Chapter 183 - The Domineering General & Charming Military Advisor (2): Tattoo brand, past, playboy
Translator: kiribold
editor: sarah
Lou Ying wanted to laugh, but he coughed when he opened his mouth.
Chi Xiaochi held the armrest of the wheelchair with one hand and stroked his back, “Why did you choose such a configuration?”
Lou Ying bent down. “It’s only this way.”
He tried many times. An abnormal exception was added to his selection program. No matter what ident.i.ty he chose, it had a debilitating physique that couldn’t walk three steps without spitting up a mouthful of blood.
He tried to go back and reason with the Lord G.o.d. Use his mouth to make promises and striving not to use his hands but found that he couldn’t send a docking signal.
His attempts to return to Chi Xiaochi’s body also failed.
Moreover, there was no internet network in this world. Obtaining information was basically by word of mouth. Finding information was basically by hand.
However, the restricted Lou Ying couldn’t explain in detail to Chi Xiaochi what this frivolous “only this way” was.
Fortunately, Chi Xiaochi had a quick mind.
He said, “That Dog Brain.” Anyway, curse the Lord G.o.d and be done with the matter.
Lou Ying laughed. “Mn.”
Chi Xiaochi pointed to the corner of his eye.
“This?” Lou Ying stroked the ink branding on the corner of his right eye and changed his tone, “Your humble servant, Yu Fengmian, courtesy name Jiuge, was a child when there was a severe drought in the world. The clan uncle embezzled disaster relief money and grain. The officials forced the people to rebel, leading to the shock of the court. The emperor was furious and sentenced the whole family to have brandings done and exiled to the border. When the General was guarding the border, he went into the town in disguise to look for traces of spies. He met this humble one by chance, and spoke with this humble one about the art of war, and it was a good match. This humble servant was fortunate to have won the General’s attention and the General reported upwards to hire this humble servant as gongzi-shi. He sent this humble servant back to the capital to live in the courtyard in the General’s mansion.”
After speaking, he asked Chi Xiaochi, “Do you like this script?”
Chi Xiaochi said, “It’s alright.”
He distractedly looked at the tattoo on the corner of the man’s eye.
The tattoo shape was good, like a flower blooming around the eye.
But the meaning was not so beautiful.
For people on the border to understand, the word was “national traitor” in the Nanjiang language, which was a filthy and insulting word.
But with Lou Ying’s almost transparent white skin, it wasn’t so harsh.
Especially when he coughed too hard and closed his eyes to breathe slowly, there was a strange sense of beauty mixed with filth and holiness.
Back to business.
Chi Xiaochi got up. “The Lord G.o.d has concealed the world line?”
“Concealed.” Lou Ying said, “At least I didn’t receive it here.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “Excellent. I’m a meat bun falling into a pack of dogs right now.”
Lou Ying replied, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll s.n.a.t.c.h you.”
Chi Xiaochi took off his robes and put them on him. “Aiyo, you’re already like this, but you’re still robbing. Take care of your body.”
Lou Ying said, “For you, it is necessary to take care of, and live a hundred years.”
Then he saw that Chi Xiaochi’s face had changed.
Lou Ying’s heart was pierced with sharp pain.
… he seemed to have stepped on a landmine.
But Chi Xiaochi didn’t even allow him to comfort him.
He looked as usual and said, “I’ll start with the news I have about me. The original owner Shi Tingyun, the son of the General, has two close servants on the surface, and he has a good relationship with the two princes…the original owner was quite able at mingling. I suddenly had a headache when I saw a few of them, and saw something which should be the original owner’s memories, but the information is incomplete. There isn’t much reference value for the time being. What about your side?”
Lou Ying nodded, “I know a little more than you do.”
He rocked his wheelchair back half a meter. “After going to see you, I flipped through the books here briefly.”
Chi Xiaochi looked at the thousands of ancient books on the seven or eight shelves here, was a little dizzy, and couldn’t help blowing his Lou-ge up in his heart.
Chi Xiaochi’s ident.i.ty this time was quite ill.u.s.trious.
His father was a hereditary Zhenguo General, the Confucian General Shi Jinghong. His ancestors followed the king to fight the world, laid down a country, and made w.a.n.gcheng the capital.
