Chapter 114: Iron Spear, Damaged Plough (9)
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When he arrived there he saw the door was ajar which made him fear the worst had happened. He pushed open the door and walked in. He looked around and saw things were very much like they were the night that they had to flee. There were some half finished new cloths that his wife, Baoshi, had left still lying on the bed. On the wall where his two family spears had once hung one was missing, probably taken by one of the soldiers that night, leaving only one hanging there looking lonely as if like himself it had too had lost it's old partner/wife. Apart from this nothing else was disturbed, all covered by a thick layer of dust…
On the wall where his two family spears had once hung one was missing, probably taken by one of the soldiers that night, leaving only one hanging there looking lonely as if like himself it had too had lost it's old partner/wife. Apart from this nothing else was disturbed, all covered by a thick layer of dust. When he went over to his sworn brother Jing's house it was also much the same as the night they had left.
He thought about the old wine seller Qu San (the cripple Inn Keeper from Ch 1) with his incredible martial arts skills he might be able to help him find his sworn brother's family and his wife, however when he went to the wine shop he saw it was locked up and no one was there. Yang TieXin (now disguised as Mu Yi) then went and made inquiries amongst his acquaintances in Ox Village but they all said that after the soldiers had left there had been no news of Guo or Yang.
He then returned to Red Plum village to ask about his wife at his father in law house only to find that his father in law had died of shock shortly after hearing the news of the soldiers attack from that night. Yang TieXin wanted to cry, but had no more tears to shed. Dejected he returned to the farmer's family who had cared for him in Lotus Pond village.
However as the saying goes, "Troubles never visit in isolation." An epidemic of plague had broken out and one by one the farmer's family were stricken. After only a few days six of them died leaving only a new born baby girl alive. Yang TieXin was duty bound to care for her so he made her his adopted daughter and took her with him on his quest to find Li Ping and Bao XiRuo. But since one was halfway to the northern desert and the other already in the north what chance did he have of finding them?
Yang TieXin however didn't dare to use his real name since he was a wanted man hunted for by government soldiers. So he 'split' the character for for his surname, "Yang" in half and used the left side to form the new character "Mu" for his assumed/new surname and the right half to form the character "Yi" for his personal name.
(Tr Note: The character "Yang" is made up of the character "Mu" or wood and "Yang" for the sound. The whole character actually means Poplar Tree as well as being a surname. The "Mu" of his assumed name actually means solemn and has another part of a character on the right side. The "Yang" character is pronounced as "Yi" when by itself and means "Change" as well as other meanings. This is coincidently the same "Yi" as the "Yi Jing" or "I Ching" – classic of changes. I'm sure there are quite a few allusions in this simple name change from which those who know Chinese history and culture well could have hours of fun analysing. Also it is a common fact that when a man is forced to alter his name he is reluctant to lose touch with the original name, so the name Yang TieXin choose is not in keeping with custom. Anyway – on with the story!)
After ten years of fruitless searching among the "rivers and lakes" all over the country (the Chinese south, not the Jin north) his adopted daughter Mu NianCi had grown like a flower into a young woman. Yang TieXin thought that his wife must have probably died at the hands of marauding troops by now. But he still held out the hope that heaven was not blind to the suffering of man, and that Guo XiaoTian's wife had born a son (Guo Jing) who had lived. As soon as Mu NianCi was of marriageable age he stuck his spear into the ground, erected a banner proclaiming a competition to win the hand of his daughter and waited in the hope that Guo Jing would one day come and win her hand in marriage thus fulfilling his hope and pledge to become father-in-law to his sworn brother's son.
Although many tried, no Guo Jing was among them, and so after the best part of a year he even this hope of finding Guo Jing began to fade. Now he would even be content to find any man of good character and martial ability to marry his adopted daughter. Then, all of a sudden, on this one day, to encounter embarrassment at the hands of Wanyan Kang and help from a heroic stranger yet by nightfall to find that the heroic stranger is non-other than Guo Jing, well how could he help but become overwhelmed with emotion?
Meanwhile, Mu NianCi was beginning to grow impatient listening to them talk about the past. She wanted Guo Jing to help them escape first and then when they were safe to talk over old times at leisure. But then she had a sudden thought, "If we leave now, I will never see 'him' again!" As soon as such a thought came to her, she hurriedly pushed it aside. Guo Jing was also thinking that getting everybody out was the most important thing so he slowly raised his golden knife ready to stike the lock and cut it open.
Suddenly a glint of light appeared under the door and the sound of many footsteps could be heard approaching. Guo Jing quickly slipped behind a door just as the prison doors were pushed open and in marched several people. Through the crack in the door Guo Jing could see the person in front was a bodyguard carrying a lantern. Behind him was the prince's consort, Wanyan Kang's mother.
