Chapter 100: Insignificant Soldiers from the Border and Young Masters in Fancy Clothes
Guest-Prosper Dwell was famous in Chang’an; it was one of the few old names.
It was heard that when the previous emperor toured Chang’an in disguise, he would only eat at Guest-Prosper Dwell, and he even wrote a poem on the white wall of a private room on the second floor of this restaurant.
Afterward, this private room never welcomed any guests, and the poem on the wall was also protected. The table and the chairs in the room all became treasures.
Phoenix Terrace which was a border city in the east was also famous. The victorious military of Great Sui accepted the Emperor of Eastern Chu’s surrender at this place.
The border of Great Sui got pushed further to the east by more than 500 kilometers, and Great Sui constructed Phoenix Terrace where the military was going to be stationed. This city made of stones represented Great Sui’s honor and Eastern Chu’s shame.
Lieutenant Mo Xidao of Phoenix Terrace was hosting a party in Guest-Prosper Dwell. With his background, it should be tough for him to take out this much money. After all, a border soldier’s pay was limited, and not everyone was business-savvy like Fang Jie.
Since Fangu had a big market, Fang Jie could set up businesses. How could a lieutenant who had no background have enough money to treat hundreds of soldiers who were going to participate in the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy? Fang Jie was confused, and he felt like it wasn’t going to be so simple.
Most soldiers weren’t spoiled, especially border soldiers. It was normal for them to live in the wilderness, and they might not be able to eat hot food for several days. Most of the money that they earned was sent back to their parents, and they were satisfied by eating at a restaurant once in a while.
Even though Fang Jie was well-off, he didn’t feel confident when seeing those fancy restaurants in Chang’an, let alone Mo Xidao who seemed less wealthy.
Fang Jie came to this event himself; he didn’t bring Mu Xiaoyao.
If he brought Mu Xiaoyao, he would instantly become the target of everyone’s envy and jealousy. The border soldiers of Great Sui were stationed in remote places, and it was normal for them not to sleep with women in more than a year. Also, since Mu Xiaoyao was pretty, Fang Jie didn’t want to be repelled by others.
Since they were all border soldiers, they should be simpler. Therefore, Fang Jie put on his soldier’s uniform that he brought from Fangu. Although the uniform seemed lackluster compared to Guest-Prosper Dwell, the pride Fang Jie felt wasn’t something that ordinary people could understand. Only those who had the same uniforms could feel the complex meaning behind it.
Border soldiers could be drinking and having fun one day, but they might die on the battlefield the next day.
After a while, border soldiers would become brothers. For example, most of the border soldiers who were captured by Wu Peisheng at Fangu didn’t frame Fang Jie. The people who had never experienced life and death would never understand the level of trust such as leaving their backs to their peers.
…
Guest-Prosper Dwell was indeed a business with a long history. Even though it looked luxurious, it didn’t show any bad attitude toward those who looked poor.
As soon as Fang Jie arrived, the receptionist at the door instantly walked up to greet him. The receptionist was clever, and he knew that Fang Jie was a border soldier who was in Chang’an for the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy, so he instantly led Fang Jie into the grand hall.
The entire first floor of Guest-Prosper Dwell was booked by Mo Xidao.
Fang Jie couldn’t calculate how much silver taels were required, but he knew that he could afford it even though his heart would ache.
The grand hall of Guest-Prosper Dwell had at least 40 tables, and the smooth green stone tiles made others feel like the floor was made of one giant smooth stone.
When Fang Jie entered, there were already about 70 people in soldier’s uniforms in the grand hall. Everyone looked his way, and the receptionist asked Fang Jie’s information in a low voice before announcing, “Sir Fang Jie of Fangu has arrived!”
Hearing this name, all the border soldiers in the grand hall stood up almost at the same time, and they placed their right fist on their chests; this was the standard military greeting of Great Sui.
Fang Jie was touched, and he did the same thing, returning the gesture.
A man in a lieutenant’s uniform walked over with a smile and said, “Welcome, we all heard your name before and know about Fangu. Earlier, all 800 brothers of Fangu died in battle, and we all have respect toward them. We are all border soldiers and brothers.”
Fang Jie was feeling a lot of emotions. Mr. Zhuo had told him about what happened in Fangu already, and Fang Jie suppressed his hatred toward Li Xiaozong in his heart.
However, facing these border soldiers and seeing their sincere military greetings, Fang Jie couldn’t control his emotions, and his eyes turned a little red.
“I’m the only border soldier of Fangu who is still alive. I will accept your greetings on our brothers’ behalves!” Fang Jie replied.
