Chapter Seventeen: Reminiscence

Then, the imperial envoy produced a second edict.

The essence of this decree was:

“In ancient times, there was a family of loyal martyrs who protected the nation and brought peace, their meritorious deeds outstanding. Now, their orphaned scion, Ye Xi, a woman who rivals men in valor, has taken up arms to carry on her ancestors’ legacy, bravely fighting the enemy and achieving remarkable feats amid the flames of war. She truly is a pillar of the state… Considering Ye Xi’s noble lineage, her generations of loyalty, and her dedication to the nation with distinguished military achievements, I hereby restore her family’s hereditary honor, bestowing upon Ye Xi the title of ‘Hereditary Zhaowu General,’ inheriting her ancestors’ rank and enjoying this honor forever.”

Yun Zheng noticed that the first edict appointed Ye Yiwen as the Pacification Commissioner of Chishui, commonly known as the Tusi of Chishui. This decree referred to Ye Yiwen as “the eldest son of the Ye family,” clearly legitimizing this illegitimate child and elevating him to the status of the primary heir.

However, the second edict conferred upon Ye Xi the hereditary title of Zhaowu General, a rank traditionally held by the Chishui Tusi throughout history, but now separately granted to these siblings who had never met. Furthermore, this edict referred to Ye Xi as “the orphaned scion of the Ye family,” clearly denying Ye Yiwen’s legitimacy as heir.

(These two edicts directly contradicted each other.)

The reason behind this was obvious: the two edicts did not originate from the same person or team.

Such a situation was almost impossible in the past.

Indeed, since the Wanli era, the imperial court had permitted the Cabinet to exercise unilateral authority over some minor matters, issuing decrees under the emperor’s name.

Yet the current sovereign was exceptionally diligent and had effectively ended this tradition upon ascending the throne.

Almost instantly, Yun Zheng pieced the puzzle together: “His Majesty must be facing an extraordinarily thorny issue, leaving him no time to attend to affairs as diligently as before.”

These two edicts appeared to divide the spoils evenly; in reality, Ye Xi’s inheritance of the third-rank Zhaowu General was a nominal title without any real power or rights to govern Chishui. Meanwhile, Ye Yiwen’s appointment as the fifth-rank Pacification Commissioner of Chishui was a substantive position holding extensive military and civil authority. More importantly, Ye Yiwen lacked both ability and foundation, so this appointment could not change his fate as a puppet of Chen Yuchong.

At that moment, Chen Yuchong’s gaze toward Ye Xi lost all previous humility, faintly tinged with provocation.

This was evidently Chen Yuchong’s true nature. Humility was absent from his dictionary; he only knew endurance, and such endurance was always a prelude to ruthless retaliation.

Now, he was ready to retaliate against Ye Xi’s disdain for him.

However, when his eyes shifted to Yun Zheng, they involuntarily flickered away.

Yun Zheng narrowed his eyes.

(As expected, Chen Yuchong knows my identity.)

From Chen Yuchong’s perspective, possessing control over Chishui’s territory, he no longer considered himself inferior to Ye Xi, who held no fief, so he dared to meet Ye Xi’s gaze directly. But facing Yun Zheng, a third-rank deputy general, he still dared not show the slightest disrespect.

Even with the imperial envoy present, he dared not bring up Yun Zheng’s dereliction of duty.

Chen Yuchong did not even dare reveal that he knew Yun Zheng’s identity, fearing it would embarrass Yun Zheng and lead to personal enmity.

In Chen Yuchong’s eyes, the conflict between him and Yun Zheng, stemming from his alliance with Shao Jiechun, was merely a clash of interests—interests that could be reconciled.

What Chen Yuchong did not realize was that, even before today, Yun Zheng was not entirely unfamiliar with him.

Let us turn the clock of fate back five years.

"Master, the young mistress has already entered Chishui territory," a graceful maid reported to Chen Yuchong.

"Immediately notify my head of personal guards, Cao Ruobing. Have him handle it," Chen Yuchong replied coldly.

"Master, do you mean..." The maid’s eyes turned cold as she made a slashing gesture with her hand.

