Chapter Seventy: Smiles Bloom Like Flowers

“I just happen to lack someone well-versed in military strategy by my side. Since you’re here, why not become my deputy commander?” Qin Cheng said with a smile.

“Very well,” Liu Mu replied, his tone measured, neither angry nor pleased.

Qin Cheng nodded and continued riding his tall warhorse, weaving through the ranks of the heavy cavalry. Liu Mu urged his horse to follow closely behind.

Because the heavy cavalry had to don thick armor, only those of robust build could serve. The warhorses not only had to bear the increased weight of armored riders but also wore their own armor, so only the strongest and tallest horses would suffice. Both rider and mount were indispensable, yet this was no easy standard to meet. Even though the young men of the northern counties were larger than those of the Central Plains, not everyone could fulfill the requirements to become heavy cavalry. And despite the abundance of imperial horse farms, it was impossible for Shanggu to be allotted so many horses suitable for heavy cavalry. Thus, Qin Cheng had no choice but to simultaneously drill these troops and reorganize the distribution of warhorses and soldiers in the army. As a result, if even half of the current 3,500 cavalrymen could be trained into elite cavalry, it would be a great success. For this reason, Qin Cheng intensified the training regimen, striving to raise the physical fitness of his cavalrymen to meet the standards of heavy cavalry.

Day after day, the training of heavy and light cavalry gradually found its rhythm, and the distinction between the two finally became clear.

Though always busy to the point of exhaustion, Qin Cheng looked upon his troops—heavy and light cavalry alike—with a gratified smile. Yet in his heart, a new idea was already taking shape. It was an innovation that had to be implemented.

“You want all the soldiers to learn medicine?” Li Guang repeated Qin Cheng’s words in disbelief.

“What I mean is not that every soldier must become a skilled physician, but that they should all know basic life-saving techniques. This way, we can greatly reduce casualties on the battlefield,” Qin Cheng explained. “Moreover, each troop should be assigned at least a squad of specialized medical officers. These soldiers may not be as skilled in combat as the others and need not lead the charge. Their duty is to tend to the wounded and reduce losses.”

Qin Cheng knew that in ancient armies, medical officers were rare, leading many soldiers to die not on the battlefield, but afterward from lack of timely treatment. That was why he made this proposal.

“Indeed, that’s an excellent suggestion,” Li Guang pondered. “For an army at war, this could greatly reduce casualties—truly significant. But how could we train so many military physicians? That is no small undertaking.”

“Please allow me to explain. It will be a vast project, but if done well, countless lives could be saved. No matter how difficult, it must be done,” Qin Cheng said earnestly. “The army can summon all the medical practitioners from the county to the camp to teach the soldiers. They can first instruct those chosen to be medical officers, who will then pass on what they learn to the other soldiers. In this way, it’s not so daunting after all.”

“That is indeed the best method,” Li Guang said, stroking his beard.

“In that case, let’s not delay. Why not begin today? I’ll handle the arrangements in the camp, but as for gathering the physicians from town, I must rely on you,” Qin Cheng said, rising to his feet.

“Agreed. Let’s proceed as such.”

From that day forward, the military camp at Shanggu was filled with physicians coming and going, instructing the soldiers in medical arts. Naturally, Qin Cheng had specific requirements: the medicine taught must be suitable for saving lives on the battlefield—anything else was a waste of time.

Since all the town’s physicians had been gathered, veteran doctors like Old Huang naturally could not be left out. His apprentice, Little Lou, who spent more time acting as a servant than as a student, now often found reasons to linger around Qin Cheng’s tent. Of course, most of the time Qin Cheng was not in his tent, but the girl didn’t seem to mind; she would wander outside for a while, then leave, only to return after a time. The guards at the tent were nearly ready to fetch Qin Cheng about it.

Whenever Qin Cheng finally returned to his tent—always busy and pressed for time—he had no leisure to banter with Little Lou. She would simply tilt her head and watch him quietly for a while, then slip away unnoticed.

