Chapter Text
For once he decided to sleep away the rest of his rest day. Reading all that had exhausted him beyond comparison. He clutched the journal close to his chest as tears dried on his face. He wanted to fall asleep before he got a headache from all that crying. He really didn't want Jing Yuan finding out that he had been crying. That man would immediately know that just by taking a single look at his face.
Guess that's what comes with knowing someone for that long. He's sure that he'd be able to tell the generals many somber faces apart. The one he makes when something disappoints him..one he knows but rarely wishes to see…especially if it involves him. The one where he has just been dealt a huge problem regarding the Xianzhou Luofu and must discern the situation post haste and produce a plan of action as soon as possible.
The one he makes when an old acquaintance gets brought up… he hates when the general makes that face. Sure the general's reputation and competency as an arbiter general has led to him being respected for things other than the glory days and feats of his youth but the shadow cast by those sinners still darkens his days from time to time. He gets accused of biases even when none exist, his judgement is questioned and worse of all some dare to liken him to those whose names have been all but wiped from history.
The general has never spoken ill of his companions even after they were exiled, marastruck or reborn. He still uses the previous sword master's teachings to guide him. He remarks how he was never as dedicated as Yanqing but still his great master decided to take him on as a student. They can't all be that bad right? I mean they did help slay Rahu, the living planet. They were still renowned to some extent even if some members did some unforgivable crimes. Most of them did meet unfortunate ends though from how Master gets quieter while bringing them up and whoever did escape was no longer a concern to the Loufu. Maybe that’s just how life goes sometimes, people who were once good and led simple lives can become someone unrecognisable.
It is still baffling to him that people who were once comrades to someone like the General can turn out like this. Maybe it was their ambitions, their desire for something greater or revenge that drove them all apart from each other. It's kinda sad that someone like him is utterly alone in some aspects at his age. He buries his sadness in his work and by acting like a forgetful old man who has no care in the world.
He will still need to find some way to research what happened to these people and how they ended up in the end. Some records such as the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae should be highly classified and even someone like him can’t access those without raising a red flag. He could use the general’s access to check out those files but that would be the same as asking him directly. Nothing happens here with the general's purview and no one that isn’t on his level can get past his all knowing gaze. He can already imagine the general’s face asking him what he was looking for over breakfast.
Or,…
Maybe he’ll just ignore Yanqing’s snooping altogether. He’ll probably still know but he won’t bring it up to spare him the embarrassment. Then again he’ll probably get teased about it in a few months when he least expects it. Dad is always like that.
Hmmm. Dad… That feels right to say…
He accessed the files regarding Miss Baiheng. It doesn’t say much about the involvement of Jing Yuan but does mention her dying in an attack by the Abundance. That her sacrifice saved a lot more soldiers than what was expected to perish that day. So she died a hero…
‘At least that checks off one person from the general’s past’ He sighed in relief.
Not being able to keep his eyes from drooping, he finally closed everything for the night. Was it avoidant of him to brush everything aside and go to sleep? Yes, incredibly so; but he was too exhausted to think of anything today.
He woke up a bit earlier than usual with a famished stomach. Skipping dinner was a very unwise idea. He jolted up, wincing when his feet landed on the freezing floor ‘all this tech on the Xianzhou and he still doesn't have heated floors’. He then quickly hid the journal, that he inadvertently had gone to bed with, in his closet before quickly locking the door. He changed into his uniform, something presentable over his casual sleepwear.
Then he made his way to the breakfast nook, his fears manifested in human form awaiting him.
The Dozing General was usually relaxed when it came to his morning routine but today he was already at the table, food already laid out for them. He gazed towards his garden enjoying the elaborate spread in front of him. He greeted Yanqing without averting his focus from the finches playing in the branches of the overtly curated decorative trees in the garden. He turned to smile at Yanqing as he pulled out a chair to sit down.
“How did you sleep?”
“Well enough, not sure why I slept for that long though, I had yesterday off.”
“Maybe you had a lot on your mind. You know thinking too much can tire you out as well. I mean look at me!”
“At least I feel rejuvenized enough to train harder this week.”
“Actually you’ll need to accompany me today. They caught some prisoners late last night. They started the interrogation but I’ll need to oversee some aspects. I want you to shadow me. Maybe you’ll learn something important for your future.”
“Who is it anyway?”
“Just some Stelleron hunters and their associates”
“Huh!!!”
The general had not mentioned that one of the hunters was still at large until they got to the seat of Divine Foresight and had somehow evaded capture so far. The gates were closed but someone had let an entire train in. I mean come on, these people are just humiliating us for fun at this point.
He accompanied the general to The Shackling Prison. The many guarded, heavy doors and winding passages led them to a very dimly lit, extended room.
They waited there in that echoey room, knights lined up in a row leading to the general and himself. Honestly he was getting kinda bored of all the waiting he had done so far for an interrogation he couldn't even participate in. ‘Just observe’, the general had chided him numerous times on the way here.
Then all of a sudden, the enormous doors thundered open, jolting him up from the haze of his thoughts. The knights led in a shackled prisoner, dark locks of hair draped over his face, veiling his features. Yanqing craned his neck to get a better view.
“ Yanqing.”
“ Yes, general.”
“ Watch this person carefully.”
“... Do you remember me?”
“ I remember.”
“ Of five people…”
“ Three must pay a price.”
“ You are not one of them, Jing Yuan.”
And there he was … like he had never left.