Northwest, Ming military camp.
Wang Ning was awakened by snoring beside his pillow. It was loud, but he didn’t find it annoying, because it meant he was still alive.
Wait, why was someone sleeping beside him?
Wang Ning opened his eyes and found himself in a military camp. Beside him, someone was curled up like a cat, with his left shoe still on – he must have taken off his right shoe and then, utterly exhausted, collapsed into sleep.
This person was none other than the young general Mu Chun who had gotten lost in Lost Soul Valley that night, full of vulgar talk and Wu region love songs – eldest son of Marquis Xiping Mu Ying.
Mu Chun had terrible sleeping posture. His messy hair had long since fallen off the pillow, and his blanket had slipped to his waist, wearing only an inner garment. He slept on his side, and through the crossed collar of his garment, Wang Ning could see the fan wrapped in its case against his chest.
Seeing him sound asleep, Wang Ning slowly reached out, gently parted his collar, grasped the fan handle, and slowly drew it out.
Having worked as a scout for three years, stealing glances at things was second nature to him.
Unfortunately, when halfway out, Mu Chun’s powerful warrior bloodline from his parents made his muscles react before his brain – his eyes hadn’t even opened yet when he quickly flipped over and straddled Wang Ning, pinning him down. “Assassin!”
Wang Ning’s arrow wounds immediately flared with pain, and he shouted, “It’s me!”
Only then did Mu Chun wake up. “Why were you attacking me just now?”
Wang Ning said calmly, “You rolled over while sleeping and pressed on my wounds – it hurt terribly, so I pushed you away. Please get off quickly. My wounds seem to have reopened from the pressure. After barely escaping Yuan army pursuit, I’m afraid I’ll die beneath you.”
“Oh, sorry.” Mu Chun rolled off and shouted outside, “Medic!”
Mu Chun crouched beside Wang Ning like a monkey, comforting him, “This medic was assigned to me by my father. His medical skills are excellent – don’t worry, he won’t let you die.”
The medic came to examine Wang Ning’s wounds, mostly on his back. Fortunately, he’d been wearing armor, so there were no fatal injuries. The medic re-applied medicine and bandaged the wounds while complaining to Mu Chun, “Young Master, please don’t harass the patient here. This is the marshal’s main tent – why aren’t you sleeping in your own camp?”
Wang Ning thought to himself – I’m actually sleeping in the tent of Northern Expedition Grand Marshal, Duke Weiguo Xu Da!
Mu Chun said, “I find them too smelly, and they have so many fleas they can bite a person awake.”
The medic said, “You smell too, Young Master. Don’t pass fleas to the patient. This is a patient the Grand Marshal specifically ordered us to care for well.”
Mu Chun sniffed his armpit. “Have someone bring water – I’ll take a bath.”
The medic reminded him, “Young Master, this is the Grand Marshal’s tent.”
“Oh right.” Mu Chun slapped his forehead and ran to the command tent across the way where the marshal issued orders. The guards at the entrance wouldn’t let him in, so Mu Chun said, “I have urgent business with the Grand Marshal, about the injured scout.”
Only then did the guards let him pass. Duke Weiguo Xu Da was studying troop formations at a sand table when Mu Chun said, “The scout who brought intelligence has awakened.”
Awakened by me pressing on him.
Xu Da said, “Order good care for him. His identity has been exposed – he can’t return to the Northern Yuan Privy Council. He must return to court with us.”
Mu Chun said, “Yes. Also, Grand Marshal, may I bathe in your tent?”
Xu Da mentored Mu Chun not only because he saw talent in him, but also for the life-saving grace of his grandfather Duke Yingguo Feng Guoyong. He treated Mu Chun like a nephew, and hearing this, smiled warmly, “Go ahead.”
Mu Chun jumped three feet high. “Thank you, Grand Marshal!”
Returning to the marshal’s main tent, the medic had finished changing the dressings. Under everyone’s gaze, Mu Chun stripped off his clothes and jumped into a wooden tub. Soldiers brought hot water and poured it over his head as instructed, making Mu Chun hum contentedly.
After spending half a year together, the medic had become numb to his young master’s shameless behavior and no longer bothered correcting him, covering his face and leaving. They’d discovered that the more they mentioned Marquis Xiping Mu Ying’s reputation, the more their young master acted up – better to keep quiet.
