Chapter 28: An Invitation Over Wine
Six heinous deserters received their just punishment.
Di Hong turned and asked Jiang Chen, “Since you claim to be an ordinary civilian, how do you explain the military uniform you’re wearing?”
“There’s no use trying to hide it—speak the truth, and quickly!”
Jiang Chen had thought Di Hong might have forgotten about this, but to his surprise, the general was intent on getting to the bottom of it.
“Well, it’s like this...”
Just as Jiang Chen was about to fabricate an excuse, a voice came from behind him. “General Di, this is a misunderstanding. The uniform he’s wearing was given by me.”
Jiang Chen turned to see the youth whose horse he and Gu Jun had waylaid earlier. Somehow, he had managed to arrive just in time and was now helping Jiang Chen cover up the truth.
“Oh? It was you who gave it to him?”
“Absolutely. His name is Jiang Chen, and he’s a distant cousin of mine. He was originally headed to Gucheng County on business, and along the way discovered that a few suspicious deserters had mingled among the refugees.”
“As luck would have it, he was about to report them to the authorities when I happened to meet him. General, you know my horsemanship isn’t the best, so I let Jiang Chen ride my horse ahead to warn you, lest you be deceived by those deserters.”
Di Hong looked at Jiang Chen, then at the youth. “Why did you swap your uniform with him? Do you realize that’s against military regulations?”
The youth immediately apologized, “Forgive me, General! You know my cousin can ride, but he’s a penniless scholar with no strength to defend himself. I was worried he’d be bullied along the way, so I gave him the uniform to bolster his courage.”
Jiang Chen pondered silently: Though he didn’t know why the youth was helping him, every one of Di Hong’s questions was deftly answered with near-perfect reasoning. Truly a clever fellow!
“So that’s how it is...”
Di Hong seemed convinced, but then suddenly raised his head and asked Jiang Chen, “Tell me, what’s his name?”
His riding whip pointed at the youth, who had met Jiang Chen only once before. It was a shrewd question.
“Luo Tiancheng. My cousin’s name is Luo Tiancheng.”
Di Hong stared intently at Jiang Chen, but after a moment his expression relaxed. He turned his horse and prepared to head back to Ziyang City.
“General Di, I’ve just reunited with my cousin after a long time. I’d like to catch up with him and return to the city a bit later.”
“Very well, just don’t stay out too late. These parts haven’t been safe lately!”
As the cavalry rode away, Jiang Chen and Luo Tiancheng stood facing each other, exchanging smiles as if they were old friends.
“Lucky your name was sewn onto your clothes, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to answer,” Jiang Chen said with relief.
“A close call indeed. Thankfully, the young general could distinguish right from wrong and didn’t trouble us.”
From the distant grass, Gu Jun emerged. Only now did Jiang Chen have a moment to ask what had happened.
Gu Jun explained that shortly after Jiang Chen left, Luo Tiancheng had awoken. Gu Jun, being straightforward and unafraid to admit what he’d done, told him everything.
It turned out Luo Tiancheng was a man of upright character. Upon learning the truth, he and Gu Jun hurried to catch up, worried that Jiang Chen alone facing fifty cavalrymen was too dangerous. Luo Tiancheng hoped to arrive in time to help him out of the predicament.
Fortunately, everything was resolved without injury or death—a rather satisfactory outcome.
Jiang Chen and Luo Tiancheng quickly bonded. In conversation, Jiang Chen learned that Luo Tiancheng came from a family of military officers; his father held a prominent position in the Great Qian dynasty, making him a true “second-generation official.”
No wonder he despised deserters so much—he had grown up in a household where integrity was valued above all.
Luo Tiancheng said to Jiang Chen, “I wish I could fly straight to the northern front and join the soldiers defending the nation. If only…”
He sighed deeply in frustration. Jiang Chen could easily guess the reason.
“Your father won’t let you fight. He keeps you stationed far from the border as a low-ranking cavalryman, so you can gain experience while staying safe. When the time is right, he’ll arrange a fine post for you at court.”
Luo Tiancheng stared in amazement. “You sound exactly like my father!”
“In truth, I’m not even a proper cavalryman. I just deliver messages between relay stations. Only when battle reports are frequent do I get busy—otherwise, I’m just assigned to care for the horses.”
Seeing Luo Tiancheng’s dejected look, Jiang Chen encouraged him, “Don’t worry. With your patriotic spirit, it’s never too late. One day, you’ll have the chance to prove yourself.”
“Great Qian stands on a precarious edge; now more than ever, the country needs passionate young men like you. I believe the flame of hope for Great Qian will never die!”
Upon hearing these stirring words, both Gu Jun and Luo Tiancheng felt their hearts ignite with patriotic fervor. They both possessed the burning blood of warriors.
Luo Tiancheng said, “Jiang Chen, you can’t be much older than me, yet you speak just like my old man!”
“Do I?” Jiang Chen smiled.
Gu Jun laughed as well. “Though my master lives deep in the mountains, his heart holds the fate of the world. I deeply admire him for that!”
“To tell the truth, I’ll leave the mountains sooner or later. The rugged southern border is good for retirement, not for living a brilliant life. I won’t let my time slip away in vain.”
“Perhaps one day, we’ll have the chance to fight side by side, and drive every enemy daring to invade our lands from their saddles!”
Luo Tiancheng longed for that day. Before leaving, he told Jiang Chen that he was stationed at the Shuima Relay Station west of Ziyang City, and Jiang Chen could seek him out anytime.
“I have ten brothers there—all loyal and true. Come by for a drink whenever you like!”
“Of course. Next time, I’ll bring some of my own brewed wine!”
As Luo Tiancheng’s figure receded on horseback, he feigned the air of a seasoned veteran, sealing a pact to drink with Jiang Chen.
As dusk fell, Jiang Chen and Gu Jun hurried on toward Gucheng County.
Later, Gu Jun asked about the mountain bandits who were killed. Jiang Chen recounted the incident involving the peculiar man, mentioning the ink-green, unsharpened short blade he carried. Gu Jun’s expression changed dramatically.
“A military token—that’s a Great Qian military token!”