She asked the bodyguard, "Are these two the people whom the young prince imprisoned?"
The bodyguard replied, "Yes," confirming it was them.
She then ordered the guard on duty, "Release them immediately."
The bodyguard hesitated, reluctant to obey the order so she said, "If the young prince asked why you released them, tell him I did it, now quickly open the lock and free them!"
The guard dared not refuse the order any longer and opened the lock freeing both of them. The consort then produced two ingots of silver from her cloak and passed them to Yang TieXin saying softly, "Please go safely!"
Yang TieXin however didn't take the silver but just stared at her without so much as a blink. The consort assumed from his stare that he was angry with her and felt remorse at what they had suffered. In a gentle voice she apologized, "Please forgive us, my son has wronged both of you most gravely today through his disgraceful behaviour."
Yang TieXin stared at her for a little while before slowly taking the silver and putting it in his robe without a word. He then took his daughter's hand and walked out of the prison.
The bodyguard called after him. "Hey you scum, don't you know any manners? When our lady saves your life you should get down on your knees and koutou to show your thanks!"
But Yang TieXin kept on walking as if he had not heard a thing.
Guo Jing waited until they had closed the door and left. Only when he heard the consort was far away did he emerge from hiding and look around. But by then there was no sign of Yang TieXin or his daughter. He thought that they must have left the palace by now so he had best return to the "Fragrant Snow" hall and pull Huang Rong away from listening so they could hurry back with the medicine for Wang Chuyi. He rushed off to the hall following the winding path when he saw two figures carrying red lanterns coming directly towards him in what also looked like a great hurry. Guo Jing tried to duck and hide behind a scenic rockery but he was too late, he had already been spotted.
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When he arrived there he saw the door was ajar which made him fear the worst had happened. He pushed open the door and walked in. He looked around and saw things were very much like they were the night that they had to flee. There were some half finished new cloths that his wife, Baoshi, had left still lying on the bed. On the wall where his two family spears had once hung one was missing, probably taken by one of the soldiers that night, leaving only one hanging there looking lonely as if like himself it had too had lost it's old partner/wife. Apart from this nothing else was disturbed, all covered by a thick layer of dust…
On the wall where his two family spears had once hung one was missing, probably taken by one of the soldiers that night, leaving only one hanging there looking lonely as if like himself it had too had lost it's old partner/wife. Apart from this nothing else was disturbed, all covered by a thick layer of dust. When he went over to his sworn brother Jing's house it was also much the same as the night they had left.
He thought about the old wine seller Qu San (the cripple Inn Keeper from Ch 1) with his incredible martial arts skills he might be able to help him find his sworn brother's family and his wife, however when he went to the wine shop he saw it was locked up and no one was there. Yang TieXin (now disguised as Mu Yi) then went and made inquiries amongst his acquaintances in Ox Village but they all said that after the soldiers had left there had been no news of Guo or Yang.
He then returned to Red Plum village to ask about his wife at his father in law house only to find that his father in law had died of shock shortly after hearing the news of the soldiers attack from that night. Yang TieXin wanted to cry, but had no more tears to shed. Dejected he returned to the farmer's family who had cared for him in Lotus Pond village.
However as the saying goes, "Troubles never visit in isolation." An epidemic of plague had broken out and one by one the farmer's family were stricken. After only a few days six of them died leaving only a new born baby girl alive. Yang TieXin was duty bound to care for her so he made her his adopted daughter and took her with him on his quest to find Li Ping and Bao XiRuo. But since one was halfway to the northern desert and the other already in the north what chance did he have of finding them?
Yang TieXin however didn't dare to use his real name since he was a wanted man hunted for by government soldiers. So he 'split' the character for for his surname, "Yang" in half and used the left side to form the new character "Mu" for his assumed/new surname and the right half to form the character "Yi" for his personal name.
(Tr Note: The character "Yang" is made up of the character "Mu" or wood and "Yang" for the sound. The whole character actually means Poplar Tree as well as being a surname. The "Mu" of his assumed name actually means solemn and has another part of a character on the right side. The "Yang" character is pronounced as "Yi" when by itself and means "Change" as well as other meanings. This is coincidently the same "Yi" as the "Yi Jing" or "I Ching" – classic of changes. I'm sure there are quite a few allusions in this simple name change from which those who know Chinese history and culture well could have hours of fun analysing. Also it is a common fact that when a man is forced to alter his name he is reluctant to lose touch with the original name, so the name Yang TieXin choose is not in keeping with custom. Anyway – on with the story!)
