Chapter Twenty-Two
On the northern border, the yellow sand lashes down, and people live in fear.
In the tent of the Seventh Prince, Mo Chonghua, tables, chairs, swords, and other items had been kicked over and were scattered on the ground, leaving a mess. Several cooks retreated from the tent trembling with fear.
Suo Qian and Xu Yong habitually stood outside the tent, waiting until it was quiet inside before having the soldiers announce their arrival.
"Two vice generals, what's this? Have you come to question the Marquis of Beiding?" A tall, slender, aloof figure uttered a cold, clear question.
The two exchanged a glance, and Suo Qian quickly cupped his hands and stepped forward, saying politely, "Seventh Prince, you know the General would never dare to do such a thing."
Mo Chonghua snorted dismissively, his tone questioning, "Don't dare? Or don't know how?"
Xu Yong quickly cupped his hands in gratitude and said, "Seventh Prince, the general has a heart full of sincerity."
"The Northern Barbarians have repeatedly invaded the borders of my Yunxiu Kingdom, oppressing the people. I led my troops to pursue them and avenge the soldiers and civilians who died tragically at their hands. Suo Qian and Xu Yong, tell me, was I wrong to do this?" Mo Chonghua turned around and said angrily.
After a moment of contemplation, Suo Qian slowly said, "The Seventh Prince's care for the people of Yunxiu Kingdom is something that Vice General Suo Qian admires."
"As for Vice General Xu Yong," Xu Yong quickly added, bowing slightly.
Mo Chonghua's thick eyebrows and high nose revealed his utter contempt. He drew his long sword from his waist, then swiftly sheathed it again, coldly saying, "Do you think I don't know? Chief Steward Pang's words weren't meant for Marquis Beiding, but for me, weren't they? The Emperor is truly cunning..."
"Seventh Prince!" Suo Qian hurriedly spoke, stopping him from continuing.
Mo Chonghua gave him an arrogant look and said contemptuously, "Deputy General Suo, rest assured, I know what I'm doing and will not implicate Marquis Beiding and the soldiers."
"Seventh Prince, despite the hardships of leaving the capital, has stood guard with his soldiers on this desolate frontier. Xu Yong has always held him in high esteem." He spoke the truth from the bottom of his heart. Apart from his volatile temper and arrogant demeanor, Xu Yong genuinely respected this youngest prince.
It's strange, but the late emperor's youngest prince and eldest princess both abandoned their comfortable lives in the capital and went to the desolate borderlands of Yunxiu Kingdom to live on the yellow sand. The eldest princess is the commander of the Yunzhao Army; the seventh prince is Mo Chonghua, who has been guarding the northern border with the Marquis of Beiding and has always wanted to lead troops out to fight.
The eldest princess had already become a general, leading hundreds of thousands of troops from Yunxiu Kingdom, and had subdued the various countries that had been harassing the borders of Yunxiu Kingdom. Several years ago, she was already a young hero who caused a sensation in the court and among the people. As for Mo Chonghua, he was partly following the late emperor, also willing to dedicate his passion to the battlefield and live a life of constant warfare. At first, he thought that by requesting permission to come to the northern border, he could join the Marquis of Beiding in fighting against the northern barbarians and subdue the small northern barbarian countries such as Guifang, Hunyi, Xunyu, Yuezhi, Loulan, and Hujie, which had repeatedly preyed on the innocent people on the border. However, since Emperor Zhaoming ascended the throne, he had "held fast" to an imperial edict that remained in place until now.
They've already come to our doorstep, some even with one foot in the door! How dare these barbarian demons run rampant in the glorious Yunxiu Kingdom! What face do they have left? Unlike the Marquis of Beiding, Mo Chonghua is a blood relative of the emperor, the seventh prince, born with an arrogant and domineering air. He has petitioned many times to no avail, and over the years, his resentment has been reborn.
One day, filled with rage, he donned military uniform and armor, and rode swiftly to the Shuqing Palace. Since Emperor Zhaoming ascended the throne, he had strictly forbidden officials from riding in sedan chairs. Following this example, the people of Yunxiu Kingdom, young and old, rarely walked or rode in sedan chairs when traveling long distances; they all rode horses, a testament to the might of Yunxiu Kingdom. Therefore, it was not uncommon to see officials riding horses within the palace.
