Short Soldier (Part Four)
“In my youth, I listened to the rain in a brothel with the faint scent of red candles filling the air.”*
“In the prime of my life, I listened to the rain in a distant boat on a vast body of water with low hanging clouds. The sounds of geese crying filled the autumn air.”*
“Now, I listen to the rain in a monk’s home with the hair at my temples dotted with grey like stars in the night sky. Life goes through ups and downs without stopping to be considerate. All I can do is listen to the rain drip on the front entrance.”*
In the night, someone sat on the ground and drank wine under the canopy of a black tent. Wine spilled from the cup onto the ground, as the person was very drunk.
With a sudden surge of inspiration, they recited a poem while listening to the heavy rain outside. His reciting of this poem caused him to laugh.
Behind him, some soldiers looked toward the entrance to the tent. The rain had gotten much smaller in the afternoon, but it had picked back up again. This caused the Kun character on the banner to stick to itself.
His Highness the seventh prince had arrived two days earlier. Only after learning that tens of thousands of Eastern Ling’s soldiers had been poisoned did he order for the military banner to be changed.
The ice-cold raindrops splashed inside, and a soldier raised an arm to block it, “Your Highness the seventh prince, come inside the tent to rest. The rain is falling heavier and heavier!”
Kun WuShang looked up with bloodshot eyes, “When you look at this rain, what emotions do you feel?”
The soldier that had been questioned was stunned, “What emotions? This subordinate naturally hopes that the rain will fall harder and harder to have the poison that we planted on Zhu Mountain washed into Eastern Ling’s camp. Like that, we can win without needing to fight!”
The soldier’s eyes were filled with joy and respect for Kun WuShang.
In the past, he had not heard of the seventh prince. After finding out that he was the new head general, most of the army was quite displeased.
He had arrived in a rush on a rainy day. His noble robes were completely soaked from traveling through the rain and wind, and it looked as if water could be squeezed from the light-yellow robes. He said…
“I won’t ask that you overpower the enemy. Instead, I ask that you outsmart them. I have been studying in Immortals Valley for seven years and naturally have my methods.”
After this, large sandbags filled with powdered poison were piled onto Zhu Mountain. With the heavy rain and the shape of the terrain, all of the poison was washed on Eastern Ling’s side.
Within a few days, a scout reported that a large number of soldiers from the Gu family’s army had been poisoned.
Soldiers perished without a fight, and this mysterious seventh prince quickly became a stalwart figure in the minds of the soldiers.
Kun WuShang smiled sarcastically, “That’s right. This is how a young person should feel. Listen to the rain from inside a brothel while the fragrance of red candles fills the air. In any case, it’s a joyous matter.”
The soldier did not understand what he meant, “Is Your Highness not happy?”
Once the situation on the border was reported to the capital, it would definitely be regarded as a military accomplishment. Emperor Kun would surely reward him.
Why did his expression look so ugly? The fragrant wine before him did not seem like it was for a celebration. Instead, it looked a bit like wine meant to drown his sorrows.
“Happy?”
He could not bring himself to rejoice, “Life goes through many ups and downs without ever stopping to rest. We can rejoice for now, but what about in the future? With such a large quantity of poison flowing into Eastern Ling’s borders, it will extend far past where the Gu family’s army is camped. For at least one decade, absolutely nothing will grow. Aside from soldiers, it will also hurt innocent citizens. When the history books are written, I, Kun WuShang, will be viewed as a war criminal.”
The soldiers fell silent for a moment, “… But you will be someone who will have contributed the most to our Western Kun!”
Kun WuShang said: “You’re wrong. There’s nothing that can remain unchanged. The three countries of Western Kun, Northern Li, and Eastern Ling have been separated for no more than one hundred years. Things are constantly changing. It’s possible that the three countries will unite in a few decades, and responsibility for this poisoned and blood-soaked land will fall on me. The evidence is irrefutable!”
When that time came, when there was neither a Western Kun nor Eastern Ling, there would only be a unified continent.
