the cat in emperor's arms

new year's eve

At the end of the year, on New Year's Eve.

The camp was bustling with lanterns and decorations, bright and lively, preparing to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. In the kitchen, dumplings were being made, and fresh cattle and sheep were slaughtered. A long table feast was set up to reward the soldiers.

Pei Shenyu also had Tusu wine prepared, a traditional drink to ward off evil and bring blessings, wishing for good fortune.

After all, this was a New Year they were spending in a foreign land.

Amidst the clinking of cups, Pei Shenyu sat among the group, raising his glass and drinking with the other generals.

His expression was as calm as water, showing no signs of intoxication, though the slight haze in his eyes hinted that he had drunk quite a bit.

Seated beside him was General Sun, who was already thoroughly drunk, while General Chu, who was still recovering from injuries, had retired early to rest, as he could not drink.

Sun Shangwu lifted a wine jar in his hand, raised it to his lips, and drank boldly, exclaiming, "Your Highness, drink!"

Pei Shenyu nodded and drank another cup. "General, please drink with me."

However, his shoulder was suddenly grabbed by a hand.

Sun Shangwu had drunk too much and had long since forgotten about the usual distinctions of rank. He was a straightforward man who couldn’t speak elegantly. He only laughed foolishly and said:

"Your Highness! On such a festive day, we should drink in big gulps!"

Pei Shenyu’s left shoulder trembled slightly, but his expression remained calm, and he continued to sip his drink leisurely.

Seeing Pei Shenyu silent, Sun Shangwu thought he was agreeing, and this encouraged him even more. He was already quite drunk, and while he held onto Pei Shenyu's shoulder, he leaned in and began babbling drunkenly:

"Your Highness, we've been fighting this war for almost a year... I miss my wife to death."

He hiccuped and continued, "And my daughter."

"It’s been a year since I last saw her. I wonder how much she's grown." Sun Shangwu spread his hand in the air as if measuring the height of his daughter, who he hadn't seen in a long time. "When I left, she was only this tall, just a little sprout."

"My little girl, she's so headstrong. Without her father around to back her up, I wonder who she'll turn to if she gets bullied..."

The more Sun Shangwu spoke, the more melancholic he became, and he couldn’t help but take another sip, sighing into his wine jar.

After sighing, he suddenly slammed the table with a bang and cursed angrily, "Those damn southern rebels! Couldn't they just live in peace instead of stirring up rebellion?"

The surrounding soldiers were startled. Pei Shenyu, seeing this, couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Although he had never met them, he could picture Sun Shangwu's happy family based on his words—a loving couple and a little girl spoiled and a bit willful.

This made Pei Shenyu briefly lost in thought, remembering more than ten years ago. Back then, his father was still just the king of a fiefdom, and family banquets included only his parents, his younger sister Fengjiu, and him—just four people.

They sat across a single table, talking and laughing closely.

After his father seized the throne, his mother became the unrivaled empress, and he became the crown prince. As the years went by, his father took more concubines, and many new princes and princesses were born, turning family banquets into palace banquets.