Chapter 62

Chapter 62

[The Male Chauvinist’s Victory – 3]

Guan Pu was only eleven that year. After traveling a great distance with his seven-year-old brother Guan Sheng-half walking, half begging-all the way to Jiankang, it was impossible for him not to feel apprehensive.

Their hometown had suffered an epidemic the previous year, infecting tens of thousands. Unable to combat it, the authorities sealed the city and abandoned its people to their fate. More than half a year later, their parents and everyone else in the Guan Family were dead. Only the two brothers, stubbornly tenacious, had survived the plague.

The epidemic had turned the place where they grew up into an empty city. Most of the modest fortune the Guan Family had accumulated over the years had been spent at the beginning of the outbreak on physicians for the family and funerals for those who died.

Worried about her two sons, Lady Xue told them before her death that she had hidden some money beneath the woodpile in the kitchen. They were to take it and travel to Jiankang to seek refuge with their half brother, Yan Hongguang.

Meeting a brother who shared their mother but not their father would inevitably be awkward. Still, half the same blood flowed in their veins. The boys were young; without anyone to care for them, there was no telling how much hardship they would suffer stumbling through these chaotic times.

Guan Pu himself was not much older. But their parents had entrusted his little brother to him on their deathbeds and placed the family’s last money in his hands, plainly making him responsible for the younger child. He had been forced to grow up in a very short time and take on the bearing of an adult.

He found a fifty-tael banknote and seven or eight taels of loose silver in the kitchen. Knowing how dangerous it was for two young children to travel alone, he dared not reveal their money or risk shortcuts. They walked the official roads by day and slept outside the walls of post stations at night. They prepared coarse grain for provisions, strapped a water flask to their backs, dressed themselves in rags, and set out for Jiankang.

The journey from their hometown to Jiankang took only five or six days on horseback. The boys walked most of it and even lost their way in their confusion. Altogether, it took them more than a month to reach the city.

The Li Family of Lingnan was a prominent clan of Jiangdong, so asking where they lived was not difficult. Once the brothers reached the vicinity, finding Yan Hongguang became much easier.

Guan Pu had never met this half brother. Everything he knew about Yan Hongguang came from the few things their mother had told him. By the time he finally brought his younger brother through countless hardships to Yan Hongguang’s door, he had prepared himself for the worst.

If their brother drove them away, he would buy them both decent clothes. Once they had tidied themselves up, they could find a bookshop and copy texts for people. They had studied for several years and could both read and write; surely they would not starve in the streets.

For that reason, Guan Pu had spent very sparingly on the road. The fifty-tael banknote remained untouched, and he had used only three taels of loose silver. He had carefully hidden the rest inside the hem of his clothing against future emergencies.

But he never expected their brother to be so kind!

The moment they met, Yan Hongguang brought them inside. He showed no disgust at their stench or their resemblance to two little beggars. He ordered food prepared for them and told the kitchen to heat water at once so the boys could take a proper bath.

It was even better than the best outcome Guan Pu had imagined before arriving.

The food soon came. In consideration of stomachs that had gone without meat for so long, there was no rich fish or meat, only white rice and several vegetable dishes. Even so, Guan Pu and Guan Sheng wolfed it down.

Liu Che estimated their sizes and told the servants to hurry out and buy several changes of clothes. Watching the two boys enthusiastically shovel rice from their bowls, nostalgia flickered in his eyes.

“Guan Pu looks exactly like Wei Qing when I first met him,” he told his old companions in the space. “The Wei Family had not yet risen then. He was still young and very thin, though he was a few years older than this…”

Li Shimin examined the Guan brothers with interest as they concentrated on eating. “And Guan Sheng? Does he closely resemble Huo Piaoyao as well?”

“He does, though he is thinner, and his complexion isn’t as healthy as the Champion Marquis’s.”

Liu Che sighed wistfully. “Qubing was a generation younger than Wei Qing. By then, the Wei Family had become powerful imperial in-laws, so his life was far more comfortable than Guan Sheng’s. That was why he carried such a brilliant, high-spirited air from childhood onward. In the fourth year of Yuanshou, he performed the Feng sacrifice at Mount Langjuxu, drove the Xiongnu far away, and left no royal court south of the desert. How magnificent and spirited he was!”

By the end, fervor and pride had appeared between Liu Che’s brows.

