Fang Linyuan personally led the men of the Sixteenth Guard and safely escorted the envoys from the Southern Seas to the gates of the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Hongyou had already come in person, leading the court officials to greet them at the gates.

Because this was a grand ceremony for the Emperor's longevity, this time the delegations arriving in the capital included not only Persia and Burma, but even Java from across the great ocean, which sent envoys to present Java's rare and unique treasure—ambergris incense—before the Emperor.

Naturally, Emperor Hongyou was greatly pleased. After touring the exotic beasts presented by various nations with the court officials at the palace gates, he welcomed the envoys into the palace.

Afterwards, it fell to the Sixteenth Guard to escort the exotic beasts to the Hundred Beasts Garden at Qujiang Pond.

Having successfully completed the crucial task of receiving the envoys, the soldiers of the Sixteenth Guard all breathed a sigh of relief.

They escorted the beasts all the way, and once the grand procession reached Qujiang Pond, the palace attendants took over from there.

The guards dismounted and waited outside the gates of the Hundred Beasts Garden, watching as palace servants received each wooden cart carrying the exotic beasts one by one and guided them into the garden.

The soldiers of the Sixteenth Guard gathered in small groups to look.

This, too, had been specially permitted by Fang Linyuan. After all, they had labored long and hard along the way. With no outsiders present, it wasn’t out of line to allow them to take a few more glances at these rare creatures.

So, a gang of half-grown boys noisily gathered around.

Fang Linyuan stood not far away.

Li Cheng’an, already familiar with the sight, didn’t join the commotion. Instead, with a face full of eagerness to please, he sidled up beside Fang Linyuan and grinned: “General, how’d I do with that little task?”

Fang Linyuan turned to look at him.

So he had come to claim credit.

That day, when he had called Li Cheng’an aside, it was to ask about just this matter.

He had heard from the men of the Sixteenth Guard that every year, Li Cheng’an would book the best spot in the capital to watch the exotic beasts’ parade down the Grand Avenue. His fellow officers and subordinates would then enjoy the privilege of watching from the prime location thanks to him.

Upon asking, Fang Linyuan learned that the room Li Cheng’an reserved was none other than the Heaven-ranked First Room at the top of Taifeng House.

When he realized what Fang Linyuan had in mind, Li Cheng’an asked a few more questions and soon understood—it was for the General’s wife. He immediately volunteered to go and negotiate with the owner of Taifeng House himself.

The large sum of money it took to reserve the spot need not even be mentioned. Li Cheng’an insisted on paying for it himself, but was sternly stopped by Fang Linyuan.

“If you’re the one paying,” Fang warned him, “then it’s a bribe. We’d both be thrown in jail.”

Knowing his general’s reputation as the strictest and most incorruptible officer in the entire Garrison Command, Li Cheng’an finally dropped the idea of footing the bill.

Fang Linyuan turned his head slightly—wooden carts carrying the beasts passed by in front of him, but what flashed through his mind was that brief, breathtaking moment on the long street earlier—when he saw Zhao Chu standing in the upper floor of the building.

He had been on official duty and dared not let his gaze linger. All he caught was the tall, graceful silhouette draped in fluttering robes—the soft red color, the ornate embroidery, the glitter of pearls and jade—like an immortal descended to the mortal world.

Male or not, an immortal is still an immortal—all dazzlingly beautiful.

Fang Linyuan’s gaze paused for a beat, then he turned to Li Cheng’an and smiled, saying: “You did very well. Consider me in your debt.”

Li Cheng’an couldn’t help but grimace a little.

What the hell! His always upright, awe-inspiring, and matchless General—that smile just now actually looked... gentle?

Li Cheng’an felt his skin crawl. He nearly leapt back three paces, desperate to distance himself from the softness shining in the great general’s eyes.

“It was nothing, really—just a small favor,” he said through gritted teeth, barely managing a response.

Fortunately, the General was no longer looking at him.

He had turned back to gaze at the line of exotic beasts being led into the garden, his obsidian-bright eyes lifting, brows relaxed and slightly raised, the corners of his lips curled into a subtle smile. It was clearly a cold winter day, yet somehow, it looked like a spring breeze had passed across his face.

