The Innocent Heart - Chapter 51

The two youths walked together into Wei Qing’s tent. Wei Qing was not inside at the moment; he had been summoned to the palace by Liu Che to discuss urgent matters.

“What are you giving me?” Guan Yueyao looked around the tent curiously, but felt as if she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“Didn’t you see it?” Huo Qubing’s tone sounded rather dissatisfied.

“No. Stop keeping me in suspense—what is it?” Guan Yueyao shook her head, urging him.

Huo Qubing walked forward, somewhat reluctantly, and pointed to a set of iron lamellar armor hanging inside the tent. Even in the dim light of the tent, the cold sheen of the iron plates was faintly visible as they caught the sunlight filtering through.

“There, that suit of armor. I had it specially crafted for you. Do you like it?” Huo Qubing looked at his friend with a mixture of pride and expectation.

At present, Guan Yueyao was wearing the standard-issue leather armor provided by the military. While it was lighter than iron, its defensive capabilities were naturally much lower. Iron armor was expensive, and not every soldier had the wealth to commission a custom set for themselves.

“This… is this for me?” Guan Yueyao reached out in disbelief, gently touching the armor before her. The hard, smooth scales felt slightly cool to the touch and carried a significant weight. Even though she now held an official rank, a piece of equipment so meticulously crafted—practical yet beautiful, clearly the work of a master—was far beyond what she could afford.

“Of course! We will eventually go to the battlefield together to kill the enemy; how can we do that without good protection?” Huo Qubing smiled and gave his still-dazed friend a nudge. “Go on, try it on and see if it fits.”

“Oh…” Guan Yueyao had not yet recovered from the immense surprise. Still in a daze, she followed Huo Qubing’s instructions and took the armor down from the rack. However, she couldn’t put it on by herself. The two soon realized the problem, and Huo Qubing came over to help. After a flurry of activity, they finally managed to secure the heavy iron armor onto Guan Yueyao.

“Now that I’m wearing this, I feel like I’ve been compressed by a third of my height,” Guan Yueyao said, her face scrunching up. She had to exert much more effort than usual just to swing her arms freely. “I think I’d rather wear the leather armor; this is just too uncomfortable.” As she spoke, she raised her arms, intending to undo the armor they had just spent so much effort fastening.

“No. You have to get used to it. The situation on the battlefield changes in an instant; no one knows if they will be alive the next second. It’s always better to have an extra layer of protection.” Huo Qubing stopped her without a second thought. “If you think it’s heavy, then from now on, I’ll wear the same iron armor whenever I train with you. Ah Yao, I don’t just want to fight alongside you; I want us both to return alive!”

Huo Qubing’s casual demeanor vanished, replaced by a quiet, solemn intensity as he looked at his friend. Guan Yueyao felt goosebumps rise; even though she was the older one, why did it feel like she had suddenly gained an older brother?

“Fine, fine. I’ll wear it, okay? Geez, you really like giving me a hard time.” Guan Yueyao pouted, dropped her hands, and walked out of the tent with heavy, clanking steps.

“What are you doing here? Eavesdropping?” As soon as she exited the tent, Guan Yueyao saw Chen Zhi lurking nearby.

“Chen Zhi?” Huo Qubing walked out behind her and looked equally surprised to see him standing there. But soon, remembering what Guan Yueyao had told him earlier, his expression turned cold.

“Ah Yao, let’s go. It’s time to train.” He had no intention of dealing with this detestable fellow. As if asserting his domain, he firmly took Guan Yueyao’s arm and walked briskly past Chen Zhi, brushing his shoulder.

Chen Zhi said nothing, his eyes fixed intently on their retreating backs. Why? Why was the gift he offered rejected by this youth named Guan Yueyao, yet he could happily accept a gift from a bastard like Huo Qubing?

Humph, he thought. So much for his talk about ‘fair-weather friends.’ In Chen Zhi’s eyes, Guan Yueyao and Huo Qubing were just as bad as the rest of them. The more he thought about it, the more resentful he felt.

Just wait until I achieve unmatched military merit and make a name for myself, restoring the prestige of the Tangyi Marquis household. Then I’ll see all these people crawling to curry favor with me! Chen Zhi thought, half in spite, half in earnest.