After repeating this several times, Little Lou figured out Qin Cheng’s schedule and began to sneak into his tent late at night when all was quiet. Only then would she find him reading by lamplight, and only then would Qin Cheng have time to tease her a bit.

After more than a month of intensive study, the military medics were finally barely adequate. Qin Cheng dismissed most of the outside physicians, retaining only a select few to continue advanced instruction for the army medics. In truth, he hoped these doctors would stay on as military physicians as well.

Compared to Qin Qingzhi, Liu Mu had become even more inseparable from Qin Cheng over these days. Though nominally appointed as deputy commander, Liu Mu served more as Qin Cheng’s military advisor and secretary, a role he accepted with quiet composure—something Qin Cheng had long grown used to.

The army camp ran with clockwork order, everything progressing under Qin Cheng’s direction as he had planned. In the blink of an eye, another two months passed, and the New Year’s Eve drew near.

It bears mentioning that the division and training of heavy and light cavalry had all been orchestrated by Qin Cheng, and as all the cavalry in camp were under his command, his prestige now rivaled that of Li Guang. Some cavalry officers, especially those he had personally promoted, gradually recognized only Qin Cheng as their true commander.

Heavy and light cavalry were a novel creation, and Qin Cheng was their father.

Then there was Li Gan, who had been assigned to the light cavalry as a squad leader. Though his rank was low, he performed his duties well and took training seriously. Only when facing Qin Cheng did he still wear the look of someone who would never submit, regardless of Qin Cheng now being his superior’s superior.

Not long after Qin Cheng’s memorial on implementing the wartime military system for frontier armies was sent to Chang’an, Emperor Liu Che issued an imperial edict. Its meaning was clear: all frontier armies were to implement the new wartime system. In this, Qin Cheng and the emperor were of one mind.

With New Year’s Eve approaching, Li Guang visited the camp again and drew Qin Cheng aside for a private conversation.

“Qin Lang, with the festival nearly upon us, have you overlooked anything?” Li Guang asked gently.

“What might that be?” Qin Cheng pondered carefully, reviewing all military affairs in his mind, but could find nothing amiss. “All matters in camp seem to be in order.”

Li Guang sighed softly, looking at Qin Cheng with gentle reproach. “You think only of army business, but have you forgotten your elder sister, living all alone in the countryside?”

Qin Cheng was caught off guard, not expecting Li Guang to bring this up. He was momentarily at a loss for words.

“You now hold the rank of Junior Noble and are a cavalry colonel appointed by His Majesty himself. Your status is not what it once was—how can you let your sister remain alone in the countryside? You should bring her to town, find a proper house, and see she is well settled. I know a little of your family’s circumstances. For your sake, your sister has remained unmarried past twenty. Now that you have made something of yourself, you must think of her future—do not delay any longer. She is a young woman; how can she bear such waiting?” Li Guang’s words were sincere and heartfelt.

Qin Cheng was moved by Li Guang’s advice. He realized that he had always been concerned about revealing his secret but had never truly considered her situation. In truth, Qin Yue was a child of hardship, and he could not bear to see her suffer.

At this thought, Qin Cheng could not help but recall his own mother, living thousands of years in the future, and was filled with an even deeper sense of shame.

“You’re still just a child at heart,” Li Guang said. “I know your ambitions lie elsewhere, and you pay little mind to household matters, but family is not like other things. Tomorrow, you will go and fetch your sister to bring her to town.” Seeing Qin Cheng’s bewildered look, Li Guang smiled. “I’ve already chosen a house for you. Tomorrow, you can see if it pleases you. If so, bring your sister. As for the money, I’ll pay for it first, but you must pay me back someday.”

With that, Li Guang burst out laughing.

“Thank you, General,” Qin Cheng said, bowing.

The next day, Qin Cheng set out with Le Yi, both dressed in fine attire and mounted on spirited horses, racing swiftly towards their old home in the countryside.

