Chapter II: The Journey Continues (Part Three)

“Your Highness!” Sun Ping greeted enthusiastically when Hsin-Yu returned to the room.


“How many times do I need to repeat myself? Please address me as ‘Young Master’ when we’re not in the palace.” Hsin-Yu chided his servant.

“But there is no one else around now.” Sun Ping pointed out carefully.

“Speaking of which, how is Master Yang?” Hsin-Yu enquired suddenly, changing the topic.

“He is in safe hands. I had Ho Wen and Ye Bin to take care of him, your Highness, no, I mean, Young Master, need not worry.” Sun Ping assured.

“Fair enough. Anyway, please take care of the arrangements. I intend to leave this place tomorrow morning.” Hsin-Yu instructed, as he placed his weapon on the round table in the middle of the room, and slowly unbuttoning his tunic. After a good morning exercise, he felt warm and longed for a nice cool bath.

“So soon?” Sun Ping asked again uncertainly.

“We have been here for days – about time we head back to the capital, before my mother start to whine again.” Hsin-Yu shrugged, before adding, “Not to mention that with the Empress Dowager’s Birthday Banquet coming up very soon, they would certainly expect me to be around, even though I doubt her Majesty cared. Anyway, if Master Yang wished to remain here longer, just help him make any necessary reservations so he wouldn’t be stranded without an inn to stay in.”

“Young Master, you barely knew that An-Chih guy! Why are you being so exceedingly helpful?” Sun Ping pointed out; for he truly believe it is better not to be too meddlesome.

“Doesn’t hurt to do him a little favor, does it?” Hsin-Yu smiled mischievously. “Besides, he seemed like an honest sort – perhaps he might even feel indebted towards me after this. It never hurts to gain one more friend does it?”

“So that is the reason…” Sun Ping whispered, though in his mind he had doubts. “More likely he was just being extremely kind towards this young man simply because he resembled that guy physically…”

“Right, simple as that, what other reason can there be?” Hsin-Yu insisted, as he approached the bathroom. “Good, you have everything prepared.” Hsin-Yu commented when he noticed the large bathtub filled with water, bottles of fragrance aligned on the dresser.

“Of course – since when have I ever been inefficient?” Sun Ping beamed with pride. Approaching Hsin-Yu he motioned to help his master removed his garments. “Allow me, young master.”

On the shores of Silver Lake were several small boats available for hiring. As it is, there were six passengers in the small boat for the one Yang Hsu-Wen had boarded. Right in the middle of the boat stood one man, holding the oar and maneuvering the direction as they cruised along the famed Silver Lake, to which the town was named after. Yang Hsu-Wen sat on the front end, together with Tamara and Keli, and the backend was occupied by a family of three, a middle-aged couple, with their daughter approximately twelve years of age.

“Say, Master Yang, are you married?” Tamara asked suddenly, and all of a sudden Keli began to understand her teacher’s purpose. It was not the first time that her teacher had subtly hinted to her that she was old enough to get married and settle down. Keli swallowed when she heard this question, her mind inwardly protesting, “Teacher, you don’t have to be so blatant!”

“No.” Yang Hsu-Wen’s answer seemingly pleased Tamara, for she cheerfully inquired again,

“Then, are you engaged?”

“No, Madam. At present I am concentrating on establishing a career. I supposed when that is settled I might consider getting tied down.” Yang Hsu-Wen smiled, not suspecting Tamara’s intention at all.

“Teacher!” Keli interrupted suddenly, fearing for the worst where this conversation might lead to.

“What is it, my dear?” Tamara turned to her apprentice for the first time.

“Erm…” Keli flustered, for she was anxiously ransacking her mind for something to say, before pointing to a pair of mandarin ducks swimming in the lake. For lack of a better excuse she exclaimed, “See that? Don’t you think they are very pretty?”

“Sure they are.” Tamara laughed gaily. “Do you know what these are called?”

“Erm, they are ducks, aren’t they?” Keli suggested uncertainly, not because she could not recognize ducks, but because she was unsure what her teacher was thinking.

“Oh, mandarin ducks! It’s always nice to see them around.” Yang Hsu-Wen chipped in, naturally unaware of either Tamara’s intentions or Keli’s increasing uneasiness. “As the books would always say, mandarin ducks are to be envied. They usually stayed with their one chosen mate, and stayed together always.”

“Similarly, it also reminded us that when one is of age, it is also about time to find one’s significant other, just like the mandarin ducks. How interesting it is that you brought it up all of the sudden.” Tamara winked at her apprentice.

“Oh no, what a klutz I have been, to bring the wrong topic up!” Keli mentally chided herself, and before she realized what is happening she next heard Tamara asking Yang Hsu-Wen another ‘invasive’ question.

“What sort of girl appeals to you?”

Yang Hsu-Wen considered the question carefully and finally replied, “Well, ideally, I would like a pretty and virtuous wife, someone who can get along with my family, pious also. But truth to speak, I really leave it to fate, as marriage is a match made in heaven. If it is my destiny to marry a woman less than ideal, it is also my lot. I just hope heavens would be kinder to me.”

“Will you consider a foreign girl? As in, someone not of Empire origins, say perhaps a Northerner?” Tamara continued on the topic, to which Keli went into a fit of coughs. “Eek! Now she sounded like trying to advertise me! I wish there is a hole for me to hide, this is so embarrassing, and I bet Master Yang would think I am desperate to get married or something.”

“Teacher, I think we shouldn’t trouble Master Yang any further.” Keli prompted, tugging at Tamara’s sleeves. Although she do not think poorly of Yang Hsu-Wen, but Keli had often held the idea that marriage must only take place between two persons in love with each other, just like her parents were. She also knew deep down, this young scholar before her do not stir her interest in that direction. “Even though they were long gone – Nana had said that there is one special person for every other person, and in life, our purpose is to seek that other half. She said I would know him when I see him – but I had met so many people in my line of work, and I still do not know? Could it be possible that I have already missed him, or my time has not yet come?”

“Not to worry, Miss Keli, I am not the least troubled.” Yang Hsu-Wen smiled brightly. “I guess Madam Tamara’s questions were rather refreshing. They were questions that I have never truly given a serious thought to before. But just to answer her last question. I suppose if that is the will of heaven, the heritage of my spouse should not be an issue, though marriages are usually arranged by parents, I don’t see the possibility of them deliberately arranged any girl outside of An-Chih province. After all my parents are more comfortable speaking in our native dialect than the official language of the Empire. A foreign girl might have language problems.”

“Is that a subtle rejection?” Keli wondered to herself, and her already rosy cheeks flushed even deeper.

“I see.” Tamara nodded, realizing that Yang Hsu-Wen was totally clueless of her intentions and from his answers; she had deemed him not the most ideal man for her apprentice after all.

It was awhile later that the boat had rolled back to shore, and the passengers alighted. As Yang Hsu-Wen parted ways with his companions, he was approached by the family of three whom had set in the same boat as them.

“Are you from An-Chih?” The father asked. He is fat and short, and wore an expensive fabric, suggesting him to be a fairly rich person.

“Yes, you too?” Yang Hsu-Wen nodded, and wondered if he had met someone from the same hometown.

“Well no, but my wife is from An-Chih province, and when we heard you talking earlier, she felt nostalgic listening to your accent, and our suspicions were confirmed when you mentioned An-Chih yourself earlier on. In any case, please forgive us for eavesdropping.” The man replied, as his wife stood beside him on the right, and their daughter on the left.

Delighted, Yang Hsu-Wen greeted the woman in the An-Chih dialect, and was more thrilled to hear her responding with the same dialect. “Where are you from, then?” He asked the man.

“Silver Lake. I’m a merchant based here – and the reason why I am coming to this place is that my daughter wanted to come so badly.”

“This adorable little girl?” Yang Hsu-Wen smiled at the daughter, to which the girl smiled brightly in return.

“Ah yes, that’s my daughter, Wan-Ying, and my name is Shen Nien.” The man introduced himself. “My textile shop – “Shen Fabrics”, is not far from here. Since you are from the same hometown as my wife, I’ll give you a special price if you want to get anything. I have one of the best materials in Silver Lake, my clients are amongst the most influential, and I can even recommend a few of the most skilful tailors in Silver Lake, should you need to make any new clothing.”

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind, though I’m on my way to the capital, and wouldn’t be staying long in Silver Lake.” Yang Hsu-Wen smiled shyly.

“Really! Our family is heading to the capital tomorrow morning too. I have set up a branch in the capital recently, and I intend to get there on the opening day ceremony. If you’re going to be in the capital for a while you can consider visiting our capital branch, and I am sure to give you a special price!” Shen Nien encouraged enthusiastically.

“A true merchant indeed; for he never wasted any opportunity to make business.” Yang Hsu-Wen thought to himself, remembering that his own father was similar in this aspect.

