How tempting it was to return to the light! But he couldn’t show even a hint of desire. “The Controlling Crane Army swears loyalty only to Your Majesty, and obeys only imperial edicts!”
This resolute declaration made the Emperor’s brow relax, a faint smile finally appearing on his face. “Go then. Immediately recall the Controlling Crane Army from Hebei.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The black-clad man bowed and vanished.
The Emperor sank into deep thought.
A full hour passed before he spoke again. “Attend me.”
A eunuch entered with quick, light steps, bowing as he said, “This servant is here.”
“Prepare a bath,” the Emperor ordered.
This meant he wanted to clear his mind for contemplation. The eunuch, accustomed to this, had already ordered everything prepared. He went out to ensure everything was ready, then stood at the door for a short while before returning to say respectfully, “Your Majesty, the bath is ready.”
The Emperor rose and moved to the Jade Spring Palace.
After bathing in fragrant water, the Emperor changed into loose white silk robes. With his hair unbound, he sat in a cool pavilion.
A eunuch brought in a tray bearing an exquisite golden nanmu wood box inlaid with gold and jade. The box was intricately carved with lifelike images of immortals ascending to heaven in broad daylight. “Your Majesty, these are the new golden pills the Daoist master sent yesterday.”
He opened the box to reveal six pills emitting a soft golden glow, nestled on black silk.
The Emperor took one and placed it in his mouth.
The eunuch closed the box and put it away, then stood aside with lowered hands. Seeing the Emperor begin to sweat, he asked softly, “Your Majesty, will you be engaging in dual cultivation today?”
“Mm,” the Emperor grunted in affirmation.
The eunuch raised his hand, signaling for someone to immediately summon Consort Yu.
If the Emperor hadn’t specified a partner beforehand, he wouldn’t have the patience to choose at this time. Everything would be arranged by the eunuch. Consorts hoping for imperial sons would bribe the eunuch for a chance to conceive.
Otherwise, those high-ranking consorts wouldn’t be willing to engage in intimacies in broad daylight in a pavilion.
The eunuch was skilled at maintaining balance. He wouldn’t arrange consorts every time. Occasionally, the Emperor wouldn’t mind, as these palace beauties were more skilled in the arts of pleasure and more accommodating compared to the somber shadow women he usually encountered.
In the courtyard, cranes paced about. A breeze rippled across the lotus pond, where green pads surrounded half-bloomed white lotuses. The scene partially obscured the white-robed middle-aged man in the pavilion, giving him an almost immortal air at first glance.
Soon, a woman in flowing white appeared, gracefully making her way through flowers and willows. She stood at the foot of the pavilion and curtsied, “Your Majesty.”
The Emperor opened his eyes slightly. A sudden gust of wind lifted the ribbons at her arms and her dark hair. Her beautiful face was pure yet bashful, momentarily resembling a celestial maiden.
Consort Yu glanced up, not missing the look of amazement in his eyes. Emboldened, she quietly slipped off her shoes and walked barefoot into the pavilion. Her snow-white feet peeked out from beneath her white gauze skirt, unadorned. The subtle glimpses were alluring.
Seeing this, the eunuch ordered white gauze curtains to be lowered around the pavilion. He sent everyone else to wait at a distant corridor, while he remained at the pavilion steps, ready to serve.
From noon until sunset, over two hours passed.
The eunuch quietly wiped his sweat, wondering if it was the extraordinary efficacy of the Daoist master’s new golden pills, or if Consort Yu’s beauty was particularly intoxicating today! However, Consort Yu had prepared for so long and come many times. If she still couldn’t conceive, it would truly be unfortunate. He couldn’t arrange for her again next time…
The Emperor’s harem never lacked for beauties. Consort Yu’s looks couldn’t compare to the Noble Consort or those fresh young beauties, so she usually wasn’t favored.
However, to the eunuch’s surprise, although Consort Yu still didn’t conceive this time, her carefully crafted appearance turned her fortunes around, unexpectedly gaining the Emperor’s favor!
When the Noble Consort learned of this, she was furious but helpless. She could only order people to research Daoist texts, racking her brains to imitate an immortal maiden.
While the palace women constantly schemed for favor, competing to play the role of celestial beings, at the border, Ling Ziyue and Liu Yun waited anxiously for over half a month. The result was an imperial edict reprimanding Liu Yun for negligence and abandoning his post!
Even the common people of Zhending Prefecture felt this was unjust when they heard of Liu Yun’s reprimand.
But what Liu Yun cared about most wasn’t the reprimand itself, but the fact that he was to be fined a year’s salary!
Liu Yun had four brothers, and an elderly mother, and hadn’t divided the family property. He had two sons and a daughter, along with several grandchildren. With such a large family to support and maintain appearances, they were already living frugally. Knowing this, Liu Yun usually ate army rations and wore patched undergarments repeatedly. When his family sent him new clothes, he would write back saying he only wore armor, that the court provided undergarments, and he had no opportunity to wear new clothes. He asked them to just send some small garments every half year.
As a general leading troops at the border with frequent warfare, there were no other ways to earn money. Liu Yun was an honest official who never accepted bribes or extorted from the people. He relied solely on his salary and some farmland to support his large family in the capital!
Although he wasn’t completely destitute, losing a year’s salary would truly skin his entire family alive.
The Emperor was killing a chicken to scare the monkey, and Ling Ziyue understood this. Half of his enthusiasm cooled.
