YA Ch109: Eastern Pearl

The wind and snow outside the Great Wall were fierce, with snowflakes mixed with ice pellets hitting the roof of the carriage, creating a crackling sound.

Hua Wenyuan rode his horse closer and knocked on the carriage window, “Second Uncle, you are a general; how can you stay cooped up in the carriage? Come out and ride a horse!”

Lu Yu opened a small slit in the carriage curtain, and the cold wind, along with ice particles, blew in, making him shiver. “It’s so cold outside; I’m not going out. I need to stay here with my wife.” After saying that, he burrowed further into Ming Yan’s fox fur coat.

Sitting in the same carriage, Shen Ying covered his mouth, laughing softly.

Hua Wenyuan couldn’t bear to watch his uncle’s behavior anymore and sighed helplessly, “The snow ahead has buried the wheels; if you don’t get out, the carriage won’t be able to move.”

Lu Yu pouted and muttered as he got out of the carriage. This brat was definitely jealous of his uncle having a wife and deliberately making things difficult for him.

Ming Yan quickly stopped him and draped a fox fur cloak over his shoulders. This game capsule was too realistic; if he didn’t wear the fox fur, he might actually catch a cold.

Lu Yu obediently stood still as Ming Yan tied the cloak’s strings and said to Hua Wenyuan, “Having a wife is troublesome; she worries I’ll catch a cold. But we from the Hua family are strong like iron; we’re not afraid of the cold.”

Hua Wenyuan ignored him and spurred his horse forward, looking up toward the distant Han City Pass.

He had defended this place for three years in his previous life, where the black, damp city walls had been built with the blood and sweat of his personal guards.

They had advanced from the capital, pushing forward, and with the ambush of a small detachment, they had driven the Tartars out of the pass. The general leading the charge, full of adrenaline, had already pursued them further north.

Hua Wenyuan, wanting to check on Han City on his way, had decided not to join the main force and came here instead.

The carriage left deep tracks in the snow, and the scene was so familiar, yet the circumstances were entirely different. Back then, the carriage that had swayed its way here was carrying the eunuchs who came to arrest him and take him back to the capital. Now, it carried his subjects and family.

Arriving at the city gate, Hua Wenyuan dismounted and measured the snowy ground with his steps, standing at the very spot where he had died.

The people in the carriage got out and stood before it, gazing at the scene.

Lu Yu reached out and pulled Ming Yan onto the horse, wrapping him tightly in the cloak and whispered, “Did you reset this place?” He didn’t want their Third Brother seeing the blood from his past life—that would cause a lot of trouble.

Ming Yan simply replied, “Don’t worry.”

He had always been meticulous in this regard. Since the scenes were reused, they had been set to refresh automatically to avoid Hua Wenyuan noticing anything amiss.

As expected, Hua Wenyuan didn’t see anything unusual, only commenting with emotion, “Every brick and tile here remains exactly as it was.”

Lu Yu responded, “Of course it hasn’t changed; it’s still the same scene….” Before he could finish speaking, Ming Yan elbowed him, signaling him to keep quiet.

The area was vast and quiet, and with Hua Wenyuan’s sharp hearing, he could easily overhear them, so it was best to stay silent.

Shen Ying stepped out of the carriage, wrapped in a snow fox cloak, and walked up to Hua Wenyuan, asking, “Your Highness, aren’t you going inside?”

Hua Wenyuan grabbed a handful of snow and molded it into a small arrow, shaking his head, “No, I’m not going in. I guarded this city for three years, and now I’ve become a traitor and rebel myself….”

He had originally intended to check on the city, but upon arriving, he suddenly lost the desire to go in.

Shen Ying understood the unspoken complexities and emotions in Hua Wenyuan’s words: “Your Highness has already sacrificed once for the nation; you have done all you can. Now that the land is stabilizing and you are marching north to fight the invaders, you are a true leader, not a rebel.”

Hua Wenyuan smiled lightly at him, “What you say always lifts the burden from my heart.”

