《Golden Stage》


 CH extra 1

    The nation of the Great Zhou was over a hundred years old, and in this past century, the woman widely-acknowledged as the most beautiful in the land had hailed from Qiantang, Jiangnan, during the Hongjing Court.


    The Hongjing Emperor had been a ruler that preserved the peace his forefathers left behind. Though he couldn¡¯t be labelled as having worked from dawn ¡¯til dusk while reigning, he was still regarded as diligent in governance, and on top of that, he was a wise monarch that could take criticism. He held the throne for twenty-nine years, during which there were many talented officials in Court that would leave their names behind on the historical record.

 CH extra 2

    As the most powerful and favored official of a different surname in the Great Zhou¡¯s history, Yan Xiaohan¡¯s person was constantly bundled up in layers upon layers of rumors, which stated that there was nothing he didn¡¯t have. Within the imaginations of strangers, regular people had twelve shichens in a day, but Yan Xiaohan had twenty-four. Tirelessly longing to possess the country, he spent every single shichen trying to supersede the new ruler to act as Emperor himself, and it was only from being blocked by Duke of Jing Fu Shen¡¯s military deterrence that he had dragged his feet in setting to the task.

 CH extra 3-4

    There was bleakness in every direction. Bloody light shone red off the half-rampart of the endless sky. The wind blew grass to bend, corpses of broken arrows now strewn everywhere. Enveloped by a blood-reeking gale, he lightly swept past the vast grassland outside the Wall, arriving at the man¡¯s side.


    The other had the shaft of an armor-piercing arrow stuck in his chest, its head deeply embedded into his heart, and fresh blood dyed the snow-white collar under his armor red. Only the feeble rise and fall of his chest remained; it was clear that he didn¡¯t have long to live.


    His face was hidden beneath the helmet and bloodstains. Due to already being past forty years of age, as well as being on the frontier all year round, his face had long since become windworn, the splendor of stars tinting his temples. Even so, the appearance he¡¯d had during his prime could still be discerned from the deep, distinct outline of his features.


    He knelt at the man¡¯s side, thinking to reach out and wipe the stains off his face, but his hand was like empty air, gently and easily passing through him ¡ª only then did he remember that he had long been an otherworldly spirit, dead for an unknown amount of time.

 CH extra 5

    At the winter solstice¡¯s recurrence, the Empress Dowager continued the old Changzhi Court custom of ordering the imperial kitchens to make lamb-and-dumpling soup, then bestowing it to all officials, thus leaving Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan behind to accompany the child Emperor in his evening meal. By happenstance, an attendant came into the palace with a freshly-created cold-dispelling chart.[1] Fu Shen personally taught his little nephew how to draw plum blossoms, and the Dowager was eager for someone to help her look after the kid, so Mister Yan had no choice but to drink a half-bowl of vinegar in the face of their joyful chatter.


    Back in the Estate at nightfall, Yan Xiaohan hung their imperially-bestowed cold-dispelling chart up in the study. Right when he dipped his brush and went to dot off the first plum blossom, Fu Shen suddenly turned evil and jumped on him, hanging onto his back. The pounce made Sir Yan¡¯s hand jolt, his drawing going askew.

 CH 1

    Chapter 1 ¨C Prologue


    In the 25th year of the Yuantai1 era of Great Zhou, the Eastern Tatars2 invaded Northern Xinjiang3. The border defense army of Northern Yan4 Iron Cavalry met up with the garrisons of the Ning and Tong Prefectures. These forces combined at the Wuding River to win a devastating victory over the Eastern Tatar troops, driving them seven hundred Li5 back to reclaim the West Autumn Gate.


    In August of the same year, the Eastern Tatars¡¯ Dark Pearl troops6 presented a memorial pleading to surrender, expressing their willingness to return to submitting to the Great Zhou¡¯s authority, declaring themselves vassals, and paying tribute. On the 16th of August, the ambassadors of both sides completed the ceremony of surrender on the banks of the Wuding River. It was arranged for the Dark Pearl troops to pay an annual tribute of fur, medicine, horses, gold, and silver. They were also to send the Khan¡¯s own son to the capital, entering the Imperial College to learn the etiquette and propriety of the Central Plains.


    In September, the imperial court issued a decree ordering the commander of the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry, the Marquis7 of Jing Ning8, Fu Shen, to escort the Tatar diplomatic corps to the capital for an audience with the sovereign.


    With the war stable at the moment and the Dark Pearl troops having retreated back outside the Gate, Fu Shen had no worries for the time being. He therefore ordered his subordinate Yuan Huan to take the main force back to Northern Xinjiang, while he himself commanded a team of his finest riders to escort the diplomats southwards.


    On the 9th of September, the diplomatic corps was passing through the Blue Sand Pass9 when the ground began to tremble incessantly. The mountain walls on both sides collapsed with a loud crash, gravel and rocks falling like rain, scaring the horses to bolt wildly. In the haste, the carriage of the young Tatar prince could not dodge in time, and was actually smashed directly open by a boulder falling from the sky.


    The terrain of the Blue Sand Pass was narrow and precipitous, but given its location within the Great Zhou¡¯s territory, it had always been peaceful. Reasonably speaking, no ambush should have taken place there. Fu Shen had continuously been on guard and taken extensive precautions this entire way, but he could never have imagined such an unexpected disaster of a landslide right at the threshold of his own home. He temporarily had no room to care for any princes; seeing the falling rocks tumbling directly down in front, he immediately turned the head of his horse around and shouted a ¡°Retreat!¡±, leading the mass of people rushing back to the original entrance of the pass.


    The smoke and dust wafted up in all directions, almost dyeing the entire valley into the color of the sand. Among the high treetops, an ingeniously crafted crossbow mechanism adjusted its direction, the sinister cold light of the arrowtip lining up with the Northern Yan commander spurring his horse to run like mad.


    In this moment of imminent crisis, those keen instincts tempered on the battlefield were what saved his life. The arrow split the wind as it flew through the air, but Fu Shen seemed to have grown eyes on his back. He ducked low and bent over while abruptly pulling on the reins. The military horse came to a sudden stop, rearing its front hooves high in the air and turning a half circle in place, just enough to avoid the cold arrow aiming to take his life. The arrowtip scraped his back in its rapid flight past him, clattering as it plunged half an inch into the stone wall and was then drowned by the tumbling sand.


    http://lusankan.lofter.com/post/1f33b12c_12e6f6fa4


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    Who wanted to kill him?


    This ice-cold thought only flashed in Fu Shen¡¯s mind for an instant. The next moment, the calls and shouts of the surrounding soldiers pulled him back to reality.


    ¡°General, watch out!¡±


    The enormous boulder that fell from above blotted out the sun and the sky, and completely cut off his line of sight backwards.


    On the 9th of September in the 25th year of the Yuantai era, the Eastern Tatar diplomatic envoy was attacked at the Tong Prefecture¡¯s Blue Sand Pass. The youngest Eastern Tatar prince was killed on the scene, and more than half of the diplomatic envoy was lost. The escorting Marquis of Jing Ning, Fu Shen, had both his legs crushed by a boulder. Severely wounded, he was sent back to Northern Xinjiang by trusted bodyguards riding day and night. Although his life was fortunately preserved, it was feared that recovery to normal would be difficult.


    When this news was sent back to the capital, both the court and the commons erupted into an utterly stunned uproar.


    The enraged and furious Yuantai Emperor issued an imperial edict for the three judicial chief ministries to strictly investigate this case. He also specially decreed favors to be bestowed to Fu Shen: adding ten thousand pecks of grain10 to the Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s original salary as an official, conferring him the title of ¡°General Who Guards the State¡±11, bestowing him with the purple silk ribbon on a gold medal12, and permitting him to retain his position while returning to the capital for recuperation.


    The matter of Fu Shen¡¯s injury spread like wildfire through the capital, and many people privately guessed into whose hands the Northern Yan military power would fall after his injury. The emperor¡¯s special decree temporarily stopped the more preposterous tongues: the commander¡¯s might was still there, only temporarily far from the northern front. If General Fu was wise enough to recognize reality, he would hear these sweet songs and know the deeper kind thoughts behind them13; after returning to the capital, he would abdicate and relinquish his post to someone with better qualifications. Upon returning military power to His Majesty, he would be able to exchange his legs for a lifetime of glory, splendor, wealth, and rank.


    From this point of view, His Majesty did not just give preferential treatment to those who had contributed outstanding service¡ªhis actions were ¡°magnanimous¡± enough that they could even be called ¡°doing everything possible to help.¡±


    The Marquis of Jing Ning and the Northern Yan Army at the center of these rumors received this decree yet showed absolutely no movement. Only at the the end of September did Fu Shen send a folded booklet letter detailing the handover arrangements for the military affairs of the garrison troops in the North, and asking the emperor for permission to quit his position and recuperate.


    This letter enabled the Yuantai emperor to let out a breath of relief, following the usual rules to reject Fu Shen¡¯s resignation and allow him to return to the capital from northern Xinjiang.


    Numerous people in the capital counted the days on their fingers, raising their heads in anticipation to see what has become of the famous Marquis of Jing Ning. Thousands of miles away below a twilight sky, a small carriage surrounded by escorting bodyguards left the closely guarded Yan Prefecture City and sped towards the capital.


    Footnotes: (yeaaaaah this is going to be pretty typical of this novel)


    1. Ԫ̩ (yu¨¢n t¨¤i) is the title of the current emperor, and this is the 25th year of his reign.


    2. ¶«÷²(d¨­ng d¨¢): ÷² Tatars are a Turkish-speaking people residing in Russia, who historically allied with the Mongols. Today they are one of the many ethnic minorities in China. It¡¯s explained later that the Tatars split into multiple factions, and this is the Eastern tribe.


    3. ±±½®(b¨§i ji¨¡ng) lit. ¡°Northern Xinjiang¡± is also known as Dzungaria. As the name suggests, it is the northern half of the Xinjiang province, in the absolute Northwestern-most area in China. Historically, Xinjiang was traversed by the Northern Silk Road, and countless peoples have vied for control of this territory over the millennia.


    4.  ±±Ñà(b¨§i y¨¤n) or ¡°Northern Yan¡± was a northern state in China. Fun fact: it was just a tad north of China¡¯s modern capital of Beijing (whose name literally means ¡°Northern Capital¡±). See this image courtesy of Wikipedia:


    5. Àï(l¨«) = Chinese unit of length, around 500 m (about 0.3 miles)


    Fu Shen was granted the title of Marquis, which fits very well since just like in feudal Europe, marquises are lords of borderlands/Marches.


    8. ¾¸Äþ(j¨¬ng n¨ªng): ¾¸ = ¡°to pacify¡±, Äþ = ¡°peace¡±. ¡°Marquis of Jing Ning¡± therefore means something like ¡°Pacifying Marquis.¡± Fu Shen likely received this slightly ironic title because he is a military general in charge of defending the northern border against invaders.


    9. Çàɳ°¯: Çà is a strange color that can be blue, green, or teal/cyan; ɳ = ¡°sands¡±; °¯ = ¡°pass¡±


    10. I¡¯m not super sure what ¡°Ç§Ê¯¡± means in the context of increasing Fu Shen¡¯s salary¡­ I¡¯m tentatively taking ʯ to mean ¡°10 pecks of grain¡±.


    11. Õò¹ú½«¾ü lit. ¡°General Who Guards the State¡± or ¡°Guarding General¡± is the highest noble title among generals. (Still lower than those with imperial bloodlines though.)


    12. ×Ïç·½ðÓ¡ lit. ¡°purple silk ribbon and gold medal¡±. I¡¯m not super sure what these signify to be honest, but they¡¯re definitely a mark of honor.


    13. ÎÅÏÒ¸è¶øÖªÑÅÒâ is a saying that effectively means ¡°to listen for the deeper meaning¡±

 CH 2

    Chapter 2 ¨C Returning to the Capital


    The road south from Yan Prefecture passed through Guangyang District, Baitan, and other locations. Upon arriving in Miyun1, the capital itself could already be glimpsed in the distance.


    The arrival of autumn had brought the cold with it. The first snow had already fallen into the north, while the weather close to the capital was still pleasantly cool, perfectly suitable for travel. Near noon, a team of fine riders came along the official road. The leader of the riders surveyed into the distance. Spotting a tea shack set up along the road not far from their current location, he lightly lifted his reins and slowed his pace. When the carriage behind them caught up, he learned over and knocked twice on the wooden partition of the carriage to request instructions: ¡°General, we¡¯ve already traveled at a breakneck pace all night. How about first resting our feet before continuing on the road?¡±


    A slit opened in the carriage curtains. Alongside the bitter fragrance of medicine, the low voice of a man drifted out: ¡°Is there a place to stop for refreshment in front? Then rest and reorganize there. Brothers, you have worked hard.¡±


    The rider received the order, and the group set their horses to gallop towards the tea shack ahead. Wherever they passed, dust and dirt flew everywhere, attracting the sidelong glances of the nearby resting passers-by.


    This row of riders did not fly any flag. They wore teal-colored military robes with narrow sleeves and cross collars. Every single one possessed a vigorous and capable physique, with an austere and imposing momentum. Even if they did not openly state their identities, they practically had ¡°someone you can¡¯t afford to provoke¡± written all over their faces.


    The shopkeeper running this tea shop had long seen his fill of hardships and was used to the comings and goings of people, so he was a man of few words. The leading rider stepped down from his horse and handed over a silver ingot, before ordering his subordinates to rest, eat, and drink. He himself found a table in the shade, wiped it clean, and told the shopkeeper to prepare hot tea and a few choice refreshments. He then turned back outside, and supported a pale-faced young nobleman with the air of a chronic invalid off the carriage.


    That young man¡¯s steps were unsteady and shallow, his face suffused with sickness. He could only walk with someone else supporting him by the arm. Even traversing the short distance from the carriage to the tea shop took a long while of effort. Upon finally sitting down at the table, his body seemed incapable of holding out any further and he could not stop coughing. The other guests sitting under the mat-awning actually let out a breath of relief too¡ªJust watching him made them feel exhausted for him.


    Upon further consideration, it was strange: even though that man looked as if he might breathe his last at any moment, his body held an indescribable temperament that invariably attracted one¡¯s gaze. His appearance was extraordinarily fine, but not the kind of delicate elegance as beautiful as a woman and as charming as a spring flower. Instead, he possessed trim brows and phoenix eyes, a high nose and thin lips, permeated with a sense of sharply piercing coldness.


    The man was of a tall stature and seemed accustomed to looking down to see other people, always only lifting his eyelids halfway. His entire body brimmed with careless languid apathy, emaciated from illness¡ªit seemed like even the tea shop¡¯s crude porcelain bowl would be heavy enough to break his wrist.


    But when he sat quietly, his gaunt back was as straight as a brush, like a green bamboo shooting straight up from the soil, a long knife tempered in the tribulation fires of the forge¡ª¡ªEven if covered in countless scars, that cold blade could still drink its ample share of blood. In the same way, his enfeebled body weak body did not hinder him from sweeping over everything under the heavens with that scornful and arrogant gaze.


    The travelling merchants and traders subconsciously stretched out their necks to look, resembling a haggle of raptly absorbed geese. At last, the young nobleman slowly finished sipping a bowl of water and slammed the porcelain bowl onto the table with a clang: ¡°Gentlemen, your necks have stretched long enough that one could tether a donkey to them. Is this humble one that good-looking2?¡±


    The strong able-bodied men eating and drinking on the side immediately shivered at these words. Most of those geese retracted their sights in a huff, but a few especially enthusiastic ones actually moved closer to make conversation: ¡°Where is this young nobleman coming from? Also going to the capital?¡±


    Xiao Xun, who had continuously been waiting on this young nobleman¡¯s every beck and call, felt his scalp tingle and turn numb. The young nobleman only needed to say a single phrase ¡°Get lost¡± for Xiao Xun to hang this person up on the tree outside.


    Who could have anticipated that this very standoffish-appearing young nobleman actually displayed an unexpected level of tolerance, and mildly replied: ¡°From Yan Prefecture City in the north, currently headed to the capital for medical treatment.¡±


    Their entire group of people was all dressed in everyday clothes and not carrying swords. In addition, their vehicles and horses were not ostentatious or extravagant. Although the guards exuded an imposing momentum, this young nobleman in charge wore commonplace clothes. The merchants therefore guessed they might be the traveling party of the young master of some rich and influential family in Yan Prefecture. Because Yan Prefecture City was a place of military importance for the frontier, its traditional customs were swift and fierce, so it counted as normal for military members of the family to accompany the traveling party.


    As strangers coming together by chance, it was not appropriate for the merchants to directly inquire about his illness. Instead, they switched topics to another novel and strange affair: ¡°Since this young nobleman is coming from the north, have you ever encountered the carriage of General Fu? He returned to his hometown in such honor and glory3, I can¡¯t even imagine the level of grandeur his procession must have!¡± ¡±


    Xiao Xun almost choked to death on his tea. That young nobleman raised his long eyebrows and asked with great interest: ¡°General Fu? Is that the same General Fu I know?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. Besides the Marquis of Jing Ning, who else possesses such a famous reputation!¡±


    The young nobleman seemed enthusiastic about this line of conversation, and further pursued: ¡°I see you seem to know quite a lot about Fu¡­ General Fu?¡±


    ¡°Oh, out of the question, out of the question,¡± that merchant man smiled and waved his hand in humble dismissal, ¡°As us merchants come and go from north to south, on the road we often hear the rumors and talk of General Fu. During these years that he has been guarding Northern Xinjiang, the roads are peaceful and secure, and our business is so much easier compared to before. When the common folk in the capital bring up General Fu, not a single one does not hold him in the highest esteem. You have no idea¡ªLast year when General Fu led the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry to defeat the Tatars, I had just come back from the north to resell furs. All the streets and alleys of the capital were saying: ¡®As long as Commander Fu is in Northern Xinjiang, the capital can still sleep peacefully.¡¯ The stories told in the tea houses, the songs of performers, the plays in the opera houses¡­ are all about him.¡±


    From this, the flourishing popularity and reputation of the Northern Yan Army and the Marquis of Jing Ning was quite evident.