“Why don’t you also buy a house in town?” Qin Cheng suggested to Le Yi on the way. “You’re now a Five-Rank Commander at the very least. You can’t keep living in the countryside. When you marry, you and my sister can look after each other.”

“I won’t marry,” Le Yi replied firmly, a strange look flashing in his eyes. “But I can consider buying a house in town.”

“You’re not getting any younger—why do you always look so sour when marriage is mentioned? Do you mean to remain a bachelor your whole life?” Qin Cheng teased.

“I’m not marrying. What will you do about it?” Le Yi retorted. “Besides, isn’t your sister still unmarried?”

Qin Cheng paused, then laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of some ‘you’re not wed, I’m not wed’ scheme?”

“Ridiculous!”

...

In Han times, people lived together in village communities, called li. As Qin Cheng and Le Yi galloped home, they dismounted at the entrance to their li, leaving their horses there and entering the village on foot.

The villagers, seeing the two in their crimson officer’s robes and dark armor, looked on with awe. Then someone cried out, “Isn’t that the eldest son of the Qin family?”

At once, the village was abuzz.

“It really is the eldest Qin boy! I heard he’s an officer now!”

“Yes, he’s a Junior Noble—so dignified!”

“Who would’ve thought that such an ordinary boy would amount to this?”

“Hush! Say such things and he might cut you down with that sword at his side!”

...

“And the one beside him—that’s little Le Yi, isn’t it?”

“It is! Who’d have thought he’d turn out so well?”

“With Qin Cheng to follow, how could he not? I hear he’s a Five-Rank Officer now—that’s remarkable! If his parents were still alive, they’d die of happiness!”

...

Qin Cheng and Le Yi basked in the praise and admiration as they made their way home. Along the way, whenever they met their elders, they stopped to pay their respects, which brought the old folks no end of joy. Soon, others came over to greet them, and Qin Cheng and Le Yi responded warmly. Before long, they were surrounded by a throng of children.

At last, they reached the gate of Qin Cheng’s home. Even though he was no longer the same person, Qin Cheng couldn’t help but feel his nose tingle at the sight.

The courtyard was small and neat, but painfully humble. Two patched garments hung from a hemp rope, swaying gently in the northern wind.

Qin Cheng stepped forward and knocked, but there was no answer.

“I think I saw your sister heading for the fields just now. Why don’t you go look for her there?” suggested a middle-aged woman in the crowd following them.

“Thank you, Sister Zhang,” Qin Cheng replied, and he and Le Yi hurried towards the fields.

...

The northern wind howled, carrying the bitter chill of winter across the land.

A young woman in a blue blouse and linen trousers trudged along a narrow path, a bundle of firewood strapped to her back. Beads of sweat rolled from her delicate chin, vanishing into the dry earth. She hitched up her load, glanced toward the village gate, and saw two fine horses tied there.

She wiped her brow. Whose wealthy family do those belong to? Such splendid animals. My brother, serving in the army now—perhaps he too rides such a horse? After all, he is a Junior Noble and a cavalry colonel appointed by the emperor. That must be a high rank indeed!

The thought brought a smile of comfort to her face, and for a moment, even the firewood seemed less heavy.

Truly, it felt lighter.

Just then, she realized that the bundle, so heavy a moment ago, now felt weightless on her back.

What’s going on?

She turned to look behind her.

And there she froze.

First, she saw the striking officer’s robe—majestic, almost unearthly—like nothing she’d ever seen in her twenty years. Then she saw a face she knew as well as her own, though now more sharply defined, a little older, a little darker, a little thinner.

Much thinner, she thought.

“Elder sister.” That face broke into a brilliant smile, the voice warm as sunlight.

“Dalan, is that really you? You’re home?” The woman’s voice trembled with astonishment, joy, excitement. She unconsciously let go of the firewood.

But it did not fall. The young man before her had caught it easily with one hand.

“It’s me, sister. I’ve come to take you to town so you can enjoy a better life,” he said affectionately.

At once, tears welled up in the woman’s eyes like spring water.

And her face blossomed with the loveliest of smiles.