Chapter 294: Autumn Leaves

**Alternate History**

August passed in the blink of an eye.

As time entered late autumn, leaves in Hangzhou fell, piling up thickly on the roads. The wind had become gentle and cool.

In previous years, this time was the most pleasant in Jiangnan. Hangzhou would be bustling and prosperous, filled with merchants. People would call friends, go on excursions, and poetry gatherings by scholars would be constant. It was as if the banners of teahouses and taverns wafted with the scent of ink, and the pleasure quarters were alive with singing, dancing, and revelry that continued late into the night.

“For now, we’ll just have to make do,” Chen Fan said, putting down the stone millstone he used for exercise. He clapped his hands and exhaled. It was still morning, and the man, bare-chested, had finished his routine workout before putting on his clothes. Sunlight streamed down, and leaves drifted in the wind.

As a disciple of Fang Qifo, who was second only to Fang La in the army and had previously managed public order throughout Hangzhou, the courtyard where Chen Fan lived was not luxurious. One section of the wall even had a breach, partially repaired, but the clay bricks and tiles lay in a corner, suggesting that work hadn't resumed for a long time.

Those who knew Chen Fan generally understood his simple — or to those closer, perhaps crude — lifestyle. He paid little attention to domestic matters, his greatest interests being arguing, finding fault, or fighting with people. He had no family of his own, but the three servants in his courtyard formed a family: an old man, an old woman, and a limping stout aunt, who, despite being their daughter, was already in her early forties and a widow. They had been sheltered in Chen Fan’s home for several years. While referred to as servants, to outsiders, it might have seemed more like Chen Fan had simply brought them together to muddle through life.

So, for someone who always made do, saying “we’ll just have to make do” held little weight. An Xifu, who had come to see him, chewed on a tortilla, his expression slightly dismissive.

“Life’s still good,” An Xifu replied. “There are three poetry gatherings in the south of the city today alone; these scholars are quite interesting when they compete. I heard the girls at Wenjun Pavilion are good; they’re choosing a new courtesan queen recently, and their performances are enthusiastic. There’s a girl called… Ye Zhi, or maybe Ye Jun? A lot of generals go to support her every night. You won’t get a spot, but if you know anyone, you might be able to tag along.”

“It’d be more interesting if we could just find an excuse for everyone to fight over a woman,” Chen Fan mused.

“Everyone knows your temperament; they won’t fight you. I used to hear you talk about the war in the North all the time. Why aren’t you going now?”

“It’s almost over,” Chen Fan said, finishing dressing and then taking a few sips of water from the well. He grabbed a tortilla wrapped with cucumber and meat from nearby and took a big bite. “Besides, things at Wenlie Academy have been quite interesting lately.”

“You’re taking children’s matters seriously,” An Xifu hesitated, then smiled.

“It’s different, very interesting… And I’m talking about Ning Liheng, not those children.”

An Xifu sighed, “I believe you, but do you believe yourself?”

“Haha, I do,” Chen Fan laughed.

The two men, who shared a close personal relationship, chatted as they walked towards the courtyard gate. Just as they were leaving, the stout aunt from Chen Fan’s courtyard limped in. Chen Fan raised the tortilla in his hand. “Aunt Yu, if you’re free this morning, please take a bag of grain from the storeroom to the academy to be processed. I’m afraid you might miss your turn if you go later.”

“Yes, young master,” Aunt Yu replied dutifully. “I’ll take a few more bags and get it all done today.”

“No, others need to use it too. Take your time.”

The autumn air was crisp and clear, and everything in sight seemed to exude a sense of ease. The two young generals from Fang La’s army walked towards Xiliu Street, occupied by the Overlord Blade Camp, chatting as they went. Wenlie Academy was located in the middle of the street. As they passed it, Chen Fan gestured towards it for a while. An Xifu knew that Chen Fan had recently taken an interest in some of the children’s activities at the academy.

An Xifu, for his part, had been constantly busy since taking over Chen Fan’s position. His visit today was to discuss some matters with Steward Liu Tiannan of the Overlord Blade Camp.

