Dandere General and his Lord

31. Marital Chambers

Cheng Qianye and Yao Hong made some inquiries about the battlefield situation at Zhengzhou from each other and she learned that Li Wenguang was ambushed by Wei Mingshan that day, catching him off guard and causing General Feng Su to be seriously injured. The soldiers were dispersed within 15 kilometres and they lost thousands of men from their force of twenty thousand.

Soon after, Wei Mingshan led an attack on the Jin Army making use of the favourable surroundings to cut off the Jin Army, heading straight towards the location where the monarch of the Jin Nation was at.

Fortunately, Cheng Qianye managed to escape and Yu Dunsu promptly reorganized the troops to counterattack.

Wei Mingshan didn’t succeed in his strike and did not continue to fight zealously, choosing to retreat quickly. It was said that besides Zhang Fu who had received an injury with his life and death currently unknown, the rest of the Jin Army did not suffer much loss.

When Cheng Qianye heard that Yu Dunsu had reorganized the army and counterattacked, stabilizing the overall situation, she managed to ease her worries by a little.

Now, she had to guarantee her own safety first and foremost before trying to break away from this place and return to Jin Nation or Bianzhou.

A servant came into the palace hall and whispered something into Yao Hong’s ear who turned to her and said, “Xiandi,1 my mother has heard that Xiandi is a guest here and felt very happy, she wishes to invite you to meet with her.”

Cheng Qianye rose to her feet. “Xiaodi2 ought to go to the hall and pay my respects.”

Yao Hong led Cheng Qianye to the resplendent central courtyard belonging to the madame of the household.

She walked into the house and saw an old madame with frosty white hair at her temples sitting dignifiedly.

Yao Tianxiang stood in attendance beside her.

Today, she was dressed in a robe with a cloud patterned brocade trim. The crimson lapel wound around her neck, making her appear both graceful and dignified.

If she hadn’t cast a glance at Cheng Qianye during an opportune moment, Cheng Qianye would have thought that she had admitted the wrong person.

The old madame was Yao Hong and Yao Tianxiang’s mother, Old Lady Ji.

The madame saw Cheng Qianye slowly ambling towards them, wearing a bright, tasseled crown and a deep red gown, with a handsome appearance, her heart was filled with three points of satisfaction.

Then, observing that Cheng Qianye’s bearing was both cultured and refined, she felt even more pleased, feeling around 80% content.

Thus, she asked Cheng Qianye to take a seat with a beaming smile stretched across her face as she earnestly inquired about Cheng Qianye’s age and family background.

Although she was told that Cheng Qianye had a few wives and concubines, after hearing that Cheng Qianye had yet to marry a primary wife, her whole face was filled with smiles.

Her heart filled with exultation as she turned around to look at her daughter sitting on her knees beside her, and saw that her daughter who was usually arrogant and unruly was blushing and bowing her head shyly with timidity, revealing the appearance of a demure young lass.

Old Lady Ji secretly thought to herself, “This is my son-in-law.”

Recalling her daughter’s first marriage alliance and how she had been married off to a man who was so old only to wind up becoming a widow less than a year after marriage, the old madame’s heart was hit with a pang of sorrow.

Hence, she made a resolution in her heart, I’m going to make sure that this young, refined and elegant Marquis Jin Yue becomes my son-in-law.

Consequently, this talk about marriage was pretty much fixed on the table.3

Yao Hong forced out a cough, managing to interrupt the old madame’s chatter which was becoming more and more obvious regarding the topic of marriage.

He sent off Cheng Qianye to a guest room first before dismissing everyone else. The mother and son duo were the only people remaining in the room.

Old Lady Ji sulked, “Now that you are the monarch, I no longer mean anything to you.”

Yao Hong stood up in alarm, “Mother, why do you say such a thing?”

Old Lady Ji wiped her tears. “I only have one daughter, your younger sister. I have cherished you both in the palm of my hands like treasured gold and jade, pampering you two since you were children. Contrary to my expectations, you grew up to be as heartless as your father. In the name of the welfare of the country, regardless of my opposition, you insisted on marrying your young and beautiful little sister to that crass old fogey, Duke Luzhuang.”

Yao Hong recalled his younger sister’s lovely and innocent appearance when she was younger and his heart gave rise to a slight sense of guilt and remorse.

Old Lady Ji continued, “Who would have thought that Duke Luzhuang and your little sister were married for less than a year before he got ill and passed away. My poor Tianxiang came back as a widow to her parents house at such a young age, so desolate and pitiful. Now that she’s a widow, how can she have such a good marriage? Don’t harm her for the rest of her lifetime.”

Yao Hong sighed, “I am a noble lord, how could my younger sister lack a good man to marry? Mother, there’s no need to be so anxious. This Marquis Jin Yue….”

