Yanmen Xixing Pass, November, withered grass, desolate.
It had been over a month since his daughter disappeared after leaving those two words. For Jiang Zuzhang, these days felt like years.
Yunluo City was located at the western extremity, and the journey there was truly not close. Fan Jing still had no news. What troubled him even more was that the Worthy King, whom he had sent to stay in the city under the pretext that the military tents couldn’t withstand the night cold, still hadn’t left and kept sending people to inquire about news.
He had previously used the excuse that his daughter had gone to pay respects at her maternal grandfather’s anniversary and hadn’t returned yet. Each time, he could only deflect, saying the journey was long and both messages and people traveling back and forth required time. As for the city where the Worthy King was staying, he avoided entering entirely to prevent the other party from knowing and coming to trouble him.
On this day, while his mind was heavy with worries, a junior officer came to report that Fan Jing had finally returned.
Unfortunately, the news Fan Jing brought back greatly disappointed Jiang Zuzhang.
The female general wasn’t in Yunluo, and according to her maternal uncle, she had never been there either.
After the brief disappointment, what followed was deep concern.
His daughter had been late to speak, and after learning to talk, though she had always been quiet and reserved, she was extremely steady and had never had an experience of leaving without notice like this. Although she had left words before departing, how could Jiang Zuzhang truly feel at ease?
After hearing Fan Jing’s report, he furrowed his brow and stood motionless in the tent for a long while without speaking.
Fan Jing felt very guilty. “It’s this humble officer’s incompetence for failing to find the general. However, Great General, please don’t worry too much. This humble officer will immediately take men to search elsewhere!” After speaking, he was about to leave, but was stopped by Jiang Zuzhang.
“Forget it. She has been enduring and keeping things to herself since childhood, never telling anyone when she has troubles. Although I am her father, I don’t know what she’s truly thinking. Since she’s not in Yunluo, with the vastness of the northern territories, where could you search without direction?”
“But—”
Jiang Zuzhang waved his hand. “She has had her own opinions since childhood. Since she left words to remind us, there’s nothing wrong. Let’s act according to her wishes. Whatever she needs to handle, when she’s finished, she’ll return on her own.”
He looked toward Fan Jing. “You’ve also been traveling for days continuously. You’ve worked hard—go rest.”
“Great General! Clan Supervisor Worthy King arrives——!”
Before Jiang Zuzhang finished speaking, Yang Hu’s drawn-out roaring announcement suddenly came from outside. Naturally, this was to alert the main tent that an uninvited guest had arrived.
Fan Jing looked over, and Jiang Zuzhang immediately signaled for him to step aside first. Fan Jing understood and hurriedly left the tent.
Jiang Zuzhang quickly walked out and saw from afar that Yang Hu was indeed supporting an elderly man walking this way. The old man had flowing whiskers and walked as if trembling and unsteady, so he hurried to greet them.
“You must be that little Qi Lang from the Yang family of Anwu Duke? I remember once when you were small, you came with your father to a Double Ninth feast at this king’s mansion. This king saw you were clever with a round head, and asked you to recite some poetry. You were so refined and soft-spoken that we could barely hear you. How is it that after not seeing you for a few years, your voice has become so loud? Softer! Softer! You’re hurting this king’s ears—”
The frowning old man speaking was the Worthy King Shu Yun.
Yang Hu, remembering the old incident, still felt annoyed. Being unable to recite poetry in public had been embarrassing, and when he got home, he was severely beaten by the adults.
“Reporting to Your Highness, in the military camp, we speak this loudly. I’m still being refined! Otherwise, when we’re in battle and fighting, we can’t even hear our men calling out! Your——High——ness——”
He deliberately moved closer with a grin and shouted again.
“Oh my! I see you little rascal are deliberately trying to hurt this king’s ears!”
“Even if you gave me a hundred guts, I wouldn’t dare! Your Highness, you’re wronging me—”
One word from you, one from me—the old man and young man seemed to be having a verbal sparring match.
Jiang Zuzhang arrived nearby, suppressed his inner troubles, and apologized: “The great camp is dozens of miles from the city. If there’s business, why didn’t Your Highness send someone with a message? I could have gone to the city to see Your Highness. How dare I trouble Your Highness to come here personally?”
These words were not mere courtesy.