Hangzhou was now a city occupied by the rebel army. The peasant uprising, though ostensibly acting on behalf of Heaven, was in reality nothing more than burning, killing, and looting. An army accustomed to taking everything by force was like a raging fire; it was impossible to make them live peacefully and abide by rules. Prosperous Hangzhou was like a stack of kindling. If lawlessness were allowed to continue, it would be utterly consumed within half a month, and even Fang La’s direct orders wouldn’t stop it.

Chen Fan had initially used force to curb those who went too far, ensuring that more people had at least a basic means of survival, but nothing more.

An Xifu was similar, but he lacked Chen Fan’s background. Even if he had killed countless people on the battlefield in accordance with military law, behind the scenes, others didn't take this quiet young general seriously. The military law people feared was merely the shadow of Fang Baihua, who stood behind An Xifu.

To enforce military law, one had to be stern, impartial, and unbiased. An Xifu had not made many connections previously. Although Fang Baihua was kind to him, he knew in his heart that this kindness wasn't a visible advantage. His position in the army was quite different from Chen Fan’s; he essentially couldn’t touch generals with real power or strong factions. However, in just over ten days, he had, through another method, etched the name An Xifu into the minds of many interested parties.

Chen Fan’s method of doing things was often to find a few excessively misbehaving individuals at key points, beat them to death regardless of consequences, and kill one to warn a hundred. This made everyone understand he was a lunatic and what his objectives were. Although An Xifu had beheaded countless people on the battlefield, he couldn't simply go around chopping people up in Hangzhou. In these past ten-plus days, his method for making people remember him was to immediately take action whenever someone crossed the line. If he couldn't touch those at the top, he would arrest those below.

These individuals were mostly involved in intolerable incidents such as blocking canal transport, murder for property, and violent gang killings. An Xifu appeared gentle when dealing with people, but in reality, once someone was apprehended by the Black Feather Guard, more than seventy percent of them lost their lives. Those with powerful backers would call upon them for protection, and if they acted quickly, they could still get their people out. An Xifu would release them without hesitation. However, if there was even a slight delay, most of them would likely die, reflecting the strict demeanor of the military law enforcement team. This quiet young man would also respectfully apologize to anyone who came to cause trouble, but ultimately, no one dared to draw a sword in front of the Black Feather Guard, who enforced military law. In the past half-month, the Black Feather Guard had killed over a hundred people, finally making everyone realize that once caught by this young man, one truly had to “cherish their fortune” (a pun on An Xifu's name, 'Xifu' meaning 'cherish fortune').

They inquired with acquaintances at the entrance of the Overlord Blade Camp and learned that Liu Tiannan was not there that morning, so the two decided to stroll into the academy. As they passed the adjacent medical clinic, Chen Fan greeted a busy young woman wearing a headscarf, dressed as a young wife. Her name was Xiaochuan, and Chen Fan had met her several times, becoming acquainted with her.

“Ning Liheng’s concubine,” he introduced her to An Xifu.

“She’s his maidservant,” An Xifu nodded. “I know her.”

“Hmm, you’re the one who arrested her… Luckily, she doesn’t know,” Chen Fan whispered, then called out to Xiaochuan, “Aunt Yu will be bringing the grain over. Is anyone using your family’s *leizi* (hulling machine)?”

The young woman was inside serving medicine. She turned her face, smoothed her hair, and nodded, “Yes, someone is using it. When I came out just now, they were all chatting inside.”

“Oh, then I’ll… go reserve a spot in a bit.”

Most of the patients at the Liu family’s medical clinic were wounded soldiers. After Chen Fan finished speaking, a man with an injured leg leaned over and patted his hand. “Hey, brother, whose wife is that girl? She looks truly…”

Chen Fan pointed to his companion beside him, “His name is An Xifu.”

“I was asking about…” The man seemed about to emphasize his question, but midway through, he apparently realized the implication of the name An Xifu and his expression subtly changed. Chen Fan had already turned to leave. “That girl is not for you to think about. Ask again, and I’ll kill you.”

