Rebirth of a Star General 122.2
Jiyang (Part 2)
“Fourth Young Master flatters me.” He Yan covered her face with her hands. “If you continue, I’ll feel too ashamed to show my face.”
Ying Xiang came over with two teacups. She placed one in front of He Yan and smiled. “Young Master He, try this.”
He Yan took a sip and couldn’t help but exclaim, “How sweet.”
“The tea in Shuojing isn’t as bitter as the ones here in Liangzhou.” Ying Xiang placed the other cup before Chu Zhao. “As long as Young Master He likes it.”
While He Yan looked at her tea, she suddenly recalled another matter. Hence, she glanced at Chu Zhao and, with pretend carelessness, asked, “Does Fourth Young Master Chu reside in Shuojing?”
“Yes.”
“Then you should know a lot about the novelties that occur in Shuojing.” He Yan watched the tea leaves sink and float in her cup. “It’s been more than half a year since I arrived at the Liangzhou Guard. The only thing that occurs here is rigorous training, so it’s extremely boring. Ever since my injury, I could no longer participate in the daily drills, so I’ve almost become moldy from staying in my room all day long. It isn’t often a friend from Shuojing comes by.” She scooted closer and looked at Chu Zhao with sparkling eyes. “Can Fourth Young Master entertain me with some interesting affairs that have occurred in Shuojing during this past half a year?”
“Interesting affairs?” Chu Zhao was taken aback.
He Yan nodded. “Anything fun.”
“There’s quite a lot.” With a warm voice, Chu Zhao asked, “What aspects does Brother He want to hear of?”
“What aspects?” He Yan pondered over it for a moment. “I don’t reckon anything interesting has happened in ordinary families. Let’s talk about the families of officials, such as which family’s master was caught red-handed with another’s wife, or which family’s son turned out to be non-biological and was picked up . . . things like that?”
Although Chu Zhao had always been good-tempered, he still choked at He Yan’s words.
He slowly responded, “I know little about household private affairs. I’ll recount to Brother He the ones I do know of.”
He Yan nodded impatiently.
And so, He Yan listened as the Shi Jinbo Residence’s Fourth Young Master recounted the affairs, both big and small, of Shuojing’s officials; however, not a single one was close to being ‘interesting.’ It was nothing more than ‘this person got promoted’ and ‘that person’s salary was increased by two piculs’; ‘this person delivered a memorial with such ugly calligraphy that the Emperor has been giving him the cold shoulder’ and ‘that person’s wife obtained a rarely-seen fabric and gifted it to the Imperial Consort, gaining her favor.’
Fourth Young Master Chu had a good appearance and temperament, and was also forbearing—unlike Xiao Jue, who’d quickly become irritated—but when speaking to him, He Yan almost found herself losing patience.
She endured through two cups of tea. Unable to wait any longer for what she wanted to hear, she interrupted Chu Zhao. “Fourth Young Master Chu, have you heard of General Fei Hong?”
As soon as she asked, Chu Zhao’s movements paused. He raised his cup and took a sip before he asked with a smile, “Why do you suddenly mention him?”
“During my days at the Liangzhou Guard, I’ve always overheard the instructors discussing whether our General Feng Yun or General Fei Hong is more powerful. I see General Feng Yun every day, so there’s nothing surprising about him anymore, but I’ve never seen General Fei Hong before.” She smiled. “As you know, General Fei Hong and I share the same family name—perhaps our ancestors were related. I just want to know if there’s anything strange about him and if he’s truly that powerful?”
Chu Zhao looked at He Yan and shook his head while laughing for some time. “General He and I aren’t very familiar with each other—we’re just officials of the same dynasty. I’ve only met him a few times. He’s quite nice and, indeed, very powerful. He was extraordinarily brave when suppressing the West Qiang Rebellion.”
“How about now? Has he been promoted in the capital?”
“He’s already a third-rank military general. If he’s promoted too quickly, people will talk behind his back,” Chu Zhao answered. “However, His Majesty admires him very much and calls him to the palace every now and then. He even had him advise the Crown Prince on his swordsmanship. It appears, in the future, he won’t be inferior to Chief Commander Xiao.”
He Rufei . . . had already reached such heights?
He Yan’s smile froze a little.
Chu Zhao asked, “What’s wrong?”
He Yan raised her cup and covered it up with a sip. “I just lament how we both have the surname ‘He’ and have only a few years of difference in age, yet I’ll never achieve the same level of success.”
“There’s no need for Brother He to undervalue yourself.” Chu Zhao smiled as he consoled her. “General Fei Hong’s feats were achieved by risking his life on the battlefield. Besides, you’re still young—in the future, perhaps you’ll be his equal.”
These words, however, didn’t comfort He Yan. She raised her head with an unfeeling smile. “Is that all? Is there nothing else? General Fei Hong’s at the right age for engagement, so isn’t there anyone in his heart? Don’t you find this to be too wretched? Will Da Wei’s two great generals, Feng Yun and Fei Hong, live the rest of their lives in solitary splendor?”
Chu Zhao was taken aback for a moment before he smiled gently. “I’m unclear on this matter. However, as of now, there is no news on General Fei Hong’s engagement.”
He Yan nodded.
“Why?” Chu Zhao smilingly looked at her. “Could it be that Brother He has sisters and you’re planning on . . .?”
“No, no.” He Yan hastily waved her hands. “I only have a younger brother. Never would I think about such a thing. It’s General Fei Hong we’re talking about—how could commoners like us claim such a high-ranking connection? I don’t dare, I don’t dare.”
