The Rebirth Of The General Who Always Sees Himself As A Replacement

Chapter 56: Two Lovers Reuniting Again On The 7th Day Of The 7th Lunar Month.

Pei Hantang was shocked: “Your Young Master likes someone?!”

‘Sigh, it’s such a pity my good brother! Your feelings haven’t yet been confessed and the path to a romance is already crumbling.’

“Yes,” Wen Heyin replied. “My Young Master likes a lot of people.”

Pei Hantang: “???? Lord Mu….likes a lot of people? Well, then he….has a lot of energy, huh? Hiss, but I never heard such rumors about Lord Mu.”

Wen Heyin: “What rumors?”

Pei Hantang: “A philanderer Gongzi, who can swim across a myriad of ‘flowers’, and linger in lustful grounds.”

Wen Heyin was utterly bewildered: “What nonsense are you spouting?! My Young Master likes the Madam, the Master, His Royal Highness King Xian, with whom they are close friends, and Noble Consort Niangniang, who has treated him with the utmost kindness! What has all this got to do with lustful situations, ah?”

Pei Hantang: “…..”

Right at that moment, a black shadow abruptly, and agilely, crossed over the roof in front of them. Pei Hantang reacted instantaneously and shouted: “Catch him!!”

In the blink of an eye, several guards dressed in all black emerged from around a corner and ran towards where the thief was fleeing. Since Wen Heyin’s Qinggong skills were quite good, he happened to be in front of the group of guards, running at full speed over the tiled roofs.

The thief, upon realizing the tricky situation he was in, hurried to drop some of the jewelry, gold and silver he had stolen a few moments ago, then rushed off as fast as he could. Wen Heyin, when noticing this, stomped over the high wall and jumped several meters in the air towards where the thief was, managing to grab the thief by the arm in order to fight with him.

By the time Pei Hantang arrived on the scene, the thief was painfully rolling on the ground, covering his private parts with both hands. On the other hand, Wen Heyin was mocking him: “Come on, run, run, run now if you can!”

As he approached to take a look, Pei Hantang asked Wen Heyin: “Did you kick him on….?”

Wen Heyin proudly replied: “Yes! It’s the mind-purifying kicking technique.”

Pei Hantang: “Hiss.”

‘It hurts just by looking at it.’

The Guards of the Capital Prefecture arrived one after another. Once the thief was finally tied up, everyone sighed with relief, thinking: ‘For once, we finally caught him at last.’

Once the problem was solved, Wen Heyin said to Pei Hantang: “I caught the thief for you, and if there’s nothing else to do, I’ll be going back. Goodbye.”

“Wait, wait! Don’t leave in such a hurry!” Pei Hantang leaned over Wen Heyin, grabbed him by the shoulders, and dragged him back. With a smile, Pei Hantang said to him: “I still have to thank you properly for contributing to a case of the Capital Prefecture.”

“How will you thank me?” Wen Heyin asked suspiciously.

“Well….” Pei Hantang pondered for a moment and then smiled from ear to ear. “How about I invite you to Zuihua Tower to enjoy the moon and drink wine from the Western Regions?”

Wen Heyin briefly thought about it, and then nodded: “Alright.”

Pei Hantang laughed out loud: “Great, it’s settled then!”

—

During the 7th Lunar Month, one can feel the atmosphere of summer through the beautiful sunny days, making one feel that for a moment, the world is at ease and everything is beautiful.

That same summer, a Scholar in a black uniform studies arduously, day after day, fully determined to gain merit and fame, thereby being able to marry his sweetheart.

Caiwei, who longs for that Scholar, would always lean against the window in the evening when she’s free from chores to twist her handkerchief and think of him, worrying about the time he might have gone to sleep last night.

Wen Heyin, who was just coming back to the Residence, passed by the window where Caiwei was leaning. Upon seeing her, Wen Heyin asked her: “Sister Caiwei, why are you always sitting here, lost in thought?”

Embarrassed, Caiwei blushed, coughed slightly, and evaded the question by asking Wen Heyin instead: “Why aren’t you by the Young Master’s side today?”

Feeling a bit guilty, Wen Heyin faintly admitted: “The Shaoyin of the Capital Prefecture called me to help him with a case. I asked the Young Master and he allowed me to go.”

Since Caiwei’s intention wasn’t to blame Wen Heyin, she asked softly: “What about the Capital Prefecture? Is the work difficult and dangerous?”

“It’s not difficult and neither is it dangerous.” Wen Heyin hastened to say. “By the way, where has the Young Master gone? He wouldn’t have gone to General Gu’s Residence again by any chance, would he?”

Caiwei smiled and said: “Yes, he goes every day.”

For twenty-four days, the guest visiting the Residence swept the flower petals with his footsteps, while the sound of the horses’ hooves reached deep into the Residence’s owner’s heart.

