Chapter 40 This is about conjugal relations.
Last year, in the eleventh month of winter.
On a bamboo couch in a side hall of Lanyue Pavilion, Xiao Xun rested his head on one hand, a book resting on his chest, his eyes slightly closed.
Lin Yuan was taken aback when she entered the room.
Five months has passed, yet it feels like an eternity.
Her nose and the corners of her eyes gradually turned red.
The mountains in Shanglin Garden are too high, with overlapping peaks and ridges, and the waters of Kunming Pool are too vast, with misty waves.
She could hear no gunfire, see no flames of war, smell no smoke of gunpowder; all she could see was the Sima Qian's book in her hand, now thin, tattered, and the characters blurred.
All that can be seen are the plum blossoms on the branches sprouting, forming buds, and beginning to bloom.
"I told you, I would come to pick you up when the plum blossoms are about to bloom."
He sat up lazily, looking at the budding red plum trees behind her, and smiled brightly. Then he lowered his eyes slightly and said, "It took a little while."
"Did you miss me?" he asked with a smile.
“Thinking…” Lin Yuan tilted her head back and handed back a packet of tears. “Thinking of serving His Majesty at all costs? Serving His Majesty tea and water, grinding ink for His Majesty’s books? I’m not some treacherous minister.”
“Alright. A gentleman, an upright official. It's me who misses you—needs you, okay?” Xiao Xun was both angry and amused, reaching out his hand to her, “Then come with me.”
Lin Yuan twisted her hands and stood rooted to the spot.
"Don't want to leave?"
"I think this place is great, with beautiful mountains and clear waters." She smiled wryly, "I don't want to leave."
"What a coincidence! I was also captivated by the scenery here today. In that case, it's easy. I'll bring you here often from now on."
After speaking, Xiao Xun remembered to glance out the window. Indeed, the fog was thick, the sky was overcast, and one could not see more than five zhang away.
Lin Yuan hesitated, then said with difficulty, "The mountain path is covered in frost and snow, making it difficult to walk down the mountain."
"What's wrong with that?"
As he spoke, he bent down.
"bring it on."
Lin Yuan's face burned. She lowered her eyes, stammering, unable to speak, and instead took a step back.
Looking up, I saw that he had already put on his shoes.
He got up and went into the courtyard.
Suddenly, palanquins appeared there.
Lin Yuan's eyes lit up, then dimmed again in an instant.
Hmm... there's only one.
Xiao Xun seemed to have seen through her thoughts and explained:
"The mountain path is too narrow. Too many palanquins and too many people might cause the frost and snow in this forest to collapse."
Lin Yuan looked at him suspiciously: "Your Majesty, when you came last time, you told me that the mountain path was too narrow and the palanquin could not go up."
Xiao Xun rubbed his palms together, as if the warmth of their last hand-holding still lingered there.
He remained calm and took the lead, saying, "Really? Did I say that?"
Lin Yuan looked at the palanquin, bit her lip, and said, "Then, Your Majesty, please sit. I can walk down the mountain."
"Please sit down," Xiao Xun said politely.
Lin Yuan declined, saying, "How can that be? This is His Majesty's imperial carriage."
He smiled and said, "It's just an inconspicuous carriage. You're weaker than me, so please sit down."
"How can I ride in the palanquin myself while Your Majesty walks?"
“Since you’re in such a difficult position, I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t want to…” Xiao Xun nodded and said thoughtfully.
By the time Lin Yuan realized the meaning behind his words, the two of them were already sitting on the palanquin.
The palanquin was lifted and took two leisurely steps forward. He then said, "Actually, the mountain path was naturally a few inches narrower before because the trees were so shady and the branches were so dense in the summer."
Lin Yuan felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and had no intention of listening to his explanation. The narrower one was clearly this carriage.
She didn't dare to squeeze past Xiao Xun, but Xiao Xun kept pushing his way towards her.
The next stone step, squeezed in two inches, turned a corner, and moved in two inches.
