03 – Chapter 1

Though it was already April, after a whole day of rain, there was still a chill in the air.

The sky had darkened, and the relay station in Zhenning Zhou of Anshun Prefecture was brightly lit. The three-courtyard compound was packed with people and horses. The worried-looking old station master was running around frantically, his brow furrowed even tighter; the officials who arrived later could only squeeze into the front hall to spend the night.

A station worker added several large chunks of charcoal to the fire pit, immediately making the flames burn more vigorously. The dozen or so pairs of soaked leather boots hanging on the iron railings beside the fire pit sizzled and hissed, creating a misty vapor that reeked terribly.

A military officer with a long scar on his left cheek complained bitterly in a Shandong accent about the wretched weather of this barbarous, miasma-ridden land. Beside him, a middle-aged Vice General who had come from the Yunnan front said this place was quite good – during this season in the Yunnan jungles, after a single rainfall, the rotting leaves, dead grass, and loose soil could bury a grown man in the blink of an eye. There were also thunder mosquitoes as large as fists that moved in great swarms – even if they attacked a bull, they could drain all its blood in mere moments.

The Vice General spoke with great animation, leaving the group of northern officers who had never been to Yunnan completely dumbfounded.

A thin station worker crouched by the stove brewing tea suddenly burst into quiet laughter.

Though the laughter wasn’t loud, it was particularly grating. The Vice General naturally knew what he was laughing about. With alcohol surging through him, face flushed red, he swayed as he stood up, glaring at the thin station worker and saying, “What are you laughing at! I’ve been fighting for my life on the front lines, while you little brat hides here eating safe meals, yet you still have the face to laugh!”

The station worker said unhurriedly, “I was just remembering what some officials who passed through here a few days ago said, and found it amusing. How would I dare mock you, sir! But when those officials mentioned Yunnan’s weather and climate, they praised it endlessly, saying it was such a treasured land that it’s no wonder the Mongol Prince Liang would rather die than give it up.”

His voice was clear and crisp – he was just a youth.

The Vice General was provoked by these lukewarm words and suddenly drew his waist saber, pointing it at the station worker and shouting, “You little brat, how dare you mock me!”

While cursing, he strode forward with large steps. Unexpectedly, a short blade thrust out diagonally. The Vice General couldn’t stop his momentum, and his knee hit the blade. His whole body immediately pitched forward, but the short blade gently supported and guided him, steadying him back on his feet.

Meng Jianqing, who had been leaning against the wall corner, sheathed his short blade and said coolly, “General, you’ve had too much to drink.”

The Vice General burped and stared in bewilderment at this unfamiliar young junior officer, who dared to intervene and discipline someone wearing a Vice General’s uniform?

He pointed his waist saber at Meng Jianqing: “You little brat, whose subordinate are you?”

Meng Jianqing stood at attention and replied, “Your subordinate serves under General Qi of the grain supply supervision in Marshal Mu’s rear army, ordered to return to the capital on official business.”

The Vice General laughed harshly: “Qi Tianci? When he sees me, Old Luo, he still has to respectfully call me ‘Uncle.’ You milk-toothed little brat dare to discipline Old Luo?”

Relying on his seniority and somewhat drunk, he shouted and swung his waist saber down. Meng Jianqing hadn’t expected him to draw his blade and attack someone in the relay station. Startled, he instinctively jumped to the side. The waist saber cut through empty air, and Vice General Luo angrily pursued him.

Meng Jianqing frowned.

Should he draw his blade? Was the other party using alcohol as an excuse to act crazy, or did he have some other motive?

After dodging three strikes, with the front hall packed with people, he had nowhere left to retreat.

The station worker who had been tending the fire suddenly swung the red-hot fire tongs toward Vice General Luo’s thigh. Vice General Luo cried out and retreated, but despite his quick retreat, a patch of his thigh was still burned. Seeing their commander suffering, his guards couldn’t help but rush to his aid, all drawing their sabers and surrounding them.

In this situation, Meng Jianqing could only draw his blade. He retreated with his back against the wall, parrying the chaotic strikes coming at him.

