When The War Is Over, Will You Plant A Blossom Tree For Me?Ch43 - Loyalty After The End

Thankfully, because of Fei Li’s interruption, the knife hadn’t hit anything vital and the wound wasn’t terribly deep. Lu Qinyi had quietly complied with treatment and returned to sleeping.

Shortly after Fei Li dismissed the physician, Xi Ming paid a visit. Fei Li was still recovering, with the bruises not yet faded, and so Xi Ming had chosen to stop in to see how he was. Fei Li thought it was unnecessary but his second in command always insisted on doing such things. Xi Ming poured them both tea while Fei Li inspected the little pouch the other had gifted him. It was filled with shreds of dried squid, a popular snack among the soldiers since it was great to chew on throughout a day of work. Fei Li set it aside in favour of the tea. IgySCt

Xi Ming frowned but continued their conversation as he sat down across from his general. “First he tries to kill you, then he tries to kill himself? Is his mind broken?”

Fei Li recalled the clarity in Lu Qinyi’s eyes as he plunged the knife towards himself. There was nothing wrong with Lu Qinyi’s mind. It was his spirit that was broken. “Unlikely. I wouldn’t say he is in a sound state of mind, but it doesn’t seem broken either. He had the mind to act as if he had gotten bored and wanted to help the servants with chores to lower the vigilance on himself so the missing knife wouldn’t be noticed too quickly.”

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Xi Ming frowned further. “He’s really quite dangerous, General… When are you returning him to serve his sentence?” He couldn’t help but ask. Every day felt like anxious pinpricks with Lu Qinyi lurking in the corner of Fei Li’s home.

“I’m not.” Fei Li replied slowly. He himself had thought about that question many times. It was always the plan to return Lu Qinyi after his visit with his sister. Fei Li and Lu Qinyi were meant to have no further relation with one another… But finally, he had come to this conclusion instead. 97gOqe

“What?! But- General-” Xi Ming began to rebuke before swallowing the rest of his words and hastily lowering his head as soon as Fei Li’s gaze fell on him.

“Continue.”

Xi Ming regretted opening his mouth but with Fei Li’s expectant gaze he couldn’t back out now. So he hesitantly raised his head again, looking at his general with a sincere look filled with confusion and concern. “But… Why? The war has ended, we won, and he lost. It’s a shame what happened to him but why do you have to…” Xi Ming trailed off.

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.

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Xi Ming paused, the words sounding almost… unfamiliar coming from Fei Li. In all the years he had known him, Fei Li hadn’t used the word “choice”. Xi Ming couldn’t find anything to say in return to that, so he eventually just nodded his head slightly and sighed.

“Xi Ming…”

“General Fei?”

“You’re correct. The war is over. So…” Fei Li swallowed his faint reluctance. He had had Xi Ming by his side for many years now. Xi Ming was the only one he trusted completely. But he had served him well, achieved recognition and reward for his efforts. Fei Li could no longer expect Xi Ming’s loyalty which went far beyond his duties. He had no benefit left to offer him, and he was making decisions that Xi Ming couldn’t approve of. It was time to release Xi Ming of his duty. “You are no longer required to serve as my lieutenant. I am being assigned a new mission with a specialised squadron, meaning I will no longer be in command of the armies. I will only be a general as an honorary title. You can keep your position as lieutenant under a new general, or I could place a request for you to be considered for the general position yourself.” AHSfpb

Xi Ming nodded. “I’ll go where you go, General.”

Fei Li knew it was a possibility but he was still surprised. Xi Ming hadn’t even hesitated. “Xi Ming, there is no glory in continuing to follow me. You’ve been loyal and served well, there is no need to anymore.”

“I know.” Xi Ming shrugged and gave his general a half smile. “I’ve done well by my family in being your lieutenant and we can live well off the rewards I received. Why can’t I follow you if I want to then?”

Fei Li didn’t really know what to say in the face of such dedication. Xi Ming really was only sticking to his side because he wished to and there was no doubt about it when he was still insisting, even now. dLaWBz

Xi Ming took Fei Li falling quiet as a sign of acceptance and he smiled slightly further. He then got back to business. “Then… What are you planning to do about General Lu?”

Fei Li blinked back his thoughts, taking a piece of paper and a brush. He dipped it in ink and hastily scrawled across his surface before pushing it towards Xi Ming. “I need you to contact Song Lin. I want to locate General Lu’s lieutenants.”