The sedan bearers carrying the palanquin paused, but he didn't move. Lin Yuan stiffened, and before she knew it, she slid half a foot and bumped into his arms.
Xiao Xun said with a serious expression, "Look, it's fortunate that the two of you are riding in the same carriage, otherwise you would have crashed into this hardwood."
Lin Yuan rubbed the back of her head. Hitting his ribs was no better than hitting the hard wood of the palanquin.
“Hold on tight, or you’ll roll down.” He whispered in my ear.
He told Lin Yuan to hold on tight, but his own hand, which had already wrapped around Lin Yuan's body and placed on her shoulder during the bumpy ride, did not let go now.
Lin Yuan blushed and broke free from his embrace, climbing towards the handrail on the other side of the palanquin.
The moment you moved, he suddenly called out in your ear, "Look!"
Lin Yuan quickly looked in the direction he pointed.
I didn't see anything.
Xiao Xun touched the tip of his nose: "Oh, an eagle just flew by. It was quite... novel."
He laughed excitedly, and Lin Yuan felt the hand on her shoulder tremble and tighten even more.
She was bewildered.
Shanglin Garden is never short of rare and exotic animals. Is an eagle really that special?
Let alone eagles.
She heard wolves howling one day, tigers roaring the next, lions howling the next, and bears howling the next. The sounds at night were almost never repeated over the four months.
Sometimes it's a solo, sometimes it's a chorus.
Sometimes it is accompanied by eerie piano music.
The young palace maid cooking in the kitchen said that it was the sound of water from Kunming Pool.
Even though the water has frozen, the sound continues unabated.
The old palace maid sweeping the floor said that the sound came from underwater.
Lin Yuan thought it made sense. The old palace maid sighed again, leaning on the broom, "It's a wronged soul from the bottom of the water, crying out for justice."
She has now gone from feeling anxious and scared, and having nightmares, to being able to calm down and sleep peacefully.
Xiao Xun seemed to see through her inner thoughts, stared at her face for a long time, and added, "Hmm... it's been a long time."
Lin Yuan awkwardly asked, "Does Your Majesty like eagles?"
His gaze never left her face: "I like it very much. I like it extremely much."
Lin Yuan recalled the winter hunt in October of the previous year, when Xiao Xun enthusiastically drew his five-stone bow in front of her and shot down five eagles in a row.
Yeah, I guess I do like it.
Another bumpy ride, and with Xiao Xun's "support," she once again accidentally fell into his arms.
"Oh. Oh dear." She cried out softly, her heart pounding as she gasped for breath, her hand pressed against Xiao Xun's chest.
Xiao Xun's large silver fox fur coat covered half of her body. He smiled and bit her ear, saying, "Calling like that will cause misunderstandings."
"Ah, a misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?" Lin Yuan struggled to sit up.
“It’s a misunderstanding… I’m your husband.” After laughing, he patted her shoulder and said magnanimously, “But, let’s just leave it at that. I won’t hold it against you.”
Apart from the eight eunuchs at the front and back, who had their heads bowed and were focused solely on carrying the palanquin, no one else could be seen along the way.
Lin Yuan didn't know who might misunderstand, whether it was a bird or a beast.
In fact, after a snowfall in winter, even birds and beasts disappear without a trace.
She roused herself and, just as the yellow-robed player in front of her was about to step on a loose stone, shouted, "Watch your step!"
That wasn't intimidating enough, so she added, borrowing the enemy's power, "If you drop His Majesty, you'll all be dead!"
As the eunuchs carrying the palanquin jolted in surprise at his words, Xiao Xun's body almost completely covered her, or more precisely, she fell onto Xiao Xun's arm.
The fox fur coat obscured her vision, preventing her from seeing Xiao Xun's expression. She could only hear a voice she had never heard before—a voice that was extremely gentle, touching, kind, and considerate, filled with laughter.
To the eunuchs: "It's alright, just carry it like this. The roads are slippery due to the snow, so you're forgiven."
The eunuchs were deeply moved by the emperor's kindness and consideration, and their legs trembled with emotion.