And that gaze—it didn’t look like someone admiring a curiosity. Rather, it was as if, through the beasts, he was seeing the reflection of those beasts in someone else’s eyes—and the expression in those eyes.

Li Cheng’an was once again so overwhelmed with envy it made his whole body tingle.

Forget it, forget it—this assignment had clearly delayed the General.

May he quickly finish his duties, spur his horse on, and hurry up to that tall building to find his own Zhu Yingtai. (NT: one of the central figures in the Chinese legend of "The Butterfly Lovers", a tragic love story)

*

Once all the exotic beasts had been delivered to the Hundred Beasts Garden, Fang Linyuan did indeed return to Taifeng House.

Zhao Chu was still upstairs.

Somehow, he had judged the timing with uncanny precision. Just as Fang Linyuan arrived, the attendant of Taifeng House happened to be replacing the table with a fresh set of steaming hot dishes—all of which were Fang Linyuan’s favorites.

Only then did Fang Linyuan suddenly become aware of how ravenously hungry he was.

The manager of the restaurant, rarely having the chance to host such distinguished guests, hovered around attentively, unwilling to leave. Noting that Zhao Chu was already seated at the table, and thinking that with outsiders present he would again have to use a disguised voice, Fang Linyuan handed out several silver ingots before he could finally clear the room of everyone else.

“Why haven’t you eaten anything?” Only once the door had closed did Fang Linyuan relax and sit down beside Zhao Chu.

“Just left the residence—not very hungry yet,” Zhao Chu replied. “You’ve been busy half the day; you should eat something to keep yourself going.”

Naturally, Fang Linyuan didn’t stand on ceremony with Zhao Chu.

Before Zhao Chu could say more, he had already picked up his chopsticks. “Last time I came to Taifeng House, I saw that their Dragon-Body Phoenix-Tail Shrimp was pretty good. I figured it’d suit your taste.”

As he spoke, he picked up a shrimp and placed it in Zhao Chu’s bowl. He casually asked, “Did you enjoy the exotic beasts' parade earlier? I’ve heard people say it’s one of the marvels of the capital. I suppose you never had the chance to see it, being in the palace all the time.”

While speaking, he happened to lift his gaze—and met Zhao Chu’s eyes.

Fang Linyuan paused slightly.

He had abruptly fallen into a pair of intensely focused eyes.

“Beautiful,”

He then heard Zhao Chu say.

“Very beautiful.”

Fang Linyuan’s chopsticks slipped from his hand with a soft clack—yet he found himself unable to say a single word.

The curtains of the three-sided tower fluttered by the windows. Beneath that softness and luxury, he suddenly couldn’t tell whether this dazzling, androgynous, sharp-edged figure before him was really talking about the view from earlier—

For it was clear they were describing the scene just past, yet reflected in those eyes was nothing but him.

*

Only a few days later, the envoy from Loulan arrived in the capital. (NT :ancient kingdom, now Xinjiang, a region of China)

Unlike the other vassal states who came to the capital regularly, this was Loulan’s first time paying tribute in many years.

And the reason was none other than the Eighteen Cities of Longxi.

The territory bordering Daxuan and Loulan was precisely the region of those eighteen cities. After those cities had been seized by the Turks, Loulan and Daxuan had been cut off from each other, and Loulan had been unable to cross Turkish territory to come offer tribute. (NT: this is historically correct)

Now, at last, Loulan’s lands were once again connected to Daxuan.

So on this day, outside the city, in defiance of all protocol, the Loulan envoy was so overwhelmed upon seeing Fang Linyuan that he nearly burst into tears on the spot.

Just yesterday, there had been a heavy snowfall, and the snow outside the city had yet to be fully cleared. At the first sight of Fang Linyuan, the Loulan envoy leapt down from his horse without hesitation, stepping through the snow, deep in some spots and shallow in others, all the way to Fang Linyuan’s steed.

“General Fang! Without you, how could we possibly have had the fortune to arrive at the imperial city of Daxuan today!”

The gemstones on the envoy’s attire jingled as he moved. The soldiers of the Sixteenth Guard standing nearby, after their initial surprise, all showed undisguised admiration on their faces for Fang Linyuan.

