Author: uhei27

T/N: Translated by Uhei and Cyrrene

At sunrise, the three armies of Great Zhou were standing outside Black Frost City, and the armor was bright and cold with the night wind. The black and white spirit-calling flags were fluttering in the wind, and all about floated paper money in the sky. It should be the victorious return of the living to court after the great victory, but at this moment, this slice of heaven and earth had become a banquet for the souls of the dead.

    Long Xuan stood together with Luo Qi; he raised his head and looked towards the city wall. Luo Wei was standing on the city wall. At this moment, that person (Luo Wei) was just looking at the distance intently; it was unknown what he was thinking.

    When the first ray of sunlight appeared on the distant horizon, the monks’ chanting sounded immediately.

    Grandmaster Fuyi sat cross-legged in the mud under the walls of Black Frost City with his eyes slightly closed and his hands clasped together. Apart from his disciples, no one could understand the Buddhist scriptures he chanted, but no one dared to interrupt his chanting.

    In the process of this Buddhist rite, an old woman sang the song of the Great Zhou funeral to send off spirits, in harmony with the chanting of the scriptures.

    A huge spirit-gathering banner flicked across Luo Wei’s cheek, and the singing voice was quiet and distant, making people a little confused between reality and illusion. Luo Wei was fascinated by it. This song was very similar to the nursery rhyme when his milk-nanny coaxed him to sleep, allowing him to smile knowingly in his sleep. Listening to this singing, standing high up on the city walls, Luo Wei’s heart found temporary peace. Luo Wei believed at this time, that the souls of the countless dead buried under Black Frost City over these hundred years could follow the sounds of singing all the way, and return to their homeland thousands of miles away.

    “Kneel!” A monk shouted.

    Luo Wei knelt down with the people, praying piously for the undead who would still be wandering in this place this morning.

    “Cross over the city in front of you, and go all the way south, it is the homeland,” Long Xuan stood up and said to the wilderness in front of him: “Black Frost City has returned, your souls can rest and return, go back!”

Luo Wei looked down at Long Xuan below the city wall; this person was representing his (LX’s) family that was revered above all others, expressing gratitude and comfort to these soldiers who died in the war for the country. Long Xuan was also pious at this moment, his eyes were clear. Facing many undead, Long Xuan seemed to hide the desires in his heart one by one, leaving only gratitude and respect.

    “His Highness seems to be different today,” Ning Fei said, standing beside Luo Wei.

    Luo Wei said: “He respects heroes, and among those whose bones have been buried here, who is not a hero?”

    “Including those little soldiers?” Ning Fei asked.

    “They died for the country. What is the difference between a general and a soldier?” Luo Wei reached out and caught a note of paper money that flew to the top of the city. “There are no young and old on the path to the afterlife¹, there probably won’t be any segregation between the low-born and high-born.”

    There is an army coming over there,” Long Shi, who was guarding Luo Wei’s back, yelled while pointing to their true north.

    “It’s the Northern Yan Army,” Ning Fei’s face changed slightly.

    “My eldest brother should already have made arrangements, the Northern Yan Army can’t rush over here,” Luo Wei said as he looked at the Northern Army cavalry coming down from Black Frost City.

    “Sima Qingsha came in person,” Ning Fei said to Luo Wei after seeing the people under the Northern Yan Commander’s banner: “This person is here to seize Black Frost?”

“Just those few soldiers of his?” Luo Wei also saw Sima Qingsha, and mentally counted the cavalry that Sima Qingsha had brought. There were only a thousand people. “This person may have come to ask about Mo Huan Sang and Sima Zhuxie,” Luo Wei guessed.

    Ning Fei didn’t go down to the city. At Luo Qi’s signal, he wanted to keep the tower safe.

    The three armies under the city were in a commotion, but Grandmaster Fuyi, the monks, and the old woman singing the spiritual song were unmoved, as if they hadn’t heard the horseshoes of the Northern Yan army approaching.

    A branch of the Yunguan iron cavalry blocked Sima Qingsha’s path.

