Joy of Life

The old Qin Master sat quietly on the big rock, and then he smiled. Elders’ smiles always appeared so calm and warm, like they had long lost their intense moods and only had a calm that came with understanding the matters of the world.

He wore the cotton coat as well as the large jacket. He appeared a little swollen. However, the old man’s body was strangely tall and sturdy, so he did not appear burdened.

“Don’t worry too much.”

The old man placed his hands behind his back and stood in front of the snowy and wet vegetable patch. He slightly raised his head and used that pair of already muddied eyes to look at the winter moon that peaked occasionally out from behind the night clouds. A long unseen glimmer of aggressiveness rose on his old face.

It was only last night when Qin Heng learned about the setup in the snowy valley. Full of shock, he didn’t understand why his father suddenly decided to act against Fan Xian. As the heir of the Qin family, logically speaking, he should not allow, under any circumstances, the clan to make such a difficult enemy as Fan Xian for no reason. However, he did not object.

He believed that this father must have had his reasons. Furthermore, he was a son, a son of a military family. He was used to the military’s attitude and welcomed his father’s order. In the Qin family, the old man was the marshal, and everyone else was a subordinate officer.

As for orders, there was only acceptance. There was no need for explanation.

Qin Heng was also a clever man. He knew why his father was not worried after the failure of the snowy valley incident. an Xian had too many enemies in the court. It seemed that any faction could have tried to kill him before he returned to the capital. The Qin family was the least likely power to act of all of them.

Even Qin Heng didn’t understand why his father wanted to kill Fan Xian, much less the people in the court responsible for investigating this matter. Furthermore, they were the Qin family. Even if, in the end, the Emperor suspected something, under the circumstances and without a shred of evidence, it would be impossible for him to accuse them of any crime.

“Of the five military pavilions of the court. Us, the Qin family, has taken one and the Ye family has taken another,” the old man slowly said. “If you were the Emperor, would you allow this to happen?”

Qin Heng was silent. He lowered his head and looked at the mud before his feet.

The old man quietly said, “But the Emperor allows it because the Emperor has great ambitions. He has quietly waited a dozen years for the bald guy to the North and that idiot in the East to die...or to age. Thus, he allows our family and the Ye family to temporarily stay because when he takes over the world in the future, he’ll need soldiers to attack.”

The old man smiled slightly. “Back in the day, I was also said to be a famous general, but now I am old. Naturally, the first of the famous generals is that Shang Shanhu from Northern Qi. Qing Kingdom still has the Great Prince and Xiaoyi. Although Ye Zhong is much younger than me, after long years of being responsible for the Jingdou garrison, he had long lost his severity from the past. However, no one has thought the most powerful leading general is not anyone else, it’s actually the Emperor.”

Qin Heng remained silent but in his heart, he vehemently agreed with this. He was also a man of the military. Just like the hearts of all those in the military, he had long felt fear and worship toward the Emperor that lived deep in the Palace. Although the Emperor had not led soldiers for a dozen years, history had long proven the fact with three expeditions North and smashing the Wei Kingdom that traversed horizontally all across the land. Although he had never united the world, the words “able to command soldier’s like a god” could indeed be applied to the Emperor.

“For the Ye family to be able to exist until today...” the old man slowly closed his eyes, “it’s because of Ye Liuyun, that old fellow. Although the Qin family doesn’t have a Ye Liuyun, we are still able to survive until now. Why is that?”

Qin Heng lowered his head and said, “Because father is here.”

This was an extremely sincere praise. The old Qin Master was silent for a little while and didn’t object to this. His students were spread out among the court and in the military. If Ye Liuyun used his extraordinary martial talents to protect the lives of the Ye family, then the Qin family was under his protection and lived happily in Qing Kingdom.

“I am loyal to the Emperor...loyal to Qing Kingdom,” the old Qin Master slowly said. “I have never done anything unworthy of the Emperor, so the Emperor will never treat me badly.”

Qin Heng’s heart stuttered, thinking, Attempting to kill the imperial envoy Fan Xian today during the day in the snowy valley...that person was the Emperor’s illegitimate child. Does this not count as doing something unworthy? However, he would never dare ask this question.

The old Qin Master gazed evenly in front of him. An aggressiveness that came from spending 50 years in the military rose. “You don’t understand why I would choose this time to act. I don’t want to tell you about the matters that happened in the past, I only want to teach you when it is time to act.”

“When no one thinks you will strike, that’s when you strike.” The old Qin Master turned his head to glance at his son. “When it’s a time anyone can strike, you should strike.”

“This water is already muddied, so it won’t matter if we are added to it. No one knows what is beneath the muddy water, so we are safe.”