After ten years of fruitless searching among the "rivers and lakes" all over the country (the Chinese south, not the Jin north) his adopted daughter Mu NianCi had grown like a flower into a young woman. Yang TieXin thought that his wife must have probably died at the hands of marauding troops by now. But he still held out the hope that heaven was not blind to the suffering of man, and that Guo XiaoTian's wife had born a son (Guo Jing) who had lived. As soon as Mu NianCi was of marriageable age he stuck his spear into the ground, erected a banner proclaiming a competition to win the hand of his daughter and waited in the hope that Guo Jing would one day come and win her hand in marriage thus fulfilling his hope and pledge to become father-in-law to his sworn brother's son.
Although many tried, no Guo Jing was among them, and so after the best part of a year he even this hope of finding Guo Jing began to fade. Now he would even be content to find any man of good character and martial ability to marry his adopted daughter. Then, all of a sudden, on this one day, to encounter embarrassment at the hands of Wanyan Kang and help from a heroic stranger yet by nightfall to find that the heroic stranger is non-other than Guo Jing, well how could he help but become overwhelmed with emotion?
Meanwhile, Mu NianCi was beginning to grow impatient listening to them talk about the past. She wanted Guo Jing to help them escape first and then when they were safe to talk over old times at leisure. But then she had a sudden thought, "If we leave now, I will never see 'him' again!" As soon as such a thought came to her, she hurriedly pushed it aside. Guo Jing was also thinking that getting everybody out was the most important thing so he slowly raised his golden knife ready to stike the lock and cut it open.
Suddenly a glint of light appeared under the door and the sound of many footsteps could be heard approaching. Guo Jing quickly slipped behind a door just as the prison doors were pushed open and in marched several people. Through the crack in the door Guo Jing could see the person in front was a bodyguard carrying a lantern. Behind him was the prince's consort, Wanyan Kang's mother.
She asked the bodyguard, "Are these two the people whom the young prince imprisoned?"
The bodyguard replied, "Yes," confirming it was them.
She then ordered the guard on duty, "Release them immediately."
The bodyguard hesitated, reluctant to obey the order so she said, "If the young prince asked why you released them, tell him I did it, now quickly open the lock and free them!"
The guard dared not refuse the order any longer and opened the lock freeing both of them. The consort then produced two ingots of silver from her cloak and passed them to Yang TieXin saying softly, "Please go safely!"
Yang TieXin however didn't take the silver but just stared at her without so much as a blink. The consort assumed from his stare that he was angry with her and felt remorse at what they had suffered. In a gentle voice she apologized, "Please forgive us, my son has wronged both of you most gravely today through his disgraceful behaviour."
Yang TieXin stared at her for a little while before slowly taking the silver and putting it in his robe without a word. He then took his daughter's hand and walked out of the prison.
The bodyguard called after him. "Hey you scum, don't you know any manners? When our lady saves your life you should get down on your knees and koutou to show your thanks!"
But Yang TieXin kept on walking as if he had not heard a thing.
Guo Jing waited until they had closed the door and left. Only when he heard the consort was far away did he emerge from hiding and look around. But by then there was no sign of Yang TieXin or his daughter. He thought that they must have left the palace by now so he had best return to the "Fragrant Snow" hall and pull Huang Rong away from listening so they could hurry back with the medicine for Wang Chuyi. He rushed off to the hall following the winding path when he saw two figures carrying red lanterns coming directly towards him in what also looked like a great hurry. Guo Jing tried to duck and hide behind a scenic rockery but he was too late, he had already been spotted.
When he arrived there he saw the door was ajar which made him fear the worst had happened. He pushed open the door and walked in. He looked around and saw things were very much like they were the night that they had to flee. There were some half finished new cloths that his wife, Baoshi, had left still lying on the bed. On the wall where his two family spears had once hung one was missing, probably taken by one of the soldiers that night, leaving only one hanging there looking lonely as if like himself it had too had lost it's old partner/wife. Apart from this nothing else was disturbed, all covered by a thick layer of dustOn the wall where his two family spears had once hung one was missing, probably taken by one of the soldiers that night, leaving only one hanging there looking lonely as if like himself it had too had lost it's old partner/wife. Apart from this nothing else was disturbed, all covered by a thick layer of dust. When he went over to his sworn brother Jing's house it was also much the same as the night they had left.He thought about the old wine seller Qu San the cripple Inn Keeper from Ch 1 with his incredible martial arts skills he might be able to help him find his sworn brother's family and his wife, however when he went to the wine shop he saw it was locked up and no one was there. Yang TieXin now disguised as Mu Yi then went and made inquiries amongst his acquaintances in Ox Village but they all said that after the soldiers had left there had been no news of Guo or Yang.He then returned to Red Plum village to ask about his wife at his father in law house only to find that his father in law had died of shock shortly after hearing the news of the soldiers attack from that night. Yang TieXin wanted to cry, but had