All the soldiers in the grand hall were extremely serious, and the sudden tranquility was a bit strange.
“Come in and sit down. We were just talking about you. As a scout, you earned 21 counts of military merit; how heroic! We all admire you. By the way, I’m Zhang Kuang; I’m from the northeast of Great Sui.”
“Zhang Kuang!” Fang Jie’s heart lurched a little after hearing this name.
This peaceful-looking man who seemed to be 30 years old had fair skin and bright eyes. If he changed into a robe, others would mistake him as a scholar. He was thin, and he was a bit shorter than Fang Jie. He looked kind, not cruel at all. However, he stayed in a tribe of Northern Man for two years, married the daughter of the tribe chief, and then sent his wife and father-in-law to hell. Those tens of thousands of people of Northern Man died because of him.
In Anyuan City, Zhang Kuang was promoted to a lieutenant because of his merit.
When Fang Jie first heard this name in Wu Yidao’s residence, he thought that this man was muscular and cold.
“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant!” Fang Jie greeted Zhang Kuang.
In terms of status, Fang Jie was only a corporal, so he should greet Zhang Kuang first.
“Come on, sit with other brothers,” Zhuang Kuang said with a gentle smile.
“Perhaps you are curious as to why we are able to book the entire grand hall even though we are poor border soldiers.” Zhang Kuang sat down with Fang Jie and said with a gentle smile, “From your expression, I can tell that you don’t know the history of this place, and no one else mentioned it to you.”
Fang Jie nodded and asked, “Yeah, I’m curious about this.”
“Do you know who the ancestor of the current owner of Guest-Prosper Dwell is?” Zhang Kuang asked.
Fang Jie shook his head.
Zhang Kuang smiled and said, “The ancestor of the owner was a border soldier named Li Sheng, and his legs were injured during a battle. After getting back to Chang’an, Li Sheng used the money that he saved to open this restaurant. It was only a small shop, but its business got better and better. However, Li Sheng never forgot about his background, and he didn’t accept money from any soldier who ate at the restaurant. However, because of it, the soldiers didn’t feel comfortable coming here since they felt like they were freeloading. Later, others convinced Li Sheng, and he started to charge the soldiers, but at only one-tenth the price. Since this rule was put in place, Li Sheng’s descendants have been following it since.”
“No wonder.” Fang Jie admired the creator of this restaurant.
“There is something else,” Zhang Kuang added, “The current owner of Guest-Prosper Dwell made another rule. The border soldiers who are in Chang’an to participate in the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy could eat here once for free. With this rule in place, the border soldiers who were in Chang’an for the entrance exam three years ago decided to have a party in Guest-Prosper Dwell to get to know each other. After all, none of us are wealthy, and we don’t have enough silver taels to treat everyone. Brother Mo Xidao of Phoenix Terrace planned this gathering, but we have to thank the owner of Guest-Prosper Dwell.”
Fang Jie had no idea about these things. Since he came to the Capital, he had been extremely busy as he was involved in many things. Most of the information that he gathered was on the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy, and he didn’t know much about other things. Unlike other border soldiers, Fang Jie was busy trying not to get killed in several situations, and he had to deal with many groups of hidden enemies.
“Where is Brother Mo?” Fang Jie asked.
“He is helping people to move liquor in the back. He will be back soon,” Zhang Kuang replied.
While speaking, a big group of border soldiers suddenly rushed into the grand hall from the back of the restaurant. They each held a big jug of liquor, and the person in the lead was tall and thin. His most eye-catching feature was a scar that ran from his forehead to his chin, and he lost one eye!
Seeing the surprise on Fang Jie’s face, Zhang Kuang sighed and said, “He is Mo Xidao. When he snuck into Eastern Chu, he killed hundreds of people, but he lost one eye. It was great that he made it back. If it were me, I would have died. Also, if he died in Eastern Chu, Great Sui wouldn’t recognize his merit.”
The sadness in Zhang Kuang’s tone could move people.
However, what he said was true. If Mo Xidao was captured by the soldiers of Eastern Chu, Great Sui wouldn’t admit that he was a soldier of Great Sui. Although Great Sui wasn’t afraid of Eastern Chu, wiping out an entire family would damp Great Sui’s reputation. In fact, the guarding general of Phoenix Terrace only sent Mo Xidao to investigate and gather information, and it was Mo Xidao who killed that general of Eastern Chu who tried to attack Great Sui.
“I heard that Brother Fang Jie is here. Which one is Brother Fang?” the tall man with only his left eye passed the liquor jug in his arms to someone else and asked.
