After Gongsun Yin left, Xie Zheng sat silently in front of the low table.
His hair was still damp from bathing, with wet strands scattered across his forehead. In the candlelight, his high bridge nose cast a shadow, and his thin lips were lightly pursed, giving him an air of stubbornness and wildness.
His long fingers picked up the ugly yet adorable and proud doll, examining it for a while before gently stroking it twice with his fingertips.
Beneath the low table lay a large package brought by his guard from Yan Prefecture.
He untied the rope, revealing two sets of clothing, a pair of unworn double-stitched short boots, and a pack of dried tangerine peel candy.
It was the package Fan Changyu had entrusted to Carpenter Zhao to deliver to him.
The rainy weather had caused some dampness, and the items inside carried a faint hint of moisture.
Xie Zheng unwrapped the oiled paper containing the dried tangerine peel candy. Some of the candies had melted slightly, with a few sticking together.
As if he hadn’t noticed, he picked up one piece and put it in his mouth. Instead of letting it dissolve slowly, he immediately chewed and swallowed it.
After swallowing one, he picked up another and continued chewing.
The bitterness, sourness, and sweetness of the dried tangerine peel candy spread across his tongue.
Towards the end, he could barely taste the sweetness, only the sourness and bitterness remained.
In Chong Prefecture.
The rain poured heavily outside, while a single candle flame inside the tent kept the cold, damp air at bay.
Fan Changyu sat cross-legged on the military bed, staring blankly at the empty chest beside her.
She had taken out all the clothes and placed them on the bed, but still couldn’t find the crudely carved wooden doll.
Although she was the only one living in this military tent, occasionally she would call in squad leaders and corporals to discuss matters. She always kept her personal belongings neatly organized.
Her spare clothes were stored in the chest, and she would take out the wooden doll to carve whenever she had free time, and then put it back in the chest with her clothes.
Earlier, when she casually picked out some clothes to change into before meeting He Jingyuan, she hadn’t noticed anything amiss.
Now, in the quiet of the night, she wanted to take out the doll to carve it more delicately, but it was nowhere to be found.
Footsteps sounded outside the tent, followed by the sound of an oil-paper umbrella being closed. Soon after, Mrs. Zhao entered, holding a dripping oil-paper umbrella in one hand and a bowl of medicine in the other. She used her elbow to lift the tent flap, muttering, “This rain is frighteningly heavy!”
She placed the oil-paper umbrella against the tent wall and walked towards Fan Changyu with the medicine bowl. Seeing all the clothes taken out of the chest, she asked, “Why have you taken out all these clothes?”
Remembering that Mrs. Zhao had been taking care of her daily needs during her two days of unconsciousness, Fan Changyu quickly asked, “Mrs. Zhao, when you were tidying up my clothes, did you see a wooden doll in the chest?”
Mrs. Zhao shook her head, “I didn’t see any wooden doll.”
Noticing Fan Changyu’s distressed look, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Fan Changyu just shook her head, her almond-shaped black eyes reflecting confusion and bitterness in the candlelight.
How could the doll have suddenly disappeared?
Xie Wu, though her guard, would never overstep and touch her personal belongings.
During the two days she was unconscious, the only person who had entered this military tent was Xie Zheng, disguised as Xie Wu.
Did he take the doll?
Mrs. Zhao said, “Drink this medicine while it’s hot. I need to go back to your Uncle Zhao’s tent to help him brew some more medicine.”
Fan Changyu’s hand injury hadn’t healed yet, so Mrs. Zhao had been staying in the military camp to take care of her. During the day, when she had time, she would help the military doctors brew medicine or wash the soiled clothes of the seriously wounded soldiers.
This battle had resulted in heavy casualties among the troops. Even Carpenter Zhao, a veterinarian, had been called upon to bandage and treat the wounded soldiers.
He had initially been anxious, fearing his limited medical skills might harm the wounded soldiers. However, he soon discovered that the newly recruited military doctors for treating the wounded were even less familiar with various medicinal properties and prescriptions than he was.