    The Northern Yan Iron Cavalry was known as the northern border defense line of Great Zhou. Since its establishment, it had been continuously governed by the Fu clan. In fact, it had grown out of the frontier garrison commanded by the Duke of Ying4, Fu Jian.


    The people of the Central Plains called the nomads of the northern steppes the Tatar people. Decades ago, the Tatar people underwent inner turmoil and unrest, and split into several factions. A portion of the tribes were forced to move westward. They intermarried with the Hu and Sogdia peoples of the Western Regions, and were called the Western Tatars. Another portion occupied the richer pastures in the Central and Eastern areas, and were called the Eastern Tatars. Twenty-three years ago, when the current Yuantai Emperor Sun Xun first ascended to the throne, the Eastern Tatar tribe brazenly invaded the Great Zhou. At that time, the border army had been weak and frail, collapsing from a single blow. On the other hand, the Tatar soldiers boasted a well-trained and powerful army5. Like a hot knife through butter6, they wantonly plundered and slaughtered in the north. Even the two strategically important border towns of Xuanqing and Baoning were massacred into empty cities.


    The previous emperor¡¯s reign had been characterized by a long peace, lasting over thirty years without a hint of war. No one could have imagined the Eastern Tatars would actually command an army to march south. They especially could never have imagined the border army actually lacked the strength to even put up a fight, allowing the enemy to kill their way to the Great Zhou¡¯s doorstep in the blink of an eye.


    In the imperial court, the voices proposing peace negotiations grew louder and louder. But the Yuantai Emperor was in the prime of his life. As the supreme lord of the country, he would never bow to mere barbarians7. Just at this time, because of his accumulation of military merits, Fu Jian was transferred posts from Lingnan8 in the south to Gan Prefecture9 in the north. The Yuantai Emperor therefore promoted him into the military commissioner of Gan Prefecture, ordering him to lead the garrison troops of the Gan, Ning, and Yuan Prefectures to fight back against the Eastern Tatars. After two years, Fu Jian, his two sons, and the high-ranking military officers under his command built up 100,000 border defense troops to purge the cleared Tatars within the Pass. Fu Tingzhong, the eldest son of Fu Jian, even crossed the Great Wall and led an army into the hinterland of the steppes. He almost conquered the Eastern Tatar capital city, only failing to complete the occupation because of Fu Jian¡¯s death by illness. After the campaign, Fu Jian was posthumously conferred the titles of ¡°Duke of Ying¡± and ¡°High Pillar General of the State¡±10. Inheriting the position of Duke of Ying, Fu Tingzhong took command of the Gan, Ning, and Yuan Prefecture armies. The second son Fu Tingxin was conferred the position of General Who Guards the State to control the military affairs of the Yan and You Prefectures.


    These two built an iron-clad northern border defense line for Great Zhou. The frontier army led by the Fu clan was named the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry. For over ten years from the 6th to the 18th year of Yuantai, under the deterrence of the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry, the Eastern Tatars temporarily lay dormant. The borders were peaceful and quiet, without any more great wars.


    Then during the 19th year of Yuantai, Fu Tingzhong was assassinated by the Eastern Tatar. The Eastern Tatars formed an alliance with the Zhe people of the North, and again invaded Great Zhou. Fu Tingxin led an isolated force penetrating deep into the enemy¡¯s encirclement, and finally died on the battlefield. Those past events of the attacking army reaching the city gates were repeated once more. But this time the imperial court did not have the same swathes of elite troops as it did back in the day, and the Yuantai Emperor no longer possessed that dauntless determination and initiative. The War faction argued with the Peace faction throughout many morning courts, and finally made the most confused yet also most wise decision.


    They pushed Fu Tingzhong¡¯s eldest son Fu Shen, who had not yet reached adulthood11, directly onto the battlefield.


    The Eastern Tatars and the Fu clan were bitter enemies with deep-seated hatred between them, and this invasion was driven by revenge. Whoever provoked this trouble should be the one to clean up the mess. Moreover, ever since he was a child, Fu Shen had been in the army along his father and his uncle, learning through experience. It was said that Fu Tingxin often sighed with emotion that ¡°there are qualified successors to carry on¡±, so Fu Shen could perhaps grudgingly count as possessing the ¡°talent and capability to be commander-in-chief.¡±


    This reason appeared to be quite sufficient. But stepping back to look at the past dynasties and generations, has one ever seen the principle of ¡°idle and sated high ministers all withdrawing like turtles in their shells, instead letting a teenager face the dangerous beasts?¡±


    The great fortune amidst this misfortune was that the Fu family may have truly been the collective reincarnations of auspicious General Stars12: Fu Shen surpassed his predecessors as a truly once-in-a-generation genius military commander.


    Northern Xinjiang was in a state of emergency, and could only seek aid from the nearby Tang and Tong Prefectures. However, when Fu Shen was pushed out, he did not place his expectations on being able to get help from his own people. Instead he gathered the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry and met the main force of the Zhe People at the Three Passes of Yan Prefecture. He also employed the might of the Western Tatars¡¯ Fine Wild13 cavalry troops by opening a trade route with them and granting them conditional regional autonomy. Outflanking from the northwest, he encircled the unified forces of the Tatar and Zhe armies. This two-pronged approach thus resolved the danger in Northern Xinjiang.


    After the war, the Fine Wild troops and riders were brought into the fold of the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry. To avoid excessive inconvenience of mobilization and the battle lines becoming overstretched, Fu Shen returned his power over the Gan, Ning, and You Prefecture border guard forces back to the central administration. He chose to focus on managing the Yuan and Yan Prefectures as the line of frontier defense. After the Battle of the Three Passes, Fu Shen officially took the post of Commander of the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry, and was rewarded with the title of Marquis of Jing Ning.


    Given Fu Shen¡¯s desperate efforts turning the tide14 of the war, it would have been perfectly justified for him to inherit the title of Duke according to feudal nobility tradition. But the Yuantai Emperor wavered, and actually ended up completely ignoring the ancestral system. Not only did he approve the third young master of the Fu clan to inherit the Duke of Ying title instead, he also quietly conspired for Fu Shen to split off from the Duke of Ying residence and live on his own.


    Any discerning eye could see that the Fu clan had scared His Majesty with the possibility that their family could produce a Duke of Ying that would truly be ¡°renowned throughout the ages.¡±


    But some people were destined to go against the current. In just a few years, the Marquis of Jing Ning Fu Shen deepened his grasp over the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry. He rose straight to becoming Great Zhou¡¯s firm tower of strength, while also being a thorn in the eye of the Tatar and Zhe peoples. The lack of conflict in Northern Xinjiang these past few years, enabling the common people in the north to live and work in peace and contentment, could be mostly credited to him. As long as Fu Shen was present in the army, even if he was sitting completely still as just a mascot, he would always be the greatest deterrent to the various northern tribes.


    Faced with these ordinary people exaggeratedly shooting off their mouths, the young nobleman first listened to their words as amusing jokes. But when he heard the phrase ¡°The capital can still sleep peacefully¡±, his smile completely dissipated. Seeing him in a daze, Xiao Xun hurriedly lifted the teapot to add water to his tea, and deliberately interrupted: ¡°Gener¡­ Young master, we still have to hurry on with our journey in the afternoon, you should take a few more refreshments.¡±


    The young nobleman recovered his composure, picking up his bowl to sip a mouthful of hot tea. The corner of his mouth turned up, and his smile actually carried a hint of ridicule. He sighed to himself: ¡°If these words are spread, how many people will not be able to sleep peacefully¡­¡±


    A nearby guest wearing a conical bamboo hat was attracted by their conversation. He hogged the conversation to mysteriously interject: ¡°I have often heard people say that ¡®Extreme strength is inevitably followed by disgrace, while extreme prosperity forebodes the beginning of decline.¡¯ Just think about it: the Marquis of Jing Ning has fought in Northern Xinjiang for so many years, doesn¡¯t his situation exactly match this saying? All those famous generals in history were either short-lived or lonely and heirless. This is because they were all General Stars coming down to earth, destined for mass slaughter15, different from ordinary people. In my opinion, the Marquis of Jing Ning was likely born under the Seven Killings Star12. What happened to his legs was probably the result of committing too many sins of murder¡­¡­¡±


    With a loud shattering noise, the bowl in Xiao Xun¡¯s hand was crushed into several pieces. Blood dripped from between his fingers. Everyone followed the sound to look over, each and every one stunned and astonished. The tea shop immediately fell into an awkward and embarrassed silence.


    ¡°Your hand erroneously used too much strength, next time I will buy you an iron rice bowl to save you from ruining things.¡± The young nobleman¡¯s expression remained exactly the same as before. He carelessly spoke: ¡°Put on some medicine yourself. Don¡¯t forget to pay compensation in a bit.¡±


    Xiao Xun bowed his head and hummed in acceptance.


    The conversation interrupted by this small episode had no way of continuing any more. No matter how extravagantly that man described immortals coming to earth, these were not any auspicious words of praise. This time it was a broken tea bowl, but next time one might get surrounded and beaten up.


    Only that young nobleman seemed out of tune with the current atmosphere, watching the excitement without placing much importance on what just happened. He smiled slightly: ¡°Interesting. According what this brother is saying, similar to how those short-lived and lonely ones must have committed a crime¡­ Since the Marquis of Jing Ning has already become disabled, it seems he will soon marry a wife.¡±


    Xiao Xun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Someone else slapped the table and rose: ¡°What true man will need to worry about suffering without a wife?! A hero like the Marquis of Jing Ning can have any kind of woman he¡¯d like!¡±


    Another person echoed: ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! And if he is interested in men, how many good men are waiting to marry16 him!¡±


    A burst of earth-shattering laughter broke out in the tea shack.


    Male marriages had been fashionable in the previous dynasty, so although the Great Zhou Dynasty prohibited marriage between men among the common people, influential officials were exempt from this taboo. There was even precedent of the emperor bestowing a male marriage. As a famous golden bachelor in the capital, the Marquis of Jing Ning was the dream man for countless girls in their boudoirs. But he had delayed marriage for so long that some people guessed his interests were unusual.


    When it came to these petty romantic affairs, everyone¡¯s enthusiasm for conversation grew even further. The young nobleman no longer interjected, only silently listening to them discussing the life of the Marquis of Jing Ning. He always had a hint of a smile on his lips, as if listening to an extremely fascinating and wonderful story.


    After a moment of silence, Xiao Xun whispered in reminder: ¡°Gener¡­ Young master, the sun has already set, are we leaving now?¡±


    ¡°Mmm? Yes, leaving.¡± The young nobleman reached out a hand to allow Xiao Xiao to lift him up. He carelessly cupped his hand in salute at the merchants: ¡°Brothers, this humble one is rushing to the capital and will leave first.¡±


    Everyone raised their hands to bid farewell to him. Xiao Xun supported him onto the carriage and let down the curtain. The carriage rumbled and horses for hundreds of steps, when Xiao Xun suddenly heard the young nobleman¡¯s voice coming from inside the carriage: ¡°Zhongshan17, give me a pill of medicine.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t Doctor Du say to take the medicine half an hour before arriving?¡± Xiao Xun took out a delicate purse which contained a white bottle of eggshell porcelain. ¡°We still have two more hours before we enter the capital.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± a hand stretched out from under the curtain and plucked the porcelain bottle away, ¡°Ahead is the capital¡¯s military barracks. Our current appearance can fool the ordinary people, but will definitely be recognized in the capital barracks. I definitely will not have the time to pretend to be crippled on the spot.¡±


    Xiao Xun apprehensively muttered: ¡°But you inherently are actually crippled¡­¡±


    The ill young nobleman¡ªthat is, the ¡°Destined for Mass Slaughter¡± Marquis of Jing Ning, Fu Shen, lifted his chin and swallowed a brown pill the size of a fingertip. He laughed: ¡°Zhongshan, between a general with hope of recovery and a completely disabled cripple¡­ which do you think would allow you to sleep easier?¡±


    Xiao Xun did not say any more.


    Fu Shen threw the porcelain bottle back to him, closed his eyes, and waited for the incoming numbness to spread through his limbs. He whispered: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Footnotes: (still haven¡¯t beat WAFIL¡¯s record yet)


    1. These are all real-world places in Northeast China. You can see the precise locations courtesy of our good friends at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangyang_District and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyun_District. And yes, this confirms that the capital in this novel is Beijing.


    2. To be specific, he asks ¡°ºÃ¿´Ã´?¡± which can mean both ¡°Am I good to look at?¡± and ¡°Am I that good-looking?¡±


    3. Ò½õ»¹Ïç lit. ¡°to come back to one¡¯s hometown in silken robes¡± basically means to return in glory.


    4.  The full title in Chinese is Ó±¹ú¹«. Interestingly enough, this same title was granted to the historical figure Fu Youde (same last name as the Fu family here  He even suffered the same problem of being a brilliant general yet ultimately being suppressed by the emperor.) Ó± (y¨«ng) means clever/gifted/outstanding. Again, ¹« is Duke, the highest non-imperial nobility.


    5. ±øÇ¿Âí׳ lit. ¡°strong soldiers and sturdy horses¡±


    6. ÊÆÈçÆÆÖñ lit. ¡°like splitting a bamboo¡±, basically meaning to overpower with irresistible force


    7. The specific term is ÂùÒÄ (m¨¢n y¨ª), which was a common term for non-Han peoples that was not necessarily derogatory. I used the simplified term of barbarian.


    8. ÁëÄÏ (l¨«ng n¨¢n) refers to the south of the Nanling Mountains. This is an old term for south China, particularly the location of the modern-day Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan provinces.


    9.¸ÊÖÝ is short for Gansu Province, located in the Northwest of China near Mongolia.


    10.ÉÏÖù¹ú½«¾ü: this was an honorary title of meritorious service by high-ranking military commanders. Don¡¯t ask me what the English translation for this is \o/ . Though ÉÏÖù roughly translates to ¡°upper pillar.¡±


    11. Èõ¹Ú (ru¨° gu¨¡n) refers to how in the past, when Chinese young men reached the age of 20, they would celebrate their coming of age by wearing a crown.


    12. ½«ÐÇ lit. ¡°General/Commander Star¡± was an auspicious star in Chinese astrology/divination, symbolizing generals. I believe it was also known as the ÆßɱÐÇ or ¡°Seven Killings Star¡±, associated with bravery, decisiveness, and impulsiveness. (I really don¡¯t understand Chinese astrology at all so I¡¯m kind of fumbling in Google Search over here. All these random astrology blogs are literally just mumbo-jumbo to me.)


    13. Ò°Á¼ (y¨§ li¨¢ng): Ò° means ¡°wild¡± while Á¼ can mean ¡°fine or good¡±. I don¡¯t know if this has any ulterior meaning so I kind of translated it at random.


    14. Á¦Íì¿ñÀ½ lit. ¡°to pull strongly against a crazy tide¡± basically means to try hard to salvage a desperate crisis


    15. ÃüÖ÷ɱ·¥; Please have mercy, don¡¯t ask me the exact details of Chinese astrology


    16. Interestingly enough, Chinese actually has multiple terms for marriage, different from the perspective of the bride vs. the groom. Here the gossipers use ¼Þ, which is the term for a bride to marry her husband (i.e. Fu Shen would be the ¡°husband¡± while the other man would be the ¡°wife.¡±)


    17. Just to clarify, this is calling Xiao Xun by his courtesy name. Again, people in ancient China often had multiple names. Xiao is his surname, Xun is his name given at birth, while ÖØɽ (zh¨°ng sh¨¡n, roughly means ¡°Heavy Mountain¡±) is his courtesy/style name given at adulthood. We¡¯ll learn the MC¡¯s courtesy name soon.

 CH 3

    Chapter 3 ¨C Entering the Official Residence


    It was evening at the capital camp garrison in the western outskirts one hundred Li outside of the capital.


    The Sharp Wind Camp commander Zhong He came out personally to meet their entourage, and Xiao Xun stepped forward to salute. Before he even finished the ceremony, Zhong He had already left him behind, hurriedly rushing towards the carriage and bowing in salute: ¡°This lowly general1 of the Sharp Wind2 camp, Commander Zhong He, greets General Fu!¡±


    The Sharp Wind Camp was ranked first among the five major military camps of the capital. Zhong He was a third-ranked3 official and therefore already very respectable himself, but he was even more reverent in his treatment of the Marquis of Jing Ning.


    A bandaged hand lifted up the curtain, and the strong scent of medicine slowly spread through the air. Fu Shen did not wear armor, only robes. His chest and arms were fully wound with bandages, and the blanket covering his legs hung down to his feet. His complexion was pale with a green tinge, his lips completely bloodless, and his hair was scattered down his shoulders. His entire person seemed to only hang by a single breath, so weak as if he would topple over to a gentle breeze.


