“Father has no objections. As long as you can persuade your mother and don’t make the old ancestor sad, Father will send you wherever you want to go. But let’s be clear first—don’t even think about the navy. Your elder brother has already burrowed his way into the Lingnan Naval Forces. A perfectly good prince, yet he insists on sailing ships. Your Auntie Anlan has scolded Father plenty about it. So if you want to run away, you’d better settle things with your mother and the old ancestor first.”
Seeing that his father hadn’t refused, Yun Shou immediately perked up. He ran to the field and planted garlic at lightning speed, his mind wholly focused on going back to discuss this with his mother.
Xiao Miao pointed worriedly at Yun Shou and asked her husband, “Shou’er is too young, and he’s always been pampered. I don’t know if he can endure hardship in the military. You agreed too hastily today. Elder Sister will definitely not consent.”
Yun Ye smiled and patted Xiao Miao’s hand, saying, “You already know Xinyue won’t agree, so what difference does it make whether I agree or not? Actually, I think Shou’er going to the military will only bring benefits, no harm. Yan Rong and He Lan have been clinging to him too tightly. They’re too young—if something scandalous really happens, forget about reputation, it won’t be good for their health either. Right now these children are at that difficult age—not quite grown but not quite young—the hardest time to manage. There’s no problem with Shou’er going to the military for training. Where could he go anyway? I’m the Minister of War. Wherever he goes, isn’t it still my decision?”
“Even if he’s going out, he’ll just go to Yue Prefecture. Old Xue is now the Military Governor of Yue Prefecture. Serving as a soldier under his command—what difference is there from serving by my side? He might even get a bit more care. Right now the whole world is peaceful and tranquil, weapons lie idle. Uncle Cheng’s last expedition force is about to return. Even if he wanted to fight a war, there are none to fight.”
The spring days were damp with moisture, and the white clouds in the sky quickly darkened. Though spring rains weren’t heavy, Yun Ye still called back Yun Mu and Iris who were digging wild vegetables. As for Wang Cai, he had already tired of playing long ago and was lying under the shed sleeping. Hearing Yun Ye’s call, he twitched his ears twice, stood up, and came to Yun Ye’s side, ready to carry the two baskets home. Sleeping in the wild was not comfortable at all.
Wang Cai was already an old horse. In the military, he would have passed his prime riding age and should have been retired by now. However, in the Yun household, no one dared say Wang Cai was old, because the Marquis had said that a horse living fifty years was no big deal—Wang Cai was still young.
Although the stable hand had never heard of a fifty-year-old horse, this didn’t prevent him from agreeing at all. Wang Cai must live fifty years. He was only forty years old this year and could still serve Wang Cai for another thirty-some years.
Upon returning home, Yun Shou went to the rear quarters. Yun Ye glanced back and naturally took Xiao Miao to rest in the small room Dan Ying had left behind. The household wouldn’t be peaceful for a while.
Yun Shou excitedly told his mother the news that Father had agreed to let him train in the military. Xinyue wasn’t surprised at all. She put down the embroidery hoop in her hands, and with one cold sentence, she instantly cooled Yun Shou’s fervent enthusiasm.
“Join the military? Go away? Wonderful! Your father only went out for three years and fought bloody battles for three years. Where do you plan to wage your bloody battles? The Turks were driven away by your father. The Arabs have nearly been killed off by your father. The Koreans—the land they lived on is now Great Tang’s. The Silla people are all in Chang’an waiting to be sold. The Tibetans have been mostly killed off by your Uncle Cheng. Poor thing, you want to find an opponent but can’t find one.”
“Son, listen to your mother. Aren’t you already serving as a Vice Commander in the Thousand Bull Guards? Just work diligently in the palace for a few years, and you might become the Minister of War like your father. When your father retires, he’ll hand it over to you. This position will forever belong to our Yun family. We’re not planning to take down those two ceremonial halberds from the roof.”
