Youth (2)
T/N: Hello everyone! I’m the new translator for Rebirth of a Star General. I apologize in advance for the possible sudden changes in translation style. If you find any mistakes, please make a comment or, better yet, join our Discord server and tell me through our fix-it channel ^^ Enjoy~
“This minister begs for Your Majesty’s permission to let me personally lead the Southern Army into Mingshui again to fight the Southern Barbarians.”
The shadows of light flickered faintly as the sound of raindrops pattered against the pavement outside.
The youth stayed bowed for a long while before Emperor Wen Xuan slowly asked, “Do you understand what you’re saying?”
“The Southern Barbarians deceived the people of the Central Plains. Now, my father is dead and the wolves1 are yet to be purged. This minister wishes to carry on my father’s unfulfilled wishes to face the Southern Barbarians and retake Mingshui.”
Emperor Wen Xuan was silent. Xu Jingfu spoke first. “Second Young Master Xiao, General Zhongwu2 has passed. Although this old minister can understand your current grief and indignation, leading an army into battle isn’t a simple matter.”
Seeing how Emperor Wen Xuan wasn’t stopping him from speaking further, Xu Jingfu continued, “During the battle of Mingshui, General Zhongwu was obstinate and self-opinionated, and spoiled the opportunity for victory, causing tens of thousands of Da Wei’s soldiers to be buried at Mingshui. His Majesty was benevolent and didn’t hold him accountable. Yet, tonight you come not to beg for forgiveness, but to obtain military power.”
Xiao Jue murmured, “This minister’s actions are for the people of Da Wei.”
“The people of Da Wei?” Xu Jingfu shook his head. “Second Young Master Xiao is only sixteen years old and has never been on the battlefield before. The courts of Da Wei have seen many great generals, yet none would dare say they’d lead an army into battle alone. It’s far too conceiting for such delirious utterances to come out of a child like you, don’t you think?”
“Go back,” Emperor Wen Xuan said, “Do not mention this matter again.”
The youth paused and looked at Emperor Wen Xuan. “This minister is willing to issue a military order and, if defeated, receive punishment.”
Each word was spoken loud and clear.
The eyes of Second Young Master Xiao had always been beautiful – they were as limpid as autumn waters and would carry a languished carelessness within. Now, that carelessness has wholly disappeared. Something seemed to sink, yet something also seemed to slowly rise; anyone who saw it would feel a momentary scalding blaze within them.
It was difficult to overlook.
“An agreement can be made for the military order,” Xu Jingfu said, “However, if Second Young Master Xiao is defeated, it isn’t just one life that’s taken. To others, war isn’t child’s play. Due to General Zhongwu’s defeat at Mingshui, Da Wei’s strength has been greatly undermined. Do you expect us to stake tens of thousands of the Southern Army soldiers’ lives because of your words?” He stroked his beard, shaking his head and sighing. “Da Wei cannot afford defeat.”
Xiao Jue was silent for a moment. “This minister wouldn’t dare.”
A radiant glint flickered within Xu Jingfu’s eyes.
Xiao Jue bowed once again. “The Southern Barbarians encroached on our land and slaughtered our people; my father also died in battle. This minister doesn’t wish to continue living in degradation, hence I beg Your Majesty to approve me leading an army into battle. Without reports of victory, this minister won’t dare talk nonsense. This minister will bring as many soldiers as Your Majesty is willing to let me. Even if I fight to the death on the battlefield, I will hold no regrets.”
He had a stubborn attitude and a desperate determination that demonstrated his willingness to place all his efforts into this single matter. It’s as if as long as Emperor Wen Xuan didn’t agree, he’d continue kneeling there, unmoving.
Emperor Wen Xuan rubbed the centre of his forehead. “I don’t want to discuss this matter ever again.”
“Your Majesty is benevolent.” The youth’s voice held not even the slightest of yielding.
“Your Majesty,” Xu Jingfu spoke up, “Second Young Master Xiao insisting on battling in the south means he’s also a ruler’s subject at heart.”
Emperor Wen Xuan glanced at him. “Why – you want to speak up for him too?”
