The Young Lady of the General’s House

Shen Jin’s feeling was not wrong, before entering the room she heard arguing sound inside. She couldn’t hear what Steward Wang said, only heard Chu Xiuyuan furiously said, “Impossible.”

An Ping’s knock interrupted the conversation inside, the door was quickly opened. This was the first time Shen Jin entered Chu Xiuyuan’s room, there was nothing valuable inside, only a lot of weapons and books. The bedding were not satin but just some fine cotton.

The wounded Chu Xiuyuan was leaning on the bed, his face was pale, seeing Shen Jin he said, “Who let you come, go back.”

Steward Wang didn’t say anything. Shen Jin was not angry at Chu Xiuyuan, she thought this young man was pretty good, she gently said, “I have a lot of supplement medicine. I had someone bring them here. Steward, have a look if anything still required, just tell me directly.”

“Thank you, Madam.” Steward Wang said.

Chu Xiuyuan’s eyes reddened, “Go back, pack up. Tonight I’ll have someone send you away.”

Steward Wang’s eyes showed some disapproval, but he didn’t speak.

Hearing this, Shen Jin’s heart beat rapidly. She believed Chu Xiuyuan meant his words, and she really wanted to say yes. But then, if she said yes, where could she go? If she returned to Rui Wang’s mansion, afraid Rui Wang would be more concerned about reputation, or about not offending Count Yongning. He would either just send her back here, or let her ‘die of illness’….. Rui Wang wouldn’t care that there was war in the border.

These thoughts flashed rapidly in her mind but her expression didn’t changed a bit. Shen Jin said, “I am not leaving. Steward Wang should arrange for you to leave.”

Steward Wang’s expression turned considerably warmer, his regards towards Shen Jin raised a notch. Chu Xiuyuan immediately said, “Noone in Chu family runs without a fight.”

“You are young, and injured.” Shen Jin’s voice was soft and gentle.

These days she ate well and played well, the weight previously lost had been regained and she had grown a little taller. She had small frames so the gained weight didn’t make her fat, she looked just right, very cute with her rosy face and shining eyes.

“Is there anything I can do?”

Shen Jin knew they wouldn’t have called her without a reason, it was better to step forward than waiting to agree to what she was told to do.

Steward Wang and Chu Xiuyuan exchanged a look, then explained the situation in the border town. As Shen Jin had expected, it was not good.

Chu Xiuming should had been back, but delayed for unknown reason. When the Barbarians attacked, the spies inside the town also took action, army leaders stationed in the town were killed by the spies.

Talking about the spies, Steward Wang’s and Chu Xiuyuan’s expression was very unsightly. Shen Jin didn’t understand war, but she was very perceptive of others’ mind, she immediately also suspected that the spies were likely not organised by the Barbarians but ….. Thinking of this she broke out in cold sweat, and her face became unsightly too.

Steward Wang and Chu Xiuyuan only thought Shen Jin was frightened so they didn’t notice.

“I have sent for help, but the reinforcements are not here yet.” Steward Wang gloomily said.

Shen Jin had guessed the reason Steward Wang called her here, but it was still hard to understand. She looked at the injured Chu Xiuyuan, then at Steward Wang.

Steward Wang was in difficult position, seeing Shen Jin had guessed his mind, he felt guilty. However in this Mansion except for the General and Second Master, everyone else could be sacrificed including himself. It fell on him to help the General guard the border town.

In the absence of the General, they needed someone to lead them against the Barbarians. Everyone followed Chu Xiuyuan’s lead, but now he was seriously injured. Shen Jin hadn’t seen many casualties, but she could see he was badly injured, the room smelled of blood, his face was pale as if bloodless, and he barely had energy to talk.

Now someone had to stand in for Chu Xiuyuan, someone related to Count Yongning, someone whose status could command people. There was only one such person left, this new wife of the Count’s. Shen Jin’s status as a Junzhu wasn’t of much use, but her status as Count Yongning’s wife would make it.

“I will arrange protection for Madam.” Steward Wang said.

Shen Jin moved her lips, if protection really worked then how was Chu Xiuyuan so badly injured.

Looking at Shen Jin’s eyes, Steward Wang felt guilty thinking of how they had been towards Shen Jin, he softened his attitude,  “Madam doesn’t have to go to the battle, it is just a symbol.”

“I know.” Shen Jin swallowed before saying, “I understand what you mean.”

“Send Sister-in-law out.” Chu Xiuyuan spoke, “This is men’s business.” Shen Jin looked at Chu Xiuyuan, she was distinctly aware, had Chu Xiuyuan still able to move, they would never had called her here. The sharpest thing Shen Jin ever wielded in her life was a pair of scissors, she might collapse in public and that would look very bad.

Steward Wang said, “Madam, just until the General returns.”