The king did not doubt the general, and the general was loyal to the king. In this way, the Shi family jumped to become the most prestigious family in w.a.n.gcheng, other than the royal family.
The Shi family’s ancestral motto was blue blood shed in service of the ruler.
The seven generations of the Shi family, including Shi Tingyun, all had the style of Confucian scholars but also extraordinary bravery.
Shi Tingyun, courtesy name Suchang, was the only son of his family, and his mother died early. He learned the bow and arrow as a child and was able to pierce the popler at a hundred paces. His silver spear made him reach perfection. At six, he became the study companion of the Thirteenth Prince, Yuanheng. He was good at Yi and calligraphy. When he was sixteen, there was chaos in Nanjiang. Shi Tingyun took the initiative to volunteer for military service. He defeated three generals at Nanjiang when he first entered the battlefield and became famous in one battle.
Shi Tingyun made such a good showing, but he still gave his father a headache.
He was a forthright person and liked to make friends. Regardless of status, if you can join him, even street gangsters can share a sip of wine.
General Shi might not be so troubled if it was just like this.
When General Shi was young, he also served as a study companion to the current holy sage. He followed his father’s teaching, was cautious in his words and deeds, and didn’t dare to violate the rules.
But Shi Tingyun never listens to him.
He was not only close with the emperor’s seven or eight princes but also had close personal relationships with two princes.
General Shi often heard that Shi Tingyun invited the two princes to the poetry contest, the horse racetrack, to play polo, and occasionally to visit the Flower House.
General Shi’s eyes darkened each time he heard about it.
The sixth prince, Yan Yuanzhao , was born by the first empress. He was uninhibited and intelligent enough, but he was playful by nature and lost in hedonism. However, the emperor has a deep affection for the first empress, and he has not established a successor since her death, giving him enough capital to run wild without touching the face of the royal family.
The thirteenth prince, Yan Yuanheng, whose mother was once a third-ranked consort was later punished for a jealous incident and sentenced to be a low-ranking concubine. But the emperor didn’t treat his youngest son harshly because of this and even found Shi Tingyun as a study companion for him.
Yan Yuanheng also lived up to this expectation. He was exceptionally talented, both in civil and military arts. He never forgot the books he read, and if only comparing swordsmanship, Shi Tingyun might not be able to get the advantage over Yan Yunheng.
But probably because of his mother’s punishment, Yan Yuanheng was highly self-disciplined for fear of making mistakes. He abided by etiquette everywhere, didn’t drink wine, didn’t approach women, awoke at Maoshi, and rested at Haishi. He was a master who was soaking wolfberries in a thermos at a young age.
Shi Tingyun didn’t mind this. When drunk, he also liked to make fun of him and often said, old curmudgeon, come, give your Master Shi a happy time.
In the private room filled with the fragrance of powder, Yan Yuanheng was holding his teacup with soaked plums. He was motionless as a mountain, and his expression was as calm as incense. The girl singing who watched him suspected that she was not in the Drunk Moon House but in the Bodhi temple chanting scriptures.
Fortunately, General Shi didn’t hear his beloved son’s outrageous remarks. Otherwise, he would suffer cardiac arrest.
One time when he returned to w.a.n.gcheng to report on his duties, Shi Jinghong was terrified and submitted a formal apology to the holy sage.
“Trusted General, do not worry.” The emperor was open-minded and said, “Suchang, zhen watched him grow up. He has a promising future. He is young and frivolous, and has an unrestrained character, there is no harm. Yuanheng and Yuanzhao are also adults and have their own decisions, why should you and I interfere?”
The current emperor was in his prime, with a gentle temperament and benevolent character, and was a qualified ruler.
The princes below also seemed to be very well-behaved, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with them.
However, in the fleeting memory fragments of Shi Tingyun, when the sixth prince, Yan Yuanzhao, died, he knelt on a burning plaque.
No matter how you look at it, that background doesn’t look like a peaceful and prosperous world.
Chi Xiaochi asked, “What about the two servants?”
Lou Ying said, “When I visited you, I pretended not to know them and chatted with them separately. Ah Ling is okay. His origin is the Central Plains, and has a complete slave deed. But that Ah Shu is from Nanjiang.”
Chi Xiaochi whistled.
It didn’t seem like it.