The residents of the three countries would spurn him. For the sake of personal gain, a perfectly fine region would become a hell on earth. The fertile land would become a desolate wasteland.
After all, something like using such a large quantity of poison during a war had never been done before, and nobody had ever thought of it.
Coming back around on the matter…
When he was young, he set out for Immortals Valley on his own. Rather than learn medicine, he insisted on learning about poisons. Was it not just for this day?
The soldier hesitated then helped hold him up while quietly saying: “It’s already quite amazing that we could take some of Eastern Ling’s wealthy cities. How could the three countries unite? This subordinate feels that the three countries will always remain divided.”
Northern Li to the north was the largest of the three countries, yet it never attacked Western Kun or Eastern Ling, while Western Kun was unable to defeat Eastern Ling, and Eastern Ling had no interest in invading Western Kun…
The three countries were in a delicate balance. Not even Western Kun’s continued belligerence could break this balance.
The vast majority of people felt this way, not just the soldiers. Emperor Kun alone refused to give up on the idea of annexing Eastern Ling before devouring Northern Li. His ambitions were too grand. They were so grand that they would not come true even after he died.
Kun WuShang had a strange smile on his face, “That’s right. If the three countries can continue to remain divided like this, how great would that be…”
He suddenly pushed the soldier away and staggered into the tent, “Pass down this order. Have the spies closely monitor the Gu family’s army’s movements. Once the rain stops, immediately launch an assault!”
…
On this rainy night, the main tent in the Gu family’s army’s camp was brightly illuminated with many people coming and going.
A cloud of death hung over the camp, as everyone wore distressed expressions without the slightest hint of anger.
Watching the soldiers that fought alongside them pass away without putting up a fight and without suffering created a stifling atmosphere.
“Reporting to head general, sure enough, the Western Kun’s army is under the Kun banner. The new general is the seventh prince of Western Kun, Kun WuShang!”
“Reporting to head general, all of the sandbags that could be moved have already been moved over, but it can only block the flow of the water. I fear that it won’t be able to prevent the poison from seeping in!”
“Reporting to head general, all of the best doctors in the nearby cities have already been brought over. They are currently working hard with the military doctors to treat the soldiers!”
Gu HuaiJiang sat behind a desk while remaining as composed as usual, “Have the people sent to the capital already set out?”
“They set out the day after we discovered that the water was the source of the poison. They should have already arrived at the capital. It’s just that I fear that it will take over ten days for Yu Fu to arrive at Zhu Guan.”
When he brought up Yu Fu, everyone carefully observed Gu HuaiJiang’s expression to try and find any hint of hesitation in his eyes.
Gu HuaiJiang looked around at everyone, and they all lowered their curious eyes. He turned around. There was not just hesitation in his eyes. There was also concern and helplessness.
If he had any other choice, he truly hoped to have Yu Fu always remain in the capital and remain the princess that he could protect. He hoped that she could live a happy and carefree life.
Unfortunately…
“Tell the doctors that even if they can’t fully treat the poison, they need to do their best to delay the onset of the poison. Over ten thousand soldiers have already died. The survivors absolutely must be kept alive during that time!”
Gu ShuBai said: “Over a hundred thousand soldiers drank the poisoned water. Too many have already died as a result of being poisoned. After so many days have passed, the ones who were lightly poisoned, like General Yan, have already started recovering. There are another 50 thousand who are still recovering in bed.”
Yan HuaShi drank half a cup of tea and suffered from diarrhea for an entire day. After spending three days recovering in bed, he was barely able to get up.
He was fortunate. The water in the main tent was the cleanest in the camp and had the lowest concentration of poison. He also had a strong and healthy body, thus he gradually started recovering after drinking some detoxifying medicine.
The normal soldiers of the army were not as lucky.
“It’s extremely fortunate that we noticed that the water was poisoned early on. Now that the camp is using water from Zhu Guan for food, no new cases of poisoning have occurred.”
