His voice vanished in his throat.
Meanwhile, the carriage came to a stop in front of the manor.
"What's the matter?"
"Hmph..." Zhao Qian folded his arms and looked into the distance, his lips pursed. "That person... he looks familiar."
The carriage curtain was raised, and a fallen plum blossom was blown into Zhang Duo's line of sight.
He looked up and saw a man leaning against the wall beneath the plum blossoms. Dressed in loose robes, he exuded an air of elegance. His figure was obscured by the shadow of the trees, and he held a bamboo walking stick carved with the image of a pine tree and a crane. He wore no hat and had few adornments, only a green silk blindfold covering his eyes. The pine wave pattern embroidered on the blindfold was exquisitely crafted.
Though they were still some distance apart, the man seemed to have heard Zhao Qian's voice. He straightened up, leaning on his cane, and smiled brightly. Like a new pine needle in the spring forest, his presence was fresh and invigorating, attracting the attention of passersby.
Zhao Qian tapped his arm rapidly with his fingers, then pat on his forehead and turned to Zhang Duo. "Doesn't he look like Chen..." But he met a gaze as sharp as a hawk diving from the sky, forcing him to swallow the name.
Turning back, he saw that the man had already approached them, bowing respectfully with his hands clasped in front of him.
"I am Cen Zhao from Qinglu Mountain of North Mang. I have long admired the Zhongshujian's reputation."
Zhao Qian was startled. "Cen Zhao?"
His eyebrows raised, he dismounted and walked towards the man with a cheerful stride. "In the Western Han Dynasty, there were four sages of Shang Mountain. And now, there is one sage remaining in Qinglu. Are you referring to yourself? I've heard that you are proficient in the I Ching(9), skilled in interpreting celestial phenomena, and even..."
Before he could finish, the man took a step back and bowed again.
"Those are just empty titles. I am merely a speck of dust in the world, a crippled body trapped in a cage, nothing worth mentioning."
His voice was calm and soft, his demeanor humble and restrained, yet distant.
Zhao Qian was momentarily embarrassed, unsure of what to do. But having known Zhang Duo for a long time, he was accustomed to his cold and cutting remarks and was able to recover quickly. He took a step back. "If you are a speck of dust, what are we? We must be like pig dung."
He bowed in return. "I apologize for my earlier rudeness. It's just... well, it's because you look very much like an old friend of mine."
Cen Zhao smiled. "It's my honor"
His voice was like jade chimes, seemingly responding to Zhao Qian, but his gaze seemed directed at Zhang Duo in the carriage.
The Buddha said: There are five eyes in the world. The physical eye is the lowest, seeing only what is near and not what is far, what is in front and not what is behind, what is outside and not what is inside, what is day and not what is night, what is above and not what is below. The birth, old age, sickness, and death of all beings, and the rise and fall of empires, cannot be seen by the physical eye.
Having lost his physical sight, what did this man see?
Zhang Duo turned his head, avoiding the shadow of a plum blossom hanging over the carriage curtain. He fixed his gaze on that invisible look and said calmly, "It's rare for a sage like you to live in seclusion in North Mang for so long without revealing your identity."
Cen Zhao looked up. "It's just a way to increase my value."
Zhao Qian was still pondering the meaning of his words when he saw Zhang Duo get out of the carriage and walk towards the man.
The man, sensing Zhang Duo's approach, took a few steps back. Zhang Duo, however, did not show the same consideration as Zhao Qian. He took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. The other man smiled and stopped retreating.
"I am unworthy of your attention, sir."
Zhang Duo sneered and raised his voice. "In the third month of the tenth year of Xingqing, the Prince of Jin sent one of his beautiful concubines to offer you tea and invite you out of your seclusion. If you refused, he would kill the one who offered you the tea. In three months, more than twenty people were killed in front of Qinglu Mountain, and the mountain stream ran red with blood for seven days. Yet, you remained undisturbed in your seclusion. If you have such a nature, why are you here now?"
Cen Zhao turned his head slightly, as if to avoid Zhang Duo's gaze.
A gust of wind lifted his blindfold, revealing his face.
"I have not seen my sister for six days, so I came here to look for her."
"If you have any relatives, they would have been threatened by the Prince of Jin."
"Yes, I dare not deceive you."
His voice carried a hint of lamentation. "People see her as my servant, but I treat her as my own. I cannot bear to be separated from her even for a day."
"Hmph, disgusting."
Zhao Qian stood between the two men, sweating as he listened to their cryptic exchange. "Uh, Tuohan, this is in front of your manor. Perhaps we should invite Mr. Cen..."
"Seize him."
"What?"
Zhao Qian saw Jiang Ling about to move forward and quickly stepped in front of Cen Zhao, whispering, "Is that necessary? The sage of Qinglu Mountain. The Prince of Jin and the Duke of Hejian almost burned down North Mang Mountain trying to lure him out. Even if you don't want to treat him with courtesy, you shouldn't give others an excuse to criticize you."
"Get out of the way."
Zhang Duo's eyes narrowed. Zhao Qian persisted, "Don't you think you're going too far?"
"Zhao General, please step aside."
Before Zhao Qian could respond, he heard a gentle and calm voice from behind.
"Eh? What?"
