Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Sword Dance That Stirred the Four Corners of the World

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In the marketplace of Dengfeng County, the rice shops and grain stores that once hung "Closed for Business" signs now have their doors wide open. Previously, the local authorities maintained an ambiguous stance, allowing these merchants to hoard their supplies in anticipation of rising prices. But now, the imperial censor sent by the court to inspect the locust disaster is residing in the county office, and the officials have issued strict orders to ensure the supply of rice and flour. Who would dare oppose the government? Fortunately, the locust-catching efforts throughout Dengfeng are in full swing; this year's harvest seems likely to be saved. After a few days of open sales, the long lines have vanished, and prices have dropped by ten percent. The managers of these shops wiped the sweat from their brows in relief.

Luckily, they hadn’t hoarded too much at high prices. If the price of rice continued to fall, their losses would have been devastating!

For Du Shisanniang, who had once heard Zhuying mention how hard it was to buy rice and flour, and listened to Tian Mo describe the complaints he heard when accompanying Du Shiyi to the marketplace, seeing the lively, bustling streets now, with orderly crowds in front of the grain shops, filled her face with joy. “Brother, you’ve really done a great deed this time… By the way, will anyone recognize you if we go out like this?”

“You’ve praised me hundreds of times already! I’m not some famous figure; I’ve barely shown my face in Dengfeng County, so how would anyone recognize me so easily?”

Stealing a half-day’s leisure, Du Shiyi had followed his fourth senior brother down the mountain path back to their cottage, just as a cart brought Du Shisanniang home. He learned that the cottage beneath Junji Peak had already been thoroughly renovated by order of Cui Wei through the county office staff, and Du Shisanniang had been housed at the county office for two days. Now the lush bamboo grove framed the newly refurbished cottage, with all its furnishings replaced, and even a guard dog raised in Tian Mo’s shed—gone was the former austerity. Since Du Shisanniang hadn't had the chance to properly explore the town during her previous visit, he decided to take her back into Dengfeng County.

At this moment, seeing Du Shisanniang coyly shaking his hand, he couldn’t help but re-examine her attire for the day. Though he still lived modestly, his clothing had been changed—a clean, simple white round-collared shirt, nothing eye-catching. Du Shisanniang, on the other hand, wore a new outfit tailored for her during her stay at the county office, courtesy of Lady Wang, Cui Wei’s wife: a round-collared white gauze blouse, a green lotus-leaf skirt, new silk shoes, and charming golden-silver butterfly ornaments hanging from her hair. Silver bangles adorned her wrists, making her skin glow like jade, as fresh and pure as a newly bloomed lotus.

“Brother?”

“My dear Shisanniang, you’ve grown up.” Du Shiyi suddenly smiled and let out a gentle breath. “Seeing you dressed so beautifully, I’m stunned. I wonder which handsome young man will be fortunate enough in the future!”

“Brother!” Du Shisanniang’s face flushed red, but soon she turned her embarrassment into a smile. “If you don’t marry, neither will I! I want to help you choose a good sister-in-law!”

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Her straightforward words left Du Shiyi momentarily speechless. After all, this was the prime of the Tang dynasty, where women stood shoulder to shoulder with men, and there was little shyness over marriage matters. He chuckled, shook his head, and led Du Shisanniang onward. With all necessities at home taken care of, and their attire provided, their finances were much improved. As they strolled along, Du Shisanniang’s slightest interest in trinkets was met with prompt purchases; even so, they spent only a few dozen coins. Eventually, Du Shisanniang grabbed his arm.

“Brother, that’s enough! If you buy any more, Zhuying won’t be able to carry them, and besides, I don’t need so much. Don’t waste money!”

“That last sentence is what you really wanted to say.” Du Shiyi saw her eyes crinkle with laughter and didn’t argue further. He glanced at Zhuying, trailing behind with her soft cap, round-collared robe, dew pouch at her waist, and small boots—she looked every bit the attendant. Since Du Shisanniang said enough, he stopped playing the generous benefactor. After a bit more wandering, he noticed a crowd gathered in the distance, with occasional bursts of applause like thunder, and said cheerfully, “There must be a performance over there—let’s join the fun!”

“Mm!”

The three hurried forward, only to find the crowd was several layers deep, making it impossible to squeeze in. People surged from all directions, and soon they were pressed tightly in the middle, unable to move. The heat brought a sour, sweaty odor everywhere. Du Shiyi had to shield Du Shisanniang with his arm; distracted, he accidentally stepped on the heel of the person in front, nearly pulling off their shoe. The man turned angrily, cursing him as a penniless scholar, but then stared, stammering, “Du… Du…”

Du Shiyi had traveled through many villages under Dengfeng County recently and vaguely recognized the man as a villager from Songqu. He hastily cleared his throat and said, “I’m just here with my sister for some amusement—let’s not cause a scene.”

