Qiao Chu

(One Year Later)

Another harsh winter passed, and spring arrived.

This year, Yunzhong Commandery received exceptionally abundant rainfall, soaking the land into a lush, watery green.

Even the borderlands—constantly trampled by charging formations and horses' hooves—were dotted with verdant patches. Standing on the hillside, it looked like shattered emeralds—

This was Xie Yanlai's observation.

Zhong Changrong didn't share this sentiment, nor had he ever seen shattered gemstones, but that didn't stop him from smiling broadly at the view.

"Those Western Liang dogs have been hiding like turtles lately, letting the grass grow wild," he said. "We haven't even had any victory bulletins to report."

Xie Yanlai remarked, "No news is victory in itself."

There was truth to that. Zhong Changrong gazed into the distance—beyond lay territory outside Great Xia's borders, yet not belonging to Western Liang either, a designated no-man's-land.

"This time, we must redraw the border!" He pointed ahead. "See that? We could build a city a hundred li forward—a perfect defensive position. The land is fertile, ideal for grazing. Many years ago, General Chu said we should seize this territory. It's just a pity—" He swallowed the rest of his words, then clenched his fist with renewed determination. "This time, I will fulfill the General's wish."

Expanding territory is every soldier's dream, and such words usually inspire fervent agreement. Unfortunately, Zhong Changrong had brought Xie Yanlai with him today.

"Whether wishes come true isn't up to frontline soldiers," the youth beside him said lazily. "It depends on whether those far from the battlefield want them fulfilled."

Zhong Changrong's enthusiasm evaporated. Annoyed and furious, he wanted to curse but found himself speechless.

Actually, when he'd said "it's a pity" earlier, he wasn't regretting General Chu's death or his long years in disuse. Even at the height of the General's power, this wish had been impossible.

What he truly lamented was how the valiant Emperor, intoxicated by victories, grew risk-averse and halted the Border Army's advance at its peak momentum.

Zhong Changrong turned to glare at Xie Yanlai. This brat was utterly infuriating—would it kill him to stay silent or say something pleasant?

"Times are different now," he snapped irritably, gesturing toward the capital. "My lady—"

"Your lady is the Empress, not the Emperor," Xie Yanlai interrupted with grave emphasis. "Uncle Zhong, you've been a commander for over a year now. Can't you speak and act more prudently? Do you want to be cursed as an arrogant Imperial Relative like me?"

Zhong Changrong laughed in exasperation. "Who are you to lecture?"

Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow without speaking, his eyes answering plainly: You, obviously.

"Of course I know the court isn't ruled by my lady," Zhong Changrong snorted, shooting him a sharp glance. "There's also your Xie family."

He turned back to face the frontier.

"But my lady surely shares this aspiration and will strive for it."

He looked at Xie Yanlai again.

"Moreover, expanding territory isn't shameful. My lady takes pride in such deeds—she feels no disgrace and fears no infamy."

Xie Yanlai scoffed. "Then may Her Majesty and General Zhong triumph unstoppably, serving nation and people to earn eternal glory."

The soldiers below the slope couldn't quite hear their conversation, but they knew the timing was about right—these two never lasted longer than an incense stick's burn before quarreling.

"General Zhong—" a deputy general called out loudly.

Zhong Changrong spun around, frustration boiling over. "Stop yelling!"The officer stretched out his hand, pointing at the sky. "It's going to rain, General. Let's return to camp."

Zhong Changrong looked up and saw the once-clear sky now roiling with clouds in the blink of an eye, a stifling rain gathering momentum.

"Back to camp," he commanded loudly, paying no attention to Xie Yanlai as he strode away.

Xie Yanlai paid him no mind either, ambling along leisurely behind.

At the foot of the slope, the troops began to move in unison.

By the time the party galloped into the city, the drizzling rain had turned into a downpour.

Too lazy to don rain cloaks, Zhong Changrong and his men were drenched to the bone in just those few steps.

The soldiers dispersed to their quarters. Zhong Changrong hurried into the government office, where a soldier came rushing toward him, holding a cup of hot tea in one hand and a towel in the other.

"Sir, please dry yourself quickly—this is ginger tea. The moment I saw the weather change, I immediately brewed some ginger tea—"

Zhong Changrong felt a warmth in his heart. Though he disdained being waited on like this, it wasn't entirely unwelcome. He reached out to take the tea.

But the soldier brushed past him and hurried to the person behind.

"Young Master, I knew you wouldn't wear a rain cloak. The ones in our army aren't well made."

Zhong Changrong's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. He turned and glared fiercely. Xie Yanlai had already downed the ginger tea in one gulp, while the soldier held the towel, wiping his head, face, and clothes.

"Young Master, the spring rain is chilly. Hot water is ready—wash up and change into dry clothes—"

Xie Yanlai showed no displeasure at his attentiveness, accepting it with ease. After finishing the tea, he commented, "Too sweet. Why did you add sugar to ginger tea?"

The soldier looked remorseful. "I was afraid it would be too bitter for you, Young Master, so I added a handful of sugar." He added, "I'll go brew another bowl right away."

True to his word, he turned to leave but was kicked aside the next moment.

"Squad Leader Xiao Shan!" Zhong Changrong scolded. "Get lost!"

Squad Leader Xiao Shan rolled to the side but tried to keep moving forward.

