The prospect of regaining sight was undeniably tempting! Yet he couldn't show the slightest hint of desire. "The Crane Control Army pledges unwavering loyalty only to The Emperor and obeys solely the imperial decree!"
His resolute words eased the furrow between the emperor's brows, bringing a faint smile to his face. "Go now. Immediately recall the Crane Control Army stationed with the Hebei troops."
"Yes!" The black-clad man bowed before vanishing like a shadow.
The emperor sank into deep contemplation.
A full hour passed before he finally spoke. "Attend me."
A eunuch entered with hurried, light steps, bowing deeply. "Your servant is here."
"Prepare the medicinal bath," the emperor commanded.
This signaled his intent to cleanse his mind and seek enlightenment. The eunuch, well accustomed to such rituals, had already arranged everything in advance. After instructing the attendants to stand ready, he waited by the doorway for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before turning back. "Your Majesty, the bath is prepared."
The emperor rose and moved to the Jade Spring Palace.
After bathing in the fragrant waters, he changed into loose white silk robes and sat with his hair unbound in the pavilion.
The eunuch approached with a tray bearing an exquisitely crafted golden-thread nanmu box adorned with jade and gold, its surface carved with vivid depictions of immortals ascending in broad daylight. "Your Majesty, these are the golden elixirs newly delivered by the Daoist master yesterday."
Lifting the lid, he revealed six golden-hued medicinal pills resting on black silk, their surfaces glowing softly.
The emperor picked one up and placed it in his mouth.
The eunuch closed the box, stored it away, and stood silently by. Noticing beads of sweat forming on the emperor's brow, he softly inquired, "Will Your Majesty engage in dual cultivation today?"
"Hmm," the emperor grunted in assent.
The eunuch gestured, and servants were promptly dispatched to summon Consort Yu.
When the emperor hadn't specified a partner beforehand, he lacked the patience to choose. Such arrangements always fell to the eunuch, and ambitious consorts would bribe him for the chance to conceive an imperial heir.
Otherwise, those lofty noble consorts would never deign to engage in such intimate acts in broad daylight within a pavilion.
The eunuch also knew his limits. He didn't always arrange for consorts—occasionally, when he didn't, the emperor never reprimanded him. Compared to the shadow unit women, who treated these sessions like torture, the palace beauties understood desire far better and knew how to please.
In the courtyard, cranes paced gracefully. A breeze rippled across the lotus pond, rustling the emerald leaves and causing half-bloomed white lotuses to sway like elegant maidens. Against this backdrop, the middle-aged man in white robes appeared almost ethereal.
Before long, a woman in flowing white robes approached, parting blossoms and willow branches as she moved. She stopped below the pavilion and bowed gracefully. "Your Majesty."
The emperor's eyes flickered open. A sudden gust of wind lifted the ribbons at her sleeves and sent her dark tresses flying. Her delicate features, both pure and shy, made her seem like an immortal descended to earth.
Consort Yu glanced up subtly, catching the admiration in his gaze. Emboldened, she discreetly slipped off her shoes and stepped barefoot into the pavilion. Beneath her sheer white skirts, glimpses of her pale feet appeared—unadorned yet tantalizing in their simplicity.
The eunuch, observing this, signaled for the white gauze curtains around the pavilion to be lowered. He then dismissed all attendants to the distant corridor, remaining alone by the steps outside, ready to serve.
From noon until the sun dipped westward, the pavilion echoed with activity for over two hours.The eunuch discreetly wiped his sweat, wondering whether it was the exceptional efficacy of the golden elixir presented by the Daoist priest this time or the intoxicating beauty of Consort Yu today! However, Consort Yu had prepared for so long and visited many times. If she still couldn’t conceive, it would truly be ill fate—next time, she could no longer be arranged to come...
The emperor’s harem was never short of beauties. Consort Yu’s looks couldn’t compare to the Noble Consort or those tender young beauties, so she was usually not favored.
Yet, to the eunuch’s surprise, although Consort Yu still didn’t conceive this time, she managed to turn the tables with her attire and unexpectedly won the emperor’s favor!
Upon hearing this, the Noble Consort flew into a rage but could do nothing. She could only order someone to study Daoist scriptures, racking her brains to dress like an immortal.
Within the palace walls, schemes for favor continued endlessly, all striving to appear celestial. Meanwhile, at the border, Ling Ziyue and Liu Yun waited with bated breath for over half a month, only to receive an imperial edict reprimanding Liu Yun for negligence and abandoning his post without permission!
Liu Yun’s reprimand even stirred indignation among the common folk of Zhending Prefecture.
But what Liu Yun cared about most wasn’t the reprimand—it was the penalty of a year’s salary!
Liu Yun had four brothers, an elderly mother still alive, and an undivided household. He also had two sons, a daughter, and several grandchildren—a large and thriving family to support. Though they maintained appearances, they lived in hardship. Knowing this, Liu Yun usually ate army rations in the camp, wearing patched and repatched inner garments. When his family sent him new clothes, he wrote back saying he only wore armor and that the court provided inner garments anyway, so there was no chance to wear new clothes. He asked them to send only small garments every six months.
Military officers leading troops on the frontier, with frequent border wars, had no other means to earn money. Liu Yun was an incorruptible official who never took bribes or extorted the people, relying solely on his meager salary and farmland to support his large family in the capital!
Though he wasn’t so poor he couldn’t spare a single coin, losing a year’s salary would truly strip his family to the bone.
