I had been meticulously planning, counting down the days until Qianluo turned fourteen, when she would shed some of her childishness and her features would mature.
No longer the little maid who would squat by the wall of the Prime Minister's mansion feeding the raccoon cats, her nose covered in dust and cat hair tangled in her braids and silver bells, she carried away the magnolia wood box that had been carved for a whole month.
That wooden box was made of 30-year-old pear wood, which I asked an old carpenter in Beijing to select. The grain was as smooth as the spring water in Jiangnan, and it felt warm to the touch. You could also smell a faint woody fragrance when you got close.
The fabric was lined with her favorite moon-white brocade, the color of which had been dyed three times by Su Ji Cloth Shop.
The first dye job was too light gray, the second was too dark blue, and only the third job did it achieve a soft white like the cuffs of her sleeves.
Even the edges of the box lid were sanded ten times with fine sandpaper, making them smooth and not rough to the touch. I even tried it myself, and my fingertips didn't snag when I ran them over them.
Inside the box, besides a magnolia ornament carved as thin as a cicada's wing, the downy hairs on the petals were finely engraved with fine lines, resembling the tender willow branches of early spring.
The flower's center was delicately dotted with crimson gold powder, shining like the light in her eyes. Beneath it was a note I had practiced writing a hundred times before I could write it smoothly, containing only four words: "I love you."
The ink used was Huizhou ink, which took half an hour to grind to achieve the desired shade. I chose the lightest black that best complemented her handwriting, afraid that too dark an ink color would frighten her.
But plans can't keep up with changes.
Just after the start of spring, a spy from the Xuanyuan Kingdom was discovered. Armed with her combat experience from her previous life, she plunged headlong into the military tent of the Ministry of War.
The three-zhang-long map hanging in the tent was covered with dense drawings by her, with the enemy's supply camps circled in red.
The number of haystacks storing grain and the changing times of the guards were clearly marked, with the routes for flanking attacks outlined in black pen.
The distance between the arrow towers, the depth of the moat, and even the thickness of the silt at the bottom of the moat were calculated precisely.
The lights in the military tents were on from morning till night. The lamp oil was added again and again, and the wicks were burned down to half their original length. Even the food had to be warmed up three times and urged five times by the soldiers before they could even take a few bites.
With rice grains still in his mouth, he mumbled, "We need to send another 500 cavalrymen on the left wing to prevent them from flanking us and stealing our supplies. We also need to leave 20 men with signal muskets to send out a signal if we are attacked."
I was carrying a freshly bought, warm osmanthus cake from "Fuyuanzhai". I specifically asked the shopkeeper to add 20% extra sugar.
It was the cake she had secretly hidden last time, the one she had whispered to the raccoon by the wall, "If only it were sweeter." She had wrapped it in three layers of oil paper, kept it warm in her bosom, and wanted to hand it to her.
But he was stopped at the door by Li, the bodyguard guarding the tent. The young man scratched his head, looking troubled.
"General Mu, I'm so sorry, but Lord Qin instructed that I shouldn't see anyone until I've finished sorting through this stack of maps."
Even Prime Minister Qin had to wait outside the tent for half an hour. Why don't you go back first?
It's hard to even find an excuse to hand her something or to sit next to her and say, "Are you tired? Have some tea and take a break."
She could only stand outside the tent, listening to the rustling sound of the map flipping through the pages inside, and clutch the osmanthus cake even tighter until it cooled down and the sugar solidified in the oiled paper.
Finally, late autumn arrived, and she returned in triumph, adorned in red and colorful decorations.
The black banner of the Xuanyuan Kingdom, captured from the horse, was stuck in the saddle. The corner of the banner was still stained with blood and fluttered in the wind.
Dust covered her silver armor, but it couldn't hide the light in her eyes, like eyes full of starlight. Even the silver bells on her braids jingled more cheerfully than usual when the wind blew.
The city gate was crowded with people, and wildflowers thrown at her landed in front of her horse. She smiled and waved, revealing two shallow dimples.
I clutched the magnolia wood box in my arms, pressing it so hard that my fingertips left red marks, and even my nail plates ached from the pressure. I was trying to squeeze next to her during the celebration banquet.
The banquet was held in the square outside the palace gate, with about a hundred tables set up. She would definitely sit next to Prime Minister Qin.
I can always make my way over to her after circling around three times, and hand her the wooden box, even if I only say "Look."
But then a bright yellow imperial edict was slammed down in front of me with a "thud," and the eunuch's shrill voice pierced the noise: "General Mu, receive the edict!"
Taking advantage of our weakened military strength, the barbarians launched a surprise attack on Yanmen Pass, and the border is in dire need of reinforcements! You are hereby ordered to lead troops to its aid immediately, without delay!
I stood frozen in place, the wooden box in my arms feeling like it was filled with lead, even when I kowtowed I felt heavy.
Horse hooves trod across the first snow at Yanmen Pass, snowflakes rustling against the armor, the frost on the armor freezing and melting, melting and freezing again.
Amidst the wind and sand, and the fierce fighting, the spear tips pierced the enemy's helmets, the feathers from the helmet plumes sticking to the spear blades.
The arrow whizzed past my ear and embedded itself in the tree trunk behind me, its fletching still trembling.
Horseshoes pounded across the frozen river, splashing icy water onto the boots and freezing into ice shells.
Half a year passed before he left, and he didn't even dare to write her a letter, for fear of delaying her investigation into corruption, and even more so for fear of revealing his feelings of "I miss you" in the letter.
When I returned, covered in the frost of the earth and my armor stained with dried blood, the magnolias in the capital had all withered.
The old magnolia tree outside the Left Prime Minister's residence has fallen petals all over the ground, crushed into mud by the hooves of passing horses, leaving only bare branches holding the remaining snow, much like my empty heart.
As soon as they entered the city gate, they saw Su Jinyun carrying a gold-decorated brocade box, slowly heading towards the Left Prime Minister's residence.
The brocade box was embroidered with lotus scrolls, a simple and elegant pattern that she preferred, and even the ties were neatly tied.
With that ever-present half-smile on his lips, even his walk exuded an air of confident composure. The soles of his boots trod across the stone path as lightly as if afraid of startling the people in the Prime Minister's residence.
My bodyguard, Xiao Zhou, leaned close to my ear and whispered, not daring to lift his head: "General, in the past six months while you were away, Prime Minister Su and Lord Qin have become as close as brothers."
Lord Qin's mysterious space is so vast that even Prime Minister Su can freely enter and exit. Last time I went to the Left Prime Minister's residence to deliver military reports, I even saw Prime Minister Su helping Lord Qin tidy up his wood carving tools.
Waste wood is collected in brocade boxes and sorted into different categories. They can't bear to throw away even a small piece of wood with wood grain, saying, "Keep it so it can be used as firewood and to warm your hands in winter."
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