# Chapter 41: Old Grounds
In the forest beyond Wang County, Zhongshan wandered alone. Suddenly, the sound of approaching hooves reached his ears. He turned to see Ye Yi mounted on a horse, who cupped his hands in greeting with a smile: "General Cheng!"
Zhongshan's heart tightened. He glanced around nervously, then苦笑: What am I so jumpy about?
Ye Yi spoke calmly: "General Cheng, would you honor my camp with a drink this evening?"
Zhongshan nodded, but couldn't manage a smile. Silently, he followed Ye Yi out of the forest toward the camp. Seeing Zhongshan heading into Ye Yi's tent, Wulianheng hurried to intercept.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Ye Yi's face. He snorted, about to speak, when Zhongshan spoke first with a complaint: "Lianheng, what do you think you're doing? Do I need your permission to have a drink with General Ye in his tent?"
Lianheng put on an air of ease and laughed: "Does General Ye have good wine he'd only share with General Cheng? Let me join in too?"
"巫连横!" Zhongshan snapped. "Know your place!"
Though young, Zhongshan had always been approachable with his subordinates, never caring about hierarchy when drinking or having fun. But now he was acting completely out of character. Lianheng understood the reason, and while feeling touched, he quickly stepped back and knelt, kowtowing to apologize.
Zhongshan ignored him, turned, and walked into the tent with Ye Yi.
After some small talk, Ye Yi ordered food and wine brought in. He poured a cup for Zhongshan, smiling: "General Cheng, this is the finest aged wine from Wang County. Please, try it?"
Zhongshan lifted the cup. The smile vanished from his face. He stared at the crystal-clear wine inside, seeing reflected in it a pair of eyes shifting between anguish and unwillingness.
Ye Yi watched his expression, sweat breaking out across his brow. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "General Cheng, what's wrong?" He deliberately poured himself a cup, drank it in one gulp, and turned the empty cup upside down to show him.
Zhongshan sneered inwardly: As if you'd be stupid enough to poison the wine. But this cup in my hand has already been soaked through with potent poison countless times. Zhongshan withdrew his gaze, focusing on the cup. A faint smile curved his lips.
What was he remembering?
It was that day on the city tower, when the whole city had called out: "Zhongshan."
Though his ears couldn't hear it, his heart did. That call immediately soothed his panicked, restless heart.
Mancheng, even if I flee, what then?
If I can never see you again, I might as well die. Even if I don't drink this wine, when I return to Yuanliao, Zhang Zhou won't spare me.
You... why would you turn against him for me?
Forget it. The moment I first met you here, my life was already yours.
Zhongshan raised the cup to his lips and drained it in one go.
Ye Yi let out a soft breath, his expression finally easing.
---
# Backstory
In the forest outside Wang County, a slightly dark-skinned, heroic youth led a well-trained yellow-brown horse to a stream. The horse drank quietly while the youth sat to the side, his arrow-shaped brows furrowed, lost in thought.
Suddenly, movement rustled through the foliage across the stream. The youth stood alert. A young man in white-gray clothing scrambled down a tree—halfway down, the sword at his waist got caught on a branch. The young man used his left hand to free the sword but didn't notice the branch his right hand was gripping snapped with a crack.
"Hey! Watch out!" the horse-leading youth shouted.
An only "WAAAH!" came from the other side before the gray-clad young man tumbled down into the bushes.
The horse-leading youth found it amusing—must have taken quite a fall! He waded across the stream to the opposite bank, only to see the gray-clad young man crawl out of the bushes clumsily, hands and feet working together.
The horse-leading youth burst out laughing. He was just about to ask "You okay?" when he froze: a strikingly beautiful, fair face came into view. The gray-clad youth had a delicate chin, countless beauties in his cheeks, lips full of tenderness. His brows slightly furrowed, gem-like bright eyes showed the shock settling, now carrying tears, like flowers dewy at dawn.
The horse-leading youth had never seen such a beautiful person in his life. He was completely entranced. But the gray-clad youth glared at him, voice fierce: "What are you laughing at? Looking to die?"
"I..." The horse-leading youth snapped out of his daze, tongue-tied.
The gray-clad youth stood up, brushing off dead leaves and grass. He looked frail and delicate, yet two broad swords hung at his waist, their hilts conspicuously embroidered with the character "Zhang."
The horse-leading youth thought: He's from the Dutong army here to fight Zhang Shun? So he smiled: "May I ask how to get to Wang County?"
"Why?"
"I want to join the Third Prince."
"You're going to join Zhang Zhou?" The gray-clad youth's lips curled, teeth like neat, broken jade. "Hmm, over there." He pointed north. "Keep walking two days and two nights and you'll get there."
The horse-leading youth frowned: "I came from that direction."
Seeing his lie exposed, the gray-clad youth pouted: "You made me fall off the tree. Not killing you is already more than enough. Now get lost!"
"Hahaha..." The horse-leading youth doubled over with laughter. "You fell yourself—what's that got to do with me? You're really overbearing!" He pointed at the character on the gray-clad youth's sword. "Fine, don't tell me. I'll just follow you and find Wang County."
