When The War Is Over, Will You Plant A Blossom Tree For Me?Ch55 - Zhao Mei fights like a serpent

It was a crisp morning but despite the clear air, the tension was suffocating. Fei Li continued introducing the three “new” faces as if he couldn’t sense the atmosphere, but really he simply didn’t care about it. “This is Yang Xun. He is permitted on the grounds as an honoured guest. This is Zhao Mei, and Lu Qinyi. They will hereby be considered soldiers of the Northern army, acting directly under my command. Treat them the same as the rest of your fellow soldiers.” He knew it was useless saying such a thing, but he still wanted his intention and stance to be known. It would help at least a little to quell the friction that was inevitably going to exist between the two groups.

Originally the stares had been focused on Zhao Mei, who stood out sorely as the only woman amongst the men. She stood silently, hands clasped behind her in a soldier’s stance and dressed in a uniform that didn’t quite fit her form. Even when it was an appropriate size for someone of her stature, it was loose at the shoulders and had to be tied twice at the waist. Her cold gaze was uncaring to the many eyes on her. a347 1

But once they had been introduced, the soldier’s collective stares locked onto Lu Qinyi instead. The once enemy general. However, no matter how malicious and piercing the looks he received, Lu Qinyi’s attention never shifted. His gaze was far more dangerous as it fixed directly on Xi Ming. He was impervious to anything else around him as he stared daggers like trying to will Fei Li’s second in command to die on the spot. Xi Ming stiffly avoided acknowledging Lu Qinyi’s hostility by attentively remaining focused on his general, but he could still feel its weight on him. He tightened his jaw and kept his line of sight on Fei Li.

Finally, Yang Xun couldn’t seem to stand the atmosphere, nor Lu Qinyi’s obvious provocations. He elbowed the other in the ribs. The stab of pain startled Lu Qinyi and drew his attention away at last. Lu Qinyi glared at Yang Xun and returned the favour by shoving at him. Zhao Mei sighed to herself before stepping to stand between the two, shooting them both a glare. Yang Xun straightened and returned to staring straight ahead. Lu Qinyi frowned and turned his head away sulkily, plucking discontentedly at the fabric of his own uniform.

Please visit chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

Fei Li’s men were left wondering how such a group was ever considered to be a threat to them. These three were the feared Southern trio? It seemed unlikely however you looked at it. How could these people ever belong among them?

Although not a soul dared speak out against the general’s orders, Fei Li could see the reluctance and displeasure they held. He glanced at the obedient Xi Ming before he offered “Any complaints or concerns can be directed to Lieutenant Xi.” 9i yP0

Xi Ming looked utterly betrayed by this, wearing an obvious expression of ‘Don’t complain to me, I’m the one that wants to complain the most here.’ Just as it seemed Xi Ming’s clearly unhappy but silent complaints would go unheard, Fei Li unexpectedly called on him again.

“Lieutenant Xi, how many times will I have to tell you to speak your mind to me?”

Fei Li had been trying to provoke his much too docile lieutenant into voicing his opinions, but Xi Ming had only kept his mouth firmly shut. He had scolded Xi Ming many times for this and today was no different. Right now he needed Xi Ming to speak both for himself and for the other soldiers who had their own complaints but no way to vent them.

Xi Ming gazed at his general before pressing his hands into a respectful salute. “I don’t mean to speak against something you have decided, General Fei.” His gaze shifted to Lu Qinyi, narrowing his eyes. “I only wish to say that Lu Qinyi’s demeanour isn’t fitting of a soldier of the North. If this continues, he will be a disgrace to our army and to our general.”

Lu Qinyi, who had been showing clear disinterest this entire time, turned back to face Xi Ming. He sneered before he actually straightened his lazy posture, bringing his shoulders back. He set his feet apart in a steady stance, clasped his hands behind his back and raised his chin. It instantly transformed his appearance, and gave him a much more intimidating look. He had a countenance that demanded one’s attention and respect when he stood like that. It was a perfect soldier’s form, one of years of experience. He gave Xi Ming a smile tinged with malice. “My apologies, Lieutenant.” He practically spat the last word.

There was silence as the two remained locked in a stare down. Xi Ming’s lips twitched and he turned his head away. “What would you like done for their sleeping arrangements, duties and training, General?”

“Give them their own tents. They can be assigned duties and training as normal.”

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.

Xi Ming acknowledged the order and immediately began directing the arrangements. tCxLUJ

—

Coafg j rtbga abeg jgbecv atf wlilajgs ugbecvr ys j gfiemajca Wl Zlcu, ktb rffwfv ab yf xffqlcu jc bvvis ijguf jwbeca bo vlrajcmf yfakffc tlwrfio jcv Oe Hlcsl, atf Vbeatfgc aglb kfgf qgbnlvfv klat atf geifr bo atf Rbgatfgc jgws, atfc lwwfvljafis vlgfmafv ab pblc atf rbivlfg’r gbealcf ilxf atf batfgr. Ktlr lcmievfv atbgbeut agjlclcu ogbw wbgclcu ecali cbbc. Kbvjs kjr rqjgglcu qgjmalmf. Ygvlcjglis, qjgacfgr obg atlr kbeiv yf vfmlvfv ja gjcvbw. Vlcmf Itjb Zfl jcv Oe Hlcsl tjv bcis pera pblcfv, atfs kfgf rlwqis qjlgfv klat bcf jcbatfg. Qtfc Tjcu Wec tfjgv atlr kbeiv yf atf mjrf, tf lwwfvljafis lcrlrafv bc mbwlcu jibcu ab kjamt.