Huo Qubing had been cultivated by Liu Che’s own hand. The emperor’s military ambitions had been embodied in this young genius. Few of Liu Che’s own sons had ever received such high hopes from him. Unfortunately, Heaven had granted Huo Qubing too few years. The Champion Marquis lived only twenty-four.

Liu Che had made many mistakes in his life, and he had known regret. He regretted the deaths of Empress Wei and the Crown Prince Li, but regret could no longer undo them.

Yet when it came to Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, the twin stars of the empire, his conscience was clear.

Now, in another world, he found two brothers who closely resembled Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. Liu Che suddenly understood how Zhu Yuanzhang had felt upon seeing Ma Mingyue in the previous world. When someone whose time with you had been too brief, someone from whom you parted in haste and regret, appeared before your eyes again, how could your heart not surge with emotion?

Together, the Guan brothers emptied a basin of rice and four plates of vegetables. Only after wiping their mouths and seeing their elder brother smiling at them from across the table did they become embarrassed. They awkwardly called him “Big Brother,” then had no idea what else to say.

Liu Che smiled gently. “My father died young, leaving Mother as my only close kin. Now you have lost both parents as well. We may not share both a mother and a father, but half the same blood flows within us. If only for Mother’s sake, we ought to watch over and support one another.”

At the mention of their late mother, Guan Pu’s and Guan Sheng’s eyes reddened.

Liu Che patted their shoulders reassuringly. “Now that you are here, stay without worry. This courtyard is small, but it can house the three of us. Tomorrow I will ask around and find a teacher for your studies, then hire someone to teach you martial arts…”
He recalled that Lady Xue’s second husband had apparently been a low-ranking military officer. Neither brother was a small child, and though thin, they looked sturdy. He suspected they had practiced martial arts before and asked. When they confirmed that they had, he was delighted.

“You should have dedicated teachers for martial arts and strategy too. Whenever I have time, I will come back in the evenings and give you some guidance. Your big brother may look young, but he knows several times more than ordinary men.”

Liu Che himself had once been the supreme Son of Heaven and had directed several wars against the Xiongnu. Given the heights at which he had operated, teaching two boys was using a butcher’s cleaver to kill chickens.

Besides, the space contained such ruthless men as Li Shimin, Li Yuanda, and Zhu Yuanzhang. Every one of them had personally taken up a blade and fought for an empire. Search through five thousand years of history-who else could assemble a faculty like this?

Guan Pu and Guan Sheng were both exceptionally intelligent. Every word their brother spoke was clearly intended for their future. How could they not be moved?

Guan Pu immediately pulled his brother down to kowtow, but Liu Che hauled them both back up. “Enough. Why stand on ceremony with family?”

The cook came from outside and reported at the door, “Young Master, the water is ready.”

Liu Che carried the two tearfully grateful little cubs to the doorway. “Go bathe. Scrub yourselves from head to toe, and don’t come back until you’re presentable!”

The boys soaked in their tubs for nearly an hour. When they emerged in newly bought clothes, socks, shoes, and boots, their outstanding features became obvious.

That made sense. Lady Xue had been a beauty; otherwise, she could never have borne an outrageously handsome man like Yan Hongguang. Even if her second husband was ugly, sons born to such a beautiful mother could hardly be hideous.

As for why the brothers resembled Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, that was simpler still. Had Liu Che chosen Empress Wei because her virtue was uniquely outstanding?

If the elder sister was beautiful, the younger brother would not be ugly. The same principle applied to her nephew.

Standing before him neatly dressed, the two brothers truly looked like graceful jade trees in the wind. Liu Che watched them nostalgically and nodded in satisfaction, then reached out to pinch their cheeks.

“You’re simply too thin,” he said with a smile. “After suffering so much on the road, you need proper nourishment!”

Warmth filled both boys. They bowed together. “Thank you, Big Brother!”

…

News that the Guan brothers had come to Jiankang to seek their elder brother inevitably reached the Li Family. Madam Wei and Li Jiangyue paid little attention. Li Jiangxue, however, froze for a moment before growing excited.

The three bore different surnames, but in truth they were no different from full brothers. After Yan Hongguang ascended the throne, the Guan brothers would receive the same treatment as members of the previous dynasty’s imperial clan.

How muddleheaded of her! She had focused entirely on persuading her mother to approve her marriage to her cousin and forgotten all about this!

Li Jiangxue felt rather gloomy over the oversight, but she did not dare defy her mother too openly. Now that the Guan brothers had reached Jiankang and reunited with their brother, she felt herself one step closer to the position of Empress. After her first burst of excitement, she ordered many gifts and books prepared and sent them to Yan Hongguang’s home specifically to win over the brothers.

