Chapter 7

General Li’s campaign lasted more than a year.

During that time, the master entrusted half of the Jiang family’s businesses to the eldest young lady. She managed them so well that the master left her rooms beaming with pride every time.

Jiang family restaurants and teahouses also quietly began reopening around the capital, though naturally they were registered under the names of stewards serving the master and the eldest young lady.

The Jiang estate went from looking splendid and opulent to looking discreetly splendid and opulent.

As someone living inside it, I discovered that the Jiangs were even wealthier than they had been before surrendering their property to the emperor.

The eldest young lady became a little more composed than before, while her beauty only grew more striking.

On account of it, I threw sacks over quite a few lecherous scoundrels.

I changed a great deal too. The eldest young lady said I had grown taller and, thanks to her tireless efforts, finally become the tiniest bit fairer.

She was so pleased that she made me piles of new clothes. “Xiaozhu is so pretty!” she exclaimed.

I was overjoyed!

To avoid attracting unwanted attention, General Li sent no letters to the eldest young lady. Instead, Ah Yu returned carrying scroll after scroll of paintings.

General Li had painted them himself. The eldest young lady never hid them from me, so I personally witnessed his artistic ability advance from that of a three-year-old to that of a thirteen-year-old.

At least we could tell what he’d painted now, couldn’t we?

I thought the pictures were painful to look at, but the eldest young lady loved them. She carefully stored them in a box beneath her bed and took them out to admire every so often.

Ah Yu changed too. Or perhaps he didn’t change so much as grow up.

It was strange. Food in the army could hardly be called good, yet Ah Yu shot upward and filled out considerably.

Judging by General Li’s paintings, Ah Yu ate five steamed buns at every meal. Those buns were enormous. He certainly could eat!

His voice had turned into the croak of an adolescent boy, and he wouldn’t let me laugh at it. Every time I did, he chased me and tried to hit me. Ha! But he could never catch me!

Ah Yu said he would soon cease to be a secret guard. General Li had bestowed a proper name on him and planned to send him to serve under the deputy general stationed in the north.

General Li wanted Ah Yu to earn achievements in his own right, without General Li’s name attached.

He wanted Ah Yu to become the future commander of those two hundred thousand soldiers.

After telling me all this, Ah Yu said at last, “Take care, Sister Xiaozhu.”

Then I never saw him again.

Once Ah Yu stopped returning, the eldest young lady and General Li lost all contact. The only news we received came through military reports: a defeat and retreat on one date, a glorious victory on another.

And then came word that Princess Rouyi had departed for the north to join General Li.

Everyone praised Princess Rouyi’s deep devotion and courage, saying that she and General Li were a perfect match.

For the first time, the eldest young lady showed her jealousy. She knitted her brows and dug her nails into her palms until they bled.

I hated seeing her unhappy. She ought to smile every day.

Men were all faithless swine!

At the winter solstice, terrible news arrived from the front: General Li had disappeared.

The eldest young lady fainted when she heard. That very night, she came down with a fever.

I sat beside her bed, holding her hand while my tears fell without end.

What was I supposed to do?

I hated myself for not being clever enough.

I stared numbly at the eldest young lady’s face and sat there for hours.

Around midnight, her fever subsided a little. Clutching my sleeve in a death grip, she asked hoarsely, “Xiaozhu… Xiaozhu, what should I do?”

Even the eldest young lady, so strong and so clever, could feel utterly helpless.

I gently pried her fingers loose, clasped her hand between both of mine, and knelt beside the bed to look at her. “Xiaozhu will help you.”

“Xiaozhu will go find him. If he’s alive, I’ll bring him to you. If he’s dead, I’ll bring you his body.”

The eldest young lady tried to stop me. Oh, but she was so delicate—how could she possibly hold me back?