Nightfall

The Poverty-Stricken yet Wise Lad

It would be okay if she is your handmaiden, but didn’t you find her among the dead bodies? Didn’t you say you were kin to each other? And even if she was your handmaiden, don’t you think she is way too young to bear such heavy chores? How can such a young man be so lazy? Why can’t you just do things by yourself?

Perhaps this triggered bad childhood memories, or maybe her imagination of certain beautiful emotions was somehow sabotaged by this guy. The maidservant pushed open the gate and walked in and glanced at the bamboo recliner, more specifically at the old book that the lad was so absorbed in. She said acerbically, “Silly of me to think that you could be reading a masterpiece so majestic that it made you so immersed in it, but what do I see? ‘Article on the Response of the Tao’, a book that can be bought anywhere by anyone! Do you really think someone like you would have the privilege of entering the world of cultivation?”

Sitting upright, Ning Que looked curiously at this well-dressed young girl, who should never have shown up here in the City of Wei, and then turned his glance to the lieutenant, who was suffering in awkward silence. “It’s the only book I could find, so I have to live with it. I am just curious, not that I am expecting any privilege of course,” he explained.

The maidservant certainly wasn’t expecting such a casual answer, and she suddenly didn’t know what to say. As she turned to look at the little handmaiden pouring the coal ashes by the door, she said with an annoyed tone, “How do you even consider yourself a man of our Great Tang Empire?”

Looking perplexed, Ning Que frowned a little and followed her glance to see Sangsang standing by the window in a stupor, still holding the dishcloth. He suddenly understood the reason of her sharp reproach. Smiling with a cute dimple, he said, “You are probably older than me, so… why don’t you just see me as a boy instead of a man?”

The maidservant had never in her life come across such a thick-skinned and shameless person. With an ice-cold expression on her face and slowly clenching her fists, she was hardly able to contain her anger. But then she saw the handwriting drawn by tree branches on the ground, which seemed to leave her speechless.

…

…

At the best barrack in the City of Wei, the elder, dressed in a ragged robe, sat there resting with his eyes closed, while Ma Shixiang, the border general, reported to the noble guest across the curtain with great respect and humility, even though he couldn’t conceal his surprise.

Perplexed, he asked, “You are not happy with the guide? May I ask why?”

Sounding extremely disappointed, the noble behind the curtain chided. “I need a guide who is highly capable and intelligent, not a lazy, weak, and useless lad who is immersed in his cultivation dreams! Is he even capable of tying up a chicken?”

Awkwardly, Ma Shixiang tried to explain. “As far as I am concerned, while still young, Ning Que has actually chopped off the heads of many barbarians of the grassland in the past few years… I mean, tying up a few chickens… should certainly not be a problem.”

The Great Tang was an Empire that holds military honor in high esteem. And when this honor was at risk, Ma Shixiang chose to retaliate without hesitation, despite the high rank and prestige of the person behind the curtain. The sarcasm in his response was proof of his attitude.

“Is a killer equivalent to a good guide then?” replied the cold voice from behind the curtain.

Even more subserviently, Ma Shixiang went on to explain. “Among the 300 soldiers in the City of Wei, Nin Que certainly isn’t the one who killed the most enemies, but I can bet my life that this lad can ultimately survive any battle, regardless of how bad the circumstance might be.”