The Road to Glory

Chapter 177: The Entire Northern Border, No One Left to Suppress...

The news of Wei Pingjin being punished to kneel in the ancestral hall reached Madam Wei’s ears that very evening.

Shortly after Wei Qishan returned to his study, Madam Wei arrived with her entourage, causing a commotion.

The estate physician had just finished taking Wei Qishan’s pulse. Liao Jiang, standing beside Wei Qishan, heard what seemed like clamor outside. After stepping to the door to inquire, he returned with a peculiar expression and reported to Wei Qishan, "Madam has come."

Wei Qishan covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed a few more times. When he lowered the cloth, he folded it in his palm to conceal the bloodstains. "It’s late," he said. "You should return early as well."

Wei Xian, standing nearby, gave Liao Jiang a slight nod, indicating that he would take care of Wei Qishan.

Liao Jiang was well aware that he had already witnessed too many of the marquis household’s scandals that day. With Madam Wei making a scene, the situation was likely to become even more unpleasant. Though he was Wei Qishan’s trusted aide, he was, after all, an external official. He promptly clasped his hands and said to Wei Qishan, "Then this humble general will take his leave. I will bring you the roster of generals for the southern campaign tomorrow."

Wei Qishan, reclining on the couch, suppressed his sickly pallor with an air of authority and gave a slight nod.

As Liao Jiang opened the door to leave, he encountered Madam Wei and her servants pushing and shoving with the guards stationed at the foot of the steps, attempting to force their way in.

Seeing someone emerge from inside—and a military general at that—Madam Wei, mindful of appearances, straightened her attire and hair. Surrounded by her maids and matrons, she stood stiffly at the base of the steps, her face taut.

Liao Jiang thought it best not to say much. He simply clasped his hands, addressed her as "Madam," and took his leave.

Wei Xian appeared at the study door shortly after and, with a slight bow, said to Madam Wei, "Madam, please come in."

The guards who had been blocking Madam Wei and her party finally stepped aside to clear a path.

As Madam Wei proceeded inside with her attendants, the guards permitted only her to enter, crossing their halberds to bar the maids and servants following behind.

Madam Wei glared furiously, but Wei Xian merely bowed his head respectfully and said, "Madam, you are aware that the study is a restricted area. The Marquis has never allowed unauthorized personnel inside."

Gazing at the imposing, fortress-like structure beyond the dozen or so stone steps—looming like a great beast crouched in the night—Madam Wei’s eyes reddened faintly.

She had been married to this man, revered by the world as a mighty lord, for over twenty years, yet this was only the second time she had set foot in his study.

From the age of sixteen, when she married him and became a wife of the Wei family, she had always looked up to him.

Suppressing the ache in her eyes, Madam Wei tightened her shawl and, her face rigid, ascended the steps one by one.

The study was warmed by underfloor heating. Because its master had been taking medicine for years, the bitter scent of herbs had been steamed into the air by the warmth.

In recent years, Wei Qishan had always slept alone in the study. Only during festivals would he visit her courtyard to share a meal with the children.

Madam Wei looked at the man draped in an outer robe, handling official documents behind his desk. His figure seemed unchanged from before. Though he now wore a beard and had grown gaunt from his illness, his cheekbones slightly protruding, the stern, unyielding authority on his face remained just as it had been in his youth.

When she married him, he was already in his thirties, and his eldest son was twelve years old.

Unconsciously, Madam Wei smoothed a stray lock of hair by her ear. Whenever she looked in the mirror, she often spotted silver strands at her temples. She would pluck one today, only to find another appearing a few days later...She knew she was aging and often felt anxious, wondering if her fading looks no longer resembled his first wife, which was why he seldom crossed her courtyard gate anymore.

In her youth, though her family background was humble, her striking beauty had never left them short of matchmakers knocking on their door.

But later, her appearance brought misfortune—the elderly and dishonorable Salt Commissioner took a fancy to her and sought to take her as a concubine. To avoid disaster, her family hastily sent her to her maternal grandparents' home.

It was during that journey she met him. After days of heavy rain, the mountain path was blocked by rolling stones, and a flash flood cut off their retreat. At the brink of life and death, a patrol of cavalry inspecting the river channels happened upon them and rescued her.

She still remembered him atop his horse, wearing a bamboo hat, and the look in his eyes when he turned toward her at the cries of her servants—so pained, so disbelieving.

The soldiers threw ropes across. A strong maidservant carried her on her back, wading through the water, but stumbled over submerged rocks, and both were swept away by the torrent.

Just when she thought death was certain, someone waded toward her—a powerful arm grabbed her, lifted her onto his back, and carried her across the raging flood.