Although the nearby soldiers were meant to be focused on their own sparring, instead they were pretending to follow the movements to avoid the watchful gaze of their monitoring lieutenant as they kept stealing glances. Afterall, who wouldn’t be curious what these newcomers would be capable of?

However, the spar was more strange and boring than they thought it would be. Both parties were incredibly cautious. Zhao Mei stood still, alert and ready, but she never made a move even after time passed. She was determined to make Lu Qinyi make the first move. Lu Qinyi was reluctant to, not out of consideration or fear, but because he knew Zhao Mei’s strengths all too well. He circled her a few times but never struck out, not even when he appeared to have an opening to do so. Finally he suddenly crouched and swept out with his leg. Zhao Mei jumped immediately to avoid it before driving her elbow down. Lu Qinyi rolled under the attack and onto his feet behind her, striking out a palm towards her back. Before it could make contact, Zhao Mei bent down. The wind created from the force and speed of Lu Qinyi’s attack swept strands of her hair as it passed by her face. She let Lu Qinyi’s momentum force him forward, unable to stop even if he wanted to. She grabbed his arm and, with the combination of his momentum and her own force, she threw the former general over her shoulder. Lu Qinyi made a grunt as he hit the ground hard. Before he had the chance to react, Zhao Mei had her foot positioned against his neck while she kept a tight hold on his arm, twisting it just enough to be mildly painful. She didn’t have the same strength as Lu Qinyi so she couldn’t hold him down, but the threat of crushing his throat under her heel did the trick. Lu Qinyi accepted defeat with a frown of unhappiness. ye 1dD

“You’re still slower than you were before. And you haven’t gotten the same strength back yet. Why? Are you even doing your training properly or are you slacking again?” She seemed particularly bothered by the fact that Lu Qinyi was still weaker than he used to be, it left her uneasy.

“MeiMei, can you let go now? I’ve been doing my training, I just lost a lot of muscle and it takes time to regain. Ow! Don’t pull my arm tighter, you already won okay?!”

“If you fought better I wouldn’t be able to pull your arm, now would I?”

Lu Qinyi winced as she twisted his arm further, shoving at her leg. “I get it, I get it! Get off!” PSh0i2

Zhao Mei released him and he climbed to his feet with a look of discontent before he heard the barely hidden laughter. He glanced over coldly to see soldiers who had entirely stopped their spars to watch, sneering and full of mockery. One was even bold enough to scoff “Losing to a woman, who knew the legend was actually so pathetic in reality?”

Lu Qinyi raised his chin, a dark look held in his eyes. “If you think so, you wouldn’t be afraid to challenge her yourself, would you?”

Please visit chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

Zhao Mei had heard countless such comments and she didn’t bother putting anyone unworthy in her gaze, so she hadn’t paid them any attention until Lu Qinyi said such a thing. Suddenly her cold eyes fixed on the soldier, a chilling smile slowly spreading on her lips.

The soldier faltered for a moment, almost as if he had remembered the rumours of ‘Lieutenant Zhao’ as the bringer of death on the battlefield. If she was seen, there was sure to be a large number of deaths. But his idiotic pride and arrogance allowed him to write them off as mere rumours and he laughed. He approached Zhao Mei with a haughty attitude. “Don’t blame me for not being gentle to a lady.” xDNS5R

Lu Qinyi got out of the way, joining Yang Xun’s side as he rubbed out the soreness in his shoulder from the spar. Zhao Mei however didn’t initially get into position, firstly glancing over to the observing Lieutenant Xi. When Xi Ming just shrugged and said “Go ahead”, she readied herself.

The soldier had a confident grin. He was among the best combat wise from his squad, thus why he had been chosen for Fei Li’s personally commanded force. Even though Zhao Mei had shown skill, he was still certain of his victory. Zhao Mei even seemed to avoid making the first move, that must prove she didn’t do well in hand to hand combat. He beckoned with a hand. “Why don’t you go first?”

“Okay.”

Zhao Mei threw a punch at his face. He raised his hands, wanting to catch her punch, but Zhao Mei didn’t follow it through. Rather, while using the punch as a diversion, she had baited him to raise his hands to make it harder for him to defend and distract from her real intentions. She suddenly swung her punch around, twisting her body with the swift movement of a serpent, and shifted her weight onto one foot. She kicked out mercilessly with the other, landing it squarely between his legs. The soldier immediately crumpled to the ground, crying out and wailing at the immense pain. xjCJQk

Zhao Mei lowered her leg and brushed the dust she had kicked up from her uniform, unperturbed.

