Xiao Li led a team of light cavalry, riding through the rain at night back to camp. Rainwater streamed from their soaked cloaks and robe hems. Horse hooves splashed water as they galloped, like a pack of wolves returning from the hunt.
As soon as the accompanying junior officer passed through the sentry gate, he shouted to the duty officer: “West Second Battalion returns from bandit suppression! Captured over three hundred bandits, confiscated over four hundred weapons, and over two hundred iron arrows!”
That duty officer hastily brought out brush and ink, recording something in the book he carried with him.
This commotion also drew soldiers from other parts of the camp to crane their necks and look. Seeing the West Second Battalion cavalry ride past on their horses, their eyes revealed no small amount of envy as they discussed in low voices: “How many times has West Second Battalion gone out to suppress bandits this month? Have they cleared out all the bandit lairs outside Pingzhou and Tao Commandery?”
“More than that! A few days ago I heard people from West Second Battalion saying they’ve been suppressing bandits all the way to the borders of Xin Prefecture and Yi Prefecture!”
“Those lucky bastards in West Second Battalion following General Xiao have it good. Just from these several bandit suppressions, they must have accumulated quite a bit of military merit!”
Xiao Li went straight back to West Second Battalion. The over three hundred mountain bandits brought back would naturally have their labor assignments arranged by the accompanying junior officers. He dismounted and had just tossed the reins to the young soldier who came forward before the tent when he saw Tan Yi approach: “Finally waited for you to return!”
Xiao Li was somewhat surprised. For Tan Yi to come looking for him at this hour, he must have heard news of his return. Looking for him so late at night must mean urgent business.
The rain was heavy outside. He invited Tan Yi into the tent together, pulled off the cloak dripping the most water and handed it to his personal guard, then poured tea for Tan Yi at the table: “The roads are bad in the rain. Pressing the captive bandits back slowed us down. Has something happened in the military?”
Tan Yi made a sound of exasperation: “These past days you’ve been leading West Second Battalion’s men running to various bandit lairs, gone for three to five days at a time. It wasn’t easy to catch you. I’m here on General Fan’s orders to tell you—stay put in the military camp these next few days. Stop suppressing bandits.”
Xiao Li pushed the poured tea toward Tan Yi and looked up to ask: “Why?”
Tan Yi said: “Three days from now is the Princess Imperial’s investiture ceremony. If you go diving into bandit lairs again, General Fan will have my hide later.”
Xiao Li frowned: “What investiture ceremony?”
He had been suppressing bandits in the mountains this whole half month and knew very little of Pingzhou’s governmental affairs.
Tan Yi explained: “Southern Chen has already signed an alliance treaty with us. Once their escorted grain enters the passes in a few days, the Princess Imperial will head to Southern Chen. Currently, Master Li Yao and Lord Chen have been tentatively appointed to preside over the overall situation within the passes. According to Master Li Yao’s thinking, since the alliance treaty between our Great Liang and Southern Chen is settled, we might as well create more momentum to attract more Former Liang old ministers or righteous armies to come pledge allegiance. The best method, naturally, is to posthumously ennoble the Prince and Crown Prince. When the Princess Imperial marries into Southern Chen soon as a Great Liang princess, it will also be more honorable.”
From the moment Tan Yi mentioned that the alliance treaty with Southern Chen had been signed, Xiao Li became unusually silent. Only after he finished did he speak in a tone no different from usual: “I understand. Thank you for making this trip, Brother Tan.”
Tan Yi didn’t notice his subtle abnormality. Seeing that the clothing beneath his armor was soaked through and he needed to change quickly, he stood up: “The message is delivered. I won’t stay longer.”
Xiao Li rose to see him out of the tent. Before leaving, Tan Yi seemed to want to do him a favor, lowering his voice to tell him: “General Fan is keeping track of your bandit suppression merits!”
Others still didn’t know the news, but as Fan Yuan’s deputy general, he naturally knew more than others. Chen Wei had wanted to recruit Xiao Li as a son-in-law but was politely refused. Though Chen Wei said nothing, quite a few people in the know privately felt he didn’t recognize a good opportunity when he saw one, and weren’t sure if Chen Wei would hold a grudge about this matter later.
