A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 4

The first day on the job at the Sixteen Guards was off to a bad start.

In the rear garden of the Marquis of Xuanping’s residence, Chen Yuanqing was brandishing a twisted willow stick about the thickness of an arm.

Chen Liangyu was weaving swiftly through the garden scenery.

Chen Yuanqing chased after her, roaring, “Chen Liangyu, you stop right there! Still daring to run! I’m going to beat you to death today!”

Chen Linjun urgently sent for his mother, Madam He, who usually kept herself confined to the Buddhist hall, fasting and chanting sutras.

He Yunzhou quickly circled the pavilion, waved her hand, and blocked Chen Yuanqing with a white waxwood cane, standing with her hands on her hips. She said, “Chen Yuanqing, why are you hitting my daughter again? The last time you gave her those twenty military strokes, she almost lost half her life.”

Chen Yuanqing gasped for breath. After a major illness, his body was clearly not what it used to be. He had to admit his age.

He Yunzhou looked ready to settle accounts, and Chen Yuanqing’s anger subsided by half. He said helplessly, “Ask her! Ask her what good deed she’s done this time!”

Chen Liangyu hid behind the scarlet pillar of the pavilion, only poking her head out, and shouted, “Didn’t you, Father, say to follow my own wishes?”

“How dare you bring that up!”

With that, Chen Yuanqing was about to chase her again. “You really bring great honor to your father’s name!”

He Yunzhou snatched the willow stick from Chen Yuanqing’s hand. “Oh, stop it. Huai’er told me about the morning court. Didn’t you also not want our daughter to marry the Crown Prince? Li’er, come here and apologize to your father.”

Chen Liangyu reluctantly stepped out from the pavilion, dawdling for a long time without saying a word.

Chen Yuanqing read her expression and knew she was unrepentant. He asked, “Do you still not know what you did wrong?”

“You said ‘follow my own wishes,’ but you’re just afraid people will say you’re a poor educator, that the daughter of Chen Yuanqing is shameless for rashly discussing her marriage in front of the Emperor, thus making you lose face.”

Chen Liangyu straightened her back, her voice full of energy. Though utterly defiant, one foot was already positioned outward, ready to run at any moment.

“You…” Chen Yuanqing was too enraged to speak.

He Yunzhou calmed Chen Yuanqing down, then turned to Chen Liangyu. “Li’er, you’ve always been a sensible child, but what you did today was truly inappropriate. Although His Majesty’s intention to name you as the Crown Princess hasn’t been finalized, he is discussing it with your father. If you wish to marry the Prince of Shen, your father naturally would speak with the Emperor privately, as an elder. Your actions today, however, publicly slighted both His Majesty and the Crown Prince, didn’t they?”

Chen Liangyu countered, “Since it’s still being discussed, I must state my position as soon as possible, before a decision is made. Should I wait until the imperial edict arrives, and there’s no room for maneuver, before defying the decree?”

Chen Linjun slapped her hard on the back, with a force that almost made her cough up blood. He gave Chen Liangyu a warning look and said, “You better say less and apologize to Father.”

“I did nothing wrong, so I won’t apologize.”

A rush of anger surged to Chen Yuanqing’s heart, but he instead burst into a sneering laugh. “Well done, Chen Liangyu! You’ve been granted a title, you’re impressive! Keep being stubborn!” He pointed his thumb between Chen Liangyu’s eyes and nose. “Go to the ancestral hall and kneel for two hours, and think things over carefully.”

“I’ll kneel then.”

There had always been rumors in the court that Emperor Xuanyuan and the Marquis of Xuanping, Chen Yuanqing, had a strained relationship as ruler and subject. When Chen Yuanqing returned victorious this time, Emperor Xuanyuan insisted on making Chen Liangyu the Crown Princess, seemingly wanting to prove the rumors false.

Upon closer examination, there were three reasons for this.

The first was that Emperor Xuanyuan wished to bestow greater glory upon the Marquis of Xuanping.

The second was that, based solely on the military power the Chen family now held, a marriage involving the Marquis of Xuanping’s residence, whether a daughter marrying out or a son marrying in, could cause a major shift in the court. Whoever Chen Liangyu married would gain the assistance of the 400,000 troops of the Northern Frontier.

The third was that after returning to court this time, Chen Yuanqing submitted several requests to resign. He claimed old age, and the military affairs of the Northern Frontier were passed to Chen Linjun. It was a left-hand-to-right-hand transfer, still leaving the Marquis of Xuanping’s residence in charge. Keeping Chen Liangyu in Yongdu would be a good way to keep the Northern Frontier in check.

A week after returning triumphantly, Chen Yuanqing again sought to return his military authority and resign, but Emperor Xuanyuan gently declined; his desire to step down persisted, and he submitted resignation memorials for three consecutive days, which the Emperor refused to approve; he then simply claimed illness and stopped attending the daily morning court, which the Emperor granted.

