The Innocent Heart - Chapter 54

Perhaps fearing they would hear more of Guan Yueyao’s unpleasant, coarse language, Chen Zhi had not appeared near the pair since that brief spat. Guan Yueyao would occasionally see him training hard on the other side of the training ground. But since Chen Zhi had stopped making trouble, she naturally gave no further thought to this youth—whom she considered, at best, a disagreeable comrade—and turned her focus back to her own rigorous training.

It was an unremarkable afternoon. Huo Qubing was once again supervising Guan Yueyao, not allowing her a moment’s slack, when Wei Qing’s voice suddenly came from behind them.

“Qubing, Yueyao, come here for a moment.”

The two youths were puzzled; at this hour, Wei Qing should have been busy handling official military duties. They turned in unison to find a tall youth standing behind Wei Qing. Guan Yueyao and Huo Qubing exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in the other’s eyes, but they obediently walked toward Wei Qing.

“Uncle.”

“Lord Wei.”

They offered their salutes and couldn’t help but glance at the youth behind Wei Qing. He was about the same age as Guan Yueyao, with tanned skin and a height comparable to hers, though he was more sturdily built.

“Let me introduce you. This is my nephew, Huo Qubing. And this is Guan Yueyao—he is the youth I told you about, the one with the remarkable blade technique,” Wei Qing said with a smile, introducing the two to the newcomer.

The youth appeared to be a straightforward and candid person. Hearing Wei Qing’s introduction, he grinned and offered a crisp, decisive cupped-fist salute. “Pleased to meet you!”

The greeting was brief but felt sincere. Influenced by his warm smile, Guan Yueyao instinctively offered a slight smile in return.

“This is Li Gan, the youngest son of General Li Guang. He won the Dushi in Youbeiping Commandery and has come to the capital to participate in the Imperial Dushi,” Wei Qing explained. “You are all of similar age, and Li Gan has spent much time training in the army under his father; I thought you would have plenty to talk about.”

Huo Qubing listened, his face still impassive, but his gaze toward Li Gan was now tinged with genuine interest.

“Pleased to meet you!” The two youths simultaneously offered a tacit, synchronized salute. Finding the coincidence amusing, they shared a smile before turning their attention to Li Gan again.

Seeing that the three got along well—or at least, were not as hostile as they had been with Chen Zhi—Wei Qing felt relieved. He left Li Gan in their company and returned to his seemingly endless pile of military paperwork. His intention was for his nephew and Guan Yueyao to mingle with peers who had experienced real military training. Moreover, he deeply admired General Li Guang. While Li Guang’s career had been troubled by conventional standards, what soldier with hot blood didn’t admire the reputation of the “Flying General”? Even though he didn’t explicitly ask the boys to look after Li Gan, Wei Qing hoped from the bottom of his heart that he and the Wei family could build a bond of goodwill with the Li family.

“The capital’s training ground is truly vast, and the weaponry is far more refined than what we have in the north,” Li Gan remarked, looking around as the elder departed.

“Is that so? I haven’t really noticed,” Guan Yueyao replied. She liked Li Gan’s straightforward nature. Not being well-versed in military protocol, she didn’t hesitate to invite him: “By the way, Li Gan, what weapons do you usually practice with? There’s still half a month until the Dushi starts; why don’t you join Qubing and me for training from now on?”

Addressing someone by their given name without being very close was usually considered impolite, but Li Gan was not a man bound by rigid customs. He didn’t take offense and answered with a smile: “Mostly mounted archery. In my spare time, I practice with the mashuo (cavalry spear) under my father’s instruction.”

“I have heard that General Li’s archery and spear work are unrivaled in this age. I am sure Brother Li has inherited your father’s true skills. Would I have the honor of witnessing them today?” Huo Qubing asked, his interest in martial arts piqued.

Confident in his own skills, Li Gan didn’t decline. He agreed readily. “What difficulty is there in that? Jingsong, bring me my horse and bow!”

Soon, a servant named Jingsong led over Li Gan’s mount. While it wasn’t as majestic as the steeds Benxiao and Chizhou gifted by Liu Che, it was clearly an exceptional warhorse. Its reddish-brown coat was perfectly groomed and glossy. Li Gan took the reins, affectionately patting the horse’s head as it nudged him.

