Dandere General and his Lord

11. A Lord’s Duty

It was early autumn season. The rain came down and the wind brought in a slight chill. 

Cheng Qianye sat in a luxurious carriage and opened the curtains, looking outside at the streets. 

The city which had just recently been baptised by the flames of war appeared bleak and dilapidated. 

The refugees who were not clothed properly walked in twos and threes on the muddy roads, looking pale and defeated. 

From time to time, you could see an indistinct figure curled up beneath the crumbled city walls. 

Cheng Qianye did not dare to observe carefully as she was afraid that they might be corpses.

“It’s really depressing. Our State of Jin is much better than here.” Cheng Qianye had led her troops all the way here from their country, and she had personally witnessed the immense disparity between the people’s livelihood in both places. 

“It’s natural since Great Jin still has you, My Lord.” Xiao Xiu leaned over and looked out of the window. “Bianzhou has been embroiled in the chaos of war for the last couple of years, falling into the hands of many different forces. All the forces that pass by just want to plunder the city and leave, and nobody wants to take care of the lives of the common people.”

As a science student, Cheng Qianye had probably only skimmed the surface of the history and politics subjects back when she was in middle school. 

In her subconscious mind, a feudal monarchy ruled by a sovereign king was simply an emblem of exploitation and dictatorship. 

They stood on the opposite end of the masses, enjoying high positions and living in luxury as they absorbed the flesh and blood of the commoners. They ought to have been the target of loathing for the commoners. 

It was only after coming here that she came to realize. 

In an era like this, the nation could become stable only if there was a steady monarch, and it was also the hope of the people. 

The demands for equality and human rights could only come after a society was adequately rich and provided for. 

“In this case, the commoners might even want me to stay and become their lord here.” Cheng Qianye stroked her chin. 

“That is only natural. My Lord is a benevolent and kindhearted monarch. Having you is a blessing for the people of Jin country. If it weren’t for My Lord, Xiu’er would have starved to death on the streets.” Xiao Xiu said bashfully. 

Cheng Qianye nodded but she didn’t pay attention to Xiao Xiu’s words. 

Because up ahead, there was a slave trade marketplace. 

Even though it was called a slave trade marketplace, in fact, only a few slave traders were buying slaves. 

There were a group of desperate commoners trying to sell themselves or their children, standing there with straw signs for the slavers to pick and choose from. 

If they were chosen, the slavers would sign a contract with them or their parents and give them a bag of grains. 

Then, they would be taken to a brazier with burning charcoal where the slaver would pick up a red hot branding iron and make a special mark on them before chaining them with iron shackles.

You could occasionally hear the sound of a blood-curdling scream accompanied by the sizzling sound of burning skin and flesh. 

The crowd was numb and indifferent, as if it was a natural occurrence and they were accustomed to it. 

Cheng Qianye could smell a pungent scent within the air and see white smoke from time to time, accompanied by the miserable wails, scaring her witless. 

She suddenly turned her head and looked at Mo Qiao Sheng who was lying face down in the carriage. 

Mo Qiao Sheng had been looking at her stealthily and was caught red-handed by this abrupt turn, unable to hide. Hastily averting his gaze, his face flushed as he murmured, “Master still hasn’t conferred this slave with a mark.” 

It was inconvenient for him to dress due to his wound and his waist was simply covered with a thin, brocade quilt, revealing the skin on his back. 

His beautiful shoulder blades were overlapped with conspicuous brands. The old brands were burnt away and replaced with new imprints at will. 

Confer you what ghostly mark. And you actually seem to be looking forward to it. 

Cheng Qianye wanted to curse, but she endured and said, “From now on, address yourself as ‘I’, you can’t call out all those messy things.” 

Mo Qiao Sheng lowered his eyes and pursed his lips. 

Cheng Qianye unhappily continued to look out the window. 

She saw a woman in tattered clothing with four children ahead of her. Two of the children were girls and had straw signs with them.

She couldn’t help instructing the carriage to stop. 

This mother was going to sell her children as slaves. 

Cheng Qianye couldn’t imagine how a mother could bear to part with her children and let them suffer the same kind of torment Xiao Mo had once once gone through. 

The mother looked dull and haggard, like a walking corpse. 

It wasn’t as if Cheng Qianye hadn’t seen impoverished people before she had crossed over, but no matter how she imagined it, she hadn’t seen the ghastly scene with her own eyes when she had been living in that stable and peaceful world.

She couldn’t bear to look directly at these children with their emaciated limbs as thin as chopsticks, huge sunken eyes and withered straw-like hair. 

Xiao Xiu leaned his head over and looked outside. “Selling is better than starving to death. Like my ghostly father. He led me to a strange place and coaxed me to wait for him before running away by himself.” 

He said, as if it had nothing to do with himself. “Not only did he waste a bag of grain he could have taken home but also nearly caused me to starve to death. Really stupid.” 

Cheng Qianye felt that she really had to change this way of thinking. 

She knew that Xiao Xiu’s words weren’t wrong. When a human’s survival was difficult, the problem of having adequate food and clothing was more important than human relations and emotional needs. 

A slave dealer came up to the mother and grabbed the younger girl, looking her up and down before opening her mouth to examine her teeth. 

He shook his head in dissatisfaction and released her. “She looks okay but she’s still too small. She might not be able to make it through the seal.” 

The mother replied forcefully, “Half a bag of grain is enough.” 

The slave dealer was pleased and reached out his hand to grab the little girl. 

The emaciated little girl shrieked and tried to hide behind her older sister.

