Dandere General and his Lord

10. The Lord’s Prestige

Mo Qiao Sheng could faintly hear the sound of people murmuring softly from the side. 

He had woken up from a deep sleep and discovered that his whole body was in immense pain. 

But physical pain was a common occurrence for him and he was accustomed to it. 

What made him nervous was that he was currently lying down on a warm and cozy bed with soft, dry pillows.

The room was nice and warm, without a hint of cold. There was a thin, silk quilt gently covering his back, avoiding the wound on his lower body. 

He could vaguely feel the presence of people around him, so he was vigilant and didn’t immediately open his eyes. 

He could hear what appeared to be the sound of two servants conversing quietly. 

“This man looks very ordinary. I wonder why Master’s taken a fancy to him?” 

“Yes. He doesn’t come close to Xiao Xiu or Lu Yao. Just look at all those scars on his body, so disgusting.” 

One of them laughed and said, “Maybe he’s exceptionally skilled.” 

The other man sneered and replied, “Who didn’t say so? I heard that Master took a fancy to him at Weibei Marquis’ banquet and brought him back, getting him to serve him the whole night and that Master hasn’t been able to forget him since.” 

“Tsk tsk, Master even went so far as to give away the horse left for him by the old Marquis for his sake.” 

“He really is a star of calamity. You didn’t hear the way those old ministers were talking about His Highness.”

_________

Mo Qiao Sheng clenched his fists that were hidden underneath the silk quilt. 

The memories from the previous day gradually became clearer. 

That noble personage, no, he’s already my master. 

Master gently stroked my head with his warm hands. 

He felt concerned for me and even gave me medicine to relieve my pain. 

And he even fed me personally. 

He was so gentle and even rummaged through his things to find a straw for me so that I wouldn’t have to lift my head to drink medicine that a slave like me isn’t qualified to have. 

And he shouldered such infamy, all because I pulled his trousers and begged him, leading him to trade his precious horse in exchange for me. 

Master was so generous and spared no effort to give me the best medicine. 

But……

He recalled what the doctor had said before he fell asleep. 

“He must not think of fighting or martial arts again.There’s no harm with the matters on the bed.” 

From now on, can I only rely on that abhorrent method and live an ignoble existence? 

Other than adding a stain on My Lord’s reputation, what good is a slave like myself? 

Mo Qiao Sheng suddenly regretted. If I could have endured at that time……

He recalled those three disgusting princes. 

One of them had stretched out his hand that was withered like bark in his direction, pinched his face and tried to put that finger into his mouth. 

No! A surge of fury rose in his heart. I would rather die. 

I should have let myself die then and there. 

Why did I extend my lowly hand and beg Master for help? I implicated such a gentle master. 

They’re all speaking ill of My Lord because of me. 

And I, a half disabled slave, can no longer earn prestige for My Lord. 

There won’t even be another chance to change me back for that precious horse.

_________

At the moment, Cheng Qianye didn’t know that Mo Qiao Sheng had fallen into a deep pit of remorse. 

She was sitting in the side room, lightly playing the guzheng. (Guzheng is a Chinese string instrument.) 

Her white wrists bent as the song came to an end with a faint sound. 

Xiao Xiu and Lu Yao clapped their hands. 

“Your Highness, your guzheng skill has gotten so much better. Xiu’er doesn’t seem to have heard this song before.” Xiao Xiu said, his eyes gleaming with adoration. 

Cheng Qianye looked at her hands to see her painful fingertips. Surprisingly, this era did not have special finger picks for instruments. (Finger picks are fake nails made out of turtle shell which guzheng players tape onto their nails so they can pluck the strings without damaging their fingers.) 

Cheng Qianye had no idea about the gentleman’s six arts of this era. (Gentleman’s six arts formed the basis of education in ancient China. They consist of; rites, music, chariotry, archery, calligraphy and mathematics.) 

Fortunately, her mother had forced her to join a guzheng skill class when she was younger and she had passed to the tenth rank. 

Now, in this world without any electronic devices, this skill that Cheng Qianye had hated learning had become her only source of entertainment. 

She took a writing brush and piece of paper before drawing a finger pick design and marking down the measurements. 

She beckoned to Lu Yao. “Get these made for me out of tortoiseshell. It needs to be polished smooth on all sides and it should be suitably thick.” 

