Chapter 87: Another Substitute
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On the second day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, it rained. When He Yan woke up, everyone else was still sound asleep on their beds, likely still recovering from last night’s drinking. However, the calls for training had already begun outside, rain or not, they still had to practice. She got up from her bed and woke up the others in the room.
“I have such a headache,” Xiao Mai, being young, couldn’t handle the aftermath of alcohol and still felt its effects. “Brother Ah He, what are you doing?”
He Yan handed him a water pouch, saying, “Drink a few sips quickly, wash your face, it’s time for training.”
Taking the water pouch, Xiao Mai drank deeply, and Hong Shan chimed in, “Xiao Mai, you and your brother need more practice. You can’t handle so little alcohol even your Brother Ah He here is better.”
Xiao Mai glanced at He Yan and asked, “Brother Ah He, are you really good at drinking?”
“Decently.” He Yan replied vaguely. She didn’t have a headache now, and she actually felt quite refreshed. However, she had forgotten when she had returned to the room. She only remembered drinking with Huang Xiong by the bonfire, having a few more bowls, and even opened “Eighteen Immortals”… Oh right, where was the “Eighteen Immortals”?
“Speaking of the alcohol that Commander Xiao rewarded, where is it?” Hong Shan remembered, “That was some good stuff, it can’t be lost.”
“Probably with Wang Ba.” He Yan replied. She tried to recall what happened last night, but she couldn’t piece it together.
She had been known to be able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, but that wasn’t entirely true. She could still get drunk, but her drunkenness was different from others. Even when she was drunk, she wouldn’t show it on her face. She would still appear sober and clear-headed. In fact, during her time in the army, there was a night when she was drunk and spent the whole night discussing military strategies with the strategist in her tent. The strategist praised her the next day, saying she was truly a rare hero. However, He Yan couldn’t remember anything from that night.
Even when she was drunk, others couldn’t tell. She wouldn’t stagger or talk nonsense. Therefore, no one would have seen her lose control. However, she still couldn’t recall what she had done last night.
She tried to think harder, but the memories eluded her. She joined the others in washing her face and preparing for the day’s training.
After the rain, the ground was wet, making it necessary to be cautious and not run too fast to avoid slipping. As He Yan was running, she felt someone watching her. Following the gaze, she saw the Chief Instructor Shen Han standing at the end of the path, staring at her without blinking, his expression complicated.
When Shen Han noticed He Yan looking, he shifted his gaze away. This was strange. She was very sensitive to people’s gazes, and it seemed like Shen Han was studying her. When she looked at him again, he had already moved away.
Perhaps her gaze at Shen Han was too obvious. Another recruit running beside her said, “The Chief Instructor is quite stern, but he’s treating you well. What kind of relationship do you two have for him to care about you like that?”
“He’s treating me well?” He Yan was bewildered, “I don’t know about that.”
If Shen Han was truly treating her well, he wouldn’t have sent Lei Hou to the Vanguard Camp.
“Last night when we returned, I saw Instructor Shen himself carrying you back to your room,” the new recruit said, seeming a bit displeased. “You’re really ungrateful. If it were me, Instructor Shen wouldn’t have been so considerate.”
He Yan was left stunned.
She asked, “Did you see Chief Instructor Shen carrying me back last night?”
“Yeah,” the new recruit looked at her strangely, “You don’t remember? You were probably too drunk.” He said this and, since his companions up ahead were calling him to catch up, he didn’t pay any more attention to how she looked and hurried to join them ahead.
As He Yan lagged behind alone, she couldn’t help but feel surprised. Had she gotten drunk? Did Shen Han actually carry her back?
This didn’t make sense. She had asked Hong Shan and the others in the morning, and they had all been drunk, with fellow recruits from the same room carrying them back. No one knew when or how He Yan had returned.
He Yan didn’t consider Shen Han a thoughtful person.
She thought about it until the end of the run, and when the practice was about to begin, she decided to find Huang Xiong and the others to inquire. If even they didn’t know, she would go directly to ask Shen Han.
After the run, everyone rushed to take shelter from the rain under the grass shed or tents, drinking water. That’s when Cheng Lisu arrived.
