Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter 28

Kyoto.

The Osmanthus Garden was a courtyard residence. It had been jointly purchased by Xiao Guimu and Gu Yusheng. The General of the Southern Garrison resided in the main hall, while Gu Yusheng lived in the left wing.

Ever since she learned that Gu Yuren had been transferred to the Ministry of Justice as a junior official, Qi Yaoyao had become a flurry of activity. First, she paused the sword training for Bai Yun and Cai Yun, ordering them to clean the right wing thoroughly so she could move there from the left. Then, she hired masons to repair and whitewash the left wing. Following that, she brought in carpenters to craft furniture and beds: a double bed for her sister and brother-in-law, single beds for the brothers Gu Dabao and Gu Erbao, and servant beds for her sister’s maids, Mengjin and Mengyin. The double bed for her sister and brother-in-law was painted with a lustrous, eye-catching finish.

Once the furniture and fixtures were settled, Qi Yaoyao personally visited the largest market in Kyoto to purchase mattresses and carpets. Knowing her sister, Qi Qiongqiong, loved the color red, she bought red carpets for the parlors and the master bedroom of the left wing, and even for the porch. Over the next few days, she frequented the silk shops to select linens and curtains. She assigned different colors to each bed: red linens and pink curtains for her sister’s bed, and blue linens with cyan curtains for the young Gu brothers.

A month passed, and Qi Yaoyao was still racking her brain over the furnishings. She had one distinct strength: she was utterly single-minded in her pursuits.

Morning sunlight streamed through the window.

Qi Yaoyao sat quietly on a bench in the large parlor of the left wing, lost in thought. She looked at her masterpiece of the past month—a parlor decorated like an immortal’s grotto—and felt a surge of self-satisfaction: "Sister Qiong, I want to give you a surprise, to let you know just how deeply your own sister loves your family!"

Qi Yaoyao also had one flaw: she was prone to missing the bigger picture.

Hearing Gu Yusheng’s footsteps as he entered the parlor, she turned toward the doorway, only to see him walking in, clad in full armor and looking remarkably spirited.

Qi Yaoyao rose quickly and went to meet him, asking, "Husband, are you going out on another patrol?" She knew that whenever Gu Yusheng went on patrol, he was always fully armored and armed.

Gu Yusheng looked at his wife, who had been working herself to the bone for his brother’s family, his heart full of words he could hardly express. He stepped forward, took her hands, and said softly, "You’ve worked so hard these past few days! On behalf of my brother and his family, I thank you!"

"Why are you thanking me?" she teased. "Your brother is my brother-in-law, and your sister-in-law is my own sister. I am both an aunt and a sister-in-law to those two boys! Our relationship is closer than yours is!"

Gu Yusheng, who had always enjoyed a playful banter with her, replied, "You never let me get a word in! You really are something! Now, as a husband about to depart for the front, may I at least say goodbye to my wife who is staying behind?"

Only then did Qi Yaoyao remember that a month ago, Gu Yusheng had told her the imperial court was sending him to the northwest. She had been so preoccupied with decorating the left wing that she had completely ignored his words. She stood there, staring at him blankly, as if her mind and memory had emptied out.

After a long moment, she suddenly grabbed his waist and wept, "Are you really going to war? Don't you know people die in war?"

Gu Yusheng embraced her tightly, saying, "Don't worry, my love. I will take good care of myself on the battlefield so you won't have to fret."

Qi Yaoyao held him fast, crying, "I won't let you go, no matter what you say!"

"But the Emperor has already issued a decree appointing me as the vanguard general," Gu Yusheng said. "To refuse would be to defy the imperial order, which is punishable by death."

"That is..."

As it turned out, in the northwest of Southern Han lay a nation called Banni, covering over nine thousand miles. It was not a large territory, but it held a strategic location, bordered by the Yellow River to the east, the Jade Gate to the west, Xiao Pass to the south, and the great deserts to the north. They called themselves the Qiu Kingdom, established by the Rong people. For nearly a hundred years, their relationship with Southern Han had been a mix of war and peace, primarily the latter. When the fourth Emperor of Qiu ascended the throne as a child, his grandmother, Empress Dowager Liang, acted as regent. To consolidate her power and that of the Liang family, she took a series of measures. Ten years ago, she abolished Han rituals and restored Rong customs to protect the privileges of the nobility. Recently, she married her eldest daughter to a western noble to stabilize the western frontier. However, these measures did not eliminate internal opposition, and domestic tensions rose. To project power, divert attention from internal conflicts, and exploit the rivalry between Southern Han and Northern Zhen, the Empress Dowager did not hesitate to provoke a war.