“Although the Emperor is wise, he still lives deep in the Palace. It is impossible for him to have firsthand news of many matters,” the old Qin Master said calmly. “Right now, in this world, there are only two people who are able to guess or know about my connection to the valley incident.”

“What is miraculous, is that neither of these two people will tell the Emperor. So although the mission failed this time, as long as no one is brought to the surface, this is still a success.”

Qin Heng had resisted for a long time, but he finally couldn’t resist anymore and asked in a low voice, “Why won’t those two people tell the Emperor?”

“Because the old cripple has been silent from the beginning.” A mocking smile rose to the corners of his lips. “No matter for what reason he was silent, the attack on the valley this time had the cooperation of the Overwatch Council. If he now makes this clear, how will he explain it in front of the Emperor?”

Qin Heng understood, yet he still did not understand. Why would the Director be silent? Did he also want Fan Xian to die? This made absolutely no sense. He was silent for a moment and then said, “But...if the Director pulled out the person we buried in there, could he not tell the Emperor of his guesses?”

“Guesses,” the old man said coldly. “You also know this is a guess. Why should the Emperor believe his guess? Furthermore, the person is not so easy to pull out!”

“What about the other person?”

A glimmer of color appeared on the old Qin Master’s pale face as if the battles he had not participated in a long time has made his entire person younger. He laughed quietly and mockingly. “Under the court controlled by the Emperor, the only people I am fearful of are the previous Prime Minister Lin and Director Chen. Prime Minister Lin was forced to retire by the Emperor, and Chen Pingping has other thoughts to occupy him...as for the Eldest Princess...”

The old man spoke with a trace of mockery, “If the Eldest Princess wants to make trouble, the Qin family will have problems. Will Yan Xiaoyi be able to stand outside of the matter?”

Qin Heng suddenly raised his head. He had also only found out last night about the matter of Yan Xiaoyi’s son hiding among his subordinates. Furthermore, judging from his father’s expression, he understood that Yan Xiaoyi’s son’s attack on Fan Xian before the valley and his luring of Fan Xian and his group into the valley was all single-handedly planned by this old man.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help developing a glimmer of fear for his father. Although the old man had not concerned himself with matters for many years, once he struck, it was indeed very powerful.

“The Qin family has always stood on the Emperor’s side and maintained a central position in court matters,” the old Qin Master said indifferently. “Now, both sides are dragging us under water. We may as well go down. Naturally, I will also drag them down. Everyone can huddle into a group. We’ll see how things go in the future.”

The old man sighed.

Qin Heng was thinking to himself that all of these major figures in the court and the military all have their own thoughts, if everyone did huddle together, then...wouldn’t the Emperor become cut off from everyone else?

“What did you see in front of the Bureau of Military Affairs today?”

Although the old man had already learned of the situation from his spy network, he still wanted to hear it again from his son’s mouth. Qin Heng recounted the scenario. He placed emphasis on Fan Xian’s mood and the tragic bloody man, who was the sole survivor from the valley. Both of his arms had been broken, one eye was blind, and he was covered in heavy injuries. He was on his last breath, however, he didn’t die.

“That is a good soldier from my army. He cannot suffer the Overwatch Council’s humiliations.” The old man spoke coldly.

Qin Heng knew that the group responsible for the killing in the valley was a private army his family secretly trained in Xiao Mountain. They couldn’t be found in the military registers at all. Even though Fan Xian chopped off 200 heads, the Qin family did not have to worry about anything. He hesitantly said, “That general is a strong-willed person...”

What he meant was that since that person would not sell out the Qin family, why run the risk of a spy being exposed to silence him?

“Those people in my army can only live standing up; they cannot live on their knees,” the old man faintly said. “To allow him to die honorably is the only compensation I can make at this time.”

Qin Heng was silent. A piece of the winter moon shone down with a silver light, reflecting off the accumulated snow in the Qin manor and glowing like gems.

The old man coughed and walked toward the manor. In the end, he said to his son, “When you do things in the future, you have to decider quicker and prepare more.”

Qin Heng lowered his head. He knew that his father was talking about the end of the killing today in the valley. When he had led the Jingdou garrison into the valley, he had been stopped by Fan Xian’s carefully planned escape. He had absolutely no way for him to carry out the final risky attempt. He laughed self-mockingly, thinking, Having someone like Fan Xian, this extremely clever person who trusted no one, what was he to do?

...

...

The next morning, by the Qing Chengzi manor’s back door, just like every other morning, a man selling vegetables came. The man respectfully moved the vegetables in and, smelling the air in the manor, he didn’t dare to say anything. He carefully chatted a little with the manager in the manor and then quickly retreated.