The young man was holding an oiled paper umbrella decorated with red and white koi fish, which looked quite interesting. Unable to find He Yan, he asked around and finally found her under a shelter.
“Big Brother He!” he called out.
He Yan hadn’t expected Cheng Lisu to come looking for her. She got up and walked over to him, wondering, “Why aren’t you staying indoors in this heavy rain?”
“This isn’t the place to talk.” Cheng Lisu pulled her under the umbrella, and after searching around for a while, he finally found a spot by the long rack at the back of the training ground, hiding the flag platform from view. He stopped there, looking at He Yan, and said, “I got drunk yesterday. This morning, I overheard my uncle and Big Brother Fei Nu talking, and I found out that you went to see my uncle last night.”
“I went to see your uncle?” He Yan was taken aback.
“Yes.”
He Yan found it a bit hard to believe that she had actually gone to see Xiao Jue. She was currently rather unhappy with him, and given the matter with the Vanguard Camp, her visit to him certainly wouldn’t have been a friendly tea party. So…
“Why did I go to see your uncle?” He Yan asked slowly.
Cheng Lisu hesitated to answer, “You were probably drunk last night…”
He Yan: “…”
She forced herself to smile as if everything was normal and said, “You can tell me.”
“You went to see my uncle to…,” Cheng Lisu began but stopped, “You probably don’t remember…”
He Yan: “…”
She made an effort to maintain a casual smile and said, “It’s alright, you can tell me.”
“You got into a fight with my uncle and broke his zither,” Cheng Lisu honestly replied.
He Yan closed her eyes.
“Who won?” she asked.
Cheng Lisu didn’t expect her to be concerned about the outcome at this moment. He scratched his head and said, “Probably my uncle. I heard he had Chief Instructor Shen take you back.”
He Yan: “…”
Alright, so she had actually gone to challenge Xiao Jue while drunk and lost. Now Xiao Jue probably had even less favorable opinions about her and getting into Nine Banner Battalion seemed even more distant now.
He Yan felt disheartened, thinking that approaching Xiao Jue in the Nine Banner Battalion was probably impossible. It might be better to take a different path, slowly advancing through the ranks as she had done before, even if it would be a slower process. However, she wondered if, by the time she reached a position where she could approach He Rufei, he would have already risen to a higher rank.
Cheng Lisu looked sympathetically at her and tried to comfort her, “He Yan, you don’t have to be disheartened. My uncle… my uncle isn’t actually that petty. I came to tell you that for the next few days, it’s best not to approach my uncle to avoid making him angry. That Evening Fragrance Zither is quite valuable, and he didn’t ask you to compensate him. He’s already given you some leeway.”
“I couldn’t afford to compensate him anyway,” He Yan replied, feeling dejected.
“You see, things aren’t so bad,” Cheng Lisu added, “Don’t be too upset. I’ll speak up for you in front of my uncle!”
He Yan responded listlessly, “Thank you.”
After Cheng Lisu left, He Yan watched his figure disappear into the distance, feeling utterly drained. Her comrades in the tent had warned her that alcohol could lead to trouble, but she hadn’t taken it seriously. Now, it seemed they were right. She had only been drunk once since arriving in Liangzhou, and yet, she had already stirred up trouble.
Why had Shen Han personally carried her back? Perhaps, having witnessed that chaotic moment, knowing that she had no chance of gaining Xiao Jue’s favor in the future, her career prospects were bleak, and out of pity for her, he had acted this way.
He Yan thought, maybe she should find an opportunity to apologize to Xiao Jue and make amends. Sincerely apologizing might save the situation to some extent.
…
At this moment, in the residence of the Commander of the Right Army of the Liangzhou Garrison, Xiao Jue sat at his desk, looking at the invitation in his hand.
The invitation was sent by Sun Xiangfu, the County Magistrate of Liangzhou, informing that in a few days, Yuan Baozhen, an Imperial Inspector from the capital, would be arriving in Liangzhou. The County Magistrate was hosting a banquet, and among the invitees was also Xiao Jue’s nephew, Cheng Lisu.