Xu Jingfu hurriedly responded, “This old minister don’t dare. It’s just… With Second Young Master Xiao’s self-confidence, it’s possible a miracle will occur. However, it’s also true that Da Wei can’t afford to use tens of thousands of Southern army soldiers as a wager, so…”
“So what?” Emperor Wen Xuan asked.
“Three thousand.”
Xiao Jue lifted his head.
The Southern Barbarians had a mighty army of a few hundred thousand soldiers. No general would accept a suggestion where three thousand of their soldiers are against a hundred thousand – it would only become a losing battle.
Emperor Wen Xuan took a sip of tea. He clearly understood that Xu Jingfu was only making such a suggestion on the surface when, in truth, he just wanted Xiao Jue to back out. Taking three thousand soldiers to battle the Southern Barbarians and come out victorious wasn’t just something beyond his power – it was but a fool’s paradise. As long as Xiao Jue didn’t actually want to send himself to death, he wouldn’t agree.
He put down the teacup in his hands and looked at the stubborn youth inside this hall. “Xiao Huai Jin, if you insist on going into battle, I can only give you three thousand men and horses. Are you still willing to go?”
Xu Jingfu drew his hands into his sleeves and observed as silently as a wall.
He wouldn’t agree.
The youth slowly lowered his head and kowtowed to Emperor Wen Xuan. “This minister is grateful for Your Majesty’s kindness.”
The few people in the hall were shocked.
When Xiao Jue raised his eyes once again, his expression was that of complete tranquillity. “An Emperor won’t go back on his words. If you say three thousand, then three thousand it is.”
…..
Snow fell heavily atop the bare branches. With a crack, the branches snapped under the pressure.
Lin Shuanghe slowly broke out of his daze.
By the time he knew about Xiao Jue taking three thousand men and horses to Mingshui, a long while had passed. So long that the Battle of Guocheng Valley had already occurred; so long that the scholars had already begun cursing Xiao Jue’s brutality and tyranny. So long that Xiao Huaijin had already become Da Wei’s War God, General Fengyun; so long that it’d been two years since these two good friends last saw each other.
The affairs of the world are fickle and opinions differ, but nobody knew how the youth who lead three thousand men and horses away from the Capital, clearly knowing he would be facing an army of tens of thousands, must’ve felt.
Xiao Rubi3 didn’t know Xiao Jue would knock him out and enter the palace in the middle of the night – he didn’t know he’d only be taking three thousand men and horses. He thought His Majesty handed the entire Southern Army to Xiao Jue, allowing Xiao Jue to temporarily gain military power.
Everyone cursed Xiao Jue behind his back. They cursed his desire to seize power and profit and cursed his mother for entering the palace before seven days4 were up to petition before His Majesty, using her glib tongue to deceive him into actually handing the hundred-thousand Southern Army soldiers to an immature boy. How preposterous.
But truly who was the most preposterous?
How preposterous this world was.
Xiao Jue left the Capital in the middle of the night. Nobody knew his expression at the point of departure; nobody knew what he was thinking either.
Countless interesting things would occur in Shuojing. When it came to the Xiao Family’s affairs, some wrought their hands and sighed whilst others rejoiced in their misfortune – even so, the news only stayed fresh for but a few days. After a month, only a few people still mentioned it; after several more months, the matter had already been forgotten, left at the back of people’s minds.
Until his victory at the Battle of Guocheng Valley was reported.
Second Young Master Xiao led the Southern Army to conquer Guocheng and drowned sixty-thousand Southern Barbarians, shocking the entire nation.
They were shocked by how the youth used the army to commence a surprise attack and shocked by how ruthless he was at such a young age.
Thinking he’d led tens of thousands of Southern Army soldiers to battle, they believed he could’ve used a more gentle approach; at least he could’ve left a few captives alive. Who knew if, among those sixty-thousand drowned, there were common people or not?
But what choice did he have?
“Three thousand against a few hundred thousand.” He Yan stroked the slight protrusion atop her bamboo stick before gently pressing down until her hand hurt. “There was no other path for him to walk.”
Lin Shuanghe smiled. “That’s right.”