She had never seen a face so stern and resolute among men her age, nor leaned against such broad shoulders. Trembling with the terror of nearly losing her life in the mountain flood, she wept softly against his back all the while.

The man carrying her never spoke a word, silent as a desolate mountain.

Most of their carriages, horses, and luggage had been washed away in the flood. She and her few remaining servants were taken by the cavalry to a nearby post station.

Without even learning his name, he departed.

She cried all night at the station with her wet nurse, fearing the incident would tarnish her reputation and seal her fate as the concubine of the nearly septuagenarian Salt Commissioner.

Not long after arriving at her grandparents' home, a betrothal letter arrived. Her grandfather, startled, read it over and over, then fearfully asked the matchmaker, "Is it truly Marquis Wei, who has lived in seclusion for years, seeking to remarry?"

The prestige of the Wei residence was such that even a second marriage was beyond what their modest family could aspire to.

Once it was confirmed he sought her hand, her grandmother, the night before her return home, held her hand and spoke at length. She said Marquis Wei was a man of noble character with few concubines in his household. After marriage, the residence would be uncomplicated, with no in-laws to pressure her—a true blessing. But she must remember to treat his eldest son well.

Learning he had been married before left a sour taste in her heart, but consoling herself that his first wife had passed away nearly a decade prior, she gradually accepted it.

When she first met his brilliantly gifted eldest son, the boy called out "Mother" in surprise.

She was overjoyed at first, but under the startled, evasive gazes of some servants in the residence, she slowly sensed something amiss.

He spent more than half of each month staying in his study. Aware of his heavy official duties and that the study was a restricted area of the marquis's estate—accessible only to his close attendants—she never dared make any presumptuous requests.

Yet suspicions lingered in her heart until she became pregnant. While strolling in the garden, she overheard servants gossiping about how deeply he cherished her, saying he had even hung her portrait in his study.

A sweet feeling had just begun to rise within her when an elderly servant hushed them, warning, "Don't mention that. The painting in the study is of his first wife, who passed away ten years ago."That was the day she had gone mad. Taking advantage of his absence from the yamen and the guards' reluctance to touch her due to her pregnancy, she forced her way into his study and saw the painting hanging on his wall.

At first glance, she thought it was herself, but soon came the bleak realization that she could never emulate the painting's radiant, unrestrained expression.

The date inscribed at the bottom corner was from an earlier time.

In that moment, she couldn't tell whether it was anger or grievance—or perhaps jealousy.

Did he spend his days in the study yearning for his deceased wife through that painting?

Did he marry her as a replacement because she resembled his late wife? Or was it because he felt obligated after saving her from the flood and compromising her reputation?

She dared not, nor wished to, dwell on the answer. In a fit of impulse, she snatched a candlestick and set the painting ablaze.

When he rushed back and saw the study engulfed in flames, he ignored his crucial documents and her heartbroken sobs, desperately trying to salvage the charred remnants of the painting.

It was the first time he had lost his temper with her since their marriage.

The man who hadn't shed a tear when barbarian blades left his shoulders scarred now stood red-eyed, touching the ashes of the burnt painting. When she tearfully demanded an explanation, he coldly told her to get out.

The shock triggered bleeding from her pregnancy, and she was carried out of the study on a stretcher.

She remained stubborn—for over twenty years since that day, she never voluntarily entered his study again.

Tonight was the second time.

Madam Wei took a deep breath, steeling herself for her purpose, and said sternly, "You insisted Jin marry that actress, and I agreed. Now, just because he showed her disrespect, you're punishing him by making him kneel in the ancestral hall? If I accept her tea tomorrow morning, will you also accuse me of disregarding hierarchy and force me to kneel in apology to our ancestors?"

Wei Qishan slammed the documents in his hand onto the desk. After coughing into his fist several times, he retorted coldly, "If you keep indulging him, that unfilial son will only become more worthless!"

Hearing him criticize their son, Madam Wei's eyes reddened with fury. "If you're such a good teacher, then teach him properly! Have you ever tried all these years? Whenever he comes near you, it's nothing but beatings and scoldings. Did you raise your eldest son the same way? You always say my Jin is flawed in every way, but I see nothing but excellence in him! He studies diligently, trains hard in martial arts, and is filial! You and your subordinates look down on him—why not just admit it's because he wasn't born from your deceased wife's womb!"

After this outburst, Madam Wei turned away, dabbing incessantly at her tears with a handkerchief.