If he hadn’t agreed to Liu Yun’s proposal to jointly attack Liao, perhaps the Emperor wouldn’t have punished him.
Ling Ziyue had fewer dependents and a higher salary than Liu Yun, but at this point, he feared that offering financial assistance might bring unnecessary trouble to Liu Yun. After some thought, he decided against it.
A week or so passed, and Ling Ziyue noticed the Controlling Crane Army members hadn’t appeared around him. The explosive crossbow made by Lou Xiaowu sat on his desk. It was clear they had been recalled by the Emperor.
His sudden change in attitude had pressured the Emperor, but what could be done about it? He was still serving well as a general, and military supplies were arriving several times faster than when he had to beg for them!
Ling Ziyue now fully understood Chu Dingjiang’s meaning. In the current state of the Song dynasty, protecting the country and being loyal to the emperor couldn’t both be achieved. If he blindly remained loyal to the emperor, his role in guarding the border would lose much of its meaning. Liao invaded every year, and he’d had opportunities to launch preemptive strikes, but the court was too scared of defeat and potential reparations to allow it. Now that the Emperor couldn’t touch him, he could discard his reputation and do something substantial for the Song dynasty and its people.
This path might lead to a miserable end, perhaps even going down in history as disloyal, but his passionate spirit could no longer endure waiting year after year for the Liao to come pillaging and burning!
In the dark of night, a group of black-clad riders arrived at a post station for a brief rest.
After changing horses, everyone gathered in the courtyard.
Lou Xiaowu complained, “We said we didn’t want to come, but they forced us. Now we’re here and haven’t been asked to do anything before being called back… Aren’t they just playing with us?”
“Master Chu, is it alright to leave those other dozen or so explosive crossbows unassembled?” Gao Dazhuang asked.
“If General Ling has made up his mind, not just a dozen, but even a hundred explosive crossbows couldn’t stop him,” Chu Dingjiang had confidence in Ling Ziyue. Before leaving, he had left the crossbows in the camp. He only had a rudimentary understanding of military equipment, but after watching Lou Xiaowu tinker with them, he roughly knew the structure and weaknesses of the explosive crossbows. Surely Ling Ziyue knew as well, so why worry about finding countermeasures?
The world is a marvelous thing, like a giant game of chess. Strength and weakness depend on time and circumstances. No piece can be invincible without reason, and even the most powerful forces have vulnerabilities.
As one waxes, another wanes.
Chu Dingjiang smiled, thinking that sometimes Daoist sayings made a lot of sense.
Coming back to his senses, he saw An Jiu crouching on the ground, fondling the tiger named Da Jiu.
The two tigers weren’t growing quickly, but they were sturdy. Their silly, cute tiger faces hadn’t become more majestic despite their increased size. Sometimes, their pride couldn’t even match that of a cat.
An Jiu thought Mo Sigui’s medicine must have made them stupid. She resolved to eat more food and less medicine in the future.
Being “physically strong but mentally weak” was not ideal.
“Sir, when we return to the capital, will we be doing our old jobs?” Li Qingzhi asked reluctantly. After his time in the military camp, he no longer wanted to return to his former life. If one day he could don armor and fight on the battlefield, even dying in battle would be satisfying.
“What’s wrong with our old jobs?” Gao Dazhuang said irritably.
Li Qingzhi hung his head, squeezing out two words, “Frustrating.”
“Is there any life without frustration? Didn’t you see Liu Yun fined a year’s salary even after winning a battle? Didn’t you see Ling Ziyue having to grovel just to get military supplies?” Gao Dazhuang poked his forehead with a delicate gesture. “You should be content!”
No one spoke further.
After eating some dry rations and resting for half an hour, they continued their journey.
When they left Bianjing, it was a cool night with misty flowers. Returning now, it was a rainy night with warm, humid air.
Upon arriving back at the Controlling Crane Army headquarters, they were immediately led to the palace.
After Gu Jinghong’s death, the rebuilt Dragon Guard members had been secretly gathered in the palace. Unlike other shadow forces, the Dragon Guard was stationed closer to the Emperor for his protection.
When An Jiu learned she had been assigned to the Dragon Guard, she felt conflicted. She would soon see Mei Yanran, but she wasn’t too happy about it. She hadn’t prepared for how to face Mei Yanran or how to handle their relationship…
“Go in, and mind your manners. You’re in the presence of the current Emperor!” the black-clad guide warned in a low voice.
Only then did they realize they were about to have an audience with the Emperor.
They had rushed back, travel-worn and disheveled, and were now hurriedly ushered into the great hall.
An Jiu saw a middle-aged man drinking tea on the throne. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his face was thin. He lacked the imagined aura of authority, instead appearing gentle and approachable.
“Long live the Emperor!” Gao Dazhuang led the group in kneeling.
The others followed, shouting “Long live” and kneeling as well.
The Emperor paused in drinking his tea, slowly setting down the cup. “Gao Yuanxin?”
Gao Yuanxin was the name Gao Dazhuang adopted later, and few people called him by it.
Gao Dazhuang lowered his head and said, “It is I, Your Majesty.”
“You’ve returned,” the Emperor smiled, walking down from the throne and helping him up with both hands. “You were exceptional in the Controlling Crane Army before, and this time at the border, you’ve truly made a name for yourself. I am most pleased.”