“Thank you very much for your kind offer. Where is this shop located? Perhaps I might visit it when I reached the capital.” Yang Hsu-Wen inquired out of courtesy.

“It’s very near the town square, and easy to locate. Just asked for “Shen Fabrics” when you get there, and I’m sure you can find the place.” Shen Nien gave a hearty laugh, patting Yang Hsu-Wen on the back. “I shall be waiting for you in the capital, young man, and good luck for your examinations.”

“Eh? How did you know?” Yang Hsu-Wen exclaimed, surprised at Shen Nien’s remark.

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s the time of the year, and what else would a young scholar all the way from An-Chih got to do with the capital, apart from taking the Imperial Examinations, held only once in three years?” Shen Nien pointed out the obvious.

“Oh.” Yang Hsu-Wen nodded in hindsight. “Alright then, I shall return to the inn, see you in the capital.”

“Till then, my young friend.” Shen Nien replied, before turning back to his wife and daughter, heading towards the opposite direction of Yang Hsu-Wen.

“Everyone in Silver Lake is so friendly!” Yang Hsu-Wen smiled to himself happily as he thought to return to the inn to thank Hsin-Yu properly for his kind hospitality.

[End of Chapter II]

Chapter II: The Journey Continues (Part Two)

Meanwhile, Yang Hsu-Wen watched on the whole exchange, all the more curious about this youth. If he thought the swift movements of Hsin-Yu impressive, he was all the more shaken by the two bodyguards, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. He rubbed his eyes, wondering just where these two bodyguards came from, even as he understood from the effeminate servant that Yuen Hsin-Yu was protected by them, it was still an eye-opener. “I wonder if it is a common practice for the affluent people of the capital to hire bodyguards?”


“Master Yang?” Another servant entered the room, and greeted Yang Hsu-Wen. Although dressed very much like Sun Ping and the effeminate servant from earlier, this was another person. In his arm was a bundle, whom Yang Hsu-Wen recognized, were his clothes. “That’s right, the fellow from earlier said there were three of them…”

“Good morning.” Yang Hsu-Wen put on a smile and greeted the servant, to what he hoped, was a pleasant greeting, despite the horrible feeling he was getting from the alcohol.

“Good morning, Master Yang.” The servant replied in a respectful voice, as he handled the bundle in his arms, to Yang Hsu-Wen, instructing, “If you’re feeling better, perhaps you might like to go down and have your breakfast. Your clothes are cleaned, so you may change into them.”

“Thank you very much!” Yang Hsu-Wen answered gratefully. “But, how much do that cost?”

“Young Master has already made arrangements for that, so you do not have to worry about the payments.” The servant informed.

“This must have been a blessing in disguise! I arrived in Silver Lake with a budget problem but instead met with a rich and generous friend who would take care of my expenditures. Thank heaven for watching out for me!” Yang Hsu-Wen thought to himself, before saying, “Please help me thank your Young Master, for his kind generosity towards me.”

“I reckon Young Master must be having his breakfast right now, you may do so yourself when you join him later.” The servant informed, giving Yang Hsu-Wen a slight bow before exiting the room.

“My dear girl! Are you sure you can finish all these?” Tamara looked at the spread of dishes before the table. The breakfast was buffet-styled, and the guests of Silver Lake Inn may help themselves to the food served. Keli who had never seen such a spread of fine delicacies was eager to try every food available.

“Erm, they all looked so delicious, I just couldn’t help myself.” Keli grinned sheepishly; inwardly guilty since she somewhat suspect she might not be able to finish all the food that she had taken. There were an assortment of cakes, and some were even made to look like little bunnies, even though they were possibly made out of flour.

“Do remember that there are those poor people that had gone through lives never seeing that much food before them, so make sure you do not waste any of it.” Tamara chided.

“Sorry…I couldn’t resist.” Keli felt worse even though she was only slightly reprimanded. Her actions were not deliberate, and she felt guilty now for being so greedy, and she wondered how she could have finish all the food before her, and it was just at this point she noticed a familiar face approaching, and recognized him to be the young scholar from the day before, whose room was taken by them. She smiled slightly at this Yang Hsu-Wen, secretly hoping he might join their table, and help them finish the excess food.

Yang Hsu-Wen was looking around for Hsin-Yu but instead spotted Keli and Tamara. Responding to her smile he nodded at her, and approached their table. “Good morning, ladies.”

“Good morning. Are you looking for a seat perhaps? Would you like to join us?” Keli suggested quickly.

“Thank you.” Yang Hsu-Wen pulled a seat and sat himself before the two ladies. “Oh well, I suppose I shall have my breakfast first before thanking Master Yuen when I see him later.”

“You are the young scholar from yesterday, am I right? How do I address you?” Tamara turned to Yang Hsu-Wen with a smile.

“That’s right.” Yang Hsu-Wen replied with a shy smile. “My name is Yang Hsu-Wen, from the province of An-Chih. How may I address you ladies?”
“My name is Tamara, and this is my apprentice, Keli.” Tamara replied, paying close attention to Yang Hsu-Wen.

“You managed to get yourself a room after all.” Keli remarked, and immediately shoved some of the plates towards Yang Hsu-Wen. “There, would you like to have some?”

“Thank you.” Yang Hsu-Wen thought the Northern girl was pretty friendly, and picking up the pair of unused chopsticks he helped himself to the dish that Keli had offered. “Actually I met a friend here so he offered me a room. I guess I’m quite in luck, thank heavens.”

“Are you here on a vacation?” Tamara asked again, taking a sip of the jasmine tea. After that she took an unused cup and rinsed it with some tea, before pouring more of the tea into this rinsed cup, and offered it to Yang Hsu-Wen.

“Yes and no. Actually I’m on my way to the capital.” Yang Hsu-Wen accepted the cup of tea gingerly.

“Really! So are we!” Keli smiled happily. “When will you be leaving for the capital?”

“Well, I’d not decided on that yet. I initially planned to stay in Silver Lake for a few days, but I might shorten the day due to budget constrain. After all I still need to set aside a sum for the registration of the Imperial Examinations.” Yang Hsu-Wen explained, suddenly wondering about Hsin-Yu’s plans. “He is from the capital isn’t it? Perhaps I can travel with him; at least I would have some company during the travels.”

“Imperial Examinations? Well good luck to you. Who knows, I might be talking to a future court official.” Keli suggested, pushing more of the dishes which she cannot finish, in the direction of Yang Hsu-Wen, who cooperatively finishes them systematically.

“I hope so? It has been my dreams to become a court official, even though my father was quite against it.” Yang Hsu-Wen sighed.

“Why is he so against it? I thought it would be quite an honor for the family to have produced a court official?” Keli wondered aloud.

“If only he would think that way.” Yang Hsu-Wen shrugged. “My father is a businessman, and he strongly preferred that I take over his business. He also thinks lowly of the courtiers, considering them as corrupt and unreliable. Naturally the idea that his son would become one of them saddens him.”

“If that is the case, why are you going against his wishes?” Tamara posed her question.

“I do not agree with his views. If there are truly that many corrupt officials, then it is time that we need to have those who aren’t corrupt, to break this vicious cycle. There are still many people suffering in silence, and a court official’s contribution may sometimes relieve their suffering.” Yang Hsu-Wen argued hopefully.

“You have very noble aspirations, young man.” Tamara observed with a smile. “It is really good to know. There are far too many people who only cared for themselves, and it truly warmed me to know that there are people like you who strived to make the Empire a better place to live in.”

“Erm…well it’s just a thought.” Yang Hsu-Wen felt a little embarrassed by Tamara’s praises, and blushed. Changing the subject he asked again, “You two are physicians?”

“Well, technically only my teacher can be considered a full-fledged physician. I’m only the apprentice.” Keli was quick to correct Yang Hsu-Wen’s assumptions.

“So, where are you from? Are you in Silver Lake for business or just touring?” Yang Hsu-Wen asked again, helping himself to the food before him. “These tastes pretty good.”

“We are wandering physicians, so I guess we have no fix home. I am originally from the South, though I came to the Empire with my father when I was a child. My apprentice here was from one of the nomadic tribes of the North. However all her tribesmen perished in a plague some ten years ago, and she was the only survivor, and hence joined me in this trade. Our actual intension is to go to the capital, and out route passes Silver Lake. It’s a pretty place after all, and we intend to tour the lake after breakfast.” Tamara explained, for it would be easy to get a tour of the lake given the strategic location of their inn. “Would you like to join us?”

“Eh?” Yang Hsu-Wen was quite taken aback by the hospitality of the two ladies, for never did he expect that since arriving Silver Lake, all he met were kind and helpful people.