    (Credit: Lusankan at http://lusankan.lofter.com/post/1f33b12c_12d200361)


    Fu Shen nodded towards him in greeting: ¡°Commander Zhong, I trust you have been well since last we met. Forgive this humble one¡¯s4¡­ cough¡­inconvenience moving, I cannot get up to return the salute.¡±


    Zhong He had long since heard the news of how he had been seriously injured and could no longer walk, but he could never have imagined Fu Shen¡¯s injury was actually this severe. He originally had not truly believed the rumors of ¡°Fu Shen being truly disabled.¡± However, now seeing this scene with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe it. Given Fu Shen¡¯s current look, don¡¯t mention recovering his original appearance¡ª¡ªit seemed that even safely and steadily living a few more years would be a problem.


    Zhong He¡¯s vision darkened, and he felt a chill run down his body from head to toe. Even his manner of address changed from grief: ¡°Jingyuan5, this injury of yours¡­ You¡­¡±


    His voice trembled as he trailed off and his eyes reddened, as if Fu Shen was not injured but about to die very soon. The corner of Fu Shen¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch, and he sighed: ¡°Many thanks for Commander Zhong¡¯s concern and care. It truly is just a leg injury and not life-threatening.¡± He sighed, ¡°Zhongshan, hurry and find a handkerchief for Commander Zhong to wipe his tears.¡±


    Many years ago, Zhong He had once served in the Yuan Prefecture military. He had been acquaintances with Fu Tingzhong and Fu Tingxin, and somewhat counted as a senior6 to Fu Shen. Unfortunately, later on Fu Shen took over the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry, and after spending many years immersed in Northern Xinjiang refusing to come back, these old friendships with those of his father¡¯s generation had gradually faded away.


    However, at this moment, he was seriously injured and looked extremely wan and sallow. This appearance suddenly made Zhong He forget his status. He could only remember that vigorous and lively boy who had always followed behind Fu Tingxin. He then considered how Fu Shen was completely solitary, without any parents above him or any children running around his knees; he actually did not even have a single close friend by his side to aid and assist him. Seeing how he had suffered an incurable disability at this young age, Zhong He could not help but be overcome by sorrow and grief: ¡°It is all because of our incompetence. We couldn¡¯t stop you from entering the battlefield back then, so disaster was able to strike in the present. When I go down to the underworld in the future, what face will I have to see your father and uncle!¡±


    ¡°Commander Zhong,¡± Fu Shen felt a headache coming on and supported himself on the side of the carriage, ¡°Don¡¯t mention those events that have already passed. I am fine, there is no need for you to be in such grief.¡±


    He refused to call Zhong He ¡°Noble Uncle7¡± from beginning to end, so while Zhong He remained in low spirits, he also felt Fu Shen was truly very cold and indifferent. The sky had already darkened and Fu Shen¡¯s party was hurrying to enter the capital, so the two bid farewell here. After changing, the fine Northern Yan riders continued to gallop in the direction of the capital so as to enter before the city gates closed.


    The last time Fu Shen had returned to Beijing was three months ago. The capital had not changed, still bustling and prosperous with lights everywhere like always. The accompanying Northern Yan soldiers rarely had the chance to come to the capital, so they looked around as they walked and the speed of their entourage gradually slowed as a result. Their party of travelers on the street was really too conspicuous. Fu Shen considered the situation over, before he waved to call Xiao Xun over and whispered an order: ¡°First send me back to my official residence, then you can take them out to stroll around as they please. No visiting prostitutes or gambling, no making trouble. Put any expenses on my account. Now go.¡±


    Xiao Xun didn¡¯t even think to refuse: ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°I told you to go, so go,¡± Fu Shen seemed to be lacking in strength and his voice was very quiet, but his words were goading and insulting enough to make one¡¯s fists itch: ¡°Xiao Zhongshan, if you keep orbiting around my feet and following my every step, I won¡¯t be able to keep up my reputation ¡ª¡ªIf I cannot marry a wife, you will have to be my dutiful and filial son by my bed in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    Xiao Xun could not beat this mischievous general at this game, and could only accept his orders in embarrassment.


    After turning through a small alley, they arrived at a clean and tidy street. This area was comprised solely of mansions for meritorious and high nobility, built with exquisite elegance and emitting a majestic aura, quieter and more tranquil than the homes of ordinary people. The residence of the Marquis of Jing Ning was located at the northeast corner. The old housekeeper servants dismantled the threshold to welcome the carriage into the door, and all the servants waited in the atrium. Upon seeing the master of their mansion being carried out by his subordinates, they all hesitated and shrunk back to the side, not daring to go forward.


    After Fu Shen had been sealed as Marquis, he was cut off from the Duke of Ying official residence to live separately. He had not cared at all about this large mansion. The servants had been old, weak, or sick ones pulled by his stepmother from her maiden family of Qin, each working for around four or five years after being sent here. Fu Shen very rarely used this home and had no friendships or bonds with the servants. On the rare occasions where he actually did return here to live for a short period of a time, this group of people behaved like mice who had seen a cat, timidly hiding away in the kitchen and the servant rooms. Aside from any absolutely necessary tasks, they never emerged to enter his eyes.


    Fortunately, although the servants feared him, they had not abandoned their work and chores. Xiao Xun carried Fu Shen back to the bedroom and asked the servants for hot water. He took off Fu Shen¡¯s robe for him, wiped his face clean, and supported him to lie down on the bed. The moment Fu Shen had been cleaned up, he promptly burned his bridges8 and kicked Xiao Xun straight out, ¡°Go do what you¡¯re supposed to do. Have someone leave a door open for you at night. The rear court is entirely composed of wing rooms, you may all sleep there as you wish. Forgive me if there is any incompleteness in treatment.¡±


    Xiao Xun saw Fu Shen could barely conceal the tiredness and exhaustion on his face any longer, so he did not say another word and tactfully left.


    The pills he had taken in the afternoon had a very strong soporific effect, and Fu Shen had forced himself to resist the urge to sleep this whole time in order to socialize with the men in the capital garrison. At this moment he could no longer hold on; almost the exact moment Xiao Xun pushed the door to leave, Fu Shen fell straight into a drowsy dream.


    From outside the window, an old servant perked up his ears to listen for a while. Only when long and even breath sounds came from inside did he tiptoe out of the inner court. He let the cook prepare some easily digestible congee and keep it warm on the stove, to serve when the master woke up.


    Fu Shen and his entourage had traveled light, and had walked into the capital using the proper roads. The news of their arrival was thus quickly transmitted into the palace and to the ears of the courtiers. Still, no one should be visiting at this moment, so after the old servant sent away Xiao Xun and the others, he closed the main entrance and left only a corner gate open. But who could have expected that not even an hour after Fu Shen fell asleep, a burst of urgent and powerful door knocks came from outside the Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s official residence.


    The doormen did not dare to be irreverent and hurried inside to report. The only useful old servant in the house dragged himself over as fast as he could on his unwieldy legs. As soon as he made it, he was shocked stiff by the sight of a group of black-clothed men riding heavy horses with personal swords hanging off their waists. The old servant was utterly stricken with terror: ¡°May¡­ May I ask these gentlemen¡­¡±


    The crowd of people parted on their own volition. A man of tall and imposing stature emerged from the throng, stopping his horse in the light outside the shadow of the eaves. That very moment, the cloud patterns on his dark blue clothes flashed and flickered like flowing water, and the silver-embroidered pegasi on the back of his outer robe spread their wings in preparation for flight. The moonlight and lamplight illuminated a beautiful face with smiling eyes and thin lips.


    ¡°Old man9, there is no need to panic.¡± He politely nodded in greeting, but his tone of voice was full of arrogance: ¡°Flying Dragon Guard Royal Inspector Envoy10 Yan Xiaohan, following His Majesty¡¯s decree to specially invite a famous doctor to see to the Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s wounds. If I may bother you to go notify the Marquis.¡±


    The old servant could not tell between the uniforms of different officials, but he had served in two official residences for several decades and was as such very familiar with the name ¡°Yan Xiaohan.¡± His heart suddenly thumped in his chest, and he tried to stall with evasive words: ¡°This¡­ my master has just completed a long and arduous trip, and his body is also injured. Just now he already fell asleep, Sir11, you see¡ª¡ª¡±


    From the court to the countryside, there was not a single person who did not know the Flying Dragon Guard had always acted with overbearing tyranny, and there were even fewer who dared to stop them. Yan Xiaohan glanced condescendingly down at him. The hand holding the horse reins was pale and gaunt, and the sleeves of his robes slipped to reveal a small ice-cold bracer made of wrought iron. With a faint imitation of a smile on his face, he asked: ¡°What, is this old man9 very afraid of me meeting your Marquis?¡±


    He was indeed right on.


    This was no secret in the capital. Yan Xiaohan, the Left Divine Martial Army12 General and Flying Dragon Guard Royal Inspector Envoy, was the mightiest and most dangerous official in the capital in recent years. He was also the lackey of the imperial court who everyone did their best to avoid, the eyes and ears of the emperor himself. Even more terrible, he and the Marquis of Jing Ning Fu Shen were born to clash with each other. They had long since been incompatible, a pair of arch-enemies set in stone. It was said that any meeting between them would end in a fight, and even the emperor could not stop them. Just this year, at morning court three months ago, the two men came into conflict over the matter of the imperial court dispatching envoys to reside in and supervise all military garrisons. In front of all the great ministers, they actually derided each other for half an hour, and almost descended into a bout of fisticuffs in public. The emperor was so furious he smashed an imperial ink stone. Only after punishing both men with a fine of half a year¡¯s salary and hurriedly sending Fu Shen back to Northern Xinjiang was the matter resolved.


    Now the wheel of fortune had reversed; Fu Shen had returned to the capital in dire straits, while Yan Xiaohan still possessed that same high status and powerful position. If he decided to pursue revenge for those private affairs, how could their Marquis¡¯s body bear it!


    The old servant had a guilty conscience, and terror and fright showed on his face: ¡°This insignificant one does not dare. It is just that my Marquis is truly incapable of bearing any torment, may I ask Sir¡¯s forgiveness.¡±


    Taking advantage of this speaking time, Yan Xiaohan looked around the Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s official residence. The courtyard was tidy yet desolate. He could see the traces of the servants¡¯ maintenance, but it still seemed to lack the air of actually being lived in. He let out an unnoticeable sigh, and made a concession: ¡°I did not come to make trouble for him¡­ Never mind, you do not need to notify him, I will just go in to glance him over, and then leave.¡±


    The old servant insisted, but he was truly out of his league and could only retreat to let him in. He lit a lantern and led the way in front. Yan Xiaohan had his accompanying Flying Dragon Guard stay in the forecourt to avoid the presence of excessive people and movements causing any misunderstandings. He only brought a young man with a meager and gentle scholar-like appearance to enter the inner court.


    The enormous Marquis¡¯s residence was completely empty. There were a few trees planted in the yard. Their fallen leaves had built up extensively during a period without cleaning, as if the entire capital¡¯s bleak autumn had all landed in this courtyard. The sky was dark at this time, and the other courtyards were silent and uninhabited. Pitch-black darkness covered the residence. Only a weak and faint yellow glow seeping from the main room window seemed to add a hint of desolation.


    Yan Xiaohan was still able to restrain himself, but the young man walking next to him had already shaken his head again and again, whispering: ¡°The Marquis of Jing Ning is of such background and merit, how is his home so¡­¡±


    The old servant sympathized and sighed deeply: ¡°The Marquis has guarded the border for many years, and often cannot return home for three or five years. There is no wise and kind wife in the family who can preside over and manage the housework. All that remains is us old useless ones, incapable of sharing the Marquis¡¯s cares and burdens¡­¡±


    As he rambled on and on, he reached out to open the door of the main hall for these guests and invited the two to take a seat. He lit all the lamps and then ordered others to prepare tea: ¡°The two of you please wait here, I will go invite the Marquis.¡±


    He had barely finished speaking when a muffled thud sounded from the inner chamber on the west side, as if something heavy had fallen from a height onto the ground. The old servant¡¯s hand trembled. He had not yet reacted when the Flying Dragon Guard Imperial Envoy who had just been standing beside him moved as fast as the wind, flashing into the inner room in the blink of an eye.


    Footnotes:


    1. Ä©½«: I¡¯m not too sure about this, but I think this is an archaic humble term of self-address used by a general to a superior.


    2. Èñ·ç: Èñ = ¡°sharp¡±, ·ç = ¡°wind¡±


    3. In ancient China, the positions of officials were divided into nine ranks, with first rank as the highest. Zhong He is the third rank (ÈýÆ·), which is indeed pretty impressive.


    4. Fu Shen calls himself ¡°¸µÄ³¡±lit. ¡°A certain Fu¡±. This is a humble way to refer to yourself (inserting your last name in place of Fu of course), basically divesting yourself of any claim to titles or honors.


    5. ¾´Ô¨ (j¨¬ng yu¨¡n): ¾´ = ¡°respect, salute¡±; Ô¨ = ¡°deep abyss¡±. This is Fu Shen¡¯s courtesy name! Everyone besides Fu Shen¡¯s close friends and family will refer to him using this (as ¡°Fu Jingyuan¡±), especially if they wish to show respect.


    6. Given Chinese culture¡¯s focus on respect for one¡¯s elders and taking care of one¡¯s juniors, saying someone is your ³¤±² lit. ¡°elder or senior¡± also implies a mentor relationship.


    7. ÊÀÊå: I think ÊÀ refers to being of a noble house, and Êå means uncle (specifically a man who is of the same generation as one¡¯s father but younger). Zhong He wanted Fu Shen to call him using this since it has a greater focus on the relationship between their noble families, as opposed to the impersonal military ¡°Commander.¡±


    8. ¹ýºÓ²ðÇÅ lit. ¡°after crossing the river, dismantle the bridge¡± basically means to abandon one¡¯s benefactor once their help is no longer needed.


    9. ÀÏÈË¼Ò is a polite term for an old woman or man. I was kind of unsure how to translate this since ¡°old man¡± seems a bit informal, but oh well.


    10. Whoo boy. ·ÉÁúÎÀ literally translates to ¡°Flying Dragon Guard¡±, which I think is the term for the direct imperial guard for this emperor. ÇÕ²ìʹ I had trouble looking up, but decided to translate each individual character which vaguely became ¡°Royal Inspector Envoy.¡±


    11. ´óÈË (d¨¤ r¨¦n) is a title of respect used towards superiors. I decided to translate it as Sir for now.


    12. The ÉñÎä¾ü or ¡°Divine Martial Army¡± was one of the Imperial Guard troops during the Tang Dynasty, with two leaders who were basically supposed to be the Right and Left Hands of the throne respectively.

 CH 4

    Chapter 4 ¨C Visiting a Patient


    Fu Shen did not sleep well. The medicine he took had countless side effects including heart palpitations, nightmares, and shortness of breath. Halfway between sleep and waking, he felt as if a large boulder was pressing down on his chest. He could not move, his head spun, and his ears buzzed¡ª¡ªit was exactly the symptoms of ¡°sleep paralysis¡±1 described by the commonfolk.


    Although Fu Shen had not yet fully awakened, his consciousness was clear. He quietly slowed down his breathing and tried to blink his eyes. When he finally regained control of his eyelids, he reached out to grab the bed in order to try and sit up¡ª¡ª


    But he forgot that his legs were still disabled and he had no sensation below his knees. His arms and abdomen both used force at the same time. Because of this excessive force as well as his unstable center of gravity, he toppled over and fell straight off the bed.


    The bed was not particularly high, but there was a footstool right underneath. When Fu Shen fell down, his abdomen was first poked harshly by the footstool. Then he landed on his back onto the ice-cold floor tiles, knocking the back of his head to the point where his vision darkened and his ears could not stop buzzing.


    But before he could feel the dull pain start up, the door of the bedroom was kicked open and someone rushed into the room to pick him up in their arms. The coolness of the autumn night still floated up from that person¡¯s sleeves, but their palm was so warm it almost felt scalding.


    Fu Shen was hugged up, his head leaning against that person¡¯s chest and his face pressed against the dark blue brocade official¡¯s robes. The fabric felt soft and smooth to the touch, and a wave of warm and tranquil eaglewood2 fragrance seeped from the collar and sleeves. This seemed to be a person he was very familiar with, but that suddenly came off as strange because of the close distance between them.


    His burning-hot breath saturated the thin clothing, so scalding that the person¡¯s body suddenly tightened up in shock. He was immediately set back onto the bed, and a slightly rigid hand was placed on his forehead: ¡°How is your breath this hot, do you have a fever?¡±


    As both his blurry line of sight and the pain in his body gradually cleared up, Fu Shen recognized the person holding him. His first action was to push that hand away: ¡°What did you come here for?¡±


    Following behind, the old servant and the young Flying Dragon Guard heard this cold and harsh interrogation as they entered the door. They immediately halted in place, thinking the rumors weren¡¯t false after all: neither of these two men were nice friendly people, and when the fighting inevitably began it would be of utmost importance to first hold down Yan Xiaohan.


    Yan Xiaohan shut his eyes and took a deep breath, not wanting to stoop to Fu Shen¡¯s level. He stiffly said: ¡°Your fever is making you confused, get up and drink some water. I will have someone take your pulse and give you a prescription.¡±


    Fu Shen closed his eyes and gave a lukewarm reply: ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Let¡¯s talk business: Sir Yan honors my humble abode with your presence in the deep of night, what teachings have you come to enlighten me with?¡±


    Yan Xiaohan ignored him. Without asking first, he walked to the table and picked up the teapot. Upon pouring out a half-cup of already cold tea, his expression immediately darkened. He coldly glanced at the old servant: ¡°This is how you serve your master?¡±


    Fu Shen felt his head ache: ¡°Are you still not done yet¡­¡±


    Yan Xiaohan said: ¡°The Marquis¡¯s noble body is incomparably precious3, how could such a slight be tolerated? If you continue to be so careless, don¡¯t blame this official for reporting this status of affairs to His Majesty and exacting punishment.¡±


    Fu Shen¡¯s fingers, hanging by his side, twitched almost unnoticeably.


