He came. (Part Three)
Translation Checker: jellypeaches
Editor: jellypeaches, Special_K
“Yes.” Echul confirmed. His facial features were of foreign blood, with a high-bridged nose and shadowed eyes. “However, it was your drunkenness that started this trouble, so it should be you who pays for it in the first place.”
“But!”
Clang—
One of them drew his curved sword, looking furious and bellowing, “The ancestors said to never abandon one’s companions! Echul, you’re betraying us by saving the life of a Han over ours!”
Echul rebuked, “This is not betrayal.”
Seeming exhausted to the extreme, he reached out and closed the eyes of his dead companion. Things had reached the point of blades being drawn, and if he still did not give a reason, he would be torn apart by his angry fellow clansmen.
Echul’s voice slowly rang out, “I am going to use Lin Bozhou’s seal to forge a letter. Correct, his jurisdiction is so towering, so complete over the whole Zong Dynasty that at any given moment, with just a light stamp of his seal, he wields authority comparable to an imperial edict.”
The crowd’s eyes followed him as he pacing.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Klwf lr aluta, jcv ja qgfrfca, P mjccba olcv j rfmbcv qfgrbc ktb mjc vgjk Olc Dbhtbe’r rfji. Ktfgfobgf, P wera xffq Zfcu Lejc jilnf, cba yfmjerf tlr ilof lr wbgf njiejyif atjc sbegr,” Smtei bqfcfv tlr fsfr jr tf rmjccfv tlr mijcrwfc. Llr fsfr uilrafcfv rilutais. “yea yfmjerf P cffv ab obguf j rfjifv ifaafg ab lcafgmfqa atf wlilajgs qgbnlrlbcr atja jgf bc atflg kjs ab Oljbvbcu.”
At this point, everyone was thunderstruck.
“Military provisions?”
“How can the military provisions be intercepted?”
“They are sending military provisions to Liaodong?”
“Exactly.” Echul answered, “The Jurchen have been the Zong Dynasty’s dogs for over two hundred years, and we have been trying to break free from our collars and break away from their enslavement. Not only that, but we want revenge. Why can’t the Jurchen conquer the Zong Dynasty and become ruler of the country of ritual, allowing our people to enjoy fine food, soft bedding, and full clothing? Instead, we eat coarse rice cakes, wear animal skins and sleep on the cold hard ground in the wilderness, freezing to death like withered grass whenever winter comes.”
No one said a word, seemingly caught up in a bitterly cold memory.
“The Jurchen have been waiting for this opportunity for decades. Every year, we offer beauties and treasures to Commander Mao Chengchang. My older sister was offered up to his bed and tortured to death. We bore it for decades, serving as Mao Chengchang’s dogs and obeying his orders, and finally, in exchange for diminishing our own dignity, we gained room to grow. Jianzhou was transformed from a poor and impoverished land into a strong state with a sufficient army—and all of this was beyond Mao Chengchang’s control, even when he finally snapped out from his dereliction.”
Echul glanced around and continued, “Now that our brothers and sisters are scattered all over Jianzhou, with only a command, we can immediately form a powerful force to launch an attack on the Zong Dynasty and take our revenge. I am sure Liaodong will become the first place in the Zong Dynasty to deteriorate, because Mao Chengchang has long been corrupted beyond saving, with one foot in the grave, waiting for death.”
Not far away, Meng Huan’s white nose drooped, not making any movement and looking like his mind was elsewhere, not listening to Echul talk.
But actually, he clearly heard every word, and got a chill down his back.
“However—”
Echul paused for a moment. “Mao Chengchang had realized that Jianzhou was out of his control and sent me to the capital as a hostage prince, trying to threaten my father and keep him from rebelling. Now, Mao Chengchang is clearly realizing that even after sending me to the capital, he still cannot control Jianzhou. He requested more funds from the imperial court in an attempt to act like a hero by suppressing us—however, it will be but a fool’s dream.”
He said the next part word by word, “The funds being sent to him can motivate those sluggish soldiers and build up his armory to prolong his decayed life for a while, rather than being toppled over by one kick. But I am not going to let these supplies reach Liaodong and become a stumbling block to Jurchen’s supremacy, which is why—”
Everyone’s attention was on him.
Echul propped his hands on the table and surveyed all their faces, looking not as arrogant and domineering, instead, what was on his face was sorrow. “For the future of my fellow Jurchen, I must intercept those military provisions, and I must keep him alive. For that, all of you need to die, understand?”
His last note reverberated in everyone’s heart.
The candle on the table quivered, the flame nearing the end of its life. This brief interlude brought the spellbound audience back to reality, coming alive again as they exchanged looks with each other.
The benefit of one or the benefit of all.
Their individual lives or the future of their tribe.
It seemed they were left with no other choice.
After a while, the angry man sheathed his sword and nodded. “I am willing to turn myself in. The future of Jurchen lies with you and him, not with us.”
Others wept. “Perhaps this is fate, but I hope that in the future, the leader’s army will raze down the capital and collect our bones.”
That was the end of their dispute.
On the table, the bright red seal marked with the words “Lin Bozhou” was no longer just a mere seal but rather a symbol for something else, or a different thing entirely.
…So, when the original host stole the seal, it was to help Echul intercept the imperial court’s military provisions for Liaodong.
Although the original host did not directly hand the money to the outlanders, instead keeping it for himself and recruiting his own troops, he stole it from the soldiers, giving outlanders the opportunity to launch an attack on the weakened Liaodong.
The true face of the original host seemed to have become somewhat fuzzy.
Meng Huan lowered his head. Because of his fever, he felt like he was dying from the dizziness.
His body temperature fluctuated between hot and cold, making him feel as if he was dreaming, unable to distinguish what was real and fake.
Beside him came a snap.
Echul walked over and laid out a brush and paper, staring at him with narrow and grim eyes.
“Now, it is your turn to write a farewell letter to Lin Bozhou.”
The translator has something to add:
Teo: Salt rose or topaz, thank you so much for the ko-fi!
Ahhhh I have so much anxiety now! Please please please Lin Bozhou don’t be fooled by the letter! 😭🙏🙏
Omg how long do we have to wait for the reunion!? This is making me sick!!!😭 Lin Bozhou come get your man please!!🙏
Huan Huan, please! Put that empty head of yours to work!! Let Bozhou know you didn’t go voluntarily.
Thank you for the update
Time to mix in secret signals 😭 im sure hubby will understand it immediately!! Use modern slang or whatever aaaaaaa
Thank you!
Knowing HH have a hard time writing in the old way he can try the modern symbols and words.
Can Meng Huan write though?
Omg how long do we have to wait for the reunion!? This is making me sick!!!😭 Lin Bozhou come get your man please!!🙏
Echul has his own motivations, but the way he goes about it is entirely wrong. He keeps protesting being treated like a dog, yet he insists on acting like one. Torturing and killing innocents is not how you go about your revenge.
Anxiety! 😥 Poor Meng Huan. How can he do all of this while being so sick? The only thing that makes me feel better is thinking about how much Lin Bozhou will spoil him once he saves him. Thanks for the chapter!
Sweetheart, stay still
Thank you for your translation💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
For us, modern people, it can sounds cruel, but for people from past the welfare of the nation was one of the most important thing and every drop of blood and method was ‘good’ offering :<
Thank You for the new chapter ♡(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
Thanks very much for the chapter Teo
“Really? Lin Bozhou’s seal says Husband Come Get Me I’m Tired?” “Yep it really does!”