Chapter 154: Qingyang's Sisters

The reigning Son of Heaven was a mean-spirited monarch.

This was a truth Su Jing had understood back when he was living in retirement. It was simply that, lacking any ambition to vie for power, he had never bothered to scheme over such matters, choosing instead to act entirely in accordance with his own conscience.

Later on, when his former subordinate Zhao Hong became embroiled in a political storm, the man’s entire family suffered a tragic ruin, leaving Su Jing inevitably feeling a sense of sorrow for the shared fate of his peers.

Yet, none of these events had fundamentally altered Su Jing’s mindset. He still wished to dedicate himself heart and soul to serving the imperial court; once the rebellion was suppressed, the worst that could happen was for him to return to his hometown and resume his life of idle retirement.

In any case, he had already reached an age where he should be enjoying his twilight years.

However, a while back, the incident involving Captain Li Zhao had finally caused a subtle shift in his perspective.

Logically speaking, an idle old man like him, summoned by an imperial decree to the frontline to quell a rebellion, should have received more substantial backing. Aside from a piece of parchment and a deputy general named Jiang Yan sent by the court, there was virtually no other support—the entire army had to be assembled by Su Jing himself.

Having gone this far for the court, holding the rank of Grand General of the Expeditionary Forces, when he submitted a meritorious report for a mere captain, the court ought to have given him some face at the very least and promoted the officer he recommended.

Yet the court had specifically chosen not to.

Instead, with a malicious twist akin to a prank, they had promoted his own son—and promoted him heavily, at that.

On the surface, this appeared to be a boon for the Su family father and son, but in reality, it could only mean one thing: the imperial court and Su Jing were not of one mind.

Since they were not of one mind, Grand General Su was forced to consider matters from his own perspective.

Upon hearing these words, Su Sheng was immediately startled. He widened his eyes and stared at his aging father: "Father, you... you..."

"Making a mountain out of a molehill."

With his hands clasped behind his back, Grand General Su kept his gaze fixed in the direction of Yuezhou, speaking slowly: "For the past twenty years, most of the generals in the imperial court have held this exact view."

"Otherwise, why do you think the wars at the borders never seem to end?"

Su Jing let out a muffled hum and began: "His Majesty in the capital..."

Su Sheng hurriedly interrupted his father, lowering his voice: "Father, be careful someone might overhear!"

Naturally, his father was somewhat at odds with the Son of Heaven in the capital. Having accompanied his father in their hometown for over a decade, he fully understood the source of his father’s grievances.

After a moment of thought, the young general offered words of comfort: "Father, His Majesty is already advancing in years. Perhaps in a few years, when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, things will be set right, and the Great Zhou will gradually improve."

Su Jing let out a cold laugh, offering no response.

He closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then instructed: "Go. Send a message to Zheng Kui, ordering him to lead his troops north and enter Yuezhou."

"Send a letter to Li Zhao as well, telling him to close in on Yuezhou."

Although the Grand General had no map directly in front of him, the layouts of the several prefectures surrounding Yuezhou were already entirely within his grasp. After a brief pause, he continued: "Judging by Li Zhao's current position, Shanyuan County should be right ahead of him. The rebel Qiu is a native of Shanyuan, and it was there that he launched his uprising."

"Once Li Zhao enters Shanyuan County, tell him to act according to circumstances. If he manages to capture Shanyuan, log it as a major merit for him."

Su Sheng acknowledged the order and smiled, saying: "You really look out for him, Father. I will go and dispatch the message right away."

"It is not about looking out for him."

With his hands behind his back, the Grand General replied indifferently: "You reaped the benefits of his achievements; we must repay him to some extent. That young man is a piece of timber worth carving, and in times like these..."

"In the future, he might just achieve great things."

"This son understands."

Su Sheng bowed slightly: "I shall take my leave and attend to the matter."

"Go."

Su Jing waved a hand, his eyes narrowing: "Within a month, I want Yuezhou City surrounded by our troops."

Su Sheng acknowledged the command, turned, and withdrew.

After Su Sheng departed, the Grand General stood with his hands clasped behind his back, whispering softly to himself.

"Zhao Cheng..."

***

When Li Yun received Grand General Su’s military order, he had just recently camped near the border between Dongyang County and Yuezhou.

Upon reading the directive, Li Zheng scratched his head and asked: "Second Brother, Third Uncle and the others are about halfway through their month-long bandit-suppression campaign. Should we have them come straight over and rendezvous with us?"

"No need to rush."

Li Yun patted Li Zheng on the shoulder and smiled: "Skinny Monkey, take some men and scout around the vicinity of Shanyuan County town. Let's make steady and sure progress."

"Shanyuan is where Qiu Dian launched his rebellion. No one knows how many remnants he left behind, so it is best to proceed with caution."

Li Zheng acknowledged the order, left the tent, picked a dozen or so subordinates, and departed the main camp to head toward Shanyuan.

Meanwhile, sitting inside his tent, Li Yun gazed at a rough and crude map in his hands and muttered to himself.

"Shanyuan is Qiu Dian's old home. If Qiu Dian suffers a crushing defeat in Yuezhou, he might just flee back to his homeland."