Zhao Qian turned around and continued to block Jiang Ling, puzzled.
"You can't see, so how do you know who I am?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Zhang Duo's voice from behind. "How do you know that Xi Yin is in my manor?"
Cen Zhao released his grip on the cane and felt around until he found Zhao Qian's arm. "It seems that the master has asked about Yin's name."
Zhang Duo did not respond, but merely glanced at Jiang Ling. Understanding, Jiang Ling pressed down on Cen Zhao's shoulder while he was distracted and used the cane to knock Cen Zhao to his knees.
Zhang Duo looked down at him. "No one tells the truth in front of me, but I can always find a way to hear it."
Cen Zhao winced as his shoulder was gripped, his voice slightly breathless. "Loyang is a city of intricate relationships and hidden ambitions. Even you, sir, are sometimes blinded by these complexities. My sister, Yin, is different from what you think. Although I raised her, my blindness prevented me from teaching her to read or write. I could only teach her to play the Qin(6), to give her a skill to make a living. Shamefully, though I am a man, I am disabled and rely on her care. To avoid attracting attention and to ensure a peaceful life, I taught her to be timid and submissive, which has made her timid and weak. I'm sure she has been looked down upon by you in your manor."
Zhang Duo was silent for a moment, then hummed in agreement.
"You haven't answered."
"Yes, precisely because of this, I know that she is weak and has no connections in Loyang. She would never be able to escape the inner city on her own. And the Prince of Jin sees her as a discarded piece and would not risk protecting her. Now that the entire Imperial Guard is searching for her and even the government offices in Yongle are being searched, with General Zhao's abilities, you should have found her within six days, let alone caused General Zhao to be punished."
He looked up. "In all of Loyang, the only person who could have caused General Zhao to be punished and hidden Yin is the Zhongshujian. That is why I have risked my life to see you."
"Do you not think I have already killed her?"
"If the Zhongshujian had killed her, he would have disposed of the body to clear General Zhao's reputation. Since neither the body nor the person has been found, I still have hope."
What he meant was that beyond physical sight, there was the ability to discern human nature and understand the relationships between people.
This was the kind of game that Zhao Qian disliked the most.
The reason he was willing to befriend Zhang Duo was that unlike those who engaged in empty philosophical debates, Zhang Duo was a man of action who believed in evidence and facts rather than speculation. But Zhao Qian didn't know that there were people like Cen Zhao in the world, seemingly weak and frail with a white cane, yet capable of seeing through people with just a few words.
He couldn't help but look at Zhang Duo.
Zhang Duo remained silent, his fingers gradually clenching into fists. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly reached out and tore off the blindfold from the kneeling man.
Fortunately, they were under the shade of the plum tree, and the sunlight was scattered, so it wasn't too blinding.
Although he was unaccustomed to the light, he could still manage. He tried to turn his face towards the shade, but Jiang Ling pushed him back.
Zhang Duo bent down, holding the blindfold with the pine wave pattern.
Looking at the man's gray eyes, he said coldly, "Chen Xiao."
Although these two words were devoid of emotion, they made Zhao Qian gasp.
However, Cen Zhao smiled, his voice as calm and gentle as a floating plum blossom.
"I, Cen Zhao, am from Yingchuan and have long admired Chen Xiao of Dongjun. Since I was young, I have imitated him. Now that the Zhongshujian has spoken, I will not let down my ten years of admiration."
Zhao Qian quickly patted Zhang Duo on the shoulder and whispered, "I have to say, you do look alike, but Chen... well, he and his father Chen Wang died a horrible death. You verified it yourself. Saying this now is really creepy."
Zhang Duo let go of the blindfold, and it fluttered away in the wind. He stood up straight, letting the wind and snow blow against his face.
"The entire Chen clan of Dongjun was exterminated. Now, even impostors cannot be tolerated. Since you dare to risk your life, why have you come out from hiding?
"Yin..."
Cen Zhao softly called out the tender name.
"She is someone I cherish. Since she is willing to break the law and kill for me, I will do anything for her."
Zhang Duo laughed loudly and walked towards the door. "I don't need a strategist. Jiang Ling, strangle him."
"What? Strangle him? Zhang Tuohan, I'll..."
Zhao Qian was about to chase after him, but then he heard Cen Zhao say, "Wouldn't the Zhongshujian want a pair of eyes in Dongjun?"
Zhang Duo, who had already crossed the threshold, turned around coldly and replied, "I don't trust anyone."
But the man under the plum tree smiled calmly. "Then does the Zhongshujian trust his own interrogation methods?"
"Very well. If you survive, I'll let you go to Dongjun and give Xi Yin a chance to live."
"Wait."
"Hmm? It's too late to regret now. There are many painful ways to die."
"No, before that, I want to see Yin."
"Alright. Jiang Ling, take him to the West Pavilion. And tell your father to bring that half-ghost as well."
"Yes."
"Bind them both."
Zhao Qian asked stupidly, "Why bind them?"
"A woman you picked up and raised for ten years, a brother and sister?"
He snorted coldly. "Not dirty?"
I Ching(9): an ancient Chinese manual of divination based on eight symbolic trigrams and sixty-four hexagrams, interpreted in terms of the principles of yin and yang.