Dandere General and His Lord - Chapter 63

Cheng Qianye looked at Xiao Xiu who stood with a disciplined straight back in front of her. After not seeing him for a few months, this young man looked like an enduring bamboo that had weathered thunderstorms. He had grown taller and his skin had become tanned.

He gradually got rid of his boyish immaturity, becoming more mature and steady. He no longer looked delicate but developed an edge of masculine handsomeness and unrestrained freedom.

“Zhang Fu really is a strange person.”

Cheng Qianye looked at the letter Xiao Xiu brought from Jiangcheng. It was a secret letter written to her by Zhang Fu, the internal envoy of Zhili. The letter not only detailed the various conditions of Jiangcheng, the current capital of Jin State, but also recorded some military supply secrets of neighboring countries, especially Haojing where the Quanrong were located.

Zhang Fu offered her a brilliant plan. If it could be accomplished, Zhengzhou would be within her grasp.

“In such a complex environment as Jiangcheng, he not only did a job that others could not do, but also provided me with a steady supply of military supplies and fodder. He could also collect such detailed military intelligence at the same time. Truly brilliant in planning a hundred steps ahead.” She looked up from the letter at his messenger. “Xiao Xiu, now that you have won Minister Zhang’s favor, you should remain by his side and learn more from him.”

“I have benefited a lot from being around the esteemed minister. I owe the person I am today to his teachings and blessings of the Lord. ” Xiao Xiu knelt down and saluted, “Now I finally know that the world is so vast that it cannot be compared to the world in front of me. However, I will never forget my longing for that person, and he will forever be engraved in my heart. One day, he will see the efforts of the Lord and witness the founding of a better Jin State.”

Cheng Qianye left her chair to reach out and help him up, “I sent you to Jiangcheng because I was worried about entrusting some private letters to others. It all depends on yourself whether you could use it to leave the grief of the past and have your current vision. I am proud of you.”

Cheng Qianye suddenly felt fortunate that she did not have the heart to kill this man when he first slighted her. Once one got used to killing, they might not be able to stop. She always reminded herself not to become an unrecognizable person she would loathe, even if at first it seemed inevitable.

It took thousands of years of hardship for mankind to reach a relatively equal society. She grew up in that kind of environment, and just because she travelled through time, it didn’t mean that she could simple abandon all that advancement overnight.  The greater the power one holds, the more they should remind themselves not to forget their original intentions, and not be muddled into viewing any life—slave, soldier, or servant—as lesser.

“This man, Wei Mingshan, is a brave warrior and a master of military strategy. He is a great worry to me. If Zhang Fu’s plan succeeds, I wonder how much less blood would be shed by our Jin soldiers.” Cheng Qianye frowned slightly, “But that will require the two of you to travel deep into enemy territory, into Gaojing… ”

“Minister Zhang and this servant are happy to share their lord’s worries and contribute to the country. The master asked me to tell the lord that this plan cannot be accomplished without the minister’s personal presence, so I hope the lord will approve it,” Xiao Xiu said firmly.

Cheng Qianye no longer hesitated and made a decision. “In that case, ask Zhang Fu to find out the preferences of Mother Dowager Mo Zang and Queen Liang of Quanrong in advance. Remember to bring lots of rare treasures with you. When you go, spend as much gold and silver as you can. Your safety is the first priority, and don’t worry about troubling me with the expenses, and ensure your security.”

Time flies. The stars wander. As the lush fields turned golden, the rice stalks bent over with their heavy produce in an instant. The busy farmers harvested the fruits of their labor after a year of plowing and planting and piled them into the barn. As white snow began to fall from the sky and the dark brown land was gradually covered by silver light, the army that had been marching for several months finally returned slowly.

Auspicious signs came one after another, and as far as the eye could see, there was a world of silver and jade. In the distance, one could see a towering city, akin to an ancient giant beast, crouching like a tiger or a dragon between the silvery white sky and the blanketed earth.