Lin Yuan grabbed Xiao Xun's arm in a panic, and then heard a gasp of cold air.
Only after they were seated in the carriage returning to Weiyang Palace, the wheels rumbling smoothly and steadily, did Lin Yuan begin to ask about Lady Qu.
"The Qu family..." Xiao Xun raised his eyebrows and produced a scroll of Sima Qian's book from who-knows-where. "Look, just like this book. Not to mention the Qu family, even the powerful minister Yi Yin was in their grasp. They planned and executed without making a sound or leaving a trace, and disappeared without a trace."
He discovered the book as soon as he entered Lan Yue Pavilion.
At first, I just wanted to pick it up and pretend to be nonchalant and indifferent, waiting for her to come back.
He held the book in his hand for a long time before finally settling down on the couch, only to suddenly realize that he was holding it upside down.
He then absentmindedly flipped through the pages and discovered that several bamboo slips were missing from the Annals of Yin, which ended after the reign of Emperor Tang, and continued with the reign of Emperor Tai Geng.
It seems that... Yi Yin is missing.
He couldn't help but chuckle. The book landed on his chest.
He held it in his arms.
"Oh, why did you bring this book?!"
Lin Yuan felt as if a secret had been exposed, and reached out to take it back.
He smiled and raised his hand high behind him.
Lin Yuan didn't think about taking it back. Instead, her face flushed, she stammered, "The kitchen ran out of firewood. So I took the book apart and used the bamboo slips to burn it."
"Oh, I see. I was careless," he laughed. "But I saw that the trees around the house were lush and green, so I didn't have anyone prepare too much firewood."
He then joked, "Would a fire started by burning bamboo slips burn brighter than a fire started by burning ordinary firewood?"
Lin Yuan pursed her lips: "Ordinary bamboo slips might not be so, but Yi Yin was so powerful, so naturally the fire would burn fiercely. At that time, I was afraid that the fire would burn too fiercely and burn through the pot, the whole house, and the whole garden."
Xiao Xun chuckled, turned his face away, and looked out the window.
Outside the carriage window, Ling Feng, the Minister of the Imperial Household, rode his horse to escort the imperial carriage away. When he met Xiao Xun's gaze, he raised the corners of his lips, and tears welled up in his eyes as he faced the north wind.
...
"Your Majesty, the army in the capital region has already marched to the northern border. I believe that the Commander of the Imperial Guard and the Northern Army need not leave the capital."
Qu Yang's voice rang out in the Xuan Shi Hall.
That was ten days before the news of Qu Qingchuan's rebellion arrived.
"The Left and Right Generals are leading 20,000 troops from the capital region and the surrounding three counties towards Shangjun, heading towards Shuofang, Wuyuan, and Yunzhong. The Commander of the Imperial Guard, now appointed as a Supreme General, will take the route through Hedong and Taiyuan counties, heading towards Dingxiang and Yanmen. The Great Wall at Yanmen has been in disrepair for many years and is vulnerable to attack. The Commander of the Imperial Guard, Zhao Yan, is a trusted and beloved general of the Grand Marshal, having fought alongside him in the bloodbath and been promoted by the Grand Marshal himself."
"I still remember when you promoted Zhao Yan to Commander of the Imperial Guards, your memorial stated that Zhao Yan had once 'launched a night raid on the Xiongnu, beheading a hundred and achieving extraordinary merit,' and twenty-five years ago, when the Grand Marshal was seriously wounded and on the verge of death, he braved the hail of arrows and spears from the battlefield to carry you out of a mountain of corpses. He is truly 'a man of unwavering loyalty and a pillar of the state,'" Xiao Xun said. "Since he is such a talent, why not use him in times of war?"
"The left and right generals of the army in the capital region and the three surrounding areas are all capable ministers whom I personally promoted. With them leading the army, that is sufficient. As for Dingxiang and Yanmen, I believe that the Taiyuan Commandant should be ordered to recruit skilled officers."