Keli was equally surprised by Tamara’s suggestion, for she merely invited Yang Hsu-Wen so that her table of food would not go to waste. “Teacher seemed to like this young scholar quite a bit eh?”

[to be continued...]

Chapter II: The Journey Continues (Part One)

The soft silky sheets nudged on the skin of Yang Hsu-Wen as he stirred. The light sea-breezes caressed his cheeks, bringing about the faint scent of sandalwood’s fragrance. Slowly he rubbed his eyes and gave a little yawn. Lazily he drew himself up from the bed and then, all of a sudden, he sat up straight. For the first time, he realized that he was in an unfamiliar place, and swallowed nervously. What happened? He ransacked his mind, trying to recall the day’s events. His head was spinning and he was nauseous. Looking around him, he noticed he had changed into his sleeping attire. “Wait…how did that happen? I remembered I didn’t manage to check into any room…”


The room was huge, with beautifully ornamented pillars, very much in the same motif as that of the hall of Silver Lake Inn. The bed, to which he had slept in, was spacious and covered with luxurious silk. Yang Hsu-Wen ran his palm over the silk sheets, indulging in the coolness of the fabric, a welcoming touch in the heat of the summer.

Just then, a young man entered the room, which had startled Yang Hsu-Wen. Due to his attire, Yang Hsu-Wen had initially mistaken it to be Sun Ping, for he wore similar clothing. But, upon closer inspection, he realized this person was perhaps a few years older, though like Sun Ping, somewhat effeminate. “Did this pretty boy employ servants as girly as himself or what? Although none of them are as beautiful as he is.”

“Good morning, Master Yang, I see that you are awake.” This young man greeted Yang Hsu-Wen in a friendly voice. “Here is some tea; they are especially good for treating a hang-over.”

“Thank you.” Yang Hsu-Wen accepted the tea and took a sip, and asked, “Pardon me, but where am I?” Though he guessed as much he was still in Silver Lake Inn, by virtue of the scenic view of the lake that can be seen from the bed that was situated not far from the balcony, he thought it better to verify his assumptions.

“You’re in Silver Lake Inn.” The young man replied in a matter-of-factly manner, seemingly surprised that Yang Hsu-Wen would ask such a question.

“Erm, I guess as much.” Yang Hsu-Wen asked again; gradually remembering the events that took place the day before. He had arrived in Silver Lake sometime in the late afternoon, was almost duped by the rickshaw-puller who wanted to over-charge him. Fortunately, the beautiful youth intervened and he managed to save a fortune. When he reached the inn, the last room available was taken by two travelling pharmacists, and his last bit of attempt to rest his poor feet led him to go to the restaurant, to which he met this beautiful youth once again. As far as he can remember, they drank quite a fair bit of the wine, and thereafter he remembered nothing more. “I hope I hadn’t done anything embarrassing…” Yang Hsu-Wen thought to himself, remembering his previous experience with consuming too much alcohol.

“Ah…where are my clothes?”

“Oh you vomited and soiled your clothes, so I have helped you changed out of it, and taken it to the laundry.” The servant replied.

“Oh no…I’d made a fool out of myself.” Yang Hsu-Wen thought sadly to himself. Changing the topic, he asked again, “Where is Master Yuen?”

“Young Master is probably at the lakeside garden. It is his habit to practice swordplay every morning.” The young man informed.

“So he does know how to use the blade that he carried with him after all.” Yang Hsu-Wen thought to himself. “I apologized for any trouble I have caused.”

“You are a guest of Young Master, so it is our duty to serve you whilst you are with us, so please do not worry.” The young man replied in a respectful manner.

“How many are you? I thought Master Yuen has only one attendant Sun Ping with him.” Yang Hsu-Wen asked again, for he was indeed under the impression that they were only two people, and out of the blue when he saw another servant he was quite taken by surprise. “This kid’s wealth is truly beyond comprehension. Just what on earth does his father do?”

“Young Master travels lightly, so there are about seven of us attendants. There is Steward Sun, who is the overall in-charge of all the domestic affairs of Young Master’s household. There is myself, and another servant, and our responsibilities is to wait on Young Master. The four others who travelled with us are Young Master’s bodyguards. They worked on rotating shifts, to ensure Young Master’s safety.”

“That’s like an entourage! Master Yuen must be a very important person.” Yang Hsu-Wen exclaimed. “And to think he calls that ‘travels lightly’.”

“Indeed he is.” The servant nodded with a vague smile.

“Wake up, sleepy head!” The gentle voice of her teacher travelled into Keli’s ears. Stubbornly, she refuses to bulge, burying her head into the soft silken sheets, as her unruly mop of golden brown curls sprawled across the bed.

“Wake up, dear. If you don’t, you’re going to miss a yummy breakfast.” The voice tried again, tempting the Northern lass. Alerted by the words, Keli kicked away the sheets, struggling against her stronger desire to remain asleep, and forced her eyes open. “What yummy breakfast?” She asked again in a concerned voice. Although Keli was not in particularly a glutton, but having spent most of her childhood living in humble conditions, the experience of staying in a luxurious room and the idea of fine dining was indeed very tempting.

“Good, at least I managed to get your attention.” The middle-aged Southern woman grinned. “Breakfast was apparently included in the package, so we better not missed out because they only served them in the mornings.”

“Hmm? Really? Come to think of it, I’m famished.” Keli yawned.

“Good, now go wash your face before we head down for the breakfast.” Her teacher instructed.

Not surprisingly, the restaurant was quite packed in the morning. Most of these diners would most probably be the guests of this inn, since breakfast was part of the package. Excitedly, Keli went with her teacher to the restaurant, as she caught sight of a large group of men, all wearing the uniform of yellow and green. “Who are these people?” Keli wondered aloud, as the waitress of the restaurant overheard her and replied, “Oh you mean those men? They are from the Golden Mile Transportation and Securities. They are long time customers of Silver Lake Inn. Apparently they did not have a residential area in Silver Lake, strange as it seemed, despite the amount of businesses here, so each time they needed to pass Silver Lake; they will seek lodgings at Silver Lake Inn. As such, they have permanent reservations with our inn.”

“Golden Mile Transportation and Securities? What is that?” Keli asked again, as her teacher handed the room plates to the waitress, who verified against her records and said,

“Would that be Mistress Tamara and Miss Keli?”

“That’s right.” Her teacher, Tamara nodded.

“Well, this way please.” The waitress responded, as she led Tamara and Keli to their seats. Turning back to Keli, she answered her question from earlier, “Golden Mile Transportation and Securities provides courier services, and also protection. Whether you needed someone to safeguard your goods from one place to another, or you needed bodyguards during long journeys, you can always go to them. They are in this business for a long time, and had established quite a name in these regions.”

“I see…they would come in handy especially when travelling to the more dangerous places.” Keli remarked.

“True…these days there are so many bandits around, preying on innocent travelers? However, their fees might not be too cheap. I guess one has to be reasonably well-off to pay for such services.” The waitress smiled.

As Tamara and Keli sat down, Keli turned towards the men from Golden Mile out of sheer curiosity, and wondered if these men were safeguarding some very important goods, for she noticed there were several chests beside them.

“What tea would you like?” The waitress asked politely.

“I’ll settle for jasmine tea, if you have them.” Tamara instructed, as the waitress went away about her business. Noticing the curiosity her apprentice had shown towards the people from Golden Mile, Tamara laughed casually and said, “Well, looked like you are very interested in them?”

“I’m just curious; I wonder what’s in those chests.” Keli admitted.

“Not something we should concern ourselves with, my dear. In fact, I’m more interested to know if these people are heading towards the capital.” Tamara smiled.

“Oh? Why should that matter to us?” Now it was Keli’s turn to be confused.

“In the event that they are heading in the same direction as us, we should try our best to walk close to them. “ Tamara explained. “In that case we can be assured of their protection, without paying a single cent.”

“Teacher!” Keli exclaimed, but she had to admit inwardly that it was a pretty good idea. For so many years Tamara had never tried to travel to the capital, nor any of the major cities near it, despite having heard of so many stories of it, some good and some not so good. Although the main reason for Tamara’s decision was that there are plenty of able physicians in those rich cities, but out in the poorer provinces, not many could afford the services of a physician, and she would often offer her services to the poor freely, and some would offer to feed them out of gratitude. Occasionally when she met those who are better off, and she would accept payment from them. However, for most part, the poor was unable to pay her sufficiently, and hence, Keli, who was an orphan adopted by Tamara, would have to live the lifestyle that her teacher had chosen.

The second reason for choosing to lead such wandering lifestyle was that Tamara was in search for her long lost daughter. Although Keli had never met the girl before, she had heard often from the lips of Tamara that Keli had inwardly considered this girl to be her little sister, and she too, wished that Tamara could soon be reunited with her daughter. For many years, it was futile search, for Tamara had not the faintest clue where her daughter might be, only knowing where they have parted ways, and even so, she was unable to locate her.