One offered charcoal in the snow while people were still at their lowest. If she did not hurry to show them kindness now, was she supposed to wait until they had risen in the world and then try to ingratiate herself?

She was not stupid!

When the gifts arrived, Liu Che naturally thanked the messenger with a smile and had Guan Pu and Guan Sheng summoned to receive them.

The brothers were not born to one of the great aristocratic clans, but neither were they commoners. When they heard that the Li Family’s eldest young lady had specially sent such lavish gifts, they knew it was because of their brother. After accepting, they repeatedly asked the messenger to convey their thanks to Young Lady Li.

Once the messenger left and no outsiders remained, Guan Pu smiled teasingly. “Big Brother, is that Young Lady Li interested in you?”

Liu Che raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think so?”

Guan Pu explained methodically, “The Guan and Li families have never had dealings. Why would my brother and I receive gifts from the Li Family merely because we came here? If they loved the house and therefore its crow-if they sent us things because of you-the gifts should have come in the Li Family’s name. Why would an unmarried young lady of the household send them personally? So I suspect these gifts were not from the Li Family but specifically from Young Lady Li. Yet she has never met us and had no friendship with our parents. Why give such extravagant gifts? It can only be because of you.”

Within days of meeting them, Liu Che had realized that Guan Sheng was quick-witted and Guan Pu steady. Both possessed exceptional talent.

Guan Pu especially had perhaps been forced by hardship to mature swiftly when he took his little brother on the road in search of kin. Though barely in his teens, he possessed a maturity and composure many adults lacked.

He understood the need to consider danger in times of safety. He knew better than to stake every hope on a brother he had never met, and he had left an escape route for himself and Guan Sheng.

At the same time, his sincerity and honesty were admirable. He inspired trust and made others willing to place their confidence in him.

Facing a half brother whose face and disposition both resembled Marquis Changping, Wei Qing, Liu Che could not avoid transferring some of his old affection. He neither claimed to have feelings for Li Jiangxue nor denied them. Instead, he answered ambiguously, “All beneath Heaven bustle about for profit; all beneath Heaven jostle about for gain.”

Guan Pu had only been teasing him. At this answer, his brows furrowed. He was about to ask more when Liu Che smiled, unrolled the map of the Southern Dynasty in the study again, and resumed the brothers’ lesson from the previous day.

Guan Pu did not pursue the matter. Only when the day’s lesson ended and he was gathering his things to leave did he ask quietly, “You don’t like Young Lady Li, but you have no choice but to humor her for now. Is that it?”

Liu Che smiled and patted his shoulder, but answered a different question. “I will be leaving in a few days. I may be gone a month, or as long as three. You and Guan Sheng are to stay quietly at home and avoid going out. I have spoken to several friends, and they will stop by from time to time. If anything happens, you may tell them.”

Guan Pu paused, then agreed. Guan Sheng also said, “Don’t worry, Big Brother. We’ll be good and wait at home for you!”
…

It was late autumn, the season when the Northern Dynasty had traditionally raided the border and the Southern Dynasty raised troops in defense. For Liu Che, it was the perfect opportunity to earn merit and make his name.

During his time in Jiankang, he had befriended many young wandering heroes and gained some renown. When he now issued a rallying call in the name of righteousness and glory, great numbers answered.

Yan Hongguang’s father had once enjoyed a modest reputation in the army, and several of his old comrades had since risen in rank. Seeing the son of their late friend, they naturally offered him some assistance. Madam Wei had also seen that her daughter’s heart was fixed on Yan Hongguang and that she seemed determined to marry no one else. She sent people to investigate him and learned that the young man possessed extraordinary ability and insight, with every sign of future greatness. Inclined to bring the match about, she quietly exerted some influence. Thus, the moment Liu Che entered the army, he received the post of chiliarch.

The Southern Dynasty had always maintained rigid hierarchies among its aristocratic clans. Some scions of great families commanded entire armies before they were even twenty. The Yan Family might have fallen on hard times, but it still retained old connections and influence. With the matriarch of the Li Family of Lingnan secretly backing him as well, the appointment encountered no opposition and passed smoothly.

A chiliarch commanded sixteen hundred men. Combined with the wandering heroes Liu Che had recruited himself, this gave him a force of roughly two thousand. It was not large, but provided the soldiers were sufficiently elite, it was already enough to change the outcome of a small battle.