"No. Let him and his men disguise themselves and cover their faces. Do not reveal their backgrounds. If possible, just expel them—no need to kill. The most important thing is to leave no trace linking them to me. Moreover, under no circumstances must the young mistress come into contact with the Five-Earth Chief!"

Chen Yuchong sighed deeply. "At least the old Tusi has taken me in; I cannot make this matter absolute."

Of course, this was mere pretense. Chen Yuchong was never a man of principle; his reluctance to use deadly force stemmed from arrogance. He regarded Ye Xi as a mere girl, young and insignificant, unworthy of such drastic measures.

Yet this very arrogance blinded him to the fact that his subordinates might bypass him to overly “read the imperial will.” After all, their wealth and status depended on Chen Yuchong’s power in Chishui. If Chen Yuchong wished to keep his hands clean, they would gladly play the villain for him.

...

Amidst the wild mountains, Ye Xi and the disguised Yun Zheng ran swiftly, their bodies marked with numerous wounds, their garments stained with dust and dirt. Rough cyatheas tore at the delicate hem of Ye Xi’s skirt.

Her steps faltered, voice hoarse: "This time, it’s really taking its toll…"

Yun Zheng looked at her; her still somewhat youthful face was filled with helplessness.

"This trip back home is almost as perilous as my undercover mission in Yongning City."

"I'm utterly exhausted. Help me." A translucent, jade-like hand reached out, bearing a few small wounds, crimson stains resembling bayberries making her skin appear even more pristine.

Yun Zheng hesitated.

He sensed the girl’s exhaustion and frustration, yet beneath it, a subtle thread of reliance.

"The enemy is still pursuing us; now is not the time to lose heart..."

"I know!" Ye Xi suddenly raised her voice, as if encouraging herself. "But I’m so tired. This is my home—why has it come to this?"

Yun Zheng understood Ye Xi’s despair. Chishui City, once her rightful home, was now riddled with deadly threats, shattering something precious inside her—a spiritual pillar, perhaps.

"I was thinking, I’m not yet eighteen this year. If I die without ever holding the hand of a boy other than my own brother, wouldn’t that be a regret?" Ye Xi sighed softly.

At this moment, Ye Xi seemed as fragile as dew on a lotus leaf, evoking a strong urge to protect her.

Perhaps her usual strength was merely a mask to guard her vulnerable heart…

Yun Zheng knew that Ming was different from Han and Tang dynasties, an era transformed by Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, which emphasized strict separation between men and women. Even borderlands like Guizhou were greatly influenced.

Yet, even in his own origin—a seemingly liberal era—moments of pure innocence still stirred the heart.

That was before his transmigration, during his middle school days.

In gym class, the teacher asked boys and girls to form several lines and then link hands.

He happened to be at the junction.

But looking at the girl beside him, they both blushed simultaneously.

She was tall and delicate, with long eyelashes. Despite his reticence, she often came to talk to him.

Now, she shyly removed her school badge from her snow-white neck and handed it to Yun Zheng.

The badge hung from a string around her neck, faintly scented with her perfume.

The girl blinked apologetically, her eyelashes quivering.

Other groups imitated them, using badge strings to link boys and girls.

Why did Yun Zheng recall this?

Because in both his lives, he seemed never to have held a girl’s hand.

Their trembling palms approached hesitantly.

Her hand was slender and soft, a sensation he had never felt.

Their eyes met but quickly darted away like startled rabbits.

"Let’s walk together. We must live well," the boy whispered, feeling the faint warmth of her palm.

"Okay." The girl’s face flushed deeply, head bowed, voice barely a whisper.

He noticed she gripped his hand tightly.

Though he was a year younger, since the bloody massacre a year earlier, the boy had sensed that beneath her apparent strength, she had come to rely on him.

Then, using Ye Xi’s knowledge of Chishui’s terrain, the two fled for their lives, enduring hardship and bloodshed, breaking through a siege led by Chen Yuchong’s head guard Cao Ruobing, barely escaping death. They had gone three days without sleep, covered in wounds.

Upon realizing their survival, they embraced with joy, then fell asleep from exhaustion, and afterward, shied away from each other’s gaze for several days out of bashfulness.

Of course, that was all in the past. The once fragile fledgling eagle and fledgling swallow had now grown strong, soaring freely through storms, battling the vast heavens.