    The old servant was by no means capable of enduring this kind of fright, and hurriedly knelt down to plead for mercy. Fu Shen was so annoyed that he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and finally gave in: ¡°That¡¯s enough, thank you Sir Yan for managing my household servants in this Marquis¡¯s place.¡±


    His words carried a hint of sarcastically rebuking Yan Xiaohan for meddling in other people¡¯s business. Yan Xiaohan adeptly went with the flow4, icily spitting out a ¡°Bring some hot water¡± before reluctantly showing generosity and letting the servant go.


    There were now only three people left in the room. Yan Xiaohan stood by the bed and looked down to watch him. The bedside lamp was not bright enough, so most of Fu Shen¡¯s face was trapped in the shadows, making the outline of his features appear especially sharp with hidden depths. He had truly been worn down to just skin and bones, yet was also truly beautiful beyond compare¡ªso beautiful it almost hurt one¡¯s eyes.


    Yan Xiaohan smiled a smile full of very false sincerity: ¡°The Marquis is simply in the heart of the emperor. Hearing of your return to the capital, His Majesty specially ordered me to bring someone to take the Marquis¡¯s pulse.¡±


    Fu Shen¡¯s eyes were half-closed as he spoke with wearied weakness: ¡°Thank Your Majesty for his care in my place. You may go back and reply to the decree: this Marquis is fine. I have already been diagnosed and treated by the Northern Yan Army military doctors, so there is no need to bother any imperial physicians.¡±


    It was rumored in the capital that the Marquis of Jing Ning was headstrong and fiercely independent, immune to both cajolery and coercion5. These did indeed appear to be true.


    The accompanying Flying Dragon Guard military doctor Shen Yi¡¯ce took a step forward. Out of a physician¡¯s benevolence, he intended to entreat the stubborn general on his superior¡¯s behalf. But Yan Xiaohan immediately raised his hand to gesture for him to stop, indicating that he first wait. The expression inadvertently revealed on Yan Xiaohan¡¯s face was exactly like that of one dealing with a troublesome fierce beast.


    ¡°His Majesty is concerned about the Marquis¡¯s injury, so this lowly official6 came here today to give His Majesty peace of mind.¡± Yan Xiaohan looked at Fu Shen¡¯s side profile, slowly and clearly enunciating every word: ¡°To be able to earn the Marquis¡¯s trust, that military doctor in the Northern Yan Army must possess exquisite medical skill. This lowly official is not worried about misdiagnosis. It is just that the Marquis¡¯s injury is so incredibly important, and it is always a good idea to find a few more doctors to check as a second opinion. What do you think?¡±


    Fu Shen lifted his eyelids and met his gaze.


    Meeting this gaze as chilly as cold iron, Yan Xiaohan¡¯s heart shivered. A strange illusion suddenly rose to his mind, as if Fu Shen was looking through him to stare frigidly at another person.


    After a while, this incredibly stubborn Marquis of Jing Ning lowered his eyes. He combed up a handful of scattered long hair and listlessly stretched out a hand, gesturing for Yan Xiaohan to help him up: ¡°Since you¡¯ve already come¡­ then if I may trouble you, please go ahead.¡±


    Shen Yi¡¯ce froze, but Yan Xiaohan did not seem to have realized anything wrong about this arrangement. Fu Shen probably counted as the first person to ever order the Flying Dragon Guard Royal Inspector Envoy around like his own personal maid.


    Yan Xiaohan helped him up, while he himself sat sideways on the bed. Afraid that the head of the bed would bump into his injuries, Yan Xiaohan extended an arm to pad Fu Shen¡¯s back, almost taking him into his arms to prevent him from sliding down. Because of this exact movement, Fu Shen¡¯s hair was scattered, so Yan Xiaohan offhandedly hugged him over and carefully tucked the fallen locks of hair behind Fu Shen¡¯s ear. In this way, most of Fu Shen¡¯s body fell into his arms. The Marquis of Jing Ning probably thought that this ¡®cushion¡¯ was softer than the bed, so he did not make a fuss over how detestable Yan Xiaohan was as a person¡ªafter shifting around a little, he chose a comfortable position to lay down.


    This position appeared too intimate for two ¡°sworn nemeses¡±, but fortunately Shen Yi¡¯ce was entirely concentrated on Fu Shen¡¯s condition. He did not notice when the Royal Inspector Envoy feared by all officials considerately pulled up the blanket and wrapped it around the Marquis of Jing Ning, nor did he see how the Marquis of Jing Ning relaxed his tense back under the quilt and let his entire weight press onto Yan Xiaohan¡¯s body.


    Fu Shen did indeed have a high fever, and after that recent fall his entire body ached all over. He was not actually such a delicate person, but Yan Xiaohan had probably seen too many high-ranking officials akin to ¡°weak willows trembling in the wind¡±7 and thus subconsciously treated him like a fragile vase.


    ¡°The Marquis¡¯s body is injured and his constitution is not as good as before, so he must be careful to avoid the cold. Do not use any chilly items or eat stimulating food. The bedroom should ward off the cold and be free of moisture. Now that the weather has gradually grown colder, charcoal braziers and their frames should be ignited early.¡± After Shen Yi¡¯ce finished feeling his pulse, he released Fu Shen¡¯s wrist and continued: ¡°Marquis please forgive us, this lowly official6 needs to look at the wounds on your legs.¡±


    Yan Xiaohan silently opened the quilt and helped him roll up the cuff of his trousers. During these actions, his fingertips inevitably made contact with skin. Fu Shen felt something abnormal in his motions and gave him a strange look.


    He remembered that Yan Xiaohan clearly did not feel dizzy or sick at the sight of blood, so why was he trembling?


    Although Fu Shen did not feel any pain at the moment, Shen Yi¡¯ce still tried to avoid using too much strength: ¡°The surface wounds have healed very well. The fever must be because of the cold wind outside. The Marquis¡¯s most severe injuries are in the knees and veins. These will require three to five years of slow rehabilitation and have hope of recovering a little, but¡­ I am afraid that standing up and walking will be difficult in the future.¡±


    Yan Xiaohan folded Fu Shen¡¯s trouser legs bag down for him, and rolled him up in the quilt again. Shen Yi¡¯ce took back the wrist-cushion he had used to take the pulse: ¡°I shall write a prescription for the Marquis, first focusing on curing the cold. As for the injuries on the legs and feet, continue to follow the Northern Yan doctor¡¯s treatment plan for the time being. This humble one will go back and consult with the imperial physicians to continue pondering. Drawing on their collective wisdom, we may be able to come up with a better way.¡±


    Just as Fu Shen nodded, he suddenly sucked in a cold breath and hissed: ¡°¡­.Gentler!¡±


    Shen Yi¡¯ce: ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Fu Shen gritted his teeth and flexed the shoulders that Yan Xiaohan had gripped to the point of soreness. He nodded and thanked him. ¡°Thank you Doctor Shen8 for taking all that trouble.¡±


    ¡°I dare not accept your praise,¡± Shen Yi¡¯ce humbly turned sideways. ¡°This lowly official¡¯s medical skills are unrefined, and I am truly ashamed at being unable to help relieve the Marquis¡¯s worries and difficulties.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Shen is by no means unskilled,¡± Fu Shen was instead the most serene and broad-minded one here. ¡°Having been injured to this extent, I am well aware of my own situation. I can only do whatever I can and heed what Heaven has willed for me.¡±


    ¡°Marquis please rest assured, Heaven never seals off all one¡¯s exits¡ªthere will inevitably be a way to cure your injuries.¡± Yan Xiaohan spoke suddenly, and then turned to Shen Yi¡¯ce, ¡°Take the prescription to the servants of the Marquis¡¯s residence and get them to decoct the medicinal herbs. If any medicine is missing, have someone go out to buy it. If none can be found, take some from my own residence.¡±


    Shen Yi¡¯ce sensed that the two of them seemed to have something to say to each other, so he bowed to Fu Shen and followed orders to leave.


    Yan Xiaohan supported Fu Shen to lie back down, his expression unfathomable. He was born with a naturally sincere, kind, and gentle appearance. Looking at his face alone, it would be impossible to tell he was the one who had just pinched the firm and unyielding General Fu until the latter had to suck in a breath of cold air.


    At last, only the two of them were left in the room. Yan Xiaohan pulled out a stool and sat far away from him: ¡°Your legs¡ª¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say it just now, it¡¯s just like this,¡± Fu Shen reached out a hand and interrupted him, ¡°Pour me a glass of water.¡±


    Yan Xiaohan frowned: ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°I still want it if it¡¯s cold, you want me to die of thirst instead?¡± Fu Shen said, ¡°In the same vein, I still have to live even with broken legs.What, would I hang myself for just this?¡±


    Yan Xiaohan was left speechless. He could only empty the half-full cup of residual tea and pour a new one to hand to him: ¡°Doubt remains in His Majesty¡¯s heart, and he specially had me bring people over to check.¡±


    Fu Shen: ¡°Then that old man9 can now be relieved.¡±


    Yan Xiaohan unceremoniously responded: ¡°The way I see it, not necessarily. Aren¡¯t you still breathing?¡±


    Fu Shen looked at him with a clear expression of ¡°you¡¯re making trouble out of nothing again.¡±


    ¡°I always feel like this all isn¡¯t actually real.¡± Yan Xiaohan asked, ¡°You truly didn¡¯t leave yourself an out, or deliberately release falsified news?¡±


    Fu Shen asked back: ¡°Why do you think this?¡±


    Yan Xiaohan straightforwardly replied: ¡°Because you were born with a clever and intelligent appearance. Just looking at your face, you should not be the type to do this kind of idiotic thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Fu Shen shook his head and slowly finished drinking the water. ¡°A weapon in the light is easy to dodge, but an arrow from the dark is difficult to guard against. Thinking that I would never be tricked or fall into a trap¡­ aren¡¯t you thinking of me too much like a god?¡±


    Yan Xiaohan did not expect Fu Shen¡¯s evaluation of himself to be this low, and froze for a moment.


    Entering the military at a young age, achieving awe-inspiring exploits on the battlefield¡­ Fu Shen seemed to exist to break the concept of ¡°impossible.¡± The Marquis of Jing Ning and the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry were invincible myths in many people¡¯s hearts. This image was too deeply rooted in people¡¯s minds, to the point where these illusions had even affected Yan Xiaohan.


    But Fu Shen was just an ordinary person, without three heads and six arms, without copper skin and iron bones. His body of flesh and blood still could not resist a huge boulder falling from the sky.


    ¡°Do you know, on the way back to the capital, I stopped in a tea shop and chatted with people there. I heard them say there is a folk ballad being passed around in the capital, called ¡®As long as Commander Fu is in Northern Xinjiang, the capital can still sleep peacefully¡¯.¡± Fu Shen continued, ¡°It really is ridiculous when put like that. I stayed in Northern Yan for seven, eight years. All this time I thought I was just making a distinguished career for myself, protecting the country and reassuring the people. I was so arrogant and wild that I even forgot my own surname. Now in the end I¡¯ve finally realized that I wasn¡¯t just preventing the Tatars and Zhe people from sleeping¡ªI have even disturbed ¡®that one¡¯s¡¯ peaceful sleep as well¡­..¡±


    Yan Xiaohan said: ¡°Since you have figured it out, why not just simply hand over your military power and go home peacefully for a quiet retirement on a farm? Isn¡¯t being a wealthy and honorable idler better than campaigning on the battlefield or getting caught up in political intrigue in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Come on now,¡± Fu Shen laughed mockingly. ¡°Is this the first time we¡¯ve met? Brother Yan, I thought no matter what, we¡¯d count as ¡®acquaintances who can still engage in deep conversation¡¯, yet you¡¯re still giving me this talk?¡±


    He lowered his voice: ¡°The Eastern Tatars have not given up on their schemes and the Yi people still eye us covetously. How many people in the imperial court have been blinded by these ten years of peace and prosperity? If I leave now, who will take over the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry in the future? Who will be willing to bargain with the imperial court on behalf of the border armies? When the time comes that the attacking army reaches the city gates, would the unluckiest ones not be the ordinary soldiers and innocent common people?¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡±


    Fu Shen abruptly raised his gaze, as if he could not have imagined Yan Xiaohan would so quickly turn against him.


    Yan Xiaohan coldly said: ¡°His Majesty fears you, the courtiers doubt and suspect you, those foolish commonfolk only know how to blindly yell into the wind. Now that you have fallen to this state today, is there anyone who actually cares about you? You barely even have a place to shelter yourself, yet you still have the spare heart to worry for all those under the heavens. Don¡¯t you find this ironic, General Fu?¡±


    These words were cold and heartless, against all societal grace. But against Yan Xiaohan¡¯s expectations, Fu Shen actually did not retaliate sarcastically.


    Yan Xiaohan watched his side-profile with eyes lowered in deep thought, and suddenly realized that Fu Shen¡¯s youthful arrogance and eye-catching sharpness of the past¡­ were currently dimming and fading away.


    By illness and pain, by the wind and snow and dust, or by other things¡­ being completely worn down and whittled away.


    They were separated by a physical distance, but their attitudes were much more frank and open than back in the beginning, to the point where this could almost be called ¡°opening their hearts to each other.¡± The two did indeed disagree, but this disagreement was far from the publicly rumored mutual dislike. They had become acquainted with each other back in their youth, and the relationship of so-called ¡°sworn nemeses¡± was just a misunderstanding they had conveniently taken advantage of. After all, one was an important minister holding military authority, while the other was the beloved and trusted confidant of the Emperor¡ªif their relationship was too good, it would instead attract others¡¯ suspicion.


    They played along as strangers to hide the underlying intimate talks and tacit mutual understanding. But though this arrangement admittedly allowed them to avoid quite a bit of trouble, it also amplified certain differences into a widening gap between the two.


    The Fu clan had earned noble merit generation after generation. Those of Fu Shen¡¯s father¡¯s generation had all died on the battlefield; loyalty and responsibility were almost carved into his bones and flesh. On the other hand, Yan Xiaohan was of humble and lowly origin. He had stepped on countless people to have risen to his current position today. The only thing he obeyed was the imperial will¡ªno principles, no bottom line. He was entirely incapable of understanding these ¡°upright gentlemen of honor¡± who steadily lost money without earning anything in return, even including their ultimate fate.


    In the end, the two of them did not walk the same path. Perhaps both of them had long since expected this. They just had not imagined that the conflict would catch them unprepared, and actually require them to pay such a high price.


    Footnotes:


    1. ¹íѹ´² literally translates to something like ¡°ghost pressing down on you in bed¡±, but today we call this condition Sleep Paralysis. Basically, you are conscious but unable to move. It is often accompanied by hallucinations of a supernatural creature as well as pressure being applied onto one¡¯s chest, with associated fear and panic.


    2. Apparently ³ÁË®Ïã = ¡°lignum aquilariae resinatum¡±? Don¡¯t ask me what this smells like lol.


    3.ǧ½ð¹óÌå literally translates to something like ¡°noble body worth a thousand gold¡±


    4. ˳ÆÂÏ¿ literally translates to something like ¡°dismounting from the donkey when traveling down a slope¡±


    5. ÈíÓ²²»³Ô literally means something like ¡°will eat neither soft nor hard.¡± Basically, you won¡¯t get any results no matter if you sweet-talk him or threaten him.


    6.Ϲ٠lit. ¡°lower official¡± is a humble/self-deprecating term used by government officials to refer to themselves, regardless of their actual rank.


    7. ÈõÁø·ö·ç is imagery for being especially weak/feeble.


    8. Fu Shen technically calls Shen Yi¡¯ce ¡°ÏÈÉú¡±, which normally translates to ¡°Mr.¡± However, this term is also uniquely used to address teachers and doctors. I just kept it as Doctor since that feels the most natural in English.


    9. ÀÏÈË¼Ò is a polite term for an old woman or man. I was kind of unsure how to translate this since ¡°old man¡± seems a bit informal, but oh well.

 CH 5

    Chapter 5 ¨C Devising Plans


    In the Duke of Ying official residence.


    The autumn breeze was cool, but the room¡¯s interior remained warm and cozy. The long couch was set up right by the window, the ebony wood of the short table before it studded with various snacks and fresh fruits. A still immature youth stuck out his feet, putting on an act of lowering his head to read the scroll in his hand. Yet as the minutes ticked by, he did not turn a single page. The floor below the couch was crowded with standing servant maids, who periodically shot each other glances, or stuck out their lips, or secretly gestured to one another. Amidst their delighted activity, there was not a single moment of cordial behavior. Attracted by their bustling care, the youth was just about to ready himself to make trouble, when suddenly a young maid ran in from outside and crisply announced: ¡°The Madame has arrived.¡±


    The faces of all present immediately turned dignified and severe, and the crowd of servant girls settled down to stand in quiet submission. The young master stopped shaking his leg and straightened up his spine. With great rapidity, he propped the book up and arranged his body into a proper appearance. When the ornately dressed lady in question entered the door, what met her eyes was such a ¡°scene of unceasingly dutiful and diligent learning¡±.


