Lanke Chess Edge

Chapter 404: The Meaning of Juan Pavilion

Zhu Yanxu had known Ji Yuan for many years and knew that he was no ordinary person, but this was the first time he had visited him.As people grew older, they saw things more clearly. Compared to all those years ago, Zhu Yanxu’s feelings towards Ji Yuan were now more unique. As he merely watched Ji Yuan slowly grind ink, his previous tension and anxiety gradually calmed, and his breathing grew more and more even.

“Lord Zhu, I have just boiled some water. How about I offer you some of the tea you brought and brew some tea for us to enjoy together?”

Ji Yuan had just finished grinding the ink as he looked up at Zhu Yanxu to ask the question.

“Of course, Mr. Ji. Would you like some You Province Peak Tea or our Ji Province Pre-Rain Tea? I have brought some of each, all of them are fine teas given to me by relatives and friends.”

“It’s been years since I’ve had pre-rain tea.”

“Alright!”

Zhu Yanxu bent down and rummaged through the burlap sack he had brought, finding a yellow bamboo jar. He shook it and twisted it open. A faint aroma of tea wafted out.

With Ji Yuan’s keen sense of smell, he naturally knew that this was top-quality tea, no worse than the kind the Wei family had sent before. Looking at Zhu Yanxu, he could see that the hands holding the bamboo jar were already wrinkled and calloused, and though his complexion was still ruddy, his temples were gray and mottled. He only partially resembled the formidable County Magistrate Zhu that Ji Yuan remembered.

Ji Yuan took the bamboo jar from Zhu Yanxu, said “wait a moment,” and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Zhu Yanxu watched Ji Yuan leave, then looked around at Ju’an Pavilion. The well in the distance was covered by a large stone slab, and the surrounding buildings looked old, with faded or peeling paint, but they all looked clean.

The jujube tree overhead was much larger than what could be seen through the courtyard from the outside, like a large canopy that shaded most of the courtyard of Ju’an Pavilion. But miraculously, the winter sun always managed to filter through the branches, making even the shade feel bright and warm.

Looking back at the table, he could see that Ju’an Pavilion’s plaque was hardly elaborate; it was just a wooden board with its edges polished and trimmed. Fortunately, the wood seemed to be in good condition, with no cracks or signs of insect damage. As for the characters on it, they were indeed patchy and incomplete, making them completely illegible.

Because he brought a precious inkstone, Zhu Yanxu’s gaze naturally fell on the writing implements that Ji Yuan had placed outside. Of course, there was no paper at the moment, so only the three of the four items were there.

The ink was definitely top-quality, and the brushes on the ceramic brush holder seemed quite special. Zhu Yanxu looked at them from several different angles and felt that the sunlight falling on the brushes gave them different lusters, which was very pleasing to the eye. This was the first time he had ever felt this way about a brush.

However, the inkstone looked like just an ordinary old black inkstone. Zhu Yanxu felt that the inkstone he brought was better. Perhaps he should try to persuade Ji Yuan again later, maybe Mr. Ji was just being polite.

Then Ji Yuan came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with teacups and a pot of brewed tea.

“Lord Zhu, I apologize for keeping you waiting. It has been a long time since I have been home or entertained guests. I should have prepared tea for you as soon as you arrived.”

Zhu Yanxu quickly stood up to help.

“Oh, Mr. Ji, you’re too kind. It was my hasty visit that disturbed you.”

The two poured tea; Zhu Yanxu blew on his cup while Ji Yuan left it to cool naturally.

Zhu Yanxu didn’t really have anything to ask for, but he wanted to get closer to Ji Yuan and build a relationship. Back then, Lord Yin visited Ju’an Pavilion so frequently, which must have meant that he had already recognized Mr. Ji’s extraordinary abilities.

Although Zhu Yanxu understood that Lord Yin’s current status was mainly due to his own talent and hard work, he couldn’t help but wonder if Mr. Ji had also helped in some way.

Zhu Yanxu was a martial artist; although he wasn’t dull, he wasn’t particularly talkative either. Before coming here, he had been struggling with how to speak with Ji Yuan, but now many words came to his lips on their own.

He blew on the hot tea, smelled the aroma, but didn’t drink it immediately. He watched Ji Yuan carefully cleaning the remaining vermilion lacquer off the wooden board and sighed with emotion.

“Sir, you haven’t been back for over ten years, have you?”

Ji Yuan carefully scraped the wooden board with a small seashell and nodded.

“I suppose.”

Zhu Yanxu took a small sip of tea, glanced at the swaying jujube tree branches overhead, and then looked at Ji Yuan.

“In the blink of an eye, I’ve grown old, but Mr. Ji still retains his former charm!”

Ji Yuan smiled.

“Lord Zhu is too kind. You are still vigorous despite your age, and your demeanor is as impressive as ever. I imagine Lord Chen Sheng is the same.”

If Ji Yuan were to use the words of his past life, he would call Chen Sheng and Zhu Yanxu the two most influential figures in Ning’an County over the past few decades. They were known as the “Twin Heroes of Ning’an County,” before Yin Zhaoxian’s later rise to fame.

Without these two officials, one civil and one military, the once impoverished Ning’an County would not be where it was today. Therefore, Ji Yuan greatly admired them, and at the very least believed that he might not have been able to do a better job than them when it came to being an official.

Zhu Yanxu sipped his tea and then tentatively asked another question.

“I heard that the jujube tree in this Ju’an Pavilion has never blossomed since you left. Now that you have returned, shouldn’t the jujube tree bloom again?”

Although few people in Ning’an County today still remembered, Zhu Yanxu still vividly recalled the unique fragrance of jujube blossoms that once permeated almost half of the county.