Fei Nu stood behind Xiao Jue and said, “Young Master, it might not be safe to bring Young Master Cheng to the city. It could be a trap, posing a threat.”
“Yuan Baozhen and Xu Jingfu have a secret connection. He’s already Xu Jingfu’s man,” Xiao Jue toyed with the invitation in his hand and looked at the osmanthus tree outside the window. He said lightly, “He’s coming for me this time, but coincidentally, I also want to know what kind of game Xu Jingfu is playing here in Liangzhou.”
“Do you mean…?” Fei Nu hesitated.
“Yuan Baozhen is Xu Jingfu’s man, but Sun Xiangfu might not be,” Xiao Jue’s lips curled. “It’s about time Liangzhou’s County Magistrate had a change.”
“Are you planning to attend the banquet? I want to go with you, but Young Master Cheng needs protection back at the garrison. If someone has sinister intentions…” He didn’t finish, referring to He Yan. Given He Yan’s uncertain identity and the extreme danger surrounding her in the Liangzhou Garrison, she was the primary concern.
“Besides, Young Master Cheng trusts He Yan very much. If Young Master isn’t around…” If Cheng Lisu followed He Yan’s advice and was deceived by her or even manipulated, the consequences would be too great.
“When is Luan Ying arriving in Liangzhou?” Xiao Jue asked.
“Luan Ying is still at the Lou Region,” Fei Nu answered and then looked at Xiao Jue. “Young Master, how about declining the invitation?”
“No,” Xiao Jue lowered his gaze, “I must attend this banquet.”
…
When Cheng Lisu returned, he saw Xiao Jue sitting at his desk reading. The book was a mishmash of miscellaneous writings he had secretly purchased from the instructor. Cheng Lisu was startled, but without a second thought, he approached and said, “Uncle!”
Xiao Jue was casually flipping through the book. Hearing Cheng Lisu’s voice, his hand trembled, and he looked at him, furrowing his brows. “What did you call me?”
“I… I apologize!” Cheng Lisu said.
“What are you apologizing for?” Xiao Jue calmly asked.
He doesn’t seem angry? Cheng Lisu was surprised that Xiao Jue didn’t scold him for not practicing calligraphy properly and reading those miscellaneous writings. It seemed Xiao Jue’s mood was good today. Cheng Lisu puffed up his cheeks and approached with a smile. “I’m not wrong. I’m here to apologize on behalf of my elder brother. I heard he fought you yesterday… no, had a friendly bout. Uncle, you’re not angry, right?”
Thinking about the madman who had gone berserk last night and crushed his Evening Fragrance Zither, Xiao Jue’s eyes darkened slightly, but his tone remained as indifferent as ever. “No.”
“That’s good! Uncle, you’re really magnanimous!” Cheng Lisu hurriedly flattered him.
Xiao Jue glanced at him and took out a invitation from his pocket, tossing it onto Cheng Lisu’s face. “Read it yourself.”
“What’s this?” Cheng Lisu asked while picking it up. “Isn’t this an invitation? Someone sent you an invitation. And it has my name on it too. We’re going to Liangzhou City? That’s fantastic! I’ve been cooped up in the garrison all day. Let’s see… Imperial Inspector Yuan Baozhen… Why does that name sound familiar?” He looked at Xiao Jue skeptically. “Uncle, who is Yuan Baozhen?”
“Don’t you remember?” Xiao Jue curved his lips, reminding him, “The marriage proposal between you and Miss Song was suggested by this Lord Yuan in collaboration with your father. Song Cai used to be Lord Yuan’s superior.”
“Song, Song family?” Cheng Lisu’s grip on the invitation loosened, and it fell to the ground near his feet. He seemed oblivious, staring at Xiao Jue, his expression uncertain. “Why would the Song family come to Liangzhou?”
“It’s not the Song family,” Xiao Jue replied calmly. “It’s Yuan Baozhen.”
“But aren’t they the same…” Cheng Lisu murmured. “They’ve come to Liangzhou and invited me to the banquet. Could they be planning to take me back to the capital? I don’t want to marry her… I don’t want to get married…” He seemed to suddenly regain his senses, grabbing onto Xiao Jue’s sleeve. “Uncle, you can’t just stand by and watch your nephew walk into a fire pit!”