“I am!” Fang Jie quickly stood up and greeted, “Nice to meet you, Lieutenant.”
Both Mo Xidao and Zhang Kuang earned a ton of military merit, but they were only promoted from corporals to lieutenants. It was clear that Great Sui owed them. If people from big families earned so much military merit, they would be rewarded much more. Even though Great Sui also wouldn’t promote what they did, they would have a much brighter future.
Now, Great Sui only gave Mo Xidao and Zhang Kuang the opportunity to participate in the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy, and they were extremely thankful already.
“Damn!” Mo Xidao, who was thin but strong and taller than Fang Jie by about 15 centimeters, walked over and laughed, “I thought Brother Fang who earned 21 counts of military merit would be a muscular tough man, but you are a scholarly young man! Haha! You aren’t an imposter, right? If you are, you have to be careful of your *ss!”
This man seemed rude, but Fang Jie didn’t hate it.
This was how border soldiers were. They cursed all the time, but they were all kind toward each other.
“There are many people who want to kick my *ss, but they got beat instead! If I knew that you guys know my name already, I would have tried to get food and drink from you all earlier!” Fang Jie said while laughing.
“Haha!” Mo Xidao walked over and gave Fang Jie a bear hug. “Those who can kill hundreds of bandits are all heroes! I hate those who are hesitant! I will know if you lied by looking at your hand!”
After the bear hug, Mo Xidao grabbed Fang Jie’s right hand and looked.
“The calluses left by sabers are thick!” Mo Xidao raised Fang Jie’s right hand and shouted, “He is our little brother! He is the youngest border soldier participating in the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy! Take a good look at him! If he is bullied by anyone, none of us can be a coward and stay away!”
Everyone cheered.
At this moment, about seven young masters in fancy clothes walked into Guest-Prosper Dwell.
The person in the lead was handsome and imposing, but his face was overly pale as if he had powder on.
His nose was tall, and his lips were thin. Seeing the border soldiers, he frowned and cursed in a low voice, “A bunch of poor bums; how can you be this shameless?”
The receptionist was clever, and he instantly walked up and greeted, “Gongzi Wang, please come to the private room on the second floor.”
“Foul smell! Disgusting!” The people behind Gongzi Wang looked at Fang Jie and others with contempt in their eyes.
It was heard that when the previous emperor toured Chang’an in disguise, he would only eat at Guest-Prosper Dwell, and he even wrote a poem on the white wall of a private room on the second floor of this restaurant.
Afterward, this private room never welcomed any guests, and the poem on the wall was also protected. The table and the chairs in the room all became treasures.
Phoenix Terrace which was a border city in the east was also famous. The victorious military of Great Sui accepted the Emperor of Eastern Chu’s surrender at this place.
The border of Great Sui got pushed further to the east by more than 500 kilometers, and Great Sui constructed Phoenix Terrace where the military was going to be stationed. This city made of stones represented Great Sui’s honor and Eastern Chu’s shame.
Lieutenant Mo Xidao of Phoenix Terrace was hosting a party in Guest-Prosper Dwell. With his background, it should be tough for him to take out this much money. After all, a border soldier’s pay was limited, and not everyone was business-savvy like Fang Jie.
Since Fangu had a big market, Fang Jie could set up businesses. How could a lieutenant who had no background have enough money to treat hundreds of soldiers who were going to participate in the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy? Fang Jie was confused, and he felt like it wasn’t going to be so simple.
Most soldiers weren’t spoiled, especially border soldiers. It was normal for them to live in the wilderness, and they might not be able to eat hot food for several days. Most of the money that they earned was sent back to their parents, and they were satisfied by eating at a restaurant once in a while.
Even though Fang Jie was well-off, he didn’t feel confident when seeing those fancy restaurants in Chang’an, let alone Mo Xidao who seemed less wealthy.
Fang Jie came to this event himself; he didn’t bring Mu Xiaoyao.
If he brought Mu Xiaoyao, he would instantly become the target of everyone’s envy and jealousy. The border soldiers of Great Sui were stationed in remote places, and it was normal for them not to sleep with women in more than a year. Also, since Mu Xiaoyao was pretty, Fang Jie didn’t want to be repelled by others.
Since they were all border soldiers, they should be simpler. Therefore, Fang Jie put on his soldier’s uniform that he brought from Fangu. Although the uniform seemed lackluster compared to Guest-Prosper Dwell, the pride Fang Jie felt wasn’t something that ordinary people could understand. Only those who had the same uniforms could feel the complex meaning behind it.