Wei Qishan's expression turned icy as he suppressed his rage. "You dare compare him to Chuan? Chuan entered the Military Camp at fourteen, achieved great victories against barbarian forces with fewer troops at sixteen, while that good-for-nothing you've spoiled can't even endure the hardships of military life. While soldiers fight on the front lines, he buys estates and indulges in comfort. How can the army respect him? The essays Chuan wrote at thirteen showed more insight than the trash he produces now! Even if he were dull-witted, loyalty and integrity would earn him soldiers' respect. But you've spoiled him into a stubborn, arrogant fool!"

He glared coldly at Madam Wei. "You blame me for not teaching him well? Now that I'm finally taking charge, stop your sniveling!"Madam Wei had never been so harshly reprimanded him before. With reddened eyes and uncontrollable tears, she cried, "Is that how you teach a child? Do you know how wronged he feels? Marrying an actress is one thing, but to be humiliated by those ragtag troops outside the city on his wedding day—they clearly don’t regard him as the young master! Have you ever considered his dignity?"

She seemed to have reached the peak of indignation for her son. After speaking, she covered her face and sobbed bitterly.

Wei Qishan coldly retorted, "Dignity is something one earns oneself. If he’s nothing but a silk-pillow, who would respect him? If he hadn’t been so arrogant as to order his subordinates to trample a military commander to death, none of this would have happened!"

At the mention of that old incident, Madam Wei’s anger flared again. Weeping, she said, "If you don’t care about Minmin’s life, fine, but can’t her elder brother seek justice for her..."

Wei Qishan grew irritated hearing her bring up Wei Jiamin’s reckless horse-riding incident again and shouted, "The state has its laws, the army has its Military Regulations!"

"I’m talking about our daughter, and you speak of Military Regulations. If Minmin had really been harmed that day, would you still be unwilling to punish your beloved generals?" Madam Wei cried even more bitterly.

It was like a chicken talking to a duck.

In earlier years, Wei Qishan felt his wife was over a decade younger, and since they spent little time together, he rarely argued with her. Only today did he realize that after more than twenty years, her temperament remained unchanged from when she first married him.

He gave up trying to reason with her. Pressing his temples, he said coldly, "I’ve said it before: if he only wants to be a leisurely rich man, I’d rather select a few loyal commanders from my ranks to adopt as righteous sons—far more reliable than entrusting the foundation of Northern Wei to him!"

Madam Wei suddenly shrieked, "You just want to restore Jin for your deceased wife! You forced Jin’er to marry that actress pretending to be the former Jin princess, and now you talk of handing your legacy to those commanders? Wei Qishan, you have no conscience! Search your heart—if your eldest son were still alive, would you let him marry such a lowly principal wife?"

"Since she’s a counterfeit former Jin princess, why not choose a girl from a clean, respectable background? Isn’t my niece more presentable than that actress?"

Wei Qishan’s voice was unexpectedly stern: "More presentable in what? Manners? Eloquence? Or bearing? How many aristocratic young ladies could remain composed before three armies?"

Perhaps pushed to his limit, Wei Qishan’s expression turned icy: "She was chosen because whatever she learns, she masters faster and better than any other suitable candidate. You look down on her for being an actress, but it’s precisely the courage and presence she honed on stage that enable her to carry herself like a true princess!"

Madam Wei still felt aggrieved for her son: "She’s just a puppet pretending to be a princess—must she still appear in public?"

Wei Qishan said frostily, "If the Princess of Great Liang could single-handedly support a collapsing nation, should our Great Jin princess appear timid before the world?"

Too enraged today, he coughed again, tasting blood in his throat. Unwilling to argue further, he called outside, "Wei Xian, escort Madam back!"

Madam Wei wanted to continue disputing with Wei Qishan, but seeing Wei Xian enter, she merely wiped her eyes, unwilling to appear so disheveled before a subordinate.After Wei Xian gestured for her to proceed, Madam Wei snatched up her handkerchief herself and strode away with a tense expression.

Wei Xian accompanied her all the way to the foot of the steps. Only when Madam Wei had her attending maidservant support her did she coldly order Wei Xian to return, explicitly stating she required no further escort.

Once far from the study, Madam Wei nearly stumbled along the railings while weeping.

When her maidservant tried to console her, she struck her own chest with her handkerchief-clutching hand, wailing: "I should have either become the salt commissioner's concubine or been swept away by floodwaters back then! I never should have married into this family! What does he take me for?... Nothing but an object for mourning his deceased wife!"

This maidservant was Madam Wei's wet nurse, who urgently responded: "Madam, you mustn't speak such angry words!"

Madam Wei wept: "Look how he treats my Jin'er! Instead of living peacefully, why must he restore the Jin dynasty? Isn't it just because he feels guilty about his first wife's suicide after he surrendered to Great Liang?"

The wet nurse felt her mistress failed to appreciate her blessings despite having everything. She advised: "Madam, why must you always compete with the dead?"

