Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Writing Letters on Behalf of Others, Hearing Zither Music at Night

Upon returning to the Imperial Hospital, Liang Xin could tell that Chen Yuding was somewhat unhappy, and even a bit uneasy. After assigning Liang Xin some study tasks, Chen Yuding left the palace early to head home.

Chen Yuding was the Chief of the Imperial Hospital, so as Chen Yuding's apprentice, Liang Xin naturally enjoyed many privileges. For instance, for the entire afternoon, he didn't have to do any heavy labor; he only had to go to the Imperial Pharmacy to familiarize himself with various medicinal herbs one by one according to the *Shennong Ben Cao Jing* that Chen Yuding had given him.

Arriving at the Imperial Pharmacy and stepping through the main gate, Liang Xin saw Xiaochunzi sitting in the courtyard, leisurely basking in the sun, while three other young eunuchs, who seemed to have been newly transferred to the pharmacy, were cleaning the courtyard.

Seeing Liang Xin, Xiaochunzi jumped up from his chair and shouted, "Brother Fu!"

Liang Xin tapped Xiaochunzi on the head and said, "You never learn. I've already reverted to my real name, Liang Xin. From now on, you should call me Brother Xin. It hasn't even been two hours, and your status has already risen quite a bit." Liang Xin pointed at the three young eunuchs around them.

"Oh, oh, oh! Right, right, right. Brother Xin, Brother Xin!"

Xiaochunzi clapped his hands and shouted loudly, "Hey, you lot, come over here!"

The three young eunuchs ran over scurrying with their brooms in hand. Xiaochunzi said to Liang Xin with a smug expression, "Let me introduce you. This is my big brother, Liang Xin. He is the apprentice of Chief Imperial Physician Chen of the Imperial Hospital. What are you all staring at? Call him Master Xin."

"Master Xin, Master Xin..." the three young eunuchs called out obsequiously.

Liang Xin waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities, everyone. Go back to your work. I have some business with Xiaochunzi."

"Yes, Master Xin." After the three young eunuchs responded, they bowed and retreated.

Xiaochunzi said with a smile, "Brother Xin, whatever you need, just say the word. If it's within Xiaochunzi's power, I will never refuse."

"It's nothing much. In a moment, take me to the Imperial Pharmacy's storeroom. I want to look at the herbs to familiarize myself with their properties," Liang Xin said.

"No problem! I'll go open the storeroom doors for you right away, Brother Xin," Xiaochunzi said, patting his chest.

Liang Xin nodded and followed Xiaochunzi into the storeroom. After staying in the storeroom for two or three hours, Liang Xin utilized his super-powered, freakish memory to commit hundreds of medicinal herbs to heart one by one.

Coming out of the storeroom, Xiaochunzi hurried over and asked, "Is Brother Xin finished?"

Liang Xin nodded. "Mm, I'm done. I'll head out now; I'll come see you another day."

"Don't!" Xiaochunzi hurriedly grabbed Liang Xin. "Brother Xin, I still have something to ask of you."

"Something? What is it?" Liang Xin asked.

Xiaochunzi rubbed his hands together and pulled a letter from his bosom. "I know you can read, Brother Xin. My family sent me a letter, and I wanted you to read it to me."

"Oh, so that's all." Liang Xin took the envelope, opened it, pulled out the paper, shook it out, and began to read: "'Goudan, my son'? Xiaochunzi, this isn't written to you, is it?"

"It's mine." Xiaochunzi scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "Goudan is my nickname."

"Oh." Liang Xin nodded and continued reading. The three sheets of paper were entirely filled with greetings from Xiaochunzi's father, mother, two younger brothers, and one younger sister. As Xiaochunzi listened, tears flowed incessantly. Finally, he actually broke down into loud, sobbing wails.

Seeing Xiaochunzi weeping bitterly, Liang Xin felt a pang of pity. He patted Xiaochunzi's shoulder but didn't know how to comfort him. After a while, Liang Xin suddenly thought of something and said, "Xiaochunzi, stop crying. How about I help you write a reply?"

"Write a reply?" Xiaochunzi stopped crying instantly, looking up with a face full of pleasant surprise.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, scholars were compared to the favored children of heaven and the incarnation of the Star of Literature. Aside from officials and imperial physicians, very few people in the entire palace were literate. Even if a few eunuchs had attended private schools for a year or two, their literacy levels were not high, and they all held official ranks. They would never be able to write a reply to an unranked little eunuch like Xiaochunzi.

"Why are you so excited? It's just a reply. Go get me some brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and I'll write it for you immediately," Liang Xin said with a smile.

"Alright!" Xiaochunzi responded cheerfully and turned to run back into the Imperial Pharmacy.

Liang Xin shook his head with a smile and slowly walked back into the pharmacy.

The sky was beginning to darken, and Xiaochunzi lit a candle for Liang Xin. The three young eunuchs were busy: one grinding ink, one brewing tea, and one preparing to trim the wick. They watched Liang Xin as if they were watching a Western magic show, because Liang Xin was the first person willing to write a family letter for an unranked little eunuch.