The station worker wielded the red-hot fire tongs, and for the moment, no one dared provoke him. He had the leisure to laugh while saying, “Oh my, daring to wreck the relay station – be careful or the Hongwu Emperor will have all you gentlemen officers skinned alive!”

Vice General Luo paid no attention, shouting, “This little brat committed insubordination. I, Old Luo, am maintaining military discipline. Everyone else, step aside!”

Meng Jianqing suddenly realized – Vice General Luo’s intentions were not what they appeared to be.

He had to end this quickly, not giving the other party a chance to gather more men.

While parrying a single saber with his blade, Meng Jianqing hooked his left foot up, kicking toward the saber-wielding soldier’s groin. The soldier screamed and collapsed, curling up in pain. As Meng Jianqing landed, he had already stepped diagonally to the left, his blade following his body’s turn, deflecting two waist sabers. While pivoting, his right foot flew up, kicking the left side of a soldier’s neck in mid-air. The soldier couldn’t even cry out before collapsing limply. Meng Jianqing smoothly crouched low as two waist sabers swept over his head. His right hand drew back the short blade, slashing across two sword-holding right wrists before rolling several feet away on the ground.

The waist sabers clattered to the floor. Two soldiers clutched their blood-dripping wrists and screamed in agony. Vice General Luo roared in fury and charged forward with his saber.

Meng Jianqing flashed to the side, avoiding the blade’s edge, watching Vice General Luo while gently rotating the short blade in his hand.

But someone outside the door shouted, “Old Luo Ji, stop this instant!”

Vice General Luo recognized who had arrived. After a moment’s hesitation, he reluctantly stopped his attack.

The crowd in the hall squeezed to one side with difficulty, letting the newcomer through.

The person who squeezed in was Colonel Mao Gui, whom Meng Jianqing had once seen in Marshal Mu’s tent. Mao Gui was accompanied by two personal guards and a young officer.

Vice General Luo sheathed his saber and pointed at Meng Jianqing, saying, “Colonel Mao, you saw clearly – this time it’s not me, Old Luo, having a drunken fit. This junior officer under Qi Tianci injured so many of my men. You handle this!”

Before Colonel Mao could speak, the young officer beside him said coldly, “Vice General Luo, you disrupted the relay station first, then let your subordinates gang up on him. When someone fights one against five, if he doesn’t fight back, wouldn’t that be letting himself be slaughtered? If the Imperial Military Academy’s elite students were such cowards, wouldn’t they lose all face for His Majesty?”

Only then did Vice General Luo realize what kind of person he had provoked. He was stunned, but still felt unconvinced: “So what if he’s from the Military Academy? He injured so many of my men—”

The young officer interrupted him: “The Military Academy only teaches methods for defeating enemies and achieving victory. He was already showing mercy!”

Colonel Mao coughed and said, “Old Luo Ji, stop arguing and take your men out.”

The front hall quieted down. Meng Jianqing sheathed his blade, first saluting Colonel Mao, then turning to the young officer and cupping his hands: “I am Meng Jianqing. Thank you, Senior Guo, for speaking up for justice.”

The young officer patted his shoulder and smiled: “So you still recognize me. I recognize you, too. During that exercise two years ago, weren’t you and Guanxi the ones who charged ahead of me to block Ling Feng? I heard long ago that you were also assigned to Yunnan, but there was never a chance to meet. What a coincidence this time.”

Guo Ying, born into a distinguished family, was accomplished in both civil and military arts, with a fine reputation from a young age. From the moment he entered the Military Academy, great hopes were placed on him. His father, Guo Huan, had been promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue two years ago. With the Minister being old and not handling affairs, national finances were entirely managed by Guo Huan, who was deeply trusted by the Hongwu Emperor. Yet he still sent his beloved son to the urgent battlefields of Yunnan. Though it was called training, it was real training with actual swords and spears. Therefore, the Military Academy instructors often used Guo Ying as an example to motivate their junior classmates. It was said that Guo Ying had a photographic memory for people and events. During the academy exercises, he only needed one inspection to remember the names and faces of all one hundred and forty-plus men assigned to his command. This ability made him very popular with the soldiers in Yunnan, giving him far greater prestige in the army than the hot-tempered Ling Feng.