Upon inquiry, he learned that they were mostly country doctors, some even just herb gatherers who could identify medicinal plants. Carpenter Zhao felt somewhat uneasy about this.
But he also understood that this was unavoidable. With thousands of wounded and only a handful of military doctors, many injuries required prompt treatment. How could the military doctors manage it all?
They had no choice but to recruit anyone with even a bit of medical knowledge within a hundred-mile radius to treat the wounded soldiers.
Regardless of their medical expertise, having some treatment was better than none at all.
Drawing on his experience of treating Xie Zheng’s severe injuries, Carpenter Zhao successfully saved many wounded soldiers and was exceptionally promoted to official military doctor.
The military has always shown great respect for doctors. Carpenter Zhao no longer had to work as a carpenter or veterinarian and even had his separate military tent.
Fan Changyu snapped back to reality. For the past two days when she had been unconscious, Mrs. Zhao had no choice but to watch over her at night. Now that she was awake, Mrs. Zhao didn’t need to take care of her constantly. She took the medicine bowl and said, “It’s pouring rain, and it’s dark in the camp. It might be difficult to walk. I’ll have Little Wu escort you there. You can rest at Uncle Zhao’s place after you’re done, no need to come back here.”
Her tent was quite a distance from the wounded soldiers’ tents, and it would be tiring for the old lady to go back and forth.
Fan Changyu understood Mrs. Zhao’s desire to do something for the wounded soldiers.
The Zhao couple had lost their son on the battlefield years ago. When Mrs. Zhao came to the military camp and saw the soldiers in the infirmary, she was reminded of her fallen son and cried. She treated those wounded soldiers like her own children, keeping herself busy without a moment’s rest.
Perhaps it was to make up for the regret of not being able to do anything when they learned of their son’s death on the battlefield years ago.
Mrs. Zhao, however, was still worried, “Will you be alright alone at night?”
Fan Changyu, holding the bowl, said, “My hand injury is only skin deep and affects the tendons, the bones are fine. It’s not a big deal.”
Mrs. Zhao hesitated for a moment before saying, “Alright then. If you need anything, just send Little Wu to call me.”
Fan Changyu agreed and then called for Xie Wu, asking him to escort Mrs. Zhao to Carpenter Zhao’s tent.
After the tent flap closed again, shutting out the rain and the endless darkness, Fan Changyu finally sank into silence.
She held the medicine bowl, and as she lowered her head, it seemed as if drops of water had fallen into the dark medicine, creating ripples.
She drank it all in one go, not minding that the bitterness of the medicine made her stomach cramp slightly. After placing the empty bowl on the small stool by the bed, she stuffed the clothes back into her chest, shook out a thin blanket to wrap herself in, and went straight to sleep with her head covered.
It was half a month later when the battle report of the slaying of King Changxin was sent to the capital and the imperial envoy arrived in Chong Prefecture with the imperial edict of rewards.
When the imperial envoy entered the camp, Fan Changyu was the only person below the rank of colonel in the welcoming party.
The arrival of the imperial edict was as if the emperor himself had come, and all civil and military officials had to wear their official robes.
He Jingyuan, still not fully recovered from his severe injuries, forced himself to don the heavy armor and lead his subordinate generals to welcome the imperial envoy at the main camp gate. His face was so thin that his cheekbones protruded, his cheeks were sunken, and he even had a sickly gray color, causing his subordinate generals to feel distressed at the sight.
Fan Changyu’s heart sank as well. He Jingyuan’s injuries were not just from arrows; when fighting against King Changxin, he had also taken a lion-headed spear blow meant for Tang Peiyi, injuring his internal organs, which was why his condition had not improved.
When He Jingyuan wrote the memorial to send to the capital, he had already stated that he was seriously injured and feared he could no longer serve as the main general in the attack on Chong Prefecture. It was unclear what instructions this imperial edict would bring.
