by Jin Yong
Guo Jing smiled and said, “You are so pretty, why disguise yourself as a little beggar?”
Huang Rong turned her head slightly and said, “You say I’m pretty?”
Guo Jing replied, “Yes, very beautiful, like the fairy on top of our snow mountain.”
Huang Rong laughed and said, “You’ve seen a fairy?”
Guo Jing said, “Of course not, if I’d seen one, how can I still live?”
Huang Rong asked, “Why?”
Guo Jing replied, “The elders in Mongolia always say that whoever sees a fairy will never want to return to the grasslands again; he will just stay in a daze and freeze to death after a few days.”
Huang Rong laughed and asked, “And do you feel dazed after seeing me?”
Guo Jing reddened and quickly answered, “We are good friends, so it’s different.”
Huang Rong nodded and said seriously, “I know you sincerely care for me, regardless of whether I’m a girl or a boy, pretty or ugly. If I dress like this, it’s not surprising that people are good to me; but you were nice to me even when I dressed like a little beggar, so you are truly good to me.” At this point, Huang Rong was in high spirits and smiled, “I’ll sing a tune for you, alright?”
Guo Jing replied, “Can you sing tomorrow instead, we have to get medicine for Taoist Wang first.” With that, he related the story of how Wang Chuyi got injured and how all the medicines were bought up by Wanyan Kang.
Huang Rong replied, “Ah, no wonder you were running anxiously from one medicine shop to another.”
Guo Jing thought, “She was following me and that’s how she knew where I stayed.”
He said, “Brother Huang, may I ride your little red horse to buy the medicines?"
Huang Rong said seriously, "Firstly, I am not your brother Huang. Secondly, the horse is yours; do you think that I would actually take it? I just wanted to test you. Thirdly, you may not be able to get the medicine even if you travel to the nearby cities.”
Hearing what she said, Guo Jing felt anxious. Huang Rong smiled a little and said, “I am going to sing now, listen well.” Huang Rong gently turned her head, leaned to the edge of the boat, and then started singing in a crystal clear voice:
“The wild geese penetrated the cold frost curtain.
Tender ice covered the pale moon of the first month.
The creek flowed like a comb on the bride’s hair.
Wishing to keep the fragrance of the face powder, looking at the adornment makes one difficult to study.
Eagle Shooting Hero 235
The weak muscle delicate as jade, covered by layer upon layer of dragon-lining silk.
With an easterly wind, one captivating smile,
tens of thousands flowers bashfully hope to be left behind.”
[Ignoring my own inadequacy, I tried to translate this part just for completeness sake - Frans Soetomo, after the chapter has been edited by the team of editors]
Guo Jing listened carefully to each and every word. Although he didn’t know the meaning, Huang Rong’s voice was gentle and sweet such that he felt like he was in a daze. The beautiful scenery gave him a feeling of warmth that he had never felt before.
Huang Rong finished singing and said in a low voice, “This is a song composed by the official Xing, which describes the plum flowers which bloom after winter; was it good?”
Guo Jing replied, “I don’t know about these things, but the song sounded very nice. Who is official Xing?”
Huang Rong answered, “Official Xing is Xing Qiji. My father says that he is a good official who loves his people. When the Jin captured the north and villains harmed mister Yue, official Xing was the only one left struggling to restore our lost lands.”
Although Guo Jing often listened to his mother talk about how violent the Jin were, and how they mercilessly killed many Chinese, he had grown up in Mongolia and did not feel that strongly about the Jin. Guo Jing replied, “I have never been in the central plains before, you’ll have to tell me the stories slowly another time, the most important thing now is to save Taoist Wang.”
Huang Rong said, “Listen to me, we’ll play just a little while longer so don’t worry.”
Guo Jing replied, “Taoist Wang said that if he doesn’t take the medicine in twenty-four hours time, he will be crippled!”
Huang Rong retorted, “So let him be crippled; anyway, it’s not you or me who will be crippled.”
Guo Jing let out an “Ah” sound and jumped up saying, “This.....this......” his face became furious.
Huang Rong giggled, “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure that you get the medicine.”