“Good man, good man. Where is this good man in your heart? It’s nothing more than exchanging your sister for the benefits of you men yet again.” Old Lady Ji interrupted him.

“I think this Marquis Jin Yue is very good. His age, appearance and family background all match Tianxiang, and your sister is interested in him as well. It’s the same as having a marriage alliance with another country. This time, I must choose a man whom Tianxiang likes as my son-in-law. If you go against my wishes again, I will stop recognizing you as my son.”

Yao Hong was utterly distressed. He returned to his quarters and summoned his closest aide, Shen Wenxiu.

“Wenxiu, I wanted to detain Marquis Jin Yue so that we could seize the Bianzhou. But now, my mother keeps insisting that we betroth my younger sister Tianxiang to him, what do you think of this matter?”

Shen Wenxiu replied, “It hasn’t been long since Marquis Jin Yue succeeded to the throne, and the old officials in his country do not support him. Not long ago, his younger brother almost wrested his peerage from him. If My Lord had tried to exchange him for Bianzhou, I reckon that you would have failed, only winding up having hostile diplomatic relations with Jin Nation.”

He stood up and gently waved his feather fan. “But this person is young and able to bend according to his circumstances. Stuck in such an adverse predicament, he still managed to devise a way and hook Princess Tianxiang’s attention in order to seek a path of survival for himself. With such a character, My Lord must stay on guard.”

Yao Hong frowned and said, “Mother met him today and has taken a great liking to him. Mother is still resentful that I married Tianxiang to Duke Luzhuang before, and I also feel very remorseful regarding this matter. It wouldn’t be very good to disobey my mother this time.”

Shen Wenxiu responded, “Jin Nation has no borders with our country. If they lose their monarch, their country will be enveloped in domestic unrest. It’s just that it’s too cheap for Lusong in the north of Jin, which belongs to Hua Yuzhi. Our country does not gain much of a benefit from this. Developing a friendly relationship with Jin Nation according to the wishes of the Old Madame isn’t a bad idea.”

Yao Hong pondered over this issue for a moment before finally nodding his head. “The Jin Army is garrisoned in Bianzhou and can act as a barrier against our country and the Quanrong, it doesn’t really pose a disadvantage to us. But don’t tell me that we should just let Marquis Jin Yue woo and marry my sister and just let him go back?”

Shen Wenxiu smiled and countered, “Marquis Jin Yue is young and his temper is still unstable. In my humble opinion, it would be better to trap him in a soft net and send him a couple of beauties and toys to shift his passions until he loses his ambitions. After some time, we can take another look at him before planning our next move.”

Yao Hong clapped his hands together. “Good. We’ll act according to Wenxiu’s words.”

A couple of days later, Duke Wei Heng held a huge banquet and invited numerous guests to celebrate the marriage of his younger sister, Yao Tianxiang, and Marquis Jin Yue.

At the end of the day, two wedding matrons opened up a path and twelve palace maids held lanterns as they received Marquis Jin Yue and led him into the house.

The red candles cast bright lights.

Princess Tianxiang wore a phoenix coronet and an embroidered tasseled cape with a crimson bridal veil as she sat upright on the bed.

The wedding matrons finished speaking auspicious words before withdrawing from the room and closing the gates of the principal rooms.

Yao Tianxiang extended her slender jade hands and pulled off the red veil by herself as she looked at Cheng Qianye with a smile. “Everything has gone according to your wishes, how are you going to thank me?”

Cheng Qianye bowed respectfully, “I will engrave the Princess’ kindness and aid in my mind and heart, and I dare not forget it.”

Yao Tianxiang’s eyes were bright and charming and her red lips pulled into a smile as she spoke without the slightest bit of affection, “I don’t want to hear your empty words. You want me to help you go back to Jin Nation, but I need you to agree to three things first.”

“Princess, please be frank.”

“First, this is as far as the relations4 between you and I will go, you are not allowed to make a fuss in the future.”

The slave girl bowed respectfully and said softly, “Guye,5 please follow Nubi6 to the side room to rest.”

Cheng Qianye followed her out of the room. As she turned around the winding corridor, she caught a glimpse of a young man’s figure as he was led into the Princess’ bedroom by another slave girl.

Shit! The top of my head is green on my wedding night.7 Cheng Qianye thought to herself in amusement.

She was led towards a side room. Once the door was pushed open, she could smell a faint, sweet scent and she saw a red sandalwood screen in front of her which was embroidered with a picture of Tang Bohu’s “begonia sleeping in spring”.8

She walked around the screen and saw that the room was lit with red candles and there was a huge rosewood bed carved with a dragon and a phoenix, and a red canopy which concealed a subtle fragrance.

The wooden bench at the end of the bed was covered with a pure, plain white brocade cloth. There was a row of different jade “tools” of different shapes and thicknesses arranged neatly on top. The most narrow one among them was thinner than a hairpin, with a number of small beads carved carefully into it.