Gu HuaiJiang nodded his head, “It’s good that nothing has happened to Zhu Guan City’s citizens. Aside from curing the poison, the most important matter is to pay close attention to the movements of Western Kun’s army. Our soldiers have been poisoned and lost a great deal of fighting power. Now is their best chance to attack.”
Lao Jin beat his chest and replied, “Head general, don’t worry. Even if we must breathe our last breath, we won’t allow Western Kun to succeed!”
In the past, nobody had ever said such a thing during battle.
The Gu family’s army was accustomed to winning their battles and never losing, nor had they ever encountered such an urgent situation.
The current problem was that they lacked manpower. Aside from the ones who had been poisoned, they also needed people to take care of them. The remaining people were few and disordered.
The army was in a panic, and when there was panic, it made it difficult to combat the enemy. All this time, the rain continued to fall.
This heavy rain really benefitted Western Kun…
Gu HuaiJiang looked into the rainy night, “This rain is about to come to an end. After the rain stops, a new round of fighting will quickly begin.”
Early the next morning, the group bringing water from Zhu Guan was in high spirits, cheering as soon as they entered the camp.
The main tent could faintly hear the sound of this commotion, and Gu HuaiJiang did not quite believe what he was hearing.
The army was in a dire situation filled with soldiers who were sick. Who could possibly be rejoicing at a time like this?
Gu JiuGe pushed the curtain to the side and found his sight partially obstructed by the rain. It was as Gu HuaiJiang had said. It was finally about to stop raining.
“Father, it’s the group that went to fetch water. I’ll go and see what they’re doing.”
A crowd of people was gathered in one place, and Gu JiuGe pushed the soldiers aside until he saw a snort soldier wearing a raincoat in the middle. A large bamboo hat obstructed their face, and their appearance could not be seen.
How could such a short soldier have been sent to fetch water?
Just as Gu JiuGe was about to start questioning the soldiers, the short soldier looked up, and a beautiful and familiar face appeared. A smile appeared on their pale lips.
*TN: From a poem by Jiang Jie
Short Soldier (Part Four)
“In my youth, I listened to the rain in a brothel with the faint scent of red candles filling the air.”*
“In the prime of my life, I listened to the rain in a distant boat on a vast body of water with low hanging clouds. The sounds of geese crying filled the autumn air.”*
“Now, I listen to the rain in a monk’s home with the hair at my temples dotted with grey like stars in the night sky. Life goes through ups and downs without stopping to be considerate. All I can do is listen to the rain drip on the front entrance.”*
In the night, someone sat on the ground and drank wine under the canopy of a black tent. Wine spilled from the cup onto the ground, as the person was very drunk.
With a sudden surge of inspiration, they recited a poem while listening to the heavy rain outside. His reciting of this poem caused him to laugh.
Behind him, some soldiers looked toward the entrance to the tent. The rain had gotten much smaller in the afternoon, but it had picked back up again. This caused the Kun character on the banner to stick to itself.
His Highness the seventh prince had arrived two days earlier. Only after learning that tens of thousands of Eastern Ling’s soldiers had been poisoned did he order for the military banner to be changed.
The ice-cold raindrops splashed inside, and a soldier raised an arm to block it, “Your Highness the seventh prince, come inside the tent to rest. The rain is falling heavier and heavier!”
Kun WuShang looked up with bloodshot eyes, “When you look at this rain, what emotions do you feel?”
The soldier that had been questioned was stunned, “What emotions? This subordinate naturally hopes that the rain will fall harder and harder to have the poison that we planted on Zhu Mountain washed into Eastern Ling’s camp. Like that, we can win without needing to fight!”
The soldier’s eyes were filled with joy and respect for Kun WuShang.
In the past, he had not heard of the seventh prince. After finding out that he was the new head general, most of the army was quite displeased.
He had arrived in a rush on a rainy day. His noble robes were completely soaked from traveling through the rain and wind, and it looked as if water could be squeezed from the light-yellow robes. He said…
“I won’t ask that you overpower the enemy. Instead, I ask that you outsmart them. I have been studying in Immortals Valley for seven years and naturally have my methods.”