"Regardless of how the first wife or her son were, they're all underground now. When the Marquis restores Jin, and with the young master being his only son, who else would inherit everything after unification? Why can't you see what's before you?"

Madam Wei cried in furious grief: "My Jin'er is so noble! How could he make him marry a mere performer!"

The wet nurse truly believed her mistress had lived too comfortably these decades. With Wei Qishan keeping no concubines, Madam Wei's temper had grown even more stubborn than in her maiden days during her twenty-plus years in the Wei residence.

She reasoned: "Madam, men aren't limited to one marriage. After that 'princess' bears the young master's child, if she passes during childbirth, the child would still carry the former Jin imperial bloodline, making the Marquis' restoration more legitimate. Besides, when the young master ascends the throne, he'll need an extensive harem. Even if he remarries after having heirs, wouldn't you still get to choose any noble daughter? As for the first wife's title, she'd be known as the former Jin princess - who would dare disrespect that? You must consider the long term rather than fixating on the present."

Gradually ceasing her sobs after this counsel, Madam Wei still choked out mournfully while being supported back: "He treats me coldly..."

The wet nurse could only continue comforting: "My dear lady, what use is seeking affection? Those childhood friends of yours who married ideal husbands - didn't their households become chaotic after their husbands took concubines? A man's heart belonging to the dead is far better than belonging to the living. Regardless of the Marquis' feelings, won't everything in this mansion eventually belong to you, the young master, and the county princess?"

In the pitch-black cold night, pavilions and stone lanterns along the path dotted the darkness like a meandering dragon, illuminating the thin snow-covered cobblestone road as Madam Wei's weeping and the wet nurse's admonitions faded into the distance.

Inside the Wei residence study, the moment Wei Xian entered, he saw Wei Qishan leaning on the desk, having coughed up fresh blood.

Wei Xian's face paled in panic as he turned to leave: "I'll summon the house physician."Wei Qishan called out to stop him: "Taking my pulse again won't change anything. With the southern campaign imminent, don't let any news leak out and cause unnecessary panic among the subordinates."

After pausing for two breaths, he continued: "Clear this desk a bit and bring me the maps of the Northern Border and the Central Plains."

Wei Xian's eyes reddened: "Marquis, perhaps you should rest today!"

Wei Qishan lifted his gaze: "In my youth, I could endure three days and nights without sleep. Do you think I no longer have the energy to read maps by candlelight now?"

Wei Xian had no choice but to comply, understanding his Marquis's stubborn nature, and went to retrieve the maps.

By the light of the nearby candle stand, Wei Qishan pointed at several routes on the map: "The Liang Camp likely won't advance north along the entire front. After capturing Purple Sun Pass, they'll probably reconnect the north-south thoroughfares quickly. Since they can't fully deploy troops along the northern route, they'll use the terrain - marching northward through the Qi Mountain Range. This allows them to avoid direct confrontation with the Pei Army while launching surprise attacks on cities from Tongzhou to Mozhou. For Changlian Wang's faction, their ancestral county Fengyang is more important than Luodu. Han Yang previously ordering troops to push north toward Xiangzhou was probably just a diversion."

Wei Xian studied the map for a while: "But Fengyang lies deep in the central region. Even if Princess Han Yang attacks it, she probably can't hold it."

Wei Qishan said: "What if she's only aiming to rescue someone?"

Wei Xian was momentarily stunned, then remembered that Changlian Wang's daughter-in-law seemed to be held captive by Pei Song.

He shook his head subconsciously: "If her mother were still alive, the Liang Camp attacking Fengyang would be certain. But to mobilize troops just for a sister-in-law who's been taken by Pei Song - even if Princess Han Yang wants to, her Liang ministers probably won't easily agree."

Wei Qishan said: "You forget, this sister-in-law helped her rescue remaining Liang ministers like Yu Ziyan."

Wei Xian asked: "Does the Marquis have a military strategy in mind?"

Wei Qishan coughed for a moment: "'Jiang Yu's concubine' was intercepted midway. The Liang envoys only took Jiang Yu's corpse this time. What we failed to gain in these negotiations, we must reclaim through this southern expedition."

When he looked up again at Wei Xian, his expression was unusually grave: "If anything happens to me on this campaign, that Xiao family youngster cannot be left alive!"

Wei Xian felt this sounded like last instructions and immediately knelt down, crying out "Marquis!"

Wei Qishan clenched the hand he had previously held to his lips, feeling the sticky dampness in his palm, as if finally acknowledging his aging: "The entire Northern Border has no one left who can suppress him."

Author's note: There's a rough map I previously posted on Weibo, dear readers can take a look at that for now. I'll refine it in the next couple days and add these new place names.