“What’s it to me?” Xiao Jue pulled his sleeve away, casually flipping through his book.
“It matters a lot to you!” Cheng Lisu circled the table to stand beside Xiao Jue. “Uncle, you know I don’t like Miss Song! I’d rather die than marry her. If I have to get married, I’ll hang myself on the wedding day! Uncle, you’re not going to let me suffer like this, right?”
Xiao Jue paused in his reading, looking at him indifferently. He drew his sword from his waist and placed it on the table.
Cheng Lisu stumbled over his words for a moment. “Wh- What is this?”
“You can end your life right now and see if I’ll just stand by and watch you die.”
Cheng Lisu stared at the blade, his face mournful. “Uncle, I really don’t want to go back to the capital. I’ve been here in the Liangzhou Garrison with you for half a year, and I’ve grown accustomed to life here. I can’t bear to be without you.” He clung to Xiao Jue’s leg, sobbing loudly.
Xiao Jue pressed his temples, seemingly reaching his limit. “Get up.”
Cheng Lisu didn’t move.
“Let me say it again. Get up.”
Cheng Lisu continued clutching Xiao Jue’s leg, blinking at him. “Unless you promise me not to hand me over to the Song family.”
“Didn’t you get tired of the garrison and want to go to Liangzhou City?”
“I don’t want to now!”
The young man’s voice remained calm. “But Yuan Baozhen is an Imperial Inspector.”
“Uncle, you’re still General Fengyun, Xiao Huaijin!” Cheng Lisu exclaimed.
“Yuan Baozhen has seen you before. If he knows you’re avoiding him in Liangzhou, what if he complained to the Song family about your negligence?” Xiao Jue explained.
Cheng Lisu immediately replied, “How could he have seen me? I’ve never met him in person. My parents barely had time to hide me. If he had seen me, he wouldn’t have recommended me to Miss Song. She and I are clearly mismatched!”
“True,” Xiao Jue’s gaze flickered as he looked at the distressed young man. “You must attend, and since he hasn’t seen you, there’s a way.”
Cheng Lisu widened his eyes.
“Find someone to take your place at the banquet.”
Cheng Lisu blinked in confusion for a moment, then finally understood. He stopped pretending to sob and stood up, clapping his hands together. “Brilliant! Uncle is absolutely right. He hasn’t seen me, so I can just find anyone to replace me!”
“Do you have a candidate?”
Cheng Lisu looked at him. “I…”
“In the Liangzhou Garrison, there doesn’t seem to be a young man of your age and build who matches your description,” Xiao Jue said. “If the difference is too noticeable, you’ll be found out.”
Most of the soldiers in the Liangzhou Garrison were strong and rugged, and even the younger ones were muscular and tough. Cheng Lisu, as a young master from the capital, was pampered and fair-skinned, vastly different from the raw recruits in the garrison.
“If you can’t find one, you might as well go yourself,” Xiao Jue said nonchalantly.
“Who said I can’t find one!” Cheng Lisu became agitated, a spark of inspiration flashing in his mind. “My elder brother, my elder brother is quite similar to me!”
Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying it. “He Yan?”
“Exactly, my elder brother. He’s about the same age and build as me. Plus, he’s clever and can adapt on the fly, handling Yuan Baozhen well. Even if Yuan Baozhen can take me away, he might not be able to take my elder brother.”
Cheng Lisu’s thoughts on He Yan were quite fresh. In his eyes, He Yan was the most capable of anything besides Xiao Jue. He believed that He Yan could achieve things that others couldn’t.
Seeing Xiao Jue’s silence, a wave of anxiety swept over Cheng Lisu. He assumed that Xiao Jue was still upset about the fight with He Yan the previous night. He thought Xiao Jue might not want to see He Yan at this moment, and he was trying to figure out how to convince Xiao Jue when he saw Xiao Jue close the book he was reading and say, “Sure.”