    Sima Qingsha also stopped his advance, and quietly watched Great Zhou’s soul-calling ceremony.

    Long Xuan didn’t get on his horse until he had done what he should do. He urged the horse to come to Sima Qingsha, sat down, and held out a wrapped fist in greeting to Sima Qingsha, saying, “What is the purpose of Prince Qingsha coming here?”

    Sima Qingsha said: “Your wish is achieved, should I say congratulations?”

    Long Xuan said: “Black Frost City is the city of my Great Zhou, Prince Qingsha doesn’t have to be happy for my Great Zhou.”

    “You caught Zhu Xie,” Sima Qingsha stopped talking nonsense with Long Xuan, and asked Long Xuan directly: “Where are Zhu Xie and Mo Huan Sang now?”

    “I don’t know about this,” Long Xuan said: “The two may be dead, or maybe they’re still alive, but they’re not here with my Zhou army.”

    “You really don’t know?”

    “I wiped out the Black Frost’s Mo clan,” Long Xuan said: “I also don’t want Mo Huan Sang to live, if this person is still alive, wouldn’t he want to chase after me to avenge the great enmity of genocide?”

    Sima Qingsha smiled, “It seems that I had bad luck this time, and even thought the Second Highness would have a bit of kindness.”

    “Then I will kindly remind Prince Qingsha of one thing,” Long Xuan said: “You have to be careful of Yang Yuansu, this man’s ambition is too great, I’m afraid he will be a disadvantage to your territory of Northern Yan.”

    “Thank you,” Sima Qingsha raised his arms and stopped the generals behind him who were infuriated and wanted to rush over and brawl with Long Xuan, “I will go back now, and I will deal with Eastern Shang’s Yang Yuansu, I won’t trouble your Second Highness to worry on my behalf.”

    “I won’t send you off,” Long Xuan grasped his other fist in a salute again.

    Sima Qingsha looked at Black Frost City not far away, which was far away from Hefang City. Sima Qingsha had grown to such an age and yet he’d only come to Black Frost City three times. Before this city belonged to the Sima family, he didn’t think it was so good that the bricks of this city were all black, and he had never taken a proper look at this city. Now that Black Frost City was in the hands of the Long clan again, Sima Qingsha realized how precious Black Frost City was, such that he was willing to trade his life for it. But, Sima Qingsha smiled bitterly, even if he threw away his life here, he could not exchange it for Black Frost City’s return.

    “If Your Highness can’t let go of this city,” Long Xuan said from opposite Sima Qingsha: “I can order a painter to draw a picture of Black Frost City for you, to comfort Prince Qingsha’s longing?”

    “Second Highness,” Sima Qing Sha said to Long Xuan: “This incident was because my Northern Yan had internal strife, it was not defeat at your hands.”

    “Then this Black Frost was decided by the fate of heaven,” Long Xuan said.

    “There is still a person, Luo,” Sima Qingsha wanted to say Luo Wei, but his eyes returned to the person he had just seen.

    “Sima Qingsha has spotted you,” Wei Lan said to Luo Wei at the top of the city wall.

    “Really?” Luo Wei, who had been paying attention to Grandmaster Fuyi under the city, looked at Sima Qingsha not far from the city, and said to Wei Lan, “If he has spotted me then so be it. I don’t want others to be mistaken that I’m already dead.”

    Sima Qingsha recognized it at a glance. The young man in brocade clothing standing at the top of the city wall was Luo Wei. The first reaction was a lightness in his heart, and then it became unquellable flames of rage.

    Long Xuan turned around and looked at him, and said, “Did Prince Qingsha see Luo Wei? He returned to camp safely, but he was only a little tired and not injured.”

    Sima Qingsha turned around and left, not wanting to look any more.

    “If Your Highness wants to, I can ask Luo Wei to come down to talk to you,” Long Xuan still did not let Sima Qingsha pass.

    “Long Xuan,” Sima Qingsha stopped again and faced Long Xuan said, “Fengshui² turns around in cycles, you don’t have to be so arrogant and proud. After Luo Wei’s rise to a high position and wealthy recompense, what good will it do for you?”