The gray-clad youth ignored him, eyes fixed on the yellow-brown horse. "Nice horse. Where'd you steal it?"
"Steal it?" The horse-leading youth patted his beloved horse, not angry but amused. "I raised it myself! It's one of a kind—none like it in heaven or on earth."
"Tch! Brag much!" The gray-clad youth walked over, circled the horse, examining it thoroughly, and exclaimed appreciatively: "Fine horse! Give it to me!"
The horse-leading youth found this both irritating and hilarious: "I don't even know you. Why would I give it to you? You're the most overbearing person I've ever met!"
"Don't give it to me, and I'll get rough!" His beautiful face was flawless, yet he spoke like a bully, assuming an air of supremacy.
The horse-leading youth was stunned, then laughed so hard he nearly choked. Still laughing, he grabbed the young man's hand without a care for the threat, and asked leisurely: "I'm Cheng Zhongshan. What's your name?"
The gray-clad youth, pulled along several steps by Zhongshan's grip, was secretly shocked: This kid looks ordinary but is incredibly strong! How dare he underestimate me! I'll send him to meet King Yama before he even sees my blade! The gray-clad youth was about to draw his sword, then thought better of it: He's going to join Zhang Zhou, not an enemy. Why kill him?
Just then, Zhongshan turned back and smiled warmly: "What were you climbing the tree for?"
"Eh?" The gray-clad youth was confused.
"Looking for bird nests?" Zhongshan glanced at the birds darting through the treetops, then at the tree the gray-clad youth had been climbing. "The nests up there are all abandoned—obviously no eggs inside."
"You'd say that since you saw me climb down with empty hands!" The gray-clad youth's inner child emerged. "So you can find nests with eggs? Quick, find one and there's a big reward for you!"
"Heh, quite the big talk. Are you a general or a king or something?" Zhongshan teased, but his eyes glanced fondly at the heavenly beautiful young man.
"Look, here." Zhongshan pointed to the top of a large tree. "See it?"
"There's nothing but crap!"
"They hide their nests well," Zhongshan explained, seeing the disdain in his eyes. "If you climb up, you'll see. Don't believe me? I'll go up!" He rolled up his sleeves and began climbing.
The gray-clad youth wasn't about to be outdone, following him up the tree. Zhongshan reached the top in no time, leaving the gray-clad youth far behind.
Watching his clumsy climbing, it didn't seem like someone who climbed trees often—he was probably some scholarly family's delicate child. No martial arts skills, and so delicate-looking. In a wolf-like army, he must get bullied constantly! Zhongshan thought, and his heart couldn't help but fill with pity.
"Give me your hand!" Zhongshan reached down. The young man gripped it without hesitation, feet bracing against branches as he climbed to the top. Zhongshan felt a wave of warmth press against him, catching a faint scent of sweat. The young man leaned close to him—so close he could clearly see crystalline beads of sweat on the fair skin of his nape. His beautiful side profile up close was even more stunning! Zhongshan's heart raced, body growing hot. He didn't know how to hide it, but fortunately the gray-clad youth didn't look at him at all, quickly pushing aside the clusters of green leaves and bursting into laughter.
A bird's nest appeared, several unopened, featherless chicks inside mistaking the movement for their mother's return, chirping "cheep-cheep" as they eagerly opened their beaks.
The gray-clad youth was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear. Zhongshan stared at his smile, transfixed. The young man patted Zhongshan, eyes full of delight: "Quick, get some food to feed them!"
"I don't have any food!" Zhongshan laughed, but the young man reached into the nest.
"Hey!" Zhongshan grabbed his wrist, puzzled: "What are you doing?"
"Take them with me, obviously," he said happily, glancing at Zhongshan. "I'm not eating them—I'll take them back for my little brother to play with!"
"You have a little brother?" Zhongshan brightened. "How old is he?"
"Nearly seven."
A flash of sorrow crossed Zhongshan's eyes, gone in an instant. "They're too young. If you give them to your brother, they'll die in his hands. He'll be sad."
The gray-clad youth hesitated, then pouted: "I climbed all the way up here—how can I go back empty-handed? I'll take them first. If I can't play with them, I'll eat them!"
Zhongshan held onto him, smiling apologetically: "Such tiny birds—how much meat could there possibly be?"
What he didn't expect was for the young man's smile to vanish instantly, eyes blazing with killing intent. "Looking to die? What I do is none of your business!"
Zhongshan startled and let go.
The gray-clad youth's hand was wrapped around the struggling chicks when a large bird swooped down from the sky, sharp beak and claws diving straight for his face. Completely unprepared, he was terrified, forgot he was in a tree, instinctively threw his arms up to protect his head and leaned back. With a crash, he tumbled.
Zhongshan acted fast, catching him in his arms. Birds startled into flight, and both of them dropped vertically, snapping countless branches with crashes as they finally hit the ground hard.
The gray-clad youth pushed free of Zhongshan, discovering he was unharmed. He realized that when he fell, this stranger had held him protectively. He also saw the scratches on that slightly dark skin—thin lines of blood—and felt a sudden pang of guilt.