Chu Zhao nodded with a thoughtful expression.
…..
In the dungeon, Xiao Jue sat on a chair as he looked at the prisoner.
It’d been more than ten days, and Lei Hou had grown shockingly thin; he’d become a completely different person from the man they saw ten days ago. He hadn’t been sleeping well either—as if tortured by nightmares, his eyes sockets were deeply sunken. The once lofty man was now stooping a lot more.
Fei Nu delivered a letter and murmured, “Lei Hou’s accomplice has been found. This letter is from Jiyang.”
“Jiyang?” Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow.
“That’s right.”
“Xiao Huai Jin,” Lei Hou began. His voice sounded as if it’d been set afire. It was extremely hoarse like it’d disappear in the next moment, and his lips were covered by cracked streaks of blood. “I followed your orders and wrote a letter to my accomplice. It’s your turn now—let go of my wife and children.”
Xiao Jue glanced at him and smiled. “In your eyes, am I someone who abides by agreements?”
“You—!” Lei Hou’s complexion changed drastically. He ferociously jumped forward, but his hands and feet were shackled, causing the manacles to rattle with every movement. He’d eaten very little recently, so there was no strength in his body. This act of his didn’t let him reach Xiao Jue; instead, he crashed to the ground.
The young man sitting on the chair arrogantly looked down at him with a tilted head, as if appreciating the sorry figure he cut. After a while, he slowly said, “I only said I’ll think about it.”
If one became a prisoner, one must have a prisoner’s self-awareness. Lei Hou finally realized that, from the moment he entered the Liangzhou Guard, he was doomed to imprisonment. He wasn’t this man’s match. When the other was sixteen, he was already capable of drowning sixty thousand people at Guocheng and beheading Zhao Nuo without a change in expression. Nobody could compare to his ruthless approach.
“I’m begging you.” He slowly knelt down and kowtowed to Xiao Jue. “Please let go of my wife and children.”
The man looked at him for a moment before slowly and deliberately asking, “Alright. Then let me ask you again—do you and your accomplice only communicate through letters?”
“Yes, yes!” Having already decided on surrendering, his only purpose was to get Xiao Jue to free his wife and children. Therefore, hoping to receive mercy from the man before him, he revealed it all. “We send a letter to each other once every month. My accomplice was previously in Shuojing; later, he arrived in Jiyang. I know only this much. If you want to find him, then go to Jiyang—he’ll definitely be there!”
“Jiyang City . . .” Xiao Jue muttered irresolutely to himself before looking at him again. “Jiyang City doesn’t let outsiders reside there for long. What identity did your accomplice use to enter the city?”
“I don’t know,” Lei Hou answered. “I only know that he’s staying at the Cuiwei Pavilion.”
“Cuiwei Pavilion.” Xiao Jue stood up. “Alright.”
“Xiao Huai Jin . . . Xiao Huai Jin!” Lei Hou called out, stopping him. He crawled forward like a dog and said, “I told you everything I know, so will you release my wife and children?”
The handsome youth paused at the entrance. Without even looking back, he mockingly answered, “There’s no rush. Perhaps you’ll remember more in a few days and I’ll release them then.”
With that, he walked away.
Outside, Chi Wu was waiting for him.
Seeing him, Chi Wu said, “Young Master, there’s news from Luan Ying.”
Xiao Jue, “Speak.”
“Chai Anxi’s whereabouts have been located. He’s currently in Jiyang.”
“Jiyang?” Xiao Jue turned around.
Chi Wu didn’t know what happened in the dungeon, so he hesitantly asked, “Is there something wrong?”
Fei Nu followed out from behind with a dignified expression. “Lei Hou’s accomplice is in Jiyang.”
“Is Young Master suspecting that . . .” Fei Nu suddenly looked surprised. “. . . the person secretly assisting Lei Hou is Chai Anxi?”
“We haven’t met him, so we can’t be sure.”
“But,” Chi Wu couldn’t help but ask, “Jiyang is a vassal king’s territory—outsiders aren’t allowed to stay for long, and even a temporary stay requires passage tokens. Even we can’t go whenever we want, so how did Chai Anxi manage to enter and stay for so long? Could this be a trap?”
“Who knows? Lei Hou didn’t say.” Fei Nu glanced up to discern Xiao Jue’s expression. He cautiously asked, “Young Master, should we find a way to visit Jiyang?”
“That’s easy for you to say.” Chi Wu poured cold water1 on him. “Back when Master was still here, there was a time he had to pass through Jiyang. He only wanted to stay for a few days, but King Meng Ji still prevented his army from entering the city. As I said before, we have to get passage tokens, but we can only obtain them at the prefectural office, and we must report back to the palace. We mustn’t make it known that we’re going this time, so what should we do?”
“There’s no rush.” Xiao Jue turned over the longevity lock in his hand. “Let’s wait a few more days.”
Chi Wu and Fei Nu looked at each other in dismay. Fei Nu caught sight of the longevity lock and, remembering what Lei Hou said in the dungeon, asked, “Young Master, Lei Hou’s wife and children are still under our watch . . . Do we continue, or . . .?”
His men were watching Lei Hou’s wife and children in the capital. Although they’d been locked up for the past few days, no harm was done. Now that the letter from Jiyang arrived, and it appeared no more information could be extracted from Lei Hou, his wife and children were still an issue.
Xiao Jue’s eyes fell on the longevity lock in his hand. He chuckled and casually threw it to Chi Wu.
Chi Wu said, “Young Master?”
Xiao Jue turned around and walked away. With a leisurely tone, he said, “Release them.”