Lu Yao was a charming man with a beautiful appearance and picturesque eyes. 

He carefully took the piece of paper before hiding it against his chest. “I shall immediately search for a good tortoiseshell and have a fine craftsman work on it. I will not disappoint My Lord.” 

After speaking, he pulled out a small ebony box with his graceful fingers and gently opened it in front of Cheng Qianye. 

“These are some of the latest playthings. My Lord can take a look and see whether there are any good ones.” He fawned on her differentially. 

Xiao Xiu secretly curled his lips in contempt. 

He knew that Gong Ziyu had always been fond of elegant playthings such as jade ornaments and precious gems before he had become Duke of Jin. 

With Lu Yao sitting in the position of a steward, despite getting to spend less time with the Lord, he was able to do more things to please the Lord. 

Maybe I should also consider changing my position. Xiao Xiu wondered in his head. 

No, no. My Lord has been much kinder to me recently. I can’t just leave his side and let that Mo Qiao Sheng take advantage of my absence. 

Cheng Qianye rummaged through that small box. 

“It’s beautiful.” 

Being a woman, she was still fond of these precious gems and jewels. 

She pulled out a big sapphire from the box and raised it in the air, observing the way the light passed through it. 

Lu Yao moved closer and said delightedly, “My Lord has great vision. This is a gem from the western regions with first-class purity, extremely rare.” 

It’s really beautiful. I don’t know how much such a huge and pure gem would cost in modern times. 

But it was still a lot more dim when compared to the colour seen on Mo Qiao Sheng. 

The blue colour on Xiao Mo was like a pure glacier or a vast ocean. 

With such a beautiful lustre of gems before one’s eyes, even such a beautiful jewel seemed to lose its splendour.

It had been a while since she had gone to check up on him. 

Cheng Qianye threw the jewel back into the box.

“Lu Yao.” Now, she felt it was necessary that she reminded this big steward.

Lu Yao bowed and listened earnestly. 

“I permitted you to manage the trivial matters at my side because I like you and have confidence in you. You seem to have done really well these days. Your ability to figure out my likes and keep everything in order really makes me feel at ease.” 

Lu Yao raised the lower hem of his robe before kneeling down. “lt is this humble one’s duty and this one is undeserving of My Lord’s praise. This humble one is moved to tears that this one can be appreciated by My Lord. This humble one always keeps My Lord’s kindness in one’s heart and works hard every day, afraid that this one might make an error and disappoint My Lord.”

“I hope you really think so.” Cheng Qianye gazed at the changing colour on his body. “You know when you sit in such a position and have more power, there will be more temptations and more people envying you. There will be people staring at you at all times, hoping to catch your wrongdoings and tell me.” 

Lu Yao’s back was covered with cold sweat. 

He glanced stealthily at the gloating Xiao Xiu. Could this boy have gone and accused me behind my back? Or was it that clothes merchant from a couple of days back who refused to give a commission? Or has My Lord found out about that piece of jade I concealed? 

The Lord had always been generous in the past and had never cared about the accounts and money as long as things were done well. Now, the wind had changed. 

When he thought of Duke Jin Yue’s unpredictable nature and his cruel means, his heart was filled with fear. 

“You have good management abilities and have served at my side for many years, so I can treat it as if I don’t see some minor matters. However, you need to have a limit. If you pass this limit, it won’t be possible for you to come back and serve at my side, living the same life as before.”

Lu Yao kowtowed as he shivered and begged for forgiveness. 

“Okay, forget about the previous matters. You may leave first.” 

Cheng Qianye waved her hand. In fact, she hadn’t known anything about it, but recently, she could see that Lu Yao’s body was always enveloped in a colour that signified greed and desire, showing a tendency to grow.

So she hinted at him, giving him a reminder. 

She didn’t expect to make him shiver in fear. It seemed that the chief steward had become really inflated these past few days. 

Xiao Jin entered the room at this time. 

He saw Cheng Qianye beaming at Gong Ziyu’s little male pet as she nitpicked at a box of gems. 

Xiao Jin sighed in his heart. 

This was originally just a princess who had grown up being pampered in the inner palace. 

She was suddenly faced with the deaths of both her father and her brother, and was forced to dress like a man day after day and carry the burden of being the lord of a vassal state. 

But besides her, the rest of the old Marquis’ offspring were still too young. 