Leaving the clinic, An Xifu looked back. Chen Fan continued as they walked, “Old Master Liu has no children and takes good care of her. Ning Liheng also comes over often and says… very interesting things about treating injuries and illnesses, though the old man doesn’t seem to care for him much. Heh heh.”

An Xifu said, “I quite admire Ning Liheng. I originally wanted to visit him more often, but I’ve been so busy lately… It seems you come here frequently.”

“That person… is very interesting,” Chen Fan frowned, then nodded. “He made… two devices for processing grain: one called a *leizi* and one called a windlass. At first, everyone guessed they were things like wooden oxen and flowing horses… He is a bit strange, but he’s worth getting to know.”

Chen Fan thought for a moment, then nodded again, whispering, “And quite formidable.”

“I heard about them,” An Xifu nodded. “Are they really for milling rice?”

“Absolutely. The flatbread you ate earlier was made from milled wheat flour. As you know, removing wheat husks is difficult, and such flour is extremely expensive on the market. With the two devices he created, it’s effortless to hull the wheat cleanly…”

As they spoke, they entered the academy. The sound of reading drifted from among the trees. The two walked through several courtyards towards the back of the academy. In a side room, several men and women from the Overlord Blade Camp were already seated. The two devices in the center of the room were operating, worked by people, while the others casually cracked melon seeds and chatted, enjoying a leisurely life. Although Chen Fan often clashed with Liu Dabiao, he knew many people in the Overlord Blade Camp. Upon entering with An Xifu, he greeted everyone.

The men and women in the settlement didn't have many barriers between them. Although the Overlord Blade Camp was a stronghold primarily focused on blade usage even before the uprising, most of their daily life was indistinguishable from that of a rural community. While women might have maintained some modesty before marriage, those who had married and borne children often spoke with a frankness that could make men blush, and there was little distinction between the sexes. At this moment, a group of them were chattering away about mundane matters.

Of the two devices in the center of the room, one resembled a mill, similar in structure to a stone mill but made of bamboo and wood. The other was a windlass, shaped somewhat like a wooden ox, with a large body and hand-cranked fan blades inside. The *leizi* was for hulling grain or wheat, while the windlass could remove husks or other impurities mixed with the kernels. Both were creations that Ning Yi and a few students had developed over the past month.

In fact, hulling rice or wheat was not easy on the market at that time. While not impossible, the process was extremely cumbersome. Southerners ate rice, while northerners consumed wheat. Most households ate “wheat rice,” which was wheat cooked without fully removing the husks. This dish smelled fragrant but was extremely hard to eat, often causing digestive issues. Of course, though the process was cumbersome, it wasn’t impossible, just relatively expensive. When Ning Yi was in Jiangning, the Su family naturally had access to polished rice, but the flour Yunzhu used for pancakes still contained some wheat husks. Ning Yi had planned to create these two devices for a long time; it wasn't urgent when he was with the Su family, but during this period, he found the leisure to develop them.

Ning Yi had previously embarrassed Liu Dabiao and others with gunpowder. While no one stopped him from creating things, they were naturally somewhat curious. When people first learned about the windlass’s structure, they thought it was some divine artifact like the wooden ox or flowing horse. Liu Dabiao had privately inquired about it, and Chen Fan was quite curious upon hearing about it. He had paid close attention to Ning Yi before, but their direct interactions were few. One day, he passed by, and his curiosity piqued, he went to see. Being a straightforward person, he saw Ning Yi adjusting the two devices and directly asked about them. Ning Yi explained his concept, leaving Chen Fan dumbfounded. He had initially thought Ning Yi was an extraordinary strategist, a formidable figure who wouldn't bother with such mundane inventions. But as they continued to talk, he began to find Ning Yi quite interesting.

The people in the Overlord Blade Camp had initially kept their distance from Mr. Ning. Even though they knew he advised the camp and managed affairs, they simply regarded him as a scholar, someone high above them, with only Xiaochuan appearing approachable. But after the *leizi* and windlass were created, some tentatively asked if they could borrow them, and Ning Yi made the area available.

