Chapter 36
Dan Liang was appointed to the position of Commandant of the Guards (衛尉]). He was in charge of the security of the imperial family and the palace, and was a fairly high-ranking officer, but he was no match for General He Jin. To Dan Liang, who had expected to start at the very bottom, this was already far more than he deserved.
‘Come to think of it, He Jin must be in his mid-thirties…’
Dan Liang was captivated by He Jin’s heroic demeanor and bold spirit. In reality, He Jin was indeed a heroic figure. Although somewhat dull and narrow-minded, Dan Liang’s keen insight had not fully grasped this.
Born into an unremarkable, fallen scholarly family, Dan Liang had risen through his own abilities to this position, but to climb even higher, more than just ability was required. He Jin was the best possible connection for Dan Liang.
If he could become even closer to He Jin, even a position among the Three Dukes might not be impossible. The alcohol fueled Dan Liang’s ambition of advancement. Emboldened by drink, Dan Liang made an extraordinary proposition.
“The more I talk with General He, the more our minds seem to align. I don’t feel like we’re strangers. Why don’t we become in-laws?”
“In-laws?”
“I have a daughter. She’s still young, but sufficiently grown. I hope General He would form a marital alliance with my humble offspring.”
Dan Liang thought of his daughter. She was lovely and clever, and he had lavished her with care and expectations. Yet she had secretly gone out and nearly been kidnapped. According to her, nothing had happened, but who could be sure?
Barely managing to keep it quiet, though not many knew, if she were sent to a proper marriage, the incident would surely come to light. In contrast, He Jin was not making his first marriage, and with the significant age difference, he likely wouldn’t make a big issue of it. Considering this, He Jin seemed not a bad match for both Lily and Dan Liang himself.
“…I have many concubines.”
“Isn’t it natural for a hero to have women following him? I implore you, please.”
Though spoken under the influence of alcohol, the words carried genuine sincerity. Moved by Dan Liang’s earnest request, He Jin recalled Dan Liang’s daughter, Lily, whom he had seen before. She was still young and undeveloped, a plain child. However, her beauty showed promising potential. He Jin inwardly rejoiced and quickly nodded.
“Since Commandanti Dan Liang requests this, I, He Jin, gladly accept the proposal. I shall now call you father-in-law!”
In the largest room of the Dan Liang residence, the sound of clinking wine cups and hearty laughter echoed. A joyful laugh, celebrating the union of two families while plotting to eliminate the wicked eunuch faction that knew no bounds.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
“…What did you say?”
Lily, who before her father was always submissive, gentle, and demure, could not help but ask in shock.
The sudden marriage news. The groom’s age was far beyond her own.
Lily’s face contorted. Her left hand, gripping her skirt hem, trembled uncontrollably. Trying to stop the continuing vibration by pressing it with her other hand only made the trembling worse.
However, Dan Liang, oblivious to his daughter’s distress, cheerfully poured tea. His gaze fixed on the tea flowing into the cup, not on his daughter. The one-sided announcement was crystal clear. It was naturally unthinkable for a daughter to object to a decision made by the family patriarch.
No one knew this better than Lily herself, whose anger was rising and whose heart was growing cold.
Nevertheless, Lily mustered her courage to speak. She wanted to ask, just a little, to delay the marriage. Lily was now nine years old. Though people typically became engaged around this time, an immediate marriage seemed too hasty.
But before her lips could part, Dan Liang continued speaking.
“Though there’s an age difference, Grand General He Jin is an excellent match. He currently has a wife, but he’s considerate of our Dan family and will demote his current wife to a concubine. He’s such a generous man.”
“But…”
“Consider your unsavory circumstances. He’s already an overqualified match. I’ve tried my best to raise you without a mother, yet you went out and saw something unseemly…”
“Nothing, nothing happened, Father. The person who rescued me…”
“Do you know who that rescuer was? They brought you home. Who knows what they might say outside? The fact that they took something from you is your weakness, you foolish child!”
Dan Liang’s sharp words left no room for Lily to respond. The courage she had scraped together was completely extinguished by his final statement.
