Chapter 1: Rain in Wei City, A Youth with a Companion

In the thirteenth year of the Tianqi era of the Tang Empire, rain fell upon Wei City.

Located at the northwest frontier of the vast imperial territory, this military border town was fortified with thick earthen walls in all directions to guard against the invasion of barbarians from the grasslands. The walls appeared like a solid earthen barrier.

During dry seasons, the loose soil on the walls would be stirred up by the northwestern winds, swirling and settling onto the rudimentary barracks and the soldiers themselves. The whole world would turn into a dusty yellow hue, and when people shook their bedding before sleep, it would kick up a sandstorm.

In the midst of a spring drought, the rain arrived at just the right moment, receiving a warm welcome from the soldiers. Since last night, the steady drizzle had washed away the dust from the rooftops, making the surroundings appear brighter. At least, Ma Shixiang's eyes were gleaming.

As the highest military commander in Wei City, he maintained a humble demeanor, even though he felt some dissatisfaction with the muddy footprints on the precious carpets. He skillfully concealed his displeasure and displayed a touch of appropriate astonishment.

He respectfully bowed to the elderly man in the tattered robe beside the low table and inquired in a low voice, "Respected elder, I wonder if there are any other needs for the distinguished guests in the tent. If the esteemed guests insist on departing tomorrow, I can immediately allocate a hundred-person escort team to accompany them. I will promptly inform the military headquarters as well."

The old man smiled gently and gestured towards the figures inside the tent, shaking his head to indicate that he had no objections. Just then, a voice, cold and proud, emanated from within the tent, "No need. Focus on your own tasks."

In the early morning of that day, the convoy from the other side braved the rain and entered Wei City. It didn't take Ma Shixiang long to deduce the identity of the distinguished person within the convoy. Therefore, he harbored no objections to their arrogance and indifference; he dared not have any objections.

Inside the tent, there was a moment of silence before someone spoke up, "The road from Wei City to the imperial capital, especially around the Min Mountains, is treacherous. Judging by the looks of this rain, it may continue for some time, and some mountain paths might be washed away... Arrange a guide for me from the military."

Ma Shixiang was taken aback and remembered a certain despicable individual. After a moment of silence, he lowered his head and responded, "There is a suitable candidate already."

...

...

Several lieutenants outside the barracks exchanged puzzled glances, their faces expressing a range of emotions—regret, reluctance, relief, and astonishment. Clearly, none of them anticipated that Ma Shixiang would choose that person to be the esteemed guest's guide.

"General, are you really letting him go like this?" one lieutenant exclaimed in disbelief.

Wei City was not large, and when all the officers and soldiers were gathered, they did not exceed three hundred in number. The military camp, situated far from bustling areas, sometimes resembled a bandit's den. The so-called "general" was merely the lowest-ranking Deputy General. However, Ma Shixiang was known for his strict military governance, or rather, the leader of the Wei City's bandit gang enjoyed being addressed as "general." Therefore, even in casual conversation, the subordinates never forgot to add the word "general" when looking up.

Ma Shixiang wiped the rainwater off his face and looked at the brownish water pooling around the barracks. He sighed with emotion, "I can't keep him in this godforsaken place forever. The reply to his recommendation letter has been delayed for nearly half a year. A promising future awaits that lad in the imperial capital, especially with the upcoming academy entrance examination. Since the esteemed guest's party is heading in the same direction, I might as well do them a favor."

"I doubt the esteemed guest will appreciate it," retorted the lieutenant, annoyed.

The barracks door behind them swung open, and a graceful-looking maid stepped out. She gazed coldly at Ma Shixiang and the lieutenants, saying, "Take me to meet the guide."

Clearly, she was the esteemed guest's personal maid. Facing a border general of the imperial court, she did not bother concealing her faint arrogance.

The position of Prime Minister's household servant, a noble's attendant, or a prince's confidante were all headache-inducing roles in the political sphere. They invited animosity when they were close and trouble when they were distant. They were the epitome of trouble. Ma Shixiang truly disliked dealing with such people. After exchanging a few casual remarks, he waved his hand, summoning a lieutenant, instructing him to take the maid to find the person they were looking for.

The rain had temporarily ceased, and Wei City appeared exceptionally fresh after the light shower. Along the road, a few branches of willow trees blossomed with spring greenery. However, the city was too small. The lieutenant led the maid to their destination after just a few steps—a humble and lively barracks.

Hearing the commotion of voices inside—shouting, cursing, and giving orders—the maid furrowed her brow slightly. She couldn't believe that, in broad daylight, there were people daring to drink inside the military camp. A gust of wind lifted the door curtain, and the voices inside became unexpectedly clear. Indeed, they were playing a rowdy drinking game, but not a proper one. Listening to the content of their chant, the maid's beautiful face blushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger. She clenched her fist tightly inside her sleeve.

"Let's play the lewd game! Who's lewd? You're lewd! Who's lewd? I'm lewd! Who's lewd? He's lewd!..."

The obscene chant continued without a victor for an unusually long time. The maid's expression grew increasingly angry and displeased. She lifted a corner of the door curtain, casting an unkind gaze inside. At first glance, she saw a young boy sitting across the square table.

The boy appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a common military cotton shirt stained with grease on the front. His black hair, which hadn't seen a wash in years, was somewhat curly and greasy, while his face was remarkably clean. Consequently, his eyebrows and eyes stood out distinctly, and the few freckles on his cheeks were clearly visible.

Contrary to the lewd nature of the drinking game, the young boy's expression at this moment was exceptionally focused and serious. There was not a hint of obscenity in his demeanor; instead, a touch of purity and nobility emanated from his eyebrows and eyes. His right hand continued to gesture scissors, rock, and paper in front of him with lightning speed. His punches carried a sense of killing intent, as if the outcome of this game of chance meant more to him than his own life.