After all, they were new inventions, and the *leizi* was made of bamboo and wood. Several times, it broke or needed adjustment, and Ning Yi personally came to fix them, taking considerable effort. He was gentle and witty, so people gradually began to see him as a hermit-like figure. Though still held in awe, he became kind and familiar in the hearts of many.

Of course, what truly concerned Chen Fan was not these things, but rather some events that had unfolded at the academy over the past half-month. These events were subtly interesting. Initially, Ning Yi simply told stories and spoke of principles akin to moral essays at the academy—a mode that never changed from beginning to end. Yet, for some unknown reason, these students, originally from humble peasant backgrounds, were influenced so quickly.

About ten days ago, a group of children attending Ning Yi’s lessons at the academy did something. It started when one of them heard a tragic story: a soldier in the rebel army had offended a superior, leading to the ruin of his family. His wife was seized and abused by the official, most of his family died, and he himself had a hand severed. Frankly, after Hangzhou fell, various incidents occurred, not just outsiders bullying locals. Most of the rebel army were peasants, and it was common for those in power to look down on their subordinates; similar incidents were not uncommon. The perpetrators had acted cleverly, and the matter hadn't caused much disturbance; it was about to pass quietly. However, it caught the eyes of this group of teenagers and children.

What followed was simple enough. These children all came from backgrounds with some influence. They actually began to investigate, and during this time, they consulted Ning Yi, who offered one or two insights. Not long after, they remarkably uncovered two pieces of irrefutable evidence, which they then handed over to the Black Feather Guard.

An Xifu certainly knew about the situation, as indicated by his earlier remarks. With the evidence, An Xifu didn't hesitate. He arrested the deputy general under General Zeng Cheng, one of the Eight Valiant Riders. By the time Zeng Cheng arrived, the deputy general already had a gash on him and had bled dry—reportedly a suicide. An Xifu profusely apologized, and Zeng Cheng threw a fit but ultimately had no choice but to leave.

For An Xifu, this was originally a matter that could either be handled or ignored.

When the man with the severed hand came to the academy, crying and kneeling before the children, Chen Fan saw their puffed-out chests and bright eyes and knew that some things would be different from then on.

Some scholars read moral essays their entire lives but never truly understand what morality is. Yet, some experiences, if encountered just once, can define a person's entire life.

These children were all from peasant families. A few months ago, none of them read moral essays; they were exposed to plunder and slaughter, witnessing bloodshed and chaos. Some had taken lives, and some spoke slang fluently. Now, they still didn't read moral essays, but after doing what they did, even their demeanor and spirit when speaking had changed.

Chen Fan knew what this meant. At twelve, he had become Fang Qifo’s disciple. At fourteen, he killed for the first time, acting as a vigilante. He saw an old woman kowtow before him then, feeling helpless, but he remembered that feeling. Later, he joined the Manichaean faith, proclaiming that all laws were equal without hierarchy, but unfortunately, as more battles were fought, things increasingly made him feel helpless.

He didn’t know what would become of these children in the future, but things might be somewhat different. Within a few days, these children had also successfully petitioned for a soldier’s pay and rations. However, what truly sent a chill down his spine was the third incident, which occurred five days ago.

At that time, these children were ready to redouble their efforts. They inquired everywhere for injustices they could help with, then heard an old couple’s story: a deputy general named Han Wanqing had killed a colleague, resulting in the death of their son, and now no one would intervene. The children prepared to seek justice for the old couple. But then, another group of students at the academy, who had previously been somewhat antagonistic towards Ning Yi, jumped out to side with Han Wanqing, claiming the children were wronging a good person.

“I actually heard about Han Wanqing’s situation,” An Xifu said, lowering his voice in a corner of the room. “He and that deputy general named Duan were good brothers. During the Battle of Mount Huang, he tried to save him but couldn't. For some reason, the Duan family elders blamed Han Wanqing, but the case itself has always been very clear.”