Beside him, Li Cheng’an had been watching the whole time. The smile in his eyes looked like he was ready to slap Fang Linyuan on the back then and there and praise him as a hero without equal.

But Fang Linyuan’s heart sank slightly.

He dismounted swiftly, stepped forward, and helped the Loulan envoy to his feet. “My lord, those words are far too heavy. You have come to the capital today to celebrate His Majesty’s great birthday. We are but subjects carrying out the orders we received.”

As he spoke, he turned and instructed the nearby Sixteenth Guard to bring the envoy’s horse, inviting him to remount and proceed slowly.

Fortunately, among all the foreign envoys arriving in the capital, only the Southern Seas’ delegation had caused a major stir. Loulan, being a small western country, didn’t require such elaborate fanfare, and the people of the capital hadn’t gathered in large numbers to watch.

Once the envoy remounted, he entered the city together with Fang Linyuan and his men.

Li Cheng’an rode along nearby. Seeing the sincerity in the envoy’s expression, he struck up a conversation with him along the way.

It turned out that Loulan had not been going well in recent years.

Every year, the Turks came demanding cattle, sheep, and silver and gold, and Turkish riders often stormed in to pillage and plunder.

Their nation was small and weak, unable to resist. What survival they managed was due solely to the natural fortifications of their desert terrain. The Turks, disdaining the region for its unsuitability for grazing, had not launched a full invasion.

Now that the Eighteen Cities of Longxi had been reclaimed by Daxuan, Loulan could finally catch its breath. This year, for the first time, there had been no Turkish raids, and the people had finally begun to recover.

At this, the Loulan envoy launched into praise once more, endlessly effusive.

“We hadn’t been able to offer tribute for over ten years, yet Daxuan is still willing to trade with us—what a benevolent emperor you have!” the envoy said. “And it’s all thanks to General Fang’s Dinghou Strategy. This year we received wheat seeds from Daxuan, which yield far more than our usual cereal grass!”

(NT; “Dinghou” (定策) literally means “to set a strategy”. It involves making a thoughtful and clear decision on the course of action before taking any steps. In ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu, “Dinghou” emphasizes thorough preparation before engaging in battle.)

“Dinghou Strategy?” Li Cheng’an, riding beside them, couldn’t help but ask. Fang Linyuan, who was leading the group at the front, also slightly turned his head.

What was that? Even he hadn’t heard of it.

“That’s General Zhuo Fangyou, the current commander in Longxi!” the Loulan envoy explained.

“In spring, General Zhuo returned to Longxi from the capital and issued seventeen frontier-stabilizing policies, which he claimed were authored by General Fang himself. They were said to be for the livelihood of the people of Longxi, as well as for us smaller border nations.” The envoy spoke in a steady stream. At this point, he turned to Fang Linyuan with a beaming smile.

“Now that Longxi has an abundance of grain, we’re able to buy cheap food and vegetable seeds in the trade towns. These seventeen policies—now we all call them the Dinghou Strategy. This ‘Dinghou’—it refers to General Fang!”

Even Li Cheng’an couldn’t help but exclaim. “General Fang truly is a man of boundless talent—like a divine immortal!” he said.

The Loulan envoy chimed in repeatedly in agreement.

But Fang Linyuan turned his head slightly, frowning at Li Cheng’an: “Don’t speak recklessly.”

Li Cheng’an immediately shut his mouth.

Seeing that Fang Linyuan was clearly displeased, he didn’t dare say another word for the rest of the way, silently accompanying the envoys to the imperial city gates.

At the palace gates, a waiting attendant reported that His Majesty was currently hosting a snow-viewing banquet in the Plum Garden. All the envoys from various nations were gathered there, and the Loulan envoy was invited to join the feast.

Fang Linyuan dismounted there to bid the envoy farewell.

“Forgive me, my lord,” Fang Linyuan said in farewell. “My subordinate spoke without restraint—it reflects poorly on my guidance.”

The Loulan envoy quickly replied, “Not at all, not at all—General is far too modest.”

“However,” Fang Linyuan added, “there is one matter for which I’d like to ask your help.”

The Loulan envoy straightened immediately. “Please, General, speak. I will do everything in my power to assist!”

