People on the same boat
“Because only a general needs a sharp blade that can cut through the shackles of the court. And I,” Jiang Heng paused, lowering his head to hide the tears welling up in his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse, “I need a place where my father’s injustice can be redressed, a place where I can no longer be trampled on like an ant.”
He stepped forward again, placed another folded piece of paper on the table, and pushed it in front of Zhao Peiming.
"This is my pledge of loyalty. If necessary, General, please pretend we are complete strangers to outsiders to ensure the safety of both of us."
Zhao Peiming unfolded the slip of paper, on which a simple arrow pointed to a drawing of a "half-day flower," and a few words were written on it, revealing a secret powerful enough to shake the court and the public. He looked at Jiang Heng, at his eyes that shone remarkably brightly in the dim light.
Zhao Peiming couldn't believe that the legendary Jiang Heng would offer such a plan and willingly join him. After a long silence, he picked up the military tally on the table and pressed it heavily onto the pledge of loyalty. "Fine!" he declared resolutely, "I, Zhao Peiming, will stake my life on this one time!"
Jiang Heng's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly for a moment.
“However,” Zhao Peiming gestured for Jiang Heng to come closer, “you must tell me how you won this precious land.”
Jiang Heng stepped forward respectfully, but Zhao Peiming clicked his tongue and pulled him directly onto the couch: "No need for formalities with me."
Jiang Heng smiled and said, "Thank you, General. It's a long story. I was classmates with Liu Guanhua, the top scorer on the list. After he was promoted, he held a banquet to invite me to drink with him. I knew it was a trap, but I had no choice but to go. He's a brother who dotes on his younger sister. During the banquet, he asked me to dress as a woman and go to the palace selection in place of his younger sister, Liu Chunhua. Even if I didn't make it, he would still give me a reward—that is, half a day's worth of land and fifty li of land. I agreed and deliberately made a mistake and was kicked out of the palace. During that time, I also happened to meet Tang Yao, my mother's disciple. I heard that she was the emperor's favorite and was promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine. I found Liu Guanhua, obtained the land deed, and got this precious land."
After hearing this, Zhao Peiming seemed to understand: "I see. It's getting late tonight, so you should go back quickly. Tomorrow, wait for me under the locust tree outside the city, and we'll make further plans."
——————
In the main hall, the emperor, his dragon robe half-hidden, leaned lazily against the dragon throne, seemingly oblivious to the heated debate below about military pay and taxes. His entire attention was focused on his newly appointed concubine, Tang Yao, beside him.
"My beloved concubine, look at these old men, they're giving me a headache." The emperor held Tang Yao's hand and played with the hairpin at her temple, his tone flippant.
Tang Yao lowered her eyes and said softly, "Your Majesty's tireless efforts for the country are a blessing to all the people." Her gaze swept quickly over the ashen-faced officials below the imperial steps, then lingered for a moment on the face of Fu Qinxiang, who was almost on par with the emperor on the golden steps. Alarm bells rang in her heart. They were complete strangers, yet Fu Qinxiang had insisted on transferring her brother, Tang Ying, to Tiansong. This sudden favor was likely poison disguised as honey.
"Good fortune?" The emperor scoffed, slamming his teacup to the ground. The sound of it shattering abruptly silenced the argument in the hall. "I think it's bad luck! War in the north, famine in the west, and floods in the south! All we do is allocate funds! Should we still hold my birthday banquet? Should we still repair the Imperial Garden?!"
Seeing her opportunity, Fu Qinxiang spoke up, her voice as cold as ice: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. As long as you trouble Attendant Zhao to sign a pledge—that if we lose again this time, his entire family will be executed—then all the problems will be solved." With a few words, she shifted all the pressure onto the Zhao family.
Zhao Chen opened his mouth to argue, but the emperor spoke first: "In my opinion, I will give you another chance to make amends. If you are defeated again, the entire Sa Ta Cavalry will be incorporated into the Imperial Guard. From now on, the Great Zhao will not establish any cavalry!" Zhao Chen hurriedly thanked the emperor for his grace, but did not forget to glare at Fu Qinxiang.
"Not only that, but Zhao Fushi should also voluntarily step down and be temporarily replaced by someone more learned and knowledgeable," Fu Qinxiang added quietly.
"Dismiss the court!" The emperor waved his hand impatiently. "Consort Li, accompany me to admire the newly presented peonies."
The officials exchanged bewildered glances, daring not to speak out in their anger. Qian Ruinian and Li Yan'an exchanged a look, both seeing a deep sense of powerlessness in each other's eyes. The court had lost all its dignity, becoming nothing more than a stage where Fu Qinxiang held absolute power.
Meanwhile, at the ten-mile-long pavilion outside the capital.
Jiang Heng, dressed in a blue robe, stood in the misty rain, a tall horse beside him grazing on wild grass, carrying a baggage. He gazed at the end of the official road, his expression calm, only his knuckles, gripping the reins tightly, were slightly white.
"Fifty miles? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Brother Jin, we're about to turn things around!"
"The west side is all wasteland, and now there's a sandstorm. How can we find a place to settle down? We've probably been fooled by this young punk!"
Jin Tao stared at Jiang Heng, examining the notice in his hand again and again, and said, "Whether it's true or false, let him verify it himself!" He turned to look at the crowd, "Do you still want to live a life of hiding and running?"