Border soldiers could be drinking and having fun one day, but they might die on the battlefield the next day.
After a while, border soldiers would become brothers. For example, most of the border soldiers who were captured by Wu Peisheng at Fangu didn’t frame Fang Jie. The people who had never experienced life and death would never understand the level of trust such as leaving their backs to their peers.
…
Guest-Prosper Dwell was indeed a business with a long history. Even though it looked luxurious, it didn’t show any bad attitude toward those who looked poor.
As soon as Fang Jie arrived, the receptionist at the door instantly walked up to greet him. The receptionist was clever, and he knew that Fang Jie was a border soldier who was in Chang’an for the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy, so he instantly led Fang Jie into the grand hall.
The entire first floor of Guest-Prosper Dwell was booked by Mo Xidao.
Fang Jie couldn’t calculate how much silver taels were required, but he knew that he could afford it even though his heart would ache.
The grand hall of Guest-Prosper Dwell had at least 40 tables, and the smooth green stone tiles made others feel like the floor was made of one giant smooth stone.
When Fang Jie entered, there were already about 70 people in soldier’s uniforms in the grand hall. Everyone looked his way, and the receptionist asked Fang Jie’s information in a low voice before announcing, “Sir Fang Jie of Fangu has arrived!”
Hearing this name, all the border soldiers in the grand hall stood up almost at the same time, and they placed their right fist on their chests; this was the standard military greeting of Great Sui.
Fang Jie was touched, and he did the same thing, returning the gesture.
A man in a lieutenant’s uniform walked over with a smile and said, “Welcome, we all heard your name before and know about Fangu. Earlier, all 800 brothers of Fangu died in battle, and we all have respect toward them. We are all border soldiers and brothers.”
Fang Jie was feeling a lot of emotions. Mr. Zhuo had told him about what happened in Fangu already, and Fang Jie suppressed his hatred toward Li Xiaozong in his heart.
However, facing these border soldiers and seeing their sincere military greetings, Fang Jie couldn’t control his emotions, and his eyes turned a little red.
“I’m the only border soldier of Fangu who is still alive. I will accept your greetings on our brothers’ behalves!” Fang Jie replied.
All the soldiers in the grand hall were extremely serious, and the sudden tranquility was a bit strange.
“Come in and sit down. We were just talking about you. As a scout, you earned 21 counts of military merit; how heroic! We all admire you. By the way, I’m Zhang Kuang; I’m from the northeast of Great Sui.”
“Zhang Kuang!” Fang Jie’s heart lurched a little after hearing this name.
This peaceful-looking man who seemed to be 30 years old had fair skin and bright eyes. If he changed into a robe, others would mistake him as a scholar. He was thin, and he was a bit shorter than Fang Jie. He looked kind, not cruel at all. However, he stayed in a tribe of Northern Man for two years, married the daughter of the tribe chief, and then sent his wife and father-in-law to hell. Those tens of thousands of people of Northern Man died because of him.
In Anyuan City, Zhang Kuang was promoted to a lieutenant because of his merit.
When Fang Jie first heard this name in Wu Yidao’s residence, he thought that this man was muscular and cold.
“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant!” Fang Jie greeted Zhang Kuang.
In terms of status, Fang Jie was only a corporal, so he should greet Zhang Kuang first.
“Come on, sit with other brothers,” Zhuang Kuang said with a gentle smile.
“Perhaps you are curious as to why we are able to book the entire grand hall even though we are poor border soldiers.” Zhang Kuang sat down with Fang Jie and said with a gentle smile, “From your expression, I can tell that you don’t know the history of this place, and no one else mentioned it to you.”
Fang Jie nodded and asked, “Yeah, I’m curious about this.”
“Do you know who the ancestor of the current owner of Guest-Prosper Dwell is?” Zhang Kuang asked.
Fang Jie shook his head.
Zhang Kuang smiled and said, “The ancestor of the owner was a border soldier named Li Sheng, and his legs were injured during a battle. After getting back to Chang’an, Li Sheng used the money that he saved to open this restaurant. It was only a small shop, but its business got better and better. However, Li Sheng never forgot about his background, and he didn’t accept money from any soldier who ate at the restaurant. However, because of it, the soldiers didn’t feel comfortable coming here since they felt like they were freeloading. Later, others convinced Li Sheng, and he started to charge the soldiers, but at only one-tenth the price. Since this rule was put in place, Li Sheng’s descendants have been following it since.”
“No wonder.” Fang Jie admired the creator of this restaurant.