Yang Xun choked as he tried to hold back his laughter but couldn’t in the end. Lu Qinyi had a sadistic smile on his face as he held his hands out in a ‘what’s this?’ pose. “I thought you said you weren’t going to be gentle? If you weren’t purposefully trying to lose, then isn’t it embarrassing to have lost on the first move?”

Xi Ming had already seen what Zhao Mei was capable of, he knew enough to be wary. But seeing that the other men were filled with arrogance, he had let the spar go ahead with the hopes it would serve as a lesson. He hadn’t expected this however, and after being speechless for a time, his brows furrowed. “You, go bring the physician here.” He commanded the nearest soldier before he narrowed his eyes at Zhao Mei. “Soldier Zhao, I told you this morning that causing significant harm in a spar is against the rules.”

Zhao Mei bowed her head to him in a respectful gesture. “Yes. I haven’t caused any significant harm. This was a common punishment in the old Southern army for men who couldn’t keep their hands off village girls while we were travelling. I have only used enough force to hurt. Quite a lot actually, but there will be no lasting damage.” QBswXI

Xi Ming didn’t seem to believe her until the physician reconfirmed this was the case, even when the soldier who had been hit wailed like he had seen death and cursed Zhao Mei to suffer. He scratched the back of his neck but there was nothing to be done. “I guess sparring time is over then. Send Wang back to rest, everyone is dismissed.”

“But Lieutenant Xi! How can she get away with a dirty move like that?”

“It was within the rules. What, you expect fights to be fair? Wang Chao shouldn’t have let his guard down. You all know she used to be a lieutenant, you think someone weak can be a lieutenant? And Zhao Mei is a master of hidden weapons, haven’t you heard of the time she used a hidden blade to stab a Northern soldier? You’re stupid if you didn’t expect dirty tricks, and you were stupid for thinking she was going to be someone easy to beat. Stupid people die, so quit whining and figure out how to fight against it or you’re going to be the one to piss blood after sparring with her next time.” Xi Ming was the last person to want to defend Zhao Mei, but he couldn’t stand his men’s disgraceful behaviour even more. Just what kind of name were they giving to the Northern soldiers and General Fei acting this way?

Zhao Mei walked back to her companions, satisfied. Yang Xun also wore a smile as he was pleased with how things had gone. Lu Qinyi however was staring at Xi Ming. He narrowed his eyes before turning away. UYTcQq

—

The day continued uneventfully, with Northerners and previous Southerners avoiding one another. However, dining was communal. The next best solution was for a wide space to be given between the trio and the rest of the soldiers. The soldiers even chose to crowd one another rather than sit anywhere near the three. None of them seemed to care, not even at the looks cast their way. They simply talked amongst themselves as they ate, adjusting well back into the familiar yet strange environment.

Fei Li entered the tent late, but it didn’t matter. There was always food set aside for him no matter what time he entered. He met the greetings with a nod and after getting his food, he cast one last glance at the trio before going to leave the tent again. He usually ate his food over his work, however Yang Xun didn’t know this. He, Zhao Mei and Lu Qinyi would eat with their soldiers when they had the option to to improve the bond between them. Not to mention, Yang Xun held gratitude to Fei Li, so he ended up calling out.. “General Fei, do you want to sit here?”

A hush fell over the previously chatter filled dining tent. Even Fei Li was taken aback. He didn’t know what to think being given such a sudden invitation. His gaze ended up falling on Lu Qinyi. Lu Qinyi only returned it with a blank look before moving over to make more space. He sat across from Yang Xun and Zhao Mei, and had the most space available beside him. Fei Li was so taken by the strangeness of the situation that he ended up moving forward, taking the seat offered. nYQciD

Xi Ming gaped. Never once had Fei Li done such a thing. He had refused all offers to eat together from anyone for as long as he had been general. He couldn’t believe it, and yet Fei Li was making small talk while he ate.

After many murmurs and confusion, the dining hall slowly fell back into normalcy. Fei Li had almost finished his meal when a messenger entered the tent and bowed to Fei Li. He then came up and murmured only loud enough for Fei Li to hear.

Please visit chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

“I have a report from Miss Song.”

Fei Li’s gaze turned to his dinner companions. “We have work to do. Come with me to the general’s tent.” L8ZWS2

Author’s Note:

Sorry I was gone so long! It was my first semester back at uni after my mental health break, and it was kind of rough transitioning back in. I’m happy to report I got my results back and passed my subjects with flying colours.

I haven’t gone anywhere or left the series. Actually, I’ve been itching to keep writing, it was driving me nuts. But it requires time and a surprising amount of mental energy, so I just couldn’t keep going for a little while. To make up for it, this chapter is on the longer side. IaHTkd

I hope everyone’s been doing well, wishing you all the best whether its in studies, work or rest.

Many thanks to editor-san Rae for a good job as always, she helped a lot with rearranging sentences to give scenes more impact for this chapter.

Be back again soon with another chapter~