    “There is no need for Prince Qingsha to care about my matters,” Long Xuan sneered.

    Sima Qingsha glanced at Luo Wei on the top of the tower again. He really did have looks out of a painting, a peerless appearance. Sima Qingsha turned and left, unable to put a name to the sensation in his heart.

    “Your Highness,” Sima Qingsha didn’t go far, there was a man in a white plainclothes³, riding a horse to him, rolling off his saddle, and knelt down in front of Sima Qingsha’s horse.

    Sima Qingsha recognized this person. This person was the personal servant of his father, Emperor Sima Changtian. “Why did you come? Why are you dressed in this clothing?” Sima Qingsha had already realized something in his heart, and pale-facedly asked the new arrival.

    “Your Highness, His Majesty has died!” The person cried loudly.

    Sima Qingsha’s eyes turned black for a while, “When did it happen?”

    “His Majesty’s body was showing improvement, but after hearing the news that Black Frost City was occupied by the Zhou army…” The eunuch who came to report the passing cried so hard he could not form words.

    Sima Qingsha rubbed his hand over his heart, feeling like he couldn’t breathe, thinking that he had to scratch his chest apart before he’d be relieved. Sima Qingsha grasped the thing in his arms, and the Prince of Northern Yan fell off his horse dead to the world, holding a string of beads of black jade and colored glaze in his deathly grip.

(T/N: He’s not actually dead, the phrase ‘dead to the world’ means he’s unconscious.)

T/N: I felt bad for Sima Qingsha here, I’ll admit.

1.黄泉路 – Road to Yomi, also known as Hell or the Afterlife.

2.Fengshui, the concept of karmic fortune or ‘energy forces’ that can be influenced by one’s orientation and the orientation of their possessions. Basically, geomancy.

3. 素缟 – Mourning attire made of rough white silk.

T/L: Translated by Cyrrene and edited by Uhei. Odd chapters of RDSAT from 213 onwards will be translated by Uhei and even chapters from 214 onwards will be translated by Cyrrene.

Luo Wei avoided confronting Long Xuan’s gaze and said, “I am merely someone with no accomplishments. (I) fear your Highness overestimated Luo Wei. Even if Luo Wei wants to help your Highness, my abilities will still fall short of your expectations.”

“You are the Senior Chancellor’s¹ third son and my imperial father’s disciple,” While Long Xuan restrained the smile at the corner of his lips, his manner towards Luo Wei appeared to be jesting. He said to Luo Wei, “Are you still worrying you will lack accomplishments in the future?”

“Can familial status simply be exchanged for fame?” Luo Wei also seemed to be joking and said, “If I had known this was so, then would I have needed to study? Luo Wei still vividly recalls those days spent attending the Study².”

Luo Qi saw that these two were again about to exchange this kind of banter which he could not interpret as either sincere or disingenuous. Just when he felt his scalp becoming numb³, he lifted his gaze and noticed Ning Fei standing outside the door. Luo Qi hurriedly said as if he had seen a savior, “Why did Zizhou come?”

Ning Fei had just arrived at the doorway to the central room to report. When he heard Luo Qi asking him, he entered the room and said to the three people within, “Grandmaster Fu Yi has arrived bringing several monks.”

“He arrived quite quickly,” Long Xuan said.

“The Grandmaster⁴ came to summon the spirits back to their homeland,” Luo Qi told Luo Wei, who had not known anything. “Our Great Zhou’s officers and soldiers who perished in battle at Black Frost City in previous years can return home.”

“So that is how it is,” Luo Wei said, “Grandmaster Fu Yi is an accomplished, eminent monk. To have him summon the spirits is surely for the best.”

“You should all go welcome him,” Long Xuan stood up and said.

A delegation left the city to welcome Grandmaster Fu Yi.

Grandmaster Fu Yi still wore a half-aged monk’s robe with a tranquil expression upon his face. He saw Long Xuan, Luo Qi, Luo Wei, and several people welcoming as they approached, and chanted the Buddha’s name. Afterwards, his gaze swept towards them. At last, Grandmaster Fu Yi’s gaze landed upon Long Xuan and he said, “This time your Highness’s ill-karma from killing has become much more serious.”