The war she launched was well-organized. With her grandson, the young Emperor, in tow, she mobilized an army of over five hundred thousand and advanced toward the northwestern frontier of Southern Han. Her six army commanders were brave and shrewd. The commander of the Second Army was her beautiful young daughter, Princess Chongwen. The Princess was not only sharp and beautiful but also highly skilled in martial arts. She served as the vanguard for her mother. The Second Army was the elite force, responsible for scouting, pathfinding, logistics, and leading the charge. She commanded the Second Army in relentless day-and-night attacks on the frontier cities. The Southern Han vanguard general, Tan Long, a cousin of Prime Minister Tan, led twenty thousand men to hold the line, but they could not withstand the Princess's assault and retreated into the city. Princess Chongwen ordered her troops to cut off the water supply, eventually breaching the city. Tan Long was killed by a volley of arrows, and all twenty thousand defenders were wiped out. Princess Chongwen was called Yimo.

The frontier was in crisis!

Urgent reports flooded into Kyoto like snowflakes. The Emperor sat in the palace, restless and anxious.

Prime Minister Tan wept for his deceased cousin and swore to avenge General Tan Long.

One morning, at the Great Celebration Hall, the Emperor issued a decree: appointing Yang Wenhua, a member of the Ministry of Works, as Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Northwestern Army; Wang Wuliang, Vice Minister of War, as the Army Supervisor; and Gu Yusheng, a senior official in the Ministry of War, as the Vanguard General, leading two hundred thousand elite troops to the northwest to defend against the Qiu.

...

Gu Yusheng looked out the window; the morning light was dawning, and the auspicious time for departure was near.

He gently pried Qi Yaoyao’s arms away and whispered, "My love, the time has come. Please, let go."

Qi Yaoyao still held his waist tightly, repeating, "I won't let you go..." and burst into sobs.

Two months later, the two hundred thousand troops of Southern Han arrived at the border.

Empress Dowager Liang had already captured several frontier cities. Her five hundred thousand troops were stationed in these six cities. Guzhou was the largest frontier stronghold for Southern Han. The Empress Dowager’s main force was stationed there. Iron City was five days' journey south of Guzhou, connected by an official road. After Princess Chongwen captured Iron City, her vanguard force remained there. Although Yimo was a woman, she possessed extraordinary wisdom and peerless beauty.

Princess Chongwen was well-versed in military strategy. She knew her cavalry was like a whirlwind, having captured city after city since crossing the border, and was now too far from her mother’s main force. After taking Iron City, she ordered a halt to further advancement. She divided her eighty thousand men, leaving half in the city and splitting the other half into eight camps of five thousand each, stationed at key intersections around the city, each led by a capable general. She waited for her mother's main force to catch up.

The Princess’s vanguard force had seemingly become a defensive unit. After settling in, they busied themselves with building fortifications.

Soon, Gu Yusheng’s vanguard camp arrived at the southern outskirts of Iron City.

Beneath the walls of Iron City, the two vanguard generals clashed, marking the beginning of a war between Southern Han and Qiu that would last for over a year.

Jingnan.

Zhang Dong bade farewell to the General of the Southern Garrison and left the training field, stumbling through the reed marshes for half the day before finally returning to his home at the back of the prefecture office at dusk.

His young page, Zhang De, was shocked to see his master covered in mud. He quickly fetched a wooden basin for the servants to pour water, while preparing clean clothes. "Master, it’s pouring rain outside! Where on earth did you go to return in such a sorry state?"

Zhang Dong bent down, cupping water to wash his face.

The page continued, "Just after you left, Magistrate Lu came looking for you. I chased after you, but couldn't find a trace. I don't know what urgent business he has, but he’s been waiting in the parlor all afternoon."

Zhang Dong straightened up and asked, "What did you say? Magistrate Lu Hong is still in the parlor? Why didn't you say so earlier, you brat!"

Zhang De handed him a dry towel. "Master, you only just crossed the threshold."

Zhang Dong snatched the towel, drying his face while scolding, "You’re getting more insolent by the day, watch your tongue!" He tossed the towel into a box and went to change clothes to receive his guest.

Despite his scolding, Zhang Dong was fond of his sharp-witted page. When he came to Jingnan for his appointment, he had left his family in Kyoto and brought no one else but Zhang De.

