The Child Emperor - Chapter 132: Enduring Hardships Together

The military camp wasn’t large. It was about one or two miles from the official road, with slightly elevated terrain, backed by a small river. The camp gate wasn’t directly facing the road but instead was curved, situated at the top of a gentle slope. There was a tall wooden tower, surrounded by numerous buildings of varying sizes within the camp, indicating its long-standing presence.

Chief Commander Han Xing introduced the grounds, “This is one of the twelve new military camps near the Capital. This one is specifically for training infantry. I spent a few days here when I was in my teens, but it’s been a while since I last came. Looks like nothing much has changed.”

“It’s impressive to think that a Chief Commander can be trained in just a few days,” Prince Donghai finally mounted his horse, but he still looked tired. He really wanted to rush into the camp immediately, find a comfortable bed, and lie down. Even if there were to be another change of emperors, he didn’t feel like getting up.

“Hehe, at that time, I was already a captain in the Southern Army. I came here to manage the arsenal, not for training,” Han Xing replied, gazing up at the gate tower of the camp, lost in thought.

“Why isn’t anyone coming out to greet you, Chief Commander?” Prince Donghai also looked towards the gate tower, where soldiers could vaguely be seen.

“I requested to keep everything simple. Since we’re not entering the camp, why bother the officers to come out and greet us? The volunteer army stays here for now. Weary Marquis, Prince Donghai, come enter the city with me.”

The military camp was not far from the Capital. If there were no trees blocking the view, one could see the city walls clearly. Along the official road a few miles away, there was a small town bustling with people, its occasional clamor drifting over.

Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai followed Han Xing’s finger and saw behind the trees by the road, there was a temporary camp, surrounded by wooden fences. Instead of constructed houses, there were tents inside.

“Are we letting the volunteer army stay in a place like this?” Prince Donghai asked in surprise.

“There are many rules in the military camp. The volunteer army is newly established, and they might not be accustomed, so they’ll stay temporarily outside. Once they are formally organized and equipped with banners and armor, they will have their own camp and won’t need to reside here,” Han Xing explained.

Prince Donghai looked at Han Ruzi; he had already warned him not to enter the city, as it would be difficult to come out once inside.

Han Ruzi looked at his clothes, “I can’t enter the city like this. I’ll send someone to my manor to fetch some clothes. I’ll go express my gratitude to the Emperor tomorrow.”

Prince Donghai nodded slightly, but he felt that this excuse was quite weak.

Han Xing hesitated slightly, “After entering the city, you can return home first, and then visit the palace to express gratitude tomorrow.”

Han Ruzi shook his head, “Chief COmmander said I should ‘set an example to the world’. But how can I face people like this? Let’s wait for one night.”

Han Xing smiled, “Weary Marquis, you’re thinking too much. Well then, since you insist, let’s enter the city tomorrow. I need to return to the palace to report. How about leaving ten guards to protect the volunteer army’s camp from unauthorized persons?”

“That would be great,” Han Ruzi said politely.

Han Xing watched as the volunteer army entered the temporary camp before turning his horse around to lead the guards back to the city.

For the militiamen who were accustomed to living in straw huts, tents were a novelty; they didn’t find them crude at all. Jin Chundong and Chao Hua distributed the tents, around one per squad, established orders and duties, and then it was time for dinner.

The food, brought from the military camp, was simple: boiled grains, vegetables, and meat cooked into a porridge-like consistency, enough to fill their stomachs. Since their hearty meal the previous night, the rebel army hadn’t eaten yet, so they savored the hot porridge eagerly.

Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai’s stay were unexpected. Hence, the military camp hadn’t prepared any fine dishes for them. They ate the same food as the soldiers, standing by the tent entrance with the guards, watching over the large pot of food.

At first, Prince Donghai disagreed, “There must be officer’s rations in the new military camp, maybe even some wine. Let them bring it.”

Han Ruzi didn’t see the need for the trouble and scooped himself a bowl to eat.

After smelling the aroma for a while, Prince Donghai couldn’t resist and also served himself a bowl. After gulping down most of it, he remarked, “The taste is not bad, just a bit lacking in oil. The chef at the Cui manor makes a stew similarly, but the ingredients are more refined. Instead of grains, they use leftover stir-fried meat from yesterday, and the vegetables are fresh. Reckless, you’re a chef, can you handle eating this?”

Han Ruzi finished a large bowl and, seeing that it was getting dark, said to Reckless, “I need you to do something for me.”

“Hmm.” Reckless, who had already eaten two large bowls, was not picky at all.

“Go into the city to the Weary Marquis’s manor and bring me a few sets of clean clothes. If they ask about my condition, tell them the truth.”

“Alright.” Reckless got up and left.

Prince Donghai was surprised, “Are you really going into the city tomorrow?”

“Whether I enter the city or not, I need clean clothes to wear.”

Prince Donghai thought it made sense and wanted to call Reckless back, but the chef had already walked away.

With over seven hundred people completely finishing the food, the pots almost didn’t even need to be washed. Along with the bowls and utensils, they were all sent to the camp gate to be collected by the military camp’s cooks.

The Jin family maid, Qingting, walked over from a distance. She lived in the innermost tent with her mistress, surrounded by the women and children of the Chao family fishing village. Like Prince Donghai, she watched Reckless ‘s retreating figure and, coming to Han Ruzi, asked, “Who is that person?”

“Him? His name is Reckless.”

“Hehe, what an interesting name. Since he’s called Reckless, why is he still alive?”

“Because… he’s a chef, and no one wants to kill him. Why are you suddenly asking about him?”