After this, large sandbags filled with powdered poison were piled onto Zhu Mountain. With the heavy rain and the shape of the terrain, all of the poison was washed on Eastern Ling’s side.
Within a few days, a scout reported that a large number of soldiers from the Gu family’s army had been poisoned.
Soldiers perished without a fight, and this mysterious seventh prince quickly became a stalwart figure in the minds of the soldiers.
Kun WuShang smiled sarcastically, “That’s right. This is how a young person should feel. Listen to the rain from inside a brothel while the fragrance of red candles fills the air. In any case, it’s a joyous matter.”
The soldier did not understand what he meant, “Is Your Highness not happy?”
Once the situation on the border was reported to the capital, it would definitely be regarded as a military accomplishment. Emperor Kun would surely reward him.
Why did his expression look so ugly? The fragrant wine before him did not seem like it was for a celebration. Instead, it looked a bit like wine meant to drown his sorrows.
“Happy?”
He could not bring himself to rejoice, “Life goes through many ups and downs without ever stopping to rest. We can rejoice for now, but what about in the future? With such a large quantity of poison flowing into Eastern Ling’s borders, it will extend far past where the Gu family’s army is camped. For at least one decade, absolutely nothing will grow. Aside from soldiers, it will also hurt innocent citizens. When the history books are written, I, Kun WuShang, will be viewed as a war criminal.”
The soldiers fell silent for a moment, “… But you will be someone who will have contributed the most to our Western Kun!”
Kun WuShang said: “You’re wrong. There’s nothing that can remain unchanged. The three countries of Western Kun, Northern Li, and Eastern Ling have been separated for no more than one hundred years. Things are constantly changing. It’s possible that the three countries will unite in a few decades, and responsibility for this poisoned and blood-soaked land will fall on me. The evidence is irrefutable!”
When that time came, when there was neither a Western Kun nor Eastern Ling, there would only be a unified continent.
The residents of the three countries would spurn him. For the sake of personal gain, a perfectly fine region would become a hell on earth. The fertile land would become a desolate wasteland.
After all, something like using such a large quantity of poison during a war had never been done before, and nobody had ever thought of it.
Coming back around on the matter…
When he was young, he set out for Immortals Valley on his own. Rather than learn medicine, he insisted on learning about poisons. Was it not just for this day?
The soldier hesitated then helped hold him up while quietly saying: “It’s already quite amazing that we could take some of Eastern Ling’s wealthy cities. How could the three countries unite? This subordinate feels that the three countries will always remain divided.”
Northern Li to the north was the largest of the three countries, yet it never attacked Western Kun or Eastern Ling, while Western Kun was unable to defeat Eastern Ling, and Eastern Ling had no interest in invading Western Kun…
The three countries were in a delicate balance. Not even Western Kun’s continued belligerence could break this balance.
The vast majority of people felt this way, not just the soldiers. Emperor Kun alone refused to give up on the idea of annexing Eastern Ling before devouring Northern Li. His ambitions were too grand. They were so grand that they would not come true even after he died.
Kun WuShang had a strange smile on his face, “That’s right. If the three countries can continue to remain divided like this, how great would that be…”
He suddenly pushed the soldier away and staggered into the tent, “Pass down this order. Have the spies closely monitor the Gu family’s army’s movements. Once the rain stops, immediately launch an assault!”
…
On this rainy night, the main tent in the Gu family’s army’s camp was brightly illuminated with many people coming and going.
A cloud of death hung over the camp, as everyone wore distressed expressions without the slightest hint of anger.
Watching the soldiers that fought alongside them pass away without putting up a fight and without suffering created a stifling atmosphere.
“Reporting to head general, sure enough, the Western Kun’s army is under the Kun banner. The new general is the seventh prince of Western Kun, Kun WuShang!”
“Reporting to head general, all of the sandbags that could be moved have already been moved over, but it can only block the flow of the water. I fear that it won’t be able to prevent the poison from seeping in!”