People were intimidated by his gaze; some remained silent, while others shook their heads.
"Then we can't let this opportunity slip by!" Jin Tao rubbed his hands together and walked towards Jiang Heng. "Young man, don't try to play tricks on me! If you're going to make up something to grab attention, then you'd better admit it now. If we suffer all the way to that place with you and still can't find a place to live, then I'll make you eat my words!"
At this moment, a young man ran forward and said with a smile, "Please forgive me, young master. My brother has a bad temper and likes to scare people. He's not a bad person, so please don't take it to heart."
Jin Tao grabbed the boy's ear: "Duan Houqi? What are you doing here! Stop talking nonsense! Do you want to take my punch too?!"
Seeing that things were not going well, Jiang Heng quickly stepped forward and pulled Jin Tao aside: "Brother Jin, let's talk this out. I will definitely keep my promise and bring you good news so that everyone can have a place to settle down."
Jin Tao shoved Jiang Heng aside: "Hmph, I advise you to hurry up! Don't keep us waiting!" With that, he slapped the paper with the location of their encampment on Jiang Heng and then led the group away.
Jiang Heng was jolted back two steps by the slap. After recovering a bit, he looked at the markings on the paper and finally identified the location from the rather abstract drawing. He then folded the paper and put it in his pocket.
"Excellent fist technique." The sound of hooves approached like muffled thunder, and Zhao Peiming's clear voice drifted on the wind. Even in the overcast sky, the black armor still gleamed with a chilling aura. He reined in his horse and looked down at Jiang Heng.
"If you kill me, the general will have no weapon left." Jiang Heng felt a pang of sadness and murmured to himself.
Zhao Peiming felt a tickle in his heart and smiled. He bent down and reached out, his smile carrying a hint of wildness and untamed spirit: "Come on up."
Jiang Heng looked at the well-defined, calloused hand, hesitated for only a moment, then placed his hand on it. The next moment, a tremendous force came, and he was easily lifted onto the horse's back by Zhao Peiming. This position made Jiang Heng feel uncomfortable, but if he deserted now, he would definitely lose his most powerful ally. He gritted his teeth and shuffled forward.
"We're all men, what's there to be afraid of?" It was also the first time Zhao Peiming had led a group of men in front of him. He secretly got used to it for a while. "Hold on tight!" With a low shout, the warhorse charged out like an arrow.
The horse galloped, and a gale-force wind whipped up raindrops that lashed at his face. Jiang Heng had underestimated the horse's speed. Cold sweat poured down his back as he was forced to press himself against the firm, burning chest behind him, yet it felt as if he were being forcefully possessed, his nostrils filled with that unfamiliar scent. His body stiffened, and he futilely braced himself against the front of the saddle amidst the violent jolting.
"Scared?" Zhao Peiming's mocking voice mingled with the sound of the wind and reached the other end of the line.
Jiang Heng pursed his lips, the stubbornness in his heart was completely aroused by these two words. He used his waist and legs at the same time to stabilize his direction and gradually move away from the other person's chest.
"General, you should think about how to plan for the next battle!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Peiming dropped some of his joking tone, recognizing the resilience and composure in the slender frame of the person before him.
"Please enlighten me, young master."
“Take stock of grain, train cavalry, and most importantly,” Jiang Heng said, tilting his head slightly and lowering his voice as he whispered in Zhao Peiming’s ear.
Zhao Peiming's heart skipped a beat, and he gripped the reins tightly: "Are you sure this information is reliable?"
Jiang Heng laughed and said, "If the general doesn't believe me, he can simply leave me by the roadside. From then on, we'll have nothing to do with each other."
The rain intensified, the official road became muddy, and the road ahead gradually disappeared into the thick fog. Zhao Peiming kept smelling a strange fragrance like peach blossoms, and couldn't help but look down to find it. Jiang Heng's black hair was already soaked by the rain, and a section of his fair nape was exposed to him without any concealment. He couldn't help but glance at it twice, and then quickly looked away.
This scholar is like a bottomless ancient well; who knows what turbulent waves might be hidden beneath? And who knows if Zhao Peiming can handle it?
Zhao Peiming tightened his arms, holding his "sharp blade" firmly in his embrace, and also holding onto his unique trust and gamble.
“Jiang Heng,” he said in a deep voice amidst the howling wind, “we are now in the same boat.”
Jiang Heng did not answer, but stared at the faint outlines of the mountains in the rain, and looked towards the direction of Banrihua, which was the final battlefield for survival.
He gave a soft "hmm." The sound was soft, but it struck Zhao Peiming's heart deeply, instantly putting him at ease.
The horse circled around and returned to the tree. Zhao Peiming jumped off his horse first and handed it to Jiang Heng. Jiang Heng used the momentum to leap down and mount his own horse. The southern sky cleared, and the beams of light through the clouds made the horse's coat gleam.
"It's a fine horse, a rare and exceptional Akhal-Teke," Zhao Peiming said meaningfully.
"That depends on who's riding!" Jiang Heng called out. "I've said everything I needed to say to the general. I wish you a triumphant return. I'll take my leave now." Jiang Heng spurred his horse and disappeared into the dust.
He looks like someone who can ride a horse, Zhao Peiming thought to himself. He mounted his horse and returned to his unit, leading his troops northwestward.
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