Liu Che might never have eaten pork, but he had seen pigs run. Although he had never personally commanded troops at the front, he had taken part in establishing and organizing the Yulin Guard, as well as its later training and battle exercises. Leading the training of these two thousand men posed no difficulty.

The several hundred wandering heroes who had joined because of him already admired him and naturally raised no objections. The other sixteen hundred soldiers were initially unconvinced. Yet when they saw their young commander eat, sleep, and train beside them-and undertake twice the training of an ordinary soldier while displaying astonishing valor-they too were awed and gradually came to respect him.

On the ninth day of the tenth month, Northern Qi sent its armies south.

The Southern Dynasty was a wealthy and refined land but weak in warfare. The Northern Dynasty, populated largely by descendants of the Hu peoples, had fierce martial customs. Once war began, the Southern Dynasty suffered defeat after defeat and heavy casualties. The front advanced from south of the Yellow River to north of the Huai River, directly threatening Jiankang.

This was precisely the opportunity Liu Che had been awaiting.

Li Shimin had spent half his life at war. Even with his eyes closed, he could devise a dozen solutions to the present situation.

“Zhi’er, Yan Hongguang was born with extraordinary martial gifts. You possess his strength and your strategy is far beyond an ordinary man’s, but you still differ from a true military genius. This is the first battle in which you will make your name. There is no need for anything elaborate. Keep it simple and effective.

“The Northern Dynasty does hold the advantage, but its ambitions are too great. It has stretched its lateral front much too far. East and west cannot coordinate closely, messages travel slowly, and the rear is left unprotected. Lead this cavalry force through a single breach. Split the enemy’s eastern and western wings so they cannot support each other, press your advantage, and strike directly at the command tent.”

Liu Che was no mediocrity. The moment Li Shimin finished, he said, “Once east and west are separated and their communications severed, morale will become unstable. Human sight is limited. When troops suddenly charge them, they will struggle to judge whether it is a small detachment or the main force. Panic will spread, every soldier will worry only about himself, and the Northern army will fall into chaos. When they discover their command tent has been attacked as well, they will likely retreat at once!”

Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction. “Exactly.”

His decision made, Liu Che immediately led his army out. Fighting at the front, he tore a breach between the Northern Dynasty’s eastern and western lines, pursued his advantage, and launched a surprise attack on the commander’s position.

Sparring on a training ground tested individual strength. War depended on coordination between troops, the transformation of formations, and the commander’s leadership. Liu Che possessed above-average talent to begin with and had several SSR-tier generals supporting him. Losing would have been difficult even if he tried.

The moment Emperor Gaozu saw the Northern Dynasty’s east-west front stretched almost as thin as a strand of hand-pulled noodles, he said its commander was either an incompetent fool ignorant of warfare or an inexperienced young man greedy for merit and advancing rashly.

After Liu Che stormed the Northern camp and captured the commander leading Northern Qi’s southern expedition, Emperor Gaozu’s guess was immediately confirmed. The Northern commander was indeed a young man: Gao Jun, eldest son of the Northern Qi emperor.

Having personally captured a Northern Qi prince in his very first campaign, Liu Che was thrilled. With a grand sweep of his hand, he magnificently ordered the man taken away and guarded with care. Unable to contain his excitement, he boasted to his old companions, “We personally led an army to war, won Our very first battle, and captured a prince of the Northern Dynasty!”

Praise me! Praise me now!

Worship me! Do not be stingy-drown me in compliments!

Emperor Gaozu was utterly indifferent. “We rose from the common people and won an empire blade by blade. Did We say anything?”

Li Shimin scoffed. “Ever heard of the God of War from the early Tang?”

Zhu Yuanzhang spread his hands. “I started with one bowl and ended by securing the Central Plains. Am I proud?”

Ying Zheng said, “He’s only a prince. What is so remarkable about that? We captured the kings of all six states and countless royal sons and grandsons. Did We boast?”

Liu Che: “…”

Unmanly tears streamed down his face.

He struggled to defend himself. “We drove the Xiongnu north and forced them to settle beyond the desert…”

Liu Che: “…”

He lowered his head aggrievedly.

Li Shimin nodded and told Emperor Gaozu, “He knows.”

Emperor Gaozu said, “He’s ashamed.”

Ying Zheng looked astonished. “He actually possesses shame?”

Zhu Yuanzhang agreed, “Indeed. Unbelievable.”

Liu Che: “…”

Destroy it all. There was nothing worthwhile left in this world.