Guo Jing heard the confidence in her voice and thought, “She is much smarter than me, and besides, I don’t have any brilliant ideas so maybe I should listen to her.” He had no choice but to follow her wishes for the time being. They both clapped with laughter when she told of how she tricked the ‘Four Demons of the Yellow River’ and how she teased Hou Tonghai. The combined colors of the white snow, the water in the lake and the plum flowers was beautiful; Huang Rong slowly stretched out her hand and put it into Guo Jing’s and whispered, “I’m not afraid of anything now.”
Guo Jing asked, “Why?”
Huang Rong replied, “Even if my father doesn’t want me anymore, you will want me to follow you right?”
Guo Jing answered, “Of course. Rong’er, I.I.like.like being with you.”
Huang Rong leaned gently on his chest and Guo Jing smelled a sweet scent surrounding his whole body, surrounding the lake, surrounding the whole world; he didn’t know whether it was the plum flower scent or if it came from Huang Rong. The two just held hands silently. After a very, very long while, Huang Rong sighed and said, “It’s so nice here, such a pity that we have to go.”
Guo Jing asked, “Why?”
Huang Rong said, “Don’t you want to get the medicine to save Taoist Wang?”
Guo Jing rejoiced, “Ah, where do we go then?”
Huang Rong asked, “Where have all the medicines in the shops gone to?”
Guo Jing answered, “The medicines have been bought up by people in Prince Zhao’s residence.” Huang Rong said, “Yup, that’s right, so we’ll go to his residence and take it.”
Guo Jing was shocked, “To Prince Zhao’s residence?”
Huang Rong replied, “That’s right!”
Guo Jing said, “We can’t go there, we’ll only lose our lives.”
Huang Rong said, “Then you can bear to see Taoist Wang crippled? Or if his injuries take a turn for the worse, do you want to see him dead?”
Blood rushed up to his face and Guo Jing replied, “Alright, but you can’t go.”
Huang Rong asked, “Why?”
Guo Jing answered, “Just promise me that you won’t go.” But he couldn’t find a reason.
Huang Rong lowered her voice and said, “I won’t be able to stand it if you continue to worry for me. If you meet with any danger, how do you expect me to live alone?”
Guo Jing’s heart gave a leap and gratitude, happiness, and love dashed into his mind; he suddenly felt a hundred times braver and wasn’t the least afraid of people like Sha Tongtian and Peng Lianhu. It was as if nothing was impossible in the world. He said, “Alright, we will both go to get the medicine.”
They rowed the boat to the bank and started towards the city. Halfway there, Guo Jing suddenly remembered that the ‘Four Demons of the Yellow River’ were still stuck in midair and said, “Hey, do you want to release those four people?”
Huang Rong giggled, “Those four fellows call themselves ‘Iron Strong Heroes’ so they are very powerful; they won’t freeze or starve. Even if they do starve to death, ‘Four Demons of the Plum Forest’ is superior to the ‘Four Demons of the Yellow River’.”
End of Chapter 8.
Chapter 9 - Iron Spear, Broken Plow
Translated by James Worsley and SunnySnow
Yang Tiexin took down the rusty iron spear hanging on the wall; he gently stroke
d the spear shaft and sighed, “This iron spear is rusty. It has not been used for a long while.” Consort Wang spoke softly, “Please don’t touch the spear, it is the most precious possession I have.” “Really?” Yang Tiexin asked, “This spear used to have a matching partner, however today only one remains.”
Guo Jing and Huang Rong went to the back of Prince Zhao's palace and leaped over the wall into the courtyard. Huang Rong whispered to Guo Jing in a soft voice, “Your lightness kung fu is excellent!” Guo Jing, crouching by the foot of the wall watching out for any movement in the courtyard, felt ecstatic hearing such praise from her.
After a moment they heard footsteps approaching; two men were laughing and talking as they walked towards them. One man was saying “What do you think the young prince has in mind for the young lady?”
The other man laughed and said, “It's obvious isn't it? Although she is a pretty woman, after giving birth who would give her another glance?”
