I laughed and finished the wine in the pot, then threw it down with a "clatter," the bottom of the pot hitting the tiger skin and sending the fur flying everywhere.
"I can only feel better if I sit on that barbarian's chair."
When my parents were guarding Yanmen Pass, they didn't even catch a glimpse of the King of the Western Qiang, let alone sit in his chair or drink his wine.
Today, I will sit for them, drink for them, and avenge this blood debt on their behalf.
On the day I returned to the capital, the city gates were packed with people. People stood on tiptoe to see, and some held up freshly steamed white buns, trying to stuff them into my hands.
Some people held up coarse cloth they had woven themselves and shouted, "General, take a piece of cloth and make a new coat. It's cold in the North."
There was also an old man selling candied hawthorns who insisted on stuffing the biggest skewer of candied hawthorns into my hand. The red berries were coated in a shiny sugar coating, making my eyes dizzy.
Someone shouted "General Mu is mighty!" The sound almost lifted the tiles off the city gate tower.
An old soldier with white hair squeezed to the front. He had three scars on his face. He was a soldier who guarded Yanmen Pass with my father back then. His name was Zhao Laoshuan.
He tremblingly touched the shaft of my spear. The spearhead had been replaced with a black iron spear, and the character "Mu" was engraved on the butt of the spear. I had carved it myself after the victory.
The carving was crooked and uneven, yet forceful, until the fingertips were worn raw and bleeding.
He touched it again and again, tears falling onto the gun barrel and streaming down its grooves. He cried, "Lord Duke, General Protector of the Nation, if you have spirits in heaven, please see this!"
"Young lady has grown up! She can carry a gun now! She can fight and win battles! She hasn't disgraced the Mu family! The Mu family's guns haven't been broken!"
I reined in "Treading Snow," and it snorted, pawing at the bluestone with its front hooves, kicking up a few specks of dust.
I bowed to the gilded characters "Tianxuan" on the city gate, the copper bells on my armor jingling in the wind, as if responding on behalf of my parents.
Father, Mother, your daughter has not let you down. I will guard the snow at Yanmen Pass for you.
I will protect the mountains and rivers of Tianxuan for you, and I will bear the burden of the Mu family's guns for you.
When the Emperor saw me in the Golden Palace, I had just knelt down to pay my respects when he quickly stepped down from the dragon throne, helped me up, and the gold thread of his dragon robe brushed against the back of my hand, carrying a warm temperature.
The first sentence was, "You silly girl, you kept this from me for so long! I thought you were secretly practicing your spear skills in the palace, waiting for me to reward you with a general's armor."
But the smile on her face couldn't be hidden, and even the fine lines at the corners of her eyes revealed her joy.
He reached out and touched the general's armor on my shoulder, his fingertips tracing the cloud pattern on the armor plate. The cloud pattern was carved by the Ministry of Works based on my mother's armor from back then, exactly the same.
He said softly, "It's two pounds lighter than the armor your mother wore back then. I had the Ministry of Works specially forge it for you with black iron. It's sturdy yet doesn't weigh down your shoulders, in case you can't carry it."
"Your mother's lance was incredibly heavy, yet she wielded it with incredible skill and power."
My nose tingled, and tears almost welled up in my eyes. I quickly turned my face away and wiped my eyes with my sleeve.
I remember when I was posthumously honoring my parents, I knelt before the hall, my head hitting the gold bricks with a "thump, thump" sound. My forehead was red and blood seeped out, but I didn't feel any pain.
"Your Majesty, please do not add the title 'Duchess' to my mother'."
Throughout her life, she carried a gun and rode a horse, slaying barbarians on the battlefield, and what she despised most was the title of 'needing to be protected'.
"Keeping her the title of 'Guardian General of the Nation' is enough; it's more precious than any title for a lady."
The Emperor was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and patted my shoulder, saying, "My General Who Protects the Nation should have his own title."
Yunxi, you're just like your mother, stubborn and unyielding—a blessing to Tianxuan.
That day, as I stepped out of the main hall, the sunlight fell on my newly changed moon-white gauze dress, and the wind lifted the hem of the dress, making it look just like the battle robe my mother wore back then.
This imperial favor, this trust, I, Mu Yunxi, will remember it in my heart and engrave it in my bones. For the rest of my life, I will protect it with this spear and this horse.
Now I always have two things on my desk: one is half a red tassel from my parents, the red threads on the tassel have faded a bit, but it still carries the blood and vitality of those days.
I put it in a bright yellow brocade pouch, which was a gift from the Emperor. It was embroidered with a dragon pattern and placed in the most conspicuous place.
Every time I touch it, my fingertips can feel the warmth of my parents holding the gun; it's rough, but it makes me feel safe.
Secondly, there was the "Zhenxi" military tally, personally bestowed by the Emperor. It was gilded and inlaid with jade, and it felt very heavy in the hand.
The two characters "Zhenxi" on the talisman shone from my touch, and even the patterns on the jade were smoothed out, as if they had been nurtured by the calluses on my palm.
Before each campaign, I would touch the tassel of my spear, my fingertips brushing against the rough silk thread.
In her heart, she said to her parents, "Your daughter is going to fight a war to kill the barbarians, guard Yanmen Pass, and prevent them from stepping into the country again."
I gripped the military tally again, the cool jade against my palm, and I remembered the Emperor holding my hand and saying, "The peace of Tianxuan and the safety of the people are entrusted to you."
The former represents the spirit of the Mu family, and the latter represents the stability of Tianxuan; both are things I will protect with my life.
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