She stood at the back, only seeing a group of people walking majestically towards the main camp from outside. The person in the lead wore an official robe she had never seen before, unlike those of civil officials or military generals. His face was old and wrinkled, yet pale and beardless, giving an indescribably strange appearance.
Upon seeing He Jingyuan, the person raised his eyelids haughtily and said in a high-pitched voice, “Governor of Ji Prefecture, He Jingyuan, receive the imperial edict—”
Fan Changyu then realized that this person must be one of the legendary eunuchs who served on the emperor’s side.
He Jingyuan led everyone to kneel. Fan Changyu, fearing she might offend and bring trouble upon him, didn’t dare to look at the eunuch proclaiming the edict anymore and only kept her eyes on the ground in front of her.
“By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The rebels in Chong Prefecture have disrupted our land and oppressed our people. Governor of Ji Prefecture, He Jingyuan, has upheld the state and executed the rebels, greatly comforting Our hearts. Now learning that you are gravely injured, We hereby bestow upon you the title of Great General of Huaihua, award you a thousand taels of gold, temporarily transfer command to General of Xuanwei, Tang Peiyi, and permit you to return to Ji Prefecture for recuperation.”
As soon as the words fell, the crowd kneeling at the main camp gate showed various expressions.
This imperial edict granted He Jingyuan a higher military rank in name but stripped him of his military power.
Tang Peiyi was kneeling just behind and to the left of He Jingyuan. He had been promoted by He Jingyuan himself and held great respect for him. Upon hearing this edict, he became visibly agitated, wanting to say something to He Jingyuan, but constrained by the fact that the eunuch hadn’t finished proclaiming the edict, he could only kneel in place, burning with anxiety.
The eunuch continued reading: “General of Xuanwei, Tang Peiyi, for his meritorious service in building dams to block the rebels and for the exceptional performance of the right-wing army he trained on the Chong Prefecture battlefield, demonstrating the talent of a great general, is hereby promoted to General of Cloud Cavalry and awarded five hundred taels of gold.”
“The subordinate generals have also shown great bravery. Wang Daqing, for slaying the rebel vanguard, is appointed as General of Roving Cavalry and awarded one hundred taels of gold; Gou Si, for slaying a rebel colonel, is appointed as Colonel of Determined Fruit…”
This imperial edict was quite lengthy, almost bestowing titles and rewards on all the military officers kneeling at the main camp gate. Fan Changyu now understood why she had been called to come as well – it was for the collective rewards.
The battle merits reported to the emperor were all written by He Jingyuan, so he probably had an idea of who would be rewarded, which was why he had called these people over in advance.
However, Fan Changyu’s name was not mentioned for a long time.
Just as her knees were starting to go numb from kneeling, she finally heard the eunuch mention her name: “Right-wing Army Commander Fan Changyu…”
Fan Changyu was startled and instinctively looked towards the eunuch, who happened to be looking at her as well.
That gaze seemed to be smiling, but it inexplicably made Fan Changyu shudder. She couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but it made her whole body uncomfortable, so she quickly lowered her head.
The eunuch continued reading: “For slaying King Changxin, achieving extraordinary merit, is hereby appointed as Colonel of the Valiant Cavalry and awarded three hundred taels of gold. By imperial decree!”
Fan Changyu didn’t know how significant the rank of Colonel of the Valiant Cavalry was, but hearing that the reward was three times that of Wang Daqing, a subordinate of Tang Peiyi, she surmised that this position must not be insignificant.
After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, the arrogant expression on his face disappeared, and he smiled at He Jingyuan, saying, “General He, please accept the edict.”
His eyes also glanced towards Fan Changyu.
Even in his illness, He Jingyuan’s voice remained strong: “He Jingyuan accepts the edict!”
The eunuch then handed the imperial edict to He Jingyuan, his face wearing a smile that seemed friendly but made people inexplicably uncomfortable. He said, “Congratulations, General. Felicitations to you.”
He Jingyuan looked at the imperial edict in his hands, his eyes showing a hint of weariness. He smiled and said, “It is His Majesty’s grace.”
