The Innocent Heart - Chapter 53

After Huo Qubing and Guan Yueyao left his study, Wei Qing remained uneasy, worried that the two of them hadn’t fully given up and might seek an audience with the Emperor or stir up some other trouble. Fortunately, after secretly observing them for two days, he saw that both youths had settled down. Huo Qubing, in particular, had devoted himself entirely to acting as a training partner, both of them pouring their efforts into ensuring Guan Yueyao would achieve a top result in the upcoming Dushi (Grand Military Review).

Wei Qing breathed a sigh of relief and privately instructed the estate’s kitchen to send extra supplements to the boys’ courtyard, ordering them to prepare whatever the two might crave, at any time of day, as quickly as possible. Having arranged everything properly, he was finally able to devote his full energy to preparing for the Dushi.

However, another headache was waiting for him.

“Wei Qing, I am the same age as Guan Yueyao! Why can he participate, but I cannot?” Wei Qing was handling military affairs in his tent when Chen Zhi’s demanding voice rang out from outside. Before he could respond, the tent curtain was rudely flung aside, and a furious Chen Zhi stormed in, followed by Guo Chun, who looked utterly helpless, wanting to stop the boy but not daring to use force.

“Young Master Chen, Young Master Chen, General Wei is busy! Why don’t you come back later to disturb him?”

Chen Zhi ignored him, marching straight to Wei Qing and protesting angrily, “Isn’t this just abusing your power for personal gain? I’m going to have my grandmother go before the Emperor to demand justice!”

Wei Qing rubbed his temples in frustration. None of these youngsters were easy to manage. Being confronted so bluntly in front of his subordinates caused even the mild-mannered Wei Qing to feel a flicker of irritation. Yet, remembering who he was facing—the grandson of the Grand Princess Guantao—he forced himself to remain patient.

“Chen Zhi, it is not that I refuse to give you a chance to participate in the Dushi. It is that the military has long-standing regulations: the Dushi convenes the Lang (Court Gentlemen) and the various colonels of the army. While you are training in my Northern Army, your military registration is not here, and you hold no official post, which is why you are not on the list of participants.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhi’s anger subsided slightly. He thought for a moment, then asked in a muffled voice, “Then… what about Huo Qubing? Is he participating in this review?”

“Like you, Qubing holds no official title and has no formal military registration, so naturally, he is not among the participants either,” Wei Qing replied earnestly.

“Hmph, just a petty official of 200 dan…” Upon hearing this, Chen Zhi’s expression finally softened completely. Mumbling something unintelligible, he offered a perfunctory salute and left the tent.

Watching the youth storm off, Wei Qing exhaled a long breath; he had finally seen the back of this little demon. Whether Chen Zhi chose to harass the Grand Princess Guantao or the Emperor next was no longer his concern. Yet, as he contrasted Chen Zhi’s tantrum with how Qubing had reacted to the same situation, Wei Qing felt a pang of sadness and silently lowered his eyes.

Huo Qubing, of course, was unaware that his uncle had been through so much inner turmoil or felt a sense of guilt toward him because of Chen Zhi’s unreasonable behavior. He was not the type to dwell on trivial matters; if he couldn’t participate this year, there was always next year. Besides, he knew that as long as he attained the rank of a Lang, he would have his “admission ticket” to the Dushi. He believed this was not an impossibly harsh condition, and he was confident that with his ability, obtaining the rank of Zhonglang (Court Gentleman)—like Ah Yao—within a year or two would not be difficult. Why cause trouble for the elders who cared for him, or provide gossip for those who already looked down on the Wei family, just for such a small matter?

However, he did not want others to look down on the Wei family or Guan Yueyao. Thus, during this period, he had been almost harsh in supervising Guan Yueyao’s training.

“Ah Yao, the Dushi tests consist of nothing more than horsemanship, archery, and close-quarters combat. Your blade work goes without saying, and your horsemanship is improving. What I am most worried about now is your archery.”

It was the afternoon, and the two stood at the target range, where Huo Qubing was overseeing his friend’s practice. Guan Yueyao stepped forward, steadied her stance, notched the arrow, pulled the string, aimed, and released. The arrow whistled through the air toward the target, hitting only the very edge.

“I missed again!” Guan Yueyao grumbled, scratching her head in frustration and glaring at the distant target.