Liang Xin took the brush and soaked it deeply in the inkstone. Then, as Xiaochunzi began to dictate, Liang Xin began to write. To make it easier for Xiaochunzi's parents to find someone to read it, Liang Xin used a very formal Liu-style regular script.

Xiaochunzi seemed to have a thousand words to say. It wasn't until the nearby eunuch, Xiaoduzi, mentioned that they were out of ink that Xiaochunzi realized Liang Xin had already written over a dozen sheets for him, so he hurriedly stopped.

Liang Xin stretched, picked up the letter, blew it dry, and said, "Xiaochunzi, let me read it back to you to see if there's anything that needs changing."

Liang Xin read the letter very seriously to Xiaochunzi, then asked, "Xiaochunzi, is there anything that needs to be changed?"

Tears immediately welled up in Xiaochunzi's eyes as he said emotionally, "Brother Xin..." After that, there was nothing but choking sobs; he couldn't speak.

Liang Xin patted Xiaochunzi's shoulder and said, "We're good brothers, aren't we? It's just writing a letter for you, is it really worth being this moved?"

Xiaochunzi continued to sob and weep. Liang Xin looked out the window and said, "It's getting late; I have to return to the Imperial Hospital. I'll come see you when I have time."

Xiaochunzi pulled a silver ingot from his bosom and pressed it into Liang Xin's hand. "Brother Xin, this is for the writing fee..."

Liang Xin froze for a moment, and then he grew angry. He shoved the silver back into Xiaochunzi's hand and said, "Xiaochunzi, you're looking down on me, aren't you? With our relationship, do I really need a writing fee to help you write a letter?"

Xiaochunzi was slightly stunned. "No, Brother Xin, but this is the rule..."

"What rule? There is no such rule between us. Put this silver away yourself!" Liang Xin's face was filled with anger. Xiaochunzi didn't dare refuse and hurriedly put the silver back.

Liang Xin smiled and said, "That's more like it. I'm leaving."

Xiaoduzi and the other two eunuchs looked at each other. Suddenly, the three of them knelt before Liang Xin and said, "Master Xin! We beg Master Xin to take the trouble to write a family letter for the three of us as well!"

"You want to write too?" Liang Xin asked, stunned.

"What kind of things are you? How dare you trouble Brother Xin to write family letters for you?" Xiaochunzi snapped angrily.

Liang Xin immediately stopped Xiaochunzi. "It's just writing a family letter, it's no big deal. Tell you what, it's already late, and if I don't leave now, the palace curfew will start. Come find me at the Imperial Hospital tomorrow, and I'll help you write them then."

Xiaoduzi and the other two were overjoyed, kowtowing repeatedly. "Thank you, Master Xin! Thank you, Master Xin!"

"Alright, no need for formalities. You are Xiaochunzi's friends, which means you are my friends. It's only right for friends to help each other."

As Liang Xin spoke, he helped the three of them up. Hearing Liang Xin's words, Xiaochunzi felt as if he had been injected with adrenaline; the expression on his face was as carefree as if he had lost several ounces of weight.

On the way back to the Imperial Pharmacy, Liang Xin passed by Yuhan Palace.

Yuhan Palace was a cold palace. According to the memories of Xiaofuzi in Liang Xin's mind, a Consort Wang lived in this cold palace. A *Zhaoyi* was a rank of imperial concubine, one level lower than a *Fei*, belonging to the group of Nine Concubines.

Just as Liang Xin approached Yuhan Palace, he faintly heard the sound of a zither. The music was winding and plaintive, piercing straight to the heart; even Liang Xin, who didn't know much about music, seemed to understand the profound sadness and loneliness contained within the melody.

Subconsciously, Liang Xin followed the sound, turning and winding his way until he entered Yuhan Palace. As he crossed the palace gates, a chilling wind blew through the courtyard. It was no wonder there were rumors in the palace that seven concubines had died in Yuhan Palace, making it an absolute ghost palace.

Entering the palace, the zither music became clearer. That sorrowful melody made Liang Xin's chest feel tight, as if there were an uneasy emotion that could find no outlet for release.

Liang Xin pushed open the main doors of Yuhan Palace and entered the main hall. The music stopped abruptly.

A cold, questioning voice came from the darkness: "Although this Palace has been relegated to a cold palace, I assume it has not yet fallen to the point where an unranked little eunuch can wander into my courtyard at will?"

Liang Xin trembled all over. As if waking from a dream, he hurriedly explained, "Your Ladyship, please calm your anger. This servant was merely passing by Yuhan Palace by chance, and after hearing Your Ladyship's beautiful music, I lost control and stumbled in. This servant deserves death; please forgive me, Your Ladyship."

Though very reluctant, Liang Xin nonetheless dropped to his knees on the ground. After all, if this matter were reported to the Palace Eunuch Department by Consort Wang, there would be only one end waiting for Liang Xin: death!

Consort Wang remained silent in the darkness for a moment, then a sigh drifted out: "You can understand my music?"

"The heart's sorrows are scattered among ten fingers, the melody's grief is held in a single cup." Liang Xin couldn't help but inwardly savor the previous music. "I wish to entrust my heart's thoughts to the zither. But kindred spirits are few; if the strings break, who will listen?"