It was only sometime ago when Tamara met a rich merchant who sought treatment from her about her seriously-ill wife. When Tamara had successfully cured her where most physician was unable to, the rich merchant rewarded Tamara generously, and not only that, he had informed Tamara about the ‘fortune-tellers’ of the North.

Despite Keli’s doubts about these fortune-tellers, she was more afraid of dashing her teacher’s only hopes, and hence hoped, for everyone’s sake, that the fortune-tellers were able to provide Tamara more clues about her lost daughter. This became the real reason why they made their way to the capital, because the Northerners would usually travel to the capital about this time of the year, and if Tamara wanted the answer, she better hurry to the capital as soon as possible!

Yang Hsu-Wen remained in the room, suffering from the bad effects of the alcohol, and swore to himself mentally to approach such drinks with caution. Even the tea did not take away the horrible headache, and the strong desire to throw up. He felt absolutely weak, and struggled to place himself at the seat located in the balcony of the room, staring out into the lake.

From the third storey, the view of the lake was distinctively different from what he had seen at the restaurant, on the first storey. He noticed the trees that were at the banks of the lake, its branches wavered lightly under the breeze. The morning sun shone down at the waters of the lake, like a ball of fire glowing on the surface of the waters. Thus this is the place that earned its name of Silver Lake, silver because of the shine. It was then he caught sight of a figure wielding the blade.

“That must be Master Yuen. After all, his servant had said that he would practice his swordplay in the mornings.”

The figure seemed unaware of anyone watching him, and remained immense in his own routine. Yang Hsu-Wen did not feel particularly inspired to move, and hence lingered at the balcony, quietly watching.

A loud sound of applause had interrupted Hsin-Yu’s concentration, as he stopped in whatever he was doing and turned to the direction of the sound. Not recognizing the person he merely narrowed his eyes and studied the intruder.

“That was quite fascinating. I’m very impressed with your skills.” The intruder spoke. As Hsin-Yu noted, he was a young man possibly in his mid-twenties, dressed in expensive silk robes and finely embroidered belt. Even the hair accessory which he used to hold his hair into a bun was adorned with jewels. At least from the appearances it would not be too hard to guess that this young man was at least a wealthy person.

“Thank you.” Hsin-Yu replied, but was disinterested to engage himself in a conversation with the young man. Deciding that he had enough for the day, he placed his blade back in the sheath, and decided to head back to the inn, for his breakfast.

“Gosh, that was cold!” The young man exclaimed. “You could have at least said something more?”

Hsin-Yu stopped in his tracks and turned to the young man’s direction and studied curiously, before asking, “What would you expect me to say then?”

“Well, a self-introduction would be nice?” The young man suggested with a wide grin.

“Why should I?” Hsin-Yu asked the young man, observing him carefully.

“Aw…no wonder they say roses have thorns.” The young man shook his head. “The more beautiful a person is, the pricklier she gets.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Hsin-Yu frowned, unsure of the young man’s intentions.

“Not an issue.” The young man announced in a delighted voice, and continued in a cheery tone. “Pardon me; I shouldn’t be expecting that much in the first place. I bet I look very much like some shady character with very little credibility.”

Hsin-Yu nodded quietly.

“My name is Wah Ting-Yun. The owner of this inn is a good friend of mine, so I dropped by this place often. Your swordplay awhile ago was pretty impressive, very agile, yet elegant.” The young man introduced himself.

“Wah Ting-Yun, from the House of Wah?” Hsin-Yu asked curiously. Anyone who is a citizen of the Empire would have heard of the four wealthiest families in Silver Lake, and in particular, Wah Ting-Yun had been snatching quite a few headlines, namely his young age and capabilities, plus his identity as the most available bachelor in town.

“Yes, Miss.” The young man nodded. “Now that I told you my name, do I have the honor of knowing your name?”’

“Wait…why are you calling me ‘Miss’.” Hsin-Yu frowned, sensing that things are becoming all too familiar. First, a random male tries to chat up, and following that, after establishing initial introduction, they would almost always, address him as ‘Miss’. “Do I really look like a girl to you?”

Wah Ting-Yun laughed upon hearing Hsin-Yu’s rebuttal, before calming himself down and then explained with a bright smile, “Pardon me, if I have made a mistake. Rarely do I see young men as beautiful as you are, so it is easy to misunderstand.”

“I’m obviously wearing male attire. How idiotic.” Hsin-Yu thought to himself, and perhaps because of the young man’s misunderstanding, he felt slightly annoyed and chose to ignore him, walking away.

“That’s really very unkind. Now you made me feel like I’m a detestable person that you cannot wait to get rid of.” Wah Ting-Yun chuckled in amusement, following Hsin-Yu closely.

“But you are!” Hsin-Yu pointed out sarcastically. “Especially when you came unannounced; and disturbed my practicing.”

“Gosh, how petty. Men should be more forgiving.” Wah Ting-Yun countered in a teasing fashion; still following closely to Hsin-Yu’s quickened footsteps.

“Men should also not be so pesky.” Hsin-Yu countered, before stopping in his tracks and turned to face the young man with a stern expression, stating, “If you are really the infamous Master Wah, I advise you to at least watch your conduct, less you smear your own reputation.”

“Thank you for your kindest consideration.” Wah Ting-Yun laughed out loud, amused by the youth’s words. “You’re such an interesting kid.”

“I’m not a kid, I’m already eighteen.” Hsin-Yu stated flatly.

“Really, you looked younger though!” Wah Ting-Yun exclaimed, but went on to reason with Hsin-Yu. “But then again, that only means you’re legally an adult, eligible to own lands and full privileges of an Empire citizen and nothing more. Physical age is hardly an indication for maturity.”

Before Wah Ting-Yun could say more, two swords were pointed at his neck suddenly, and he dared not advance a step.

“Stay away from our Master, or else.” Warned the owner of one of the sword darkly. Wah Ting-Yun was shocked. Mutely, he looked upon his assailants, two almost identical looking men, or more accurately, two identically dressed young men, possibly around his own age, their faces solemn, and Wah Ting-Yun felt starkly uncomfortable by the cold blade upon his neck. He would have been easily hurt should he move an inch.

“Easy, gentlemen. There’s no need to raise blades.” Wah Ting-Yun replied.

“Never mind; just let him go. He’s probably harmless.” Hsin-Yu laughed softly, instructing his men to remove their blades.

“But Young Master, He was harassing you!” The other man protested.

“You hear me, let him go.” Hsin-Yu insisted, as both men put away their blades.

“Thank Heaven!” Wah Ting-Yun heaved a sigh of relief. “These are your men?”

“They are my bodyguards.” Hsin-Yu smiled a little. “It’s not my fault that you didn’t heed my advice and followed me closely. My bodyguards are concerned about my safety, so they attacked you.”

“What an angelic smile…a pity you’re not a girl…” Wah Ting-Yun grinned a little to himself. “Thank you; well…I still don’t know how to address you.”

“That’s not my problem?” Hsin-Yu winked at Wah Ting-Yun impishly, and challenged. “If you’re that interested, go find out…surely that’s not too difficult for the Master of the House of Wah?”

“Hmm….fine, that should be easy. Don’t forget, the owner of this place is a good friend of mine, so I can easily track the records of all the guests of this inn.” Wah Ting-Yun replied confidently.

Chapter I: A Long Journey (Part Three)

“This way please.” The attendant nodded at the trio and happily showed the customers the way. They soon came to a room with the words “Rong-Hee Chambers” written on a scroll hung right beside the doorway, which was adorned with red curtains. In the room was a balcony that had a magnificent view of the lake. Yang Hsu-Wen was drawn by the curiosity and immediately headed to the balcony.


Staring into the lake, he noticed just how perfectly the reflections of the scenery, was imprinted on the waters. “This view is gorgeous!” Yang Hsu-Wen exclaimed finally.

“I thought so too, that’s why I insisted that this room be reserved specifically for me, during my stay here.” Hsin-Yu replied.

“Does that mean no one else gets to dine in this room?” Yang Hsu-Wen stared at Hsin-Yu, wondering if this youth was superbly loaded. Was his family one of the four richest families in the Silver Lake? In fact everyone would have heard of these four infamous families. They were said to be one of the main reasons why Silver Lake was the commerce centre of the Empire. Apart from geographical reasons, since Silver Lake was located in a strategic location that mainly Southern merchants who wished to travel to the major cities in the Empire would have to pass Silver Lake, the other reason was due to the influences of the four major families.