The lord was missing and the country was weak, encircled by great powers. I’m afraid the day this nation will be conquered is not far at hand. 

I can only assist the Princess for now and wait for the other sons to grow up before finding a solution. 

Cheng Qianye saw Xiao Jin coming in and hastily gave him a seat. 

At the same time, she put away the jewels and waved away all the irrelevant people.

Xiao Jin was the first person who had helped her since she had transmigrated and the person who had planned this clandestine scheme along with her. 

So she felt more trust and respect towards this man. 

She didn’t forget to tell Xiao Xiu who was at the door, “Xiao Xiu, go and keep an eye on Xiao Mo for me. Go see if he’s woken up.” 

Xiao Jin rose to his feet and neatly tucked his hands into his sleeves before saluting. “This official heard a rumour that Your Highness traded the white speckled brown horse in exchange for a slave?” 

Cheng Qianye touched her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I can explain. This slave looks very ordinary. I didn’t take a fancy to his looks.” 

She silently said in her head. Xiao Mo doesn’t look like those delicate types, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s very handsome, and so is his inner beauty. But I won’t tell these things to you. 

“He was the first warrior to rush up the city walls when we laid siege to the city that day and I cherished his talent. Yesterday I went out of the city and almost fell off the horse. Fortunately, he saved my life.” 

“I couldn’t just watch on unfeelingly as Weibei Marquis that old freak beat him to death. In a moment of desperation, I had no choice but to exchange the horse for his life.” 

Xiao Jin sighed and sat down. “My Lord’s kindness is the blessing of the people. It’s just that it is detrimental to My Lord’s prestige. This official hopes that this sort of thing will be done less in the future.” 

Xiao Jin’s body was surrounded by an earthy red colour, warm and soft, possessing the sort of sheen of copper that had sedimented for a long time. 

This colour was encircled by a thin edge of gold. At that moment, the gold which symbolised loyalty seemed to have become a little dim. 

Cheng Qianye realized that Xiao Jin’s loyalty towards her was just an emotional continuation of his feelings toward the old Marquis of Jin and Gong Ziyu. 

He only put me in this position because he has no other alternative. In fact, he actually holds me in contempt in his heart. 

Cheng Qianye suddenly felt fed up. 

Do you think I actually like sitting in this position as the lord? There are no computers or mobile phones or other electronics here. 

Fighting and slaughtering all day, bleeding to death. I wouldn’t be sitting in this position if it weren’t for the sake of my life. 

Xiao Jin was still there and discussed, “These days, the troops of the other Lords have been leaving the city one after the other. We ought to make a move soon.” 

“So what should we do?” Cheng Qianye asked. 

“There are many things that need to be decided by My Lord. The most important of which is to consolidate the city defense, placate the common people, restore public order and resume farming…..” 

Cheng Qianye listened to all this, feeling overwhelmed. “I really don’t understand any of these things. Can I hand these matters over to you?” 

She could see how weary Xiao Jin was in his heart. 

At that moment, Cheng Qianye felt that being able to see another person’s inner emotions wasn’t a good thing.

It was tantamount to cutting open a person’s smiling facade and putting their discontent, malice, and ridicule right before her. 

It infinitely magnified a person’s maliciousness before her eyes and filled the world with all the numerous negative emotions hidden by others. 

Cheng Qianye sent Xiao Jin off dejectedly before she went to Mo Qiao Sheng’s room. 

When Mo Qiao Sheng finally saw his Lord, he strained himself trying to get out of bed. 

Cheng Qianye lightly pressed his shoulder. “Lie down. You’re still heavily injured, don’t move around.” 

This seriously injured man, she didn’t know what he must have been thinking to be feeling so pessimistic and full of self-reproach. 

But the moment he had caught sight of Cheng Qianye, that beautiful sapphire blue surrounding him was instantly encircled with a ring of sturdy gold. 

Soon after, the colours gradually mixed with the beautiful colours which indicated joy and gratitude. 

This greatly appeased Cheng Qianye’s dispirited heart. 

After having transmigrated for so long, it was only this slave who was genuinely loyal to her.

He liked her purely, without any other desires. 

Cheng Qianye sat down beside him and gently stroked his head. 

“Come on, I’ll take you to soak in the Moon Spirit Spring. It will help your legs get better.”