The man, regretting his words to his benefactor, brightened at once and said hurriedly, “Young sir, you’ve come at the perfect time! Today the renowned Master Gongsun is here in Dengfeng County with her pupils. If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss everything. Take care of your young miss, let’s squeeze in!”

Hearing “Master Gongsun,” Du Shiyi was momentarily stunned, but Du Shisanniang exclaimed with delight, “It’s Madame Gongsun!” He immediately understood. The man began pushing forward energetically, and Du Shisanniang tugged at her brother’s sleeve, prompting Du Shiyi to follow. Zhuying, behind them, was less fortunate—those pushed from the front vented their frustration on her, forcing her to lower her head and ignore the curses, until she stumbled into someone’s back and looked up to find Du Shiyi nearby; they had reached the front of the crowd.

In the spacious arena, two musicians played the pipa on either side, while in the center, a woman in a white narrow-sleeved round-collared blouse, girded at the waist, a short pomegranate skirt over striped trousers and soft brocade boots, squatted calmly, arranging a pile of gleaming swords from a leather bag on the ground. From a distance, it was hard to tell if the swords were sharpened. Listening to the murmurs around him, Du Shiyi learned that her female apprentice had already given a performance, and now it was Madame Gongsun’s turn. He watched intently. When the woman stood and turned, their eyes met, surprising him.

It seemed she was the woman he had glimpsed once before in Songqu!

That time, in the dim room, he had only caught a vague impression of her brows and eyes—the serene, cold gaze and extraordinary bearing left a deep mark on him. Now, under the bright sun, her age was indiscernible, but she stood like an iceberg unmoved by the scorching heat. She glanced at him briefly, then, with effortless grace, tossed her sword high into the air; it shot skyward like a streak of silver. Almost simultaneously, the pipa sounded a sharp note, and the crowd gasped in awe—even Du Shisanniang clung tightly to her brother’s arm, her face tense with excitement.

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She leapt up, extended her arm to catch the sword hilt, and performed several dazzling sword flowers in mid-air before landing steadily.

As the pipa’s tempo quickened, her toes lightly tapped the ground like a dragonfly skimming the surface, and she sprang into motion again. The silver gleam burst forth, scattering dazzling flashes in the sunlight, making it almost impossible for those in the front row to keep their eyes open, let alone distinguish the sword’s edge from the agile figure within. Du Shiyi squinted, trying to make out the sword and its wielder, but could only glimpse a blur of white gauze. Fortunately, the lightning-fast movements soon slowed, but even as the sword circled her body more slowly, each time its blade appeared perilously close to her flawless skin, the crowd gasped in suspense.

Slow was followed by fast again—if the initial swordplay was like thunder and lightning, now the sword’s momentum was like a sudden storm. The white-clad figure seemed to churn the winds across the arena, and Du Shiyi, standing at the front, felt the cold gleam brush past his eyes several times, mere inches away. The once-excited Du Shisanniang was now pale with fear from the chilling swordplay, clinging desperately to her brother and biting her lip, while Zhuying didn’t even notice the pile of items slipping from her hands to the ground.

The pipa slowed, and the swordplay softened as well. Now, like the sea calming after a storm, the sword and its wielder became distinct. When the pipa abruptly stopped, Madame Gongsun sheathed her sword and stood. The crowd was silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous applause, more fervent than before. Mischievous youths shouted, “Dance another! Dance another!”

The spectacle had enthralled everyone, and the voices calling for more were endless. Madame Gongsun, sheathing her sword, gave a cool salute, and the crowd quieted. After her gesture, she spoke in a low, steady voice: “I am Madame Gongsun. I had intended to travel from the Eastern Capital to Yancheng in Yuzhou, but encountered swarms of locusts outside Dengfeng. With the Locust Commissioner recruiting people everywhere to catch them, I returned to Dengfeng to perform. I will stay here for three days, and today’s show ends here. Please return tomorrow, esteemed viewers.”

Her icy words calmed the crowd. Everyone lined up in an orderly fashion to toss coins—one or several—into a chest at the side, and though some slipped away quietly, even the unruly youths didn’t make a sound. Du Shiyi marveled at Madame Gongsun’s commanding presence. Noticing movement nearby, he looked down to see Zhuying hurriedly gathering the scattered powder boxes and trinkets, making him smile.

Just then, the man who had pushed them through the crowd shook his head in wonder. “Truly worthy of her fame! To have witnessed Madame Gongsun’s artistry—my life is complete!”

Still immersed in the sword dance, Du Shiyi found the praise entirely fitting. Suddenly, the sound of rapid hooves approached. Three or five riders soon appeared at the end of the street. As they drew near, the leader dismounted with a flourish, scrutinized Madame Gongsun and her apprentice musicians for a long moment, then cleared his throat and said, “The magistrate has learned of Madame Gongsun’s arrival in Dengfeng and invites you to the office for a meeting.”