“There is something else,” Zhang Kuang added, “The current owner of Guest-Prosper Dwell made another rule. The border soldiers who are in Chang’an to participate in the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy could eat here once for free. With this rule in place, the border soldiers who were in Chang’an for the entrance exam three years ago decided to have a party in Guest-Prosper Dwell to get to know each other. After all, none of us are wealthy, and we don’t have enough silver taels to treat everyone. Brother Mo Xidao of Phoenix Terrace planned this gathering, but we have to thank the owner of Guest-Prosper Dwell.”
Fang Jie had no idea about these things. Since he came to the Capital, he had been extremely busy as he was involved in many things. Most of the information that he gathered was on the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy, and he didn’t know much about other things. Unlike other border soldiers, Fang Jie was busy trying not to get killed in several situations, and he had to deal with many groups of hidden enemies.
“Where is Brother Mo?” Fang Jie asked.
“He is helping people to move liquor in the back. He will be back soon,” Zhang Kuang replied.
While speaking, a big group of border soldiers suddenly rushed into the grand hall from the back of the restaurant. They each held a big jug of liquor, and the person in the lead was tall and thin. His most eye-catching feature was a scar that ran from his forehead to his chin, and he lost one eye!
Seeing the surprise on Fang Jie’s face, Zhang Kuang sighed and said, “He is Mo Xidao. When he snuck into Eastern Chu, he killed hundreds of people, but he lost one eye. It was great that he made it back. If it were me, I would have died. Also, if he died in Eastern Chu, Great Sui wouldn’t recognize his merit.”
The sadness in Zhang Kuang’s tone could move people.
However, what he said was true. If Mo Xidao was captured by the soldiers of Eastern Chu, Great Sui wouldn’t admit that he was a soldier of Great Sui. Although Great Sui wasn’t afraid of Eastern Chu, wiping out an entire family would damp Great Sui’s reputation. In fact, the guarding general of Phoenix Terrace only sent Mo Xidao to investigate and gather information, and it was Mo Xidao who killed that general of Eastern Chu who tried to attack Great Sui.
“I heard that Brother Fang Jie is here. Which one is Brother Fang?” the tall man with only his left eye passed the liquor jug in his arms to someone else and asked.
“I am!” Fang Jie quickly stood up and greeted, “Nice to meet you, Lieutenant.”
Both Mo Xidao and Zhang Kuang earned a ton of military merit, but they were only promoted from corporals to lieutenants. It was clear that Great Sui owed them. If people from big families earned so much military merit, they would be rewarded much more. Even though Great Sui also wouldn’t promote what they did, they would have a much brighter future.
Now, Great Sui only gave Mo Xidao and Zhang Kuang the opportunity to participate in the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy, and they were extremely thankful already.
“Damn!” Mo Xidao, who was thin but strong and taller than Fang Jie by about 15 centimeters, walked over and laughed, “I thought Brother Fang who earned 21 counts of military merit would be a muscular tough man, but you are a scholarly young man! Haha! You aren’t an imposter, right? If you are, you have to be careful of your *ss!”
This man seemed rude, but Fang Jie didn’t hate it.
This was how border soldiers were. They cursed all the time, but they were all kind toward each other.
“There are many people who want to kick my *ss, but they got beat instead! If I knew that you guys know my name already, I would have tried to get food and drink from you all earlier!” Fang Jie said while laughing.
“Haha!” Mo Xidao walked over and gave Fang Jie a bear hug. “Those who can kill hundreds of bandits are all heroes! I hate those who are hesitant! I will know if you lied by looking at your hand!”
After the bear hug, Mo Xidao grabbed Fang Jie’s right hand and looked.
“The calluses left by sabers are thick!” Mo Xidao raised Fang Jie’s right hand and shouted, “He is our little brother! He is the youngest border soldier participating in the entrance exam of the Martial Arts Academy! Take a good look at him! If he is bullied by anyone, none of us can be a coward and stay away!”
Everyone cheered.
At this moment, about seven young masters in fancy clothes walked into Guest-Prosper Dwell.
The person in the lead was handsome and imposing, but his face was overly pale as if he had powder on.
His nose was tall, and his lips were thin. Seeing the border soldiers, he frowned and cursed in a low voice, “A bunch of poor bums; how can you be this shameless?”
The receptionist was clever, and he instantly walked up and greeted, “Gongzi Wang, please come to the private room on the second floor.”
“Foul smell! Disgusting!” The people behind Gongzi Wang looked at Fang Jie and others with contempt in their eyes.
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