Long Xuan heedlessly replied, “Since this war, who among us has not incurred any ill-karma from killing?”

Grandmaster Fu Yi shook his head slightly and said, “This humble monk is saying some people should not die.”

Long Xuan said with amusement, “Grandmaster is a monk⁵ with a merciful heart. In the grandmaster’s view, how could anyone deserve to die?”

Grandmaster Fu Yi could only chuckle, then chanted the Buddha’s name.

“Grandmaster, please enter the city,” Luo Qi said.

Grandmaster Fu Yi and the flock of Buddhist monks had all arrived on foot, so Long Xuan and the others had to abandon their carts and horses, and accompany Grandmaster Fu Yi on foot into the city. Grandmaster Fu Yi looked towards Luo Wei who was walking behind Luo Qi, and suddenly asked Luo Wei, “Third young master, do you still have the Buddhist beads given to you by this humble monk?”

Luo Wei touched his wrist; there was not even a trace of that string of black jade and colored glaze beads. If Grandmaster Fu Yi had not asked, he would not have remembered  having such an object himself. “Lost,” Yet Luo Wei did not feel regret, and said to Grandmaster Fu Yi, “I have been in a hurry throughout this journey, I do not know where I lost it.”

“You lost the prayer beads used for safeguarding that the grandmaster gave you?” After Luo Qi read the letter from home, he also knew about this string of black jade and colored glaze prayer beads. According to their mother Fu Hua, Luo Wei safely returned due to the prayer beads blessing and protecting his life. Luo Qi was a little anxious. Few people who were enlisted in the army believed in supernatural beings⁶, but this concerned Luo Wei’s life. Luo Qi would rather believe in it, and asked Luo Wei a barrage of questions, “Think back carefully, where did you drop it? How can you be so careless, that you can just lose something?”

Luo Wei was lectured like a child by Luo Qi in public, so embarrassed that his lips twitched, unable to say anything.

Luo Qi also looked towards Wei Lan walking beside Luo Wei and asked, “What about you Lan? You also have not seen Xiao⁷ Wei’s prayer beads?”

Wei Lan meticulously dealt with issue after issue along the journey. He also forgot that Luo Wei had been wearing prayer beads. At this moment he recalled, Wei Lan also became anxious and said, “Perhaps it is in the luggage. I’ll look for it in a while.”

“It’s just a string of prayer beads,” Luo Wei was afraid that Luo Qi would pester Wei Lan, and interjected, “If it is lost, let it be. Isn’t it alright if I just get another string?”

“Don’t be so foolish in the presence of the grandmaster!” Luo Qi slapped his palm onto Luo Wei’s head.

Off to the side, Long Xuan asked Grandmaster Fu Yi, “Is it dire if Yunqi lost the Buddhist beads?”

“People will naturally obtain what they are fated to,” Grandmaster Fu Yi said, “All affairs in this world shouldn’t be forcefully pursued..”

These words uttered by Grandmaster Fu Yi, when heard by the few people present, were akin to saying nothing.

Luo Wei did not want Luo Qi and Wei Lan to be bothered over these immaterial things and interrupted the topic, “When has the grandmaster planned to perform the service?”

“At sunrise,” Grandmaster Fu Yi replied.

“After dawn today?” Long Xuan asked.

Grandmaster Fu Yi replied, “Yes.”

Luo Qi asked, “Then will you need to prepare? Will it be in time?”

“There is not much to prepare,” Grandmaster Fu Yi pointed to the monks behind him. “They all understand what they should do.”

Thereupon, Long Xuan and Luo Qi led a group of soldiers accompanying Grandmaster Fu Yi out of the city while Wei Lan drew Luo Wei back to their residence.

After Wei Lan returned to the residence, he opened both of their luggages, and chaotically searched for a while.

