Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Mysterious Appearance of the Great Qian Military Talisman

Military tally?

When Jiang Chen saw Gu Jun suddenly stop in his tracks, he thought perhaps the man was feeling unwell. He never expected Gu Jun to say something that left him utterly astonished, “Based on your description, Brother Jiang, what that man was holding wasn’t a weapon, but rather a military tally from the Grand Qian army!”

“You mean to say, that man used a military tally to shield me from the blade, and even killed three bandits?”

In his previous life, Jiang Chen had been a nondescript, destitute scholar; how could he have ever seen something as symbolic of supreme authority as the military tally of the Grand Qian army? Otherwise, his reaction at the time would surely have mirrored Gu Jun’s now.

“The Ministry of War in Grand Qian commands five armies, and so there are five military tallies. Their general appearance is similar, but the hilts are distinctly different.”

“For example, the tally for the Border Garrison Army has a hilt carved like a ram’s horn, while the Yellow Brocade Army, responsible for defending the capital, has a hilt shaped like an elephant’s tusk, symbolizing strength.”

Unfortunately, Jiang Chen knew nothing of these distinctions, so he hadn’t paid attention to the shape of the tally’s hilt in the man’s hand. The appearance of this individual puzzled them both. By rights, anyone able to wield a military tally ought to be a commander of an army, at the very least a deputy general. It was also common in the army for trusted deputies to safeguard the tally on behalf of their superiors.

“Brother Gu, who do you think that person might be?”

“I’m not sure, but he must be someone of significant rank in the military. Yet, for him to appear here cannot bode well.”

Jiang Chen pondered privately: if that man had come southward with the refugees, wouldn’t that make him likely a deserter? However, judging by the man’s bearing in the fight against the bandits, suspecting him of being a deserter seemed rather insulting. After all, they’d already seen a few living examples of what true deserters looked like.

If he wasn’t a deserter, then the reason behind his presence was all the more intriguing.

This question lingered in Jiang Chen’s mind until they safely reached Gucheng County and struck a deal at the kiln.

Gu Jun was surprised to discover that Jiang Chen possessed another skill—drawing. Yet according to Jiang Chen, this was called cartography.

“Master, fire the pottery according to these designs I’ve drawn. Make some samples first, then produce them in batches. I need two hundred finished pieces of each design.”

“Remember to send them to Shanguan Town as agreed.”

After spending a day in Gucheng County, Jiang Chen and Gu Jun, having concluded their business, hurried home without delay. When they had set out, Jiang Chen had promised Wu Yue that he would return soon, and he did not wish to break his word. He could almost imagine her leaning against the door, longing for his return.

Gu Jun, noticing Jiang Chen’s haste, asked in puzzlement, “Everything’s settled—why hurry back so much?”

“For some reason, my right eyelid has been twitching since this morning. I can’t help but feel something bad has happened.”

“Brother Jiang, do you really believe in such things?”

Gu Jun had always thought Jiang Chen’s mind was unconventional, unlikely to believe in superstitions, yet today he seemed different.

“Perhaps it’s just my nerves—this is the first time I’ve been so far from home. I just hope nothing has happened.”

The two traveled through the night, barely stopping to rest, and finally returned to the ancient city of Shanguan Town at dawn the next day. As they crossed the marketplace, just beginning to bustle with activity, they were abruptly blocked by a lavishly decorated sedan chair, surrounded by more than a dozen attendants.

A steward with a sharp face jeered, “Who dares block the way of our master? Are you rushing off to be reborn?”

Jiang Chen recognized Zhao He’s sedan and understood their intentions. He was in no hurry to go home and instead adopted a leisurely manner.

“Given our ages, Master Zhao, it’s hard to say who’ll be rushing to their next life first, isn’t it?”

His retort made the steward jump in anger, ready to retaliate, when the sedan’s curtain was slowly lifted.

“Oh, it’s young Brother Jiang! I heard you’ve been out of town these past days,” Zhao He said, clenching a pipe between his teeth and exhaling a few smoke rings. “Talented young men like you ought to get out and see more of the world, lest your limited perspective hold you back.”

“So many young men perish by arrogance and recklessness,” he continued, assuming an air of seniority, ready to lecture. It was childish posturing, but he seemed to rather enjoy it.

Jiang Chen replied with a smile, “Thank you, Master Zhao. It sounds like you speak from personal experience. I’ll remember your advice and be sure not to repeat your mistakes.”

With that, he tried to walk around the sedan. As they passed, Zhao He let out a sly laugh.

“Eager to get home, are you? You’ve been gone so long—who knows what might have happened at home? How dangerous that would be!”

It was clear Zhao He’s words carried a hidden warning. Jiang Chen’s heart grew anxious; Wu Yue was the first person he thought of. Was she safe?

Yet, despite his worry, he refused to quicken his pace—he would not lose his composure before Zhao He.

Gu Jun caught up to him. Jiang Chen said, “I’ll head home. You check the distillery. Zhao He may have made a move while we were away.”

“Understood, I’ll go at once!”

They split up, and Jiang Chen hurried on. At last, the sight of home appeared before him. Yet, in front of the neighboring Wu family’s house, Wu Yue was nowhere to be seen, and all was strangely quiet. A deep unease gnawed at his heart.

He did not enter his own home first, but instead went to the Wu family’s house. Entering the courtyard, he found the main door tightly shut. As he was about to call Wu Yue’s name, a scream rang out from the backyard.

“Aah!”

It was Wu Yue’s voice!

Jiang Chen dashed to the backyard, only to see Wu Yue covered in blood. For a moment, his heart nearly stopped.

“Oh, Brother Chen, you’re finally back!” Wu Yue, holding a kitchen knife, ran at him in excitement. Everything had changed so quickly that Jiang Chen barely had time to react.

But as she threw her arms around him, he saw, behind her, a rooster half-butchered still flapping desperately on the ground.

“Brother Chen, did I scare you? I was just about to slaughter the rooster, but it was too strong and splattered me with blood!”

“It’s all right—as long as you’re safe, nothing else matters.”

The heavy stone in Jiang Chen’s heart finally settled. So long as Wu Yue was unharmed, all was well!