The Eighth Prince (Rewriting) (Barely Updates)

12: Incompetence and Recentment

Co-authored by Relendria

A group of soldiers marched down a dusty path, surrounding two men on horseback. One was dressed in the simple robes of a scholar, albeit tailored to allow him flexibility in the event of an attack. The other man rode a horse that was clearly precious. Its chestnut coat gleamed and the arrogant arch of its neck and high steps proclaimed this to be royalty among horses. The man on its back was similarly rich. His hair was in a neat bun atop his head, encircled by a hair-crown of a dark material with sharp patterns etched upon it in silver. His garments were clearly the finest silk even though they were a plain black color and even the armor he wore was dark as a moonless night. His face was handsome but there was a sneer that looked permanent and an absence of warmth in his dark eyes. As handsome as he was, no one seeing him felt any desire to be close to him.
 
As the troop marched, both men watched their surroundings with vigilance. They observed not only their surroundings but also the actions and expressions of the soldiers around them. It didn’t matter that they had been traveling together for several weeks, both men knew better than to let their guard down around anyone who hadn’t signed a death-contract.
 
After determining that their surroundings remained free of danger, the rich man resumed what was clearly a longstanding complaint.
 
"Hmph! The nerve of that man! He dared to challenge me?? It was his whore of a daughter who seduced me!" The man grumbled petulantly. The scholar beside him spoke up, his tones indicating forced patience and suggesting that the words they both spoke had been repeated many times.
 
"The marquis is very fond of his daughter, Sire,” he explained again, hoping that this time the man would hear him. “She is all that his first wife left behind before she passed on. He has always indulged her.”
 
"So how is it my fault? She was the one who took her own life! That miserable old fart was just looking for someone else to blame! Who told him to spoil his vixen of a daughter?" The man snapped back, clearly expressing unwilling to listen to reason.
 
The advisor repressed a sigh and pressed on, “The important thing is that your Imperial Father is greatly displeased with the situation. The Marquis is one of your father’s important officials and he is still seeking justice for his daughter. It would be best if Your Highness didn’t do anything to anger his Imperial Majesty further.”
 
The advisor repressed another sigh and silently cursed his shortsightedness in choosing to affiliate with this hotheaded, arrogant prince.
 
"Well, when I obtain the treasure and defeat these Zhong rats then I will claim the throne and show them who they should fear and respect!" The prince threatened in a voice so quiet that the men marching beside them heard nothing. 
 
The advisor looked at the man boasting next to him. It was obvious that this is exactly who this stubborn prince is; a boisterous and prideful man. However, the man claimed to have information about a great treasure near the border between their two countries and the advisor was tempted by that claim. The Prince refused to reveal what the treasure was and would only say it was located “In the center of the swamp above the plains.” when asked where it was. The advisor was increasingly convinced that this “treasure” was nothing but a wild goose chase. If that was the case, the Prince would meet with a tragic accident on the battlefield.
 
"Very well, Sire, but before we get to the treasure why don’t we aid the men in the main battle first?" The advisor suggested in a gentle tone. This prideful prince responded only to coaxing. Anything reminiscent of an order would immediately bring about the opposite action.
 
"Those incompetent fools? If they weren’t useless, we would have already taken that pitiful country. However, I suppose it would be best to offer them a little help. It could only benefit me.” 
 
"Benefit you?" The advisor was confused by the prince’s reasoning.
 
"Of course! As soon as we begin pushing the Zhong back it will expose those generals for the useless wastes they are and reveal my military genius!”
 
The Prince’s voice rose with that claim and a few of the guards around him glanced their way. The advisor detected hints of disdain on those stoic faces before the men faced forward again.
 
"Those generals, and many of their fathers before them, have defended our empire since before you were born, Your Highness. It is best to not insult their intelligence or raise their ire while we are here," the advisor urged with a bit more firmness in his tone. Really, this spoiled prince was getting worse rather than learning.
 
"You think I should tiptoe around the feelings of incompetent men? I think their fathers should be ashamed to have raised such incompetent sons!”  
 