The first was the House of Chien, and this family owned most of the banks in the Empire, and hence ranked the wealthiest family in the Empire. The next would be the House of Dong-Men, who ran various businesses, from textiles to winery, venturing into various trades, as long as they make money. It was also said that their factories provided a lot of job for the people, and the Old Master Dong-Men was a philanthropist who often made donations for charitable causes, and was very much well-loved by the people. They were in a certain sense, more popular than the government ever was.

The third was the House of Wah. They too engaged in various businesses, though their key trade was in the arts. They were one of the chief importers of foreign artworks, and major dealer in antiques. At present, the House of Wah was headed by the young Wah Ting-Yun, who took over the bulk of the family business from his retired father some three years ago. There was much talk of the town about him, namely because he is said to be an exceptionally talented man, with a good eye for valuable things. The other reason was because given his bachelor state, he was perhaps the most eligible man in town, with many women wishing to be married to him, but he was a super picky man when it comes to his future spouse, perhaps he had thought of finding a wife like finding a gem, as with the nature of his trade.

The forth would be the House of Kwan, a family dedicated to education. They run several schools, to which many notable scholars were produced, and many members of this family were known for their scholastic achievements, and they were said to have close ties with the court. It would not be a surprise since many of the Kwan family sought positions in court, and some became associated with the noble families, and hence enjoyed a much elevated amount of respect from the people.

Running through these families mentally, Yang Hsu-Wen realized that Yuen Hsin-Yu do not bear the surname of any of these families, and remembering from earlier that he was from the capital, it might be possible that he was from a rich family in the capital. “Perhaps a son of a high-ranking official even? After all most of the high-ranking officials in court would be based in the capital.”

Apart from the commerce aspect of Silver Lake, this place had also gain popularity as a tourist spot fundamentally because it boasts of one of the largest lakes in the Empire, with waters so clear that the reflection was crystal clear. Many poets have wrote about this lake, and described its brilliance akin to the shine of silver, and the town was eventually named ‘Silver Lake’, to commemorate the poetry and perhaps the other reason was that, the old name of this place was rather plain. Yang Hsu-Wen was pretty glad that he finally got the chance to verify it with his own eyes.

“At least not during my stay here.” Hsin-Yu replied with a smile, as he set down at the table. “I have instructed that this room be left empty during my stay here. Will you not agree that this place has a wonderful view of the lake?”

“Well your smile is certainly just as charming as the lake.” Yang Hsu-Wen thought in secret amusement, and joined Hsin-Yu at the table. “Yes, but wouldn’t that be a very popular spot to dine in? The restaurant actually allowed such perpetual reservation?”

“Of course, as long as one is willing to pay a little extra.” Hsin-Yu informed with a grin, displaying somewhat an impish nature of a child. With a slight signal to his attendant, Sun Ping nodded his head and left the room.

“I see…” Yang Hsu-Wen did not ask how much ‘a little extra’ was, but he highly suspected that it was another impossible to conceive amount. “Where is Master Sun Ping going to?”

“Placing the orders. He will instruct the people the dishes I would like to have.” Hsin-Yu explained, and as if he realized something, he flushed a little and added, “I’m sorry, I did not ask what you would like to have? I hope you’re not particular about food.”

“I’m glad to even get a place in here…I’m not a fussy eater anyway.” Yang Hsu-Wen replied immediately. The last thing he need was to further trouble this helpful youth.

“Say, are you here solely as a tourist?” Hsin-Yu asked his new-found friend.

“Actually, I’m on my way to the capital. I thought of staying a few days in Silver Lake just to look around this place.” Yang Hsu-Wen informed.

“You’re a candidate for the Imperial Examination?” Hsin-Yu asked again, and Yang Hsu-Wen nodded.

“How did you guess?”

“It’s pretty obvious. You looked scholarly, and since the imperial examinations are held only one every three years, there are plenty of scholars from all over the Empire making their way to the capital.” Hsin-Yu shrugged. “Would this be your first attempt?”

“Yea…I heard it’s not easy to pass it though.” Yang Hsu-Wen replied with some embarrassment. Although he had aced all the provincial examinations that are held in their local district, he was not confident of his knowledge when ‘competing’ on a national level.

“I suppose. If it would have been me I would have certainly flunked out.” Hsin-Yu laughed. “Don’t mind me, I’m just not very intellectually inclined. I’d given my tutors too much headaches, and they all agree I’m a piece of rotten wood, unable to be carved into anything good.”

“That’s…not quite a nice statement to make of a person.” Yang Hsu-Wen answered uneasily, though Yang Hsu-Wen had the impression that the youth was at least a smart person. Did he not easily denounce the rickshaw-puller from earlier, obviously knowing his options, and the laws and regulations of the Empire. How could one who has been well-informed be comparable with a ‘rotten wood’? Granted, this had been a common saying to imply ‘useless bums’, and applying this saying itself would have indicated the youth’s familiar usage of idioms.

“Well, that’s not really too bad. My mother made worse-off statements.” Hsin-Yu shrugged his shoulders again. At this moment, Sun Ping returned to the room, bringing a flask of wine in hand.

“Ah, Master Sun Ping is back.” Yang Hsu-Wen greeted Sun Ping with a friendly smile.

“Oh dear, you must not address me as master. I’m only a humble servant of young master. If you must, just call me Sun Ping will do.” Sun Ping replied frantically, as he placed the flask of wine on the table.

Hsin-Yu took the flask of wine, and immediately poured it into a cup and smelled it. “This smells great! Would you like to have some?”

“Ah, thank you.” Yang Hsu-Wen replied, and poured a cup for himself. He was a little apprehensive upon taking the wine because back home he hardly had the opportunity to drink any alcoholic beverages. The last time he took any alcohol was when he was eighteen, and his uncle deemed him old enough to at least indulge a little in alcoholic beverages, and gave him some. In the end, he had a little too much and went so drunk, creating such a din at home that he felt too guilty and never drink again. Seeing that the youth before him simply gulped down the first cup, he blinked in surprise. “Is this kid even old enough to drink?”

“Are you alright?” Hsin-Yu asked, noticing that Yang Hsu-Wen’s eyes were fixated on him.

“Ah…nothing…” Yang Hsu-Wen panicked and hastily picked up the drink and gulped it, to dispel the uneasiness. However, he was unused to it and choked on the wine and began to cough uncontrollably.

“Gosh…you don’t have to drink it so fast…this wine is pretty strong.” Hsin-Yu cautioned, though he was observing Yang Hsu-Wen carefully. “If it were him, he would have easily down the strongest wine and still remained sober. They are different people after all.”

“Well, you down it in one gulp as well…” Yang Hsu-Wen pointed out, though feeling somewhat embarrassed that a little boy way younger than himself could hold the wine much better than he.

“Sorry, bad habit of mine…you might have said I was under ‘bad’ influences.” Hsin-Yu replied sheepishly.

“You’re not going to tell me you’re one of those rich kids that spent their time and money indulging in vices, are you?” Yang Hsu-Wen widened his eyes in astonishment.

“Hmm…” Hsin-Yu peered at Yang Hsu-Wen curiously, somewhat amused by his expression. “What sort of vices do you have in mind?”

“Well…I meant the obvious.” Yang Hsu-Wen swallowed hard, feeling a little nervous suddenly. Anyone would have easily guessed what the common vices were, as a saying goes, to indulge food and wine, women, and gambling. It was already pretty apparent to Yang Hsu-Wen that this youth would at least be engaging in a lot of indulgence in wine, but what of the latter two? Minding that they were actually almost strangers, having met only earlier in the same day, it would be a little rude to be too inquisitive, and thought to leave it at that. Besides, Yang Hsu-Wen often had issues putting into words anything that might potentially sound embarrassing.

“Sorry, I’m quite ignorant. Please enlighten me.” Hsin-Yu teased, seeming to take delight in poking fun at Yang Hsu-Wen, because he seemed somewhat embarrassed by the topic.

“Ah, Young Master!” Sun Ping said suddenly, disrupting the conversation. He who had been silently listening to the conversation of the two felt suddenly afraid. Why did his master have to get involve with that young scholar? Was it not easier to just leave things as it is? The last time he got himself involved with a certain young man had resulted in a big mess, ending with a tragedy which his master could not get over it till this very day.

“Yes?” Hsin-Yu turned to Sun Ping.

“Ah…Well, I shall go check the kitchen…they seemed to take forever to serve the dishes.” Sun Ping immediately made an excuse, since he had no idea what else to say.

“Go ahead.” Hsin-Yu dismissed his attendant without much regard and shifted his interest back to Yang Hsu-Wen, as if, waiting for an answer.

“I’m sorry if I’d said something offensive. I don’t mean anything with that remark…it just popped out of my mouth when you mentioned ‘bad influences’…” Yang Hsu-Wen explained with a tinge of worry, for he feared he had angered the first friend he had just made in Silver Lake.