If he wasn’t forced into a dead end, why would he use this approach?
Even with the Southern Army defending Guocheng, Xiao Zhongwu had difficulty attacking and conquering in the past; now, with only three thousand men and horses, it was even more impossible for them to fight the enemy head-on.
Xiao Jue commanded the three thousand men to secretly build a dike a hundred miles east of Guocheng to intercept Dongshan Valley’s water flow. Once the water accumulated into a vast body of water, he commanded the soldiers to burst the dike.
Fei Nu said, “Young Master, you must think it over. Once this happens, the world will curse you behind your back.”
Although flooding Guocheng will lead to victory, a stroke of brutality will still be marked within the history scrolls. No matter what dynasty they’re in, all soldiers would want their reputations to go down in history, with stories of their glory passed down for thousands of years. Furthermore, the current Emperor thought highly of a ‘benevolent government’ and didn’t like massacres. The burdening weight behind this victory far surpassed the gains.
The youth sat under a tree and looked out towards the distant Guocheng. His fingers stroked a strand of weed growing in front of him from a crack. With self-mockery, he asked, “Do I have another choice?”
Fei Nu didn’t respond.
“It doesn’t matter what others say about me.” He stood up, his black cloak leaving a sharp trail behind him. “Burst the dike.”
Fei Nu neither spoke nor moved.
The youth walked forward, his voice cold. “I said, burst the dike.”
The racing currents of the flood poured down thousands of ren
5.
Guocheng was submerged. The flood poured in from the city’s east and dispersed out the west. The Southern Barbarian soldiers and civilians were unable to escape, causing sixty-thousand people to drown.
The city fell. Xiao Jue triumphed without a fight.
When the report was relayed back to the court, even Emperor Wen Xuan was shocked.
After Xiao Zhongwu’s death, the officials who supported the Xiao Family were suppressed by Prime Minister Xu. Now that Xiao Jue achieved a great victory, they could once again walk with their heads high.
Xiao Jue took this opportunity to write another petition asking Emperor Wen Xuan to hand him the Southern Army so he could eliminate the Southern Barbarians in one swoop.
Emperor Wen Xuan delegated the military power little by little.
Xiao Jue’s victory was also earned battle after battle.
These past few years, the Southern Barbarians have been slowly retreating in defeat before they were finally utterly defeated because of him. The youth who, alone, led three thousand soldiers out of the Capital into the night had also finally become General Feng Yun, a name that struck terror in all those who heard it.
Nobody cared about the truth anymore. The only things people cared about were how he coveted military achievements so much that he treated human lives like nothing and the ruthlessness behind his casual slaughters. They only cared about his arrogance and domineering, and how he considered everyone else beneath him. He even cut off the Ministry of Revenue’s Chief Minister’s only son, mercilessly leaving him with no regard for past sentiments.
But was he truly willing to do all this?
When they were younger and studied at the Xianchang Hall, they’d read ‘Youths had their own youthful madness. They would slight Kunlun and laugh at Luliang. After years of sharpening their blades, now their talents are displayed’. Such high spirits, handsomeness, talent, and magnanimity; yet, in the following years, none could see the splendid luminosity from back then.
The beautiful youth wearing his white robe and silver headpiece had become a handsome black-attired War General. This wasn’t something worth celebrating.
From start to finish, he’d just been one person.
The snow fell heavier.
So heavy that one would feel cold from standing unmovingly in one spot; that if one was to walk along the snow-filled ground and leave crisp-clear footprints, it’d still soon be covered by the heavy snowfall, leaving not a single trace.
“I didn’t know the Chief Commander only brought three thousand men and horses to the Battle of Guocheng,” He Yan said.
“Do you know how the Nine Banners Battalion came to be?” Lin Shuanghe asked.
He Yan shook her head.
“His Majesty asked Xiao Jue to personally choose three thousand men from the Southern Army – that was his last act of benevolence towards Huai Jin. Hence, Huai Jin stood before the Southern Army and let themselves choose whether to follow him towards Mingshui or not.”
Before departing, nobody thought they would win this battle – it was but a suicide mission. Everyone who stepped out determinedly did so with the understanding they would die. And thus, they followed this General Young Master.