All the comforting words Cheng Lisu had prepared got stuck in his throat, and all he managed to utter was a surprised “Ah?”
Xiao Jue looked at him. “If you can persuade your elder brother, let him go in your place.”
…
After the afternoon training session, while resting outside the training ground, He Yan was approached by Huang Xiong and a few others. They didn’t waste time and immediately handed He Yan her silver ingots, the ones Shen Han had brought earlier. Then they asked about the whereabouts of the “Eighteen Immortals” liquor.
“I remember you took it last,” Huang Xiong asked, “I got a few empty alcohol jars today to distribute to the brothers. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a great idea,” He Yan replied, “but we might have to wait until the rewards from the next flag competition come in.”
“What do you mean?” Wang Ba was growing impatient, suddenly realizing the situation. He turned to He Yan. “You… you couldn’t have… finished it all?”
Facing the intense gaze of the group, He Yan nodded with a sigh. “I’m really sorry. I accidentally drank it all.”
“He Yan!” Wang Ba exclaimed loudly. “You’ve gone too far! That was our shared reward. You drank it all yourself! Even the bandits wouldn’t be as overbearing as you!” He rolled up his sleeves, as if to hit He Yan, but halfway through remembered that he couldn’t win against He Yan and couldn’t really hit him. In the end, he was left in an awkward position.
Jiang Jiao and Shitou didn’t seem to care much. Neither of them was interested in alcohol. Huang Xiong, while not as agitated as Wang Ba, also looked disapproving.
On a normal day, He Yan might have felt sorry for his actions. However, after the string of bad news he had heard recently, he had become somewhat numb. He felt too drained to deal with the thoughts of the people in front of him. So, he just sat there in silence.
Seeing her sitting there, dejected and not saying a word, the group exchanged glances. They thought that He Yan had taken a big blow from not entering the Vanguard Camp this time. She had drowned her sorrows in alcohol last night and was still so downcast today. But then, upon further reflection, they realized her drinking wasn’t in vain. While they used cheap liquor for their fun, she had used hundreds of taels of silver. Yet, even after spending all that, she hadn’t managed to drown her sorrows.
Just when they were at a loss for what to do, someone’s voice broke the silence.
“Big Brother He… Big Brother He, so you’re here!” Cheng Lisu came running over, panting and with sweat on his forehead from running all the way.
This was the second time He Yan had seen him in a single day. But as soon as she saw him, she remembered the incident from last night when she had offended Xiao Jue. A headache came over her. He Yan raised her head and asked listlessly, “Why are you here?”
“I’m here for something important,” Cheng Lisu glanced at the people around and pulled He Yan aside. “This isn’t the right place to talk. Big Brother He, come with me.”
As Xiao Jue’s nephew, Cheng Lisu’s presence naturally silenced the others. Even though the bill for the Eighteen Immortals hadn’t been settled yet, they could only watch as Cheng Lisu pulled He Yan away, leaving them bewildered.
As Cheng Lisu tugged He Yan along, they ran all the way to his living quarters. When they arrived, He Yan hesitated at the door. She knew that Xiao Jue’s room was next door, and she didn’t want to go in and possibly run into him. It would be awkward if their eyes met.
Cheng Lisu seemed to suddenly realize something, so he assured her, “Don’t worry, my uncle is out. There’s no one here.”
He Yan heard this and reluctantly followed him inside.
Once inside, Cheng Lisu looked around and then closed all the doors and windows, acting as if they were plotting some sort of sinister deed. He Yan watched him, speechless.
“Coming to find me again, to talk about your uncle?” He Yan preemptively informed him, “Little Brother Cheng, I appreciate your concern, but I really don’t want to hear anything about him lately.” Could he spare her some dignity, please?
Just as she finished speaking, she felt a hand press against her shoulder, and Cheng Lisu turned her around, grabbing her hand and clutching it against his chest.
He Yan almost instinctively threw a punch at him.
She suppressed her urge to punch him. Although she was accustomed to interacting with men, it was mostly in a casual manner. Holding hands like this felt quite awkward.
However, the young man in front of her had an innocent look, completely unaware that his actions might be misunderstood. To him, two men acting like this probably wasn’t a big deal.