“Don’t worry you’d said nothing offensive.” Hsin-Yu giggled. “Besides, some of the ‘places of vice’ are amongst the most popular tourist spots in Silver Lake. You might say some travelers came to Silver Lake specifically for that purpose.”

“Really?” Yang Hsu-Wen exclaimed in disbelief. Places of vice gaining so much reputation it had became an attraction spot for tourist.

“Yes…like have you heard of Butter fly Court?” Hsin-Yu asked again.

“Butterfly Court? No I have not heard of it.” Yang Hsu-Wen shook his head for he had never heard of the name. At least his uncle, a frequent traveler had never informed him about this place. “Well, granted that this is a place of vice, I guess it would not be appropriate for him to inform me about it, less he get an earful from my parents.”

“It’s alleged that the girls in that place are more beautiful than the fairies in heaven, and many men would dropped by the place whilst visiting Silver Lake.” Hsin-Yu replied, pouring himself another cup of the wine. Noticing Yang Hsu-Wen’s silence, he asked, “Would you like to visit that place too? It’s actually very near here.”

“Of course not!” Yang Hsu-Wen denied outright, his cheeks colored in embarrassment. A brothel is not a place any proper man should visit, and he was not about to do anything that would bring shame to his family.

“I suppose beautiful girls do not entice you?” Hsin-Yu grinned, rather amused by Yang Hsu-Wen’s reaction.

“Well, I have nothing against beauty itself, but…such establishments are not…proper places to visit.” Yang Hsu-Wen tried to avoid using any profane words, ransacking his mind to sound appropriate. “In fact, I advice you not to visit such places too. You’re still so young… better to take good care of your…health.”

Upon hearing Yang Hsu-Wen’s advice, Hsin-Yu burst into a fit of giggles, amused by his words.

“What’s so funny? I meant what I said. Haven’t you heard of those…diseases you might have gotten from those places?” Yang Hsu-Wen did not find his words amusing, and felt a little offended. “This kid… so young and already indulging in such activities? I wonder what his parents were doing?”

“Yeah, I know.” Hsin-Yu nodded, stifling his giggles. “Don’t worry though; I wouldn’t go there even if you paid me to do so.”

“Eh?” Yang Hsu-Wen blinked in confusion. “Thank heavens; at least this boy had some moral integrity left in him.”

“I find girls annoying, so wouldn’t that be very foolish of me to enter into the place where women would swarm around you in numbers?” Hsin-Yu reasoned.

“Finding girls annoying?” Yang Hsu-Wen heaved a sigh of relief. He remembered the days when he played with the other little children back in his hometown, and there are times when girls simply behave in a manner impossible to understand that during those days, he genuinely thought girls are annoying. Somehow as he grew older, he became gradually aware of their charms. “Guess you’re still a kid after all, who has yet to realize the charms of the fairer sex.”

At this point, Sun Ping came back, with a waitress carrying a tray of dishes, and laying it on the table one by one.


“Ah…so many dishes? Can we actually finish them all?” Yang Hsu-Wen wondered aloud, seeing that there were only three persons at the table. “Even if you’re still a growing kid there’s no need to gorge yourself?!”

“Erm…Sun Ping will take care of it.” Hsin-Yu smiled sweetly, and Yang Hsu-Wen was left to wonder if the servant was a big eater. Raising the cup of wine, Hsin-Yu said to new friend, “Well, a toast to you, and wish you all the best in your examinations.”

“Thank you.” Yang Hsu-Wen poured another cup of the wine and returned the toss. He was more cautious this time round and drank slowly.

There were approximately ten dishes laid on the table. The portion of each dish was not small, and could have easily fed a table of ten. As far as he is concern, he certainly cannot afford to eat all that much, and wondered how much it would have cost this pretty youth.

“Don’t stand on ceremony. Try the dishes; they are all the specialties of Silver Lake.” Hsin-Yu invited, as he picked up his chopsticks, and helped himself to them.

“Thank you.” Yang Hsu-Wen nodded and nervously picked up a less suspicious looking dish. Although some dishes look recognizable, there are some he wondered seriously if they were meant for eating. Since there was only wine and no other beverage present, Yang Hsu-Wen had no choice but to drink the wine, though he would usually preferred tea to go with the meals.

“By the way, what does your father do? You mentioned you were from the capital earlier. Just wondering what sort of a family you come from.” Yang Hsu-Wen asked Hsin-Yu casually, trying to find out more about the boy. He had reckoned that Hsin-Yu was possibly too young to hold a post himself, and is possibly still living off his parents.

Hsin-Yu paused for a little while, and said, “Good question. I don’t really know, and not particularly keen to know. Fortunately I have a competent elder brother who was pretty attentive to what he does, and perhaps in future would take over his work.”

“You have an elder brother? How many siblings do you have?” Yang Hsu-Wen asked again.

“Well, there are altogether sixteen of us; I’m the second in line.” Hsin-Yu’s reply came as a surprise.

“Sixteen? Good grief. How did his parents managed?” Yang Hsu-Wen was stunned. After recovering from the initial shock he commented, “Your mother must be very fertile.”

“No, my mother only had three children, my elder brother, myself, and a younger sister.” Hsin-Yu corrected. “The other children are by my father’s other concubines.”

“Must be a very wealthy man, to have so many wives.” Yang Hsu-Wen wondered to himself.

“How about yourself?” Hsin-Yu posed the same question back to Yang Hsu-Wen.

“I have only a younger sister. She’s about three years younger than I, and she’s sometimes as sneaky as a little she-devil.” Yang Hsu-Wen smiled, beginning to miss his family just a little. He came from a close-knitted family, whereby he got along very well with his parents and even his little sister too, though there would be times the two quarreled over the most minor issues. “I hope father’s anger had subsided by now. He was so dead against my plans to take the Imperial Examinations in the capital.”

“She-devil? But you sound like you’re really close to her. Isn’t that nice?” Hsin-Yu replied with a faint smile.

“Well, ain’t all little sisters like that?” Yang Hsu-Wen asked.

“Not really. My little sister appears like an angel, but appearances are only skin-deep.” Hsin-Yu sounded a little solemn on this issue, and poured himself another cup of wine, finishing it in one gulp.

As the two chatted on, they drank more and more of the wine, and even Yang Hsu-Wen who had been apprehensive at first, was drinking freely now. When Hsin-Yu ordered another flask of wine Sun Ping immediately protested.

“Young Master…you’re drinking way too much already.”

“But I’m in a good mood, so I want to drink more.” Hsin-Yu replied, his face already flushed, and he was certainly tipsy. Yang Hsu-Wen on the other hand was evidently drunk, as he lifted up the flask of wine and peered into the mouth of the flask, mumbling to himself, “It’s empty already?”

“Heavens! What am I to do with the both of you?” Sun Ping sighed, and grabbed the flask of wine away from Yang Hsu-Wen.

Chapter I: A Long Journey (Part Two)

Upon reaching Silver Lake, the rickshaw-puller stopped in his tracks, allowing Yang Hsu-Wen to alight. As Yang Hsu-Wen stood in the midst of the courtyard right before the main building of Silver Lake Inn, he began to study carefully the rich detail of the architecture, the various carvings made onto the walls of the building, with excessive use of the red paint on the pillars. Sitting at both sides of the main entrance were two stone carvings of kiirin, a mythical beast mentioned in ancient literature. They were understood to be bringers of good fortune, and warding off evil.


Right in the middle of the courtyard was a pond about six cubits wide, with several colorful carps swimming in it. “Good heavens! These fishes must be well-fed.” Yang Hsu-Wen thought to himself as he stood before the pond and studied at the horrendously fat carps swimming about energetically. Amused by what he saw, he chuckled softly to himself, before whispering to the carps, “See you around later, my chubby friends.”

When he approached the main entrance, he carefully raised his right foot first and stepped into the inn. This had been an old practice for as long as he could remember. Since young, his mother had always instructed that one must always entered into the buildings with your right foot, and leave the building with the left foot stepping out first. It was understood that ‘left’ is considered bad whereas ‘right’ is considered good. Therefore, when entering any premises, one must always bring the good in, and when leaving the premises, one must take the bad out. Failure to follow this procedure will bring about bad luck. Though Yang Hsu-Wen never understood how bad luck will be invited by the actions of his two feet, he was faithful to such teachings, and always took extra care.

Entering the Silver Lake Inn, Yang Hsu-Wen was awed furthermore by the grandeur of the hall. It appears that this inn was indeed luxurious, and Yang Hsu-Wen suddenly wondered if the costs of staying in this inn would be very much. He had heard from those who have travelled far that things in Silver Lake tend to cost a lot more than An-Chih. Although back home, his father was a small-time business man and the Yang family can be considered pretty well-off, but this was like nothing he had ever seen. Once awhile his uncle, the younger brother of his father, would travel to the larger cities on business trips, and often bought gifts for his little sister and him. He would also tell them wonderful tales of these beautiful cities, and Yang Hsu-Wen had always dream of travelling far. However his father was particularly against that, and preferred to remain in An-Chih, saying that big cities are dangerous. Then again, his current trip was also made, against the wishes for his stubborn father too.