But Zhongshan didn't seem to notice at all. His warm smile remained as he asked: "You okay?"
The gray-clad youth pouted: "You're useless. How did you fall off the tree?"
Zhongshan didn't get angry; instead, he burst out laughing. "That's unfair! You're the one who fell! And you didn't even think about whose fault it was!"
"How do you know I would have definitely fallen? If you hadn't pounced on me, I could have grabbed something!" The gray-clad youth was unreasonable, tried to walk away, but was caught by Zhongshan.
"Hey!" Zhongshan looked up into those clear eyes, voice soft: "What's your name?"
"Xia Mancheng. And you?"
Zhongshan laughed in amazement: "Didn't I just say? I'm Cheng Zhongshan."
They compared ages and found they were born the same year. Seeing his expression had warmed considerably, Zhongshan's heart stirred. He asked: "Mancheng, when were you born?"
"May. Why are you asking so many questions?"
"Hehe, I'm three months older than you then. Mancheng, since we met by fate, how about we become sworn brothers?" Zhongshan's heart raced secretly: I'll take good care of him in the army for sure! No one will dare bully him anymore!
But this frail, unpredictable young man suddenly stopped laughing and cursed: "What the hell are you? How dare you call yourself my brother?"
Such a warm gesture being cursed so viciously—even with Zhongshan's good temperament, he couldn't help but feel angered and embarrassed. Just as he was about to snap, he saw Mancheng's pure face flush red, his angry furrowed brows so cute that it was impossible to stay angry. Zhongshan smiled magnanimously: "Fine, if you don't want to. Mancheng, how far is it from here to Wang County?"
"Several li at least." Mancheng saw the doubt in Zhongshan's eyes, so he added: "It's true!"
"I heard the Third Prince's army has strict discipline. How could you be all alone this far from camp?" Zhongshan realized. "Ah, I get it now! The military life is too harsh, you couldn't stand it, so you ran away?"
"Bullshit!"
Mancheng spat out these two words, his expression turning lonely. "No one pays attention to me, so I came out to have some fun. When I got here to drink water, I lost the horse."
Zhongshan found it amusing: You make it sound like joining the army is a joke. Fine, I won't expose you. He asked: "Are you going back?"
"No way!"
"Alright, Mancheng, let me give you my horse." Zhongshan thought: You're so weak like this—on the battlefield you'd definitely die. This horse of mine is swift beyond compare. In battle, you can ride it to escape and no one will catch you.
"Really?" Mancheng's dejected expression vanished instantly, eyes suddenly bright.
"Of course. But you have to take good care of it!" Zhongshan chuckled to himself: This kid is too interesting. How can his moods switch so fast?
"Deal!" Mancheng was overjoyed, ran over, wrapped his arms around the horse's neck, and took the reins. "Thanks!" He turned to Zhongshan with a beaming smile.
Zhongshan suddenly realized: the moment he first laid eyes on him, his heart had been bound.
Not just a beloved horse—even giving his life would be a small price.
---
Zhongshan drank three cups in a row, then slammed the cup onto the table with a thunk. He laughed: "Why didn't you use something like 'touch the blood, seal the throat' kind of potent poison? What, you couldn't get any in Wang County?"
Ye Yi was terrified out of his wits, jumped up and backed away several steps, panicking: "General Cheng, you can't blame me! The King wants your life—I was just following orders."
Zhongshan nodded, voice heavy: "I don't blame you."
Ye Yi sighed heavily. "General Cheng, why do this to yourself? Everyone in the entire camp knows about you and General Xia. General Xia is what kind of person? With a face like that, you're not the only one who would like him. I think the King is probably jealous of you!"
"Jealous of me?" Zhongshan smiled bitterly.
The strong liquor burned in his throat. Zhongshan closed his eyes: How long before I die from the poison seeping through my seven apertures?
Mancheng, will you be sad for me? Will you cry for me?
Feeling sorry for him, Ye Yi shook his head and sighed: "No matter how beautiful General Xia is, he's still a man. Why be so stubborn, destroying yourself for him?" With that, he turned and left the tent.
Zhongshan sat silently, waiting for death, then picked up the cup on the table again, drinking alone.
Suddenly, an uproar erupted outside the tent—shouting and fighting. Zhongshan acted as if he heard nothing, had no desire to deal with it. But Wulianheng, blood-streaked, burst through the tent flap, fell to his knees, and declared loudly: "General Cheng! Ye Yi committed treason and attempted to harm you. His subordinate has already executed him on the spot!"
Zhongshan was stunned. His voice shook: "Lianheng, you've caused a disaster. This time, I can't protect you..."
Lianheng pulled a cup from his chest and tossed it to the ground. His face full of triumph: "General Xia instructed his subordinate: if Ye Yi was set in his ways, show no mercy. As long as your life is protected, you needn't worry about anything else, General."
Zhongshan stared, nearly convinced he was experiencing a death hallucosis! He heard Wulianheng lower his voice, a hint of smugness in his tone: "General Xia also said, don't worry about going back. With him here, no one dares touch your life."