    With the support of a servant girl¡¯s hand, Lady Qin1 sat down on the couch. The youth rose and saluted, intimately calling out a ¡°Mother¡± before sitting down again right next to her. Lady Qin pulled his hand and spoke with displeasure: ¡°The sky outside is dark, why is the lamp unlit? Be careful not to ruin your eyes.¡±


    Hearing her words, the servant girls immediately went to light the lamps, as well as bring out fresh tea. The youth carelessly gave a fabricated tale: ¡°I was so absorbed in my reading, I did not even keep track of the time. Why did mother come over here?¡±


    Lady Qin said: ¡°I went to the front yard to see your third uncle and discuss some matters. On the way back, I passed through here so I took the opportunity to come in and take a look, saving me from running another trip tonight.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes flickered2: ¡°Did those matters have to do with my elder brother?¡±


    Lady Qin glared at him: ¡°You know so much, don¡¯t you. Instead of studying properly during the day, all you do is inquire around about these trivialities.¡±


    ¡°The news has gone around the entire capital by now, do I even need to deliberately inquire?¡± The teenager sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just ¡®legs broken, cannot stay on the frontier any longer, can only return to the capital in retirement¡¯?¡±


    Hearing this, Lady Qin pursed her lips. She pressed his hand heavily, but did not rebuke him, and only gave an order to the surrounding servants: ¡°All of you withdraw. I shall speak to Ya-Er3 alone for a while.¡±


    The crowd of servants retreated out of the room. Two of the older maids guarded the hallway outside, while the rest went to the courtyard to play. Serving the young masters are some pretty little gimmicks, some of them are quite innocent, and the two sorrowful sorrows are good together. Two girls who were particularly close friends huddled together, whispering on the topic of what they had just heard in the young master¡¯s room. One angrily said: ¡°No wonder Eldest noble son4 wants to live away from here. If he was home here, wouldn¡¯t he be incessantly tormented by ¡®that person¡¯?¡±


    Another servant smiled: ¡°That may not be the case. What you don¡¯t know is that during the period he was home, our madam and young master looked at him the way mice look at a cat. The appearance of a talented beauty5, but with the temperament and disposition of storm and thunder¡ªthat¡¯s what¡¯s called a true man of indomitable spirit6.¡±


    ¡°Eldest young master is a hero at such a young age, yet he has become an unmentionable in his own home. Unfortunately, our young master is heartless and ungrateful, far inferior to his own elder brother, and only listens to the prompting of insignificant rascals¡­¡±


    Another girl came over and lightly patted the back of her hand: ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Since they were born from different mothers, how could the eldest noble son count as his ¡°own big brother¡¯? Only Second young lady, the current Prince of Qi¡¯s Consort, can truly call him elder brother. As for our young master and that crown prince¡¯s primary consort7, in the eldest noble son¡¯s heart they are likely a thousand miles more distant than cousins.¡±


    The Duke of Ying Fu Tingzhong¡¯s original wife had died early, leaving behind one son Fu Shen and one daughter Fu Ling. When Fu Ling was seventeen years old, she married the third imperial prince, the Prince of Qi, as formal consort. Fu Tingzhong¡¯s second wife Lady Qin gave birth to two daughters and a son. Her elder daughter Fu Ting had entered the palace and was chosen as a primary consort of the crown prince. The younger son Fu Ya and younger daughter Fu Xi were still young, and were therefore kept at home under their mother¡¯s guidance.


    When Lady Qin married into the family, Fu Shen was already an adult who could think for his own, and was therefore not close to her at all. After Fu Ya was born, the two became even more alienated. Due to the limitations of their identities, conflict between the stepmother and the eldest son of the first wife was inevitable. After all, with Fu Shen as the eldest son leading the way, Fu Ya could never get anywhere near the future succession to a noble title.


    But before Lady Qin could take any small actions, Fu Tingzhong was assassinated in northern Xinjiang. At that time, the Yuantai Emperor chose to try and win over those ministers who had given outstanding service, giving preferential treatment to military commanders. He avoided reducing anyone¡¯s official rank, and even broke the rules to grant Fu Tingxin the title of Duke of Ying. Later when Fu Tingxin passed away and the war at the border grew urgent, Fu Shen rushed to the battlefield before the mourning period8 for Fu Tingxin¡¯s death had passed. When the title of Duke had remained consistently vacant, the officials of the Board of Rites followed the secret suggestions of the Yuantai Emperor to grant the third brother Fu Tingyi succession to nobility. When Fu Shen distinguished himself with his great contributions and returned to the imperial court, he was sealed as the Marquis of Jing Ning instead.


    Borrowing this excuse, Lady Qin used the reasoning of ¡°one family, two noble titles¡± and ¡°a tall tree attracts the wind9¡± to bring up her idea to have Fu Shen live elsewhere in a separate residence.


    Fu Shen knew what calculations were going through her head¡ªnothing more than eyeing the noble title and desiring to squeeze him out. But while Lady Qin¡¯s vision lacked foresight, the new Duke of Ying Fu Tingyi thought further into the future. What the Fu family truly relied on was not the title of Duke, but the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry. But three generations of the Fu family had all held close relationships with the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry¡ª¡ªif this continued, the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry would sooner or later change its name to the Fu family¡¯s personal army. What would the world think of this, and what would ¡®that one¡¯ on the Dragon Throne think of this?


    Therefore, the better option would be to retreat one step back today in order to advance two steps  forward in the future. In the future, Fu Shen would undoubtedly grasp the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry firmly in his hands. And the behemoth that was the Duke of Ying official residence, also known as the Fu family, could no longer be so closely tied to the Northern Yan Army.


    After balancing the trade-offs, the subsequent situation looked like this: the commander of the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry, the Marquis of Jing Ning Fu Shen opened another residence to live alone, almost never visiting the Duke official residence; The third lord of the Fu family, Fu Tingyi, inherited the Duke title to act as an idle noble10; Lady Qin took her children to live in the Duke official residence, waiting for Fu Ya to come of age so as to request he be sealed as Heir11.


    Neither mother nor son held any good feelings towards Fu Shen. For Lady Qin, her guilty conscience pained her with every outstanding glory he earned, out of fear that he would bite her back in the future. As for Fu Ya, he probably felt that because Fu Shen had not knelt before him and offered him the Heir title with his own hands, Fu Shen must naturally owe him.


    In the main room, Lady Qin put on a stern face and began to chide Fu Ya: ¡°This mouth of yours¡­ At home you can talk like this, fine, but you must never carelessly gossip like this outside.¡±


    ¡°Motherrrrr¡ª¡ª¡± Fu Ya chucked a fruit into his mouth and dragged his voice out, full of dissatisfaction: ¡°He has long since already separated from the Fu family, why should I be afraid of him?¡±


    ¡°What do you know? Are those words you should be saying in public?¡± Madame Qin lightly slapped his leg, ¡°The memorial tablets12 of his parents are here, he is only living in another residence¡ª¡ªhow is he not a member of the Fu family? He is your elder brother after all, who has achieved a high station at a young age. Although it is said that he has curbed his temper these past few years, he has always been a merciless devil. You should be more careful, and avoid committing any offenses that may fall into his hands.¡±


    Fu Ya snorted carelessly.


    Lady Qin: ¡°After a few years, the family will request for you to be sealed as Duke of Ying. Your third uncle is biased towards Fu Shen, and is eagerly awaiting for you to make any mistake. This is a crucial time in which you absolutely must not make a single wrong move, do you understand?¡±


    She lowered her voice: ¡°My son, endure for a while longer. The time will come when the Duke of Ying title and family business shall all be yours. Even Fu Shen¡­ will only be able to stand on the side and watch.¡±


    Lady Qin¡¯s voice was so low as to be a mere whisper. Fu Ya¡¯s heart trembled, and he looked up: ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother has a way,¡± Lady Qin held his hand tightly. ¡°Rest assured.¡±


    In the East Palace.


    The crown princess consort13 Lady Cen faced a bronze mirror to take off her loop hairpin. The maid combing her hair leaned down and whispered in her ear: ¡°Imperial Concubine14, today Lady Qin from the Duke of Ying residence sent a family member to pay respects to Primary Consort Fu. The two talked for a long while in the palace hall.¡±


    The hands of the crown princess consort paused. After a moment of contemplation, she reached an understanding and smiled: ¡°She may do as she wishes. I heard that the Marquis of Jing Ning has returned to the capital¡ª¡ªLady Qin¡¯s heart must be rather uncomfortable, hence why she rushed over here to flatter our Highness.¡±


    This maid was her treasured confidant, originally sent as part of her dowry. Hearing these words, she still did not understand: ¡°But isn¡¯t the Marquis of Jing Ning¡­..¡±


    ¡°He is crippled, but not yet dead,¡± Lady Cen said, ¡°The Marquis of Jing Ning retains an extremely excellent reputation among the commonfolk and the officials of the imperial court, and he still holds the military might of Northern Xinjiang. Even if he later returns this power to His Majesty, the Northern Yan Army is filled with those who had been under his personal close command, and who will still answer en masse to his call15. To put it somewhat disrespectfully, not just Lady Qin, but even our own Highness must make way for him.


    The crown princess consort Lady Cen¡¯s father was Cen Hongfang, the provincial governor of Jingchu16, who had historically maintained a sense of friendship with the Duke of Ying official residence. In her childhood, Lady Cen had been influenced by what she heard and saw under his knees, and her insight for hidden connections was not inferior to any man¡¯s. If Fu Shen had not left for Northern Xinjiang back then, Cen Hongfang might even have regarded him as a possible option for son-in-law. Disregarding temperament, the Marquis of Jing Ning was an upright man with military glory under his belt, both young and valiant, the heartthrob of countless young unmarried ladies in their boudoirs.


    Lady Cen asked: ¡°I remember Primary Consort Fu has a younger brother by blood, who will request to be sealed as the Heir to the Duke of Ying after two years?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Back in the day, our Highness was originally supposed to be matched with the Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s younger sister by blood, that is, the current consort of the Prince of Qi. At that time the Duke of Ying¡¯s official residence still had the second Fu lord as its master. Since that was his eldest niece, it was not suitable for him to arbitrate this matter on his own initiative, so he instead inquired from the Marquis of Jing Ning.¡± Stroking the hair on her temples, she slowly recalled the rumors circulating in the capital back then. A wave of shallow sorrow without discernible cause suddenly swept over her heart.


    ¡°At the time, the Marquis of Jing Ning was around the same age as the Primary Consort¡¯s younger brother. Upon hearing his sister was unhappy with the marriage, he refused without saying anything further. Their Fu family have always been are tough bones to chew, and the Marquis of Jing Ning went even further, risking the ire of His Highness all to give his younger sister her choice of marriage.¡±


    The Prince of Qi¡¯s Consort Fu Ling had such a wonderful elder brother, truly attracting others¡¯ admiration and envy.


    ¡°Back in the day, for the sake of the position of Heir, Lady Qin abandoned all semblance of shame, from sending women into the palace to dividing the Fu family, making such an unsightly fuss. And what was the result? The Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s younger sister was still magnificently married to the Prince of Qi. If Lady Qin runs into any trouble, she can only count on Primary Consort Fu. Even then, she has to find ways to avoid this princess17, like a lowly thief.¡± Lady Cen sneered, ¡°If her son had even half of the Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s independence and capability, Primary Consort Fu would never need to swallow my insults and stoop so low.¡±


    The maid did not know the name ¡°Marquis of Jing Ning¡± had touched a distant misty regret in her heart. She only thought the crown princess consort was extraordinarily sharp-tongued tonight, and expressed agreement: ¡°Then¡­ Imperial Consort, should we have her stay away from His Highness for the next few days?¡±


    Lady Cen looked into the bronze mirror and murmured under her breath for a moment. After a long while, she waved her hand: ¡°No need. For such worthless18 people, no matter how high His Highness lifts them up, they will always be of no use.¡±


    Night, within the Spring Fragrance Pavilion of the East Palace.


    The crown prince Sun Yunliang had taken the rare occasion to stay the night19, so Primary Consort Fu came forward to serve him, removing his outer robe and attending upon him to finish washing. Although she was as diligent as usual, a tinge of unhappy depression remained within her brows throughout.


    Seeing the slight knotting of her willowy brows, Sun Yunliang only felt her beauty was accentuated by her melancholy, creating a different kind of romantic atmosphere. He could not help but go up to hug her tenderly. Only when the clouds had parted and the rain had stopped20 did he lazily ask: ¡°What is it? What troublesome matter has actually caused you to worry yourself into this state?¡±


    Fu Ting quickly rose, and then knelt down at the foot of the bed in apology: ¡°Today, Mother sent a messenger to inform me of a matter, and this lowly servant21 was frightened into agitation and panic. May His Highness please show mercy and forgiveness for me thus being in somewhat of a trance.¡±


    The Crown Prince raised his hand to hug her back: ¡°This prince22 forgives your offenses. What is on your mind? Speak and I will listen.¡±


    Fu Ting¡¯s frown immediately disappeared, as if she had seen her savior. Her eyes brimmed with reverence and trust, boosting the Crown Prince¡¯s self-satisfaction even further. She moved closer to the crown prince¡¯s ear, her breath as fragrant as orchids: ¡°I do not wish to hide this from Your Highness, but this matter concerns this servant¡¯s elder brother, the Marquis of Jing Ning, Fu Shen¡­¡±


    Footnotes (wow I think this is a new record?):


    1. This woman is referred to as ÇØÊÏ. ÊÏ indicates that her maiden name was ÇØ before she married into the Fu household. Either Madame or Lady Qin would probably work fine as translations, so I just closed my eyes and picked one.


    2. The phrase used here is ¡°ÑÛÖéһת¡± which literally means something like ¡°rotated his eyeballs¡±. It actually means that this person is thinking of a clever idea or something similar.


    3. Lady Qin adds ¶ù (¨¦r) to Fu Ya¡¯s first name. This is an affectionate nickname for a beloved child.


    4. Of note, the servants call Fu Shen ´ó¹«×Ó where ´ó = eldest and ¹«×Ó = noble son (previously translated as ¡°young nobleman¡± in chapter 2). They call Fu Ya ÉÙÒ¯, which is basically ¡°young master.¡±


    5. Ö¥À¼ÓñÊ÷ lit. ¡°orchids and jade trees¡±


    6. ¶¥ÌìÁ¢µØ lit. ¡°able to support both heaven and earth¡±


    7. The crown prince can marry a single wife and also still have many consorts. Here Fu Ting is referred to as Á¼æ·, which is one rank below ¡°wife¡±, so I¡¯ve termed it as ¡°primary consort¡±. There are traditionally two Á¼æ· primary consorts.


    8. ТÆÚ lit. ¡°duration of filial duty¡± refers to how after a dead parent is buried, their children are supposed to spend a period of time mourning. This period of time can range from 36 days to 3 years, and throughout its duration the child is not supposed to participate in any happy affairs like marriage.


    9. Ê÷´óÕзç is equivalent to the English phrase ¡°the nail that sticks out gets hammered down¡±


    10. Ñ«¹ó I believe is specifically referring to ¡°noble title earned through merit¡±


    11. ÊÀ×Ó is a mini-title that basically means ¡°heir to a noble house¡±


    12. Áéλ = Spirit Tablet or Memorial Tablet = placards erected in a household to venerate deceased family members and ancestors


    13. Ì«×Óåú refers to the single wife of the crown prince, which I randomly translated as ¡°crown princess consort¡±. This means Lady Cen ranks higher than Fu Ting (who is one of the two primary consorts)


    14. ÄïÄï is how servants are supposed to address women of the palace (empress, imperial consorts, etc.)


    15. Ò»ºô°ÙÓ¦ lit. ¡°a hundred answers to a single call¡±


    16. ¾£³þ = Jingchu = the territory of the former State of Chu, generally located in Middle-Southern China along the middle of the Yangtze River. ½Ú¶Èʹ = ¡°provincial governor¡±, an official title from the Song Dynasty


    17. Lady Cen calls herself ±¾¹¬, which is how palace women of high title refer to themselves (think empresses and high consorts)


    18. ÀÃÄà·ö²»ÉÏǽ literally translates to something like ¡°One cannot keep soft mud on a wall¡±¨Cbasically ¡°this worthless person will eternally be worthless¡±


    19. ÁôËÞ usually means to ¡°stay overnight¡± like in a hotel/lodge. But of course, an imperial prince or emperor ¡°staying the night¡± at a consort¡¯s place is referring to an entirely different thing.


    20. ÔÆÏûÓêÉ¢ is a euphemism. That¡¯s all I probably need to say lol.


    21. ³¼æª is how the wives and concubines of princes address themselves in their husband¡¯s presence. ³¼ = ¡°servant, minister¡± , æª = ¡°concubine¡±


    22. The crown prince refers to himself as ¹Â, which is a manner of self-address for princes and kings. I just translated it as ¡°this prince¡±.


    Side note: I found a beautiful piece of fanart depicting the assassination attempt on Fu Shen in chapter 1, so please check out that chapter again if you want to see the artwork!

 CH 6

    Chapter 6 ¨C Imperial Summons


    This year was destined to be restless. As the end of the year approached, immediately following the resoundingly shocking case of the Eastern Tatar diplomatic corps encountering an ambush, another rumor about the Northern Yan commander began to quietly spread among the high officials and nobility, traveling with the speed and momentum of a spark starting a prairie fire¡ª¡ª


    The Marquis of Jing Ning Fu Shen was a cutsleeve with the passion of Longyang and the penchant for bitten peach1.


    This news appeared strange and of questionable validity, but upon careful consideration, there were some areas that warranted deliberation. Moreover, it was the nature of people not to fear using the most lowly conjecture to complete the ¡°truth¡±. Before long, a vivid and colorful account of Fu Shen¡¯s romantic history since joining the military had already spread widely throughout the noble families. For certain people, it even became the topic of idle conversation after meals.


