Volume One: Flames at the Border Chapter Thirty-One: Murong of the Xianbei

A sly glint flashed in Chen Qingyun’s eyes, and in an instant, she became lively, her smile blooming as she gently brushed a large cluster of fallen petals from He Yu’s shoulder. In a soft voice, she instructed, “Take care on your way, my lord. Come often in the future; I won’t see you off far.” With a playful arch of her brow, she cast him a meaningful, coquettish glance before her figure vanished amid the flowering trees.

He Yu was utterly bewildered, thinking to himself, “Chen Qingyun’s moods are truly extraordinary—just moments ago she was weeping and distraught, barely calmed, and now she’s all cheerfulness again. Ah, this girl’s temperament is really impossible to fathom.”

He shook his head helplessly and turned around, only to see, beneath a peach tree in full bloom, a slender figure standing gracefully. Her skirt was a shade of blue-green, her skin white as jade—it was none other than Deng’er.

She had waited for He Yu to return home for dinner, but when he didn’t come, she set out to find him, and by chance ran into him here. At that moment, He Yu felt his head buzz and his heart sink: “This is bad, really bad, I’m done for… Coming down from Chen Qingyun’s embroidery tower at this late hour, in these circumstances, even if I jumped into the Yellow River I couldn’t wash myself clean.”

Then it dawned on him. Just now, Chen Qingyun had put on that coy act because she had spotted Deng’er and was deliberately trying to provoke her. Chen Qingyun had grown jealous of Deng’er these days; in their rivalry, she had often been bested by Deng’er’s gentle, yet unyielding barbs. Now, she had seized this chance to retaliate, but in doing so had thrown He Yu into trouble.

Seeing He Yu flustered and uneasy, Deng’er felt a surge of anger and bitterness. Her pretty face darkened, and without a word, she hurried toward the Plum Pavilion. He Yu, anxious at her displeasure, forced a nervous smile and chased after her.

Deng’er’s jealousy was not easily soothed by ordinary means; without some drastic measure, her resentment would fester. Suddenly inspired, He Yu let out a loud cry: “Something’s wrong—run!”

He sprinted ahead, caught up to Deng’er, seized her delicate hand, and dragged her into a wild dash. Startled, Deng’er followed, unable to ask questions as they ran so frantically. Only when they reached the main gate of the Plum Pavilion did He Yu finally stop.

Panting, Deng’er momentarily forgot her anger, curiosity getting the better of her. “Husband, what did you see to make you run like that?”

Still holding her soft hand in his left, He Yu scratched the back of his head with his right and replied with a mischievous grin, “Nothing at all. I just saw my wife’s unhappy face and wanted to make you laugh.”

With that, he unwittingly reopened old wounds. Deng’er pulled her hand free, turned aside, and said sulkily, “Why would I be unhappy? If you wish to keep company with Lady Chen, what does it matter to me?”

“Husband needn’t sneak around. In a few days, you’ll marry her, and I’ll remain just a humble servant girl, waiting on both of you,” she continued, her words sharp with grief. “But I wonder, when that time comes, will husband’s heart still have room for Deng’er?”

Her words, tinged with bitterness and sorrow, ended in tears. Once again, he found himself in the midst of trouble. Yet He Yu was no stranger to consoling Deng’er—he was practically an expert. Pulling her firmly into his arms, he adopted a tone of deepest anguish: “Alas, others may not understand me, but Deng’er—even you don’t understand me. What am I to do? Ah… ah… it is hard to be a man, but even harder to be Deng’er’s man…”

He sighed and lamented at length, even borrowing lines from famous actresses, his expression perfectly balancing disappointment and hope, saying much with little, as if despair and longing mingled within him.

Deng’er’s heart was always soft toward He Yu, incapable of bearing his sorrow. He Yu knew this well and played the part, feigning pain before her.

His little lie worked; Deng’er stopped crying, lifted her face to look into his eyes, and asked anxiously, “Husband, if you’re in some trouble, tell me about it.”

With a long, world-weary sigh, He Yu finally recounted how Li Jun had begged him to plead with Chen Qingyun on his behalf.

“I didn’t want to agree, but Li Jun pleaded so earnestly I couldn’t refuse. I was afraid you’d be angry, so I went to speak with Chen Qingyun in secret, only to be scolded terribly,” he explained. “When we left the north gate, Chen Qingyun spotted you and deliberately caused me to be misunderstood. You wouldn’t listen to my explanation, and I was so wronged and upset, I could think of nothing but to grab you and run.”

Deng’er knew He Yu was clever, but doubted he could invent so many details on the spot. She believed most of his story and her anger subsided. “Husband, Li Jun’s wish to marry Lady Chen is none of our concern; you should stay out of it. Lady Chen is ungrateful, even scolding you—how unreasonable! Neither of them are worth our concern; let’s ignore them from now on.”

“Yes, yes, from now on, we’ll ignore them both,” He Yu agreed eagerly.

Pouting, Deng’er pressed, “It’s all very well to say. Ignoring Li Jun is one thing, but Lady Chen admires you. If you really ignore her, won’t your heart ache?”

Since their marriage, Deng’er had grown sharper in managing household matters. Li Jun always saw her as a servant and even tried to persuade He Yu to divorce her. Chen Qingyun, meanwhile, watched He Yu like a hawk, eager to steal him away. Both were thorns in Deng’er’s side, so she had nothing kind to say about them.