“Big brother, please save your little brother!” Cheng Lisu pleaded with a pitiful expression.
“… What happened?” He Yan asked.
“Promise me first that you’ll help me out, otherwise, big brother, you might never see me again!” Cheng Lisu said mournfully.
“Is it that serious?” He Yan asked, not quite taking it seriously. Cheng Lisu was prone to exaggeration; he could make even the smallest issue sound earth-shattering. Moreover, if there was really a problem, his uncle was Xiao Jue. Naturally, he’d be able to help him out. “Tell me what happened first, and then I’ll try to help you.”
“Big Brother, do you still remember what I told you? I ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage. My family was determined to marry me off, but I pleaded with my uncle to bring me to Liangzhou,” Cheng Lisu recounted, his tone filled with sorrow. “But now, my family won’t let me be. That family’s master’s colleague has arrived in Liangzhou. They sent an invitation to my uncle, asking both of us to attend a banquet. My goodness, why would they even bother to put my name on the invitation? It’s clearly a scheme to capture me once I arrive!”
He was talking as if he was being abducted, almost as if he were about to march to the magistrate’s office to plead his case.
“Isn’t that a bit too extreme?” He Yan said, “If you don’t want to go, your uncle will naturally protect you. Can they really take you away forcibly in front of your uncle?”
Cheng Lisu couldn’t say that Xiao Jue might actually let them take him away. Xiao Jue might even be happy to get rid of this baggage. He coughed lightly and said, “Big brother, you know that my mother has some reservations about my uncle. If he intervenes, it’ll put him in an awkward position. My mother will resent him for sure. I don’t want to cause trouble for him!”
Unexpectedly, Cheng Lisu was defending his uncle like this. He Yan sighed inwardly. It seemed that blood ties were something unchangeable, no matter what.
“So, what do you want me to do?” she asked, “Do you want me to help you get rid of that official? Assaulting an officer is against the law.”
“Where are you going with this, big brother?” Cheng Lisu released her hand. “I’m not that kind of person. I’m thinking, that official has never seen me before, doesn’t know what I look like. Big brother, we’re about the same age, and you’re also handsome and elegant, with a similar build. Why don’t you go in my place? If they try to capture you, you can easily escape with your skills. If they can’t catch me, it’s their problem, not my uncle’s.”
“Replace you?” He Yan said, “Absolutely not.” She turned to leave, but she suddenly felt a strong resistance. Another substitute? She had spent her past life as He Rufei’s substitute. She had finally managed to use her own name openly, and now she was being asked to be a substitute again?
Was fate intentionally against her?
“Big brother,” Cheng Lisu cried out with anguish, “you really can’t just stand by and do nothing! Just think about it, if you and my uncle attend the banquet together, by his side day and night, if you behave well, my uncle will surely change his view of you. Moreover, you’re stepping up for his nephew. To show his gratitude, he might even… he might even let you join the Nine Banner Battalion!”
He Yan: “…”
Cheng Lisu was saying anything to avoid attending the banquet. But she knew that Xiao Jue was not someone who traded in favors. It’s possible that if she followed him around day and night, it would only anger him more, and any more mistakes could lead to her getting expelled.
Seeing that He Yan was resolute in not helping, Cheng Lisu collapsed on the ground, pointing at the sky and cursing, “Heavens, why are you doing this to me! Yuan Baozhen, what deep-rooted grudge do I have with you from my previous life? Why do you keep pushing me into the fire pit over and over again!”
He Yan was already at the door, but upon hearing Cheng Lisu mention Yuan Baozhen, she paused and turned back, asking, “You just said… Yuan Baozhen?”
“Yes,” Cheng Lisu looked at her and instinctively replied, “That official who’s forcing me into an arranged marriage. He’s the current Inspector Yuan Bao Zhen.”
He Yan’s eyebrows twitched. After a moment, she quickly walked over to Cheng Lisu, extending a hand to the collapsed young man.
“Stop crying. So you have to attend a banquet. I’ll help you.”
——Author’s Note——
Uncle Xiao is really a master of schemes, hahaha.
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