The Innocent Heart - Chapter 27

The sun was high overhead, and two youths walked side-by-side through the streets of Chang’an.

“Phew, it’s so much more comfortable wearing these clothes.” Guan Yueyao, who had returned to the Wei residence and changed into a neat, short tunic, clasped his hands behind his head, feeling extremely relaxed and at ease.

“You really don’t feel uncomfortable?” He glanced sideways at his friend. Huo Qubing was still dressed in a solemn deep robe. The sun beat down on the dark garment, and after walking for so long, the heat must have been intense.

“We are now students of the Son of Heaven; every gesture and movement we make represents the dignity of the Sage and the imperial court. How can we be like you, so… so…” Huo Qubing spoke, but suddenly ran out of words. A term was stuck in his throat, but he didn’t know how to articulate it. His still-immature, handsome face flushed crimson from the effort.

“Haha, well, I don’t care about you then; you go be solemn on your own.” Guan Yueyao looked at his friend with a teasing smile, as if to provoke him further. He left Huo Qubing behind, skipping and bounding forward.

Although they had been kept for lunch by the Emperor, in the presence of such a great figure, even the most unbridled person had to be somewhat restrained. It was understandable that their lunch had not been completely satisfying. Moreover, as youngsters in the midst of a growth spurt, they got hungry quickly. As soon as they left the palace and returned to the residence, they saw that Wei Qing was absent, likely having gone out to inspect the troops again.

Since his mother, Wei Shao’er, rarely supervised him anyway, Huo Qubing suggested to Guan Yueyao that they go out to find something delicious to eat in the market.

Guan Yueyao had been thinking about the kind old man in the Sheep Market for the past few days and finally seized the opportunity to go and properly “show off” to him.

The two immediately hit it off. At Guan Yueyao’s strong insistence, he changed his clothes, and they finally left the Wei residence again.

The Sheep Market was a bit of a distance from the Wei residence. Because Guan Yueyao couldn’t ride a horse, and Huo Qubing, as a “dignified man,” was very reluctant to take a carriage, and seeing that the sun was still early, the two chose to walk.

Under such sun, after walking for a while, the advantage of Guan Yueyao’s light and simple attire became apparent. While Huo Qubing stiffened his face to hide the fact that he was already sweating profusely beneath layers of clothing, Guan Yueyao maintained a brisk pace, leisurely walking about a stride and a half ahead of him.

Finally, the sign for the Sheep Market was faintly visible, and the crowd noise gradually swelled.

Guan Yueyao could not wait. He stopped and beckoned to Huo Qubing behind him: “Hey, hurry up! Why are you walking so slowly? I told you to change your clothes earlier. Do you regret it now?”

“Who says I regret it?!” Huo Qubing forcefully refused to wipe the sweat from his brow and insisted. Yet, the moment Guan Yueyao turned his back, he quickly fanned his cheek with his hand.

Huo Qubing’s stubbornness was evident from an early age.

“Old man, old man, I’m here again!” Finally, Guan Yueyao arrived at the elderly vendor’s stall, dragging Huo Qubing, who had to take large strides to keep up his bravado.

Business was not particularly busy around midday. However, most of the merchants who did business at the Sheep Market had solid financial foundations, and customers would occasionally arrive in small groups to buy some food to fill their stomachs.

The old man quickly recognized Guan Yueyao. Seeing him dressed neatly today, accompanied by a richly dressed youth, the old man smiled knowingly.

“Young man, you’ve brought a friend this time? What would you like to eat today?”

Guan Yueyao proudly hooked Huo Qubing’s arm and nodded to the old man: “Yes, yes! This is the friend I told you about who gave me money that day! Huo Qubing, hurry up and tell the old man that you willingly gave me your purse that day.”

Guan Yueyao spoke urgently, and Huo Qubing’s body temperature, which had just subsided, rose again. He had not forgotten why he had given the purse to Guan Yueyao. It was one thing to acknowledge internally that Guan Yueyao was more formidable than him and to want to work hard with him as a goal, but it was an entirely different matter to admit it in front of a commoner.

“I will definitely defeat you next time!” Huo Qubing did not directly answer Guan Yueyao’s question but said with a stiff neck.

He spoke quickly and forgot to control his volume. His firm “declaration” echoed across the small stall.

The youth’s petulant and somewhat childish words successfully amused the diners seated at the stall. Everyone looked up at Huo Qubing and, seeing that he was just a ten-year-old boy, let out soft, good-natured laughter.

“Alright, alright, you two find a table and sit down first. Do you want the same thing you had last time?” The old man, seeing Huo Qubing becoming increasingly awkward—neither leaving nor staying—smiled and intervened to smooth things over.

Guan Yueyao didn’t take Huo Qubing’s words to heart. He pulled Huo Qubing along to an empty table and sat down. Soon, two steaming bowls of mutton soup sprinkled with green onions and a few hot steamed buns were placed on the table.

“You’re hungry too, come on, have some mutton soup to moisten your throat first,” Guan Yueyao nudged Huo Qubing’s arm, urging him.