Fang Linyuan smiled and shook his head slightly.

“Regarding the Dinghou Strategy, and all your praise for me—please, I ask you not to mention a word of it before His Majesty,” Fang Linyuan said. “Not a single word.”

The Loulan envoy blinked, surprised. “General, why is that?”

Fang Linyuan paused for a moment, then smiled. “It’s just a small matter—a way to ease His Majesty’s burdens slightly. Nothing more. The merit and glory should all belong to His Majesty. If, my lord, you boast of my contributions before him, I truly won’t know how to face it.”

The Loulan envoy didn’t quite grasp the nuances of Han idioms, but he understood clearly enough: Fang Linyuan didn’t want him saying even a word of praise in front of the emperor.

Though he didn’t entirely understand why the general was being so humble, he still nodded and said, “If that is General’s wish, then I know what to do.”

Fang Linyuan finally let out a small breath of relief, nodding his thanks.

He stayed where he was, watching the Loulan envoy dismount and follow the waiting eunuch through the palace gates.

As the envoy’s figure disappeared into the grandeur of the palace, Fang Linyuan turned his horse around and said to the soldiers of the Sixteenth Guard: “Return to camp in formation. Once everything’s in order, the troops may be dismissed.”

The guards responded with a loud chorus of assent. One of the officers stepped forward to lead the formation, and the company began their orderly march back toward the Garrison Command.

Li Cheng’an slowed his pace, falling into step beside Fang Linyuan.

“General, what are you afraid of?” he asked, leaning in.

Fang Linyuan glanced at him.

He didn’t want to explain. And besides, how could he say aloud that he feared drawing the emperor’s suspicion?

“What’s it to you?” he replied coolly. “Just remember not to speak carelessly in the future.”

Li Cheng’an clicked his tongue and leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You think I’m stupid? I know—you’re keeping a low profile. Afraid of overshadowing the emperor, right? That’s how it always is for military men.”

“Oh? And now you understand everything?” Fang Linyuan cast him a sideways glance. “Then let me teach you something else: not every thought needs to be spoken aloud. If you want to keep your head, stay away from me—don’t drag me down with you.”

With that, he urged his horse forward a few paces.

“Hey—hey!” Li Cheng’an fumbled to catch up, sticking close like a tail once more.

“I just think, General, that you don’t need to be so cautious,” Li Cheng’an said.

Fang Linyuan looked at him and heard him continue:

“Look—you’ve earned titles and rank, led troops on the battlefield, and now you’re just a humble city garrison commander. Isn’t that perfect? Staying in the capital, enjoying luxury and peace—what risk is there of being seen as a threat to the throne?”

Fang Linyuan’s brow twitched faintly, but he didn’t respond.

Was that so?

He turned his head slightly, glancing back at the distant, magnificent, and seemingly boundless imperial palace.

Too many idle nobles lived behind those walls. Zhao Chu was one of them.

To others, he too was just one of those high and lofty nobles, living in heaven’s favor, with nothing to worry about—someone who only needed to enjoy a life of silk and splendor.

But the feeling of walking on thin ice with every step—only he truly understood what that meant.

After a moment, Fang Linyuan turned back around, smiled faintly at Li Cheng’an, and nodded. “You’re right.”

Li Cheng’an was just about to grin when Fang Linyuan raised his whip and lightly tapped it against his shoulder. “But don’t forget what I said—be cautious with your words. It’ll be better for you, and better for your father.”

Li Cheng’an pouted in protest and muttered, “Then why’d you say I was right...?”

Fang Linyuan said nothing more.

Because he was right.

Had he never met Zhao Chu, he might’ve truly thought that way.

But having glimpsed that cold and treacherous world of cunning beneath the surface, all he could hope for now—was that this life of luxury and peace wasn’t merely a gilded prison.

*

The Loulan envoy still couldn’t quite understand—why would such a brave and battle-hardened General Fang go to such lengths to be humble?

Once inside the palace, with the eunuch leading the way up ahead, he couldn’t help but turn to speak in the Loulan tongue with a fellow envoy beside him.

“Why does General Fang not wish us to praise him? Could it be he doesn’t want the Emperor of Daxuan’s favor?” he asked.

