After Gongsun Yin left, Xie Zheng sat silently before the low table.
His hair was still damp from the bath, wet strands clinging to his forehead. The tall bridge of his nose cast a shadow in the candlelight, his thin lips pressed together, giving him a stubborn, wild air.
His long fingers picked up the ugly yet endearing doll, studying it for a long while before gently stroking it with his thumb.
Beneath the low table lay a large bundle, retrieved by his personal guard from Yanzhou.
He untied the knot—inside were two sets of clothes, unworn double-stitched short boots, and a packet of tangerine peel candy.
It was the same bundle Fan Changyu had entrusted to Zhao Mu Jiang to deliver to him.
The rainy weather had left everything inside slightly damp.
Xie Zheng unwrapped the oil-paper packet of tangerine peel candy—some of the candies had melted, sticking together.
As if he didn’t notice, he picked one up and placed it in his mouth. Instead of letting it dissolve slowly, he crushed it between his teeth and swallowed.
One after another, he chewed and swallowed each piece.
Only the sweetness, sourness, and bitterness of the tangerine peel candy spread across his tongue.
By the end, there was almost no sweetness left—just sour and bitter.
Chongzhou
The night rain poured down, the faint glow of a single lamp warding off the damp chill outside the tent.
Fan Changyu sat cross-legged on the military cot, staring blankly at the empty chest beside her.
She had already taken out all the clothes inside and piled them on the bed, but she still couldn’t find the roughly carved wooden doll.
Though she was the only one living in this tent, she occasionally called in squad leaders and platoon leaders for discussions. She always kept her personal belongings neatly stored.
Her spare clothes were kept in the chest, and the doll—she would take it out to carve whenever she had time, then put it back in the chest with her clothes.
When she had hastily grabbed a change of clothes earlier to meet He Jingyuan, she hadn’t noticed.
Now, in the quiet of the night, she wanted to take the doll out and refine the carving—but it was gone.
Footsteps approached outside the tent, followed by the sound of an oil-paper umbrella being shaken. Moments later, Aunt Zhao pushed aside the tent flap with her elbow, one hand holding the dripping umbrella and the other carrying a bowl of medicine.
"This rain is downright frightening!" she muttered.
Leaning the umbrella against the tent wall, she walked toward Fan Changyu with the medicine bowl. Seeing the clothes strewn all over, she asked, "Why’d you take all these out?"
Remembering that Aunt Zhao had been tending to her during her two days unconscious, Fan Changyu quickly asked, "Auntie, when you were tidying my things, did you see a wooden doll in the chest?"
Aunt Zhao shook her head. "Didn’t see any wooden doll."
Noticing her despondent expression, she added, "What’s wrong?"
Fan Changyu only shook her head, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting confusion and a hint of bitterness in the candlelight.
How could the doll just disappear?
Xie Wu, though her personal guard, would never overstep and touch her private belongings.
During the two days she was unconscious, the only other person who had entered this tent was Xie Zheng, disguised as Xie Wu.
Did he take the doll?
Aunt Zhao said, "Drink this medicine while it’s hot. I still need to go back and brew some more for your Uncle Zhao."Fan Changyu's hand injury hadn't healed yet, so she had been staying at the military camp these days to take care of her daily needs. During the day when she had free time, she would help the army doctors brew medicine or wash the clothes of severely wounded soldiers.
The battle had caused significant casualties in the army. Even Zhao Mu Jiang, originally a veterinarian, was called upon to bandage and treat the wounded soldiers.
At first, he was apprehensive, fearing his medical skills weren't good enough and might harm the soldiers. But when he realized that the newly recruited army doctors for treating the wounded didn't even understand pharmacology as well as he did, he felt somewhat uneasy.
Upon inquiry, he learned they were mostly rural folk healers, some even just herb gatherers who recognized medicinal plants. Zhao Mu Jiang couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
Yet he understood it was unavoidable. With thousands of wounded soldiers and only a few army doctors accompanying the troops—many injuries requiring timely treatment—how could the doctors manage alone?
They had no choice but to recruit anyone within a hundred-mile radius with even the slightest knowledge of medicine to treat the wounded.
Regardless of their medical skills, having some treatment was better than none.
Drawing from his experience treating Xie Zheng's severe injuries, Zhao Mu Jiang successfully saved many wounded soldiers and was exceptionally promoted to a full-fledged army doctor.
The army always treated doctors with respect, so Zhao Mu Jiang no longer had to do carpentry or veterinary work and even got his own separate tent.
Fan Changyu snapped out of her thoughts. Two days ago, when she was unconscious, Aunt Zhao had no choice but to stay by her side at night. Now that she was awake, she didn't need Aunt Zhao to take care of her all the time. Taking the medicine bowl, she said, "It's pouring rain, and the camp is pitch black—it won't be easy to walk. I'll have Xiao Wu escort you. Once you're done, rest at Uncle Zhao's place instead of coming back here."
Her tent was quite a distance from the wounded soldiers' tents, and it would be exhausting for the elderly woman to go back and forth.