Although Xiao Li was the Princess Imperial’s direct subordinate, after she went to Southern Chen, the main decision-making power in Pingzhou and Tao Commandery would still be in Chen Wei and Li Yao’s hands. If Chen Wei held a grudge, there would be plenty of subtle rebuffs he could give Xiao Li.
Fan Yuan was Chen Wei’s most trusted person. Fan Yuan’s attitude, to a large extent, represented Chen Wei’s attitude.
Xiao Li understood the meaning in Tan Yi’s words, nodded, and quietly thanked him.
After Tan Yi left, Xiao Li returned to the tent but didn’t change out of those wet clothes. He simply sat at the table with hands propped, gazing at the southern territory map he had already densely marked, lost in thought about something.
Zhao Youcai, who had become Xiao Li’s personal guard, came in carrying hot water and saw that the water dripping from Xiao Li’s robes had already formed a small puddle on the ground. He quickly called out: “My goodness, General! Your clothes are soaked through like this—why haven’t you changed?”
Xiao Li stared intently at the map, as if thinking through something crucial, and said: “Don’t make noise.”
Zhao Youcai’s stream of chatter immediately stopped.
He could become Xiao Li’s personal guard largely because his tongue was nimble, he was clever at gathering all kinds of intelligence, and he had exceptional perceptiveness. While still on the road to Pingzhou, he had found ways to ingratiate himself before Xiao Li. Xiao Li indeed needed someone well-informed who could handle various miscellaneous matters for him, so he kept him by his side.
Xiao Li was clearly studying military defenses right now. How would Zhao Youcai dare disturb him? Those densely packed ink marks on the map gave him a headache just looking at them once. Only Xiao Li himself could understand them.
Fearing Xiao Li would catch cold, he went out to fetch a brazier to help dry the clothes on his body, then stood guard at the side like a post.
Not knowing how long had passed, Zhao Youcai was standing until he nearly dozed off when he finally heard movement from Xiao Li’s direction.
Opening his eyes, he saw Xiao Li had already rolled up the map and placed it in a waterproof tube, quickly undone the arm guards on his hands, and turned his head to tell him: “Bring me a robe.”
Zhao Youcai quickly rummaged out an arrow-sleeved light robe Xiao Li often wore and handed it over, puzzled: “It’s so late—are you still going out?”
Xiao Li removed his armor and changed into the arrow robe. Not minding that water was still dripping from his hair ends, he shouldered the tube containing the map and lifted the tent flap to go out, leaving only one sentence: “I’ll return by tomorrow morning at the latest. If anyone looks for me during this time, handle it for me.”
Tan Yi had come not long ago. Zhao Youcai thought Xiao Li had urgent military business and didn’t dare ask more questions, quickly agreeing.
—
The night rain was clamorous. After Wen Yu finished reading the long scroll in her hands and returned it to the bookshelf, she extinguished the candle in the corner by the bookcase and walked toward the wedding garment she hadn’t yet tried on.
The wedding dress embroidered over several months by dozens of embroiderers from Pingzhou’s official workshops could not be called anything but exquisite. The complex hidden patterns on the fabric shimmered like flowing waves under sunlight in the candlelight. Phoenix and phoenix embroidered with golden thread finer than hair spread their wings in long cries. Beyond magnificence, there was more an oppressive dignity and grace that left one breathless.
Just like the grand wedding she was about to face—beneath the splendor was a contest of power and ambition.
Wen Yu raised her hand and lightly stroked the cloud brocade fabric. For some reason, the scene of her elder brother and sister-in-law’s wedding suddenly floated before her eyes.
She had been only twelve then. She only remembered that the entire manor was decorated with lanterns and festoons, hung with red silk. Mother Consort had tailored new clothes for the servants in advance. The voices of arriving guests mingling with the sound of firecrackers outside the walls, so lively it seemed like another lifetime.
During the bowing ceremony, everyone around made a commotion, saying teasing words to the newlyweds. Elder Brother’s gentle and refined face flushed from ear tips to the base of his neck. Sister-in-law bowed down with him, and when a corner of her veil was lifted by the wind, one could see the bride’s rouge-tinted pretty face beneath also had curved lips. Father and Mother Consort sat in the high hall, their temples slightly frosted, their eyes full of smiles.