Meng Jianqing hadn’t expected to encounter this legendary figure from the Military Academy at a relay station in this wilderness, and couldn’t help feeling a strange emotion.

He turned to ask, “How does Senior Guo come to be in this place?”

Guo Ying replied, “I’m accompanying General Mao back to the capital on official business. Are you alone? Come, squeeze into my room.” Seeing Meng Jianqing’s slight hesitation, Guo Ying smiled: “Come on, it’s not like I haven’t shared quarters with others before. Three years at the Military Academy – which night wasn’t spent like this?”

Further refusal would be impolite. Meng Jianqing also smiled, gathered his luggage, and left the front hall with Guo Ying.

Guo Ying asked about the cause of his conflict with Vice General Luo and was somewhat surprised: “You have official duties – why meddle in others’ affairs?”

This wasn’t something the Military Academy allowed students to do.

Meng Jianqing hesitated for a while before answering: “I have a sister who always likes to disguise herself as a boy and get into fights with people.”

Guo Ying immediately understood and burst into laughter: “So you had already seen that the station worker tending the fire was a girl! That’s Ma Yicheng’s granddaughter, named Ai Ai. Don’t think she would have suffered if you hadn’t intervened – last time I stayed at Zhenning Station, two of my guards shouldn’t have provoked her, and they nearly had their legs broken by her fire-blowing tube. I heard her parents both died, leaving only this daughter, so she’s always stayed with Ma Yicheng. Having seen many soldiers coming and going from north and south, she’s developed this fierce temperament. You’d better be careful – don’t think you can provoke her just because you helped her earlier.”

Meng Jianqing asked with amusement, “Why would I provoke her?”

Guo Ying smiled without answering.

Meng Jianqing soon learned the reason.

Guo Ying’s room had only one bed. Meng Jianqing had just set down his small bundle when the door was kicked open with a “bang.” Still wearing station worker clothes, Ma Ai Ai entered carrying a straw mat and a grass mat, threw them on the floor, and said, “Hey Guo, here’s what you wanted!”

She had washed the soot from her face. Though her complexion was somewhat dark, her pretty eyes and brows were like mountain flowers washed by rain, fresh and delicate, carrying a faint, subtle fragrance that seemed to drift toward them.

Meng Jianqing couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned. No wonder those soldiers traveling north and south wanted to provoke Ai Ai, and no wonder Ai Ai had to disguise herself as such a grimy-faced boy.

Guo Ying said with a smile, “Ai Ai, you haven’t thanked my junior classmate yet.”

Ai Ai glanced sideways at Meng Jianqing: “Oh? It’s not like I asked him to meddle. He should thank you first.”

After speaking, she twisted her waist and walked away directly.

Meng Jianqing’s heart suddenly stirred.

Ai Ai’s tone with Guo Ying seemed extremely familiar. Even if Guo Ying was a rather warm and easygoing person, Ai Ai looked like she was covered in thorns…

That night, Meng Jianqing slept on the grass mat. Guo Ying didn’t force him to share the bed. Between them, there was no host-guest relationship requiring such courtesy.

Guo Ying was quite talkative, asking about the various instructors and affairs at the Military Academy since he had left. They talked until midnight before going to sleep.

Having traveled all day, Meng Jianqing was quite tired.

In his drowsy state, Meng Jianqing suddenly jolted awake. As he opened his eyes, the short blade hidden under his grass pillow was already in his hand, and he leaped up.

Guo Ying had just put on his shoes and gotten out of bed. He looked at him in surprise: “You weren’t asleep? Why so tense, as if facing a great enemy?”

Meng Jianqing smiled self-mockingly and lay back down.

Guo Ying returned from relieving himself and also lay down peacefully. The room was once again completely quiet.