Huo Qubing still had a slightly sullen look, but seeing his friend’s suggestion, combined with the aroma of the mutton soup drifting into his nose on the clear breeze passing through the city, Huo Qubing’s appetite was fully whetted. He finally couldn’t resist, picking up the spoon and taking a mouthful of the mutton soup.

“Hey, do this: tear the steamed bun into pieces and soak it in the soup; it tastes even better!” Before Huo Qubing could fully savor a few sips of the mutton soup, Guan Yueyao demonstrated to him again.

“Is this how people eat in your time as well?” Huo Qubing was curious and leaned over to ask.

“Yeah, I learned it from someone else too. But the mutton soup here at the old man’s stall tastes much better; the mutton is processed so that it doesn’t have any of the gamey smell.”

Both were currently very hungry. Discussing food at this moment was engaging and knowledgeable for both of them. In the midst of the delicious food and casual conversation with his friend, Huo Qubing completely forgot the awkwardness from before.

The Han Dynasty at this time had not yet entered the decades of constant warfare that would follow. Both the government and the populace were immersed in the rich and peaceful afterglow of the Rule of Wen and Jing. Bustling markets and people who were happy and seemingly unaware of worry—this was everything Guan Yueyao and Huo Qubing could see before their eyes at the moment.

It was also the first time Guan Yueyao felt a faint sense of belonging to this unfamiliar era.

In the following days, whenever they found a chance, the two would come to the old man’s mutton stall to satisfy their cravings. Gradually, they became familiar regular customers at the stall.

One day, the two planned to go out for mutton again, taking advantage of Wei Qing’s absence from the residence, when someone from the palace suddenly arrived and blocked them at the door.

“Langzhong Guan, Gongzi Huo, His Majesty summons you to the palace immediately for an audience,” the Inner Attendant Wang He greeted the two with an extremely polite attitude and a smiling bow, explaining the purpose of his visit.

“Minister Wang, please allow us to change our clothes first.” Although Huo Qubing’s martial skills were currently inferior to Guan Yueyao’s, he was much more experienced in palace etiquette. He quickly reacted, bowed to the Inner Attendant, and beckoned a maidservant, intending to have her lead Wang He to the sitting room for some tea, fruits, and snacks.

However, Wang He waved his hand: “His Majesty summoned you urgently. I believe the way you two are dressed now is perfectly fine.”

The two looked at each other. Although Huo Qubing’s mouth was still very stubborn, he had yielded in action. These past few days, when going out to find food with Guan Yueyao, he had honestly changed into the more convenient short tunic. To appear before the Emperor dressed like this was clearly quite disrespectful, yet Wang He said it was perfectly fine?

Sitting in the carriage, Huo Qubing whispered to Guan Yueyao: “I suspect it has something to do with your Miao Saber.”

Guan Yueyao’s mind was straightforward and rarely considered subtle turns. Hearing Huo Qubing’s guess, he blinked and looked at the other party curiously, seemingly waiting for him to provide an explanation.

“What is the advantage of the short tunic?” Huo Qubing sighed helplessly, looking at his friend, who was clearly older but much more naive than him.

“It’s easy to move in,” Guan Yueyao answered matter-of-factly without thinking.

“Yes, the short tunic is convenient for movement, but wearing it for an imperial audience is against etiquette. Since Wang He said that this attire is perfectly fine, it means His Majesty’s sudden urgent summons to the palace must be related to military drills. And since both you and I were called, I can only conclude that it has to be related to the matter of the Miao Saber. It is very likely that the saber has been forged, and you are summoned to the palace to test it out.”

Huo Qubing’s deduction was convincing, but Guan Yueyao insisted on arguing. He pretended to be nonchalant and pondered for a moment before saying:

“Really? I don’t believe it.”

“Then let’s make a bet! I bet your Miao Saber is definitely finished!” Huo Qubing was not to be outdone and quickly proposed the bet.

“A bet is a bet. What do you want to wager?”

“If I win…” Huo Qubing hesitated for a moment before saying: “You have to teach me your entire Miao Saber technique!”

Although he had been internally hoping that the Miao Saber was ready, a simple challenge had led him to wager his core skill.

The two’s slightly childish conversation was nearing its end, and the palace gates entered the coachman’s line of sight. The outcome of this childish wager was revealed a moment later.

Huo Qubing’s guess was completely accurate: the Miao Saber—the one Guan Yueyao spoke of—had indeed been forged by the Imperial Armory. Although the weight still had slight, minor differences, the feel in the hand was very close to the saber Guan Yueyao used in the modern era.

“How is it? Wield it and see; is it the Miao Saber you are accustomed to?” Liu Che urged impatiently, looking at the Miao Saber held by Guan Yueyao.

Guan Yueyao complied, taking a few steps back, and right there in the Xuanshi Hall, before the Emperor, he began to wield the sharp weapon.

Wei Qing, who was in attendance, watched all this with trepidation. This was a truly bold action, yet it seemed that the three people in the hall, besides him, did not care.

Soon, with a few slightly dull sounds of the blade slicing through the air, even he was drawn to Guan Yueyao’s posture in the hall.