As soon as Zhang Dong entered the parlor, Lu Hong stood up and bowed. "Magistrate, you have kept me waiting!"

Zhang Dong returned the bow. "My apologies! What urgent matter brings you here, Magistrate Lu?"

Lu Hong leaned in and lowered his voice. "I have received a letter from Prime Minister Tan stating that several dozen soldiers from Northern Zhen have gone missing."

Zhang Dong asked, shocked, "What does the disappearance of Northern Zhen soldiers have to do with us?"

Lu Hong whispered, "They went missing within our jurisdiction of Jingnan."

"Oh?" Zhang Dong’s brow seemed to relax. He had long known that for years, Northern Zhen troops stationed north of the Yangtze often crossed the river into Jingnan to "procure grain." They burned, looted, and killed, and although local officials had reported this to the court, the Southern Han government was weak and chose to turn a blind eye. Zhang Dong cursed inwardly, *Those inhuman bandits, you should have died long ago!*

***

Zhang Dong also knew that Lu Hong was a protégé of Prime Minister Tan and no man of virtue. He feigned ignorance: "Those Northern Zhen soldiers should be guarding their own camps. What were they doing in Jingnan?"

Magistrate Lu narrowed his rat-like eyes. "It is said they were here to procure grain."

Zhang Dong put on an expression of great astonishment. "They always come happily and return fully loaded when they come for grain. Why would they all disappear this time?"

Magistrate Lu opened his eyes and said, "My suspicion is that they were all killed and their bodies disposed of."

Zhang Dong exaggerated his reaction further. "Who could have the skill to kill dozens of soldiers, each armed with a fine saber, all at once? Oh, it must have been some peerless martial artist from the underworld!"

Lu Hong narrowed his eyes again, unimpressed. "Not necessarily. According to my preliminary investigation..."

Zhang Dong’s heart skipped a beat. "What clues have you found, Magistrate Lu?"

Lu Hong leaned closer. "My investigation suggests this matter is related to the newly appointed Commander of Jingnan, the General of the Southern Garrison."

Zhang Dong took a deep breath, feigning shock. "Magistrate Lu, do you have concrete evidence?"

Lu Hong narrowed his eyes. "Not yet."

Zhang Dong said with a relaxed tone, "My dear Magistrate, you can eat carelessly, but you cannot speak carelessly, especially without proof! Do you know that the General of the Southern Garrison is a favorite of the Emperor? If word of your accusation reaches the General, he could charge you with slander! And if it reaches the Emperor, he might think you are a man who chases shadows and slaps his face! Can you afford to slap the Emperor's face? Think of the consequences!"

Unswayed by Zhang Dong’s rambling, Lu Hong replied, "This matter is under the instruction of Prime Minister Tan and the will of the Emperor. I will find the evidence!"

After Lu Hong departed, Zhang Dong slumped into his chair, shaking his head with worry. His page, Zhang De, came up behind him to rub his shoulders. "Master, you usually tell me I talk too much, but you were talking endlessly today. I imagine the Magistrate's ears are calloused by now!"

Zhang Dong chuckled bitterly. "Do I talk too much? I think I said exactly what was needed."

Zhang De wasn't about to give up. "Yes, yes, yes! Master always speaks in short bursts, only I am the one who chatters. May I tell you a thought?"

"Spit it out!"

"I think this Magistrate Lu doesn't look like a Southern Han official at all, but rather like someone sent by Northern Zhen!"

Zhang Dong stood up abruptly and slapped his page’s face. "Stinking brat, if you run your mouth like that again, I'll break your teeth!"

Coincidentally, after Lu Hong left to investigate, heavy rain fell continuously in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze, causing the water level of the Jing River to surge and threatening the embankments.

This threw Zhang Dong into a panic. He sent a memorial to the court requesting funds and led his colleagues to recruit laborers to carry earth and stone to reinforce the dikes.

However, after the wars, the Jingnan region was sparsely populated, and the dikes had been neglected for years. Recruiting laborers was not enough. As the rain continued and the water level rose, disaster seemed imminent.

What to do?

Zhang Dong finally thought of the three thousand border troops under the Jingnan Command.

Water and fire show no mercy; there was no time to lose!

At Zhang Dong’s earnest request, the General of the Southern Garrison and Deputy General Gu led all the troops of the Jingnan Command to the front lines of the flood fight.

They worked alongside six thousand laborers, eating and sleeping on the embankments, carrying earth and stone day and night. Their trousers were caked in mud, their backs soaked with sweat, but they paid it no mind. They only knew that every basket of earth they carried made the dike safer.

