Chapter Five: The Commoner Woman General

Page (1/3)

“Female general?” Kaiming exclaimed in surprise. “Here, women can become generals?”

Chunhua glared at her. “Have you been knocked silly? When the army starts recruiting again, I plan to enlist myself!”

“The army?!” Kaiming was taken aback. Could it be that the status of women in the Central Palace wasn’t as low as she’d imagined? Women could actually join the army and go to war?

“What, you look down on me? This strength of mine isn’t just for show!” Chunhua rolled up her sleeves and flexed her arm, revealing a firm muscle. Just then, the serving boy came running up, and with a clatter, a dish he was carrying crashed into his own face, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Kaiming couldn’t help but laugh, waving him away. He stood dazed for a moment before scrambling off, leaving the entire dish wasted on the floor.

Supporting Role One picked up the conversation where it had left off. “I plan to enlist as well. For commoners like us who have some strength, our abilities should be put to use on the battlefield.”

Supporting Role Two declared with enthusiasm, “If luck’s on our side, maybe we’ll even make it to general someday!”

The two laughed heartily together. Chunhua smacked one of them. “You think the battlefield is about luck? It’s all about real skill!”

They hurried to flatter her, “Sister Chunhua will definitely become a general. In the future, tales of General Chunhua will be sung throughout the Central Palace. Wherever you go, everyone will look up to you…”

Kaiming seized the chance to interrupt their flattery and steer the conversation back. “This Dayin—just what kind of person is she?”

Chunhua shot her a look, annoyed at having her fantasy cut short. “Dayin is the only person in the Purple Palace who was born a commoner, and the only woman there as well…”

“The Purple Palace?” Kaiming had heard Xuan mention it before, but only vaguely, never in detail.

“Purple Palace—twelve stars. The twelve civil and military officials closest to the Emperor. Dayin is the only female general who rose to the Purple Palace through a string of distinguished military exploits. She’s a hero we commoners revere!” Chunhua’s face once more took on a look of deep admiration. “Those lucky enough to have seen her say she has a face that could make fish sink and geese fall, a beauty to topple kingdoms…”

“All right, all right,” Kaiming quickly interrupted her rambling. “If she’s so beautiful, why didn’t the Emperor just make her his consort?”

Chunhua looked about nervously. “There were rumors that the Emperor once wanted to make Dayin a consort, but she firmly and righteously refused!”

Kaiming couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Whenever a beauty and an emperor are involved, there are always all sorts of wild and legendary stories, most just flights of fancy.

“You don’t believe me!” Chunhua glared again.

How could one say otherwise in this situation?

“Kaiming, you’re just as strong as I am. Why don’t we sign up for the army together?” Chunhua’s eyes shone bright as she slapped Kaiming on the back. “We sisters will go to battle side by side and make a name for ourselves!”

Kaiming nearly choked on her drink from the force of that slap, and hurriedly replied, “Sure! Sure!”

“Now, let’s talk about Brother Xuan…”

Suddenly remembering she had something to do at home, Kaiming excused herself, slipping out the door and hurrying home. She realized she’d dodged paying for the drinks and figured the serving boy wouldn’t dare ask Chunhua for the money—though Chunhua might come knocking later tonight, fists flying. She began to cook up some excuses in her mind.

She’d been pondering for a while when the sound of clattering came from the door. Xuan was pushing a wheelbarrow back home. Two children appeared from somewhere, sensibly helping him unload.

“Go make some food. I need to rest for a bit,” Xuan handed a basket of vegetables to the Spoon siblings, who immediately got to work in the kitchen.

Xuan washed his face and went inside. Kaiming was sprawled lazily on the mat, watching him.

“Did you go out drinking today?” Xuan asked. Kaiming’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know?”

Xuan looked at her. She hurried to correct herself, “Um, today, well, um…”

“Don’t drink again,” Xuan sighed. “After you slipped away, Chunhua and her friends nearly trashed Boss Huang’s place. Luckily I happened by and paid your tab. Chunhua said she won’t hold it against you.”

Oh, Kaiming thought, so he used his good looks to smooth things over. Chunhua always lost her head around him anyway.

Page (2/3)

“I’m really sorry, it won’t—absolutely won’t—happen again!” She pressed her palms together, sincerely remorseful. Xuan, as her husband, had it tough—having a wife who was always causing trouble was truly a burden.

“As long as you know you were wrong.” Xuan’s tone was odd. She looked up and saw his eyes, dark and bright, as if a fire burned beneath a layer of ice.

Her heart skipped a beat—was he angry? She quickly tried to please him. “Let me cook tonight!”

His eyes were still frosty. “All right.”

She sweated her way through two vegetable dishes, getting soot all over her nose and her messy bun coming undone. She brought the dishes to the table, wiping her oily hands on her clothes. “Well? How do they taste?” Kaiming had never really cooked before; she’d always gotten takeout. Thankfully, her husband wasn’t picky. Cooking, with all the washing, chopping, and frying, was a headache for her.

She looked forward to his verdict. “Try it. Come on, try it!”

Xuan took a bite, his expression unreadable. “Not bad.”

“Really?” she beamed, thinking perhaps she had a knack for cooking after all.

Spoon, curious, tried some greens, wrinkled his nose, and had to force himself to swallow after a warning glance from Xuan. He wouldn’t touch the greens again.