    In the state of Great Zhou, this preference for the male style was not a particularly extraordinary thing, and the common people were particularly tolerant. But when this sort of matter involved a general holding military power, it was no longer as simple as a ¡°recreational interest.¡±


    The previous dynasty was called ¡°Yue,¡± and had held the throne for more than a hundred years. Among them, there was an emperor famous through the ages for his romance, posthumously titled2 Ancestor Su.


    Before Ancestor Su was made crown prince, he bestowed favor on a beauty surnamed Han. After ascending to the throne, he not only sealed Lady Han as a Noble Consort, but also granted titles to her father and brothers. Noble Consort Han¡¯s younger brother, named Han Cang, was a man recorded in history as ¡°graceful and elegant in appearance, with the looks of a beautiful woman and the nature of bright pearls and fine jade.¡± Because of his elder sister, Han Cang entered the Luan Ceremonial7 imperial guard troops. While escorting the emperor¡¯s carriage on a tour, he showed his face before the emperor and Ancestor Su fell in love with him at first sight. After returning to the palace, Ancestor Su was unable to forget that face, and actually disregarded the traditional worldly customs to welcome Han Cang into the palace. Though he ever-increasingly received the emperor¡¯s favor, he was excluded from the status of imperial concubine, so Ancestor Su established a title of ¡°Noble Gentleman3¡° equal in title to Noble Consort, so this older sister and younger brother both attended upon the same monarch.


    The Great Yue Dynasty had never had such a precedent, so from the high courts to the common people, there were none who were not shocked. The civil and military officials alike made endless strenuous admonishments, itching to form a line and kowtow themselves to death in front of the palace.


    Although Ancestor Su was a universally shocking romantic, upon casting aside that second identity, he was first and foremost the emperor, the lord of the entire state. He could not tolerate being criticized by a bunch of good-for-nothings for a minor personal affair. In a fit of rage, this cunning emperor actually made an imperial decree allowing high-ranking scholar-officials to take male concubines, and officials above the sixth level4 to take a male wife equal in status to a proper wife.


    Whenever those above obtain benefits, those below will inevitably follow. As soon as this precedent was established, although bystanders took the majority in court, many scholars immediately began to praise the cutsleeve passion as refined and sophisticated. The common people thus followed suit, and this southern wind has continued to flourish ever since, showing no signs of weakening. Ancestor Su remained on the throne for nearly thirty years, and none of the great ministers dared to petition the emperor to abolish this decree.


    Later when the previous Yue dynasty grew increasingly feeble, the emperor at the time, Ancestor Xuan, felt this southern wind had become a rampant fad that violated the traditional heavenly principles and caused population decline, plummeting numbers of robust men, and difficulty with agriculture. As a result, he issued a decree prohibiting marriage between men among the common people. This imperial edict released male concubines home and returned them their body contracts, enabling them to become re-naturalized as heads of their own households. However, there were still exceptions made outside the range of the law¡ªAncestor Xuan not longer allowed men with the status of proper wife to remain in their husband¡¯s family, but also bestowed a special grace: Of officials from the sixth rank or above, dukes and marquises who earned nobility through meritorious service, and members of the imperial family¡­ those who volunteered to marry a man as proper wife were allowed to petition the emperor to grant them a marriage5.


    This edict of grace became Ancestor Xuan¡¯s trump card to check and balance the various powerful ministers and noble relatives. In particular, for those with titles of nobility passed through inheritance, marrying a male wife meant the lack of legitimate children. As a result, the noble title would have no valid heritors and would be taken back by the imperial court after death.


    After the demise of the Yue Dynasty, this ¡°soft knife that slew men without drawing blood¡± saw continued use up to the present day due to its outstanding efficacy. Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there had been more than a dozen great ministers who were bestowed male marriages by the emperor. All had possessed high positions and heavy importance, and held the power to stir up the winds and clouds.


    The commander of the Northern Yan Army, the Marquis of Jing Ning, the eldest son of the Duke of Ying¡­ what all these identities most feared was the phrase ¡°cutsleeve.¡±


    How many people were eyeing him covetously, like tigers stalking their prey? The emperor himself was just in the middle of worrying about a lack of excuse to take back the military power in his hands. Why did this rumor spring up among the upper-class now, precisely at this critical juncture?


    Fu Shen was leading a quiet and peaceful life in retirement at home, not interacting with relatives and friends, so he naturally had no way to know about these rumors. His subordinates had already heard far too many unreliable gossip about the Marquis of Jing Ning. Having witnessed the entire menagerie of extravagant embellishments and horror stories, they had long since stopped paying any attention no matter how strange these tales became.


    But even if it had required extra vigilance, they should never have allowed this rumor to spread in such an unrestrained way.


    The mastermind was sharpening their sword in the dark, while the actual protagonist of the affair was completely uninformed6 and ignorant.


    When the somewhat more vigilant Yan Xiaohan heard this rumor from the mouths of the Flying Dragon Guard, his heart immediately sped up and his instinct warned him of trouble.


    That night, he did not wait for Fu Shen¡¯s answer. Given this specific situation, even the most tenacious person would not remain unshaken. Yan Xiaohan had taken the upper hand in their long standing disagreement, but unfortunately this did not actually make him happy.


    The Yuantai Emperor had not allowed the Flying Dragon Guard to take the case of the Eastern Tatar diplomatic envoy encountering an ambush, so Yan Xiaohan could only choose to investigate in private. The doubts spanning his heart had not disappeared. Even though Fu Shen had said Yan Xiaohan held too high an opinion of him, a man who had emerged unscathed from battlefields falling to such an ambush was akin to a duck mysteriously drowning in a water tank. And that was without mentioning the unusual and inexplicable elements written all over this ambush¡ªeven with the methods of the Flying Dragon Guard at his disposal, Yan Xiaohan was still unable to identify the mastermind.


    Fu Shen¡¯s attitude made him suspect that there were some other secrets behind this case, and Yan Xiaohan needed to find the truth lying behind it.


    It was not because of justice, nor because of morality, but because he wielded an incomparably sharp blade in the emperor¡¯s name. Only when he could see the turbulent undercurrent hidden under the water¡¯s surface would he be able to control the direction of the blade, instead of being countered by its edge or swept away by the undercurrent.


    Successive generations of this dynasty¡¯s emperors had all placed extremely heavy emphasis on the imperial guard. The internal holdings of the Imperial City were guarded by the troops of the Golden Crow, the Luan Ceremonial, the Nine Gates, the Dashing Cavalry, and the Leopard Scabbard7. Each of these five troops were then split into Left and Right branches, for a total of ten guards making up the ¡°Ten Protectors of the Southern Office.¡± Within the imperial palace itself were Feather Forest, the Divine Pivot, and the Divine Martial, each of which were also split into Left and Right divisions. These six troops were specialized as bodyguards, and together they were called the ¡°Six Armies of the Northern Office.¡± Outside of these, the Flying Dragon Guard held inspector powers over all officials and made its rounds over all four borders. The commanding officer of the Flying Dragon Guard was a Higher 3rd-rank4 official known as the Royal Inspector Envoy, with the power to secretly present petitions and memorials to the foot of the emperor himself.


    All the high generals of the Northern Office Armies were members of the Flying Dragon Guard. As the Royal Inspector Envoy, Yan Xiaohan was ranked above the other generals, and therefore held the real power as commander over all the Imperial Guards of the Northern Office.


    The rumor that ¡°the Marquis of Jing Ning was a cutsleeve¡± had been brought into the imperial guards by the high general of the Left Divine Pivot, Wei Xuzhou. The Wei family was huge, with numerous in-laws and relatives to the point where it could claim familial connections with the majority of the noble families in the capital. General Wei was even more blessed by heaven¡ªwithin the Imperial Guards, one could not find another man more enthusiastic than him when it came to playing matchmaker and propagating idle gossip and hearsay.


    The discord between Yan Xiaohan and Fu Shen was well known in the Flying Dragon Guard, so Wei Xuzhou gloated in the latter¡¯s misfortune: ¡°This rumor is really too disgusting. Looking at the Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s usual aloof and noble spirit, I originally thought he was going to have to spend his whole lifetime alone with just his left and right hands for company hahahaha¡­..¡±


    Yan Xiaohan¡¯s brows furrowed deeply: ¡°Where did this news come from?¡±


    General Wei said: ¡°From my second aunt¡¯s8 younger sister¡¯s husband¡¯s cousin9¡­ that is, the wife of the Marquis of Liu En. The Marquis¡¯s family has an unbetrothed daughter who had taken a fancy to the Marquis of Jing Ning. It took some inquiring around in private before they learned there was such a secret.¡±


    Yan Xiaohan massaged his forehead, having absolutely no desire to talk to this fellow.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Wei Xuzhou circled around him twice, finding his reaction strange: ¡°The Marquis of Jing Ning himself has not started to worry about having such a hobby, how come you¡¯re worrying in his place?¡±


    It was strange. Too strange.


    A man who had been lucky for many years suddenly having a completely reversal of fortunes and running out of luck10¡­ What had Fu Shen done to arouse the wrath of heaven and the anger of men? Why were monsters and demons coming out like a swarm of bees, all using countless tricks and methods to scheme and plot against him?


    ¡°There is something off about this matter. Brother Wei, if I may trouble you to check where exactly this news about the Marquis of Jing Ning being a cutsleeve originated from¡ª¡ª¡± Yan Xiaohan had not finished speaking when a young eunuch in blue robes suddenly entered the outer hall. This newcomer was a disciple of Tian-gonggong11, the Pen-Holding Eunuch12 for the emperor himself. Seeing his arrival, the two men hurriedly halted their dialogue and went forward to listen to his words. That little eunuch spoke the verbal instructions he had been given: ¡°His Majesty orders Sir Yan to present himself before the emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation13.¡±


    Hearing this, Wei Xuzhou consciously moved to withdraw, but Yan Xiaohan suddenly made a hand gesture to him behind his back, while he said: ¡°Gonggong11 please wait for a moment, I have a few words of official business I wish to hand over to General Wei.¡±


    The little eunuch¡¯s reply was unreasonable: ¡°This is an order from the emperor himself. Does Sir Yan wish to have His Majesty wait for you?¡±


    Yan Xiaohan¡¯s lips showed a hint of what could be a smile. This was his most commonly seen expression, incredibly gentle while also seeming like he was about to enjoy a meal of human flesh.


    ¡°As the Flying Dragon Guard Royal Inspector Envoy, this official¡¯s every move and action is in accordance with the imperial will. Gonggong¡¯s words just now render this situation rather difficult for me.¡±


    The eunuch was originally all false bravado and bluster in the first place. Now seeing Yan Xiaohan¡¯s smile, the eunuch immediately remembered the horror stories told around the palace regarding the Flying Dragon Guard Royal Inspector Envoy. His face changed dramatically, and it took great effort for him to calm down and yield the way: ¡°If this is the case, Sir Yan may do as he wishes.¡±


    The very confused General Wei was pulled by him to the writing desk. Yan Xiaohan casually picked up a few random files just for show, while lowering his voice to whisper: ¡°Take a trip to the Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s residence in my place, and inform him of the news being passed around outside. Tell Fu Shen he must take care and start preparing early. No matter what happens, he must first hold on and refrain from acting rashly and recklessly.¡±


    The flames of Wei Xuzhou¡¯s gossip-loving heart were stoked, but seeing how Yan Xiaohan had a serious expression that did not seem to be joking, he hurriedly nodded: ¡°Sir, please rest assured, you may leave it to me.¡±


    No matter how just confident and assured Yan Xiaohan made himself out to be in his words, he couldn¡¯t actually make a eunuch conveying imperial orders wait for too long. He could only temporarily drop this messy affair and rush towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.


    The Pen-Holding Eunuch12 Tian Tong had never been on agreeable terms with the Flying Dragon Guard. This little eunuch shared his Shifu¡¯s hatred for this enemy, and was thus unwilling to disclose any information. As a result, only when Yan Xiaohan entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation did he discover that besides the Yuantai Emperor, the crown prince Sun Yunliang was also inside the hall.


    ¡°This insignificant minister pays respect to Your Majesty, as well as to Your Royal Highness the crown prince.¡±


    ¡°My beloved subject, you may rise.¡±


    The Yuantai Emperor was well-built and tall in stature, with an imposing and majestic aura. The cast of his face showed a hint of plump fullness in his cheeks, and two deep lines of wrinkles ran down the sides of his nose, above his slightly thin lips. These features came together for an overall stern, dictatorial, and ruthless appearance. This emperor could indeed be called intelligent and capable, leaning towards the serious side given his usual reserved and taciturn nature. But at this moment, he looked to be in a good mood¡ªthere was even the hint of a smile on his face, which swept away the anger and gloom that had been brought on by the case regarding the diplomatic corps a while back, making him appear significantly more kindly and amiable.


    It looked like whatever happened was not bad news. Yan Xiaohan¡¯s heart settled down slightly. He quietly thought that perhaps the successive chain of shady tricks and plots in the past few days had made him too high-strung, if he was becoming flustered and frightened at the slightest things.


    The crown prince¡¯s expressionless face was stretched taut as he stood to the side in attendance. Yan Xiaohan could sense his gaze falling on himself, not with maliciousness, but with a kind of probing inquiry akin to a threading needle.


    ¡°The crown prince may return to the East Palace.¡± The Yuantai Emperor expressed his desire to have Yan Xiaohan stay for a one-on-one talk. Upon thinking it over, he gave the crown prince a rare sentence of encouragement: ¡°You handled the matter today excellently.¡±


    Having received this praise, the crown prince¡¯s primary purpose today had been achieved and he was no longer so reluctant to give up his spot. He retracted his gaze towards Yan Xiaohan and even smiled at him, before bowing and asking for leave to withdraw.


    That smile seemed to contain some form of ridicule and pity, which caused an ominous premonition to suddenly rise in Yan Xiaohan¡¯s heart.


    Footnotes (doing research into these phrases with historical origins is surprisingly fun, though it takes a lot of time):


    1. This sentence uses three antiquated Chinese euphemisms for homosexuality, all with somewhat historical references.


    A) ¶ÏÐä ¡°Cutsleeve¡± is a reference to Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty, who cherished his male lover Dong Xian so much that he cut off his sleeve rather than wake the sleeping Dong Xian in his arms. (They did not have a happy ending.)


    B) ÁúÑô ¡°Longyang¡± is a reference to another historical figure, the Lord of Long Yang who was favored by King Anxi of the State of Wei during the Warring States period. According to one legend, Lord Long Yang was out fishing with King Anxi when he caught a fish and then began to weep. When King Anxi asked him what was wrong, Long Yang expressed his worries that just like how he would discard the fish upon catching a bigger one, King Anxi would discard him upon finding a more beautiful lover. King Anxi reassured him and declared he would execute anyone who mentioned any other beauties to him.


    C) ·ÖÌÒ ¡°Bitten peach¡± is a reference to the semi-legendary figure Mizi Xia, who was favored by Duke Ling of Wei. In one story, Mizi Xia bit into a peach and found it sweet, so he offered the other half of the peach to the Duke. (Later on when the Duke lost interest in him and accused him of a crime, ¡°he once offered me a half-eaten peach¡± was no longer framed in a romantic way RIP.)


    2. ÃíºÅ lit. ¡°Temple title¡± refers to the name given to an emperor after his death, when his spirit tablet is erected in the imperial ancestral temple. Usually it includes ×Ú (z¨­ng) or ×æ (z¨³), which mean ¡°ancestor.¡±


    3. ¹ó¾ý: ¹ó = ¡°noble¡± just like in the title of Noble Consort, while ¾ý can mean anything from gentleman to lord to ruler.


    4. There were a total of nine ranks of officials, which are themselves split into a ¡°higher¡± Õý and ¡°lower¡± ´Ó. For example, the top rank ÕýһƷ [¡°Higher 1st-Rank¡±] would include the highest three civil official posts of ̫ʦ [Grand Preceptor], Ì«¸µ [Grand Tutor], and Ì«±£ [Grand Guardian]. Sadly I still can¡¯t give very good approximations of how high a ¡°3rd rank official¡± is since it tended to change between dynasties, but overall it¡¯s pretty up there.


    5. ´Í»é lit. ¡°gift/grant/bestow/confer + marriage¡± is usually used in the context of the emperor ¡°gifting¡± someone a bride. This could be a reward for meritorious service, it could be a very undesirable marriage, or it could even be both of the above. And of course, there are very few who would dare refuse a ¡°gift¡± from the emperor.


    6. ¶úÄ¿±ÕÈû lit. ¡°Ears stuffed and eyes shut¡±


    7. Yeah I probably completely butchered these troop names, and yes this is going to continue happening. Pretty much all of these names are actual historical names for troops in the ½û¾ü [lit. ¡°forbidden army¡±] AKA the imperial guard. Here¡¯s some extra background that might explain the names better:


    Now for the Northern Office¡­


    8. ¶þÉô is ¡°second + aunt¡±, but more specifically it is referring to the wife of his father¡¯s younger brother. In particular, the ¶þ ¡°second¡± implies Wei Xuzhou¡¯s father was the eldest son of his generation while this aunt is the wife of the second son.


    9. ±í½ã specifically means an older female cousin.


    10. ºÈÁ¹Ë®¶¼ÈûÑÀ lit. ¡°even cold drinking water gets stuck between their teeth¡± is used to describe an extremely unlucky person


    11. ¹«¹« (g¨­ng gong) is how eunuchs in the imperial palace are addressed, similar to how the women of the imperial harem are called ÄïÄï (ni¨¢ng niang).


    12. ±ü±ÊÌ«¼à: ±ü±Ê can mean either ¡°hold the pen¡± or ¡°write.¡± Essentially, this eunuch surnamed Tian is a very close confidant of the emperor, since he is allowed to write for the emperor.