The dikes were reinforced and heightened.

When the surging flood peak arrived, the embankments held firm. When the peak passed, everyone rejoiced.

That night, a red moon rose over the river.

Patches of clouds drifted by like cold, dark cloth, sometimes obscuring the moon entirely, sometimes revealing half of her alluring, red face, like a shy woman hiding behind a palm-leaf fan.

In the reed marshes by the river, the exhausted laborers and soldiers slept in their tents. They had defeated the flood and deserved a good rest. Tomorrow, the laborers would return home, and the three thousand soldiers would return to their barracks. The two highest military and political officials—the General of the Southern Garrison and Magistrate Zhang—had completed their final safety inspection and were walking back.

Zhang Dong held a torch to lead the way. His crimson official robes were soaked with sweat, but he walked at a steady pace.

His page, Zhang De, followed behind the two Generals, chattering away. Whatever joke he told, it made the two Generals laugh aloud. Clearly, during the flood fight, the boy had become quite familiar with them.

Deputy General Gu turned to the page. "Zhang De, how long have you been with Magistrate Zhang?"

"I accompanied the Master to Kyoto to take the imperial examination when I was six. I am fourteen now, so eight years," Zhang De replied fluently.

"Zhang De, I often see your tent lit all night. What is your master busy with?"

"Him? As soon as he gets back, he falls asleep like a dead pig. You couldn't wake him if you tried."

"Do you keep the lights on even while you sleep?"

"The servants and I are washing the Master’s dirty official robes! They are so hard to clean, caked with sweat and mud, and we have to dry them over a fire in the rain. We must dry them at night so the Master has clean robes for the next morning."

"That’s tough on you. This is a construction site, you don't need to hold court, so you don't need to wear official robes every day."

The page said excitedly, "Who says! Master used to go out in civilian clothes, but after he went to the riverbank and came back covered in mud, he never dared to wear them again!"

The General of the Southern Garrison laughed. "Zhang De, you can blame Deputy General Gu for that. When your master went out in civilian clothes, our Deputy General here caught him, thinking he was a spy."

Deputy General Gu said, "General, you can't blame me! He looked the way he did, and wasn't wearing his robes—who would believe he was a good person?"

The page realized, "So the culprit who makes us dry robes all night is this General Gu!"

Deputy General Gu was speechless.

Magistrate Zhang, walking ahead, heard them discussing him and slowed his pace.

During the flood fight, Zhang Dong had gained a preliminary understanding of the two Generals—they were good people! With their paths diverging tomorrow, he felt a strange sense of reluctance.

Zhang Dong, a former top scholar, was talented and dashing. He had a reputation for "seeing through people." That day at the training grounds, although Deputy General Gu was merely maneuvering his horse, Zhang Dong had realized at a glance that she was a woman. Since then, her handsome face, especially those spirited eyes, had haunted his nights.

During the flood fight, he realized the General of the Southern Garrison was also a woman.

The new top martial scholar of the dynasty was a woman! This stunned Zhang Dong.

According to the penal code, this was a capital offense, punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan. Zhang Dong wondered, *Why are these two women disguised as men in the army? What secret purpose do they have? If their secret is exposed...* The Magistrate dared not think further.

For a time, Zhang Dong had been focused on the flood, forgetting about Lu Hong’s investigation into the missing Northern Zhen soldiers. But a few days ago, once the flood peak passed, the matter returned to his mind. He found an opportunity to mention Lu Hong’s suspicion to the two Generals.

Deputy General Gu sneered, "Magistrate Zhang, do you think this is absurd?"

"Why absurd?"

"A Southern Han magistrate ignores the fact that his own people are being burned and looted by Northern Zhen soldiers, and instead investigates on behalf of the evil invaders. Isn't that absurd?"

The Magistrate fell silent.

The General of the Southern Garrison remained calm. Xiao Guimu fixed her authoritative gaze on Zhang Dong. "Magistrate, do you think those inhuman Northern Zhen 'bandits' deserve to die?"

Zhang Dong looked solemn for a long moment before whispering, "They certainly do."

The General laughed. "Well said! If this was done by the Deputy General and me, would you report us to the court?"

Zhang Dong said slowly, "Please rest assured, I am no villain! But I must warn you, be careful. Besides, that Lu Hong is no good."

The General looked alert. "Thank you for the warning! But what I said was a 'supposition.' Why do you treat us as suspects?"

Zhang Dong quickly bowed. "I dare not! What I said was also a 'supposition'."