Tang Peiyi immediately said with indignation, cupping his fists: “General, this subordinate is not worthy of the position of commander. I beg the General to continue leading the army!”
He Jingyuan shouted, “Nonsense! Are you intending to defy the imperial edict?”
Tang Peiyi wanted to say more, but seeing the eunuch smiling and watching like a spectator, he finally held back.
He Jingyuan then turned to the eunuch and said, “Your Excellency has come from afar, it must have been a tiring journey. We have prepared a humble tent in the camp. If you don’t mind, please go and rest for a while.”
The eunuch smiled and said, “Not tiring at all, not tiring at all. It is loyal ministers like General He who toil on the frontlines that are truly exhausting. But whether it’s a minister like you or a servant to His Majesty like me, we eat the emperor’s food, so we must share his worries, isn’t that right?”
He Jingyuan understood the implied meaning in the eunuch’s words. His face remained impassive as he replied, “Your Excellency’s words are most astute.”
The eunuch looked at He Jingyuan, his smile deepening: “It’s good that General He understands.”
After the subordinates led the eunuch and his entourage away, Tang Peiyi could no longer contain himself. He spoke up for He Jingyuan, “General, how could His Majesty simply strip you of your military power?”
Half angry and half indignant, he lowered his head: “I can’t take over your duties! I can’t handle this situation in Chong Prefecture!”
He Jingyuan simply said, “Foolish!”
“General…”
Tang Peiyi wanted to say more but was interrupted by He Jingyuan, who said, “This military power, if not falling to you, will be given to someone else sent from the court. Compared to the latter, I’d rather have you take over the Ji Prefecture army.”
As he spoke, he patted Tang Peiyi’s shoulder.
Tang Peiyi, a man of eight feet, actually reddened his eyes and said, “If it weren’t for the General saving me that day…”
He Jingyuan suddenly sighed and said, “Peiyi, I am indeed getting old.”
Tang Peiyi looked at his graying temples and emaciated form, which had changed so much in just half a month. His eyes filled with sorrow, and he could no longer utter a word of refusal.
Fan Changyu also felt quite uncomfortable watching this.
Since ancient times, it seemed that the fate of military generals was always to be discarded once their usefulness was over.
Because of the worries in her heart, even though she had been awarded a military rank and received a reward, she couldn’t feel any happiness at all.
He Jingyuan let everyone disperse, but for some reason, she stood rooted to the spot, not leaving.
He Jingyuan saw her and didn’t seem surprised. He said, “Walk with your elder uncle for a while.”
Fan Changyu responded with an “Mm” and followed half a step behind He Jingyuan.
Due to his injuries, He Jingyuan moved slowly, and despite wearing full armor, his scholarly elegance and gentle demeanor remained evident.
After walking for a while in a quiet area, he said slowly, “I haven’t concealed the matter of killing King Changxin from you. Now the entire court knows about you. From now on, you need to be vigilant; countless eyes are watching you in the shadows.”
Fan Changyu replied, “Changyu understands.”
He Jingyuan sighed, “The Chancellor can no longer tolerate me. I don’t know when he might strike at you sisters. You can’t hide from this. Letting everyone know about you will make the Chancellor think twice before acting against you.”
Pausing for a moment, he continued, “The faction of Grand Tutor Li has already traced your parents. He wants to bring down Wei Yan, and he will go to any lengths to protect you for now. Li Huai’an remains in the military as a commander. Although he is humble and courteous, and of good character, he is still a member of the Li family—do not trust him too readily.”
Fan Changyu sensed the elder’s good intentions and felt a wave of gratitude. She replied earnestly, “Changyu will remember this.”
Only then did He Jingyuan look at her and nod gently, his gaze reflecting a mixture of affection and pity that an elder has for a younger person. “This path has been difficult for you.”
Thinking of her parent’s deaths, the enduring shame her grandfather had faced for seventeen years, and the day she parted ways with Xie Zheng, her dark apricot eyes remained solemn yet sparked with determination. “It’s not difficult.”