He Yu laughed, pinched her lips playfully, and teased, “Deng’er is so clever—with so much work in the manor, of course I can’t avoid seeing them both.”

It was the truth, and Deng’er could not argue, so she pouted, “Well, isn’t that just perfect for you? On one side, you have your friends, and on the other, your beautiful confidante. What more could you want?”

He Yu, finding her unreasonable, laughed heartily. “Come now, do you still not know my heart?”

His question was so earnest and heartfelt that Deng’er softened, replying gently, “Don’t be upset, husband. It’s my fault for speaking poorly. I love you so much, I just fear someone will take you away…”

She leaned into him like a delicate bird seeking shelter. People change, and girls most of all. Half a year ago, Deng’er had been gentle and obedient, captivating He Yu. Now, she could be coquettish one moment and willful the next, her moods shifting effortlessly, yet still captivating him. Alas, the gentle maiden had become a mischievous sprite, leaving He Yu both amused and exasperated, so much so that he felt as if he were falling in love all over again. Sun rising in the east and rain falling in the west—so heartless, yet full of feeling.

After the decisive victory at Tianxiong Fort, the Chen family manor annexed both the people and lands of the former stronghold, becoming one of the most powerful fortresses in Yanmen Commandery and all of Bing Province. The local militia had swelled rapidly, now boasting two thousand cavalry and three thousand infantry—a formidable force by any measure.

Following the battle, Li Jun assumed his father Li Ling’s position as chief steward of the manor, while Li Ling, now elderly, assisted Master Chen in managing all affairs, effectively serving as deputy lord.

He Yu, in turn, succeeded Li Jun as commander of the cavalry, overseeing all militia and household troops—an immensely important post. His meteoric rise was unprecedented in the manor’s history, but his exceptional service, outstanding ability, and the lord’s trust left no room for dissent.

There was, in fact, a deeper reason: the Chen family was few in number, while the Li clan had grown large and powerful, threatening to overshadow the manor. Master Chen, under the guise of rewarding merit, removed Li Ling from office and replaced him with Li Jun, but transferred all military command to He Yu, an outsider with no roots in the Chen manor, making the lord more at ease.

The Li clan grumbled in secret but could not openly oppose this well-reasoned arrangement, especially as it did not overtly harm their interests.

According to He Yu’s analysis, the vast Chen manor seemed peaceful and prosperous, but hidden dangers remained. Externally, the Yanmen army was a constant threat; internally, the newly annexed residents had yet to develop loyalty. The Li and Chen families were bound together—prospering in unity, doomed if divided. Both sides maintained this fragile balance, wary of open conflict.

Perhaps fearing to alienate the Li clan, Master Chen promoted Li Yu to centurion of the south gate. Li Yu had played a key role in the assault on Tianxiong Fort, setting fires and earning merit, but becoming centurion was a leap—his promotion even swifter than He Yu’s. This stirred discontent, and for a time, Li Yu struggled to command his men, relying on the support of his father and brother to maintain order.

He Yu observed that, though Li Yu was skilled in martial arts, he lacked his elders’ breadth of mind. After losing in competition, he harbored resentment for a long time, always greeting He Yu with a sullen face. But He Yu, magnanimous, paid him no mind.

Since that heartfelt conversation at dusk, Chen Qingyun no longer greeted He Yu with coldness, but she did not fawn over him as before, as if she had come to accept the reality that he could not marry her.

He Yu, feeling guilty, took care to avoid her, meeting only for official matters, lest further rumors arise.

Li Jun, however, remained persistent, seeking out Chen Qingyun whenever possible. Yet, despite all his efforts, he could not win her heart and often drowned his sorrows in drink.

One morning, as He Yu was attending to his duties, a servant rushed in to announce that the lord wished to see him in the council hall at once.

He Yu did not dare delay. He changed clothes, mounted his horse, and rode to the council hall, an imposing chamber ringed with seats. The hall was already filled with the manor’s key figures, with more arriving.

Master Chen sat in the seat of honor, and to his right sat a young man of twenty-eight or twenty-nine, dressed as a Xianbei general. He had long brows, a prominent nose, fair skin, and eyes that gleamed with intelligence. His arms were long, his waist lean and strong—truly a striking and heroic figure.

Upon seeing He Yu, Master Chen rose and introduced him: “Commander He, this is General of the South, Prince of Chenliu, Lord Murong Shao.”

Turning to Murong Shao, he continued, “This is our Commander He, the hero who broke Tianxiong Fort.”

At the introduction, He Yu’s heart skipped a beat. “So this is the famed Xianbei Murong—Murong Shao, barely thirty and already so distinguished, truly a hero among men.”

He Yu, well-read in history, recalled that the Murong clan of Xianbei were renowned for three great strengths and one fatal flaw. The strengths: first, remarkable good looks—every one a paragon of beauty; second, extraordinary talent—Murong Ke, Murong Chui, even the fictional Murong Fu of Jin Yong’s tales, all formidable figures; third, boundless ambition—the Murong established not one but five states: Former, Western, Later, Southern, and Northern Yan, collectively called the Five Yan of Xianbei, claiming a third of the Sixteen Kingdoms.

The flaw: endless internal strife. The Murong clan’s rise was as sudden as its fall; no sooner had they built a state than infighting would erupt, leading to ruin—proving the old saying, “Its rise is swift and its fall sudden.”