“It is unlikely.” Lou Ying said, “He didn’t shy away from it. He self-admitted that his parents died early, and he entered customs with his grandparents when he was a child. After his grandparents died of the epidemic, he couldn’t make a living and became a slave. Because of his cleverness, he was bought by the General’s Mansion. Shi Yingyun learned the Nanjiang language from him.”
“What about Ah Ling?”
Lou Ying asked, “You suspect him?”
Chi Xiaochi thought of the half-spoken “Tingyun” that he heard from Ah Ling when he was dizzy and said, “I suspect everyone.”
Before everything was clear, he even suspected the sixth prince, Yan Yuanzhao.
A tragic ending doesn’t mean anything.
Lou Ying said, “Shi Tingyun is very fond of him.”
Chi Xiaochi waited for Lou Ying’s subsequent words. “Mn.”
Lou Ying: “No more.”
Chi Xiaochi: “..Mn?”
After the explanation, Chi Xiaochi realized why this sentence was so simple.
Because it was that simple.
Ah Ling came later than Ah Shu.
When he entered the mansion at the age of thirteen, he learned everything at once, including marksmanship, painting and calligraphy, Go, archery, and the art of war, and everything wasn’t bad. He was lively and tactful and quite gracious in dealing with people and things.
Shi Tingyun’s love for talent was exactly the same as his father’s. He very much favored him and took him the first time he went to the battlefield. The intention of promotion couldn’t be more obvious.
And Ah Ling wasn’t a loss for Shi Tingyun.
Although he didn’t go to the battlefield to kill the enemy in blood, being a liaison officer was of a form.
After returning, Shi Tingyun took him wherever he went, playing Go, practicing the spear, and riding horses, intending to train and raise him from slavery.
Chi Xiaochi thought about it. “Ah Shu entered the mansion earlier than Ah Ling. Does he have any objections on such favoritism?”
All the questions Chi Xiaochi could think of, Lou Ying thought of for him.
Lou Ying said, “Ah Shu himself said that his ability to serve people is higher than his talent for military warfare. Everyone cares about each other, and he has no complaints. …Of course, the authenticity of this statement is for reference only.”
Chi Xiaochi let out a breath.
This was the current situation.
Things weren’t any better, but fortunately, he had some intelligence.
Shi family tradition, only one wife and no concubines. Since his mother died of illness, General Shi Jinghong had not remarried and had been stationed at Zhennan Pa.s.s year-round. Now he, the eldest-gongzi, was in charge of the general’s mansion and had a high degree of freedom.
So he decided to exercise his sovereignty first and take his family’s Lou-ge for a walk.
It was sunny outside, and always staying indoors was not good for your health.
Lou Ying was very obedient and found a black three-layered muslin veil to wear himself.
He explained, “When I am exposed to the light and wind, my eyes will feel uncomfortable.”
Real brittle skin.
When Chi Xiaochi heard the words, he suddenly wondered whether Lou Ying was wearing the veil like this just now. He swayed over, gently touched his forehead, and then swayed back.
Lou Ying tilted his head and asked, “What’s on your mind?”
Chi Xiaochi, whose mind was full of public service advertis.e.m.e.nts for lonely old people, denied, “Nothing.”
Lou Ying raised his hand and stroked the right eye covered under the muslin veil. “This is inconvenient to see people, so I can only show you.”
Chi Xiaochi: “…”
He suddenly felt this tattoo became erotic.
Lou Ying sighed mildly, “If you didn’t have to do the full set for the drama, you should use the southern border script to tattoo the three characters ‘Chi Xiaochi.’ That would look better.”
Chi Xiaochi: “…”
Lou Ying continued, “I will try to make it look like a rose.”
Before he could finish speaking, he coughed and asked himself if he was teasing too much and was being punished by G.o.d, so he simply shut his mouth.
Chi Xiaochi tightened his clothes and filled a hot water bottle for him to hold.
The day was getting warmer, but his hands were still ice cold.
When he was ready, he pushed Lou Ying’s wooden wheelchair and walked out of the dimly lit Flower Dew Pavilion.
Outside, the gra.s.s was long, and warblers flew. The warm and fragrant wind stirred the veil revealing the slightly sharp and thin chin of the person behind the curtain.
Chi Xiaochi pushed slowly. “Xiansheng, tell me about the war on the border.”
Lou Ying smiled, rubbing his fingertips on his knees slowly, then began to speak sentence by sentence.