The first man retorted, “With your dirty mind, you had better be careful that the young prince doesn't cut your head off. Although this girl is pretty, she cannot compare with the princess.”
The second man exclaimed, “She’s peasant girl! How can you mention her and the princess in the same breath?”
The first man replied, “The princess, you said she...” He suddenly stopped, coughed twice and changed the subject saying, “The young prince really suffered a loss at the hands of that big fellow today, you’d better be careful not to give him any cause for taking offence or you’ll surely get a beating!”
The second man said, “If the young prince tries to beat me, I'll simply dodge - and return with a kick...”
The first man laughed, “Stop talking bull shit.”
Guo Jing thought to himself "So Wanyan Kang already has a pretty sweetheart, no wonder he cannot marry the Mu girl. But if this is true, then he shouldn't have taken up the challenge in the first place let alone grab her shoe. Why would he concern himself with other people's affairs? Is it possible that a person, unwilling to agree to something, would use force to coerce them?”
At this point the two men had walked very close to Guo Jing and Huang Rong. One was carrying a lamp and the other a basket of food. They were servants wearing green clothes and caps. The man with the basket laughed and said “Speaking of other people, I fear that someone has become very hungry, we had better deliver these vegetables quickly!”
The other man replied “How can he win a young girl’s heart if he doesn't gain her sympathy?” Both men laughed as they walked away into the night.
Huang Rong became very curious. She whispered to Guo Jing “Let's go and see what type of pretty girl they’re talking about.”
Guo Jing asked “What about getting the medicine, isn't that more urgent?”
“I want to see the girl first!” Huang Rong said stubbornly as she started off after the two servants.
Guo Jing thought “What's so interesting about seeing some girl? That’s really strange.” What he didn't know was that when a woman hears about another beautiful woman, she will never be satisfied until she has seen her with her own eyes. If the women that hears about this other woman is herself especially beautiful, then the greater is the desire to see that other woman so she can compare herself with her! Guo Jing, however, did know enough about girls to know that they can be extremely difficult at times so he had no alternative but to follow.
The Zhao residence was huge. Guo Jing and Huang Rong followed the two servants for quite some time before arriving in front of a big building. At the entrance a few guards stood with weapons in hand. Guo Jing and Huang Rong hid behind a corner and heard the two servants whispering something to the guards before the guards opened the door and allowed them in. Huang Rong picked up a stone and threw it at the torches to put them out, before pulling Guo Jing along to follow the servants inside. Huang Rong was so swift that she and Guo Jing overtook the servants and were in front of them in a flash. The servants and guards didn’t notice that they’d slipped in and cursed and joked while re-lighting the torches. The servants entered a large room, opened a small door in the corner, and walked in. Guo Jing and Huang Rong silently followed them and saw rows of iron bars forming a large prison cell. Behind the bars sat a woman and a man.
One of the servants lit a candle and placed it on a prison table. In the candlelight, Guo Jing saw the man’s anxious and angry face; it was none other than Mu Yi. The young girl sitting beside him was his daughter, Mu Nianci. Guo Jing was suspicious and thought, “How did they end up here? Ah, Wanyan Kang captured them. What does he intend to do with them? Does he love this lady or not?” The two servants took out some wine and dishes from their basket and pushed them into the cell.
Mu Yi picked up a plate of snacks and threw it out before yelling, “I have already fallen into your trap, so kill me if you want to. Why pretend to be nice?”
Amidst the commotion, the guard outside suddenly said, “Greetings, young Prince!”
Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged glances and hurriedly hid behind the door and saw Wanyan Kang rushing in and scolding, “Who made Hero Mu angry? Let’s find out whether or not I will break your legs when I leave.”
The two servants were frightened and dropped to their knees, “We dare not.”
Wanyan Kang answered, “Hurry up and get out of here!”
The two servants replied, “Yes, yes.” and turned to leave; but when they reached the door, they stuck their tongues out at each other and made funny faces as they left.
Wanyan Kang waited until they closed the door before saying gently, “I invited Hero Mu and Miss here for a different reason. Please don’t be offended.”