Wrapped in his white fur, Shen Ying smiled, his peach blossom eyes curving slyly like a cunning snow fox: “We scholars are quite good at flattery, the more books we read, the better we get. I was the top scholar, after all.”

Hua Wenyuan laughed heartily and flung the snow arrow in his hand at Lu Yu, hitting him squarely on his fur hat.

“Hey, you brat!” Lu Yu jumped off his horse and rolled up a snowball to throw back at Hua Wenyuan.

Thus, the “Heavenly King” Hua Wenyuan and his second uncle started a snowball fight outside Han City.

Shen Ying’s new apprentice, Li Lin, came running over, handing him a hand warmer with a worried look on his face.

“Is something wrong?” Shen Ying asked as he took the warmer.

Li Lin shook his head, “I just suddenly thought that if Han City hadn’t fallen, that coward Luo Dahu wouldn’t have been forced into occupying Xiangnan.”

Upon hearing this, Hua Wenyuan paused, the freshly made snowball in his hand crumbling, and even after being hit in the back by Lu Yu, he didn’t react.

Luo Dahu had originally roamed in the north, but after Han City fell, the Tartars frequently raided the border. Unable to hold his ground, Luo had fled south, and after being chased by various rebel forces, he ended up like a headless fly, crashing into Xiangnan.

Previously, there had been complaints from the people of Xiangnan, saying that if Hua Wenyuan had obeyed the imperial command and defended the border, Luo Dahu wouldn’t have arrived so quickly.

Shen Ying frowned slightly and spoke sternly, “In times of chaos, how can one ensure everything is perfect? Even if Han City could have been defended, the Zhou dynasty would still have fallen. That emperor was never capable of holding it.”

Even someone as talented as Hua Wenyuan had been dragged down by that foolish emperor. There was no saving that dynasty.

Li Lin froze for a moment before realizing his error, “I was too narrow-minded.”

Hua Wenyuan, now back to his usual self, rolled up a large snowball and chased after Lu Yu again.

As they played, a messenger arrived with news: “The Tartar general Duohe’s army has been scattered by General Xu, and they are now fleeing north in several smaller groups.”

General Xu had sent the messenger to inform Hua Wenyuan and remind him to be cautious and to join the main forces as soon as possible.

The area beyond the pass was Tartar territory, full of dangers, and with only 800 personal guards, Hua Wenyuan was taking a considerable risk.

Hua Wenyuan dusted off the snow from his hands, “Understood.”

He didn’t dismiss the threat of small bands of enemies. It was always crucial to remain vigilant. Even a child could rise up and kill. This was a lesson he had learned after years of dealing with the Tartars.

The group continued moving forward, not lingering long in Han City, and followed the path toward the main force.

As dusk approached, the team suddenly halted as there was movement in the forest ahead.

Hua Wenyuan squinted and saw a group of fleeing Tartar soldiers raiding a mountain village. The village warriors, wearing deer head hats, were fiercely resisting.

“It’s the deer-hunting tribe from the mountain,” Hua Wenyuan said.

The Tartar commander was cursing loudly, shouting at the deer-hunting warriors.

Shen Ying didn’t understand and asked the local guide beside him, “What is he saying?”

Before the guide could respond, Lu Yu translated, “He said, ‘You lowly deer hunters, I am Rukhaji, son of Duohe. Surrender your valuables, and I won’t kill you.'”

The deer hunters completely ignored him, and their leader responded, “We deer hunters only tribute ginseng each year, nothing more. Your king himself agreed to that!”

Hua Wenyuan was surprised, “Second Uncle, you can understand them?”

Having spent a long time beyond the pass, Hua Wenyuan had learned the Tartar language, but he hadn’t expected his uncle, who had always lived in the Central Plains, to know it too.

Lu Yu chuckled to himself. He didn’t actually understand, but he knew the lines from the original script.

Rukhaji didn’t care about any agreements. After days of fleeing, he and his men were starving and desperate. They charged at the village, shouting that they would kill all the deer hunters and take everything—food, furs, and lives.