“Welcome to Silver Lake Inn, how may I help you?” A young employee from the Silver Lake Inn approached Yang Hsu-Wen. Like the Inn, the employee’s uniform was a bright hue of red, with embroidered trims that seemed to match the layout of the inn.

“I would like to have a room.” Yang Hsu-Wen replied.

“Well, would you prefer a premium room, or a suite?” The young employee asked again.

“Well, I’m just one person. I just need a small room to stay for a couple of days.” Yang Hsu-Wen replied uncertainly. He was confused by the terms ‘premium’ and ‘suite’ being used. They both sounded luxurious, and he began to wonder if this inn does not at least have normal rooms for a regular guy like himself.”

“Well, as business is particularly good these month, especially with the Imperial Examinations going on, we have no basic rooms left, and even so, most of the premium rooms were taken up, and actually only one is left right now. The remaining rooms are suite rooms.” The employee explained apologetically.

“I see…so how much it is for a premium room per night?” Yang Hsu-Wen enquired.

“The last room we have here is about five hundred and twenty giins.” The employee replied with a smile.

“Hell! That’s almost twice the price of what I have allowed in my budget.” Yang Hsu-Wen thought miserably to himself. Knowing that he is already spending more than he should in his travels, he wondered if he should cut short his stay at Silver Lake just so he can stay in the famed Silver Lake Inn. Seeing that he could not make up his mind, the employee lost interest in attending to Yang Hsu-Wen and went to approach another pair of visitors who had just entered the inn.

“Welcome to Silver Lake Inn, how may I help you?” The employee repeated the words, as this was the standard greeting to any visitor who comes to the inn. The two were indeed an odd pair, comprising of a middle-aged Southern woman and a young lady of Northern origins. The Southern woman had distinctively darker skin which was common with the people from the South. She had long thick curly black hair, neatly done into a braid, reaching below her waist. However, she wore Empire garments, her tunic cut from coarse fabric dyed in dull blue. Her skirt was made of the same fabric but retain the natural wheat color. She had large engaging eyes that one would almost always notice upon seeing her.

Her young companion was fair of complexion, with unruly golden-brown curls falling down to her waist. She wore merely a ribbon of lilac shade on her head to keep her curls from falling down to her face. Like her elder companion, she wore Empire clothing, opting for a tunic and dress of a closer shade to the ribbon on her hair. She looked about twenty and her colored hair was a notable trait of Northern origins. On her back was a haversack, reminding Yang Hsu-Wen of the wandering pharmacists, carrying plenty of potions and herbs in their backpacks, ready to sell a remedy to the traveler. There were plenty of these people moving about the Empire, and travelers might sometimes stock basic first aid material from these wandering pharmacists. Usually they costs more, because outside of the town, such things are hard to come by, and they often stock up their wares from towns and re-sell them at a much higher rate due to the demand.

Yang Hsu-Wen was still debating with himself, unable to make the decision between cost saving, and indulgence. After all his feet was still very sore, and the notion of going to another inn at this stage was very unattractive. When he finally made up his mind to have the last premium room he interrupted the employee and said,

“I think I shall have the premium room.”

“Oh sorry, I didn’t know you wanted it. These two ladies have already taken the last room.” The employee replied apologetically.

“Gee…those two do not even think twice to take the premium room. Maybe it is really profitable to become a wandering pharmacist?” Yang Hsu-Wen thought to himself, and cursed himself for not having been more decisive earlier.

“Teacher, looks like this man was here earlier, and we have taken the last room.” The Northern girl whispered to her elder companion uncertainly, sounding almost guilty.

Overhearing the girl, Yang Hsu-Wen turned to look at her, and the Northern girl merely offered a shy smile.

“Well, didn’t you want to say you wanted to stay at Silver Lake Inn?” The Southern woman whispered to her younger companion with a smile. “Whilst I can still afford the price of a premium room, the price of the suite room would not be within my means, Keli.”

“True too.” The Northern girl named Keli nodded. She had heard so much about Silver Lake, and when she learned of her teacher’s intention to travel via Silver Lake to the capital, she was thrilled. Although she had grown up in the Empire, this was about the first time she was going to the capital, and to any of the major cities of the Empire. As such, she was insistent of staying at least a night in Silver Lake Inn, to experience it for herself, and after some persuasion, her teacher has relented. Much as she felt bad for this young scholar, she was not about to give up her opportunity to stay at Silver Lake Inn either!

“Ladies, may I show you to your room?” The employee asked again in a friendly voice.

“Thank you, if you please.” The Southern woman responded with a smile, and the two women followed the employee as he led them up the stairway, and disappeared from Yang Hsu-Wen’s view.

“Dreads! What should I do now?” Yang Hsu-Wen stood at the main hall, wearing a big frown. He looked around the hall, seeking for at least a chair to sit down as he was tired of holding on to his luggage, which though light, now seemed to weigh a ton on his aching shoulders. He glanced over to the far left, and saw that there was a restaurant, and decide to head there and to dine first. He would have to think of staying somewhere else later in the day.

When he approached the restaurant, the attendant at the entrance greeted Yang Hsu-Wen. She looked about fifteen or sixteen at the most, wearing a large lotus on her hair, with two pigtails at both sides of her face. Like the previous employee, this attendant wore bright red as well. “I’m sorry, sir, but right now all tables are taken. You might need to wait a little longer before you can dine here, if you do not mind.”

“I really mind! Just when can I finally place my butt on a chair and rest my two poor aching feet?” Yang Hsu-Wen’s mind was screaming with protestations, but to this sweet-looking girl he merely nodded and said, “I supposed it is alright to wait a little.”

“Thank you sir.” The girl replied with a smile, but no sooner had she said that, her eyes brightened and said to the newcomer, “Please come in sirs! We shall prepare the table immediately.”

Annoyed, Yang Hsu-Wen wanted to protest and scream at the girl that she had told him that the place is full only a split second earlier and now out of the blue when another guest arrived he can immediately dine? Turning to see whom the girl was speaking with he suddenly noticed a familiar face.

“We meet again!” Hsin-Yu greeted Yang Hsu-Wen with a smile.

“But…she just said the tables are all taken at the moment?” Yang Hsu-Wen wondered aloud, though he was pleasantly surprised to bump into Hsin-Yu and his attendant so soon.

“Oh, he had made reservations earlier, so it’s different.” The young attendant girl explained with a bright smile, though she kept glancing over to Hsin-Yu, wearing a silly grin, which made Yang Hsu-Wen wondered if the girl was totally besotted with this beautiful youth too. “Looked like his beauty had a strong effect on little girls too.”

“You intend to dine here too?” Hsin-Yu asked again.

“Well yeah, I just really need a place to sit down and rest, but all the rooms were taken, so I supposed I would have to go try my luck in another inn.” Yang Hsu-Wen shrugged his shoulders.

“Join me. I’m sure a table can accommodate one more person.” Hsin-Yu invited.

“Is that really alright?” Yang Hsu-Wen was a little surprised at the kind offer, and was too tired to resist it.

“Of course? You might need to wait quite a fair bit if you had not made any reservations. I’m sure Sun Ping would not mind too, right?” Hsin-Yu turned to his attendant.

“Of course. Young Master’s friend is my friend too.” Sun Ping replied with a nod, though he had reservations of his young master getting too close with a stranger out of the blue.

“Thank you very much.” Yang Hsu-Wen replied, immensely grateful to have met this beautiful youth.

Chapter I: A Long Journey (Part One)

“Welcome to Silver Lake, the commerce centre of the Empire.” A man who looked about in his mid thirties cried loudly. With a towel hanging over his shoulders, and his hair combed neatly into a bun, he stood beside a rickshaw beckoning to the travelers who have just entered the city. Positioned himself near the city gate, it was his way of getting customers, as many would have had travelled a long distance, and some would welcome a bit of comfort being transported around the city. Nevertheless, he was not the only rickshaw-puller as there were more of his kind; waiting around the same vicinity. Many people passed him by without paying any attention towards him, until he saw a neatly dressed scholarly young man. This young man wore a long white silk tunic with embroidered trims, whilst his hair was knotted into a bun, and fastened by a jeweled hairclip. On his belt was a jade pendant of an unusual shape, the color a glistened shade of emerald.

“He must be a rich person if he can afford a jade like that and wearing such fine silk. I wonder if he is one of those candidates for the imperial examination, which would only be held once in three years?” The rickshaw-puller kept this in mind, as he approached the young man.