“Brother Li is clearly a true lover of horses,” Huo Qubing said, smiling as he watched the interaction.

“Indeed. On the battlefield, they are our closest comrades, carrying us through life and death, sometimes even saving our lives in critical moments.”

With that, he vaulted nimbly onto the horse. Li Gan didn’t use the reins to control it; instead, he squeezed with his legs, prompting the horse into a trot. He skillfully drew his bow, notched an arrow, and fired a snap shot while in motion.

“Bullseye!” Guan Yueyao heard the sound, looked closely, and couldn’t help but exclaim.

She had only seen such archery skill in Huo Qubing. As for herself, despite weeks of grueling practice, she could barely avoid missing the target entirely when firing from a moving horse.

Huo Qubing stood next to Guan Yueyao, eyes fixed on Li Gan. Moved by the display, he had his own horse, Benxiao, brought over, intending to challenge Li Gan.

“Oh! Qubing, are you going to challenge Li Gan to an archery match?” Guan Yueyao teased as she saw her friend mount his horse.

“Brother Li, would you care to compete with me?” Huo Qubing asked, casting a confident smile toward Li Gan.

“Gladly! But isn’t Yueyao joining?” Li Gan looked at Guan Yueyao, who remained standing on the sidelines.

“I’ll pass. I’m fine with standing still and aiming, but I’d be embarrassed to make a fool of myself against you two with mounted archery,” Guan Yueyao laughed, not in the least embarrassed to admit her inferiority in this area compared to the two experts. Her frankness prevented Li Gan from looking down on her. He laughed and said, “I hear Langzhong Guan’s blade technique is exceptional; I look forward to challenging you to that later!”

With that, he and Huo Qubing exchanged looks and took off across the riding field. The rules were simple: each man had one target; they would shoot until their quivers were empty, and the one with the highest score would win. Their match quickly attracted nearby soldiers, and before long, they were surrounded by three layers of onlookers.

“As expected of General Li’s youngest son; a tiger father produces no dog son!” Guan Yueyao heard the crowd exclaim, their tone filled with admiration for the general she had never met.

This sparked a doubt in Guan Yueyao’s heart. In their private chats, Huo Qubing had once discussed the famous generals of the era. He had little regard for General Han Anguo due to his advocacy for appeasement, and when it came to General Li Guang and General Cheng Bushi, Guan Yueyao could clearly sense that Huo Qubing revered Cheng Bushi far more than Li Guang.

Watching Li Gan, it was clear he shared his father’s temperament—upright, valiant, and fierce. Yet, as Huo Qubing had often analyzed, the art of war was not a one-man show. Individual prowess was not enough; the Han army could not match the Xiongnu—who were practically born in the saddle—if they relied only on individual skill. The Han army needed to leverage its strengths in logistics, coordinated multi-branch tactics, and material superiority. That was why the disciplined and incorruptible General Cheng Bushi was so valued.

“General Li Guang is brave and kind to his men, but his leadership is self-indulgent. He constantly faces hardship, loses soldiers, and returns in defeat. While his heroics may thrill the audience, as a commander, he cannot be forgiven for the losses he brings upon the Han army.”

Guan Yueyao remembered the heavy tone in Huo Qubing’s voice when he said that. “Every light cavalryman and warhorse is a precious asset the state pays dearly to cultivate; to squander them so easily—how is that any different from aiding the Xiongnu?” She also remembered his sigh: “General Li Guang is an unparalleled warrior, but perhaps not a qualified general.”

These were private reflections intended for self-improvement. Both generals had their merits, and all soldiers defending the frontier were worthy of respect.

Guan Yueyao was pulled from her thoughts by a massive roar from the crowd. The match had ended, and soldiers were rushing to the target to count the scores. After shooting twenty arrows each, the result was a dramatic tie: 190 to 190.

As the result was announced, the crowd buzzed with astonishment, crowding around the targets. Guan Yueyao was swept up in the throng and pushed between the two youths.

“Wow, you two nearly shot the targets to pieces!” she exclaimed.

“Stop saying ‘wow’ and get back to practice! Don’t miss the target at the Dushi, or you’ll be the one embarrassing me!” Huo Qubing teased with a sidelong glance.

“Tch!” Guan Yueyao retorted, but her gaze shifted, noticing Chen Zhi standing in the crowd, his eyes filled with envy as he stared at the riddled targets.