The elder sister hugged her tightly and kowtowed. “Master, please buy me together with her. I may not be as pretty as my sister but I’m strong and I can work hard.”

The slave dealer pulled at the child and scolded, “Damn, go away. I need to supply goods for the brothel, what would I buy money-losing goods like you for?” 

Cheng Qianye couldn’t keep watching silently. She knocked on the window with her finger, halting the transaction. 

She winked at Xiao Xiu. 

Xiao Xiu jumped out of the carriage and threw over a small silver ingot in passing as he raised his chin. “Come follow me. Your luck is truly good, My Lord has taken a liking to you.” 

The slave dealer saw that they had a large and ostentatious delegation. 

Realizing that it was a travelling noble, he didn’t dare to start a dispute and nodded fawningly as he left. 

The younger girl clutched tightly on to her sister’s clothes and burst into tears. Her sister stepped back and wiped her tears before pushing her forward. “Go quickly. It’s a noble man. You’ll get food and you won’t have to go hungry.” 

Cheng Qianye supported her forehead with her hand and gestured to Xiao Xiu to bring them both. 

The two shabbily dressed little girls climbed into the carriage and sat down. The clean and ornate surroundings left them at a loss as they huddled together and knelt in the corner timidly, looking at Cheng Qianye with two pairs of eyes that appeared especially big due to starvation. 

The originally spacious carriage felt a little cramped with the addition of the two girls. 

Mo Qiao Sheng supported his body and moved, trying to make some space for them. 

Xiao Xiu scrunched up his nose discontentedly. He felt as though the whole carriage was filled with an unpleasant smell. 

But he would never go against Cheng Qianye’s words, thus, he didn’t say anything and resolutely added more perfume spices to the incense burner. 

Cheng Qianye closed the curtain and closed her eyes, isolating herself from the world brimming with pain outside. 

There are so many pitiful people and children, and I can only save a few.

Although I may be a lord, I am merely a mascot. But before I find a way to go back to my world, I will do my best to fulfil this duty.

Cheng Qianye was awash with longing for the safety and comfort of modern times and desperately wished to see the actual twin brother she had grown up with along with their family and friends. 

The group of people safely reached the hotsprings manor in the west mountain. 

The legendary Moon Spirit Spring was just a small spring in the shape of a crescent. 

Wisps of white smoke rose from the slightly yellow water that stayed in a constant temperature throughout all four seasons. 

The original owner of the villa clearly knew how to enjoy himself. He had built large pieces of white marble around the spring, along with armrests and tailings and stairs so you could sit in the water. Moreover, there were no unnecessary additions or artificial decorations. 

The hot spring was surrounded by tall maple trees, and at that moment, the sky was dull of red leaves which swayed and fluttered into the water, looking like a true fairyland. 

Cheng Qianye was intoxicatedly admiring the beautiful scenery when she suddenly heard Xiao Xiu’s displeased rebuke, “Get in quickly. What are you doing? Can’t tell bad from good.”

Cheng Qianye glanced over and saw Xiao Xiu and two other attendants trying to help Mo Qiao Sheng into the spring. Mo Qiao Sheng’s well-defined hands grabbed onto the railing as he refused to get in the water. His body was shrouded with a thick black colour which represented fear. 

Once he saw Cheng Qianye looking over, a conspicuous golden edge lit up, suppressing the black colour. 

Soon afterwards, he abandoned his struggle and let his body sink into the water. 

Cheng Qianye felt a little strange. She walked over to the side of the spring before squatting down and looking at Mo Qiao Sheng who was soaking in the water. 

“Are you afraid of water?”

“No…. Not scared.” Although he was immersed in the water, he looked pale and his whole body was stiff as he tightened his grip on the rails. 

Cheng Qianye waved everyone out. 

She watched Mo Qiao Sheng for a while with great interest. 

She looked at him as he pursed his lips, maintaining a rigid posture as he clearly resisted his fear.

Cheng Qianye reached out her hand and touched his head gently. 

“Xiao Mo, since I became the lord, many people tell me all kinds of pleasing and flattering words every day. But I know they’re all lying to me.” 

She slowly took off a small maple leaf that had stuck against his face that had gotten damp from the mist before standing up. 

“I wish that you wouldn’t try to deceive me, okay?” 

“I…..” A deep and pleasant male voice rose out from the steam. 

“When I was younger, I was sold to Chuhuai Hall which was a brothel. As soon as I was taken in, Master would train me to please men.” Mo Qiao Sheng lowered his head, locks of his soft black hair falling down and concealing his eyes.

“I was very young at the time and my character was stubborn, often disobeying my Master’s instructions. Master used to punish me by submerging me in a vat of water. He would pull me back out when I was nearing death. He would do this repeatedly until the next day. At that time, a popular little prostitute interceded on my behalf and had me placed to serve at his side. Only then did that punishment stop.”

“It has been a long time since then, but I….. I’m still a little scared of water.” 

“I.. Although I have been trained with the skills of a little prostitute, I still can’t do it.” 

Mo Qiao Sheng thought uneasily, I bit noble Han’s hand and disobeyed my previous master and Master knows all about it. Will he loathe me for being such an unruly slave? 

At that moment, he felt his eyes getting covered with a black strip of cloth. 

Which was followed by the sound of someone entering the water beside him. 

A soft hand gently held his other hand. 

“Don’t be scared. I’ll accompany you to soak in the water for a while. I’ll watch you and make sure you don’t fall into the water.” 

He heard his master’s voice in his ears. 

“You must not take off the blindfold covering your eyes.”