“Ah Yao, you are still too anxious. In archery, the movement must be ritualistic and deliberate. Your inner intent must be upright, your posture straight, and only then can you hold the bow and arrow firmly. Calm your heart; you don’t need to be so tense.”

As he spoke, Huo Qubing stood behind her, took her hands in his, and guided her. He helped her notch the arrow, draw the bow, and aim at the center of the target again. Under Huo Qubing’s guidance, Guan Yueyao held her breath, purging all distractions from her mind and focusing solely on the bullseye. Her heart felt incomparably peaceful; the shouts of soldiers in the distance and even the soft breathing of her friend behind her seemed to fade away. It was as if only she and the target existed in the world.

“Release!” Huo Qubing’s steady voice sounded in her ear, and she instinctively let go. A sharp whistle cut through the air, then stopped abruptly as it struck home.

“Ah! Bullseye! Qubing, I did it!” The next second, Guan Yueyao cheered, throwing her arms around Huo Qubing’s neck and jumping for joy. Huo Qubing felt a headache coming on from being shaken by his friend, but he couldn’t bear to pull her off. Such raw, simple happiness was simply too moving.

Soon, Guan Yueyao settled down. She was on a roll and wanted to use the remaining daylight to practice more. She knew that while she had hit the bullseye for the first time, her current level was far from enough to win. If Huo Qubing hadn’t been there to guide her, the arrow might not have hit at all. Even if it had been her own effort, one bullseye was far from sufficient. In battle against the Xiongnu, enemies wouldn’t stand still like targets. Hitting a stationary target was only the first step. To be a qualified warrior, one had to be able to shoot accurately from the back of a galloping horse.

As the weather grew cooler, the afternoon sun still left Guan Yueyao drenched in sweat. She rolled up her sleeves, exposing her arms completely. Huo Qubing stood nearby, carefully observing her to correct any flaws in her form. When he saw his friend’s sleek, well-defined arms, he couldn’t help but admire them secretly. Because of her year-round martial arts training, Guan Yueyao’s arms weren’t bulky, but her biceps were slightly defined from the effort of pulling the bow—a display of strength rather than weakness. Unlike the burly men he saw in the army, her arms held a kind of aesthetic beauty that he found oddly pleasing to the eye.

Huo Qubing’s face flushed red, wondering why such a frivolous and absurd thought had crossed his mind. Too embarrassed to look at his friend, he turned his gaze away.

“Oh! Qubing! Another bullseye!” Guan Yueyao’s cheers broke the awkward silence.

“Take advantage of the fact that your form is getting better! Keep practicing, don’t stop!” Huo Qubing urged, trying to hide his embarrassment. Guan Yueyao nodded happily and threw herself back into the training.

As days flew by, Chang’an didn’t grow quiet even as the Shangji Li officials departed; starting in the tenth month, soldiers from the surrounding commanderies began to enter the city. As the preparations for the competition reached a fever pitch, the entire Northern Camp became increasingly lively.

Yet, all of this seemed to have nothing to do with Guan Yueyao and Huo Qubing. The two were entirely focused on their training, indifferent to the changes around them. Guan Yueyao had finally found her rhythm, so Huo Qubing began accompanying her on horseback to practice shooting moving targets.

One day, just as the two of them had trotted their horses out, another rider with a long bow slung over his back came galloping toward them.

“Hmph, Huo Qubing, why are you still here playing training partner? Haven’t managed to earn yourself a qualification to compete?” Chen Zhi looked at them with a gratingly smug smile.

Before Huo Qubing could speak, Guan Yueyao rolled her eyes at him and retorted coldly, “None of your damn business!”

The language was so vulgar that even a pampered scion like Chen Zhi paled in shock.

“You! How can you be so vulgar?” he glared, wondering if Huo Qubing, who spent all day with this boy, spoke like that in private too.

“Would you be able to hear such vulgar words if you hadn’t come and stuck your face right in front of mine? Mind your own business and leave Qubing alone,” Guan Yueyao replied. She didn’t think the words were vulgar at all—she had certainly used much worse in her time.

“Ah Yao, notch your bow, shoot, and let the horse run,” Huo Qubing said calmly, ignoring Chen Zhi as if the boy didn’t exist.

“Don’t think that just because I’m in a better mood, I won’t beat you up. Get lost!” After casting a final glare at the red-faced, sputtering Chen Zhi, Guan Yueyao turned back to her training, following Huo Qubing’s instructions without another glance.