"Captain Xie, the inspection is over. Why are you still lingering here?" Zhong Changrong then told the other to get lost. "Scram!"

Xie Yanlai sneered. "It's because you're so thoughtless. The moment something occurs to you, you send for me. If I leave now, don't call for me later. I'm not in Luo City with nothing to do."

With that, he turned and strode away.

Xiao Shan chased after him a few steps. "Young Master—" But he knew he couldn't make him stay. "Young Master, I'll get you a proper rain cloak—"

Before he could finish, Zhong Changrong kicked him from behind.

Xie Yanlai had already vanished from sight.

"General," Xiao Shan turned around, shoulders slumped and face sulky. "Why did you hit me?"

Zhong Changrong scoffed. "You dare pull a long face just because I hit you? And that Xie Yanlai—" He pointed at the doorway where the figure had disappeared. "Last year, he beat you until you cried. Why do you still act like he's your long-lost father when you see him?"

Mentioning last year's incident, Xiao Shan's eyes reddened abruptly, as if the pain of the beating surged back.

"What do you know, General?" he said with a thick nasal tone. "All of you only saw me cry, but you didn't see Young Master Xie crying too. While he was hitting me, he was also crying. What does that mean? It means I disappointed him too much. He had high hopes for me—the pain of his blows on my body was the pain in his heart. I have no father. If I did, he'd probably treat me just like Young Master Xie does."

Zhong Changrong was stunned by this explanation, both exasperated and amused. What nonsense was this?He had no idea what had happened between Xie Yanlai and Xiao Shan. It seemed that as soon as he left, someone came to report that Xie Yanlai had beaten Xiao Shan and driven him back.

He didn’t take it seriously. Since Xie Yanlai joined the Border Army, it wasn’t the first time he had gotten into fights privately.

That dog-like temper was naturally irritating.

Of course, during this time, some generals had also whispered sarcastic remarks to him, saying that Xiao Shan was Zhong Changrong’s man, so the Xie family naturally wouldn’t use him. They reminded him that the Xie family was not of one mind with them and that he should also be wary of this Xie Yanlai.

Zhong Changrong naturally paid no heed to such words. The Xie family was indeed not of one mind with him, but as for this Xie Yanlai—

He simply had no mind at all!

Zhong Changrong was momentarily lost in thought when Xiao Shan, squatting on the ground, muttered, "I’ve hurt the young master’s feelings. I’ll work hard for a year, hoping the young master will see my efforts—"

Zhong Changrong lifted his foot and kicked him. "You useless thing! I gave you soldiers and horses, made you a squad leader, and let you lead troops into battle. Instead of thinking about repaying me, you only care about making Xie Yanlai notice you. What good would it do if he noticed?"

"General, fighting alongside Young Master Xie is exhilarating," Xiao Shan retorted, his face lighting up as he spoke. "The young master’s tactics are ingenious, swift, and ruthless. The battles he fights leave no Xiliang soldiers behind—he’s ferocious."

Xie Yanlai was indeed fierce in battle, fighting as if he had no regard for his own life, which was why Zhong Changrong couldn’t help but worry every time.

"Fierce, but the casualties are fierce too," he muttered.

"Not at all!" Xiao Shan immediately countered. "The young master fights the fiercest battles, trains harshly in private, and protects everyone fiercely on the battlefield. He doesn’t recklessly trade lives for merit. He’s clever—he knows how to fight and fights well. Many of the brothers under his command have been saved by him; otherwise, they would have died on the battlefield long ago. Although I haven’t had the honor of fighting alongside the young master, when he beat me that time, it looked severe, but he avoided vital areas. My buttocks are fleshy, so he only hit my butt—"

Zhong Changrong couldn’t bear to listen any longer and kicked him again. "Shut up! It’s been a year since you returned, and you’re still in this wretched state."

Xiao Shan stood up and left.

"Hey, where are you going?" Zhong Changrong called after him. "Do you still have any of that ginger tea? The hot water is ready—where is it? I’m drenched too—"

Without looking back, Xiao Shan replied, "The hot water is ready, in the pot. You can scoop some to drink, sir. After drinking, you can soak in the pot if you like. I have things to do—it’s our squad’s turn to patrol the city today."

Zhong Changrong glared in anger. Why was it that when it came to him, he was only offered a casual sip of hot water?

"You brat! So you remember you’re on patrol duty, yet you still sneak over here to curry favor with others," he scolded.

But it was too late to kick him—the boy had already dashed off in a flash.

Grumbling to himself, Zhong Changrong went to wash up. Just as he changed his clothes, a message arrived. Upon hearing it was from the capital, Zhong Changrong didn’t even bother to dress properly before taking it. He read it thoughtfully, paced back and forth in the room a few times, and finally stopped, as if having made a difficult decision.

"Someone!" he ordered. "Summon Captain Xie from Luocheng."

...

...

Xie Yanlai barged in, drenched from the rain.

"General Zhong," he barked, "I’ve told you before, don’t summon me casually—"

Zhong Changrong glared at him. "There’s a new mission."

Xie Yanlai stood in the hall, wiping the rain from his brow with his hand, his phoenix eyes slanting sharply. "This humble general refuses the order."Zhong Changrong sneered coldly: "Going to the capital."

The sneer that had risen to Xie Yanlai's nose abruptly halted, his fingers freezing at his brow.

The capital.

In that distant capital was someone he hadn't seen for a long time—her.