Fan Changyu understood Aunt Zhao's desire to do something for the wounded soldiers.
Aunt Zhao and her husband had lost their son on the battlefield years ago. When she came to the camp and saw the soldiers in the wounded soldier camp, perhaps reminded of her own fallen son, she even cried, treating the wounded soldiers like her own children, bustling about without a moment's rest.
Maybe she wanted to make up for the regret of not being able to do anything when their son died in battle.
Aunt Zhao still seemed worried. "But will you be alright alone at night?"
Fan Changyu held the bowl and said, "My hand only suffered flesh and tendon injuries—the bones are fine. It's nothing serious."
Aunt Zhao hesitated before saying, "Alright then. If anything happens, have Xiao Wu come get me."
Fan Changyu agreed and called for Xie Wu to escort Aunt Zhao to Zhao Mu Jiang's tent.
Once the tent flap closed again, shutting out the rain and the endless darkness, Fan Changyu finally settled into silence.
Holding the medicine bowl, she lowered her head as if something wet fell into the dark, bitter liquid, causing ripples.
She drank it all in one go, ignoring how the bitterness made her stomach cramp. After placing the bowl on the low stool by the bed, she stuffed the clothes back into the chest, shook out the thin quilt, wrapped herself in it, and buried her head to sleep.
The battle report announcing the killing of Changxin Wang was sent to the capital, and it took half a month before the imperial envoy arrived in Chongzhou with the imperial decree of official rewards.
When the imperial envoy entered the camp, Fan Changyu was the only one below the rank of captain included in the welcoming party.The arrival of an imperial decree was akin to the emperor's personal presence, requiring all civil and military officials to don their official robes.
He Jingyuan, still severely wounded, forced himself into the heavy armor to lead his subordinate generals in welcoming the imperial envoy at the camp entrance. His face was gaunt, cheekbones protruding and cheeks hollowed, even tinged with a sickly gray hue, evoking deep sympathy among his subordinates.
Fan Changyu's heart grew heavy. He Jingyuan's injuries weren't just from arrows—during the confrontation with Prince Changxin, he had taken a Lion-Head Spear strike meant for Tang Peiyi, damaging his internal organs, which was why his condition showed no improvement.
When He Jingyuan wrote his memorial to the capital, he had already stated his grave injuries and likely inability to continue as the main commander for the attack on Chongzhou. No one knew what this imperial decree would bring.
Standing at the back, Fan Changyu saw a large group approaching the camp. The leader wore an official robe she had never seen before—neither civilian nor military—his wrinkled face pale and beardless, exuding an indescribable strangeness.
Upon seeing He Jingyuan, the man raised his eyelids arrogantly and declared in a high-pitched, shrill voice, "Governor of Jizhou, He Jingyuan, receive the decree—"
Only then did Fan Changyu realize this must be one of those legendary eunuchs serving the emperor.
He Jingyuan knelt with the others. Afraid of causing trouble through impropriety, Fan Changyu dared not scrutinize the eunuch further and kept her eyes fixed on the ground before her.
"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, decrees: The rebels of Chongzhou have ravaged our lands and oppressed our people. Governor He Jingyuan of Jizhou has upheld the realm and slain the rebels, bringing Us great comfort. Now learning of his grave injuries, We hereby confer upon him the title of General of Huaihua, reward him with a thousand taels of gold, and temporarily transfer his military authority to General of Manifest Might Tang Peiyi, permitting his return to Jizhou to recuperate."
The moment the words fell, the expressions of those kneeling at the camp entrance shifted dramatically.
This decree granted He Jingyuan a higher but hollow military title while stripping him of his actual command.
Tang Peiyi knelt slightly behind He Jingyuan to his left. Having been promoted by He Jingyuan himself, he held deep respect for his superior. Hearing the decree, he grew visibly agitated, wanting to speak but restrained by the unfinished proclamation, left to kneel in anxious silence.
The eunuch continued, "General of Manifest Might Tang Peiyi, for his merit in constructing dams to intercept the rebels and training the right flank army to achieve remarkable victories in the Chongzhou campaign, demonstrating great military talent, is hereby conferred the title of General of the Cloud Banner and rewarded with five hundred taels of gold."
"His subordinate generals have also shown exceptional bravery: Wang Daqing, for slaying the rebel vanguard, is conferred the title of Mobile Cavalry General and rewarded with a hundred taels of gold; Gou Siyou, for slaying a rebel captain, is conferred the title of Resolute Captain..."
The decree dragged on, nearly rewarding every general kneeling at the camp entrance. Only then did Fan Changyu understand she had been summoned to receive honors as well.
The battle reports detailing these merits had all been written by He Jingyuan and submitted to the emperor. He likely anticipated who would be rewarded, hence gathering them in advance.
Yet Fan Changyu's name remained unmentioned.
Her knees had nearly gone numb when the eunuch finally intoned, "Right Flank Army Captain Fan Changyu..."
Startled, she instinctively looked up—only to meet the eunuch's gaze already upon her.