That was what a real marriage should be, wasn’t it? The person at the other end of the red silk was one’s beloved. The hall full of distinguished guests, all relatives present.
Wen Yu lowered her eyes, fingering the wedding garment’s sleeve as she stood quietly in place for a while before taking down this magnificent robe to change into in the inner room.
The clothes Madam Chen had tailored using her measurements naturally fit.
After changing into the wedding dress, Wen Yu sat before the dressing table. Even though bronze mirrors reflected objects with a yellowish tint, and it was now evening with lamp candles lit, making the dim light even worse, the woman reflected in the bronze mirror was still brilliantly beautiful beyond compare. It was just that her eyes were too cold and still—she didn’t look like a bride. Her lip color was also rather pale compared to this outfit.
Wen Yu took a piece of rouge paper dyed with lip balm from the makeup case and lightly pressed it against her lips before the mirror.
Lightning struck, and outside the carved gauze window was a sheet of forest white. Then came thunder crashing like the sky splitting. The originally tightly closed room door was also forcefully pushed open from outside amid this thunder crash.
Cold wind rushed in, causing the gauzy curtains throughout the room to flutter wildly.
Wen Yu still held the rouge paper between her fingers. Looking back, she saw the newcomer with both hands braced against the door frame, clothes and hair soaked through. His tall form blocked out all the brilliant white lightning outside. Beneath his disheveled dripping hair, a pair of narrow, pitch-black wolf eyes stared at her.
A brief moment of confusion passed through Wen Yu’s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and said: “At this time, Zhao Bai wouldn’t let anyone in. For you to avoid her eyes and ears must have taken considerable effort. You’re looking for me—is there something?”
Xiao Li said: “You lost something.”
Hearing this, Wen Yu’s brow furrowed imperceptibly.
Xiao Li walked closer to her, his middle finger hooked on a cord from which hung an object, saying: “Returning it to you.”
It was precisely the sachet Wen Yu had lost.
He had come through the rain. His entire body was soaked through, so naturally the sachet had also been saturated by rainwater. The tassels on the cord were dripping water.
Wen Yu looked at it silently for a while, then withdrew her gaze to draw her eyebrows before the mirror, saying: “It’s not mine.”
Xiao Li watched her draw her eyebrows in the mirror and said: “You left that night. I found it by the lake.”
His voice was steady, only because he had been caught in the rain, it sounded somewhat hoarse.
As if disturbed by him and unable to focus on drawing eyebrows, Wen Yu stopped the eyebrow pencil in her hand, turned her head, and looked at Xiao Li somewhat coldly: “I said it’s not mine. General Xiao, if you came here today at great risk only to tell me these things, you might as well leave.”
She turned back intending to continue drawing her eyebrows, but Xiao Li grasped the hand holding the eyebrow pencil. He bent his head slightly so his expression couldn’t be clearly seen, only asking softly: “Wen Yu, what are you running from?”
Wen Yu looked away: “I don’t understand what General Xiao is saying.”
Xiao Li placed that sachet on Wen Yu’s dressing table, staring at her unblinkingly: “I opened it and looked. Inside is that carp wood carving I carved for you.”
Wen Yu’s other hand concealed in her sleeve clenched tight. What she feared most had still happened.
Xiao Li said: “When I found this sachet, I was very happy—happy that perhaps you also liked me even just a tiny bit. You want Xin Prefecture and Yi Prefecture as your dowry. While suppressing bandits, I familiarized myself with the terrain and troop deployments around Xin and Yi prefectures, and also thought of a way to capture them without needing to ally with anyone else. So I came to ask you…”
The sound of thunder and rain outside grew even louder. Rain struck the window lattice with crackling sounds.
The hand gripping Wen Yu’s wrist tightened slightly as he spoke with difficulty: “Wen Yu, don’t marry that Prince Chen. Marry me instead, all right?”
“The Liang Kingdom—I’ll restore it for you. Your Wen clan’s vengeance—I’ll avenge it for you.”