Chapter 13: No Drills in the Barracks Today—A Day Off for All

“Madam, have you forgotten that there are still many trivial matters waiting for your attention at home? For example, the daily expenses from each courtyard, the purchasing for the main kitchen, and all the household expenditures—those are all for you to organize.” Shen Zhao glanced at the sky. “By now the accountant has likely made his rounds from the ancestral hall and will be searching for you in your courtyard. Do a good job, madam. I have faith in you.”

With those words, Shen Zhao departed with a flourish, leaving Chu Mu standing alone in the wind, utterly bewildered. Manage household affairs? When had he ever learned to handle such things?

Mounting Chu Mu’s beloved horse, Riding Wind, Shen Zhao sped away toward the military camp. Ever since her father and brother were exiled, the Shen family had fallen into decline, and her status in the General’s Manor plummeted. She hadn’t ridden a horse in nearly two years. Now, the exhilaration of galloping across open ground filled her with joy. Once out of the city, she urged the horse on, shouting with abandon, “Riding Wind, faster! Let us truly ride the wind…”

Behind her, the shadow guards, Chu Yi and Chu Er, raced after her with all their might. Chu Yi grumbled to Chu Er, “Has the General gone mad today? First, she angered Miss Lin into a faint, then, for once, she actually ate with the madam, and now she’s off racing her horse. She was so fast I only caught a glimpse of a shadow flashing past.”

Chu Er scratched his head. “Isn’t this normal for the General? I think she was right about Miss Lin. That unmarried girl had no shame blocking the General’s path. Why shouldn’t the General reprimand her? Isn’t it perfectly normal for the General and the madam to eat together? They’re husband and wife—what married couple doesn’t dine together? And the General hurrying to the camp at this hour to drill the troops—it all seems proper to me.”

Chu Yi rolled his eyes at Chu Er. “You shouldn’t be called Chu Er anymore. Let’s just call you ‘Blockhead’ from now on. Pretend what I just said was a fart.”

What couple meets and instantly fills the air with tension? Who sleeps and eats apart? And this is called normal? Blockhead fits him perfectly.

Shen Zhao sped all the way to the camp, dismounted with panache, and tossed the reins to the waiting soldier. Her face was alight with irrepressible excitement.

She had grown up in the military camp alongside her father and brother. Later, when her father became Minister of War and stayed in the capital, if only the Shen family had remained in the northwest and not returned to the capital, her father and brother would not have been framed. She would never have met Chu Mu, much less fallen for that block of wood and married into the Chu family.

Confusion tugged at Shen Zhao’s heart as she walked toward the tents. Every soldier she passed looked at her with eyes brimming with tears and gratitude. What was going on? Was this the new custom in camp—greet each other with a good cry? She did not know that Xie Yuheng had, after leaving court, come directly to the camp and spread word of her bold actions in the throne room. He even ordered all the officers to make sure their men knew the news. Within the hour, not a soul in the army was unaware that their General Chu had, for the sake of the soldiers’ pay, thrown away all dignity in the imperial audience hall.

Shen Zhao responded awkwardly as a young soldier, perhaps fifteen or sixteen, his eyes red from crying, approached her, choked with emotion. “General, you suffered for us. Today, in the throne room, for the sake of us nobodies, you cast aside your pride and fought those civil officials for our pay. We used to misunderstand you, thinking you cold and indifferent to our lives. Just now, the court sent over this month’s pay. General… I can finally bring money home to cure my mother’s illness. I’m no longer the useless one in the family… Please, General, accept my bow.”

In that moment, Shen Zhao understood the soldiers’ reactions. A pang of bitterness twisted in her heart. The pay was their due, yet these men had suffered under Chu Mu’s wooden leadership. If not for his lack of ambition, how could the soldiers in the capital have ended up so miserable? All around her were wiry, undernourished men, used to hunger and cold. With Chu Mu’s merciless training on top of it, how could their bodies endure?

Her gaze fell on the youth. Tears streamed down his face. His mother had fallen ill in autumn, and his brother and sister-in-law ignored her, even sending word that he should send money home for treatment. He had returned once to find his mother driven to the cowshed by his sister-in-law, and when he brought nothing home, she threw him out, comparing him to the neighbor’s son who sent home silver from the border. He hadn’t even brought back a single coin, and his sister-in-law had shouted to all the neighbors about his uselessness. Now that he had the money, his mother’s illness would not be left untreated any longer. His bow was heartfelt gratitude to the general.

With a sharp thud, he knocked his head on the ground three times, making Shen Zhao’s heart tremble—such a sincere boy, wouldn’t he hurt himself? She hurriedly reached out to help him up. “Get up, don’t cry. Men don’t shed tears easily. From now on, you’ll get every coin you’re owed.”

The youth rose, wiping his tears on his sleeve. “General, my mother can finally be treated. I’m crying from happiness. I won’t cry again.”

Shen Zhao patted his shoulder. “Good lad. In the future, I’ll make sure you’re well fed and clothed, and that you can use your pay to support your family and earn their respect.”

The boy broke into a wide grin. “I trust you, General.”

“Go on, go see your mother.”

Clutching the silver to his chest, the young soldier bowed to Shen Zhao once more. “Don’t worry, General. I’ll return as soon as I’ve given her the money—I won’t miss training.”

At that, Shen Zhao summoned the deputy general and ordered, “Pass my command: there will be no drills today. Anyone who wants to visit home, go and see your family. Anyone who needs to shop in the city, go and do so. Today, everyone is to eat well and enjoy themselves before returning.”

Cheers erupted in the crowd. “The General is wise!” “The General is mighty!” “The General is truly good-hearted!” Such cries rang out again and again, filling Shen Zhao’s ears. The soldiers’ faces were radiant with joy. It was rare for the general to let them go home or out to the city; usually, he seemed determined to keep them all chained to the drill ground.

Seeing their happiness, Shen Zhao felt joyful herself. These were all someone’s sons, husbands, fathers, or brothers—who didn’t long for reunion, for the warmth of a family meal, even if it was just plain rice and vegetables? Watching the soldiers bounce away, her heart was both gratified and hollow. When would she ever be reunited with her own family?

Passing through the crowd toward Chu Mu’s tent, she was drawn up short by a nearby conversation.

“It’s getting colder by the day. Later, let’s see if we can buy some straw quilts—get a few extra for warmth. Who knows how we’ll get through the winter?”

“This time, the court sent our pay thanks to General Chu’s sacrifice of face and dignity. Who knows about next month? Those damn scholars only know how to bully us. Being a soldier is bitter work. Sure, we can eat now, but we’ve no place to keep out the wind or cold. The brothers who came with us sleep on the ground, sky for a blanket, earth for a bed. We don’t dare dream of a warm house—just a straw hut would satisfy us.”

Shen Zhao’s frown deepened as she listened. It shouldn’t be like this. She had only known their pay was withheld, that they were hungry and cold—but even the most basic shelter was lacking?

She strode over and beckoned to one of the men.