Fei Li had to praise Song Lin’s efficiency even if he had his grievances with her. The information had come back shortly, and by chance, the two lieutenants had taken refuge in the North. Strategically, this was a better location to go into hiding from the public eye as those that would recognise them in the North would be fewer, and the unrest and discontent would be lower as well. Ultimately, it was a safer location. More importantly, it changed the time-frame to summon the duo from months to hardly a couple weeks. Fei Li hadn’t been sure they would heed his request. Their hatred for him, although not comparable to Lu Qinyi’s, wouldn’t be low. They did however, sitting across from him with unkind but reserved looks, surprisingly speaking quite civilly. Fei Li had granted them grace from their sentences. If he had borne ill will towards them, he would have acted on it previously. The danger was fairly low, so the only real deterrent was their distaste for the man. But the offer to be able to see Lu Qinyi was too great a temptation for either to resist.

“I’ve already put in a request to my superiors to have Lu Qinyi given to the Fei family as one of the rewards from my efforts in the war. He isn’t able to live a free life but he can ‘serve’ his sentence to the Fei family, which will at least be a better life. Once he is mended and stable, I won’t restrict his life so long as I can avoid it,” Fei Li replied in answer to Zhao Mei’s demands for an explanation. She had wanted to know how Fei Li legally intended to keep Lu Qinyi here currently and in the future. YMNEVs

Zhao Mei assessed him coldly. Yang Xun glanced at her but finally, she nodded slightly to her companion. Yang Xun let out a silent breath of relief. Zhao Mei confirmed this was indeed possible, Fei Li wasn’t making stuff up.

Yang Xun then frowned in concern as he looked back at Fei Li. “He really… Did he really try to end his own life?”

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Zhao Mei’s gaze was also on Fei Li. She knew that Fei Li wouldn’t have just claimed such a thing; and given the circumstances, it wasn’t surprising. Yang Xun also probably knew this deep down.

Fei Li had already explained this but he patiently confirmed again. “He did.” ktGevH

“I accept your request.” Zhao Mei was the first to agree, but Yang Xun quickly followed. “I do as well. Where is he? Take us to see him now.”

Fei Li nodded and stood from the table to escort the lieutenants. Yang Xun was clearly anxious and impatient while Zhao Mei calm and steady on the surface but her steps were quick.

Fei Li held up a hand to motion for them to wait while he entered Lu Qinyi’s room. “General Lu, your lieutenants are here to see you.”

Lu Qinyi had intended to ignore him as he did every other time until he heard the word ‘lieutenants’. His eyes slowly opened as he sluggishly processed the words. Lieutenants… Lieutenants. Lieutenants lieutenants lieutenants. Yang Ye, Mei Mei. He sat up abruptly, twisting to level a glare on Fei Li while he scrutinised him. But what purpose would Fei Li have to lie about such a thing? Finally, he dragged himself up from his bed, nearly stumbling as he took a few steps. He walked past Fei Li who gestured to beyond the door with a nod of his head before he stood aside. When Lu Qinyi’s gaze locked with Yang Xun’s and Zhao Mei’s, he had to grip the door-frame to remain standing. CyLb8S

They stood a short distance from one another, staring across at each other as if none of the three could really believe this was real. Zhao Mei and Yang Xun overcame it first, dropping to their knees and touching their foreheads to the ground in a display of utmost sincerity and repentance. “General Lu!” They both called out.

Lu Qinyi gazed down at them before he stepped forward and also fell to his knees. He pulled them both up from their positions and into his arms instead. Yang Xun clung onto him tightly and Zhao Mei slowly lowered her head that suddenly felt much too heavy, resting it onto his shoulder. The overwhelming emotion and relief they experienced left them all leaning into one another for support.

“Idiots. I’m not a general anymore. Call me by my name,” Lu Qinyi murmured to them.

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Author’s Notes:
Finally! A wholesome chapter! Reinforcements have arrived and the South trio are reunited once more. It will still be up and down but things will improve from now on! Eventually we’ll be back to adventures, shenanigans and wholesome content with sprinklings of angst. I’m excited to show you guys all the stuff in my novel notes!

Many thanks to the lovely readers and commenters, and of course to our greatly appreciated alpha reader Rae. She has helped me heaps with quick edit turn arounds, organising the sequences of events and picking names of chapters.