The newly built city wall was solid and tall, with rammed earth, blue brick veneer, and numerous watchtowers as far as the eye could see. The flags symbolizing home fluttered in the cold wind.

“We’re finally back. After a few months of fighting, our Bianzhou has changed a lot.”

The soldiers were excited.

Mo Qiaosheng pulled at the reins and stopped, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar city in front of him. Bianzhou. The place where the lord was. The place that never left his thoughts.

The newly appointed captain, Yang Sheng, rode his horse and followed behind Mo Qiaosheng. After many battles, this man who fought without regard for his life had risen in title and military rank, and now he has become Mo Qiaosheng’s right-hand man. At this moment, he was not as excited as ordinary soldiers but was slightly worried.

“General.” He came closer to Mo Qiaosheng and said in a low voice, “I heard that there are some rumors in Bianzhou City that are unfavorable to the general. General, could you please be more cautious and leave some of your troops stationed outside the city to prevent any unexpected mishaps?”

Mo Qiaosheng glanced at him sideways and smiled.

Yang Sheng had followed Mo Qiaosheng for so long, but this was the first time he saw this general, who was famous for his strict military discipline, smile. “Ah Sheng, you have never met the Lord, so you don’t know him. Otherwise, you wouldn’t say such things.”

Mo Qiaosheng rode his horse forward.

Yang Sheng kept silent. After so many years and many life-and-death experiences, the usually rebellious Yang Sheng had sincerely accepted the general in front of him as a leader from the bottom of his heart. This general, who like him was born a slave, convinced him of his strategy, military tactics, command of troops, and martial arts.

He had a sincere heart towards his brothers and fellow soldiers. On the battlefield, he and countless of his brothers’ lives were saved by General Mo himself. He really didn’t want to see the person he admired so wholeheartedly showing such an unguarded attitude towards the almighty monarch.

General Mo was known for his strategy on the battlefield, but he didn’t expect him to be so simple and honest in court. He was afraid that this would do him no favors, but unfortunately, he had no other choice but to follow without protest. He could only hope that their lord was not a fool who was easily influenced by others and would destroy his own city walls at the mere mention of a few rumors.

At the beginning of that summer, Mo Qiaosheng led ten thousand soldiers and horses away from this city. Today, in the depths of the winter, he had cleared the road from Bianzhou to Zhongmu, brought back 50,000 strong soldiers and horses, and returned to the city in a mighty general.

When this general with great military achievements appeared in the court hall in full armor, the civil and military officials standing in the halls were buzzing with discussion. Mo Qiaosheng knelt on the ground and saluted, covered in glory, accepting the king’s commendation and reward.

This was the first time he set foot in this magnificent hall.

The captain of the red-clad palace guards looked at him with a faint smile. That was his brother Cheng Feng, with whom he had a life-and-death friendship. General Yu and General Helan, who were standing at the head of the military attaché line, nodded at him with joy on their faces. They were their superiors who had always helped and encouraged them.

There were many officials in the hall, whether he knew them or not. They looked at him with admiration, praise, and more importantly, a calculating undercurrent.

But Mo Qiaosheng didn’t care at this moment. The only thing he cared about was the man sitting on the throne. The man, wearing a jade crown and a brocade robe with a dragon pattern, sat on a high platform and was gazing at him.

Why was the hall so spacious? The distance between him and his lord was too far. He couldn’t even raise his head to take a closer look at his lord’s face which he hadn’t seen for a long time.

Today, Mo Qiaosheng was an upright general, respected by his subordinates, loved by his colleagues, and commanding majesty on the battlefield. However, he suddenly missed the time when he was his Lord’s slave. At that time, the master only needed to call softly, ‘Qiaosheng, come to me.’ He could then rush hurriedly and accompany his lord.

The noisy court meeting finally ended.

Mo Qiaosheng stepped out of the palace gates, court officials, familiar and unfamiliar, passed by him and greeted him enthusiastically. Mo Qiaosheng responded reservedly. Until all the officials dispersed, he stood alone on the white marble steps, looking back at the deep halls and towering palaces behind him.