“The first eight-hundred soldiers who stepped out later became the Nine Banners Battalion,” he smilingly said.
No wonder. He Yan finally understood why, after so many years, she’d never seen Xiao Jue casually let outsiders into the Nine Banners Battalion. The friendships made when everyone supported each other during times of hardship were something no amount of excellence, loyalty and bravery, or dexterity from outsiders could match.
Even if one was injured in the Nine Banners Battalion and was no longer suited for the battlefield, Xiao Jue would find a place for them to settle.
Because they were worth it.
“I didn’t know anything about this back then.” Lin Shuanghe reached out and brushed away a snowflake that landed on him. “When my grandfather was treating the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager spoke up about it. Only then did my grandfather tell me. Over the years, fragmented retellings of this matter have flown everywhere around the court. Once you put them all together, you can find the outline of truth.”
“Didn’t Chief Commander Xiao take the initiative to tell you all this?” He Yan asked. She remembered when they studied at Xianchang Hall, Xiao Jue, Lin Shuanghe, and another youth had a very good relationship. At that time, whenever Xiao Jue encountered any difficulties, he’d talk about them with his good friends.
“To be honest, I’ve only seen him a handful of times these past few years.” Lin Shuanghe shook his head. “Every time he writes me the occasional letter, he’d just be asking to borrow money.”
“Borrow money?”
“Who would’ve thought, right?” Speaking of this, Lin Shuanghe’s tone relaxed. “The silver that originally belonged to the Xiao Family was seized after General Guangwu’s accident. During the first two years of his commandment of the Southern Army, they barely had any resources. His elder brother was also an uncorrupted official, so he was reluctant to exploit him. Thus, he came to me. Our Lin Family’s pharmacy stores can be found throughout the entire Da Wei and we’re favoured by many noble women, hence we make a fast profit. He took me as a father who’d give him money.”
He Yan: “…..”
“Although he’d fought many victorious battles over the years, no matter if it’s loot or the many rewards bestowed to him, the total’s still not comparable to how much he borrowed from me back then.” Lin Shuanghe chuckled. “Of course, I’m very generous. It’s fine if he can’t return it.”
He Yan: “…It’s great to have a friend like you.”
Those words were genuine and sincere.
Lin Shuanghe cupped his hands in modesty. “You flatter me. So, I was also very surprised when Xiao Jue took the initiative to write a letter telling me to come to Liangzhou.
“It was the Chief Commander who asked Doctor Lin to come to Liangzhou?” He Yan asked, finding it unusual.
“That’s right. In the letter, he wrote how he wanted me to come and treat a trusted subordinate who got their eyes injured. I thought it was Fei Nu Chiwu. Halfway through my journey, I received another letter from here stating the person’s eyes had healed. I couldn’t turn back at a halfway point. Since I heard he was at Qingnan, I decided to change routes and meet him there; then, I followed to the Liangzhou Guard in passing to have a look at where he’s living now.”
He Yan felt somewhat surprised. The ‘trusted subordinate who got their eyes injured’ should be her. Back then, she was wounded by an assassin at Sun Xiangfu’s banquet, but it was soon determined to be a minor injury. She didn’t know Xiao Jue had already asked someone to invite Lin Shuanghe to examine her.
Although Lin Shuanghe only treated women, as Lin Qingtan’s grandson, his medical skills have reached the acme of perfection. No one dared belittle him.
That person wasn’t as heartless as rumours said.
The two conversed all the way to He Yan’s door.
“Here.” Lin Shuanghe handed the cloak to He Yan. “You can pass it on to him.”
He Yan: “…Why me?”
Lin Shuanghe thought about it. “Because the current Xiao Huai Jin is definitely not in a good mood. If I butt in, I’ll be scolded for sure. You’re different.” He leaned close to He Yan and whispered, “If a cute and clever lady went instead, he’d keep his temper in check and save you from embarrassment.”
The corners of He Yan’s lips pulled up a little. “Could it be that Doctor Lin believes Chief Commander Xiao has a tender heart towards women?”