“I know it’s very clear,” Chen Fan smiled. “But with two groups of children, it became a head-on clash, a tiger by the tail. Ning Liheng saw them arguing and came out, saying, ‘If we on this side are mistaken, I will pour tea and apologize to you…’ The most impressive part is that he was also very clear about it.”

An Xifu frowned, “This incident wasn’t reported to me these past few days…”

“Of course it wasn’t reported; everything was clear enough from the start. Three days ago, I came over and spoke to Ning Liheng about this. Do you know what he said? He said he already knew. Both sides found witnesses and presented evidence, and they argued all afternoon yesterday before settling it privately…” Chen Fan lowered his voice. “Ning Liheng poured tea and apologized to those children.”

“Then he told those children that they had misunderstood the matter, but most importantly, they hadn’t wronged anyone, and they must not lose their original good intentions. This group of children said, ‘At least we are doing something,’ and the other group of children also said, ‘What we’re doing is also important.’ Now these two groups of children have split into two factions, but their methods and principles of conduct are all taught by Ning Liheng: to present evidence, to be good people… He’s only been here for a little over a month, and half the people are still against him, but now these children are completely different. You can tell by the way they study, shaking their heads back and forth. Hey, who the hell wanted to study this before? Now they all want to become true, great heroes who save the world.”

While the two men discussed the academy’s affairs, outside the room, Xiaochuan’s figure passed by. Someone seemed to have arrived at the courtyard where Ning Yi lived, and a servant carried a box inside. People knocked, and the one leading was indeed a beautiful and dignified woman. The gossiping women in the room began to whisper, talking about “Mr. Ning’s confidante,” “she’s been here once before,” and “I heard her family is very rich.” An Xifu frowned. “This person is Lou Shuwang.”

“I know,” Chen Fan raised an eyebrow. “Her elder brother tried to visit me a few times before. When he couldn’t, he went to curry favor with Bao Daoyi instead.”

An Xifu nodded. “I’ve met her once, and I’ve seen that woman from afar another time. I heard her reputation isn’t very good.”

“Women from big places are different from those in our small locales.”

An Xifu observed the woman’s demeanor. “Perhaps so…”

Regardless of who was speaking, gossip remained gossip. The sounds of grain processing and idle chatter filled the room. Soon after, the academy outside grew noisy as Ning Yi, having finished his class, walked over. In the autumn breeze, Lou Shuwang, who had come to visit, was radiant and natural. Xiaochuan, who had come from a prominent family as a maidservant and was now a concubine and mistress, greeted her hospitably. Yellow leaves drifted down in the wind. All of this might have symbolized a rare tranquility. Whether it was the sound of the grain mill, the casual conversations, Ning Yi’s confidante, or the clashing groups of students at the academy, they all merely represented an unusual peacefulness. However, Chen Fan, An Xifu, and even Ning Yi, who was now only involved in the internal affairs of the Overlord Blade Camp, knew from various data that such an atmosphere was far from the norm within hundreds of li (Chinese miles) around Hangzhou.

The stalled warfare, the daily deaths, the 150,000 strong army led by Tong Guan pressing from the north, the palpable oppressive atmosphere both inside and outside Hangzhou, and even the ongoing political struggles within Fang La’s military faction in the city, including the intentions of many to kill Ning Yi—all these were merely isolated within the small confines of the Overlord Blade Camp by certain forces, allowing for a temporary respite and a bit of leisure.

Living, lecturing, “inventing” rice mills, inciting a group of children to engage in a tit-for-tat “be a good person” movement, and interacting several times with a new “confidante.” It was in this rhythm, like falling autumn leaves, that early September saw Li Tianrun return to Hangzhou, bringing with him a political upheaval that affected almost the entire Fang La military faction. And due to Li Tianyou’s animosity towards Ning Yi, it finally meant that a formidable enemy, capable of directly challenging Liu Dabiao’s protection, appeared before Ning Yi for the first time since his return to Hangzhou…

The *leizi* as a rice mill had largely disappeared by the late 1960s. As for the windlass used to filter husks and impurities, young people born in the 1980s who grew up in rural areas might still have seen them, and some might still exist in recent years, but they are becoming rare.