Xinyue spoke these words with soaring confidence, pointing her finger east and west as if she herself were the Minister of War.
“Son, if you find the Thousand Bull Guards stifling, we’ll go to the Sixteen Guards instead. Qin Zhao is serving as a Colonel in the Left Guard of the Sixteen Guards. I hear they’re stationed at Mount Li—not bad at all. I heard from Madam Qin that he can come home once a month. Your father got him in there too. Years ago, your father promised to take in a child from the Qin family as a disciple to look after, but the Qin family had no talented people who could learn your father’s skills, so we could only look after him on his official career path.”
“So, what do you say? Whose command do you want to go under? Your Uncle Cheng is serving as a General in the Left Martial Guard. If you don’t like the Thousand Bull Guards, go to the Left Martial Guard. Mother doesn’t like the name ‘Thousand Bull Guards’ either—perfectly good people always being called cattle. Your father came out of the Left Martial Guard. You won’t go wrong going there. Do you like it? If you like it, Mother will go find your Uncle Cheng right now. It’s just a matter of saying a word.”
Yun Shou left the room without saying a single word. There was simply no way to discuss matters with this mother of his. If he really had to choose, he still liked the Thousand Bull Guards best. The commanding general of the Thousand Bull Guards was Duan Hu, famously strict. The Xuanjia Army’s training system still felt fresh to Yun Shou. If he really went to the Left Martial Guard, he would be tormented by Uncle Cheng and treated as a treasure by those below. There would be no way to stay there. He’d better ask Father about this.
Na Rimu, nestled in the inner room nursing her child, poked her head out and said to Xinyue, “Elder Sister, you’re truly formidable. With just a few words, you’ve completely dispelled Shou’er’s thoughts of going out. Tell me, isn’t it strange? Why do men always like to run outside?”
“I followed my husband wandering in the desert for three years. That was more than enough. I only want to stay home and not go out. Nowhere is better than home.”
Xinyue looked at the pomegranate tree outside the window and sighed, “Shou’er has grown up and has his own thoughts now. Once a man grows up, he won’t listen to his mother anymore. I can only be unreasonable and difficult, always hoping he can stay by my side a little longer. But in the blink of an eye, I won’t be able to keep him anymore.”
“Think about it—Yan Rong is a beauty in the making, and He Lan even more so. With two such great beauties at home, Shou’er is out there entangled with some songstress. If our family didn’t forbid killing, I would want to tear that songstress to pieces and feed her to the dogs. Daring to seduce my child—she’s tired of living.”
Xinyue always liked to redirect her anger. Just moments ago she was the picture of a loving mother, and in an instant she became a wicked shrew.
“Elder Sister, you’d better forget it. This matter isn’t the other person’s fault. If we’re going to blame anyone, we can only blame Li Xiang. He’s completely useless now, constantly frequenting pleasure houses, and he’s led Shou’er astray too. Otherwise, how would our Shou’er know that woman called Yanzhi?”
“Yan Rong and He Lan only found out about this matter and that’s why they’re pressuring Shou’er to marry. It’s because of their pressure that Shou’er has this idea of joining the military and going away. Why don’t we think of a way to get rid of that woman?”
“Stop with your terrible ideas. If your husband finds out, he’ll be furious. He hates doing things this way most of all. I told my husband about it last time, and he said we should trust our own child. Shou’er has always been a soft-hearted child, but he won’t lack the decisiveness he should have. Let nature take its course—that’s my husband’s instruction. We’d better not add to the chaos.”
Yun Shou didn’t hear his mother’s words. He stood alone in the courtyard looking at the gloomy sky. Li Yan Rong gazed sorrowfully at Yun Shou standing in the rain. Her heart ached, but she didn’t dare step forward to comfort him, worried she would make things worse.
“Yan Rong, my wanting to go to the military has nothing to do with your wanting to marry me. Our fathers all obtained their illustrious prestige and noble positions through brilliant achievements recorded in history.”
