The Entire Capital Regrets After the Young General’s Death in Battle - Chapter 2

Xiao Biehe knew that anything he said now would be futile. Nevertheless, he withdrew the secret letter and handed it to the Chief Eunuch, who presented it to the Emperor.

Emperor Mu Hongmiao read the letter for a long while, his brow furrowing deeper with every passing second.

Finally, he crumpled the paper into a ball and turned to Xiao Biehe. “The Kingdom of Yan has coveted Great Liang for years. Now that the New Year is upon us, we cannot afford a moment of negligence. Should the border fortresses fall and the Yan rebels invade, our vast Liang would become their spoils! I have never issued such an order, and I certainly would not encourage the troops to lower their guard this year. Young General Xiao, you have spent years on the battlefield with your father, how could you fail to see through such a blatant deception? Tell me, where did this letter come from?”

The air in the hall grew unnaturally still. Mu Yunfei looked down from the imperial dais at the young man in white. Though disaster loomed, Xiao Biehe’s expression remained calm, his voice neither submissive nor defiant.

“The handwriting on the letter was indeed Your Majesty’s, and it bore the imperial seal. In my haste, I fell into a trap. I ask Your Majesty for punishment.”

At that moment, a man burst into the Golden Throne Hall in a fit of rage. When he saw Xiao Biehe, his face shifted from disbelief to a murderous fury. His eyes turned bloodshot, and without a word, he raised his hand and delivered a heavy blow to Xiao Biehe’s face.

“You wretch! His Majesty entrusted you with the border, yet you dared to desert your post and bring the army back to the capital! How are the people to look upon the General’s Manor? How can His Majesty ever trust us again? If the border falls, dying a hundred deaths would not atone for your sin!”

The suddenness of the slap left Xiao Biehe dazed for a long moment.

When he felt something warm trickling down, he reached up to wipe his lip. A smear of bright red stained his white sleeve.

The Emperor appeared stunned by the outburst. Mu Yunfei’s dark eyes were fixed on Xiao Biehe, his sharp brows furrowing with a hint of irritation.

It had been nearly two years since Mu Yunfei last saw Xiao Biehe. Despite their marriage contract, they were not well-acquainted. To be precise, Xiao Biehe was not well-acquainted with him. In the past, Mu Yunfei had worried that Xiao Biehe might find the engagement a burden. He no longer had to worry about that. After this winter, Xiao Biehe would no longer exist in Great Liang.

The Emperor rose from the dragon throne, every movement radiating the authority of a sovereign. “Beloved Minister Xiao, what is the meaning of this?”

Xiao Changfeng dropped to his knees, the sound of his impact echoing through the hall. He bowed deeply toward Mu Hongmiao. “I have failed in my son’s upbringing, causing this catastrophic mistake. I beg Your Majesty to punish him severely!”

Mu Hongmiao threw back his head and laughed. He signaled for the General to rise. “Beloved Minister, please, stand. This is all a misunderstanding. Perhaps there is a traitor in my inner circle who stole my seal and forged my hand. It is understandable that the Young General could not distinguish the truth.”

Xiao Changfeng rose, but his face remained dark, as if Xiao Biehe had brought unbearable shame upon him.

The Emperor continued, “Though it was a mistake, no substantial harm has been done yet. The Young General is young and accomplished, having earned much merit for Great Liang. Since he is back in the capital, we shall treat this as a welcome home. Tomorrow, I shall host a celebratory banquet in the palace and invite all civil and military officials to honor the Young General’s achievements. General, Young General what say you?”

Xiao Changfeng shook his head frantically, his eyes nearly bulging with anxiety. “No, Your Majesty, absolutely not! A mistake is a mistake, and the military must have discipline. This boy’s life is of no consequence; how can we reward him instead of punishing him?”

“Beloved Minister, calm yourself,” Mu Hongmiao said. “Great Liang has always been known for its mercy. My mind is made up; it shall be done!”

Xiao Changfeng attempted to decline several more times, but the Emperor remained unmoved. Finally, he bowed. “As you command.”

Turning back to Xiao Biehe, his expression became icy. “Well? Why haven’t you thanked His Majesty for his grace?”

Xiao Biehe stood straight and meticulous. Aside from the swelling handprint and the blood on his pale, exquisite face, the slap seemed to have no effect on him. He bowed to the Emperor with an unyielding spirit. “May I ask Your Majesty how the two hundred thousand soldiers outside the city are to be settled? They all wish to spend the New Year with their families.”

Mu Hongmiao thought for a moment. “I shall grant it this once. I will issue a decree stating that their kind and capable Young General begged for this opportunity for them. However, if there is a surprise attack, they must return to the battlefield immediately!”

Xiao Biehe bowed. “I thank Your Majesty.”

On the way out of the hall, many officials glanced at Xiao Biehe and Xiao Changfeng. Though the reason for his return was unclear, nearly the entire city knew that the Young General had brought two hundred thousand soldiers back.

The borders were always the most vulnerable points for surprise attacks. For twenty years, soldiers had stood guard there without leaving. Between this event and the rumors from two months ago, panic began to spread among the citizens, especially those far from the capital who feared a large-scale war.