Mu Yi was furious, “You lock us up like prisoners and you dare use the word ‘invite’?”
Wanyan Kang said, “I’m so sorry. Please bear with it for the time being. I really am sorry.”
Mu Yi retorted angrily, “You can use this kind of talk to fool a three year old, but I’ve seen enough vicious officials to know better.”
Wanyan Kang tried to speak several times but was shut up by the angry Mu Yi. Yet, he still remained good natured and laughed good humoredly without a hint of anger. Mu Nianci listened to the argument and whispered to her father, “Father, let’s hear what he has to say.” Mu Yi grunted before becoming silent.
Wanyan Kang said, “Your daughter has rare talents and beauty. I’m not blind so how can I possibly not like her?” Mu Nianci blushed deeply and lowered her head. Wanyan Kang continued, “However, I am the heir of Prince Zhao and my family rules are very strict. If people find out that I married a commoner, my father will be furious and face a lot of trouble.”
Mu Yi replied, “Then what do you plan to do?”
Wanyan Kang replied, “I was thinking of letting Hero Mu and Miss stay here for a few days to recover from any injuries, before going back home. After a year and a half, when the situation is better, I will come to you and ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage, or Hero Mu may send Miss to me so as to complete the marriage. Isn’t that a perfect solution?”
Mu Yi remained silent, as though he was thinking about some other thing. Wanyan Kang continued, “My father has gotten into trouble because of me. The emperor even reprimanded him three months ago. If my father learns about this now, he will never agree to the marriage. I hope that Hero Mu keeps this a close secret.”
Mu Yi became furious, “If I listen to what you say, then my daughter will suffer because everything has to be kept under wraps.”
Wanyan Kang replied, “I have everything planned. I will get some grand officials to ask for her hand in marriage; it will be a grand and joyous affair.”
Mu Yi’s faced suddenly paled and he said, “Please ask your mother to see me so that I can discuss the matter with her.”
Wanyan Kang smiled and said, “How can my mother meet you?”
Mu Yi yelled, “If I don’t get to meet your mother, I won’t give in to you no matter what you come up with.” With that,
he picked up the jar of wine and threw it.
By the time Mu Nianci finished fighting with Wanyan Kang, she’d already fallen for him and was delighted when she heard his plan. But her father’s sudden outburst changed everything and she didn’t know whether she was surprised or dejected. Wanyan Kang moved quickly, caught the wine jar in time, and put it back on the table. He laughed and said, “I’m leaving.” before turning to go.
After hearing Wanyan Kang’s words, Guo Jing felt that the Prince was reasonable and had a very good plan; but who would expect Mu Yi to lose his temper. He thought, “I’ll try to convince him.” He was about to go to him when Huang Rong pulled his sleeve and took him out of the building.
They heard Wanyan Kang ask a servant, “Have you brought it?” The servant nodded and raised his hand to reveal a rabbit. Wanyan Kang took the rabbit from him and broke it’s hind legs, before placing it in his pocket and hurrying off. Guo Jing and Huang Rong were curious and followed behind him. After a while, they saw a small three-roomed hut. It was a normal looking hut like any commoner’s, but looked out of place amongst the grand surroundings of the Zhao residence. Now they were very curious. Wanyan Kang opened the door and entered the hut. They silently moved to the back of the house and peered through a window. They were sure that there was something secret about the hut, which Wanyan Kang kept to himself. Then they heard something they did not expect when he called out, “Mother!”
A woman’s voice answered him and Wanyan Kang walked into the room. Huang Rong and Guo Jing saw a middle-aged woman sitting beside a table, gazing blankly into space. The woman looked no more than forty, had very delicate features with little powder on her face and wore very common robes. Huang Rong thought, “This princess is indeed prettier than Miss Mu, but why does she dress so shabbily and live in a hut like this? Has she fallen out of Prince Zhao’s favor?”
Guo Jing thought the same thing at first but later regarded it as nothing special. He mused, “She must be like Rong’er. She purposely dresses like a peasant just for fun.”
Wanyan Kang walked to her side took her arm and said, “Mother, are you ill again?”
