Wedding Night Late Ten Years

Chapter 1:Return to home

Chapter One (Part 1)

Young armored warriors on horseback appeared outside the skirt of the imperial city's western gates. The general of the warriors wore a black armor, his hair was tied up but the wind fluttered some of his loose strands of hair. A weapon was suspended on the general's armored back and he sat upright on a snow white Ferghana horse. The warriors behind the general wore navy uniforms under their armors.

'Xiao Ha, how far are we from the imperial city?' Chen Quan Ran asked.

Xiao Ha looked into the distance for the imperial city's visible landmarks. 'About two to three miles. If we whip the horses we'll reach the imperial city within one shichen (large-hour = two hours).'

Chen Quan Ran gestured for his horse to slow down and his men followed his lead.

Chapter One (Part 2)

Xiao Ha joined Chen Quan Ran's army since Xiao Ha was fifteen years old. Despite Chen Quan Ran's seniority, Xiao Ha and Chen Quan Ran's relationship was like blood brothers. Xiao Ha knew Chen Quan Ran's personality almost as well as Xiao Ha knew his own personality.

Chen Quan Ran was born into a military family. Although Chen Quan Ran's father died on the battlefield, if his father was alive his father would be proud of him. Two generations after his grandpa was general, the Chen household's army force had increased tenfold. The Chen army was the chief protector of the Northern Empire.

Chen Quan Ran respected and treated his men as equals. He despised corrupt court officials who oppressed citizens and only knew how to eat and sleep. Some of those kind of officials were eating at the inn.

'Those who are ignorant of what labor means and speak nonsense but regard themselves as wise are loathsome. Let us not speak of those who are born to live idle lives. Those kind don't dare to show their teeth when they laugh and fall unconscious for three days and three nights at the sight of an insect. They are only deserving of being looked upon with disdain,' Chen Quan Ran said.

(CQR is discussing with his men a proverb from The Analects of Confucius – 'Learning without thought is labor lost, thought without learning is perilous.' i.e. CQR is implying he detests people who are spoon fed and can only regurgitate knowledge without thinking for themselves.)

Chen Quan Ran saw two short young men walked into the inn who looked like the kind of weaklings Chen Quan Ran detested. The two young men carried bulky bags. Chen Quan Ran was especially drawn to one of the young men who was dressed in white silk clothing that was embroidered with chrysanthemum. Chen Quan Ran thought the young man in white was strangely too beautiful, his skin was snow white, his eyebrows were elegantly arched, his thick eyelashes curled, his lips were peony red and his black hair was tied above his slender neck.

Chen Quan Ran stared at the young man in white's eyes that shone like stars. Chen Quan Ran thought the young man in white's steps were dainty and he had a cold graceful aura. Behind the young man in white was another weakling who was dressed in clothing appropriate for a servant.

The two young men walked passed Chen Quan Ran's table and they sat on the table opposite to Chen Quan Ran's table. The young man in white spoke softly to a fuwu yuan.

'Do you men see those two young men? Their bodies are like sticks, their shoulders and hands cannot bear anything heavy. If all young men of the Northern Empire were like them then within three years the Northern Empire will be lost,' Chen Quan Ran said.

Chen Quan Ran didn't raise his voice, but his table was near the two young men's table and Chen Quan Ran's natural speaking voice was loud from years of giving orders.