Wang Ning noticed that when Mu Chun undressed, he wrapped the fan in his glossy inner garment and placed it within sight, clearly treasuring it greatly.
Mu Chun stirred in the water like a fish, scrubbing his body while saying, “After receiving your intelligence, the Grand Marshal broke camp overnight and force-marched to the West Liao River – our army won a great victory. Between marching and fighting, I haven’t slept for three straight days. I’m exhausted – collapsed the moment I hit the bed. The Grand Marshal just said your identity has been exposed and you can’t return to the Privy Council – you’ll come back with us.”
The situation had been urgent then. If the Yuan army had completely crossed the West Liao River, finding another opportunity would have been difficult. So Wang Ning had risked riding to the Ming camp and being pursued by Yuan forces, already prepared for exposure.
No one could be a scout for life. Wang Ning’s prediction for his own future was to work until discovered one day, then take poison and end it all rather than withstand torture and implicate other scouts.
For this, Wang Ning carried poison, ready to sacrifice himself at any time. He never expected fate would bring him home instead.
With his mother dead at home and his fiancée having entered the palace as a female official, choosing a career path, what could he do if he returned?
Mu Chun thought “Bangs” would be happy after his hardships ended, but seeing no reaction from him, grew curious: “This great achievement you’ve made is enough for official titles and noble rank. How wonderful to return home in glory – why the long face? You seem unhappy instead?”
Wang Ning answered perfunctorily, “We spies are used to not showing our emotions, hiding our feelings so others can’t read us. I’m actually quite happy right now.”
After scrubbing his upper body, Mu Chun propped his left leg on the tub edge and began washing his lower half. “Different trades are like different mountains – your line of work is too difficult. I couldn’t do it. Someone like me laughs when happy, curses loudly and picks fights when angry. I have to express my emotions or I’d suffocate.”
Wang Ning looked at the folding fan wrapped in dirty clothes and asked tentatively, “What if you liked someone?”
Mu Chun grinned, “Of course it would be ‘when the moon rises above the willow tips, lovers meet after dusk, sleeping together under mandarin duck quilts.'” Then Mu Chun began scrubbing while singing from “The Peony Pavilion’s” “Victory Gourd”:
“Here I hold soft jade and warm fragrance in my arms, like Ruan Zhao reaching the Celestial Terrace, as spring brings color to earthly flowers, swaying slender willow waists—”
Crash!
A porcelain cup hit the floor, shattering and interrupting Mu Chun’s song.
Wang Ning picked up the second tea cup from the bedside table. “Sorry, I’m still recovering from serious illness. My hands shook and I couldn’t hold the cup steady.”
He didn’t know why, but despite knowing from Centurion Shi that Mu Chun was “all bark and no bite” – actually still inexperienced with no real combat experience – hearing Mu Chun’s song made Wang Ning inexplicably angry, so he deliberately smashed the cup to interrupt the singing.
“Blood loss makes one thirsty easily. Don’t move – I’ll pour water for you. If you reopen your wounds, that would be troublesome.” Mu Chun stood up with a splash. His long legs easily stepped over the wooden tub. Wearing nothing but wooden clogs on his feet, he walked over completely naked.
Wang Ning half-reclined on the bed, his line of sight exactly parallel with three inches below Mu Chun’s navel, giving him a clear view of everything.
“At least wrap yourself with a cloth,” Wang Ning turned his face away.
Mu Chun poured water nearby with splashing sounds. “We’re both men. What I have, you have too. What’s there to hide?”
Mu Chun handed the water cup to Wang Ning while gasping at the cold air and shouting “I’m freezing to death!” He spun around and ran back to the bath tub. As he turned, several drops of water splashed onto Wang Ning’s face.
It must be water from his hair, it must be.
Wang Ning kept giving himself mental pep talks to barely control his expression, not wiping the water droplets from his face, draining the warm water in one gulp.
Mu Chun splashed back into the tub. After scrubbing his left leg, he lifted his right leg to begin washing. “I’ve been doing all the talking – I still don’t know your name. What are you called? Where are you from?”