Shu Yun held an extremely high position—he was the legitimate eldest son of the founding emperor and the elder brother of the Sacred Martial Emperor. When the founding emperor wanted to establish him as crown prince, Shu Yun believed that with the nation surrounded by strong enemies, they needed a crown prince with both wisdom and courage, while he was mediocre in talent and inferior to his younger brother in every way, so he firmly insisted on yielding the crown prince position. After the Martial Emperor ascended the throne, he also treated his elder brother generously, offering him the title with equal honors to “Ten Thousand Years,” but Shu Yun strongly refused and only accepted the title of Worthy King. He lived up to his title—virtuous, uncontentious, and magnanimous. All officials respected him, calling him “Old Highness,” and during Emperor Ming’s reign, he received the unique honor of being granted a seat during court audiences. Even the High King Shu Hui, whose power and influence burned brightly, didn’t dare to be disrespectful when meeting this legitimate elder brother, the Worthy King.
All this aside, the problem was that Shu Yun was advanced in years, and seeing how he needed support when walking, and with this stretch of road being bumpy and rough, if he injured his old back or legs along the way, it would be unbearable to take responsibility.
“Great General, you’re busy with central tent affairs, and I haven’t seen you enter the city for days. This king has nothing to do, so I came out myself today. If I’ve disturbed the Great General, I hope you won’t blame me.” Shu Yun said with a smile.
“Not!”
Jiang Zuzhang quickly took over from Yang Hu to support Shu Yun, wanting to help him into the main tent.
“No need, no need. This king is still strong in old age! I can walk myself—Great General doesn’t need to support me!”
Shu Yun pushed away Jiang Zuzhang’s extended hand. Jiang Zuzhang could only carefully guard him from behind. After entering the tent, he respectfully asked him to sit in the central position.
Shu Yun refused. “The main seat in the central military tent—how could I sit there? Never mind me—even if His Majesty came in person today, it couldn’t be taken.”
Jiang Zuzhang had to have someone set up another seat for the Old Highness. After Shu Yun was seated, he looked around outside the tent. “When this king entered the camp gate just now, I heard a junior officer say that there’s a General Fan under the female general’s command who also returned to camp today? When I entered, I dimly saw a general coming out of your tent—full-bearded, with a tiger’s back and bear’s waist, mighty and magnificent beyond compare. This king wanted to see more clearly, but with old, dim eyes, he lost sight of the person in a flash. I wonder what that general’s surname and name are, and what position he holds?”
Jiang Zuzhang hadn’t expected Shu Yun to be so sharp—even from such a distance, he had noticed. He could only respond, “That should have been General Fan.”
Shu Yun’s eyes lit up. “Could it be that the female general returned with him?”
“General Fan is indeed under my daughter’s command, but his going out this time was for other important business, unrelated to my daughter. As for my daughter’s situation, I also sent Your Highness updates a few days ago—she hasn’t returned yet. When she comes back, I’ll immediately send someone to notify Your Highness!”
Shu Yun showed a disappointed expression, stroking his beard and nodding slightly. “I see, I thought the female general had returned!”
Jiang Zuzhang apologized, saying the timing was unfortunate and had kept him waiting.
Shu Yun said it didn’t matter. “This king had heard of the female general’s reputation even while in the capital. This time, the Regent King seeks marriage. This king volunteered to come, both to convey the Regent King’s sincerity and because I had a bit of personal curiosity, wanting to see the face of the Great General’s beloved daughter before others, our dynasty’s unique female general! Unfortunately, as you said, the timing is bad, which is regrettable. However, during these days in the city, this king has also heard many stories of the female general’s brave fighting in the past. I remember the Qingmu Plains area was still occupied by the Di people a few years ago. It was the female general who led troops to recapture it, established a garrison, and personally stationed troops there, opening up the eastern and western defense passes. When the female general is mentioned, I see that everyone in the city respects her. This trip, though the road was somewhat far, wasn’t made in vain!”
Jiang Zuzhang had no mood to listen to Shu Yun’s chatter about these things. He only wanted to quickly send away this great Buddha, so he just murmured agreement beside him and humbly spoke on his daughter’s behalf, then glanced outside the tent.
“Your Highness, look—it’s getting late outside. The borderlands aren’t like the capital. In this season, darkness falls extremely quickly, and after nightfall, it becomes suddenly cold, no different from deep winter. The military tents are drafty and not warm. Your Highness has a precious body worth ten thousand gold—why don’t I escort you back to the city early to avoid Your Highness catching a cold?”
Shu Yun chuckled. “It seems I came at the wrong time today and disturbed the Great General. Is the Great General issuing an eviction order?”
Jiang Zuzhang naturally denied this repeatedly.
Shu Yun became serious. “Very well, this king came today to tell the Great General something—today I received an urgent message from the capital—”
He paused slightly, his expression growing grave and his tone becoming low and heavy. “Grand Marshal High King died suddenly of illness some days ago. This king must return quickly.”