"The conscription of the officers is inevitable, but it will take some time. The Left and Right Generals are certainly capable men, otherwise how could they have caught the eye of the Grand Marshal? However, these two are both quite young. One has just reached the age of forty and entered officialdom twenty years ago through family connections, serving as a lowly soldier under the Grand Marshal. The other is thirty-five and was originally a Colonel of the Northern Army's Central Fortress. Neither of them has ever fought against the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu have not invaded our borders for a long time, and those who have been on the Xiongnu battlefield and are familiar with their fighting methods have long since passed away. If we're talking about familiarity, you, my dear minister, are the best among them."
At this point, Xiao Xun smiled slightly and sighed, "The Qu family has produced many outstanding figures throughout history, and their numerous battles are celebrated and praised by the people. If we go back a few decades, the Qu family's illustrious reputation would have made the Xiongnu tremble with fear."
Qu Yang's expression darkened further; to him, that smile was nothing short of mockery.
What Xiao Xun didn't say was: The heroic reputation of the Qu family, who had sacrificed their lives generation after generation, was ruined in one day by Qu Qingchuan, turning from a beautiful story into a joke.
Qu Yang clenched his fists involuntarily.
In the years since he became the Grand Marshal and General-in-Chief, he has rarely touched swords, and his palms are covered with calluses from gripping a thorny whip.
The long whip was made of thorns unique to the northern desert, extremely rough, covered with thorns, and as hard as iron.
What's even more unusual is that even the end you're holding doesn't have its sharp spikes smoothed out.
He used it to whip soldiers who violated military orders, and at the same time, it was also a punishment for himself as a general for not managing his subordinates strictly.
He later used it to whip his own son, and with each lash, his palms and fingers would bleed.
The worst beating occurred in the third year of the Jiaping era, when his left hand, which held the whip, was covered in blood.
Xiao Xun continued with a smile, "Unfortunately, the affairs of the court cannot be separated from the Grand Marshal and General, nor can I. Of course, the Grand Marshal and General cannot personally go to the battlefield."
Qu Yang said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have heard that the Left Chanyu of the Xiongnu defeated the Right Chanyu at Hanhai three months ago. His army has just finished fighting, and they are exhausted from their journeys, with many casualties among their men and horses. At this time, they are launching a large-scale invasion to seize supplies. The Left and Right Generals of the army in the capital region were originally the Commandant of the Changshui Cavalry. They have led the Hu cavalry for more than ten years and are well aware of the Hu soldiers' combat experience. Therefore, it is more than enough for them to lead the army to fight against the Xiongnu. They will certainly not fail Your Majesty's command."
"Is that so? I don't see it that way. Right now, the Left Chanyu has just defeated the Right Chanyu, and his morale is high, making him eager to advance. Now, our border guards have retreated without a fight, which will undoubtedly boost their morale and ambition."
Xiao Xun pondered for a moment and said, "I am young and have never personally led troops into battle like the late emperor. However, I have been carefully instructed by the Grand Marshal since childhood and know the saying in history, 'One should strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will weaken with each attempt, and exhaust itself with each attempt.' If we cannot defeat the Xiongnu Left Chanyu's momentum this time, I fear he will become even more ambitious and unstoppable. Moreover, besides the Xiongnu, Wusun and Dayuan are also in turmoil, with many warlords vying for power. Who knows when a similarly covetous Left Kunmo or Dayuan king might emerge?"
"Furthermore, the border guards are stationed in harsh and cold lands. Before the Shuofang Commandery Commandant took over, the Grand Marshal sent envoys to inspect the borders every year and personally inspected the troops from time to time. Every time he returned with a report, it was always a case of strict military discipline and good order." Xiao Xun coldly watched Qu Yang clench his fist, his veins bulging.
Just when Qu Yang thought he was going to keep pressing the "Commander of Shuofang County" position, he changed his tone, curled his lips, and said casually, "It is clear that it is not a good thing for the garrison to not fight or engage in battle for years."