Wang Ning: “Asilei.”
Asilei meant “lion” in Mongolian, representing courage. Among Yuan people, at least seven out of ten men had this name – similar to the common names “Jianguo,” “Guoqing,” “Zihan,” “Zimeng,” and “Zixuan” five hundred years later.
Mu Chun said, “I’m asking for your real name, not an alias.”
Wang Ning said, “My name is a state secret. Only the Grand Marshal has the authority to ask.”
“You can avoid the first day but not the fifteenth,” Mu Chun grinned. “When we reach the capital and receive rewards based on merit, I’ll know your name.”
Wang Ning smiled slightly, “We’ll talk about it when we reach the capital.”
The northern expedition army returned triumphantly. Throughout the journey, Wang Ning and Mu Chun called each other brothers, growing quite close. Wang Ning occasionally probed Mu Chun, but Mu Chun kept Hu Shanwei buried in the deepest part of his heart, tight-lipped. Even with a Luoyang shovel, Wang Ning couldn’t dig up anything.
Wang Ning grew increasingly puzzled about the relationship between Hu Shanwei and Mu Chun.
In April, the northern expedition army reached the capital. Emperor Hongwu ordered grand triumph ceremonies with prisoner presentations and merit rewards.
With the army’s triumphant return, Northern Expedition Grand Marshal Duke Weiguo Xu Da presented war prisoners like Bielibubua at the southern gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and northern gate of the Imperial Altar, offering sacrifices to both with triple offerings.
Afterward, the Ministry of Justice took custody of the prisoners. Emperor Hongwu wore his ceremonial crown and crimson gauze robes to Fengtian Gate. Prisoners like Bielibubua all wore Yuan clothing and knelt awaiting judgment.
Ministry of Justice officials read the confession statements.
Emperor Hongwu sent out Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Mao Qiang to announce the imperial decree, pardoning their crimes. All prisoners performed five kowtows and called out “Long live the Emperor” three times. Mao Qiang even personally helped up the leading Northern Yuan Chancellor Bielibubua.
Emperor Hongwu bestowed Ming Dynasty clothing. After Bielibubua and others changed into Ming attire, they performed four kowtows and called “Long live the Emperor” three times. The watching civil and military officials performed congratulatory rites, completing the ceremony.
Next came the reward ceremony for the meritorious officials. According to custom, merit reward ceremonies were held in Fengtian Hall.
Eunuchs set up incense altars, and female treasure officials from the palace Bureau of Dress carried the imperial seal, placing it in the very center of Fengtian Hall.
The Ming Dynasty’s imperial seal was kept by female treasure officials in the palace Bureau of Dress. When the court needed it, the Emperor would issue an order for the female officials to bring the seal – this procedure was called “requesting the treasure.”
Due to the great responsibility, treasure officials were generally older female officials of outstanding virtue.
Female Official Jiang Quan and newly examined clerk Huang Weide both met these conditions. Director Wang assigned both to serve in the treasure department. Today for Fengtian Hall’s “requesting the treasure,” Jiang Quan and Huang Weide came to “deliver the treasure,” and thus waited inside Fengtian Hall.
After three drum beats, Emperor Hongwu sat on the dragon throne wearing his ceremonial robes. Crown Prince Zhu Biao, Prince Yan Zhu Di, Prince Zhou Zhu Su, Prince Chu Zhu Zhen, and other princes also stood in the northeast wearing ceremonial robes.
The Ministers of Personnel, Revenue, and Rites stood on the eastern side, while Duke Weiguo Xu Da, Wang Ning, Mu Chun, and other meritorious officials knelt in the southwest awaiting rewards.
The first to be rewarded was naturally Duke Weiguo Xu Da.
The fourth was Wang Ning. Emperor Hongwu said, “We commend Wang Ning for building merit for the nation. He should receive noble rank and rewards. Today We grant him the title of Earl Yongchun of the second rank, bestow a golden book and iron certificate, hereditary for two generations. You shall respectfully receive Our command.”
Wang Ning called “Long live the Emperor” three times, received the decree, and expressed gratitude.
Wang Ning! His name was Wang Ning! He was Sister Shanwei’s fiancé!
Beside him, Mu Chun’s mind nearly exploded!