The Chen family hadn’t exactly plummeted into the abyss as long as the Grand Princess Guantao was still alive, but for a teenager at the most sensitive and rebellious age, he felt he had seen through the vanity and coldness of the world. He felt he had formed his own view of life.

He returned to the training ground, feeling sour. He had decided he would ignore the ungrateful Guan Yueyao, yet his eyes couldn’t help but drift toward where the youth was training. Guan Yueyao, however, was busy with warm-ups and didn’t notice his gaze. Instead, it was Huo Qubing, standing next to her, who looked up with sharp vigilance, locking eyes with Chen Zhi. He stared back with the guarded intensity of a young lion protecting its territory from an intruder.

“Hmph!” Both turned their heads at the same time, refusing to look at each other.

In the ensuing training, however, both pushed themselves to the limit, each desperate to outdo the other. Unfortunately, Chen Zhi had wasted many years; even in horsemanship and archery—his strongest and proudest skills—he was no match for Huo Qubing. Repeated failures forced him to face the widening gap between himself, Huo Qubing, and Guan Yueyao.

As he spent more time in the camp, Chen Zhi also discovered something: the military was a place where strength ruled. As long as you had the ability, it didn’t matter if your background was humble; you would eventually gain your own supporters. This was a completely different world from the vain, luxurious, and cutthroat circles he had once frequented. Here, only hard work and skill could earn the respect of others—titles, bloodlines, and family status meant very little.

Chen Zhi gradually began to accept this mindset. Having been tempered by the camp, although he remained somewhat pampered in his habits, he no longer resented the grueling training. Though he wouldn’t admit it aloud, he knew clearly in his heart that he did not yet have the strength to challenge Huo Qubing, or even Guan Yueyao.

One day, I will make them look at me with new eyes! he resolved secretly.

Guan Yueyao and Huo Qubing had no time to ponder Chen Zhi’s inner turmoil. As Huo Qubing had suggested, in order to better adapt to the weight of the iron armor, they began adding sandbags to their arms and legs during daily training.

This training method intrigued the other soldiers, who would often gather to watch during their spare time. “Langzhong Guan, what kind of novel training is this?” one curious soldier asked, watching the pair spar with bamboo swords while strapped with sandbags.

Clack! Two more sharp sounds rang out as their bamboo swords collided.

“Ooh!” The crowd cheered.

Guan Yueyao pulled back her sword and smiled. “This is to help us get used to the weight of our armor. We usually train in light clothing for convenience, but if we don’t increase the weight on our limbs now, our effectiveness when we actually wear the armor will be greatly hindered. Armor is designed to protect us; it should never become a burden to our movements.”

At this, the soldiers’ faces lit up with sudden realization. Some of the more diligent soldiers began secretly sewing their own sandbags to incorporate into their daily training.

The soldiers trained so hard not just for future battles, but because the annual Dushi (Grand Military Review) was approaching. It was customary in the Han dynasty to hold these reviews in the capital and the commanderies—a grand gathering of warriors for evaluation, much like the athletic meets of later ages.

Usually, these reviews were held every September. But this year was different: Liu Che intended to use the opportunity to screen out exceptional warriors from across the land to serve in the military, so he had changed the rules.

In early September, each commandery would hold its own Dushi under the governance of the Governor, selecting the top ten or so victors to travel to the capital to participate in the Imperial Dushi. This greatly excited the warriors in the regions. Unlike those who served as minor officials in the prefectures, it was usually difficult for regional warriors to achieve anything at the central level. Now, however, the situation had finally changed. If one could shine at the Imperial Dushi, one would surely leave an impression on the General in charge of the review.

In truth, Liu Che’s decision to change the Dushi this year had a great deal to do with the test Guan Yueyao had undergone when she first entered the camp. Liu Che had never personally attended such events, and the sight of that intense competition reminded him of the annual review. Previously, the Dushi had always been a mere formality—more of an inspection than a true competition—and Liu Che had little interest in it. He usually just glanced at the General’s final report.

But Guan Yueyao had shown him another possibility: a competition focused on performance could not only stir the soldiers’ enthusiasm for training but also revitalize the entire spirit of the Han army, allowing hidden talents to emerge and be put to good use.