“Forget it if it cannot be found,” Luo Wei saw that  Wei Lan was becoming anxious, while he was not fussed himself, and even placated Wei Lan, “If you cannot rest assured, after I return to the capital⁸, I will go find the Grand Priest and request another string of beads.”

“Madam had said that these Buddhist beads must not be lost!” Wei Lan began to touch the corners of his clothes, and spoke with vexation, “Something so big–how did it get lost?”

“It will be fine as long as this is not lost, right?” Luo Wei walked over and showed Wei Lan his half of the mandarin duck buckle he was wearing, “You see, this is something that has never yet left my side.”

Wei Lan’s hands stopped moving for a bit, but soon after, he lowered his head to flip through his clothes.

“What about yours? Let me see,” Luo Wei snatched the clothes from Wei Lan’s hands into his own and nonchalantly tossed it aside.

Wei Lan untied the mandarin duck buckle he was wearing and placed it in Luo Wei’s hand.

Luo Wei fastened the two mandarin duck buckles together, placed them under the lantern, and let Wei Lan watch the shadow cast by the mandarin ducks on the ground. Wei Lan however was looking at Luo Wei’s hands. Luo Wei’s hands were long, slender, and fair, as if they were the same as jade. Two jade mandarin ducks in this jade-like hand, flowing with brilliance⁹, as if they were priceless¹⁰ treasures. “Will it truly be all right to have lost those Buddhist beads?” Wei Lan asked as he clasped Luo Wei’s hand.

“(We) lost the Buddhist beads, yet we still returned and survived,” Luo Wei laughed at Wei Lan, “We have such good luck, what else are you worried about? Rest assured, that Grand Priest has the tendency to say some things that people would find incomprehensible; no need to scare yourself. As long as the mandarin ducks are not lost, it will be alright. Everything else does not matter.” Luo Wei lifted the mandarin duck buckle in front of Wei Lan’s eyes.

“It is fine as long as you are safe, I won’t ask for anything else,” Wei Lan kissed Luo Wei’s hand.

The two fell onto the daybed embracing each other, however they were only kissing each other without doing anything further.

“Your body is still not well,” Wei Lan spoke next to Luo Wei’s ear, “It would be best ‘til after you recovered a bit more.”

Luo Wei lay in Wei Lan’s embrace, caressing the mandarin duck buckle in his hand with a slight red flush on his face. Wei Lan reached over, playing with the mandarin duck buckle together with Luo Wei, and one by one, rubbed the vein lines all over the two jade mandarin ducks. “If I lost something, I cannot let this be lost,” Luo Wei whispered to Wei Lan.

“En¹¹,” Wei Lan said, “Me too.”

“And you,” Luo Wei kissed Wei Lan on the cheek, “I cannot lose you either.”

Wei Lan pulled the quilt over and covered Luo Wei and himself. Luo Wei’s kiss was as soft as a feather, causing Wei Lan’s heart to throb. “Go to sleep,” Wei Lan also kissed Luo Wei back and said, “After sunrise I will wake you.”

1. 左相: Left Chancellor; since the original translators used Senior Chancellor, this translation will keep this.

2. 书房: This study room, if you recall from previous translator’s notes, refers to a private classroom set up for a prince and a few other noble children selected as his study companions.

3.头皮发麻: Chinese chengyu (idiom) similar to English phrases “getting goosebumps” or making one’s “blood run cold.”

4. 大师 and 国师 have both been used to refer to Master Fu Yi. The former is more like “grandmaster”, while the latter, literally “National Teacher,” refers to his position.

5. 出家人: literally means “a person who left one’s home/family.” Chinese Buddhist monks can be referred to this way because they leave their homes and family behind, join a monastery, shave their heads, and do not marry, etc.

6.鬼神: literally, ghosts and gods.

7. 小: used as a term of endearment (especially by a parent or elder) when used in front of a person’s given name.

8. 上都: we are simply referring to Shangdu as the capital while in the Zhou Empire.

9. 光华流转: originates from a poem, to mean that light refracts off jade as if in a liquid motion.

10. 价值连城: chengyu, literally “worth several cities.”

11. 嗯, a sound of agreement.