    13. ÑøÐĵî lit. ¡°Nourishing/Cultivating + Heart/Mind + Hall/Palace¡± is an actual hall that still exists within the Chinese imperial palace.

 CH 7

    While Sir Yan despaired over his life of toil and endured a hefty dose of suffering in the palace, the thing he was concerned about ¡ª the Estate of the Marquis of Jing Ning ¡ª was in great chaos.


    A few days before, when Fu Shen and his crew had just settled down, his little sister Fu Ling, the Prince of Qi¡¯s wife, had dispatched people from her household to pay respects, bring gifts, and pass along the message that she was going to come and visit in person some other day. Fu Shen really didn¡¯t have the strength to deal with her then, and also had misgivings about his Estate not being her proper maternal home. Fearing that the Prince of Qi would get suspicious, he turned her down on the spot. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Have her take care of herself, first.¡±

 CH 8

    Fu Shen¡¯s heart jumped like mad, its jumbled sound pounding in his ears. The arrow seemed to bring him back to the nightmare-like, desperate Asuran battlefield, the rocks falling towards him. His crippled legs acted like they themselves had memories, transmitting the acute pain of breaking bones that had caused him to pass out before.


    He hunched over, back arched harshly, in a subconscious act of self-protection. Large beads of sweat ran down his temples, trailing along his slim cheeks to slide down his neck. His tendons strained under his pale skin like they were about to burst out of him.

 CH 9

Yan Xiaohan¡¯s heart spontaneously skipped a beat. He was to the point that he lost his manners, staring in astonishment at the Emperor. ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    What was he playing at?! This was just too much!

 CH 10

¡°Fu Shen!¡±


    A murky call entered his ears. He was still conscious, but his body had lost sensation, the sound of the rain following suit like a shadow. Someone leaned over to hold him, a sort of vague familiarity to their touch.


    [¡­]

 CH 11

    The high fever burned from dusk until midnight. By the time Fu Shen completely woke up, it was the tail-end of the Rat.(~12:30a)


    There wasn¡¯t a single sound to be heard in this dead of night. The furnishings in the dimly-lit interior were not arranged in a way that was too familiar to him. A single lantern sat upon the table, casting a hazy, muslin-like glow in a square cun area on the surface around itself. He caught a fine trace of breathing, and upon turning his head for a look, he discovered that there was a low bench arranged across from the bed where Yan Xiaohan was curled up with his back to him, sleeping in his clothes.

 CH 12

    The room fell into deathly stillness, the atmosphere suddenly cooling down. Yan Xiaohan¡¯s gaze dropped in concentration. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Fu Shen turning his head away for a tiny yawn, seemingly tired.


    Only then did he bring to mind that the man was still sick. If he learned of their mutual scheming in the middle of the night, Shen Yi¡¯ce would definitely be nagging him on the morrow.


    ¡°Rest first. We¡¯ll talk more tomorrow.¡± Yan Xiaohan helped him to lay down, pulling the curtain over.

 CH 13

¡° Leopard Quiver¡­¡± Fu Shen mumbled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yan Xiaohan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he replied. ¡°Brother Yan, I¡ª¡±

 CH 14

    After seeing Xiao Xun off, the two returned to the bedroom. ¡°What exactly did you mean just now? Explain,¡± Fu Shen said.


    ¡°You risked letting Xiao Xun go without fully understanding.¡± Yan Xiaohan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you not afraid that I actually will put you under house arrest?¡±


    Fu Shen really wanted to kick him. ¡°Be serious.¡±

 CH 15

    Yan Xiaohan had long since left the Estate when Fu Shen woke the morrow. Their parting on bad terms last night had been sensed to some unknown degree by the servants; it was abnormally silent today, as they feared one careless bump would set off his foul temper.


    On the other hand, the review from his dream of old and remembrance of many past events left Fu Shen not thinking that their dispute last night was any sort of big deal. Every person had their own ambitions, and he couldn¡¯t demand that everyone follow the ¡®correct path¡¯ like him. Furthermore, he was well aware of Yan Xiaohan¡¯s behavior, where being kindhearted and honest was out of the question, but he was never as utterly cold and callous as he claimed himself to be.

 CH 16

    It didn¡¯t take long for a maid to bring in the freshly-made medicine. Yan Xiaohan took it and brought it over to Fu Shen, giving only one, unquestionable order. ¡°Drink.¡±


    Fu Shen stared dejectedly at the medicinal soup that had steam roiling off of it, silently cursing his luck.


    Yan Xiaohan didn¡¯t know how to react to that look. ¡°If you weren¡¯t lame, Marquis, would you currently be in this room?¡± he couldn¡¯t hold back his malicious ridicule.

 CH 17

    The eighteenth year of Yuantai, early autumn.


    The Hidden Orchid Villa was a famed location on Huanren County¡¯s Gemstone Mountain. Its original owner had been a refined scholar of the previous Court who held the position of Grand Chancellor, and after he stepped down from the post, he purchased this mountain home in the suburbs of the capital to enjoy his retirement. He¡¯d had a lifelong love for orchids, so he had planted all kinds of rare breeds of them within his garden, earning the place its name.

 CH 18

    The new arrivals rushed up before them in a wink. Fu Shen and the rest successively held their breaths, secretly appreciating their luck at the same time: the woman had thankfully gone off elsewhere prior, else the two sides would have just run into each other, and they¡¯d definitely have nowhere to run then.


    The mountain road was narrow, forcing the Flying Dragon Guard to a halt. Fu Shen had set his mind on stalling them for a while, as their group of young men didn¡¯t make a path for them. ¡°Who¡¯s coming around here?¡± someone asked.

 CH 19

    The sound of flowing water was endlessly lingering, the area around was damp and cold, and everything hurt. Fu Shen awoke with his head spinning; opening his eyes, he didn¡¯t manage to get a clear view of his surroundings before he threw up onto the ground.


    Someone came over to support him by the shoulder, passing a leaf cupped with water to the side of his mouth. ¡°Rinse.¡±

 CH 20

    A night within an uninhabited mountain in the back-country was actually quite dangerous, when one thought about it. They were both wounded, heavy rain was pouring down outside, the mountain had no shortage of poisonous insects and wild beasts, and the risk of rockslides was there at all times. Yet, every time Fu Shen recalled that night, his most profound memory was that of dropping onto his back, then having someone gently soothe him to sleep.


    It was to the extent that even after so many years, falling into that same man¡¯s embrace again still felt familiar.

 CH 21

    The two finally made it out of the ravine as dusk fell, meeting up with the Flying Dragon Guard¡¯s search party. Yan Xiaohan helped Fu Shen up onto his horse, sharing a ride as the Guard personally escorted the latter back to Hidden Orchid Villa.


    All the Guards halted their march when they came to the outer gate of the Villa. Yan Xiaohan also dismounted, passed Fu Shen over to Yi Siming and rest that came scrambling over, added a few directives like ¡®pay attention to the wound¡¯ and ¡®apply ointment right away¡¯, then went to urge his horse to leave.

 CH 22

    Perhaps this was Heaven¡¯s Will working in mysterious ways, ordaining that the piece of jade be left behind in that tiny, rural courtyard. Fickle fate was an immense hand, easily stirring up the skies and turning the earth upside down, easily cutting short a segment that hadn¡¯t yet gotten warm, and running the friendship of youths into a dead end.


    Fu Shen had been unwilling to recall the exact circumstances of that day, until now. He had come across many rough patches in his life, major life-or-death situations, every one of them graver and bloodier than this; he was also not a weak person who refused to confront something because he knew full well it was going to hurt. However, perhaps stemming from the first injury always being especially painful, this incident was a rare exception. As it was closely followed by a string of related misfortunes, it bitterly declared the termination of his boyhood.

 CH 23

    Total extermination. This huge incident implicating a vassal Prince, defending general, and literary official had shaken every level of society, and left an impression upon the people most deep.


    Han Yuan was beheaded, the Prince of An¡¯s fiefdom was taken away, and Jin Yunfeng had killed himself. There had been more than a dozen people in the Jin family ¡ª young and old, male and female ¡ª but not a single one had the fortune to flee.


    [¡­]

 CH 24

    The capital city, during the lamplit fall of night.


    The table was packed full of stacks of documents, Yan Xiaohan¡¯s head buried between them as he worked in a rush. The congee on the tray had long since gone cold. An aged steward hesitated outside the door for a good while, ultimately bracing himself, then entering as quietly as he could.

 CH 25

    ¡°How lucky it is that us two know the score. I would¡¯ve kicked you out right here and now otherwise, you know,¡° Fu Shen said. ¡°Interceding in order to oust the ruler¡­ is that a kind of remark you should be saying, o majestic North-Conquering General?¡±


    ¡°Knives are all over our necks. What is there that still can¡¯t be said?¡± Yu Qiaoting replied. ¡°I¡¯ve never found you to be someone who spouts high-flying garbage. Are you resigned to your fate, or do you already have a plan?¡±

 CH 26

    The twelfth of February, during the Flower Festival.


    The Marquis of Jing Ning¡¯s Estate was jubilantly decked out in lanterns and colored cloths. Crimson silk hung on the lintels and supporting pillars as servants ran back and forth across the courtyard in preparation for the imminent wedding banquet.

 CH 27

    Twilight climbed up the latticed windows, the sky dulling, and the yellowed paintings on the wall were hidden by the unconstrained dim. Yan Xiaohan and Fu Shen drank together, completing the final ceremony, then gave a deep bow towards the portraits of the Fu ancestors, turned, and got off the Golden Stage.


    This grave and melancholic series of rituals adorned the already not-very-festive atmosphere with even more gloom. Yan Xiaohan hefted Fu Shen onto his horse¡¯s back, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°Next, we should return to the Marquis Estate. We¡¯ve paid respects to the Heavens and Earth, but we still have to go back and pay respects to Yuantai for his grace. With us two running off without a trace, I¡¯m afraid that the gentlemen of the Ministry of Rites all have the mind to throttle us to death right now.¡±

 CH 28

    Dread appeared in the very depths of Mu Boxiu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Y-you¡­¡±


    Fu Shen gave an ambiguous smile. ¡°You are, as a matter of fact, still alive and well. If you don¡¯t believe me, pinch your thigh and see if it hurts.¡±


    The more he played the part of a falsely-civil snake, twisting and turning and not getting to the meat of the matter, the hollower Mu Boxiu felt. For a second, he wished he could just straight-up die, as that would be better than falling into Fu Shen¡¯s hands to suffer his persecution.

 CH 29

    Some people, on the surface, looked to be commanding and sharp as a cutting edge, but when kissed, their lips were as soft as a freshly-steamed bun in the morning.


    Fu Shen was elegant-looking indeed, but due to his personality, he was serious and stern most the time. On top of that, he had a knack for ridiculing people. Yan Xiaohan frequently felt that he had a ¡®bladed mouth¡¯ in several definitions of the phrase, and one light tap against it would give one a mouthful of blood.

 CH 30

    In front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yan Xiaohan had a brush with the Head General of the Golden Crow Guard, who had just withdrawn from within it.


    Golden Crow had gone through a few successive mishaps, and as its leading official, Yi Siming had to bear the brunt of the blame. What was worse was that the trust he had painstakingly established in Yuantai¡¯s mind had taken a steep nosedive. Their Guard, after all, was lacking in know-how and shallow in experience; Yuantai was willing to use them to kill chickens, but when it came to slaughtering cattle, the first one that he brought to mind was still the Flying Dragon Guard.

 CH 31

    ¡°Has the body already been examined? What did the coroner say?¡±


    The corpse had been left in the cellar of the North Prison, as when the weather heated up, it remained freezing. Yan Xiaohan didn¡¯t shun the uncleanliness of examining the body for himself. The dead Golden Crow Guard was extremely thin, his face bloodless and eyes dark; not at all like an Imperial Guard that trained every day, but more like a Don that had his health deteriorate from going out carousing every night.

 CH 32

    ¡°What¡¯s this for? This Marquis caught you at the door of a prostitutes¡¯ land, so the Flying Dragon Guard has to kill the witnesses to keep them quiet?¡±


    Fu Shen had been towed by him into an uninhabited alley, and, without worry, was using his folding fan to hook the other¡¯s chin like a lecher. Yan Xiaohan allowed his frivolity, staring at him as he spoke. ¡°The killing doesn¡¯t matter, but keeping you quiet does.¡±

 CH 33

    In the Flying Dragon Guard¡¯s courtyard, there was heavy solemnity.


    Sir Yan entered it full of spirit. Looking at the crowd that lay all across the ground like dead dogs, he wondered aloud, ¡°Did you lot go thieving last night?¡±


    Wei Xuzhou lifted his head like a dying man on his last breath. ¡°Sir, if you had come back just a bit later in the evening, we brothers would have since parted with you forever¡­¡±

 CH 34

    Fu Shen continued on, not waiting for Yan Xiaohan to speak. ¡°Is there pufferfish on the menu today, Brother Yan?¡±


    Taking in his utterly serious appearance that didn¡¯t seem to be joking around, Yan Xiaohan just stared blankly. ¡°No¡­ that grade of toxin wouldn¡¯t be at an imperial banquet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd. I just saw a big one, plump and seething, glaring at me from the top of the steps with his hands behind his back¡­¡±

 CH 35

    The Vast Longevity Festival of the twenty-sixth year of Yuantai began with a horde of officials congratulating the Emperor for his long life, every citizen merrymaking together, and ended with the Emperor fainting while the Empress was having a miscarriage.


    Yan Xiaohan was itching to get back and deal with the case, so he could only send Fu Shen off to East Victory Gate. He had the young eunuch go call for the Yan Estate¡¯s folks to wait outside the palace gates, taking advantage of the time when no one was around to bend over and hug the other man. ¡°I don¡¯t know when this case will go to trial. You don¡¯t need to wait for me at night, go to bed early.¡±

 CH 36

    ¡°Be blunt. The ambush at Blue Sand Pass, the Tartar convoy suffering assassination; was all that the Emperor setting the Golden Crow Guard into motion?¡±


    Fu Shen hummed in affirmation. ¡°You guessed it,¡± he said flatly.


    He felt Yan Xiaohan suddenly tighten the hand that was fastened on him, so he smiled very gently. ¡°I know what you want to say. Him dying from anger wouldn¡¯t be an injustice, right? However, Brother Yan,¡± he spoke in a somewhat frustrated way, ¡°there¡¯s no one who¡¯s just starting to raise their foot that¡¯s then gotten to reach that step to this day.

 CH 37

No content

 CH 38

¡°You¡­¡± Yan Xiaohan¡¯s heart jumped violently without cease, that sense of walking-on-air weightlessness not yet completely dissipated. He glared at Fu Shen, stuttering with anger. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Fu Shen¡¯s attitude was especially good, especially tender. ¡°Mhm. You said it.¡±

 CH 39

    Yi Siming, Heir to the Duke of Chen, had been first awarded the position of fourth-rank Colonel of the Golden Crow Guard, then had worked hard to be promoted to High General of the Left division. He was wellborn of a noble family, served the imperial frontlines, was regarded by the Son of Heaven as a core component, and had everything going smoothly for him, with endless prospects for the future.


    Had he never plotted to suppress the Flying Dragon Guard like he so badly wanted, nor met Priest Chunyang, his life would have been a stretch of smooth road. As long as he had adhered rigidly to his duties and didn¡¯t commit a huge, heinous crime, he could have completed his life sailing smooth and worry-free.

 CH 40

    Fu Shen straight-up left it all behind, not waiting for anyone else. Yan Xiaohan had the desire to chase after him, but there was no way that he could, with Chunyang dead. How this case would be concluded, how the confessions would be fabricated, how the timeline of what happened would be rounded out¡­ he had to stay behind to wrap things up.


    It was infinitely fortunate that the scene of the interrogation had been cleared out beforehand, and the only ones who had heard Priest Chunyang¡¯s final words were Fu Shen and he. Even so, he was still ill at ease; he strictly ordered his subordinates to keep their mouths shut, and not let even the slightest bit of information about today leak out.

 CH 41

    Yan Xiaohan stood quietly holding him for a spell, both wanting to give him something to rely on, and also fearing that he was too sorrowful. Hence, he patted Fu Shen on the shoulder, then deliberately poked fun at him. ¡°Are you crying, Marquis? Want me to sweet-talk you?¡±


    Fu Shen would never indulge himself to wallow in melancholy for too long, of course. It was merely that he rarely had moments where he could hang onto someone else, and he was a bit unwilling to get up for a time. ¡°Go over there. Does this place have wine? Have a couple of drinks with me,¡± he said, voice muffled.

 CH 42

    How many mushy sentiments had been beaten to pieces by that collection of words? A breath lodged in Yan Xiaohan¡¯s throat. He choked on it for a long while, then spiritedly grinned in annoyance.


    It was clear, now. Fu Shen was just shooting babble out his mouth, putting on a strong front, but in reality, he didn¡¯t comprehend shit. Also, he was using a set of behaviors reserved for skirt-chasing young women to contend with him.

 CH 43

    To have the Emperor entrust him with authority over the Northern Yan Army, not hesitate to make an exception for him to enter the Hall of Exalted Glory, and even have him act as his spokesperson in the Hall to balance out the power of several Princes¡­ that was no longer ¡®merely¡¯ being put into an important position, it was just about catching up with the ruler¡¯s own family.


    ¡°Are you actually his son?¡± Fu Shen suspected.

 CH 44

    March thirtieth, at the break of dawn.


