torches and the dancing women, praying for blessings in the coming year.

Many, regardless of poverty, would toss coins into the dancers’ midst.

Fang Zihou took some coins from his pocket, watching Li Anjing and Li Zhaotian enthusiastically toss theirs, then looked at Li Cha, who hesitated, unsure.

“Don’t be afraid—this is tradition, for blessings, and they need it too,” Fang Zihou reassured her. Seeing her still uneasy, he took her lantern, placed the coins in her hand, and, standing behind her, guided her hand.

“Throw!”

At his prompt, Li Cha instinctively let go, and the coins flew.

It was her first time experiencing this, and when a masked dancer approached, she shrank back, frightened, and leaned against Fang Zihou’s chest.

Coming to her senses, she ducked her head, her face and ears burning red.

Soon,

As the Nuo dancers passed, crowds of children followed, partly for the excitement, partly to search for coins left on the ground.

After the dancers, the vendors on both sides of the street began their own activities.

Most popular was the arrow-throwing game.

Fang Zihou, with Li Cha, watched Li Yue and Li Anjing spend money on attempts, rarely hitting the mark. He tried himself, finding the target difficult, then turned to Li Cha.

Seeing the crowd’s gaze on the participants, Li Cha hastily shook her head, refusing to try.

It was her first time out at night, already nervous, let alone facing so many onlookers.

Fang Zihou did not press her, noticing a flute behind the vendor. He took out some coins and joined Li Yue and the others.

With Fang Zihou’s participation, the vendor smiled ever more brightly at the money rolling in, until Fang Zihou, Li Yue, Li Anjing, and Li Anren began to feel indignant.

Then Li Zhaotian brought Li Qiong over.

The vendor handed Li Qiong a bundle of arrows with a beaming smile.

Li Qiong, under the gaze of the vendor and the crowd, hit the target with almost every shot.

“Fourth Sister, you’re amazing!”

“Fourth Sister, you’re incredible!”

“Wow, look at that girl—such beauty!”

“Yes, truly stunning!”

Amidst the excited cries of Li Anjing and Li Anren, and the townsfolk’s exclamations, the vendor’s smile faded, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously, and at last he looked at Li Qiong with a pleading expression.

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Moments later...

“Here,”

Li Qiong distributed her prizes among Li Zhaotian and the others, selecting a flute for Li Cha.

When her eyes met Fang Zihou’s, her breathtakingly beautiful face remained expressionless. She glanced at the vendor, then walked away, not troubling him further.

“Qionger has played the zither since childhood—her sense of force is exceptional,” Li Lingchuan explained with a smile, noticing Fang Zihou’s curious look at his own hand.

“Impressive!” Fang Zihou exclaimed with sincere admiration, glancing at the flute in Li Cha’s hands, no longer minding that he had not won it himself.

Among the surging crowds, someone suddenly noticed Fang Zihou and his group in the vendor’s lantern light.

His expression was agitated; he turned to the leader, speaking urgently.

But the leader showed no intention of stopping.

“Lord Dou, Fang Zihou is both talented and courageous—since you have the chance, why not meet him?” Cui Lvxing turned back, spotting Fang Zihou’s group departing through the crowd, and looked anxiously at Dou Jiande.

“If we cannot keep him, why seek him out?” Dou Jiande shook his head gently.

He strolled among the shops with his wife and officers, savoring the rare festive atmosphere.

“Are you sure you won’t consider Fang Zihou?” Cui Lvxing pressed, disappointed.

Having witnessed events in Kuangcheng and knowing of Zhang Jincheng’s siege of Qinghe, he had hoped for this meeting, only to be let down.

“Lvxing, how can one man compare to the weight of three great clans?” Dou Jiande paused to comfort him.

In the Bohai Gao family, if Gao Shining could persuade the remaining clan members to support him, those who had backed Gao Shida would abandon him, and Dou could secure the entire Gao family’s support, eliminating Gao Shida.

Gao Shining had promised that, if Dou agreed to his terms, he would take his wife, Lady Xiao, to lobby the Lanling Xiao clan.

The Xiao clan of Lanling rivaled the Cui family in power; even the current Empress Xiao of the Sui dynasty hailed from this family.

Empress Xiao had aided Yang Guang’s rise from early on, and the Xiao clan now held many official posts across Hebei.

Finally, Gao Shining had personally guaranteed he could persuade the Feng family of Tiao County to lobby the Lu family.

The Feng family of Tiao County was closely tied to the current Sui minister Feng Deyi, whose mother was a Lu, sister of the scholar Lu Sidao—they had grown ever closer over the decades.

Though Dou Jiande did not know how Gao Shining could be so confident of persuading the Fengs, he sensed no deception.

Besides, Gao Shining had pledged that he and his son would serve Dou Jiande with utmost loyalty.

Dou Jiande knew the young Fang Zihou was both brave and wise.

But the Gao family of Bohai, the Xiao family of Lanling, and the Lu family of Fanyang were three noble clans whose kin, protégés, and friends were scattered throughout Hebei.

With their support, once Gao Shida was eliminated, all the officials in Hebei would pledge allegiance. Dou Jiande could almost see his own future hegemony.

How could any one youth compare to that?

“Lvxing, in the end, fate has not brought me and that young man together,” Dou Jiande sighed.

“If in the future I achieve great ambition and seek to rule the land, I am sure we will meet again. Should he prove able to govern, I shall still employ him with honor.”

He patted Cui Lvxing’s shoulder and moved on.

At this point, Cao Zhan approached Cui Lvxing.

“Brother Cui, Lord Dou is right! If he can achieve his ambition and secure the realm, that is what matters most!”

Cao Zhan, too, tried to console Cui Lvxing. In his eyes, Fang Zihou was indeed a talent, but there were countless such men in the world; how many great clans were there to match?

It was clear which path to choose.

“I understand,” Cui Lvxing nodded, glancing back at the street.

Amid the bustling crowd, many held torches and climbed towers, but Fang Zihou was nowhere to be seen.

Cui Lvxing knew Dou Jiande had made the right choice, but he could not help but regret that such a gifted man as Fang Zihou would not serve by his side.