In the inner courtyard of Duke Qing’s mansion, in a secluded and tranquil small courtyard, Qinghuai’s mother, Lady Qingzhong, sat by the window sewing clothes, each stitch meticulous.
But as she sewed, a few tears fell onto the fabric.
“Madam, why are you crying again?”
A maid in her thirties quickly took a handkerchief to wipe Lady Qingzhong’s tears, “Please don’t worry. The Marquis is blessed and will be fine.”
Since receiving news of Qinghuai’s severe injury, Lady Qingzhong had been crying constantly, her eyes swollen like walnuts.
“Chun’e, go to the gatehouse again and ask if Huai’er has sent me any letters.”
“Yes, I’ll go shortly.”
The maid nodded with a wry smile.
She had already visited the gatehouse six times that day.
“Go now.”
Lady Qingzhong couldn’t wait another moment.
“Alright, but please don’t cry anymore. You’ll ruin your eyes.”
The maid rose helplessly.
She hadn’t gone far when she came rushing back.
Before she arrived, her voice rang out, “Madam, Madam, news of the Marquis!”
“Really?”
Lady Qingzhong dashed out of the room, “Where’s the letter? Give it to me.”
“It’s not a letter. A soldier from the Iron Forest Army is here with a military report, waiting for you at Tingyu Pavilion.”
The maid panted.
As Duke Qing’s concubine, Lady Qingzhong was not supposed to meet other men.
But with Duke Qing’s permission, such formalities were set aside.
However, other women resided in the mansion’s inner quarters, so the standard-bearer couldn’t enter there. The butler had arranged for him to wait at Tingyu Pavilion, where female relatives received family visitors.
Hearing this, Lady Qingzhong forgot all decorum and ran out.
She stopped only at the entrance to Tingyu Pavilion.
“This humble servant greets Madam!”
As the Marquis’s birth mother, the standard-bearer quickly knelt on one knee, offering a deep salute.
“Get up quickly,” Lady Qingzhong asked urgently, “Did your Marquis send me a letter?”
“My apologies, Madam, no. After the Marquis was injured, I didn’t see him again. The next day, the Dangxiang attacked…”
“What, the Dangxiang attacked?”
Lady Qingzhong’s face turned deathly pale, her steps faltering. If not for the maid catching her, she might have fallen.
She feared the standard-bearer brought dire news…
After hesitating, she mustered the courage to ask, “How is Huai’er?”
“Madam, don’t worry. The day before the Dangxiang attacked, Master Jin said the battlefield was chaotic and unsafe, so he sent the Marquis to Weizhou City.”
The standard-bearer continued, “I didn’t see the Marquis, but before returning to the capital, I visited General Fan in Weizhou City and asked. The Marquis’s condition has stabilized, and he’s out of danger.”
“That’s good, that’s good.”
Lady Qingzhong patted her chest, “Master Jin did right. With the Marquis injured and comatose, staying at the front was unsafe. If the Dangxiang attacked… wait, you said they already came… Did the Iron Forest Army suffer heavy losses?”
“Not at all, not a single man died.”
At this, the standard-bearer’s eyebrows shot up, “Our Iron Forest Army won. The moment the Dangxiang entered Clearwater Valley, Master Jin had them routed.”
“You won?”
Lady Qingzhong’s face was full of astonishment.
The Iron Forest Army had been badly set up by the He family’s eldest son, tied to the perilous Clearwater Valley, especially with Qinghuai injured and comatose.
In her mind, if the Dangxiang attacked, the Iron Forest Army was doomed, and the standard-bearer’s return to Bianjing was to seek aid.
Yet he said they won?
How was that possible?
“You really won?”
Doubting her ears, Lady Qingzhong asked again.
“Of course. We wiped out over a thousand Dangxiang cavalry, captured over a thousand more. We seized so many warhorses we’re running out of space to pen them, so they’re on the hillside.”
Having repeated the lie so often, the standard-bearer began to believe it himself.
Though they only killed a few hundred and captured a few hundred, he now claimed over a thousand each.
A serious battle was spun into a saga, leaving Lady Qingzhong and her maid stunned.
He also painted Jin Feng as a reclusive master, brought out by Qinghuai to turn the tide and dominate the battlefield.
“When I meet this Master Jin, I must thank him properly.”
Lady Qingzhong sighed sincerely after listening.
Initially, she thought Jin was an Iron Forest Army general or Qinghuai’s aide.
If so, helping Qinghuai was his duty.
But Jin Feng wasn’t Qinghuai’s subordinate. His aid was out of righteousness, a tremendous favour.
Half an hour later, the standard-bearer left Duke Qing’s mansion gleefully.
Learning Qinghuai was safe, Lady Qingzhong was overjoyed, giving him two hundred taels from her personal funds. With rewards from the palace and Duke Qing, his wealth neared a thousand taels.
This trip to Bianjing was well worth it.
As he prepared to deposit his silver notes at a money house, a luxurious carriage approached.
Seeing the Zhao clan’s cloud-patterned flag, he knew it was Duke Zhao’s carriage and stepped aside to let it pass.
But the carriage stopped beside him.
A young noble lifted the curtain, asking, “Are you the Red Feather Messenger from Clearwater Valley?”
“Yes.”
The standard-bearer nodded.
“Come with me. There’s a reward.”
The noble spoke lightly, and a steward brought a fine horse.
“Yes!”
The standard-bearer, delighted, agreed.
More reward money.
…
That day, he visited six grand households, his wealth exceeding a thousand taels.
For noble families, rewarding Red Feather Messengers was trivial; they sought detailed intelligence.
After dismissing the standard-bearer, Duke Zhao sought other Red Feather Messengers, questioning each to verify the news.
Other nobles did the same.
Thus, not only the standard-bearer but the other Red Feather Messengers also reaped rich rewards.
In the process, Jin Feng’s fame spread through Bianjing, entering the nobles’ sights.
Moreover, the next morning at court, Chen Ji mentioned Jin Feng.
“My dear ministers, the Iron Forest Army’s great victory brings Us much comfort. We plan to reward them generously. What say you?”
Chen Ji glanced below with interest.
When Qinghuai wanted Jin Feng to lead the Iron Forest Army, Duke Qing strongly opposed, repeatedly asking the emperor to change the order.
But Duke Chu, Tong Guan, and their faction, fearing the Iron Forest Army’s escape, fiercely resisted.
Who knew it would backfire? Jin Feng not only saved the Iron Forest Army but won a great victory.
Seeing Tong Guan’s sour expression, Duke Qing felt utterly satisfied.
But now wasn’t the time to mock Tong Guan; securing benefits was key.
As soon as the emperor spoke, Duke Qing stepped forward with his tablet, “Your Majesty is wise. The Iron Forest Army fought bravely. Jin Feng’s formation, once spread, will ensure our Dakang soldiers fear no cavalry. This is a merit for the ages, deserving great reward!”