Hua Wenyuan slowly drew out a red-feathered arrow and nocked it to his bow. “Whoosh—” The arrow flew through the forest, bypassing the dazzling birch trees, and pierced through Rukhaji’s neck from behind. Blood gushed out from his throat, splashing onto the face of the warrior who had been raising his blade.

The men turned their heads toward the direction of the arrow and saw, in the distance, Hua Wenyuan’s group and him lowering his bow.

“Such a long distance, through such a dense forest—how could this be possible?” The deer hunters were stunned. They had hunted in the mountains for years, and even the most skilled hunter couldn’t shoot an arrow like that.

Hua Wenyuan raised his hand and commanded, “Kill.”

This small group of Tartarian cavalry was wiped out by Hua Wenyuan’s personal troops, leaving none alive.

Shen Ying turned over Rukhaji’s face to take a look, gasping in shock, “It really is him.”

Hua Wenyuan kicked the corpse, “You know him?”

Shen Ying closed his eyes. This face had haunted his nightmares: “It was him who besieged Xiangnan Fu City back then.” At that time, Rukhaji had been a bit older than he was now and far more patient, laying siege to Shen Ying for seventy-two days without rushing.

Hua Wenyuan kicked the corpse again, hard. “He got off easy. I should have starved him for seventy-two days before killing him.”

Shen Ying: “…”

The deer hunters were overjoyed, chattering in thanks for the assistance and warmly inviting them to the village for a drink.

At that moment, the sound of hooves came from afar, startling everyone. They looked up to see General Xu, who had been pursuing Rukhaji, arriving with a large force.

Upon seeing the scene of chaos, General Xu dismounted and rushed to kneel at Hua Wenyuan’s feet, “Your subordinate is late.”

The deer hunters were surprised. The eldest among them asked, “You’re the Heavenly King Hua?”

Hua Wenyuan was also surprised that these hunters, who lived in the mountains year-round, had heard of his name. After receiving confirmation, those wearing deer-head hats were especially pleased. They had heard of the Jiangzhou Heavenly King Hua; the Tartarians feared no one but him.

Hua Wenyuan’s group received a warm welcome from the Deer Tribe. The tribal chief, on behalf of his people, presented Hua Wenyuan with a fine plate of wild ginseng, saying that if Hua Wenyuan could drive the Tartarians away, they would be his loyal subjects.

These people had lived in the mountains for generations, hunting and digging for ginseng for a living, and belonged to no dynasty. They did not wish to submit to the Tartarians, and their strength in battle had allowed them to maintain peace by offering a tribute of ginseng each year.

They lived in wooden houses, with fires burning beneath the floors. They would lay soft mats and animal hides on the wooden planks to sleep, making it warm and comfortable.

General Xu originally wanted to invite Hua Wenyuan to rest in his tent, but upon seeing the cozy homes of the deer hunters and Shen Ying coughing incessantly, he wisely held his tongue. He merely stated that his troops would camp at the base of the mountain and that they had an agreement to signal with fire if needed, before retreating.

Hua Wenyuan called the accompanying doctor to examine the plate of high-quality ginseng. “Can Mr. Shen use this?”

The doctor carefully inspected it, cut off a bit of the root to taste, and exclaimed in delight, “This ginseng is a rare treasure, exactly what Lord Shen’s body needs. If boiled into a daily tonic, it will strengthen his health and protect him from the harsh cold of these northern regions.”

Hua Wenyuan immediately ordered it to be prepared.

Shen Ying sighed, “I drank plenty of ginseng soup back in Jiangzhou, and it didn’t seem to help much.”

But Hua Wenyuan was determined. “The ginseng from these snowy mountains should be better than what comes from Jiangzhou.”

Lu Yu whispered to Ming Yan, “This fool. Doesn’t he know the ginseng from Jiangzhou is also bought from beyond the border?”

Ming Yan stifled a laugh and handed Lu Yu a roasted bun.

Just then, General Xu returned, bringing with him two people dressed in fishskin jackets.

Hua Wenyuan raised an eyebrow. “Pearl divers?”

Indeed, they were pearl divers, hailing from even farther north. Following the tracks of the battles, they had arrived at General Xu’s camp.