The person he never forgot a single night resided inside. And now, he had been granted a title and become a general, but he could only leave this place and go to the general’s mansion that had just been given to him.

Mo Qiaosheng sighed, turned and walked towards the palace gate.

“General Mo, please stay, ” a palace eunuch called out to him. “The Lord is waiting for you in the Chaowu Palace. Kindly follow me.”

Mo Qiaosheng’s eyes lit up and he couldn’t help but smile. Following closely behind the eunuch, he climbed up the terrace, passed through the open room, and walked along the long corridor. The excitement in his heart soared with every step he took.

He walked faster and faster, even surpassing the palace eunuch and almost running into the hall’s doors.

In that room, there was a tall and slender person, wearing loose and wide robes. He turned around and said to him with a smile, “Qiaosheng, come. Come to me.”

Mo Qiaosheng felt his eyes moisten.

“Hey, you’re already a general, why are you still so fond of crying?” The man laughed.

—

The suburbs of Jiangcheng, in a dilapidated house made of mud.

A young woman, carrying a child less than a year old on her back, was sweeping the snow in the yard. When she heard some noise, she looked out the gate. The dilapidated wooden door made a creaking sound, but outside the door, there was only a world of snow, and no one was around.

The young woman sighed. All kinds of conflicting news came from the village from time to time, which made her worried. She really shouldn’t have agreed to let her husband join the war. No matter how hard life was, there was nothing better than two people who love another being able to stay together.

It was such a cold winter, and she didn’t know what circumstances Yuan was suffering on the battlefield.

“Mother, the millet porridge is ready. Let me carry my brother in.” The young daughter lifted the curtain and came out. Just as she was about to take her brother from her mother’s back, her hands stretched out, she froze, standing in place in a daze and looking out the gate with her mouth wide open in surprise.

“What’s wrong, A-Rya?” Juan followed her daughter’s gaze. A tall figure stood outside the courtyard gate. The man was dressed in military uniform, with frost and snow on his shoulders and tears in his eyes.

“Juan, I’m back.” He marched in and took her in his arms. “I’m here to pick you up, to take you to Bianzhou. I’ve earned plenty of houses and fields for you.”

—

In Guyu Street, where the common people of Jiangcheng lived, mournful cries were heard coming from a two-story tile-roofed house. The official who delivered the obituary put down the belongings and rewards of Captain Han Shen, said a few words of comfort, and left silently.

They had to visit several more households like this one.

A white-haired old woman hugged her young grandson and cried loudly. Her daughter-in-law stared blankly at a piece of blue floral cloth among the belongings and stretched out her trembling hands, the skin roughened by the hardships of time.

Her husband was a man with a bad temper. He often shouted at her and scolded her.¹ He was a person that scared her. But now that that man was gone, she suddenly realized that the sky above her head had collapsed.

In this era of endless war, the man who sent his military pay back home every month was using his body to earn a sense of security for them. With trembling hands, she touched the piece of floral cloth. The officials who delivered the remainder of his belongings said that it was a gift from Han Shen and it being delivered to her was Han Shen’s last wish before his death.

The man who had never bought anything for himself in his life remembered to buy her a piece of cloth like this before he died.

The woman covered her face, sinking her teeth into her lip. “No, I can’t cry.” Now that the man is gone, she had to support the family. He left fields and houses in Bianzhou to her and their children.

She would do it. She would support their children and take care of his mother.

This home would not fall.

Footnotes:

¹ The original text said that he beat her not simply verbally abused her. Sorry but domestic violence, particularly physical one, is a relief to escape from, and she wouldn’t feel as terribly because now she doesn’t have to endure abuse. I changed it to honor the dead man because he wasn’t a bad person until this point was revealed. Verbal abuse is still bad but more tolerable than physical aggression, so I changed it up a little.