“Reporting to head general, all of the best doctors in the nearby cities have already been brought over. They are currently working hard with the military doctors to treat the soldiers!”
Gu HuaiJiang sat behind a desk while remaining as composed as usual, “Have the people sent to the capital already set out?”
“They set out the day after we discovered that the water was the source of the poison. They should have already arrived at the capital. It’s just that I fear that it will take over ten days for Yu Fu to arrive at Zhu Guan.”
When he brought up Yu Fu, everyone carefully observed Gu HuaiJiang’s expression to try and find any hint of hesitation in his eyes.
Gu HuaiJiang looked around at everyone, and they all lowered their curious eyes. He turned around. There was not just hesitation in his eyes. There was also concern and helplessness.
If he had any other choice, he truly hoped to have Yu Fu always remain in the capital and remain the princess that he could protect. He hoped that she could live a happy and carefree life.
Unfortunately…
“Tell the doctors that even if they can’t fully treat the poison, they need to do their best to delay the onset of the poison. Over ten thousand soldiers have already died. The survivors absolutely must be kept alive during that time!”
Gu ShuBai said: “Over a hundred thousand soldiers drank the poisoned water. Too many have already died as a result of being poisoned. After so many days have passed, the ones who were lightly poisoned, like General Yan, have already started recovering. There are another 50 thousand who are still recovering in bed.”
Yan HuaShi drank half a cup of tea and suffered from diarrhea for an entire day. After spending three days recovering in bed, he was barely able to get up.
He was fortunate. The water in the main tent was the cleanest in the camp and had the lowest concentration of poison. He also had a strong and healthy body, thus he gradually started recovering after drinking some detoxifying medicine.
The normal soldiers of the army were not as lucky.
“It’s extremely fortunate that we noticed that the water was poisoned early on. Now that the camp is using water from Zhu Guan for food, no new cases of poisoning have occurred.”
Gu HuaiJiang nodded his head, “It’s good that nothing has happened to Zhu Guan City’s citizens. Aside from curing the poison, the most important matter is to pay close attention to the movements of Western Kun’s army. Our soldiers have been poisoned and lost a great deal of fighting power. Now is their best chance to attack.”
Lao Jin beat his chest and replied, “Head general, don’t worry. Even if we must breathe our last breath, we won’t allow Western Kun to succeed!”
In the past, nobody had ever said such a thing during battle.
The Gu family’s army was accustomed to winning their battles and never losing, nor had they ever encountered such an urgent situation.
The current problem was that they lacked manpower. Aside from the ones who had been poisoned, they also needed people to take care of them. The remaining people were few and disordered.
The army was in a panic, and when there was panic, it made it difficult to combat the enemy. All this time, the rain continued to fall.
This heavy rain really benefitted Western Kun…
Gu HuaiJiang looked into the rainy night, “This rain is about to come to an end. After the rain stops, a new round of fighting will quickly begin.”
Early the next morning, the group bringing water from Zhu Guan was in high spirits, cheering as soon as they entered the camp.
The main tent could faintly hear the sound of this commotion, and Gu HuaiJiang did not quite believe what he was hearing.
The army was in a dire situation filled with soldiers who were sick. Who could possibly be rejoicing at a time like this?
Gu JiuGe pushed the curtain to the side and found his sight partially obstructed by the rain. It was as Gu HuaiJiang had said. It was finally about to stop raining.
“Father, it’s the group that went to fetch water. I’ll go and see what they’re doing.”
A crowd of people was gathered in one place, and Gu JiuGe pushed the soldiers aside until he saw a snort soldier wearing a raincoat in the middle. A large bamboo hat obstructed their face, and their appearance could not be seen.
How could such a short soldier have been sent to fetch water?
Just as Gu JiuGe was about to start questioning the soldiers, the short soldier looked up, and a beautiful and familiar face appeared. A smile appeared on their pale lips.
*TN: From a poem by Jiang Jie