General Xu introduced them, “They say they want to pledge their loyalty to the king and beg for his help.”

One of the pearl divers looked at the young Hua Wenyuan and asked, “Are you a general higher than General Xu?”

General Xu slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten to explain the king’s identity to the pearl divers. He was about to speak, but Hua Wenyuan interrupted, “I am Hua Wenyuan.”

The pearl divers were overjoyed. “You’re the Heavenly King Hua of Jiangzhou? And so young!” They immediately knelt and, from within their coats, presented a small wooden box held high above their heads.

Inside the box were three large, perfectly round eastern pearls.

The other pearl diver, not holding the box, began to cry as he explained, “We fish in winter and dive for pearls in summer, living off this work. The Tartarians occupied our land, demanding a yearly tribute of eastern pearls. Last spring, their king went hunting and suddenly desired more pearls, forcing us to break the ice and dive into the freezing waters. Many of us died or were injured. We can’t live like this anymore, and we beg your highness to protect us. We can act as your spies, and when the time comes, we’ll turn on them.”

The pearl divers lived in the far north, and the Tartarian territory now lay between Hua Wenyuan’s current location and the pearl divers’ tribe. An attack from both sides was indeed possible.

Hua Wenyuan raised his hand and accepted the three eastern pearls.

The pearl divers wept tears of joy, knelt once more, and then left with General Xu to discuss specific plans for cooperation at the foot of the mountain.

After they left, Shen Ying looked at the three pearls and remarked, “This shows where the people’s hearts lie.”

Hua Wenyuan took one pearl and handed it to Shen Ying, casually saying, “Here, take one.”

Shen Ying was momentarily stunned and hurriedly declined, “I cannot accept. These eastern pearls—”

Lu Yu was also taken aback and whispered, “What’s going on with him?” This wasn’t in the original plot! In the original story, Hua Wenyuan had simply pocketed the pearls without much thought.

Before Lu Yu could respond, Hua Wenyuan tossed another pearl over. “Uncle, take one too.”

Lu Yu caught it, rolled it between his fingers, and then handed it to Ming Yan. “Here, use this to decorate a headpiece.”

Seeing this, Shen Ying swallowed the words he had been about to say. Eastern pearls were a symbol of royal power among the Tartarians, but the imperial family in the Central Plains had access to even finer southern pearls. It wasn’t unreasonable for Hua Wenyuan to gift an eastern pearl to each of them.

At that moment, Li Lin came in carrying the ginseng soup, knelt in front of Shen Ying, and handed him the bowl.

Shen Ying reached out to take it, but Li Lin didn’t let go.

Shen Ying paused, “What’s the matter?”

Li Lin slowly released his grip and said, “It’s a bit hot. Be careful, sir.”

Shen Ying narrowed his eyes slightly, sniffed the soup’s bitter aroma, and hesitated. He looked at Hua Wenyuan and said, “I don’t want to drink this. It’s too bitter.”

It was rare to see the ever-composed Shen Ying show such an expression. Hua Wenyuan chuckled, “Drink it. The doctor said it’s good for you. The journey ahead will only get colder, and you won’t find such a warm place to stay.”

The farther north they traveled, the colder it would get. Shen Ying, who was already worried about slowing down the group, tilted his head back and drank the soup, muttering, “So bitter.” No matter how many times he drank ginseng soup, he could never get used to the overwhelmingly bitter taste.

Afterward, he even spat a mouthful out in distaste.

Hua Wenyuan teased him, “Why are you acting like a child?” But mid-sentence, his expression changed. His eyes widened, and in one swift motion, he slid sideways, grabbed Shen Ying with one hand, and drew his dagger with the other.

That spit had been tinged with blood!

“Hmm?” Shen Ying touched the corner of his mouth, staring in confusion at his bloodstained hand. He looked up in disbelief at Li Lin, who was kneeling before him.

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Author’s note:

I couldn’t resist making A-Ying see a bit more scenery before his death. Ahh, why can’t I stop once I start writing historical fiction? _(:з」∠)_