However, back then, Mo Chonghua was a heavily armored cavalryman with a ring-pommel sword at his waist. Although he was the youngest among the princes, he was the tallest and most imposing. He also had an innate air of arrogance and self-importance, which made those who saw him feel somewhat wary. In addition, he had been guarding the border with the Marquis of Beiding for many years, so some guards in the palace did not recognize him. Seeing that he was galloping towards the Emperor's study, they thought he was going to assassinate him, which immediately alerted the Imperial Guards.
Mo Chonghua had practiced martial arts diligently since childhood, possessing a robust and powerful physique and exceptional skills. Upon reaching adulthood, the late emperor was overjoyed and bestowed upon him a narrow-bladed, long-handled, straight-backed, and incomparably sharp ring-pommel sword. In the Yunxiu Kingdom's palace, apart from the city guards and the imperial guards, no one was allowed to carry weapons. Predictably, Mo Chonghua, who only had one attendant soldier with him, was quickly bound and gagged with a few blows and was prepared to be sent before Emperor Zhaoming.
Originally, he was to be sent directly to prison, but by chance, Chief Steward Pang passed by and naturally recognized Mo Chonghua. He intended to have him leave his weapons somewhere before taking him to see the Emperor, but Mo Chonghua's attitude was very firm, and he resolutely refused. Chief Steward Pang knew the Seventh Prince's temperament and was about to report to the Emperor when a guard came to report that the Imperial Guards should escort him directly to the Shuqing Palace.
Mo Chonghua's entourage of soldiers had already turned pale, unaware that things would develop this way, and were prepared not to return to the northern frontier and to die in the capital.
Mo Chonghua, however, had a majestic appearance, making him look like a general who would rather die than surrender and was loyal to his country.
Emperor Zhaoming stood with his hands behind his back, barely suppressing his thunderous rage. He sneered and said, "What, Seventh Brother, are you trying to force me to abdicate?"
Mo Chonghua gripped the ring-pommel sword at his waist, staring directly at Emperor Zhaoming. He had no intention, or perhaps no intention at all, of answering the emperor's question. He continued, "This was bestowed upon me by the late emperor. My father said, 'A craftsman must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do his work well.' This sword is for slaying the northern barbarian demons. As long as the Xiongnu are not destroyed, this sword will never leave my side!"
Emperor Zhaoming seemed shocked by his last words, and the anger on his face softened considerably. His tone remained serious as he said, "Since the Seventh Prince's sword is for killing the Northern Barbarians, why did you abandon your post and come to the palace?"
"That would require asking my brother, the Emperor." Upon hearing Mo Chonghua's words, the head steward's heart leaped into his throat, while the border soldier kneeling beside him was utterly paralyzed with fear. Mo Chonghua was a prince; he couldn't be easily killed, while he was merely an ordinary border soldier…
A deathly silence.
The emperor's gaze swept past Mo Chonghua and landed on the trembling border soldiers. He regained his regal bearing and said solemnly, "Seventh brother, I will give you two choices: one, return to the northern border and defend it to the death while awaiting further orders; two, do not return, stay in the capital and be your Mo Chonghua."
Mo Chonghua was born with the fearless spirit of a newborn calf, but his only fear was returning to the capital.
On that day, Mo Chonghua and the border soldier who accompanied him did not stop for a moment, and rode at breakneck speed towards the North Camp.
Along the way, the border soldiers, who were prepared to be made an example of, were actually very excited, with the emperor's words of care and determination constantly echoing in their ears.
"Go back. This matter has nothing to do with you. Guard the northern border well for me. The blood of the border soldiers should fall on the yellow sand, not be splattered in this place of human affairs."
Mo Chonghua, furious, rode his horse back to the Northern Camp, his soldiers following him with fervent enthusiasm. The prince and his soldier, both fueled by soaring emotions, galloped at breakneck speed!
Upon returning, he acted as if nothing had happened. Marquis Beiding continued training and instructing his troops as usual, paying no attention to anything else. Mo Chonghua's camp was left in a mess after his outburst of anger, but the next day, Suo Qian ordered his soldiers to clean it up neatly.
The only change was in the soldier who had followed Mo Chonghua to the capital. As if he had escaped death, he, along with most of the border soldiers, had changed his mind after returning, showing utmost respect for the emperor. Amidst the swirling yellow sand, this border guard stood upright and resolute, his back as straight as the spear in his hand.
Mo Chonghua looked at Xu Yong and gave a bitter laugh. "Unfortunately, what I want is not respect. Xu Yong, is Chief Steward Pang still in the Marquis of Beiding's camp?"
