Vol 1 Chapter 6 (1/2)
… Can’t sleep.
I tossed and turned in my test for a long while before I gave up and carefully got up so as not to awaken my little sisters and Hua Tuo and made my way out of the tent and sat on a rock.
The wilderness was cold at night with cold winds that chilled to the bone. But this sort of chill was perfect for cooling my frustrated self.
The source of my frustration, apart from uncertainty about the future, was largely because I had met with the number 1 warrior in the Three Kingdoms – Lu Bu.
By right she should not meet me here, and if I’m not mistaken our first meeting (fight) should be at Hulao Pa.s.s… Could it be we are going to start fighting now? Or am I supposed to take the responsibility to send her to Dong Zhuo? No no no, that would probably be worse.
(TL: Just to get a sense of how OP Lu Bu is, even all 3 brothers fighting together could not defeat him.)
After we had done brief introductions just now, she went back to her camp. It was now the middle of the night but looking at the bonfires, they are probably night owls.
Since we will most likely part ways with Lu Bu tomorrow, it would be better to do so naturally and without comfortably.
“But really, I didn’t think Lu Bu would be a woman too~~~~”
Could it be that all non-small fry generals are women… Can’t be right.
“Is there a problem with me being a woman?”
“Waaah!!” I screamed, and nearly fell to the ground at the sudden voice.
“Apologies, did I scare you?” She stared at me coldly. “But talking behind my back is not right.”
“Ah, so, sorry.”
What a bad move, to have let her hear me say such things.
“Really, what era is it already. To think that there are still people like you who discriminate against women.” She sighed as she sat beside me.
“It isn’t discrimination,” I’m just surprised really. “Speaking of which, why aren’t you all asleep yet?”
I can’t believe it. To think that a young female general more than 1,000 years in the past is saying something that even someone from my time can’t say.
“Did I awake you?”
“No, I came out because I couldn’t sleep.”
“Is that so,” She leaned back and lay down. “Actually, I was with my foster father to Du city today.”
Is it Ding Yuan? Then that means that the Lu Bu now was not yet famous.
“Where is he?”
“Dead, I don’t know who a.s.sa.s.sinated him.” Her head bent down low as she said this. “I judged the situation then as dangerous and quickly brought my subordinates out of the city to escape the danger.”
(TL: In the original, Dong Zhuo becomes Lu Bu’s foster father. But Lu Bu serves under Ding Yuan first, and it is Lu Bu who betrays and kills him under inducement from Dong Zhuo, who was eventually betrayed by Lu Bu.)
“Are you sad?”
“I’m alright. To him, I was just a useful tool. So my feelings for him aren’t much.” On saying so, she gestured toward her camp with her mouth. “Though I may say so, appearances have to be kept up and so I let them carry out a funeral but I couldn’t stand the atmosphere inside so I came out.”
She gave a dry laugh on saying so.
“Then what are your plans? Go serve Dong Zhuo?”
“Un? How did you know?” She sat up with a surprised look.
“Maa, I just guessed at random.”
“Is that so. You can go be a fortune teller next time huh~~~” She said with some suspicion but lay back down. “Honestly, yesterday my old acquaintance Li Su came to look for me to recruit me to join Dong Zhuo. Since I now have nowhere to go, I’m thinking of going there.”
(TL: Li Su is another minor general, served Dong Zhuo.)
“I see… Going there isn’t anything bad anyway.”
I gave her a seemingly nonchalant but deeply meaningful reply as I knew what would happen after she went. Though I wanted to offer my advice, as someone who is unrelated, I felt I shouldn’t run my mouth. Moreover, even if I did say something, she may not listen.
“I don’t know that person so who knows… But my brigadier general Zhang Liao seems to know something and keeps telling me not to serve him.”
(TL: In the original, Zhang Liao was originally Dong Zhuo’s general and only served Lu Bu after Dong Zhuo’s death.)
Zhang Liao?
“… The one called Zhang Liao… Is a girl as well?”
“That’s right, didn’t you see her? She was behind me when we came.”
“I really didn’t notice her…” Why would I even know what Zhang Liao looks like?
Never mind, so be it if they are women. I won’t be surprised anymore even if the Emperor Xian of Han is a woman.
(TL: Emperor Xian of Han is the last emperor of the Han Dynasty.)
“She’s very old fas.h.i.+oned in her thinking and is probably wholeheartedly mourning my foster father. Even though he never favoured her in the least.”
“But since she said that much, I feel that General Lu Bu should think about it carefully.”
“Un, I will I will. But call me Feng Xian, I don’t like that sort of rigid politeness.”
I had planned on not saying anything, but in the end decided to offer some words.
“Ah… Feng Xian, the world is very large, and a dragon such as yourself does not need to be stuck to the idea of serving a lord. You should have your own thinking and things you want to fight for. I feel that if it’s you, you can do it on your own and need not serve someone else.”
“Not that I’m bragging, but though I do have skill with martial arts… I, I, I’m actually very stupid, and I don’t have much of a reputation either.” She said, stammering at the second half.
(TL: This is historically accurate.)
“Maa, you can read some books to gain more knowledge.” I offered advice that I myself had not followed. “Or depend on the right people for help. I feel that the Zhang Liao you mentioned before is quite the person to depend on.”
“Un~~~ She is a very upright person, and often solves the problems I face, and we even spar when we are bored.”
“Yeah, since she is willing to follow you, it’s naturally because she sees in you something that she wants to fight for. So, you should find what it is you want to fight for as well.
“Haha, I don’t really get that.” She laughed dryly. “… Maa, that’s how it is. Those people inside should be done by now.” She got up and her relaxed expression became her stern one again, “I’ll be going back.”
She turned and left, and from her back, I could sense loneliness, but of a kind that was difficult to describe.
“Oh, have a good night.”
She waved and entered the tent.
Later on I got sleepy from the cold as well, and fell asleep shortly after I returned to the tent.
The next day, all of us got up early and left the tent. Though it was early for us, Feng Xian and her troops had already been up for a while.
Seeing as they were leaving, I decided to go over and say good bye. Feng Xian saw us coming and walked over as well.
“Leaving already?”
“Un, leaving soon. In the end, I still feel I should head to Dong Zhuo’s place and take a look, and if that doesn’t work then I’ll just have to find another way.”
“I really don’t know what my lord is thinking, to go ahead even after all my protests.” Just then a girl with a steen look and frowned eyebrows came over from the side. From her looks, she should be younger than Feng Xian by a bit.
Though her hair was not very long, it was combed neatly and her eyebrows were always upturned. From her green eyes, I could sense a sternness that was different from Feng Xian’s, and at the same time seemed clear and transparent. How should I put it, just based on temperament… She feels a lot like Yun Chang.
Is she Zhang Liao?