no more tears to shed. Dejected he returned to the farmer's family who had cared for him in Lotus Pond village.However as the saying goes, "Troubles never visit in isolation." An epidemic of plague had broken out and one by one the farmer's family were stricken. After only a few days six of them died leaving only a new born baby girl alive. Yang TieXin was duty bound to care for her so he made her his adopted daughter and took her with him on his quest to find Li Ping and Bao XiRuo. But since one was halfway to the northern desert and the other already in the north what chance did he have of finding them?Yang TieXin however didn't dare to use his real name since he was a wanted man hunted for by government soldiers. So he 'split' the character for for his surname, "Yang" in half and used the left side to form the new character "Mu" for his assumed/new surname and the right half to form the character "Yi" for his personal name.Tr Note: The character "Yang" is made up of the character "Mu" or wood and "Yang" for the sound. The whole character actually means Poplar Tree as well as being a surname. The "Mu" of his assumed name actually means solemn and has another part of a character on the right side. The "Yang" character is pronounced as "Yi" when by itself and means "Change" as well as other meanings. This is coincidently the same "Yi" as the "Yi Jing" or "I Ching" classic of changes. I'm sure there are quite a few allusions in this simple name change from which those who know Chinese history and culture well could have hours of fun analysing. Also it is a common fact that when a man is forced to alter his name he is reluctant to lose touch with the original name, so the name Yang TieXin choose is not in keeping with custom. Anyway on with the story!After ten years of fruitless searching among the "rivers and lakes" all over the country the Chinese south, not the Jin north his adopted daughter Mu NianCi had grown like a flower into a young woman. Yang TieXin thought that his wife must have probably died at the hands of marauding troops by now. But he still held out the hope that heaven was not blind to the suffering of man, and that Guo XiaoTian's wife had born a son Guo Jing who had lived. As soon as Mu NianCi was of marriageable age he stuck his spear into the ground, erected a banner proclaiming a competition to win the hand of his daughter and waited in the hope that Guo Jing would one day come and win her hand in marriage thus fulfilling his hope and pledge to become father-in-law to his sworn brother's son.Although many tried, no Guo Jing was among them, and so after the best part of a year he even this hope of finding Guo Jing began to fade. Now he would even be content to find any man of good character and martial ability to marry his adopted daughter. Then, all of a sudden, on this one day, to encounter embarrassment at the hands of Wanyan Kang and help from a heroic stranger yet by nightfall to find that the heroic stranger is non-other than Guo Jing, well how could he help but become overwhelmed with emotion?Meanwhile, Mu NianCi was beginning to grow impatient listening to them talk about the past. She wanted Guo Jing to help them escape first and then when they were safe to talk over old times at leisure. But then she had a sudden thought, "If we leave now, I will never see 'him' again!" As soon as such a thought came to her, she hurriedly pushed it aside. Guo Jing was also thinking that getting everybody out was the most important thing so he slowly raised his golden knife ready to stike the lock and cut it open.Suddenly a glint of light appeared under the door and the sound of many footsteps could be heard approaching. Guo Jing quickly slipped behind a door just as the prison doors were pushed open and in marched several people. Through the crack in the door Guo Jing could see the person in front was a bodyguard carrying a lantern. Behind him was the prince's consort, Wanyan Kang's mother.She asked the bodyguard, "Are these two the people whom the young prince imprisoned?"The bodyguard replied, "Yes," confirming it was them.She then ordered the guard on duty, "Release them immediately."The bodyguard hesitated, reluctant to obey the order so she said, "If the young prince asked why you released them, tell him I did it, now quickly open the lock and free them!"The guard dared not refuse the order any longer and opened the lock freeing both of them. The consort then produced two ingots of silver from her cloak and passed them to Yang TieXin saying softly, "Please go safely!"Yang TieXin however didn't take the silver but just stared at her without so much as a blink. The consort assumed from his stare that he was angry with her and felt remorse at what they had suffered. In a gentle voice she apologized, "Please forgive us, my son has wronged both of you most gravely today through his disgraceful behaviour."Yang TieXin stared at her for a little while before slowly taking the silver and putting it in his robe without a word. He then took his daughter's hand and walked out of the prison.The bodyguard called after him. "Hey you scum, don't you know any manners? When our lady saves your life you should get down on your knees and koutou to show your thanks!"But Yang TieXin kept on walking as if he had not heard a thing.Guo Jing waited until they had closed the door and left. Only when he heard the consort was far away did he emerge from hiding and look around. But by then there was no sign of Yang TieXin or his daughter. He thought that they must have left the palace by now so he had best return to the "Fragrant Snow" hall and pull Huang Rong away from listening so they could hurry back with the medicine for Wang Chuyi. He rushed off to the hall following the winding path when he saw two figures carrying red lanterns coming directly towards him in what also looked like a great hurry. Guo Jing tried to duck and hide behind a scenic rockery but he was too late, he had already been spotted.