"Yes, when the Prince came out, Chief Steward Pang was still there. Moreover, the General invited Chief Steward Pang to dine in his tent." Xu Yong didn't know why Mo Chonghua would suddenly ask this. Just now, Chief Steward Pang had conveyed the Emperor's message in front of Mo Chonghua. Before Chief Steward Pang could finish speaking, Mo Chonghua grabbed his ring-pommel sword and stormed out. Marquis Beiding gave him and Suo Qian a wink, and the two bowed and withdrew. Then they rushed to the door of Mo Chonghua's tent. Once he had calmed down, the two wisely went inside.
"Wait a moment, after the two of them have finished talking and eating, I would like to trouble Vice General Xu to have Steward Pang come to my tent and say that I have something I would like to ask him," Mo Chonghua said.
Xu Yong was taken aback by the two words "thank you" and remained silent for a long time. Suo Qian reacted quickly, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "This subordinate has received your message."
The two then left the tent.
After walking for a while, Xu Yong was still lost in thought about Mo Chonghua's words "thank you," muttering to himself, "Suo Qian, do you think the Prince is up to something again?"
"Don't worry, ever since the Emperor threatened to keep him in the capital, the Prince has been much more well-behaved," Suo Qian said.
Xu Yong still couldn't understand, "Then he just said 'thank you', but I've never seen him be so polite to the Emperor or the Marquis of Beiding."
Suo Qian smiled and said, "That's because he respects you too."
"Respect me?" Xu Yong's eyes widened.
Suo Qian looked toward the general's tent, pondered for a moment, and said softly, "Actually, Mo Chonghua is also a first-rate fighter on the battlefield. However, a commander of an army is not only good at fighting, but also at strategic planning."
Xu Yong understood what he meant, and lowered his voice to ask, "Are you talking about the Eldest Princess?"
Suo Qian nodded.
"With the fall of Chencheng, the Eastern Liang Kingdom will soon be over," Xu Yong sighed.
Suo Qian said with a half-smile, "Isn't this a good thing? It shows that Yunxiu is prosperous."
Xu Yong glared at him. "You know that's not what I meant."
Suo Qian waved his hand, "General, calm down, why are we in such a hurry?"
"Sigh!" Xu Yong sighed in dissatisfaction. "Our general is truly destined for hardship. The Emperor dumped this tough nut of the northern border on you without a word, and you accepted it without hesitation. Then, the Emperor also dumped that difficult Prince Mo Chonghua on you without a word, and you accepted it without a word. You're just too easygoing; whatever the Emperor throws at you, you accept! Even a gatekeeper wouldn't have the talent to handle it. Who knows, maybe one day the Emperor will send you to guard the city gate, and you'll pick up your sword and go guard it without a word. As soon as the Prince goes out to chase the northern barbarians, the Emperor takes it out on you. I feel so sorry for you."
Suo Qian also sighed, "Then why didn't you just express your righteous respect for Mo Chonghua?"
“Those are two different things. I admire Mo Chonghua for daring to chase after those northern barbarian demons. I’ve heard some rumors that when the Xiongnu harass border towns, what they fear most is not encountering the Marquis of Beiding, but Mo Chonghua. They say that once they encounter him, they immediately turn their horses and run away as fast as they can, wishing they could rush back to their lair in the blink of an eye.” Xu Yong said with shining eyes.
Indeed, in the entire Northern Camp, only Mo Chonghua dared to order the pursuit of the Northern Barbarian demons. Therefore, what the Xiongnu feared most was encountering this arrogant, murderous, and relentlessly pursuing prince. They even speculated whether this Prince Yunxiu had some irreconcilable hatred for the Northern Barbarians.
Suo Qian nodded and smiled, "If the general goes to defend the city, will you go with him?"
“Go!” Xu Yong replied without hesitation. “Wherever the Marquis goes, I will go and serve as his deputy.”
“However, His Majesty may be truly angry this time. In the past, he would only issue decrees or write letters, but this time he specially sent Chief Steward Pang over,” Suo Qian said.
...
"My lord, I shall take my leave now. Mo Chonghua has asked me to come to his tent after I finish my meal, saying he has something to say to me." After finishing his dinner in the tent of the Marquis of Beiding, Steward Pang rose and bowed to the Marquis of Beiding.
Marquis Beiding stood up and said with a smile, "Please do as you please, Steward Pang."
As the steward walked toward Mo Chonghua's tent, he frowned, wondering what the prince wanted with him. He felt uneasy, but Mo Chonghua was always very proud and arrogant, and never easily sought out people like them.