The advisor choked back his growing irritation and ignored the Prince. On his part, the prince smiled as if he had won an important battle and resumed his dreams of finding the treasure, defeating the Zhong scum, and returning in glory.
 
 
 
On the Zhong side of the battlefield, a middle-aged man hopped off of his horse and gave Specialist Chen a serious look.
 
"Make haste! The General has ordered that everything be prepared in the next 12 hours or less!" 
 
Specialist Chen was surprised by this order but as a soldier, he knew his first duty was to obey. He sent out several swift men under his command to relay the new commands to the teams preparing the ambush.
 
"Hurry up, men!” The messenger panted as soon as he reached the men digging the channel to the river. “The General has ordered that we finish within 12 hours!”
 
“12 hours??” the team leader exclaimed with dismay.
 
 “Yes, it’s urgent!”
 
Elsewhere another messenger ordered the archers to take positions and ensure they could not be seen. The third messenger made the rounds to each explosive team to tell the change of plans and remind them to make sure the explosives were dry. No mistakes could be permitted.
 
The soldiers grumbled at the change of plans but picked up the pace of their work. They might complain about this sudden workload but General Song Taiwan was well respected by his men. They fussed in their hearts but they gave their best effort to completing their job.
 
 
 
In the camp by the waterfall, Guang Chia-Hao lay on his cot and looked up at the top of his tent. He saw nothing, however, because he was absorbed in his thoughts and memories. The day’s events reminded him of a similar occurrence during his past life.
 
It was their first foray into the swamp that time as well. Their food stock had dwindled and the forest animals had long since been hunted or fled. The small amount of fish that could be harvested from the river wasn’t enough to feed so many men. It was decided to brave the swamp in search of prey.
 
The soldiers sent on the mission had been angry to have Guang Chia-Hao included in their group. They considered him useless and vented their anger with petty harassment. It was nothing too harsh but it was enough to cause him to wander from the group, deeper into the swamp.
 
While he was away from the group, the men were attacked by more than a dozen monkey-like creatures. Well, they looked like monkeys but the prehensile tails were tipped with a venomous barb and their skin was hairless and as tough as a water buffalo’s hide. The soldiers took some heavy damage before they managed to drive the creatures off with fire arrows. Chia-Hao was berated for abandoning the team when he returned with a basket full of fruit that looked something like a pink plum and tasted something like a lychee. It was another blow to his self-esteem to be scolded rather than thanked but looking at the injured and poisoned men, Chia-Hao couldn’t bring himself to say anything in his defense.
 
Thinking back, Chia-Hao wasn’t sure how many men died but the poisoned men who drank juice from the fruit he harvested recovered from the poison. Of course, he wasn’t given credit for that. After that, he returned to the swamp many times. He was usually accompanied by Corporal Jun who had been assigned to be his guard. Those forays provided meat for the cooking pots and herbs for the healers – never enough but better than nothing. Sadly, Corporal Jun was the one given credit for all the materials even though the man always shared Chia-Hao’s contributions.
 
Chia-Hao remembered Corporal Jun because the man was unlike all the other guards assigned to him. He ignored the other’s stares of pity when the job was assigned to him. He was faithful to his duty rather than being negligent like the other guards. Most of all, he confused Chia-Hao on a regular basis.
 
He scolded Chia-Hao, called him a “fool” and worse on a daily basis, and drilled him in self-defense in a brutal way. But then he would stand between Chia-Hao and a creature attacking them and he never failed to toss medicine for the cuts and bruises Chia-Hao gained from training and from foraging in the swamp. The man had a poisonous tongue but his actions were kind. Chia-Hao never figured him out until the day the man died in battle. This life he vowed to keep both his lover and Corporal Jun alive to enjoy the lives this brutal war had claimed from them.
 
Corporal Jun was a valiant warrior and he deserved an honorable retirement rather than the mass burial at the front that he received. His lover deserved every good thing and not the sorry excuse for a life that he led after Chia-Hao’s death. Both of those men had given him warmth and a reason to live. Chia-Hao was determined to use this second chance to repay them.