On these days, Mu Zhiming would first go to the Imperial Palace early in the morning to attend the Imperial Court to report before the Emperor, in accordance with the law. Then, he would return to his Residence at noon to rest for half an hour, then go to General Gu’s Residence to apply medicine on Gu Heyan’s wound.

Day after day, there were no changes in the routine.

While applying the medicine, Mu Zhiming would talk to Gu Heyan about anecdotes of his youth and rumors of the Jianghu community. However, Mu Zhiming knew how to be cautious, and never mentioned any matters regarding the Imperial Court or the party struggle.

When Mu Zhiming felt that Gu Heyan might get bored because he kept talking nonstop, Mu Zhiming would ask Gu Heyan questions. Gu Heyan never took the initiative to talk, but once Mu Zhiming asked him something, Gu Heyan would answer him earnestly. Even if some questions Mu Zhiming asked Gu Heyan were misleading and strange in order to tease him.

“General, how did you become acquainted with Lord Pei?”

“Gu-xiong, have you ever had any difficulties in your Martial Arts training when you were young?”

“Heyan-xiong, do you know how to play chess? If you know, and have time someday, could you teach me?”

“Heyan, between a dozen bitter roots, and a dozen wild garlic, if you could only eat one of them for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?”

Time flies as fast as an arrow whistling through the air. On this day, as the light of dusk fell over the eaves, Mu Zhiming finished gently wrapping the white gauze around Gu Heyan’s arm. With a gentle smile, Mu Zhiming said: “Heyan, tomorrow is the last day.”

Gu Heyan was lost in thought as he looked at Mu Zhiming. When he heard Mu Zhiming say this, Gu Heyan came back from his trance: “The last day of what?”

“The last day I’ll come to your Residence to help you apply the medicine.” Mu Zhiming smiled. “Fortunately, this medicine is indeed highly effective and your wound has completely healed. This is a good thing, isn’t it?”

The expression on Gu Heyan’s face changed abruptly.

However, Mu Zhiming was unable to notice that Gu Heyan’s expression had changed because he lowered his head. After carefully bandaging Gu Heyan’s arm, Mu Zhiming cleaned the celadon jar, as well as the gauze he had used yesterday, and said to Gu Heyan with a bright smile on his face: “I’ll be leaving for today and come back tomorrow.”

Gu Heyan: “….. Mm-hmm.”

Without saying anything else, Gu Heyan sent Mu Zhiming out of the Residence. Gu Heyan stared as Mu Zhiming got into his carriage, and then stood in front of the vermilion door of his Residence for a long while, gazing into the distance with unknown thoughts lingering in his mind.

When Wen Zhongcheng returned to the Gu Residence, he saw his Young Master standing in front of the main gate stroking the wound on his arm, which had already formed a scab. Gu Heyan’s gaze seemed to be filled with longing, but when Wen Zhongcheng followed his line of sight, Wen Zhongcheng could only see the bluestone streets and the bustling pedestrians passing by from time to time.

“Young Master, what are you doing standing here?” Wen Zhongcheng asked, utterly confused.

Gu Heyan didn’t reply, shook his head and looked away. At that moment, he discovered that Wen Zhongcheng was holding a rabbit-shaped lantern as white as snow, whose eyes were dotted with vermilion paint. On his other hand, Wen Zhongcheng held a delicate little flower hairpin.

“What is that in your hands?” Gu Heyan asked.

Wen Zhongcheng’s cheeks suddenly flushed. As he scratched his head, he whispered: “Well, tomorrow is the 7th day of the 7th Lunar Month1 and Juan’er likes bunnies. Tomorrow I’ll light some lanterns for her to see, I’m sure she’ll be surprised…..”

Gu Heyan didn’t understand: “The 7th day of the 7th Lunar Month?”

Wen Zhongcheng replied helplessly: “Young Master! The Qixi Festival! The clouds in the sky will clear, the bridge formed by the magpies that flew across the Milky Way, the two lovers that will meet again after so long at nightfall2!”

Footnotes

七月七 qī yuè qī; A traditional Chinese folk festival, which is held on the 7th day of the 7th Lunar Month, which it’s also called the “Qixi Festival” (七夕节 qī xī jié; Double Seventh Festival). As time passed, people started to celebrate this day for the romantic legend of two lovers who reunite once a year, adopting the cultural meaning of being the ‘Chinese Valentine’s Day’. Since this festivity is celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar, the date varies every year in the Gregorian calendar.The Weaving Maiden and the Cowherd: Briefly, the story tells of the romance between (织女 zhī nǚ) Zhinu and (牛郎 niú láng) Niulang. Since their love wasn’t permitted because Zhinu was a Fairy and Niulang a human, they were banished to opposite sides of the Celestial River (symbolizing the Milky Way). Once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th Lunar Month, a flock of magpies will form a bridge across the Milky Way to reunite the lovers for a single day. More info HERE.