“Kneel!”

Xiao Changfeng dragged Xiao Biehe by his collar all the way back to the General’s Manor. Once inside the gates, he hauled him to the ancestral shrine in the backyard and delivered a sharp kick to the back of Xiao Biehe’s knees.

As Xiao Biehe fell, Xiao Changfeng barked coldly, “Reflect on your actions here before our ancestors. You are not to rise before dawn tomorrow!”

Dark clouds swirled in the sky as snow began to fall, growing heavier by the minute.

Xiao Biehe had never knelt before the Emperor, but he had knelt before his father countless times since childhood.

“Father.”

Xiao Changfeng was about to storm off in anger when a soft, faint voice stopped him.

“Has Father been recovering well? Does the wound still hurt?” Xiao Biehe asked.

Xiao Changfeng clenched his fists. After a long pause, he turned back to look at his eldest son.

The snow falling on Xiao Biehe’s face almost blended with his pale skin, though the swelling on one side of his face stood out as a jarring blemish on his beauty. Xiao Changfeng saw his son kneeling in the snow, looking up at him.

Despite being covered in snow, Xiao Biehe seemed to be enveloped in a layer of light. He uttered no grievances, yet being watched by those clear, clean eyes made Xiao Changfeng feel as though he was the one in the wrong.

Shocked by the thought, Xiao Changfeng snapped, “Enough of your honeyed words! Do not think this will make me forgo your punishment!”

With a flick of his sleeve, he turned to leave again.

“Father,” Xiao Biehe called out once more.

His father was never this strict with his two younger brothers; for them, he had the usual fatherly kindness and indulgence. But for Xiao Biehe alone, he could not tolerate the slightest deviation.

His voice was lighter than the falling snow. “Father, you haven’t seen me for months. Aren’t you going to ask if I was injured on the battlefield?”

Xiao Changfeng snorted without turning around. “What injuries could you possibly have?”

He had raised this son by his side. The battlefield was treacherous, and anyone without a spine of steel would have died long ago. Xiao Changfeng didn’t need to look to know that if he was back in one piece, he hadn’t suffered any fatal wounds. Minor cuts and bruises were part of being a soldier; he wasn’t going to treat him like some delicate young master.

Thick snow settled on Xiao Biehe’s long hair.

He blinked, and the snow on his thick eyelashes fell away, only to be replaced by new flakes. He watched his father’s receding figure, his pale, clear eyes holding one last flicker of hope.

“Father,” he said softly, “I am cold.”

“Then stay here and kneel properly!” Xiao Changfeng barked, stepping away and disappearing into the snow.

Xiao Biehe remained in the blizzard, watching his father until he was gone.

He had heard people mention that he was named “Biehe” (Departed Crane) because when he was born, a white crane had flown to his mother’s bedside and landed near the newborn. At the time, it had terrified the servants and the General alike.

The infant was premature and weak, barely surviving. His mother, burdened by her own inner turmoil, refused to acknowledge the child and even tried to strangle him several times. Xiao Changfeng, fearing for his wife, had tried to drive the bird away.

But the crane flew away on its own.

As it took flight through the window, the heavy snow outside stopped, and the sky cleared. Realizing it meant no harm, the household began to regret the loss of such a beautiful bird—it had come and gone in an instant.

Xiao Changfeng had remained silent for a while before casually naming the child Biehe. Xiao Biehe didn’t know that his father had very little patience for him even then; the name was a wish that if the mother truly loathed the child that much, he should simply disappear like that crane. Bie to part, to leave.

The snow had piled half a foot high. Xiao Biehe knelt with his knees buried in the frost. The pain in his legs was excruciating, and they had nearly lost all sensation.

A shadow fell over him. Xiao Biehe opened his eyes to see someone standing before him with an umbrella.

It was Xiao Jinshi, his younger brother.

The boy stood close, yet felt worlds away. Snow continued to fall on Xiao Biehe, while the teenager under the umbrella remained dry, his face full of smug satisfaction.

“How did you manage to make Father angry again? It’s snowing so hard today. Are you cold, Big Brother?” The boy’s youthful face had been full of boredom, but seeing Xiao Biehe punished the moment he returned made his mood soar. A bright, mocking smile curled the corners of his lips.

Xiao Biehe did not argue. He simply gave a faint, weary smile, long accustomed to his brother’s hostility.

Seeing him smile even now, Xiao Jinshi’s good mood vanished. He snapped the handle of the oil-paper umbrella in a fit of rage and hurled it several feet away.

Soon, the snow began to pile atop Xiao Jinshi’s head as well.

A personal attendant from Xiao Jinshi’s courtyard ran over, handing him a new umbrella with a worried expression. “Oh, Third Young Master! Why are you out here in the snow? Please, come back with me. If the Madam finds out you were out in such thin clothes, she’ll be worried sick!”

The servant glanced guiltily at Xiao Biehe and bowed. “Eldest Young Master.”

Xiao Biehe turned to the servant. “Could I trouble you to bring me paper and ink? I have an urgent matter to report to my father.”