Shen Jin gritted her teeth, “Alright, but you also have to promise me one thing.”

“Sister-in-law… ” Chu Xiuyuan looked ashamed. He had been doing a good job otherwise the border town wouldn’t have lasted until now. This time he led the troops out for a secret attack but was discovered, the guards around him tried their best but he was still hit by arrows on his shoulder and abdomen, his legs were also wounded so he couldn’t move at all.

He understood someone from Chu family had to stand up. He didn’t cry even when he was injured, but now his eyes reddened, “Sister-in-law, just say it.”

“Whether I live or die, Count Yongning has to invite my mother here.” Shen Jin was afraid of death, very very afraid, but her biggest fear was after she died her mother would suffer. Mother had only her, if she died Mother had nothing left.

“And find a way to raise a concubine’s son under my mother’s name.” (*1)

(*1 – Shen Jin wants an assurance that Chen Cefei would be taken care of her whole life. It’s expected that the adopted son would be filial to Chen Cefei when he grows up.)

In normal times such request would be met with suspicion, Steward Wang would have thought Shen Jin had some hidden motives, but now he said nothing against her.

Chu Xiuyuan gravely said, “Alright, on behalf of my brother, I promise you.”

Shen Jin nodded, “Take good care of your injuries.”  Then she turned to Steward Wang, “Whatever you need me do, just say it.”

Steward Wang nodded, he started to tell Shen Jin the situation at the border town in more details. Now that she knew, Shen Jin straight away led Steward Wang to her storeroom and generously gave him all the medicines and fabrics from her dowry. Unfortunately most of the fabrics in Shen Jin’s dowry were satin and silk which were of little use in present circumstances, but Steward Wang took most of the herbs away.

Shen Jin’s role was not difficult, she just need to ‘stand up’. She didn’t have to lead the army, this was Steward Wang’s role as the military advisor. On Steward Wang’s request, Shen Jin wrote letters to the Capital, to Rui Wang, and memorials to submit to the Court regarding the situation in the border town.

Shen Jin just copied the letters then sealed them with Junzhu stamp. As a Junzhu, Shen Jin was a real blood relative of the royals, unlike those whose titles came from being bestowed.

Actually if she could, Shen Jin wouldn’t had stood up. Growing up in such environment as Rui Wang’s mansion, she had since little developed a personality of ‘no fighting, no grabbing, be content’. Currently she simply had no choice.

Now Shen Jin really experienced the prestige of Count Yongning. By the virtue of her status as Count Yongning’s wife, both the soldiers and civilians in town respected and carried out her every words even if it meant death…. Responsibility? Shen Jin didn’t understand, she only repeated whatever Steward Wang told her to memorise, and the orders were all obeyed.

The border town was different from the Capital, everyone was a fighter here. Many civilians, even the women, could take up weapons and fight for the town, not just soldiers.

The males battled, the females took care of wounded people without being asked. Houses gave out food supplies to support the fighters. Old people and children did the cooking, young women carried the wounded to the back.

Steward Wang didn’t make things difficult for Shen Jin, at least he didn’t ask her to stand on the wall. Shen Jin was dressed in a riding outfit, her face so pale that An Ping thought she was going to faint. If An Ping wasn’t always on the side supporting her, Shen Jin probably wouldn’t even be able to stand. Those open wounds where flesh and blood mashed together, those pile of dead bodies, the red soil under her steps drenched with blood.

But Shen Jin persevered, the battle became more and more tense, it was as if the Barbarians knew the situation inside, they attacked even more fiercely.

The Barbarians loaded bags of soil to build a fish-bridge, and pummeled the walls with battering ram.

All the town cavalry went out to stop the Barbarians, until there was none left. The civilians who could ride a horse took their family’s horses to form a troop and went out too. They knew very well they would die, but they couldn’t let the Barbarians break the gate or build the fish-bridge. Inside the wall, their parents, their wife and children were there….

(*2 – Fish-bridge 鱼梁 道 = a sloping pathway built by piling up bags of mud or sand at the foot of the wall up to the top. Once fish-bridge is built, enemy infantry and cavalry can easily infiltrate the town. However fish-bridge is not easy to build because the attacker has to withstand the defender’s attempts to prevent it built. )

As the town ran out of arrows, they turned to dropping rocks and rolling logs. The rolling logs were spiked with long nails to grind the enemies into meat pies, even just one slap of the logs could see the long nails left bloody holes on the enemies’ body, the rolling logs then pulled back up on pulley wheels.

The rolling logs were very useful but also didn’t last long, and there was no time to get hold of so many long nails.

The cruelty of war, you wouldn’t understand if you were not there.

T/N: this chapter is hard to translate. The part between Shen Jin’s agreeing to stand up and the battle reckoning feels a bit rushed. There are also words like fish-bridge, pulleys, cavalry, infantry, not my usual cup of tea.