“It’s not sudden; I’ve been watching you all for a while, waiting for him to leave before coming over. Last night, when we tracked the Chai family’s people, we found that they were attacking Riverside Village again, led by that Yan Qilang. With our small numbers, we thought of capturing the leader first. Capturing Yan Qilang would not only drive away the enemy but also avenge the old Fisherman Chao…”

“He was the chief clerk of the militia.”

“Yes. But there were many people around Yan Qilang, and we never found an opportunity. Suddenly, it started raining, and it was pitch black all around, extinguishing the fires. Halfway through the rain, guess what happened?” Qingting paused dramatically, as if telling a story.

“Someone brought Yan Qilang to you?” Han Ruzi guessed.

“Huh, did you see it too? Or did Reckless tell you?”

“He didn’t say anything. Did he catch Yan Qilang?”

“Miss said it must be him. He didn’t reveal himself last night; after tossing Yan Qilang to us, he disappeared. Miss said he must be a remarkable person, so she sent me to ask for his name. Turns out he’s a chef, interesting.” Qingting didn’t bid farewell; she turned and left.

Night fell soon, and it was no longer permissible to roam around the camp. Jin Chundong knew the rules and ordered the militiamen to rest in their tents. If anyone needed to leave during the night, they had to report their name and password to the patrolling soldiers.

Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai shared a tent, receiving the same treatment as ordinary soldiers: a thin blanket spread over a foot-high mound of grass. The only advantage was that it was spacious enough for both of them to lie down side by side.

Han Ruzi was exhausted and didn’t feel like moving once he lay down.

Across from him, Prince Donghai poked and prodded for a while before finally sitting down. “Is this really fit for human habitation?”

“The vast majority of the million-strong army of the Chu empire probably eat and sleep like this. In the future, when we go to the northern frontier, we’ll have to eat and live with the soldiers, sharing hardships. We need to get used to it now,” Han Ruzi replied.

“Heh, sharing hardships, eating and living together. Those are just words in military manuals. I’ve been to military camps before, and not to mention generals, even low-ranking officials of the sixth or seventh ranks have all sorts of special accommodations. They even have women. Do you believe that?” Prince Donghai scoffed.

Han Ruzi smiled but didn’t respond; he just wanted to sleep quietly.

The military camp took care of its neighbors quite well, sending plenty of hot water. After marching, they could skip bathing but not washing their feet. Despite his exhaustion, Han Ruzi sat up to soak his feet for a while, feeling refreshed as the warmth enveloped him.

Prince Donghai hummed a few times. “At home, someone else always washes my feet for me. Let your attendants or those silly women from the village come and help. They’re not soldiers, but they should be useful living in the camp, right?”

There was no candlelight inside the tent. Han Ruzi yawned, saying, “There will be even tougher days ahead; we should get used to it now. By the way, why do you think the Empress Dowager won’t let me go? She has appointed me the Northern Protection General”

“That’s obvious.” Prince Donghai’s voice raised slightly before lowering again. “It’s a common tactic of the court. They grant you an official title to placate you, then once they have complete control over you, they would issue another edict, claiming that although you volunteered to head to battle and demonstrated commendable courage, the Emperor cannot bear to risk the personal safety of the Weary Marquis and has other important tasks for you in the future, and so on. Then they grant you another title, from a general to a grand general. But you won’t be able to leave. Before, you could still stroll outside, but from now on, you’ll be confined to your manor and be unable to step out of the gate. If you intend live out the rest of your days in peace and quiet, you can return to the city, but who knows how long the rest of your days will last. If the Empress Dowager becomes displeased one day, or if the young Emperor grows wary in the future, they’ll surely find an excuse to poison you.”

“Has something like this happened before?”

“Haha, I’ve even practised drafting similar edict before. I’ve told you before, I’ve been preparing to be Emperor since I was young, but unfortunately… sigh.”

“But Han Xing didn’t show any intention of forcing me into the city.”

“Of course not. Han Xing is a well-known amiable person. The Empress Dowager sent him to mislead you, so naturally, he wouldn’t use force. Wait until tomorrow; I doubt it will be Han Xing who comes.”

Han Ruzi thought for a moment. “It’s not feasible to camp outside the city forever. If the Empress Dowager really doesn’t want me to go to the northern frontier, what should I do?”

Prince Donghai, unconcerned about the rough bedding, lay down. “Then I don’t know; you’ll have to figure it out yourself.”

Han Ruzi chuckled. “Are you still thinking about Grand Tutor Cui?”

Prince Donghai snorted coldly. “It is his mistake that he failed to kill me. Since he wants to play ruthlessly…” Prince Donghai didn’t finish his sentence. He wouldn’t reveal his plans to anyone, especially not to Han Ruzi.

“Yang Feng also told me not to return to the Capital. Maybe I should contact him.”

“Don’t be foolish. Yang Feng is currently assisting the Champion Marquis, not you. If he tells you not to return to the Capital, it’s to deal with the Empress Dowager. If you go to him, it’s like leaving one danger and entering another. Don’t forget, the Champion Marquis wanted to kill you last night too. He’s not daring now, but he’d be happy to keep you in his grasp.”

Han Ruzi trusted Yang Feng more, but he also felt that this wasn’t the right opportunity to seek refuge with him. Someday, Yang Feng should be the one seeking refuge with him.

Han Ruzi was too tired to think of a solution and fell asleep, just like Prince Donghai across from him, who was unaware of when the attendants had taken away the foot-washing water.

Unlike the two youths sleeping soundly, several people closely related to them stayed awake all night.

If you are reading this on an aggregator site, do consider visiting https://tuzhitranslations.wordpress.com/ to support this translation project by leaving a comment.

← CH 131CH 133 →