    A servant hastily ran over and knocked on the Master¡¯s bedroom door, startling Yan Xiaohan inside. Fu Shen seemed to sense that from where he lay sleeping beside him, as he moved as well, only to be gently hugged by the other man. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said, voice low, muddled, and husky, ¡°you sleep.¡±


    He draped a robe over himself and got up, opening the door with a tired look on his face that had been put there from the disturbance. ¡°What is it?¡±

 CH 45

    ¡°You¡­¡± Yan Xiaohan stammered, jaw dropped. ¡°Can¡­ you say that one more time?¡±


    Fu Shen looked at him with quite a lot of exasperation. A long time passed, and then he sighed, extending both arms to him. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Yan Xiaohan didn¡¯t dare to use anything even resembling strength as he loosely embraced him. ¡°Say it again.¡±

 CH 46

    The capital¡¯s suburbs, at Snapped Willow Pavilion.


    The mountain flora was vividly colored, the leaves of poplars and willows swaying in the breeze. What a pity that there was only a small amount of passersby departing the Pavilion. Among them was a haggard-looking old man with completely white hair and bristles, who was precisely the man that had just been released from the royal prison a few days prior: Zeng Guang.

 CH 47

    Rain ran along the edge of the man¡¯s conical hat, dripping down like it was forming him a veil. He glanced at Yan Xiaohan¡¯s extremely subtle movements, raised a brow, and reached behind him towards the cloth bundle at his back.


    Right at that moment, a sudden bird-like call came from within the hall, interrupting the hostilities between the two.


    ¡°Yan¡ª¡° Came the Prince of Qi¡¯s voice, at a critical moment. ¡°¡­Oh, it¡¯s okay. You can let him in.¡±

 CH 48

    The Prince crawled up, disoriented. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Yan Xiaohan looked at the man behind them in utter bewilderment.


    Ren Miao held the fire iron in his left hand, frowning when he moved his right one about; apparently, he had sprained his wrist from the sudden force. Sensing Yan Xiaohan¡¯s gaze, he raised his head and smiled at him, eyes filled with apology. ¡°Sorry, I was hasty just then. Didn¡¯t hurt you, did I?¡±

 CH 49

    The inside of the room wasn¡¯t entirely dark; there was dim, yellow light all around. No one was in there, and there was no horrifying sight to behold, either. Yan Xiaohan walked a few steps inside. Then, his nose flared as he suddenly caught whiff of an unusual fragrance, which had come out of gods-knew-where.


    He paused for a second, immediately after which an indescribable sense of joy rose all the way to the crown of his head, the rush instantly making him dizzy, unstable on his feet. The aroma subsequently shot out stronger. As if a ladle of warm oil had been poured onto a fire, the blaze exploded outwards, and heat rose into the air. All of the blood inside him was boiling over, several wisps of veins creeping into his eyes in a split second. A circle of raging flames roasted in his dantian, broiling all of his meridians. His coat was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

 CH 50

    At close to noon the next day, Yan Xiaohan took a step onto nothing in his dream world, then awoke with a start.


    He was laying down flat on an inn¡¯s bed, plain blue muslin curtains as far as his eyes could see. A quilt was tucked in close under his chin, and he wasn¡¯t naked, his inner robes still properly arranged on him.

 CH 51

    After eating lunch, Fu Shen noted that Yan Xiaohan was in a bad mood, and thus persuaded him into taking a nap. After he woke up, they both went out to seek the doctor from yesterday for a checkup on him.


    Kuangfeng City couldn¡¯t compare with the county cities in the capital¡¯s outskirts, only having one or two reputable medical facilities. That human-skin mask of Fu Shen¡¯s had been applied by Du Leng; he wasn¡¯t able to put it back on after peeling it off, so the doctor simply couldn¡¯t recognize him at all when he came in in the morning. ¡°Why didn¡¯t that young brother from last night come?¡± he asked, a good bit of curious. ¡°He entrusted this patient to you?¡±

 CH 52

    Purportedly, for fallnight white addiction, the previous three days had been the most dangerous and difficult. Yan Xiaohan had been convinced by the old doctor¡¯s fearmongering so he had prepared himself to climb up a ladder of knives and jump into a sea of fire, but who could¡¯ve known that he would have the ¡®omnipotent¡¯ Marquis of Jing Ning on hand? Those recollections that should have been terrifying and gloomy were instead wrapped in sweetness, and didn¡¯t seem so painful.


    However, the withdrawal¡¯s flare-ups would make him muddleheaded. He had repeatedly warned himself in advance not to demand too much, but oftentimes, after he had woken back up, he would discover that Fu Shen¡¯s energy had been drained from him going crazy.

 CH 53

No content

 CH 54

    Having not seen it for a few days, the fox immortal¡¯s temple remained standing tall on its original tiny mountain slope, only it was even more derelict, like a stack of ruins in the dim night. The river flowed right into the expansive waters behind the mountain.


    There was no wind or rain this evening, the moonlight bright. The shore of the lake held cragged rocks, its water deep and without ripples, an unspeakably eerie coldness permeating it. Yan Xiaohan dismounted his horse, then stood for a long time beside the lake, staring at the deep blue water half-consciously. Only at that moment did he finally think of what had been so off about this place.

 CH 55

    The woman opened her eyes when she woke. As soon as she saw Yan Xiaohan, she cried out in alarm. ¡°You?!¡±


    The Prince of Qi and his group had been rare foreign guests in Brook Hill, and practically the entire village had run over to come see the excitement. Yan Xiaohan had been singled out in particular amongst them, leaving an even deeper impression on the village men and women. For that reason, the woman could still recognize him at once, and was even soon weeping out of fear. ¡°You¡­ came back for revenge?¡± she asked, trembling. ¡°It was the village chief and them who wanted to harm you! We don¡¯t know anything at all!¡±

 CH 56

    Not a word was said the whole journey.


    After returning to the inn, shutting the door, and lighting the lamps, Fu Shen sat dazed in a chair following his bath. Yan Xiaohan came out only a bit later and hugged him from behind, chin pressed against the top of other¡¯s damp head. ¡°Not happy?¡± he asked quietly.


    Fu Shen loosely encircled his fingers, feeling that his own hair was quickly about to fall out from anxiety. ¡°What does this count as? I didn¡¯t kill the man, but he died because of me.¡±

 CH 57

    A thin horse strolled down the official road leading from the northern Jing to Kui Province, neither urgently nor slowly. The man on top of it donned a conical hat that shielded him from the sun, viewing the scenery boredly as he threw crunchy, aromatic, tasty sesame cookies into his mouth.


    Not too long after, the bottom of the cookie bag was visible. He got a canteen out from his waist-pouch, took a few large glugs, then tsk¡®ed in distaste. ¡°So damn salty, what the hell.¡±


    That there was Fu Shen.

 CH 58

    Fu Shen flipped his face around like the page of a book, catching Duan Guihong off-guard. The County Prince¡¯s freshly somewhat-relaxed expression froze on his face in the span of a second. A good while later, he barely managed to hold back his urge to strangle Fu Shen on the spot. ¡°When this Prince had served in the Northern Yan, you were still a newborn baby,¡± he huffed coldly.


    ¡°When I took control of the army, you¡¯d already been raising fish in the Southwest for years,¡± Fu Shen retorted.

 CH 59

A general¡¯s achievements were built upon endless skeletons. Behind those portraits of meritorious officials hung high in Qilin Hall of the Golden Stage, there was a leaping, dancing fire, with innumerable departed souls wailing and sobbing in anguish.


    Fu Shen sighed. ¡°Such a sin.¡±

 CH 60

    Duan Guihong hadn¡¯t the bad habit of keeping others in suspense, so he said it outright. ¡°It¡¯s Fu Tingyi.¡±


    That was akin to a heavy hammer falling from the sky and landing down with a bang, smashing the Marquis of Jing Ning into the ground. Fu Shen was completely flabbergasted, forgetting himself as he raised his voice. ¡°Who?¡±


    He suspected that Duan Guihong was deceiving him, or else he had just hallucinated that.

 CH 61

    Over the century or so since the Great Zhou¡¯s founding, Sun Yunchun had been the unluckiest Emperor in its history, without contest.


    On his first day in power, there was no paying respects to the Ancestral Temple nor ceremony held, the governmental officials hadn¡¯t reacted yet, and he hadn¡¯t even gotten to warm up the Dragon Throne by sitting on it, as he had received word of an urgent military matter occurring in Beijiang.

 CH 62

    In summer of the twenty-sixth year of Yuantai, rebel traitors captured the main capital.


    The Yuantai Emperor fled west, and citizens of the capital, officials with their womenfolk, and other such subsets of people went with him to Shu. The other subsets, dragged down by having a family to feed, escaped to the regions of Jingchu and Huainan.

 CH 63

    He had lived for over two decades, and only on this day did he learn that there could be a sentence in this world, just a few words, that would be enough to cut one up inside.


    Scared stiff, he thought to himself in fear, Was this written for me?


    He was like someone who had nearly frozen to death in a land of winter, and right when he was on the verge of giving up hope, he suddenly saw a spot of light. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a mirage, or a fireless glow; both were similar to grabbing onto a final life-saving strand of spider silk.

 CH 64

    As Yan Xiaohan finished putting Lady Xue into order on his toes, Changzhi received news about it on his heels. He was thunderingly mad, then ordered someone to call the former into the palace, intending to dole him out a severe scolding.


    He, in the hull of an outer official, had actually killed the Emperor¡¯s favored concubine right under his nose, when her father was still a fellow official of the same Court as him. No matter which side one looked at that from, Yan Xiaohan had definitely played with fire this time around. Even so, he wasn¡¯t the tiniest bit fearful, and he entered the palace unperturbed, called out ¡®Long Live Your Majesty,¡¯ then dutifully bowed to the Emperor.

 CH 65

    Yan Xiaohan held innumerable words within him, but it was like his throat was clogged up with a ball of cotton. He used so much strength in his arms, he nearly cut off the airflow of the man in his embrace. His soul flown off to who-knew-where and body wholly numb, awareness only came back to him in increments after a long while. He could feel Fu Shen gently comforting him along his back.


    In the wake of sensing the rhythm of his pats and caresses, his heartbeat slowed down, bit by bit. There was a voice that broke out from the bottom of his heart, and he complied with his feelings, saying the phrase aloud automatically.

 CH 66

    The two continuously made trouble, being sickeningly sweet on each other, and bathed for more than half a shichen. Yan Xiaohan deliberately used a cheap trick on Fu Shen to fling his entire body into the water, and the latter really had no option but to swap his clothes out. They left after things were successfully tidied up, crossing Yu Qiaoting¡¯s path in the courtyard.


    General Yu¡¯s line of sight swerved between them. He keenly detected something right away, grinning grossly. ¡°I give my sincere congratulations to you for your great happiness, General!¡±

 CH 67

    The angle of Yan Xiaohan¡¯s question was quite crafty. No matter how Fu Shen responded, it would be tantamount to admitting that he was the ¡®gege¡®. If he didn¡¯t respond, Yan Xiaohan would take it as his silent approval. As such, he was taking the utmost of cheap advantage of him. His mouth saying ¡®punish¡¯ was, ultimately, most likely just a multifaceted affront to public decency.


    Because of his diversion, however, the feeling of leaden guilt in Fu Shen¡¯s mind lightened a bit, no longer burning so heavily. Yan Xiaohan really had a knack at explaining things to him; likely due to hearing his words, a considerable sense of security was gradually planted in Fu Shen¡¯s heart. Though he was yet unable to achieve the degree of being ¡®dependent¡¯, he would be willing to discuss things he came across with him, rather than indiscriminately hiding away and stubbornly preferring his solitariness.

 CH 68

    Yan Xiaohan played his part as a source of calamity subtly, pretending that he didn¡¯t understand the turbulent undercurrent between Fu Shen and Zhao Xicheng.


    The conflicting relationship between the Northern Yan Army and the new Dynasty was going to be set on the table sooner or later. Fu Shen wanting to re-order the land wasn¡¯t untrue, but he also couldn¡¯t fight up close and personal at the front while allowing the new Dynasty to lag behind and collect what he had left, leaving both of his hands empty for the sole result of having a ¡®loyal and obedient¡¯ reputation.

 CH 69

    What ¡®easing of joints¡¯ and ¡®relaxing of muscles¡¯ in a hot spring? That had all been bull. After soaking in it, not only were Fu Shen¡¯s legs not any better, but his waist was about to be ruined, too. Drained, he hid far away from the other side of the pool, pointing at the fully-content main culprit. ¡°Don¡¯t come over. Stay away from me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you massage your waist? I won¡¯t do anything else,¡± Yan Xiaohan replied, sincerely and innocently.


    ¡°No need. Scram.¡±

 CH 70

    The grand rivers and mountains had fallen whilst in the enemy¡¯s clutches. The barbarians regarded the Central Plains¡¯ Hans as worthless swines and mutts, and pillaged, burned, and murdered them at will. The Northern area had been continuously subject to both natural and human disasters without cease ¡ª as they marched along the road, they would frequently see many villages destroyed by war and fire, nine out of every ten families left with nothing, and skeletons on the side of the road that had been airing out for quite some time in the wilderness.


    If peace could still be negotiated like this, then these blood-drenched soldiers on the frontlines, and those citizens who gazed hopefully southwards for the imperial army all the way until their deaths; what would they all be taken as?

 CH 71

    At the beginning of the second new year of Changzhi, the Han army attacked Yuan Province at night. They deeply fractured the barbarian troops, beheaded tens of thousands, and took more than thirty Tartar and Jhe commanders, officials, royalty, and aristocrats captive.


    On February, Huainan¡¯s tri-army recaptured Shiang Province.

 CH 72

    The eighteenth of April, second year of Changzhi, was foreordained to be a day that would forever remain in the history books.


    Provincial Governors Yue Changfeng of Huainan, Wang Shiqi of Xiang, Cen Hongfang of Jingchu, and Fang Gao of Sui, along with Commander Zhao Xicheng of the new Jiangnan army, all jointly attached their signature to the Manifest for Requesting an Establishment of a New Law for Expanding the Hall of Prolonged Honor, which had been proposed by Iron Cavalry Commander Fu Shen, and chiefly penned by Heaven Mend Envoy Yan Xiaohan.

 CH 73

    Vivid Harmony had been a famed name for years, and Huaiyang food was an even further rarity in the capital. When Fu Shen came in the door, someone was already waiting for him in a private room. Gu Shanlu, dressed in everyday wear, got up to greet him. ¡°You¡¯re here, General. Please, come inside quick.¡±


    When they had said their goodbyes outside the city that last time, he had still been a very minor Imperial Censor of shallow influence. After the chaos divided everything, he had been put into a rather hefty position by Changzhi, and even promoted to a senior official of the Censorate in Jiangnan, ranking as one of the nine great subjects of the Hall of Prolonged Honor. After returning to the capital, he still oversaw the Censorate, maintained order in denouncements, and heard what music was being played on the wind.

 CH 74

    Summer¡¯s height would pass, its muggy heat gradually vanishing. In preparation for the Changzhi Emperor going down to Jiangnan in September, Yan Xiaohan was assigned to rush to Jinling ahead of time in order to arrange for his residence, defense, and other such things.


    The day before he was to leave, he finished handing all of his business matters over to Wei Xuzhou and the rest, then returned home to sit under the veranda. He watched his subordinates scramble about to pack up his luggage, lazing around and bored to tears as he fiddled with a snow-white hydrangea beside him. The sunset¡¯s glow from the horizon sprinkled golden light down upon the land. Sir Yan faced the wind and sighed, getting the overall feeling that if he kept going on like this, he would recite verses like ¡®the tilted sunlight looks affectionately upon the slow waters¡¯[1] and such as soon as he opened his mouth.

 CH 75

    It was pitch black outside, and Zheng Duanwen noticed nothing as he led the man inside. Only upon entering and standing beneath the candlelight did he discover that the youth had a lame leg.


    Xue Sheng had the servants withdraw, then invited the man to sit down and talk.


    ¡°Dare I ask for your illustrious name, Don?¡±

 CH 76

    On the sixth of July, Yan Xiaohan, having ridden non-stop, flagrantly barged into the Southwest army¡¯s encampment carrying a travel-worn air.


    He was brought inside with a blade held to his neck. Duan Guihong was already bent out of shape, and when he heard that the Court lackey had broken into camp, he practically couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°You still have the face to come here?!¡± he seethed.


    ¡°Jingyuan is here with you, isn¡¯t he?¡± Yan Xiaohan didn¡¯t seem to be aware of the sabre at his neck, taking large steps towards the man. ¡°How is he?¡±

 CH 77

    The world was the freezing, rigid colors of gray and white, as if he was shut up inside an iron cage. Days and nights were indistinguishable. He could not sense time elapsing, only his still feebly-operating consciousness that interrogated him non-stop: Who am I? Where am I?


    The gray world gradually brightened up. He raised a hand to feel at a section of rough stone patterning. The touch thus touched certain memories, and he remembered; this was the wall of Yan City.

 CH 78 - 79

    It was the eighth of July, fourth year of Changzhi. According to information that the Southwestern frontline sent back, the Commander of the southwestern expedition¡¯s army-slash-Duke of Ying, Fu Shen, had been attacked by the dissenting army, and sadly perished.


    On the tenth of July, Heaven Mend Envoy Yan Xiaohan detoured out of Jinling to the Southwest, then was unsuccessful in demanding Fu Shen¡¯s remains from the rebels. Duan Guihong furiously berated him before the ranks, alleging that the weasels in Court had formed an alliance for selfish reasons, brought harm to a meritorious official, and misled the Emperor, causing Fu Shen to die with a grudge. All the Southwestern troops vowed to purge the monarch¡¯s perimeter and put those fawning officials to death, making it up to Fu Shen¡¯s soul in Heaven.