She had thought about revealing that Dongbaek was the one who rescued her, but she knew her father would be furious at the mere mention of Zhang Rang. He would likely become hysterical and fly into a rage. So Lily had kept Dongbaek’s identity hidden, and her nanny, knowing her master’s temperament, had also remained silent.
As a result, Lily found herself in a precarious situation, like a flame about to be extinguished at any moment.
Dongbaek’s blurry figure flickered in her clouded vision. She could almost hear Dongbaek’s whisper. They say three coincidences make a destiny.
In the end, she and Young Master So would not have a third meeting. Yet that was fine. The mere hope of meeting someday made the world seem beautiful. I hadn’t even hoped for things to work out perfectly with Young Master So…
But she never imagined this hope would shatter so quickly and easily. Lily’s head dropped in despair. It seems Young Master So and I are not meant to be. The wish she had made to the peach blossoms dissipated meaninglessly.
“Still, I’ve taught you certain things, and I believe you’ll conduct yourself well and be appreciated. Behave so that no one says you’re poorly raised by a widower’s eldest daughter.”
“…Yes, Father.”
Lily responded obediently, smiling like a proper daughter of the Dam household. Her forced smile was strange, seemingly detached, with a sense of resignation and melancholy.
But Dan Liang didn’t care at all. As he nodded contentedly at her response, his gaze remained fixed on the documents on the table, never once meeting Lily’s eyes.
“I’ll now go discuss the marriage with the Hwang family. This father will ensure a generous dowry.”
On the surface, it sounded like the words of a caring father, though Lily’s heart was torn apart.
Eventually, Dan Liang conveyed his intentions and sent Lily away. Her trembling did not cease until she stepped out of the room. The trembling that started in her left hand spread through her entire body, becoming chills. The path back to her room seemed infinitely long and distant. Barely crawling, she finally reached her room and collapsed, fainting.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
The position of Commander of the City Gates (城門校尉) was formidable. Though it was only 7th rank, commanding 700 to 1,200 troops, the Commander of the City Gates was different.
While not comparable to the 3rd-rank Military General position the emperor had initially intended, it was certainly not a position for a novice.
Dongbaek examined her duties in the assigned Commander’s office.
At first glance, managing military training seemed simple, but her assigned troops numbered a thousand. Even managing one or two soldiers was challenging, let alone a thousand. Only now did she realize the task might be overwhelming. When imagined scenarios become reality, one is initially disoriented by the discrepancy.
Dongbaek was no exception. Considering the hidden hostility toward her beneath the surface, moving among these troops would be incredibly difficult.
She was still just a child. Viewed through the lens of any historical period, it was natural to look askance at a young, protégé official riding on Zhang Rang’s authority and the emperor’s favor.
Dongbaek scratched her head.
“Commander, all troops have assembled.”
But she had to do this. In this harsh ancient Chinese world, if she became intimidated by just a thousand soldiers, what would become of her later? Dongbaek covered her face with her hand. Drawing a deep sigh from her lungs, she stood and left the Commander’s office.
Until Dongbaek was appointed Commander of the City Gates, officials had continuously submitted petitions, obsessively pursuing the issue of her official position. Having ultimately half-conceded to the emperor’s unwavering will, they employed their final strategy.
This was the ‘Nang (郎)’ system.
[The Nang (郎) system refers to a government official or a servant who holds a specific position. It was often used to denote a young male official, sometimes associated with a specific administrative or bureaucratic role in the imperial court.]
Nang, referred to court attendants serving in the palace. Typically, newly recommended officials would first gain experience as Nang before changing positions. Even Cao Cao first appeared in politics as a Nang.
They raised their voices, arguing he should serve as a Nang for two years due to his young age. At just 12 years old, they insisted, he could wait until 14—a timeline they deemed more than reasonable.
But the emperor merely brushed them off.
“Dongbaek has already been a Nang for about a year. Why make him wait another two years?”
The petitioning officials were shocked by the emperor’s casual dismissal. Beside the emperor, Zhang Rang secretly smiled at their reaction.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
Thank you for reading! ♡
