Chapter 6: Sleeping in the Same Bed

Thank you for seeing me home, Uncle Pang. Huang Wan offered her thanks to Pang Jing, who had escorted her back, and then invited him inside.

If you have no other matters, please come in and rest for a while, and have a cup of wine before you go.

Pang Jing declined politely and said, “There is no need for thanks. This was the Lord Governor’s command; it is my duty.”

“No wine is necessary. The governor’s office has been busy lately, so I shall take my leave here.”

“In that case, I will not detain you, Uncle Pang.” Huang Wan was sensible and did not press him further. She stood at the gate of the Huang residence and watched Pang Jing depart, and only after his carriage and horses turned the corner did she finally withdraw her gaze.

Only then did Huang Wan relax. Her nerves had been taut all day. Today, as on any other day, she had gone shopping in Chengdu’s market, but what had been unusual was first encountering Eastern Province soldiers openly teasing her, and then having the Governor of Yi, Lord Liu, step forward on her behalf. Event after event had left her somewhat weary.

At that moment, she had a bellyful of words she wanted to pour out to someone. She turned to her personal maid, Qinghe, who was holding the Shu brocade, and said, “Qinghe, people outside say this newly appointed Lord Liu is weak and timid, but after seeing him today, I know the rumors are false.”

Qinghe echoed her, saying, “Yes, this Lord Liu does not seem weak at all. On the contrary, he has the bearing of a hero. Among the young gentlemen of Chengdu, few can compare with him.”

“If it were up to this servant to judge, he is a rare and excellent gentleman. The rumors outside are all lies.”

“Only, he gave the young lady a bolt of Shu brocade. I wonder what he meant by it.” Qinghe’s tone carried a hint of teasing as she raised the elegant brocade in her hands. She and Huang Wan had grown up together. Though maid and mistress in name, they were as close as sisters, and spoke without much restraint.

Huang Wan understood what Qinghe meant. This bolt of Shu brocade was, in one sense, merely a bolt of brocade; in another, it could mean much more.

Shu was wealthy, and after the Yellow Turban Rebellion had spared the region from major warfare, the people of Shu had developed lavish habits. Weddings and funerals alike were conducted on a grand scale, and even poor families would borrow money to put on a splendid display, afraid of appearing impoverished and being looked down upon.

The value of precious Shu brocade thus became apparent. In marriages, it was often impossible to separate brocade from the proceedings, and before long it had become the customary token of betrothal in Shu.

This was why Huang Wan had been so startled when Liu Zhang gave her Shu brocade.

Qinghe’s words, overtly and covertly, suggested that Liu Zhang had feelings for Huang Wan.

Yet Huang Wan shook her head. “Lord Liu said it was to make amends, so naturally it carried no other meaning.”

“There are so many things one could choose as an apology. Why did he pick Shu brocade of all things, and the very bolt the young lady had her eye on?”

Huang Wan had no reply. She did not know why either. She had been wondering the same thing herself: why give her brocade, and nothing else?

She had seen that when Liu Zhang looked at her, his eyes were clear and free of any lustful intent, which showed that Lord Liu was not the lecherous sort and had no designs on her.

Then a possibility occurred to her.

“Perhaps it is because Lord Liu is not from here and does not understand Shu customs. He saw something and gave it away, without any other meaning behind it.” Huang Wan did not want to linger on the subject, so she changed the topic.

“Though Lord Liu apologized to me, in truth it was he who helped me today. When my brother returns in a few days, I will have to trouble him to visit Lord Liu and offer thanks.”

One could not go empty-handed when thanking someone. Huang Wan asked Qinghe, “Qinghe, what do you think we should bring as a gift of thanks?”

“I do not know, young lady. The household of Lord Liu probably lacks nothing, does it?” Qinghe shook her head.

“Hmm...”

After a moment’s thought, Huang Wan had an idea. What she was thinking of ought to please Liu Zhang.

Night fell.

Liu Zhang and Gan Ning had not drunk much wine. Not long had passed since Liu Yan’s death, and Liu Zhang could not afford to drink deeply and recklessly with Gan Ning, so after the first three cups were emptied, the rest of the time they merely chatted while taking small sips.

The drinking done, the two now lay together on the same couch.

Sharing a bed, Liu Zhang found the custom somewhat hard to adapt to. After all, his soul was that of a modern man, and in modern times two men sleeping in the same bed was a rare thing.

But in the age he now inhabited, this was commonplace. It was a way for close brothers to express affection, and by extension it had spread among friends as well. Friends who slept together on the same couch signified a bond like that of real brothers. The most famous example was the trio of Liu, Guan, and Zhang, who often slept together.

The meaning of a certain act could differ wildly from age to age. Now, Liu Zhang’s invitation for Gan Ning to share his bed showed that he regarded Gan Ning as a brother. It was a relationship as close as could be.

While Liu Zhang’s mind was full of thoughts, Gan Ning beside him was also racing with them. So much had happened today that he needed time to process it. First he had ridden with Liu Zhang, the governor of the province; then he had pledged loyalty to him and been appointed as a colonel. And last, and most important of all, Liu Zhang had actually invited him to sleep beside him, in the same bed. Only those as close as brothers were treated this way.

The day’s events were too astonishing, and Gan Ning could not fall asleep calmly. He felt as though he were trapped in a dream, a dream that might vanish with a single touch, yet when he turned his head and saw Liu Zhang beside him, it was enough to tell him that all of it was real.

Gan Ning was educated, but in his bones he still had the spirit of a wandering hero. What he revered most was Yu Rang, who, to avenge Zhibo Yao, repeatedly attempted to assassinate Zhao Xiangzi, even coating his body in lacquer until his face was unrecognizable and swallowing charcoal to alter his voice.

Looking at Liu Zhang, a blaze unique to this age surged up in his chest: a man of honor should die for one who understands him. From this day forth, he would be loyal to the lord before his eyes.

Heaven and earth as witness, with no second heart, Gan Ning made the oath of a wandering hero.

“Xingba, are you unable to sleep?”

Liu Zhang had tried to close his eyes and rest, but from the corner of his eye he noticed Xingba staring fixedly at him, so he asked.

Gan Ning answered at once, “Reporting to my lord, so much has happened today that I find it hard to sleep.”

“If you cannot sleep, then let us chat a while.” Liu Zhang did not mind. Having won Xingba over today, he too was somewhat excited and found sleep difficult.

“Xingba, why not tell me about your affairs in Ba Commandery? I have only heard scraps and do not know the details.”

Liu Zhang asked because he had read of Gan Ning’s exploits in Ba Commandery in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, but the classical style was concise and not very detailed.

He wanted to learn more about the story of this “brocade-sailed bandit.” To have a figure from history right before him, and to hear ancient tales from an ancient man deep in the night, had a flavor all its own.

“If my lord wishes to know, I shall naturally tell him.” Gan Ning no longer had any desire to hide his foolish deeds in Ba Commandery. Since his lord wanted to know, as a subject he ought to speak without reserve.

“At the time I was only eighteen, still very young.”

“I liked to raise sails of brocade cloth on the Dangqu River, with a copper bell hung at my waist. I would not bother to control the direction of the boat, but let it drift wherever it pleased.”

“Wherever the boat came ashore, I would go up to find some wealthy household and drink and feast there. If the master of the house received me with proper ceremony, I would gladly make friends with him. But if he opposed me, I would let him know the might of the brocade-sailed wanderer.”

The two spoke on and on, with most of the time spent listening to Gan Ning’s stories. Now and then Liu Zhang would ask a question or express surprise.

Only near dawn, unable to resist sleep any longer, did the two finally drift off.