With the military affairs of the Northern Frontier fully entrusted to Chen Linjun, the Emperor specially permitted Chen Linjun to return to the Northern Frontier after the New Year. Thus, the family now had two idlers, with nothing to do all day.

Chen Linjun snuck out every day to find Yan Nian, acting secretively, like a thief.

He and Yan Nian had been married for several years without children. His mother, Madam He, took Yan Nian to Hongfu Temple to consult the abbot, who divined that: a lack of a festive ceremony resulted in a lack of a child’s destiny.

The wedding banquet for the elder brother and sister-in-law had been simple. Since the war was raging then, they only hastily offered wine to the soldiers and paid respects to the elders, Heaven, and Earth, and the ceremony was concluded. Upon closer inspection, they hadn’t even had time to prepare a decent set of wedding robes. Madam He was already troubled by how she had slighted her daughter-in-law, and with the divination, she was determined to choose an auspicious day to hold a supplementary wedding banquet in Shangyong, despite the fervent objections of Yan Baizhang and Yan Nian.

The engagement and asking for auspicious dates had already been completed, so only the ritual of setting the date and escorting the bride remained. Madam He was exceptionally serious about this matter and forbade the couple from meeting before the wedding.

But the auspicious date for the wedding was set for the sixteenth after the New Year, which was a misery for Chen Linjun, who cursed the abbot for taking money without performing a good deed.

Chen Liangyu saw this and showed great disdain: “Brother, your second wedding with Sister-in-law is only two or three months away. They’re not breaking you up, so what’s the big fuss?”

“What do you know?” Chen Linjun felt like stabbing her. He smiled without warmth and said, “The Sixteen Guards are quite idle, aren’t they?”

She certainly knew how to hit a nerve.

The first day on the job at the Sixteen Guards was off to a bad start.

The former Deputy Commander, Gao Guan, had been certain of being promoted to Commander. When a person was suddenly parachuted in—and a half-grown girl with legs no thicker than his arms at that—he was extremely unhappy. He tried every means to incite his subordinates to create difficulties for Chen Liangyu.

When Chen Liangyu stepped inside the threshold of the Guard Yamen, everyone seemed busy with their own tasks, acting as if they didn’t see her.

Only one person dropped a broom and ran toward her. The person was dressed in the uniform of the Sixteen Guards, slightly taller than Chen Liangyu, with a sun-tanned complexion that appeared somewhat boyish.

“Are you the new Commander?” he asked with a smile.

Perhaps the simple heart of the youth had not yet been ground down by life, and even his smile was clean and bright.

Upon receiving an affirmative nod, he grinned wider. As he led the way, he introduced himself: “My name is Xing Rui, and I’m currently sweeping the Yamen. I just started two days ago.”

Chen Liangyu nodded faintly. “I’ve noted it.”

Xing Rui observed her closely. She was taller than the average girl, and her face, without a smile, looked slightly stern. He chuckled. “Commander, I really can’t believe you are so formidable. Three thousand remnants defeating a hundred thousand enemy troops—even folk tales wouldn’t dare to write that!”

Chen Liangyu’s heart tightened, and her fingers clenched suddenly.

He was referring to the battle that broke the city of Dingbei.

While it was truly a legendary decisive battle, for those who experienced it firsthand, it was like being in the fires of hell. She was a surviving soul who had crawled out over the blood and flesh of countless soldiers, one of the fortunate ones. The soldiers eternally buried in a foreign land should not become a talking point for her achievements.

Xing Rui saw the Commander’s unpleasant expression and, being quick-witted, changed the subject. “Commander, I heard that you have good news about marriage soon? Did the Emperor agree to grant the marriage you requested?”

Gossip sure travels fast! Chen Liangyu took a deep breath, her clenched fist tightening further.

Xing Rui’s eyes were twinkling brightly. The boy was a good boy, but he didn’t seem very bright.

He sure knew how to hit a nerve.

Xing Rui knew he had said the wrong thing again. Fortunately, they had already reached the main hall. To make amends, he introduced more diligently: “Commander, this is where the Sixteen Guards usually handle matters large and small. The right side is the wing room where you can rest if you’re tired, the left is the armory, and the back is where the brothers switch shifts and rest. The Sixteen Guards don’t have many tasks; it’s quite leisurely…”

Before he could finish, a brawny, towering man strode in, followed by a dozen low-ranking soldiers, each carrying a stack of ledgers. In the blink of an eye, the books were piled high in front of Chen Liangyu, completely covering the desk.

Xing Rui stepped forward, bowing slightly to the man leading the group, and called out, “Deputy Commander Gao.”

Gao Guan ignored him, so he sensibly stepped back.

Gao Guan stood in front of Chen Liangyu, his massive frame blocking the light from behind, attempting to establish his authority without words.

Chen Liangyu clasped her hands behind her back and looked up slightly, staring back at him.