"No."

Li Yun immediately dismissed the thought.

"The garrison inside Yuezhou City must be substantial. Even if Grand General Su can defeat the Yuezhou army, breaking into the city won't be easy. He can only wear them down bit by bit. This campaign won't wrap up anytime soon."

"Which is just as well."

He gently clapped his hands together: "My thousand men can use this opportunity to train properly."

***

In Qingyang County, Magistrate Xue stared in bewilderment at the hundreds of refugee households suddenly flooding into the city.

He already knew these were commoners who had fled from Qiantang into Xuanzhou. The problem was that the closest part of Xuanzhou to Qiantang was Ningguo County, and even Xuanzhou Prefecture City was significantly closer than Qingyang County. Why on earth had all these people rushed straight to Qingyang?

Personally arranging temporary lodgings for the refugees and questioning a few of them, the magistrate finally learned the whole story. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and sighed.

"This brat really knows how to find trouble for this old man."

Fortunately, this was not an insurmountable crisis.

These fleeing souls were not destitute refugees in the truest sense; most of them still carried some money or belongings and could purchase food and goods themselves. Old Man Xue simply needed to settle them down properly.

Of course, Magistrate Xue did not understand the modern concept of stimulating consumption, but from his perspective, if even half of these several hundred households chose to stay in Qingyang, the town would become noticeably more lively and prosperous.

Thus, driven partly by a sense of compassion and partly for the benefit of Qingyang, the old magistrate paid close attention to the displaced folk. For several consecutive days, he personally inquired about their well-being and sent men to procure food and deliver it to their temporary shelters.

A few days later, two Qingyang bailiffs escorted a young woman dressed in coarse hemp mourning garb into the county yamen.

Upon learning the woman's identity, Magistrate Xue did not dare to neglect her. He promptly invited her into the main hall and treated her with great courtesy.

"Prefect Liu's heroic sacrifice in the line of duty is deeply moving. This old man has already arranged lodgings for Miss Liu. For the time being, you may temporarily reside here in Qingyang. Once you find a more permanent path forward, I will dispatch people to escort you safely."

When Miss Liu had fled Qiantang, she had still been uncertain of the fate of her father and her entire family. It was only along the road, upon meeting numerous refugees fleeing Qiantang, that she finally confirmed her whole family had perished, prompting her to don mourning garments for her parents.

Having already wept countless tears along the journey, her emotions had somewhat stabilized by now. She curtsied deeply to Magistrate Xue, tears streaming down her face as she choked out: "Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you, Your Honor."

"It is only right."

Old Man Xue sighed: "Though I never made the acquaintance of Prefect Liu, I deeply admire his integrity. I shall submit a memorial to the imperial court regarding this matter, and the court will most likely issue an edict granting posthumous honors."

Tears continued to flow endlessly down Miss Liu's face: "My late father had only two daughters and no sons. Posthumous honors from the court are of no use to us."

Seeing her cry so bitterly, Magistrate Xue—who had never quite mastered the art of comforting young women—was at a complete loss. He could only quietly slip out of the reception hall, summon Dong'er, and instruct her: "This is the daughter of Prefect Liu of Qiantang, and her plight is deeply pitiful. Go and invite the young lady over, and try to comfort her. The two of them are of a similar age and can keep each other company."

Dong'er glanced toward the hall, nodded gently, and hurried over with dainty steps.

After the span of a cup of tea, Miss Xue arrived at the main hall. Seeing that Miss Liu was still weeping, she stepped forward immediately to pay her respects.

Miss Liu hurriedly wiped away her tears and stood up to return the courtesy.

When they exchanged their ages, Xue Yun'er turned out to be older by a year.

Because they were of the same age, conversation flowed much more easily between them. Xue Yun'er took Miss Liu by the hand, led her back to her own private courtyard in the inner residence, and after having her share a light meal, finally asked: "I almost forgot to ask—what is Younger Sister's given name?"

Lowering her gaze, Miss Liu replied: "Elder Sister Xue, I... my given name is simply Su."

"Liu Su, Tassels in the Wind..."

Xue Yun'er softly murmured: "What a lovely name."

Holding the other girl's hand, she gently consoled her: "The dead cannot be brought back to life. Younger Sister Su must not grieve too deeply. Just stay here in Qingyang for the time being, and we two sisters can keep each other company."

Miss Liu nodded softly. After sharing a meal and growing more familiar with one another, the two began to chat about their respective backgrounds.

"Elder Sister Xue, are you betrothed to anyone yet?"

Xue Yun'er sighed, shaking her head: "In this lifetime, I probably won't be betrothed to anyone."

As she spoke, she gently bit her lower lip, lost in her own thoughts.

Curious, Miss Liu asked: "Why is that? Elder Sister is so remarkably beautiful..."

"I was harmed by a wicked scoundrel..."

She shook her head: "Never mind, let's not speak of it."

"I heard that the rebels are vicious and cruel. How did Younger Sister manage to escape from Qiantang?"

"I originally shouldn't have been able to escape."

Miss Liu lowered her gaze and whispered softly: "Along the road, I was rescued by a young general."

"It seems he was actually from your very own Qingyang..."