The emperor was making an example of Liu Yun to warn others—Ling Ziyue understood this all too well, and half his fervor cooled.
Had he not agreed to Liu Yun’s plan to jointly attack the Liao, perhaps the emperor wouldn’t have punished him.
Ling Ziyue had fewer family members and a higher salary than Liu Yun, but given the situation, he feared offering aid might bring Liu Yun unnecessary trouble, so he decided against it.
Seven or eight days passed, and Ling Ziyue noticed the Crane Control Army around him had vanished. The explosive crossbow made by Lou Xiaowu lay on his desk. Given the circumstances, it didn’t take much thought to realize they had been recalled by the emperor.
His sudden shift in attitude had pushed the emperor to desperation—but what could the emperor do? Ling Ziyue was still the grand general, unharmed. The military provisions arrived several times faster than when he had to beg for them on his knees!
Only now did Ling Ziyue fully grasp Chu Dingjiang’s meaning. In the current state of the Great Song, protecting the nation and loyalty to the emperor couldn’t coexist. Blind loyalty to the emperor would render his border defense meaningless. The Liao invaded yearly, and he had chances to take the initiative, but the court, traumatized by past defeats, forbade attacks, fearing another loss would lead to reparations. Now that the emperor couldn’t touch him, he could cast aside his reputation and do something substantial for the Great Song and its people.Doing this might lead to a miserable end, and the reputation of disloyalty might be recorded in history, but his heart, filled with valor, could no longer bear waiting year after year for the Liao people to come and burn, kill, and plunder!
In the dark of night.
A group of black-clad figures rode to a relay station for a brief rest.
After changing horses, everyone gathered in the courtyard.
Lou Xiaowu complained, "I said I didn’t want to come, but they forced me. Now they’re calling us back without letting me do anything… This is just playing with people!"
"Lord Chu, is it really alright not to dismantle the other dozen or so explosive crossbows?" Gao Dazhuang asked.
"If General Ling is determined, even a hundred explosive crossbows wouldn’t be able to stop him," Chu Dingjiang had confidence in Ling Ziyue. Before leaving, he had left the explosive crossbows in the camp. Though he only had a basic understanding of military equipment, after watching Lou Xiaowu handle them, he roughly grasped their structure and weaknesses. Surely Ling Ziyue knew as well—so why worry about finding a countermeasure?
Everything in this world is peculiar, like a vast game of chess. Strength and weakness shift with time and circumstance. No single piece can become invincible without reason; even the most formidable force has its vulnerabilities.
As one wanes, another waxes.
Chu Dingjiang smiled. Sometimes, the teachings of Daoism held great truth.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he saw An Jiu crouched on the ground, tormenting the tiger named Da Jiu.
The two tigers hadn’t grown quickly, but they were sturdy. Their silly, adorable faces never became more majestic despite their increasing size, and their pride sometimes paled in comparison to that of a cat.
An Jiu thought to herself that Mo Sigui’s medicine must have made them stupid. She resolved to eat more and take less medicine in the future.
Otherwise, being "physically strong but mentally impaired" would be quite unfortunate.
"My lord, after we return to the capital, will we resume our old duties?" Li Qingzhi was unwilling. After spending time in the military camp, he no longer wanted to go back to his former life. If one day he could don armor and fight on the battlefield, even dying in battle would be a glorious end.
"What’s wrong with our old duties?" Gao Dazhuang retorted irritably.
Li Qingzhi hung his head and muttered two words, "Humiliating."
"Who doesn’t suffer humiliation in life? Didn’t you see Liu Yun getting punished with a salary cut even after winning a battle? Didn’t you see Ling Ziyue having to grovel just to get military rations?" Gao Dazhuang jabbed Li Qingzhi’s head with a flourish of his fingers. "Count yourself lucky!"
No one spoke further.
After eating dry rations and resting for half an hour, they continued their journey.
When they left Bianjing, it was a cool night with mist flowers in the air. Upon their return, it was a rainy night thick with warm, damp heat.
Upon arriving back at the Crane Control Army, they were immediately escorted into the palace.
After Gu Jinghong’s death, the rebuilt Dragon Martial Guard had been secretly summoned to the palace. Unlike other shadow units, the Dragon Martial Guard operated close to the Emperor for his protection.
When An Jiu learned she had been assigned to the Dragon Martial Guard, her feelings were complicated. She would soon see Mei Yanran again, but she wasn’t particularly happy—she wasn’t ready to face her or figure out how to handle their relationship.
"Go in, and behave properly. The Emperor himself is inside!" the black-clad guide whispered a warning.
Only then did they realize they were being summoned for an audience with the Emperor.
Having rushed back in haste, they entered the grand hall in disheveled states.An Jiu saw the middle-aged man seated on the imperial throne sipping tea. His beard was neatly trimmed, his features lean and refined. Instead of the imposing majesty she had imagined, his expression was gentle and approachable.
"Long live the Emperor!" Gao Dazhuang led the way, kneeling first.
The others followed suit, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" and dropping to their knees.
The emperor paused in his tea-drinking, slowly setting down the cup. "Gao Yuanxin?"
Gao Yuanxin was the name Gao Dazhuang had later adopted, one that few ever used.
Gao Dazhuang bowed his head. "It is I, Your Majesty."
"You've returned," the emperor said with a smile, stepping down from the throne and helping him up with both hands. "Even back in the Crane Control Army, you stood out. Now, your achievements at the border have astonished all. We are deeply pleased." (To be continued...)
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