Gao Guan was simple, dull, and had a vacant look, apparently not remembering meeting her that night.

He hadn’t recognized her.

For a moment, Gao Guan inexplicably felt a pressure from the presence of a young girl.

He blinked his small eyes, pointing at the books and ledgers on the desk. He said, “All the matters the Sixteen Guards have handled over the past ten years, all expenditures, and the movements of all personnel are here. You check them thoroughly. If there are any loopholes or areas for improvement, you are free to point them out.”

Chen Liangyu walked out from behind the desk and said respectfully, “Deputy Commander Gao, as I am new here, please guide me if there are any mistakes.”

Gao Guan felt he had gained face, and his tone softened a little. “Commander, what are you saying? This is my duty. You look first, and the brothers won’t disturb you.”

He hadn’t told her where to start, but it didn’t matter. Her mentor, Old Yan, had already taught her. In the Northern Frontier army camp, these things were second nature to her. An organization of less than five thousand like the Sixteen Guards surely wouldn’t have more complicated accounts and personnel matters than an army of 400,000.

Chen Liangyu slightly bowed, and Gao Guan turned and left with his men.

She shifted her gaze from the foot-high pile of documents and ledgers on the desk to Xing Rui’s face.

Not many tasks? Quite leisurely?

Xing Rui’s face flushed, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, grinning widely.

Gao Guan stopped at the doorway and turned back to point at Xing Rui. “You boy, why are you still here? Aren’t you leaving?”

So Xing Rui followed them out.

Soon, harsh curses could be heard from outside: “That little brat, you’re already fawning over the little girl who just arrived? You little traitor, you want to climb the social ladder, but look at yourself. You don’t have two ounces of backbone and you want to swing a Vajra pestle? Go sweep your floor properly!”

In the course of the morning, Chen Liangyu had only finished one stack. Fortunately, there were no significant errors. It seemed Gao Guan had been diligent.

She rubbed her temples, stretched her limbs, and shuffled outward. She’d rather be drilling troops in the barracks. If she had known it would be this kind of work that caused backaches and leg cramps, she wouldn’t have taken the job for anything.

Just as she was about to step into the sunlight for a stretch, she heard voices coming from the corner of the long corridor.

“Reincarnation is really a matter of skill. It takes the brothers three to five years to get a single promotion, yet she comes straight in as Commander.”

“Putting aside everything else, even though our Sixteen Guards aren’t as prestigious as before, we’re still the Imperial City Guards. Working under a little girl, I feel embarrassed to even walk around. Yesterday, Huang San and the others from the Northern Guards called me out for drinks, but I made an excuse to decline. I’d just be an object of ridicule if I went.”

There was one voice that spoke fairly, soft as a mosquito’s buzz: “It’s not entirely due to the Marquis of Xuanping, is it? She does have military merit.”

No one paid attention to him, and he was quickly drowned out by louder voices.

Two months ago, in the Northern Frontier of Daliang, Beiyong launched an attack on Suzhou’s Dingbei City. After days of bloody fighting, the city’s reserve of supplies and food for the defending army was finally depleted, and the Grand Marshal Chen Yuanqing was severely wounded.

Just as victory was within grasp, a surprise challenger emerged.

Chen Liangyu rose to prominence, seizing the marshal’s seal and leading the remnants of the troops to abandon the city and lure the enemy. They used rolling rocks and fire attacks on the steep slopes of the Mati Valley in Qilian Pass. The wind was strong that day, and smoke was everywhere. The smell of burning flesh could be detected ten li away.

The Yong army realized they had fallen into an ambush and still had a chance to survive, but they were cut down from the rear by Chen Linjun, who arrived in time with reinforcements. Beiyong’s main force lost more than half its troops and could no longer fight.

Two months later, Beiyong sued for peace. The decades-long conflict between the two nations finally saw a brief respite.

Xing Rui shuffled over with a bamboo broom, looking dejected. Chen Liangyu was leaning against the door frame, listening to their discussion with interest.

“Ah!” Xing Rui was startled by the head that suddenly appeared in the doorway. “You scared me! You heard everything?”

Chen Liangyu shrugged, indifferent to the criticism of those people.

What if she had heard? When the Emperor asked her if she dared to take this job, she had already anticipated a situation a thousand times worse than this. A few words of gossip were utterly insignificant.

Xing Rui didn’t understand her meaning. Guessing she must be deeply hurt by being talked about like this, he tried to console her. “Don’t take it to heart. To be honest, when I first came to the Southern Guards, I was issued a waist saber. Now I’ve been issued a broom.”

“Why did the waist saber turn into a broom?”

“I made a small mistake. Accidentally spilled a bowl of hot soup over Deputy Commander Gao’s head.”

Chen Liangyu realized he was treating her like a little girl, trying to comfort her. But she still chuckled. How uncareful must one be to do that?