...

Zhang Dong lowered his head, looking at his feet, and chuckled, "These two women are truly admirable!" He spoke the words aloud.

Although Zhang De was walking behind, he was paying full attention to his master. Hearing the mutterings, he ran up. "Master, do you have any orders?"

"Orders?" Zhang Dong woke up. "Yes, I do. Go to our tent and fetch the three bottles of good wine I brought from home."

"Yes, sir." The page left with the torch.

Zhang Dong stopped and waited for the two Generals to catch up. He said, "We’ve walked a long way and are tired. Shall we rest on that stone platform ahead?"

"As you wish," the General replied.

The red moon had broken through the clouds, revealing its proud face. The river and the dikes were dyed silver-gray by the moonlight.

The General, the Deputy General, and the Magistrate each sat on a large stone on the platform. Zhang Dong extinguished the torch. The three looked up at the red moon. Because of the mist on the river, the moon seemed much larger than usual.

"You two have worked hard these days!" Zhang Dong said to the General. "I am very grateful to the three thousand men of the Jingnan Command. To be honest, without your support, the dikes would not have held."

In the moonlight, the General’s large eyes widened. "You overstate, Magistrate! The six thousand fellow countrymen you recruited deserve the credit! Without them, the consequences would have been unimaginable!" Zhang Dong noticed the General always replaced the word "laborer" with "fellow countrymen."

"Magistrate," Deputy General Gu paused. She sat on a stone much further from Zhang Dong than the General did. She stood up. "Tomorrow we go our separate ways. I apologize for my rudeness in the reed marsh! I hope you will forgive me!" She bowed.

"Wait!" Zhang Dong stood up.

Deputy General Gu was startled. "What else do you want?"

Zhang Dong stepped closer. "Is an apology enough? It’s not that easy!"

"I can kneel on one leg to apologize..."

"That is unnecessary!"

"Then what will it take for you to be satisfied?"

Zhang Dong smiled slyly. "I already presented my conditions to the General!" He looked at the General with a smile.

Deputy General Gu realized. "You mean drinking a bowl of wine with you? No problem! But there is no wine here, so we must wait for next time!"

"Who says there is no wine?" Zhang De walked along the dike toward the platform, carrying wine bottles in one hand and a food box in the other.

The General and the Deputy General said in unison, "So the Magistrate had a plan all along! He's no good either!" Zhang Dong watched them, still smiling.

The three of them drank one bottle each. During the drinking, the General asked if the Magistrate was married. Zhang Dong said he had been, but his wife had passed away, and he had not remarried.

The General said, "Magistrate, our Deputy General Gu has a twin sister named Gu Yuru, who is still unmarried. Would you like to take her as your wife?"

Zhang Dong remembered the name Gu Yuru! "May I ask Deputy General Gu, does your sister share half of your beauty?" He looked at Gu Yuru as he asked.

Gu Yuru replied, "Well..."

The General said, "They are twins; they look exactly the same!"

Zhang Dong said happily, "That would be wonderful! I only fear your sister might not look favorably upon me..."

The General nudged Gu Yuru with her elbow. "Does your sister look favorably upon the Magistrate?"

Deputy General Gu blushed. "Magistrate, I am her brother, so I make the decisions for her marriage..."

The General raised her bowl to Zhang Dong. "Magistrate, is this marriage settled?"

Zhang Dong looked at Gu Yuru. "As long as Deputy General Gu agrees to let his sister marry me, it is settled!"

The General glared at Zhang Dong. "Then, Magistrate, why don't you step forward and toast your brother-in-law, Deputy General Gu?"

Zhang Dong was quick-witted. He raised his bowl to clink against Gu Yuru’s. "Thank you, brother-in-law!"

The General said, "Magistrate, this marriage requires the exchange of betrothal gifts."

Zhang Dong took a pair of jade bracelets from his robe and said to Gu Yuru, "Deputy General Gu, these were left by my mother for her future daughter-in-law. Please pass them to your sister as a token of my sincerity." Gu Yuru accepted them.

The General asked Gu Yuru, "Deputy General, where is the betrothal gift from your sister to the Magistrate? Bring it out."

Gu Yuru unfastened the Lou family sword from her waist and said to Zhang Dong, "Magistrate, this is the sword my mother left for my sister. I will present it to you on her behalf." She held it out with both hands.

Zhang Dong took the sword with both hands, looked at Gu Yuru affectionately, and said, "Thank you, brother-in-law!"