“And what about us? Just because my surname is Yun, because my father is the invincible Marquis of Lantian, Yun Ye, from the moment I was born I held the Cloud Cavalry Captain rank that many people can’t reach in a lifetime. In my ignorance, I was promoted rank by rank. Before even coming of age, I was already a fifth-rank Vice Commander. In this lifetime, I might not even need to do anything and would naturally become one of Great Tang’s most elite figures.”
“These past days helping Mother manage household affairs, I finally realized what a solid foundation Father has left me. It’s no exaggeration to say—if you want people, there are people; if you want money, there’s money. From the shores of the South Sea to the edges of the North Sea, you can see the shadow of Yun family merchant caravans everywhere. This in itself is an empire. My father, starting from nothing, established a thousand-year foundation for the Yun family in less than twenty years.”
“Yan Rong, you and He Lan are beauties among beauties. My life is completely perfect. I have a perfect father, a perfect mother, even my concubine mothers are nearly perfect, not to mention you.”
“I’m so bored now, Yan Rong! Really bored. In the Thousand Bull Guards, General Duan, such a strict person, is repeatedly lenient with me because he’s very afraid of my father.”
“Father saw my restlessness, so today he agreed to let me go out and clear my mind. But it can only be clearing my mind. Mother was absolutely right—I can’t find any enemies to fight, and this alone is enough to drive me mad with frustration.”
Li Yan Rong lifted her skirt and slowly descended from upstairs. Holding Yun Shou’s arm and wiping her tears, she said, “Then go. I’ve had unhappy days too. Since you’re unhappy, change your environment. I suggest you go to the grasslands. Auntie Na Rimu says you can’t see the edge with one glance. It’s a good place to broaden your horizons!”
Yun Shou laughed once, tightly embraced Li Yan Rong, fiercely kissed her on the cheek, then strode out the door. He had just found a pearl that Mother didn’t want from her jewelry box. This was what he had promised to give Yanzhi.
How could a true man go back on his word to a woman? He said he would give her a pearl, so he would give her a pearl. It was just that after giving this pearl, he wouldn’t owe her anything anymore—only money, which was easy to repay.
He rode swiftly into Chang’an City. Xiao Chong took the young master’s reins and tied them under the rain shelter, then followed the young master up to Bright Moon Tower. “In Bright Moon Tower there is Bright Moon”—this was a household saying in Chang’an City. However, the young master didn’t like that seductive Bright Moon; he only liked that little lady called Yanzhi.
Bright Moon lay in Li Xiang’s arms with her hairpins and ornaments askew. Through drunken, hazy eyes, she saw Yun Shou walk in and immediately asked, “Did you plant the garlic cloves in the ground?”
“Yes, I planted them together with my father. The soil moisture is good this year. It should be a decent harvest!”
“Whether it’s good or not has nothing to do with me, the Prince of Hengshan. But you’d better hurry up. If you don’t want Yanzhi, I’m planning to officially take her as my own.” Li Xiang pointed maliciously toward the curtain.
A shy young woman emerged from behind the curtain and curtsied gracefully, saying, “Yanzhi respectfully welcomes the Young Marquis.”
Yun Shou pulled Yanzhi’s hand and placed a brilliantly glowing pearl in her palm, saying, “This is what I promised you last time. I always keep my word.”
Li Xiang applauded and laughed heartily on the side. Bright Moon also looked at the pearl in Yanzhi’s hand with jealous eyes, wishing she could snatch it away immediately.
Before Li Xiang could speak, Yun Shou said to him, “I’m leaving. My father has already agreed to let me train in the military. I’ll be leaving in a few days. Take care of yourself!”
After speaking, Yun Shou cupped his hands in salute and left Bright Moon Tower, leaving only Li Xiang standing there stupefied. Yanzhi’s expression changed dramatically. She rushed to the balcony and cried out, “Young Master Yun!” but received no response. The wind swept up the curtain, and she could faintly hear a string of urgent hoofbeats clattering away into the distance.