Xiao Jue’s impression of her must also be far from ‘cute and clever’.
“Yes, of course.” Lin Shuanghe looked at her with a wide smile as he gently pushed her into the room. “When he discovered your identity, the first thing he did wasn’t to drive you out of the Liangzhou Guard. This proves he’s quite alright with you. Go now – be careful, don’t trip.”
He Yan: “Wait!”
“I’ll come and see you tomorrow.”
He Yan was pushed into her own room.
The door closed behind her, leaving her alone in the empty room. The food Cheng Lisu and Song Taotao delivered just then was still by the bed. He Yan leaned against the stick as she walked over before sitting down.
The black cloak was in her hands. He Yan looked towards the other end of Zhongxu Gate and wondered if Xiao Jue was there at that moment.
If he was there and she just delivered this over to him… Wouldn’t it be a little awkward?
…..
The window was open. Following the wind, salt-like snow drifted in.
The young Chief Commander stood behind the window and looked out beyond the snow and wind.
The words Lei Hou said in the dungeon echoed in his ears.
The snow gradually fell heavier, as if it wanted to captivate everyone’s attention. The gleam in his eyes slowly died.
When he was a child practising martial arts and studying scriptures up in the mountains with a master, there was something he said to him before he left. “You’ll find yourself walking a very arduous path. You must walk it alone and never look back.”
He was too young back then and couldn’t understand what those words implied. Until the cosmic currents of Fate crashed upon him with a loud rumble and overturned the ship carrying the youth’s expectations and hopes. While floating atop the ocean alone, he suddenly came to a realisation.
So that’s how it is.
Xiao Zhongwu had only two sons. Xiao Jing had impeccable moral integrity and was both noble and benevolent; how could he get involved in something like this? Between the two of them, if one had to walk down this path of killing, misunderstandings, infamy, and loneliness, then he was the best option.
He didn’t mind.
Many years have passed. He couldn’t care less about the misunderstandings and he wasn’t afraid of being challenged. How could he lose something he never possessed in the first place?
It’s just…
It’s just that such a snowy day is still too cold.
Creak.
Something sounded from behind him.
Xiao Jue looked back. Stuck out from behind the empty room’s door was a head. Leaning against her stick, He Yan walked in with a strain, his cloak in her arms.
“Apologies,” the youth said cordially, “I knocked on the door but you didn’t respond, so I just…”
Xiao Jue: “So you just picked the lock and invited yourself in?”
He Yan sheepishly said, “Don’t be so angry – we’re all neighbours here.” She sneezed. “Achoo! Why isn’t the window closed? It’s so cold.”
How could she say the words ‘we’re all neighbours here’ so calmly? Too unbothered to mind her, Xiao Jue shut the window.
He Yan also felt very aggrieved. She’d knocked on the door for a very long time, yet Xiao Jue just ignored her.
She even thought it was a good thing that Xiao Jue wasn’t around – rather than meet Xiao Jue while he was in a bad mood, why not take this opportunity to secretly pick open the lock, slip in, put the cloak down, and then slip away again? It would save her from having to comfort him too.
In the end, he was inside the entire time and was just ignoring her – he was too disrespectful of others.
“Chief Commander, your cloak.” He Yan handed the cloak to him.
Xiao Jue glanced at her. “Just put it on the bed.”
He Yan ‘en’ed and placed it on the bed. Then, she sat down on a chair. Seeing how this man stood unmovingly from his spot with a blank expression, she assumed he still felt distressed by what Lei Hou said in the dungeon. She couldn’t help but sympathise.
During her years in the Fu Yue Army, she didn’t know Xiao Jue was also going through such hardships. It would’ve been fine if it was just her – He Yan didn’t find herself special in any way – but for such a thing to happen to Xiao Jue, then she could only say the Heavens were too cruel.
God wasn’t Xiao Jue’s biological father. For whatever was granted, its counterpart would be taken. Even a profiteer wouldn’t make such an unprofitable business.
Hence, she tried starting a conversation. “Chief Commander, your cloak’s really beautiful! Where did you buy it from? How many silvers did it cost?”