Several resilient green flies, having survived in the harsh environment of the northwest, relentlessly attempted to land on the oil-stained front of the boy's cotton shirt. However, they were constantly driven away by his swift punches and knife-like movements.

"I win!"

Finally, the seemingly endless game of chance that seemed to have sucked all the air out of the room came to an end. The black-haired boy vigorously swung his right arm, proclaiming his victory. He smiled with great joy, revealing an adorable dimple on his left cheek.

However, his opponent refused to accept defeat, insisting that the boy had changed his move when shouting, "Who's lewd?" As a result, the room instantly erupted into a heated argument. The onlooking soldiers took sides, unable to convince one another. Just then, someone shouted, "According to the old rules, let Sang Sang decide!"

All eyes turned to a corner of the room, where an eleven or twelve-year-old girl was struggling to move a water bucket on the ground. She was short and thin, with dark skin and ordinary features. The maid's dress she wore, obviously too loose, trailed on the floor as she moved the bucket, visibly exerting great effort.

The young maid named Sang Sang set the water bucket down and turned around. The soldiers watched her nervously, as if high-rolling gamblers awaited the dealer's final verdict. Clearly, this was not the first time such a scene had unfolded.

The young maid frowned and glanced at the boy before looking at the disgruntled soldier sitting across the table. She spoke earnestly, "In the 23rd round, you played scissors, and he played fist. But you accused him of being lewd, so you had already lost at that point."

Laughter erupted in the room, and everyone dispersed. The soldier grumbled as he handed over the money, while the young boy happily accepted the cash. He wiped his hands on his oil-stained chest and patted the soldier's shoulder in sincere consolation.

"Cheer up a bit. In all of Wei City... no, in the whole world, who can defeat me, Ning Que?"

The maid's expression turned unpleasant, and the adjutant, who had been discreetly observing her, also looked displeased. He clenched the door curtain tightly, preparing to cough a few times, but he was stopped by the maid's stern gaze.

To prevent the adjutant from alerting the boy, the maid followed him and the young maid as they left the barracks, silently observing and assessing. The adjutant had no idea what she intended to do and could only attribute it to the cautious and peculiar habits of someone close to an esteemed figure.

Throughout the journey, the boy named Ning Que did not display anything out of the ordinary. He bought some food, greeted a plump auntie at a street-side tavern, appearing exceptionally relaxed. The only thing that made the maid increasingly uneasy and her face more unpleasant was this: the petite maid struggled to drag the water bucket behind him, and the boy showed no intention of helping her.

The empire was a strictly hierarchical nation, but the people had simple customs. Even the most indifferent aristocrats in the capital, Chang'an, would find it hard to remain indifferent when witnessing an eleven or twelve-year-old girl laboring so strenuously without any change in expression.

"Are soldiers allowed to have maids?" The delicate maid forcefully suppressed her anger and asked the adjutant beside her.

The adjutant scratched his head and replied, "A few years ago, there was a severe drought in the northern province, and countless refugees flooded southward and to the border regions. Dead bodies littered the roadsides. I heard that Sang Sang was rescued by Ning Que from a pile of corpses back then. Ning Que is an orphan himself, and ever since then, the two of them have relied on each other for survival."

"Afterward, he enlisted in the army, with the condition that he could bring this little girl into Wei City." He glanced at the maid and explained cautiously, "As you know, such things are not allowed in the military. But their situation is somewhat unique, and there was no way to push a little girl into a dead end. So everyone... pretended not to see."

Upon hearing this explanation, the maid's expression improved slightly. However, when she saw Ning Que swinging half a roasted chicken and the thin, black-faced girl several meters behind him struggling to drag the water bucket, her mood turned sour again. She coldly remarked, "This isn't relying on each other for survival; he clearly wants that girl's life."

Wei City was indeed small, and it didn't take long for the four of them to arrive at a place outside a house, where a small stone platform was surrounded by a simple fence. The maid and the adjutant stood outside the fence, peering inside.

The young maid laboriously moved the water bucket, which was half her height, to the side of the water tank. She then stood on a stool beside the tank and, with all her strength, poured the water into it. Without wasting a moment, she began washing rice and vegetables. In between steaming the rice, she took a cloth and started wiping the tables, chairs, and windows. Soon, mist rose, enveloping her tiny figure.

Although it had rained the previous night, the rain was not heavy enough to wash away the yellow dirt accumulated on the doors and windows. Instead, it turned into unsightly mud stains. These mud stains were quickly eradicated under the young maid's cloth, making the house and courtyard instantly clean and bright.

It was evident that she performed these household chores every day, appearing highly skilled and efficient. The little black maid, still a child, toiled diligently like an ant, scurrying around like a servant. She was exhausted, with sweat dripping down her face and her cheeks turning red. It looked somewhat comical and evoked a sense of sympathy.

The guy called Ning Que clearly lacked these two emotions. He lay quietly, or rather comfortably, on a bamboo lounge chair. His left hand held a somewhat old book that he continuously flipped through, while his right hand held a sturdy tree branch, repeatedly drawing on the damp ground. Occasionally, when lost in thought, he casually threw the branch away and extended his palm upwards into the air. After a while, a pot of warm, perfectly brewed tea appeared in his palm.

The soldiers in Wei City had long become accustomed to this daily scene in the small courtyard, so they didn't find it strange. However, the gaze of the noble maid outside the fence gradually grew colder, especially as she observed the little maid diligently cooking and cleaning, not forgetting to keep an eye on the demands of the young soldier. Her face became increasingly frosty, as if on the verge of freezing.