From the little alley, he cut through to the main street. The man selling vegetables raised his head and glanced at Qing Chengzi manor’s blackboard. Rubbing his nose, he thought to himself that the Yan family was truly too subdued. Everyone on the street knew that this manor had been gifted by the Emperor to Sir Yan. Presently, Sir Yan had been granted the title of a third-level Count, even Sir Yan junior had a noble position, yet this board was still not changed.

The vegetable seller left. The vegetable basket was still left alone on the empty ground beside the Yan manor kitchen.

The manager saw that there was no one around and extended his hand to weigh the vegetable basket as if to see what the weight was like today, whether or not that vegetable seller embezzled a few pounds.

The weight was very full, so the manager began to smile satisfactorily. He placed his hands in the pockets of his winter jacket to prevent being frozen by the chilly wind on this winter day. However, no one realized that he had already pulled a thin strip of bamboo from the very top of the vegetable basket.

Arriving in the study, the already retired head of the Fourth Bureau, Yan Ruohai, was up early as usual. He had already brushed and washed and was copying out a calming essay.

The manager respectfully brought him tea and then, intentionally or not, he left the short bamboo strip beside the teacup.

Yan Ruohai picked up the bamboo strip. With furrowed brows, he used his finger to gently snap it in the middle and removed a very small piece of white cloth. He then read the words on it and sank into thought.

His finger tapped on the surface of the table. He tapped for a long time like his mind had wandered.

After a long time, the current head of the Fourth Bureau and the future Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, Yan Bingyun, pushed open the study door and entered. He then turned and very gently closed the door.

He sat across from his father and accepted that white slip of cloth. Looking at the content on it, his usually cold as frost brows also couldn’t help but furrow together.

...

...

“That survivor...the Bureau of Military Affairs does not dare to accept him. The two sides fought the case for a long time. They both know that it was a very thorny issue. No one dared to put him in their own yamen. They’re afraid that he would suddenly die and the Commissioner would go crazy.”

Yan Bingyun worriedly said, “Even if I can think of a way to kill that person to silence him, but...what if Sir Fan junior finds out?”

Yan Ruohai sighed and said, “Since the old man has come to our door, this matter has to be done eventually.”

Yan Bingyun looked at his father and also sighed, “If, in the future, the Commissioner knew that we clearly knew about the attack in the valley ahead of time yet did not do anything about it, would he take apart our house and have the two of us beheaded?”

Yan Ruohai started and looked at his son. He sighed again. His sigh was full of helplessness. “What can be done? We can’t not do what Director Chen has ordered. If Sir Fan junior wants to kill us...we can only suggest that he first break that wheelchair before anything else.”

Yan Bingyun’s always cold face couldn’t help but reveal a glimmer of worry. A moment later, he said, “When did you move from the military to the Overwatch Council?”

“About 30 years ago.” Yan Bingyun thought about past matters and furrowed his brow. “Although I was not famous in the military, I was the old Qin Master’s personal soldier in secret. However, buried in the camp, there was never a use for me.”

Yan Bingyun shook his head and sighed. “No wonder the old man trusts you so much. However, for you to have stayed in the Overwatch Council and to have made it to where you are today, I’m sure that the old man is very proud in his heart of his arrangement.”

Yan Ruohai sighed for the third time and a not-quite-there smile appeared on his face. “However, the problem is...before I entered the military, I was already a secret spy of the Overwatch Council. It could only be said...the old Qin Master’s luck was not very good.”

Yan Bingyun lowered his head and said, “The Director indeed had everything in his grasp and calculated everything. However, I don’t understand. It was something clearly preventable, so why did he insist on watching these things happen?”

...

...

In the Chen Garden on the outskirts of Jingdou, Chen Pingping sat in his wheelchair and yawned. Toward Fei Jie beside him, whose face was full of anger, he said, “Why are you so anxious? Are you here to kill me so early in the morning? He is your most loved disciple, is he not my most loved heir?”

The faint fire burned in Fei Jie’s eyes and he icily said, “What exactly do you want to do? Fan Xian almost died!”

Chen Pingping mumbled something. Using his very unique and slightly sharp voice, he said, “Why? Of course it was for this truth, this already established truth...everyone says I am the Emperor’s dog, but in reality, that old man is truly the Emperor’s most loyal dog...without some real blood being sprayed out, how could the dog owner be willing to hit the dog?”

Chen Pingping clapped his hands and licked his slightly dry lips. “I’ve always been curious, if I chase all of the Emperor’s dogs into the yard to bark randomly there, cutting him off from the others, what can he do?”