Chapter 17: The White Jade Spy & Jin An's Ultimatum: A General's Restless Heart
When General Li Shuang awoke, she was nestled in her bed, the sleeping form of Jin An warm in her arms. She froze, stunned. She couldn't recall getting into bed last night; she must have slept deeply—her most peaceful sleep in recent memory, perhaps in a very long time. A profound warmth radiated through her body, a complete reprieve from the unrelenting northern cold.
Jin An stirred. Li Shuang looked down at the small child, his lips slightly curved upward as if tasting the sweetest candy in a dream. It was a rare glimpse of pure innocence on the usually guarded boy. A small, wry smile touched her lips. She gently pinched his nose and checked his forehead.
His recovery was swift; the fever had broken. Whether by the physician’s medicine or the resilience of his own young constitution, he was out of danger.
Li Shuang slipped from under the blanket, leaving the sleeping Jin An undisturbed. After washing up, she left the tent.
Today, the gates of Deer City were finally wide open. Civilians who had temporarily fled the recent warfare were streaming back. Li Shuang had deployed extra soldiers to the checkpoints, determined to prevent spies from rival northern nations and tribes from slipping into the city under the guise of returning refugees.
When she arrived, the city gate was a bottleneck of caution, with a long queue snaking outside. Qin Lan saluted her immediately. "What brings the General here?"
"Just checking. Any irregularities?"
"We caught two spies." Qin Lan pointed.
Li Shuang followed his gaze to two wooden cages. The first held a man dressed as a civilian, but his distinct frontier features betrayed him. He crouched dejectedly, clearly a tribal spy.
The second one, however... was utterly strange.
Li Shuang studied him. The man wore silk robes that she estimated cost no less than a hundred gold pieces. A white jade hairpin adorned his head, the jade pure white as cream—the finest mutton-fat jade. Based on his exquisite appearance alone, whichever country had sent him seemed dangerously, unnecessarily conspicuous.
Moreover, his face was as beautiful as jade, with delicate features and an extraordinary gentleness. He sat cross-legged in his cage, meditating with the composure of a Central Plains Daoist or Buddhist monk.
Li Shuang raised an eyebrow, turning to Qin Lan. "A spy?"
"We’re not certain," Qin Lan admitted. "He is silent when questioned about his background. Asked about his business in Deer City, he gives no answer. Given the tense situation, his suspicious demeanor led us to detain him."
"With that delicate appearance, he looks like someone from the south." Li Shuang walked over and stood before the cage.
The meditating man seemed to sense her presence. His long lashes fluttered as he raised his eyes, fixing Li Shuang with a gentle, spring-water gaze. Her reflection appeared in his dark pupils as he studied her for a moment. Then, his lips curved into a soft smile. "What a spirited young lady."
Ah, an attempt at dignified flirtation?
Li Shuang arched an eyebrow. "My subordinates report you wouldn’t answer any questions, yet you seem perfectly capable of speech."
"I only speak with those I’m fated to meet."
What a mystical pretty boy.
But at least he was talking. Li Shuang got straight to the point. "My Longfeng Camp never detains innocent people. Clear up your background and intentions, show your identity documents, and if there’s no problem, we can release you now. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?"
"What do you think? You’ll be locked in the county jail’s dungeon, questioned when we choose. If you still refuse to answer, you'll stay there."
"The county jail dungeon?" The man pondered this for a moment. "I've never been there. Could be educational." He looked up at Li Shuang with a gentle, unaffected smile. "Go ahead and lock me up. Don’t worry about me."
Li Shuang was left speechless. She met strange people every year, but this year's batch seemed exceptionally high, each one a unique brand of baffling.
"Food is scarce this winter," she countered, recovering quickly. "If you want to stay in the dungeon, you’ll have to pay for your meals."
"Fair point." The man nodded, as if this made perfect sense. He patted his robes. "Seems I’ve lost my money pouch." After a slight contemplation, he reached up, grasping the white jade hairpin and pulling it straight from his long black hair. As his hair fell loose, his face looked even more delicate. He smiled softly at Li Shuang. "Here. This pin should cover a few meals."
This single pin could probably cover his meals in the Deer City dungeon for a lifetime.
Li Shuang looked at him, then took the jade pin without ceremony. "As you wish."
As she turned to leave, the man called out softly. "Young lady." Li Shuang looked back; he was smiling up at her, harmlessly. "You have blood calamity in your near future. Do take care of yourself."
Li Shuang paused, then waved dismissively. "There’s never a day I don’t live among blood."
The Marriage Question
As Li Shuang walked away, Qin Lan cast a final, wary glance at the smiling man in the cage before catching up. "General, this man is truly strange…"
"Once he’s in the dungeon, no matter how strange he is, he can’t cause any waves." Li Shuang toyed with the hairpin in her hand. "After imprisoning him, assign extra guards to watch him."
"Yes."
After monitoring the city gate a while longer without incident, Li Shuang headed back. Along the way, she overheard reunited citizens expressing their relief: "I never thought we’d make it back to celebrate the festival this year. How fortunate!"
The Clear Snow Festival was approaching. It was the last major celebration before the deep northern winter settled in—a time for honoring ancestors, lighting lanterns, and preparing for three months of rest and closed doors.
Li Shuang briefly recalled her father, Li Ting, mentioning she should return home for the festival. But the northern frontier's winters were tense, and even if she did have time, she wasn't sure she'd go back. The capital was too refined, too complex, requiring careful maintenance of every relationship—unlike the rough, honest freedom of the frontier.
When Li Shuang returned to her tent, she saw Jin An emerging. His eyes found her instantly through the small crowd, and he walked toward her. Li Shuang crouched down, lifting him into a natural embrace. "Haven’t gone to report to your Black Armored warrior today?"
She meant it teasingly, but Jin An considered it seriously. "If I report to him, you won’t be angry?"
Li Shuang thought about the recent chaos. "Before, I might have been somewhat angry. But…" Li Shuang smiled gently. "He’s become a benefactor to Deer City. Though some of his previous actions were excessive, they didn't harm the country, and in fact... protected my nation. I can't be angry with him anymore. If you’re reporting to someone like that, I probably can’t be angry about it either."
"Then would you marry him?"
"..."
The child’s thought process jumped to conclusions just as wildly as that Black Armored warrior.
"That’s a different matter entirely."
Jin An frowned, utterly serious. "You don’t want to marry him? Why? Do you look down on him? His appearance? His body? Or is he not powerful enough?"
She... she found herself completely at a loss for words against a child’s direct questioning.
"I just… don’t know him." Having answered, Li Shuang realized she’d been led by the nose. She set Jin An down. "Go on now. Since you’re better, get back to training."
She turned away just as a deputy commander approached to discuss matters, and they entered the main tent together.
Outside, Jin An watched the direction she’d gone, a fierce, determined look on his small face.
"You will know him," he stated seriously into the cold air.
His appearance, his body, he was willing to show her everything, willing to let her know everything. If only she said she wanted to know.
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