“Good-day, young sir, would you like a ride on my rickshaw? Where are you heading? Do you need a guide?”

“Well, how much would it be to get to Silver Lake Inn?” The young man asked. Although he had never been to Silver Lake, he had heard a lot about its charm, and also of the oldest inn in town, the Silver Lake Inn. It was said to have been built around the coasts of Silver Lake, and staying in that inn gives the opportunity to view the lake at its best spot. How true it is, the young man thought he would verify it if he stays there, despite the much higher costs than other inns. Moreover, it was summer, and the heat was horrendous, and the young man was evidently tired having travelled a full day on foot, any mode of transportation apart from his feet was very enticing. “I should have rented a carriage.” The young man thought miserably to himself.

“Ah… that would be twenty giins, sir.” The rickshaw-puller replied with a broad grin.

“That much? Is the place really that far?” The young man exclaimed; his eyes drifted towards the rickshaw, and pack to the man. The condition of the rickshaw was quite alright, in fact it was even decorated, possibly a gimmick to draw customers. The man on the other hand, wore much worn out clothing, but the cost for some personal comfort seemed a little steep. The young man considered carefully, mentally calculating his budget. On the other hand, if the inn was really that far, it might be a better idea to hire transportation than using his poor blistered feet.

“It’s already very cheap! Ask around, others charged more. You’re lucky, sir, to have met me.” The rickshaw-puller replied convincingly.

“Well…” The young man was still hesitating. Deciding between satisfying current discomfort and losing a significant sum of money was not an easy decision. He had miscalculated and brought too little money for the journey, and was already regretting it.

“It’s your choice, but I can tell you, others charged a lot more than I do, and you see, there are so many travelers, if you don’t want the ride someone else will approached me.” The rickshaw-puller tried again, sensing that the young man was at least tempted by his offer.

“But twenty giins for a ride is really quite steep.” The young man replied instead.

“Alright, you drive a hard bargain. I shall give you a special price, just for you sir. What about eighteen giins?” The rickshaw-puller negotiated.

“Alright then.” The young man finally relented, since his legs were already swelling from the long walk he had earlier, and the temptation of comfort was hard to resist.

“I wouldn’t accept that deal if I were you.” A voice interrupted the two suddenly. The young man turned his head towards the voice, and saw it belonged to a very beautiful youth. His features were delicate, and reminded him of a finely sculptured porcelain doll. As if well aware of his luscious dark hair, he allowed it largely undone with only two tiny braids at the side, falling down to his waist. Under the strong sun, it almost seemed to glow. However, what surprised the young man was this beautiful youth’s choice of apparel. Instead of going for a long tunic of rich fabric, he opted for a dull shade of green, shorter tunic and pants with high boots, giving him the option of maximum mobility. And to top it off, the youth carried a blade with him. “Could it be that this beautiful lad is an athletic person? Can he really use the blade? After all these days it is fashionable to wear a jeweled weapon as an accessory more so than as a weapon.”

In fact, the young man had never seen someone as beautiful that he stared at the youth for a long while until the youth spoke again, “This fellow over-charged you by three-fold at the very least!”

“Erm, really?” The young man widened his eyes, studying the beautiful youth uncertainly, before turning to the rickshaw-puller. “And they’d always said maidens of Silver Lake are beautiful. If these maidens would possess half the beauty this youth have, Silver Lake must be a paradise for men!”

“Don’t listen to this kid!” The rickshaw-puller protested, his voice had just shaken the young man out of his thoughts. Turning to the youth the rickshaw-puller scolded, “If you don’t want a ride just get lost and stop causing me to lose my business!”

“I could take you to court for over-charging, and cheating a tourist.” The youth rebutted confidently.

“As if I’m afraid of you! What evidence do you have?” The rickshaw-puller demanded angrily.

“I overheard the conversation. This man asked to be taken to Silver Lake Inn, which is really just round the corner. A short ride to that place would cost at the most four or five giins, but you’re asking for eighteen. Under the law of Silver Lake, that is considered cheating, and you could be heavily fined if I stand in at witness in court. But since this was merely a small matter, if you would charge fairly, I can pretend I did not overhear anything.” The youth threatened.

“Gosh, despite the beautiful face, the kid was pretty firm.” The young man thought, watching on the exchange quietly, whilst the physical aspect of him could feel the soreness of his feet.

The rickshaw-puller considered the information carefully, and decided it is not worth the trouble and muttered under his breath, “Just my luck.” Turning to the young man he stated disdainfully, “Final price, five giins, take it or leave it.”

“Alright then. Five giins it is.” The young man nodded, delighted that the youth’s intervention had saved him a great deal of money. Turning to the beautiful youth he added, “Thank you for your intervention, else I would have been duped.”

“Despite that, you still want to give him business? You’re one funny person. He tried to cheat you earlier.” The youth blinked, seemingly surprised at the young man’s decision.

“Such long lashes…” The young man cannot help but noticed that and wonder if that was really a boy. “Of course that must be a boy; he is wearing male attire…probably just very young. Goodness, why am I paying so much attention over a boy in the first place?”

“Are you alright?” The youth waved a hand in front of the young man’s eyes, for he seemed to go into a daze. “Was it the heat? This fellow looked as if he’s lost…”

“Ah yes!” The young man replied belatedly, kicking himself out from his dream-world. “Well, since he’s charging correctly now, it wouldn’t be cheating anymore.” The young man replied with a smile, not wanting to mention that his legs were too tired to even move another inch to find another rickshaw-puller.

“Suit yourself.” The beautiful youth shrugged. “In any case, I am staying at Silver Lake Inn too, so perhaps we might meet again later.”

“Really?” The young man widened his eyes again, “That will be great. By the way, my name is Yang Hsu-Wen, from An-Chih province. How may I address you?”

The youth thus replied with a smile, “Yuen Hsin-Yu, from the capital.”

It was just at this moment did another person entered into the scene, interrupting the two. The intruder was a round-face youth wearing a short navy cotton tunic, and grey pants of a similar fabric came running towards Yuen Hsin-Yu. He kept his hair rolled up into a bun, and his right hand was holding a stick of honeyed-plums.

“Young Master! There you are.” The round-face youth began with a shrilly voice, and from his breathlessness, it was evident that he had been running. “Where did you go, I have been searching high and low for you!”

“I didn’t venture far; I thought you might take longer to get the honeyed-plums since it was a long queue.” Hsin-Yu cocked a head at his servant, before taking the stick of honeyed-plums from him.

Noticing Yang Hsu-Wen for the first time, the round-face servant blinked, seemingly surprised to see him, but turned to his master and asked, “Young Master, is he a friend?”


“I’d just met him. His name is Yang Hsu-Wen, from An-Chih province.” Hsin-Yu informed his servant.

“Nice to meet you.” Yang Hsu-Wen nodded at the servant, and thought he looked rather effeminate, although he would hardly consider him beautiful; and certainly pale in comparison to his master. “Then again, with such looks, I doubt any woman can match his beauty.”

The servant did not say anything but continued to study Yang Hsu-Wen closely. It was awhile later before Hsin-Yu belatedly introduced his servant to Yang Hsu-Wen, “This is my personal attendant, Sun Ping.”

“I see, and once again, thank you for your help.” Yang Hsu-Wen replied, before getting onto the rickshaw. It would be a polite way of ending the conversation.

As the rickshaw disappeared from view Sun Ping finally voiced out, “Good grief, I nearly thought I’d seen a ghost!”

“You’re exaggerating. There may be some resemblance, but it is certainly not substantial enough to cause mistaken identities.” Hsin-Yu brushed off his servant’s comments.

“There is the likeness though. I don’t know why, though if one compared in detail they may not look all that alike, but when I first saw this man he just reminds me of him.” Sun Ping described.

“I guess people do have similarities.” Hsin-Yu argued, as he chewed off the first honeyed-plum from the stick. “He is from An-Chih, and his surname is Yang. The chance of the two being related is probably very slim…”

“Young Master…” Sun Ping gasped, seeing the hurt in his master’s eyes and felt awful. It has already been three years, but the pain that dwelt in Hsin-Yu did not seem to subside. “Your humble servant deserved death! I should have never mentioned that person again.”

“No matter. We are supposed to be touring in Silver Lake, and touring is supposed to be an enjoying thing to do, so do not speak of inauspicious matters like death.” Hsin-Yu chided, by now the stick of honeyed-plums was almost gone.

“Yes of course.” Sun Ping nodded his head with a wide smile. “So, where would young master like to go to next?”

“I think I’ll head back to Silver Lake Inn for now. I’m not particularly in the mood to move around now.” Hsin-Yu replied, as he devoured the last honeyed-plum on the stick.