“Daxuan values humility above all. General Fang must be exceptionally modest to say such things,” another envoy replied solemnly.

“But we even prepared a special gift for General Fang,” the envoy said, now looking troubled. “How are we supposed to give it to him now?”

Just then, a cool and slightly husky female voice carried over from not far away. “What gift did you prepare?”

She spoke fluent Loulan: “If you present it to him in public, it would be like placing him over a roaring fire.”

The Loulan envoy turned in surprise and saw a young woman dressed in noble attire, accompanied by two maids.

Her beauty was astonishing—no amount of lavish gold and jade in her hair could outshine it. Her appearance rivaled even the most stunning exotic women of their homeland, but carried with it an aura of serenity and regal grace. She was the kind of woman one dared not look at directly, yet couldn’t help being captivated by.

The Loulan envoy was momentarily dazed, until he heard the leading eunuch bow and greet her: “ This servant pays respects to Your Highness, the Fifth Princess.”

So this was the Fifth Princess of Daxuan—renowned far and wide for her beauty, the very one who had married General Fang?

The envoys all blinked in realization, then quickly saluted her. “Greetings to the Fifth Princess.”

The princess gave a slight nod and said nothing more. Instead, the cold and haughty maid beside her spoke on her behalf: “Gentlemen, please rise.”

The eunuch stepped forward at once, smiling obsequiously with a hint of probing intent:
“Is Your Highness also heading to the Emperor’s snow-viewing banquet?”

The princess didn’t speak—she simply turned her head slightly and gave him a cold glance.

The eunuch quickly bowed and grinned, saying, “ This servant meant no offense. It’s just that I am leading the foreign envoys to the banquet as well, and wondered if we might accompany Your Highness along the way.”

As he spoke, he glanced at her and added, “…Did Your Highness just speak a phrase in the Loulan tongue to the envoys?”

His intent to test her was so plain that even the Loulan envoys picked up on it.

They had just promised Fang Linyuan to keep quiet, and now felt a bit uneasy, unsure what to say—when the princess suddenly opened her mouth.

“Yes,” she said. “I picked up a phrase or two in Loulan and was simply greeting the gentlemen. Why—do you want to learn as well?”

The eunuch hastily waved his hands and bowed repeatedly in apology: “This servant wouldn’t dare hope for such fortune! Just idle curiosity—please forgive me, Your Highness…”

Before he could finish, the princess turned to look at the envoys again. “What gift?” she asked again in perfect, unembellished Loulan.

The envoy was briefly startled, but quickly answered: “Just some grape butter pastries. We heard the General enjoys them, so we brought many, hoping to offer them to him…”

As his voice trailed off, he saw the princess smile.

It was like a red plum blossoming through snow and ice—cold, beautiful, bewitching to the point of seeming otherworldly.

Then he heard the princess speak again, drawling with amusement, now switching to speak to the eunuch: “I asked the envoys how my Loulan sounded. They said I speak it wonderfully—like someone born in Loulan.”

Then she added: “Well? Do you still need me to translate for you?”

The eunuch bowed over and over, apologizing profusely, looking like he wished he could kneel before her on the spot.

The Loulan envoys beside them also slowly began to realize what was truly going on.

Over nothing more than some humble grape pastries, they had to be so secretive, passing things in the shadows… even the lowliest palace servant had to be guarded against.

It seemed General Fang wasn’t being humble—he was simply walking on thin ice in this palace. The words he spoke just now, so carefully veiled, might truly be the most he could say under so many watching eyes.

The envoys exchanged glances.

Then, they saw the princess turn her head again, and speak to them once more in Loulan: “Go ahead and present the gift to the Emperor—I’ll make sure it’s returned to him later.”

That was what she said.

General Fang truly had married a remarkable wife.

The envoys were deeply moved, and given the situation, they graciously replied in Han Chinese: “Your Highness need not be so polite! It’s you who speak our Loulan so beautifully—no need to thank us for our compliments!”

 

--

Author's Note:

The next time the Loulan envoy sees Fang Linyuan: “General Fang! You’ve truly married a remarkable wife!”

Fang Linyuan: “…??? What?”

 

Translator : DarNan