When the late emperor was alive, the eunuchs and maids in the palace would avoid the Seventh Prince. Once, when several princes were playing together in the Imperial Garden, he accidentally broke a wine cup. The Seventh Prince, with a dark face, almost whipped him. At that time, the Second Prince, who is now the emperor, was not present. Fortunately, the Eldest Princess intervened and prevented him from being beaten.
"I wonder when the Princess will return to the palace. Although I don't know what her plan is for attacking Dongliang, as long as she wins the battle, that's good. Moreover, ever since the Princess was ordered to lead the troops in a time of crisis, the Emperor has never questioned her. The two are siblings, one governing the country and stabilizing the court, the other conquering the country and protecting the nation. It would be wonderful if things could continue like this. It would surely be remembered for generations, creating a beautiful story of sibling affection. Alas, there have been too many rumors lately..." The steward pondered as he rode his horse, with a soldier leading the way on horseback. He only needed to follow.
"General Pang, we have arrived at Mo Chonghua's camp," the soldier leading the way said, bowing.
"Huh, the North Camp is already so big, why are the Prince's and Marquis's tents so far apart?" the steward asked with a curious look.
The soldier bowed and replied, "This is His Highness's intention."
The steward gave a serious "Oh," waved to the soldier, who immediately understood and came over to help him dismount. Steward Pang was actually a very good rider, but perhaps because he was too bulky and obese, he often needed assistance to mount and dismount. On his own, it always took a great deal of effort, leaving him red-faced and sweating, to climb on or off his horse.
After dismounting, he straightened his clothes, asked the soldiers at the gate to announce his arrival, and then slowly walked in.
"This servant greets Your Highness," the head steward said, kneeling. He dared not be negligent in the slightest towards this seventh prince. Before, the prince wielded a whip; now he held a ring-pommel sword bestowed by the late emperor. A whip could shatter flesh, a sword could kill.
He still needs to go back to Beijing.
Mo Chonghua waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down.
It was quiet for a while.
Seeing that Mo Chonghua was sitting solemnly at the table without saying a word, the head steward asked with a smile, "Seventh Prince, what business do you have with this old servant?"
Mo Chonghua looked at the soldiers outside the tent and suddenly asked, "Chief Steward Pang, are you aware of the age restrictions for soldiers in Yunxiu Kingdom?"
"Although this servant has never served in the army, I have heard the general and ministers mention that men must register with the local government when they turn twenty, officially begin their service at twenty-two, and remain in service until they are sixty years old," said the head steward.
"In fact, when two countries are at war, those who actually go to the front lines are the strong and healthy young soldiers. The veterans don't have much combat power; they might go up to make up the numbers, or they might be used as cannon fodder to lure the enemy, but many of them usually retreat to the rear." Mo Chonghua said with a disappointed tone.
The steward, not knowing why he would suddenly bring this up, could only nod in agreement.
Mo Chonghua stood up, his back to Chief Steward Pang, and said, "I summoned Chief Steward Pang here tonight for no other reason than to give him the opportunity to speak on my behalf to the Emperor. Since the late Emperor, the northern border has been defended for nearly twenty years. Twenty years is enough time for a new recruit to become a veteran. I know I am not as capable as the Eldest Princess in leading a general, and I only wish to take advantage of my relaxed state to kill as many of these northern barbarian demons as possible."
Chief Steward Pang was so intimidated by his gentle tone that he dared not breathe, and he was also amazed. He suddenly understood why the Emperor had sent Mo Chonghua to the Northern Camp to serve as the Marquis of Beiding's deputy. After a few years, Chief Steward Pang reflected and realized that although Mo Chonghua was still arrogant, he was less confrontational than before. He guessed that only the mature, prudent, and sensible Marquis of Beiding could temper and temper the Seventh Prince's overly arrogant nature.
"This old servant understands," the head steward hurriedly rose and bowed.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out outside the tent. Mo Chonghua alertly grabbed his knife, and a soldier ran into the tent to report, "Your Highness, the Northern Barbarian demons have launched a surprise attack on the nearby border town of Zanxian."
Without saying a word, Mo Chonghua put on his armor, picked up his ring-pommel sword, took a few steps out of the tent, mounted his horse, and galloped away.
The steward was left standing there, stunned, and it took him a while to come to his senses.
Mo Chonghua had already disappeared from the Beidaying camp.
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