Chapter 9 — Better to Lean on Mountains Than a Faithless Heart

Who says a general cannot be swayed by a common woman? He is profound and daring, and upon realizing she was the very person he had secretly cherished for years, he cast aside his outer garments to reveal a physique as rugged and chiseled as carved stone! Tell me, what woman could resist such a sight? It was a calculated display of manly charm—no wonder the lady fell for him! And the general, being a man of such magnificent generosity, immediately unclasped his personal jade pendant and pressed it into her hand.

The storyteller leaped onto a chair, gesturing wildly as he began to chant: Hearing but a single sigh, he vowed that upon his glorious return from the battlefield, he would claim his beauty as his bride! Fearing she might not believe him, the general bared his back, crisscrossed with the scars of a hundred blades, and let his oath ring out to the heavens. After years of longing, he finally held the heart of his beloved!

Thunderous applause erupted. The man bowed, basking in the praise. Someone asked, What, then, is the origin of the bond between the general and his lady? They were worlds apart—one in the North, one in the South—so how could they have harbored such secret affection for so long?

The storyteller tipped his head back to finish his wine, smacked his lips, and replied: In her youth, the lady followed her master, practicing medicine, and once saved the general’s life. Back then, the general was still a mere lad. Fearing he would suffer from the sting of the needles or the bitterness of the herbs, the lady kept maltose candies and preserved plums on hand to soothe him. That year, the general had lost his parents and was at his most vulnerable. She was like a sweet confection, allowing him to taste the warmth of kindness for the first time, teaching him that the world was worth living in and that he must not give up.

Do not be fooled by his usual demeanor as a god of war; his heart belongs to her with absolute sincerity. At the frontier, whenever he saw a beautiful leaf, a precious stone, or a fine pelt, he would murmur, This leaf is lovely; she would surely like it. This stone would make a fine hairpin; it suits her. This fur will make a warm cloak. Then, he would immediately compose letters to send across the thousands of miles. If I were her, I would have been moved to tears, longing only to marry him!

I had never known that such a history existed between me and Jing Ting. That day at the ruined temple, when my clothes were torn and a humiliating character was carved into my chest, I felt as though the world’s thousand blades were slicing into my very flesh. It was he who ignored the rigid customs to offer me a path to survival. I entrusted my fragile life to his jade pendant. Later, when the Princess teased me, saying the general’s manor was lonely and his marriage prospects were watched by many—that being alone was no easy task—she suggested that if someone were to help that rough, uncouth man, it would be a meritorious deed. She added that while he was indeed blunt, he was a stubborn man; once he had set his sights on me, he would never waver, unlike others who might harbor divided loyalties.

I thought of his life-saving grace and wished to repay it through marriage, ending the delusions of those who coveted the general’s position. At the time, I had resolved to marry him not for love, but to fulfill a debt and live a life where no one could bully me. Yet, the items he sent were filled with such devotion. He petitioned the Emperor for my protection, and the opportunity to serve the Imperial Concubine was arranged by the Princess with my safety and status in mind. I began to think that walking through life with such a man might not be so bad. It was only when he desperately pleaded with the Emperor for an early wedding, and after our union, refused to let me be, that I began to feel he might be more enamored than I had realized. I never suspected there was such a history behind it.

Keep your voice down! Those preserved plums would have rotted ages ago, yet the general still carries that pouch across the four corners of the world. If the lady knew that the husband she rescued was still clinging to a bag of old plums and maltose, she would surely laugh until her jaw dropped!

The crowd roared with laughter. As I looked up, I suddenly came face to face with Yun Jing Ting, who stood at the door holding a tray of treats for me. It was unclear how much he had heard, but his handsome face held a smile that did not quite reach his eyes as he stared at the men. His gaze alone made them shiver, and they scrambled to beg for mercy: General, we have had too much to drink, we are speaking nonsense! We are leaving! We are leaving!

They tumbled and crawled away in a panic. When the man who had been playing the role of the storyteller tried to turn back for his sword, his path was blocked by Yun Jing Ting’s towering frame. You spoke wrongly, he said.

The man was drenched in cold sweat, wiping his brow frantically. Yun Jing Ting shifted his gaze. My lady has always been kind and thoughtful. If she knew I still kept those preserved plums, she would not mock me; she would pity me and prepare a mountain of plums and maltose for me instead!

Yes, yes, yes! The lady is gentle and magnanimous, it must be so!

A warm current seemed to flow through my heart; I had never felt so comforted. The Princess nudged my arm, asking curiously, Your cousin... is his chest truly as solid as they say? Could you describe it to me?

I... The door creaked open. I realized that Shen Yi An and Jiang Nan Xi had been sitting in the adjacent room, just like me, silently listening to every word.

Their eyes met mine. Shen Yi An coughed violently, his gaze burning with malice as he locked eyes with me. So, that night on the outskirts of the city, you and he had already been engaged in such illicit affairs? Since you have already betrayed your vows, who are you playing the pitiable victim for? Ta Sui Yi, you truly make me sick! A hypocrite and an unchaste woman—truly a match made in heaven!

*Slap!* My hand struck him with cold determination. I am not as filthy as you, who began intimate dealings with your cousin the moment you left the capital! If you have time to smear my reputation, you would do better to examine your own rotting body. When your poison takes hold and leaves you beyond salvation, do not blame me for failing to warn you.

His entire body shuddered. He shouted back, My fault? Who drove me to this end? You knew I was only posturing; I never truly intended to marry my cousin! Yet you stood there, refusing to yield! You were the one who forced my hand!

Jing Ting let out a cold laugh, stepping in front of me. That is right. You were born into an elite family, dressed in silks and brocades, never worrying about food or clothing, which is why you were arrogant enough to use marriage as a shackle to force others into submission. And she? With no one to support her, facing only darkness, pushed until she had nowhere to retreat, until the only path left was to dash her head against the cold wall and die—is that what you wanted? Because she refused to bend to your will, you became furious, using the betrothal and public reputation as a leash. I suspect that if she had submissively married you, you would have used the doctrines of wifely submission and filial piety to keep her from ever raising her head!

She saved your life, yet you hate her enough to slander her before everyone? It is a pity that I am still alive, so no one is permitted to bully her. A hypocrite such as you is unworthy of the effort she spent to save you. Had she not met me, she would have died a wretched death in the wilderness that day. You should ask your mother and your cousin how they repaid her kindness and how they forced her to the brink of death.