His eyes seemed to smile, yet sent an inexplicable chill down her spine. The indescribable discomfort made her quickly lower her head again.The eunuch continued reading the imperial decree: "For slaying the Prince of Changxin and achieving extraordinary merit, Fan Changyu is hereby appointed Swift Cavalry Commandant and awarded three hundred taels of gold. So decreed!"
Fan Changyu didn't yet know how high-ranking the position of Swift Cavalry Commandant was, but hearing that the reward was three times greater than what a military officer named Wang Daqing under Tang Peiyi's command had received, she privately surmised that this official position must be quite significant.
After finishing the imperial decree, the eunuch dropped his haughty expression and smiled at He Jingyuan, saying, "Lord He, receive the decree."
His peripheral glance also swept briefly toward Fan Changyu.
Even while ill, He Jingyuan's voice remained firm: "He Jingyuan receives the decree!"
The eunuch handed the decree to He Jingyuan, his face wearing an ostensibly warm yet subtly unsettling smile. "Congratulations, my lord. My sincerest congratulations."
He Jingyuan looked at the decree in his hands, his eyes revealing a trace of weariness as he smiled and said, "It is His Majesty's mercy."
Tang Peiyi immediately clenched his fists in indignation. "My lord, this humble general is unworthy of assuming command. I beg you to continue leading the troops!"
He Jingyuan rebuked him sharply: "Enough nonsense! Do you wish to defy the imperial decree?"
Tang Peiyi wanted to say more, but seeing the eunuch watching with an amused smile, he ultimately restrained himself.
He Jingyuan then addressed the decree-bearing eunuch: "Your Excellency has traveled far and endured hardships. A modest tent has been prepared in the camp. If you do not disdain it, please rest and recuperate."
The eunuch chuckled. "No hardship at all. It is you, Lord He, who toils tirelessly on the frontlines as a pillar of the state who endures true hardship. But whether it's you, a minister, or us servants of His Majesty, we all receive the emperor's stipend and must share his burdens, isn't that so?"
He Jingyuan understood the eunuch's implied meaning but showed nothing on his face, merely saying, "Your Excellency speaks wisely."
The eunuch's smile deepened as he looked at He Jingyuan. "It's good that Lord He understands."
After subordinates led the decree-bearing eunuch and his entourage away, Tang Peiyi could no longer contain himself. "My lord, how could His Majesty simply strip you of your military authority?" he protested on He Jingyuan's behalf.
Half in frustration and half in anger, he lowered his head. "I don't have the capability to take your place! I can't handle the mess in Chongzhou either!"
He Jingyuan only said, "Foolish!"
"My lord..."
Tang Peiyi wanted to continue, but He Jingyuan cut him off. "If this military authority doesn't fall to you, the court will send someone else. Between the two, I'd much prefer you take command of the Jizhou army."
As he spoke, he patted Tang Peiyi's shoulder.
Tang Peiyi, a man of eight chi stature, actually reddened around the eyes. "If not for you saving me that day..."
He Jingyuan suddenly sighed. "Peiyi, I truly have grown old."
Looking at He Jingyuan's noticeably grayer temples and gaunt figure after just half a month, Tang Peiyi's eyes stung, and he could no longer bring himself to voice any further refusal.
Fan Changyu also found the scene deeply affecting.
Since ancient times, it seemed the fate of military generals was always to be discarded once their usefulness ended.
Preoccupied with these thoughts, she felt no joy at all about her military appointment and reward.
When He Jingyuan dismissed everyone, she found herself inexplicably rooted to the spot.
Seeing her, He Jingyuan didn't seem surprised. "Walk with your uncle," he said.
Changyu gave an affirmative sound and fell half a step behind He Jingyuan's side.
Due to his injuries, He Jingyuan walked slowly. Even clad in armor, his inherent scholarly gentleness remained undiminished.After walking a distance in quiet surroundings, he spoke slowly, "I didn't hide from you the fact that I killed Changxin Wang. Now the entire court knows about you. From now on, you must be vigilant on your own, for who knows how many eyes are watching you from the shadows."
Fan Changyu replied, "Changyu understands."
He Jingyuan sighed, "The Prime Minister can no longer tolerate me. Who knows when he might strike against you and your sister next? Hiding won't help. By making everyone aware of you, the Prime Minister will think twice before acting."
He paused, then continued, "Grand Tutor Li's faction has already uncovered your parents' past. He wants to overthrow Wei Yan and will spare no effort to protect you now. Li Huaian remains in the army as a military supervisor. Though he is humble, courteous, and virtuous, he is still a member of the Li family. Do not trust him lightly."
Fan Changyu could sense the elder's deep concern and felt grateful. She said earnestly, "Changyu will remember all of this."
Only then did He Jingyuan give her a slight nod, his eyes reflecting the kindness and pity of an elder for a younger generation. "Choosing this path has been hard on you."
Thinking of her parents' deaths, her grandfather's seventeen years of infamy, and the day she parted with Xie Zheng, Fan Changyu's dark almond eyes were calm yet flickered with an unyielding flame. She said firmly, "It's not hard."
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