“Your Majesty, I have another concern. The Northern Army under the Commander of the Imperial Guard is the main force of the army in Chang’an. The Commander of the Imperial Guard is also responsible for patrolling the capital and preventing thieves. If he leaves with the eight schools of the Northern Army, Chang’an will be empty. At that time, thieves will frequently rise up, and the people’s hearts will easily be in turmoil.”
Xiao Xun replied, “To prevent thieves, we have the Imperial Guards and halberd-wielding troops. Besides, in addition to the Northern Army, there is also the Southern Army in Chang'an. Han Ke, the Commandant of the Guards of the Southern Army, is also a former subordinate of the Grand Marshal. He served under the Grand Marshal during the war and later entered the Grand Marshal's residence, where he is deeply trusted. Even when I was assassinated last year and wanted to replace the Minister of the Guards, the Grand Marshal protected him. No matter how much I insisted, in the end, I only replaced one Assistant Commandant of the Guards and two Commanders of the Imperial Carriages.”
He shook his head, seemingly mocking himself, "Under the rule of the Grand Marshal and the General, studying is of paramount importance, and no one picks up lost items on the road. This has become a prevailing social norm. How could the situation you described, where the Imperial Guard and the Northern Army left and thieves frequently appeared, causing chaos in Chang'an, occur?"
Qu Yang felt a surge of resentment in his chest, but he had nothing to say. He rose from his seat, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty is right. I will comply. However, it is not necessary for all eight divisions of the Northern Army to leave together."
“They can stay,” Qu Yang and Xiao Xun’s voices rang out almost simultaneously, “Changshui Xuanqu Hu cavalry.”
Xiao Xun smiled and said, "I think the same way as you, my dear minister. The Changshui Xuanqu Hu cavalry is the most elite among the eight schools of the Northern Army. As a cavalry, they can be worth ten men each. Naturally, we should keep them and use them in more critical moments."
Qu Yang then took his leave, but stopped at the threshold of the Xuan Shi Hall and looked back at Xiao Xun for a long time.
Upon hearing the sudden silence of footsteps, Xiao Xun raised his head. Their eyes met, and Qu Yang's voice was as cold as ice as he sighed, "Your Majesty, you've grown up."
Xiao Xun smiled faintly: "The Grand Marshal said those words when I was fifteen years old and came of age."
*
The doors and windows were half-open, and the north wind was biting.
The curtains swayed slightly, and a small golden arrow shot out from there.
"Left and Right Generals, the garrison troops of the capital and the three surrounding areas," the person behind the tent murmured.
Another arrow with a gilded arrowhead landed steadily in the bronze charcoal basin three feet away.
The bamboo arrow hissed and sparked.
"Zhi Jinwu, Northern Army."
"Qu Qingchuan, you've unwittingly helped me." Xiao Xun toyed with the arrow, which was less than two feet long, and sneered. "You were once my tutor, and now you're still helping me."
The third golden arrow plunged into the white charcoal, and the sparks in the charcoal basin suddenly turned into flames a foot high.
"The Commandant of the Guards, the Southern Army."
The firelight illuminated his eyelashes as he stared intently at the remaining golden arrow.
The arrow was released.
"Changshui Xuanqu Hu cavalry".
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Author's Note: Kite: Eagle
①Caiguan: A type of local reserve soldier established in the Western Han Dynasty, mainly composed of infantry.
The military system was modeled after that of the Western Han Dynasty.
The capital's army was mainly composed of the Southern Army and the Northern Army.
The Southern Army was commanded by the Commandant of the Imperial Guards and was responsible for guarding the imperial palace.
The Northern Army was the capital's garrison force under the command of a lieutenant (later renamed the Commander of the Imperial Guard). Later, eight colonels were added (such as the Tunqi, Yueqi, Changshui, and Huqi), bringing the total strength to tens of thousands, making it the main force of the central standing army.
The text assumes that the Changshui Xuanqu Hu cavalry was the most powerful force.
Wanting to try and dabble in some metaphysical theories, I've switched back to updating at midnight...
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