This dynasty had no internal worries for the time being, but there were quite a few external problems. Nanjiang, which has been repeatedly pacified, was the biggest worry among them, and the Xiongnu in the north. Although they were on the decline, they also had disobedient hearts. Fortunately, their strength wasn’t enough, so as long as the Zhennan Pa.s.s was guarded so that the Xiongnu and Nanjiang could not unite, there would be no serious problem.
The two men, one teaching and one listening looked like a teacher-student strolling around.
After the business talk, the two arrived near Chi Xiaochi’s bedroom.
Having followed the rules in front of Lou-ge for a long time, Chi Xiaochi suddenly wanted to do something bad and couldn’t be pressed down.
Lou Ying spoke too much. He sucked in some cold air and started coughing again.
Chi Xiaochi took the opportunity to rub his back. “Lou-ge?”
Lou Ying tilted his head to look at him while coughing.
He leaned into his ear and exhaled deliberately. “It’s so uncomfortable, why don’t you come back into my body?”
Lou Ying coughed even harder.
As soon as Chi Xiaochi felt he had regained a victory, he heard Lou Ying coughing with laughter.
He took a sigh of relief, raised his head, and said earnestly, “The conditions didn’t allow it this time. Next time, I will fight for it.”
Chi Xiaochi drove to the northeast and crashed.
The driver at fault acted like a hooligan, didn’t run, and was still sitting in the same place to act like a hooligan.
In short, the old driver Chi Xiaochi announced that eight cars were rear-ended and died an ugly death.
Lou Ying naturally knew when to stop while it was good, so he took the handkerchief back into his palm when he noticed that his ears were red. “But there are advantages to being uncomfortable.”
Chi Xiaochi looked down at him.
He said, “I got sick first and set an example. I hope that in the future, a certain patient will also follow medical advice and get good treatment.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “It depends on what kind of person gives the medical advice.”
Lou Ying said, “It’s not good to be picky.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “I’m not picky about anything else, but I’m picky about this. So I have to take good care of my xiansheng, so that he can take care of me when the time comes.”
Lou Ying looked up.
Having spent so much time with him, he knew precisely which of Chi Xiaochi’s words were deliberately provocative and which were a joke.
When Chi Xiaochi uttered “my xiansheng,” he was trying to get high.
But this inadvertence was much, much cuter than when he deliberately drove.
Meanwhile, Chi Xiaochi stopped in front of his bedroom.
“…So, of course, the rose is to be picked and raised carefully.” Chi Xiaochi said, “If you leave xiansheng alone in the gloomy Flower Dew Pavilion, the student’s heart cannot bear it, ah.”
Lou Ying couldn’t help laughing. “My bedding is still in the Flower Dew Pavilion.”
“Just come over, everything will always be ready.” Chi Xiaochi bowed and smiled. “Mainly, I want to ask xiansheng to keep an eye on people for me.”
He was referring to Ah Shu and Ah Ling.
Lou Ying, of course, acquiesced and expressed his affirmation and praise for his unreasonable remarks just now. “You really look like a playboy.”
Chi Xiaochi shrugged. “I acted as one.”
Lou Ying remembered.
He was a handsome young gentleman in the Republic of China. He loved smoking opium and loved beauties. He became the Second Boss of a bandit mountain after his family’s fall. He was full of the aristocratic spirit that deserved a beating, a cheap mouth, and was lazy all day long, which made the Boss want to deal with him from time to time.
But Lou Ying always just wanted to hug him.
Lou Ying wanted to hold Chi Xiaochi’s hand hanging on the side of the wheelchair, but Ah Ling hurried over from the side.
When he saw Lou Ying, he was slightly startled. He first bowed to the “gongzi-shi” before saying, “Eldest-gongzi, the Thirteenth Prince is here.”
Chi Xiaochi: …Oho, I haven’t acted this before.
He said, “Say I’m bed-ridden.”
Ah Ling said worriedly, “I tested the Thirteeth Prince’s tone, and he said, if you are still sick, he would have to come in and have a look. I didn’t know when you would be able to come back from gongzi-shi’s. I was afraid that the Thirteenth Prince would pounce and come up empty, so had no choice but to tell the truth.”
At the end, he added, “The Thirteenth Prince said there’s no hurry and will wait for you in the Flower Hall.”