Sister Gu Pan, I trust you have been well since we last parted? I have so much fresh gossip bottled up here t…
Sister Gu Pan, I trust you have been well since we last parted?
I have so much fresh gossip bottled up here that I am nearly fit to burst. In the daytime, there is at least Xiao Lian to listen to me for a few words, but all she ever does is nod, shake her head, nod, shake her head. Besides, the things I most want to say are exactly the things even she must not be allowed to hear. So I have had no choice but to sneak away at night and scribble down a few lines in secret. Once I finish, I read them over twice to myself, then throw them into the brazier anyway. Still, when the ashes curl up into the air, it almost feels as though something is answering back.
But this time is different. There is nothing in this letter about the Northern Vow's serious affairs, so surely you will not have the heart to burn it. You will just have to find a little box and hide it away instead, which suits me perfectly.
No doubt you find that strange. With war at hand, and Khitans along the Hutuo swarming like cockroaches, step on one and a whole nest comes scuttling out, how could there be nothing worth writing about?
Ah, but that is because I have lately come upon a secret so great it nearly rattled me apart. Truly, it is something astonishing.
But I am not telling you.
Serves you right for always saying my chatter spins like a cartwheel, turning and turning without ever reaching the point. Well then, I have learned my lesson. This time I shall say nothing at all. Heaven is high and the world is wide. You have no way of knowing beneath which eave I am prattling away at this very moment. Even if you stamp your foot in frustration, you still will not catch me. All you can do is stew.
I have always admired you. You can look after the Qi family estate, handle trade and the affairs of cultivation, and win the trust of so many besides. Even along the borderlands, the common folk often speak of you. Hearing it makes me proud, sweet as honey on the tongue.
But before long, my own name will be known throughout the realm as well. Once this business is done, the tales sung on the opera stage, the stories told in the teahouses, and the storybooks sold in every street and lane will all resound with Ding Xiang's great name.
Just you wait and see.