Little Wan chewed some eggplant, spat it right back onto the table, and declared loudly, “What is this? It’s all burnt!”

Kaiming was mortified. Xuan patted Little Wan’s head and asked, “Do you like it when your mother cooks for you?”

Little Wan stuck out her tongue. “Mom’s cooking is awful.”

Spoon, ever the clever one, chimed in loudly, “I love having a mom like this!”

Xuan smiled and turned to Kaiming, who stood awkwardly to the side. “As long as they like it, that’s what matters.”

After washing up, Kaiming lay in bed, thoroughly bored.

Xuan came in after tidying up, sitting on the edge of the bed counting copper coins. One, two, three—not even ten before she started yawning.

“Tired?” Xuan didn’t look up.

“Just a little bored.”

“I’ve rarely heard you say you’re bored.”

Ah, the old Yasha would never have been bored! She always had somewhere to go for fun—boredom was impossible.

“You haven’t gone to see Hua Da these past days,” Xuan said casually.

Kaiming’s eyes widened—wasn’t this man supposed to be afraid of his wife? Why bring up a third party in front of her? Had she changed so much that her husband was changing too? How frustrating.

“Hua Da? Saw him—he’s not as good-looking as you,” she lied.

Xuan didn’t seem surprised, just smiled at her. That smile made her nervous, as if she’d just been caught doing something wrong.

“Is your injury fully healed? You went out drinking again.”

“Seems so.”

“Then I’ll move back to our room tonight.”

“No way!” She sat up nervously, waving her hands. Meeting his suspicious gaze, she hurriedly thought up an excuse, “Um, it’s so hot, isn’t it? And, um, my leg still hurts!” She clutched her leg and moaned.

Xuan didn’t insist. “The outer room is cramped. The kids and I don’t sleep well there.”

Kaiming made a sound—hard to argue with that logic. She clapped her hands. “Got it—let the kids sleep with me! I’m free during the day anyway, and at night I can tuck them in.” She smiled expectantly.

Page (3/3)

Xuan let out a soft laugh, as if nothing she did or said could surprise him anymore.

“All right, let’s do that.”

Another ordinary night. Kaiming lay awake, staring at the light filtering through the roof, revealing the dark night sky and twinkling stars. How was her loved one back home? Would her husband take care of her? Now that she’d vanished, her husband was probably glad, no longer having to see someone he disliked flitting around the house. She rather hoped so too.

Little Wan turned over in her sleep, kicking off the blanket. Kaiming picked it up and tucked it over her, patting her comfortingly out of habit.

A soft voice came from Spoon.

“Still awake?”

He looked up at her with bright eyes. “Mother, you really have changed.”

“Oh?” She gave a dry laugh.

“The old mother wore fragrant rouge and flowery clothes, and never let us eat before she did. She wouldn’t let us near the inside bed. She was even worse to Dad—always hitting and kicking him.” Spoon stared at her. “But lately, you’re different. No more makeup, no more hair ornaments, and you’re so nice to us…”

“That’s all it takes to be considered good?” Like a parasite, she let her husband earn the money, and the kids waited on her—that counted as being nice?

“Mother is kind. Dad’s happy, so we’re happy too. And today, you looked wonderful.”

Today? Wonderful? Kaiming pictured herself—hair a mess, covered in grease—and wondered how that could be beautiful in a child’s eyes. She might be a mother, but she still couldn’t understand a child’s sense of beauty.

Spoon’s eyelids drooped, his voice sleepy. “If only you could always be like this…”

Always? Was he kidding—that would mean spending the rest of her life here with these two kids and an old man! The very thought made her break out in a cold sweat. Enough, she told herself, time to stop overthinking and get some sleep.

The next day, under the scorching sun, she was still lazily in bed when an awful racket outside shattered her dreams. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t fall back asleep.

Annoyed, she got up and went to the outer room, only to find the two children blocking an adult, refusing to let him in.

When the man saw her, he shouted, “Kaiming! Kaiming, it’s me!”

“Who are you?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When she got a good look at his face, she was startled—it was that lecherous man, Hua Da, Yasha’s old flame.

“What are you doing here?” she asked nervously, glancing around. If Xuan saw him, there’d be a fight for sure. Her husband had already shoved Yasha into a wall to keep her away from Hua Da—he still had his pride.

“It’s been a while. I missed you,” Hua Da said, ignoring the children’s angry looks and grinning shamelessly at Kaiming.

She glanced from him to the flushed, indignant children and beckoned him over. “Come here.”

Delighted, Hua Da shoved the kids aside and hurried toward her. He had barely come within reach when Kaiming landed a straight punch to his face, flattening it almost in half. He spun through the air in an exaggerated arc and crashed to the ground in a heap.

Hands on her hips, Kaiming glowered at him. “If you dare come near me again, you’ll taste my fists!”

Hua Da, humiliated and afraid, clutched his broken teeth and fled in a panic.

The two children stood frozen, staring at her in shock.

Kaiming stretched and muttered, “Can’t even sleep in peace. Time to wash up and wake myself up.”

That evening, when Xuan came home, Spoon animatedly recounted the thrilling scene, as if he himself had thrown the punch, bursting with excitement.

Kaiming chewed on a sweet root and snuck a glance at Xuan’s face. Their eyes met, and he smiled. For some reason, that smile sent a wave of panic through her.