“Whether it blooms or not is up to it, but Lord Zhu is right. If I am still here next year during the flowering season, it should bloom.”

“Oh, I see! I see!”

Ji Yuan didn’t mince words with him, answering every question directly. Zhu Yanxu understood and didn’t speak again for the time being. He kept taking sips of tea and watching Ji Yuan’s hand movements, but his grip on the teacup would tighten and loosen, clearly indicating that he was hesitating and had something on his mind.

About fifteen minutes later, Zhu Yanxu finished two cups of tea, and Ji Yuan finally cleaned the original vermilion lacquer off the wooden board. He took it and gently shook it under the table, and the lacquer shavings fell to the ground without a single one floating up and touching the two people on the table.

When Ji Yuan put the wooden board back on the table, gently smoothed it with his hand, and then picked up the brush, Zhu Yanxu’s attention was involuntarily drawn.

He lifted his brush, dipped it in ink, and made a few strokes, as if a special rhythm were hidden within the brush. Zhu Yanxu watched intently, not even noticing that the already quiet Ju’an Pavilion had now faded into complete silence.

“Lord Zhu, writing can calm the mind, and so can observing someone’s calligraphy. Lord Zhu, please observe carefully, as I will need your judgment on my writing later.”

Ji Yuan’s voice was calm and powerful as he moved the ink-stained wolf-hair brush onto the wooden plaque, and then slowly lowered it.

The ink spread quickly, covering an area far larger than the tip of the brush, but Ji Yuan seemed unconcerned. He slowly wrote with a flick of his wrist and large movements of his arm, producing powerful and vigorous strokes.

Zhu Yanxu observed Ji Yuan’s calligraphy and found it remarkable that, despite the wolf-hair brush in his hand having a tip only as thick as a thumb, the resulting strokes were at least two and a half fingers wide. The brushstrokes were perfectly controlled, with the stroke ending or curving where it should, without affecting the overall calligraphy at all.

After a long while, Ji Yuan finished making the last stroke and put the brush away on the brush holder beside him. After carefully examining the plaque for a while, he smiled and said to Zhu Yanxu.

“Lord Zhu, please take a look!”

Zhu Yanxu was still immersed in the feeling he had just experienced. Not even Ji Yuan’s words broke the rhythm. He simply said, “alright” and stood up to walk to Ji Yuan’s side, his gaze never once leaving the plaque.

Looking at it from the front, the four characters for “Ju’an Pavilion” were neither too strong nor too weak, exuding a fresh feeling of tranquility that almost shone through the surface. It was a feeling of peace, stability, and mental clarity that made him feel quite comfortable.

In particular, the characters for “Ju’an”1 made Zhu Yanxu feel at ease and peaceful, and even greatly alleviated the fatigue caused by his recent lack of rest, making him appear full of energy.

“Beautiful calligraphy, beautiful calligraphy indeed!”

Zhu Yanxu could read and write, but that was about it. He couldn’t offer any sophisticated compliments, but his praise was genuine. He had never seen such beautiful and elegant calligraphy before.

“In that case, Lord Zhu, please stay a while longer.”

Ji Yuan said, before he picked up his teacup and started drinking. Even though it was winter, the tea in his cup, which had been sitting for so long, was at the perfect temperature.

The afternoon sun in winter was warm and comforting, and the atmosphere under the jujube tree in Ju’an Pavilion was very pleasant. Especially in his current state, Zhu Yanxu felt that every breath he took was delightful and refreshing.

Quite some time had passed without him noticing, before Ji Yuan stood up and approached Zhu Yanxu, who was still standing there blankly.

“Lord Zhu, Lord Zhu! It’s time to wake up!”

Zhu Yanxu snapped out of his daze, as if waking from a dream.

“Huh? I… oh, what beautiful calligraphy!”

“Yes, thank you for your praise, sir. However, it is getting late, and you should go home. If it gets any later, your wife and children will be worried.”

As Ji Yuan spoke, he pointed to the sky.

Zhu Yanxu was stunned for a moment. He glanced at the sky and saw that it had become quite dark. Although it was obscured by houses and courtyard walls, he could still see a sliver of sunset in the west, which meant that it wasn’t that the sun had been blocked by clouds, but that it had actually set.

“How…how could time have gone so fast…”

Zhu Yanxu trailed off halfway through his sentence when he suddenly realized something.

“Mr. Ji, was it the calligraphy?”

“Haha, Lord Zhu, don’t overthink it. Go home. I don’t have any food to offer, so I won’t keep you for dinner.”

Zhu Yanxu said nothing more, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

“Very well, Mr. Ji, please sit back down. I shall take my leave now. This inkstone…”

“Take it back.”

“Uh, okay!”

Zhu Yanxu dared not insist any further, fearing that excessive politeness would displease him. He picked up the box containing the inkstone, left the pastries and drinks behind, and then Ji Yuan accompanied him to the door.

“Mr. Ji, there’s no need to see me off. I’ll head home now!”

“Alright, Lord Zhu, take care.”

“Yes!”

Zhu Yanxu cupped his hands and bowed repeatedly, subconsciously glancing at the top of the small pavilion’s gate, before turning around and exiting. He couldn’t quite describe what he had felt today, but he vaguely understood that this experience was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

In any case, coming here today was definitely the right decision!

T/n: my wonderful cat helped me translate this chapter… by sitting on my hands and keyboard and purring nonstop until he got his pets. He’s a very good boy and I love him and I am only mildly obsessed. …The “mildly” might be a lie. I am VERY obsessed.

居 (jū): residence, 安 (ān): peace