Xiao Jue replied, “It was bestowed from the palace.”
He Yan: “…..”
This person was clearly unwilling to talk more, so he deliberately made it difficult to continue the conversation. He Yan hesitated over whether she should leave or not. Thinking back to how Xiao Jue gave her the bottle of medicine with mandarin-duck designs when she was injured, she sighed in her heart.
She was the type of person who’d repay animosity with revenge and kindness with gratitude. Xiao Jue was currently in a downcast mood – if she left just like that, that’d be a breach of the brotherhood code.
“Chief Commander, the wound on my waist hurts a lot,” He Yan changed the subject, trying to divert his attention to something else, “it won’t become sequelae in the future, right?”
“It hurts?” Xiao Jue sat beside the table and continued indifferently. “Seeing how you can get out of bed and walk around now, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”
He Yan: “…..”
She said, “Chief Commander, you can’t lash out your dissatisfaction towards Lei Hou on me.”
This person was a firecracker – he couldn’t even discuss things properly.
Xiao Jue turned a page from the report in front of him. Without even looking back, he said, “You’re overthinking.”
He Yan stared at him. It should be a report regarding Ridamuzy’s surprise attack and the number of Liangzhou Guard casualties.
It wasn’t easy for Xiao Jue.
He Yan thought about it. He first went to Qingnan and then, without rest, led the Southern Army back to eliminate Ridamuzy’s forces and relocate his fallen soldiers. Following that, he went to interrogate Lei Hou and was pierced by his words. Now, he was reading a military report. He hadn’t rested for even a moment.
He Yan got injured, hence she was able to sleep soundly at least. This person, however, didn’t take a single break from start to finish.
But back when they were at Xianchang Hall, he loved to shirk work the most. So there were things even Xiao Jue couldn’t avoid?
His back would forever be as tall and straight as a tree, as if he’d never get tired. But that wasn’t true, was it?
He Yan sat on the chair and stared at his back before saying, “Chief Commander, don’t take Lei Hou’s words seriously.”
Xiao Jue didn’t respond, but He Yan didn’t mind. She continued, “He’s the enemy, after all, so he’d naturally feel happy seeing you angry. His words were deliberately spoken to anger you. You weren’t the only one he scolded. He scolded me too, uh- He called me a sissy.” He Yan began to talk crazy nonsense again. “He even scolded my body for having an unmentionable illness and that my fiancee will run away with someone else sooner or later, forcing me to become unmarried until death. In the future, nobody would buy even a single serving when I’ve been reduced to selling tofu at the Capital’s east.”
This form of consolation was truly lame. After He Yan finished, even she felt it was too brainless. But what else could she do? She was rarely comforted by others, hence, she wasn’t sure how to comfort others.
Some things aren’t divided into right or wrong. The decisions one makes depend on their circumstance. Outsiders wouldn’t understand the feeling of bearing everything alone. It wasn’t a good feeling – she would know since she’d vividly experienced it in the past.
Therefore, she also knew how Xiao Jue felt.
Xiao Jue was still too unbothered to mind her – his eyes never left the military report before him.
He Yan stood up. She leaned against the stick and strugglingly walked towards his side. Her right hand clenched into a fist and landed on his table.
“Here’s a little something,” she said. “I’m leaving now.”
She slowly dragged her feet back to her own room and closed the door.
After He Yan left, Xiao Jue’s movements stopped as he looked at the tabletop.
Where her palm was laid a sesame southern-style candy.
It looked very sweet.
Translator's Notes
- 豺狼 – ‘cháiláng’ – figuratively means ‘evil people’
- 光武将军 – ‘guāngwǔ jiàng jūn’ – ‘General Guangwu’. I’m not sure what ‘光’ (guāng – lit. translation ‘light’) is implying in this context, so I decided to translate it as just ‘General Zhongwu’.
- 肖如璧 – not sure if it’s come up before, but Xiao Rubi refers to Xiao Jing
- Traditionally, Chinese funeral ceremonies last 7 days, whilst the mourning period is over 49 days.
- 仞 – an ancient measure of length equivalent to seven or eight chi (Chinese feet).