Cheng Qianye looked at it carefully for a moment before abruptly realizing what these things were used for.9 She had believed herself to have a thick-skin but she couldn’t help feeling embarrassed.

She lifted the bed curtain open and realized with a start that there was already a man lying down on the bed.

This man had both of his hands bound to the bed with red rope and there was a strip of red silk covering his eyes. The body which was covered with a red brocade quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks10 was obviously bare beneath the quilt.

“Qiao Sheng?” Cheng Qianye asked in astonishment.

She felt both happy and ridiculous as she untied the red rope which bound Mo Qiao Sheng’s hands. The skin beneath her fingertips seemed to be trembling faintly.

“It’s me, don’t be scared.”

After she finished untying the ropes, she unwrapped the red silk which covered his eyes, revealing that both of his eyes seemed to be hazy and his face was flushed red.

“What’s wrong? Were you scared?”

Mo Qiao Sheng kept his mouth closed and did not respond.

Cheng Qianye sat down on the bed and looked around the warm and fragrant bedroom, feeling everything was ludicrous.

Princess Tianxiang met her lover in private tonight, and fearing that her bridegroom, Marquis Jin Yue, would be unhappy, she had arranged his “sweetheart” on his bed, with the room arranged like this to add to the fun.

Cheng Qianye stroked her forehead and smiled as she said, “That Yao Tianxiang.”

Suddenly, she realized that something was not right.

She turned her head doubtfully and asked, “What’s wrong Qiao Sheng? Why aren’t you getting up?”

“I…. I’ve been drugged.” Mo Qiao Sheng’s face was red. He turned his head to the side and said, “My limbs feel weak, I…. I can’t lift my body.”

Drugged?

Cheng Qianye’s mouth popped open. She understood what kind of drug it was.

Mo Qiao Sheng was lying there, his eyes teary and his face flushed with the colours of spring. His thin lips, which had always been light in colour, were a ruddy red as they quivered along with the slight gasps he was unable to suppress. The middle of the quilt was raised, outlining a shape that could not be described.

What should I do? Although I like him very much, our relationship is still far from progressing to such a step.

Cheng Qianye remained seated on the bed as she looked at the man who was naked beneath the wedding quilt. She was filled with a sense of embarrassment and absurdity.

“Master, please move me to the ground. You can just leave me at any corner.” Mo Qiao Sheng’s face and ears were feverishly red as he stammered and said, “Master, please help me move to a suitable position a bit faster.”

“Don’t you find it hard to bear?” Cheng Qianye rose to her feet and walked over to the table, putting out the red candles.

In the room enveloped in darkness, Mo Qiao Sheng watched nervously as that figure sat back on the bed beside him and softly stroked his head before softly whispering in his ear, “It’s okay, Qiao Sheng, I will help you feel better.”

He saw a jade-like white hand illuminated beneath the moonlight, burrowing beneath the scarlet red brocade bedding.

Mo Qiao Sheng felt as if his heart exploded under the moonlight, bursting with the light of spring.

~

1. (贤弟 – Xiandi) – Worthy little brother [Term of respect for younger brother or younger male]
2. (小弟 – Xiaodi) – I, Your little brother
3. On the table is a phrase which basically means an open offer. So something that’s open to negotiation, just waiting for confirmation.
4. As in marital (sexual) relations.
5. (姑爷 – Guye) – Son-in-law [term of address used for a man by the members of his wife’s family]
6. (奴婢 = Nubi) This slave servant; I, me [used by slave servants]
7. Uh, if you guys don’t already know, getting a green hat, or the top of one’s head being green in this case, means being cuckolded c:
8. Tang Bohu seems to have been a painter and a poet, and this painting “begonia sleeping in spring” is basically a painting of a beautiful woman from what I’ve managed to gather. Couldn’t really find a picture I was sure about so let’s leave it at that.
9. Toys… of the adult kind. 
10. Mandarin ducks symbolize an affectionate and happy couple / marital harmony 

♥

Author’s Note: Everyone, please don’t expect too much from this story. This is merely a short novel, and the theme is precisely the same as the title. [TL: the actual title of the novel is “The General is Bullied Until he Cries”, but uh, doesn’t sound so good in English so the title has been improvised.]

Cheng Qianye appeared in the previous story, which of course, took place several decades later, but this story was not written at the time.

I know that a lot of you cuties are strong and independent women and like to see stories of women uniting and dominating the nation for several generations.

However, as far as Cheng Qianye’s character is concerned, after several years of governing the country, she will pass down the throne to her chosen successor and travel the mountains and rivers with her sweetheart to find a chance to go back home. I think that this is the life that she would like more.

This is a matter that has already been decided, and there is no need for debate or roasting over this.

Okay, the superfluous talk is over. I’ll leave you to the comments section.