A Toast to the Stories Yet to Come (End of Part 1)
The war was over. Or rather — with the treaties signed with Wei and Wu — the fighting had stopped. A ceasefire, not a true end. A pause, more accurately.
After the Battle of Jingzhou, the three kingdoms had fought so bitterly that the consensus held none of them could wage war again anytime soon.
Even so, our Shu had gained no small amount from the result.
First, Xiangyang and Fancheng.
And most importantly — Guan Yu's survival.
We would not have to watch Liu Bei driven mad with rage.
Though it was called a ceasefire, for us it was as good as victory.
For Cao Cao, who had lost Xiangyang and Fancheng, it must have been a bitter blow — yet the man I had seen at the conference had seemed surprisingly composed.
As for Sun Quan, I could not say what he was thinking. Originally he should have taken Jiangling and all of southern Jingzhou, but he had gone home with nothing but a mouthful of water.
Rumor had it he was treating the generals who had fought harshly…
But rumors alone are hard to judge. I knew that in his later years his judgment would deteriorate so badly it would ruin his reputation — yet at this stage Sun Quan was still a fine ruler who cherished his subordinates.
Having achieved nothing of his original aims, how he might change was anyone's guess.
In any case, we had won — and Shu Han did not immediately revel in that victory.
The first thing Liu Bei did was comfort the fallen.
Liu Bei raised a single burial mound and sat before it, pouring wine. Then he unrolled a bamboo slip and read aloud a poem of consolation for the dead.
The mound, hastily built, was not grand — but Liu Bei's measured bearing and dignified voice lent the gathering a solemn air. Not a few wept as they remembered the fallen.
Especially for ordinary soldiers, the sight of a king of a nation bowing his head to honor the dead left a deep impression.
Some might call it theatrical, and one could not claim there was no political calculation in it — but given everything he had shown thus far, more than half of it must have been genuine. He was a lord who knew how to treasure his people.
The memorial ended. The hastily raised mound, they said, would be rebuilt larger and more formal in time. A stele would be erected as well.
One might ask why not build it grand from the start — but that would take too long, delaying the rewards and comfort due the living.
What remained was the rewarding of those who had distinguished themselves.
Xu Shu, Zhuge Liang, Yu Eun, Wang Ping, Gou Fu, Guo Yi, Ma Liang, Ma Su, Pan Jun, Liu Min, and others.
The military and civil officers who had earned merit in the Jingzhou campaign gathered at Jiangling Castle.
Liu Bei looked upon each of them in turn, enumerating their deeds and bestowing rewards.
Then it was my turn. As those before me had done, I stepped forward and knelt before Liu Bei.
He began to speak.
"The courage at Bowang Slope…"
I was slightly — very slightly — surprised. Liu Bei was not speaking of the Jingzhou campaign, but of something long ago, at Bowang Slope.
"As a young woman of only twelve, you raised your bow against the enemy with a valor second to none…"
And his words continued.
"And the hero of Changban — by your martial prowess and loyalty, you saved the future of this nation…"
I remembered being thirteen. Rescuing Liu Shan, and Xu Shu's mother.
"At Luocheng you became our army's shield and protected Military Advisor Pang Tong…"
Thus Liu Bei carefully listed the things I had done in the years before I had even finished growing.
"…and you sought out hidden gems — talents who would form the foundation of this nation… And in Hanzhong…"
After the pacification of Yizhou, recommending various talents to Liu Bei.
Zhang He at Tangqu. And in Hanzhong, the successive battles against the Qingzhou Soldiers, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and Cao Zhang.
"Here in Jingzhou, you served as the armor that protected our forces and the spear that shattered the enemy…"
I closed my eyes and followed his words. Everything I had done in this world replayed in my mind like a panorama.
From Bowang Slope to Jingzhou here.
It was a joyful occasion of praise, yet somehow my head bowed lower and my chest grew tight.
"I bestow upon Jin Cheong the office of General Who Pacifies the North. Your courage is a model for the three armies, and your martial skill resounds throughout the realm without shortcoming. Furthermore—"
So saying, Liu Bei stepped forward. Kneeling with my head bowed, I saw his two feet.
"I present you with this bow and arrows."
I opened my eyes and raised my head to see the bow he held out to me.
"…I am overwhelmed with joy, and know not where to place myself."
I received the bow with both hands, answering in a choked voice.
Liu Bei bent slightly at the waist as he spoke to me.
"I saw that your bow had grown worn. I should have given you this long ago. How hard you have worked all this time."
"Yes. To repay Your Majesty's grace, this bow shall be used for Your Majesty alone."
"Good. Very good."
At my answer, Liu Bei smiled with satisfaction.
So I took the bow Liu Bei had given me and returned to my place, suppressing the fullness in my chest, never taking my eyes from the gift.
"Hic! General… waaah…!"
"Huh? Zheng Sui, why are you crying?"
"I just… the tears came. Hwaaah…"
The sensitive soldier Zheng Sui was weeping, and around us cheers and applause continued.
With so many people rejoicing on my behalf, how could I not be glad?
A few days later, Ma Su made a proposal.
"How about we all go to my elder brother's house for a drink today? I've already arranged everything — you need only come. As I mentioned before, the wine and food at my brother's house are exquisite."
"Ohhh!"
"Of course we must go!"
"I'll be looking forward to it!"
For reference, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang and the others were in Xiangyang, consoling the soldiers who had suffered there — Guan Yu, Pang Tong, and the rest.
Those of us who were close gathered our expectations and went to the place Ma Su had invited us.
The banquet Ma Liang personally hosted exceeded all expectations in its grandeur.
Every dish was of the finest quality, and musicians played instruments to stir the mood.
Those who for months of war had had no chance for merriment now sank deep into the long-missed revelry and could not pull free.
I too, having achieved a long-held wish, decided for now to forget all worries and cares.
I stood and took up a wine jar.
"Everyone."
At my words, all turned to look at me.
"I would like to pour each of you a cup of wine — would that be all right?"
Their eyes went wide.
"Ohh, General Jin pouring wine?"
"The General pouring for us? Will the sun rise in the west next?"
I normally neither drank nor attended drinking parties, so for them it was a surprise — but offering this much courtesy to those who had suffered so long was no difficult thing.
I first approached the host, Ma Liang.
"Thank you for preparing such a grand occasion."
In truth, Ma Liang and I had not had many points of contact. But while I was away, he had helped maintain Jingzhou's security and administration. He was someone I could never leave out.
"Haha! To receive wine from General Jin — what an honor!"
Then I approached Pan Jun beside him.
"And you as well, Lord Pan Jun. Thanks to you, we were able to hold the line safely."
"You have my gratitude."
I had first met him long ago, during the talent recruitment. From then until now he had remained the same blunt stickler for principle — and thanks to that, we had been able to fight without worrying about supplies.
Next, Xu Shu.
"Military Advisor Xu. You've worked so hard protecting Jingzhou."
Aside from my father, Jin Do, the first bond I had formed upon coming to this world.
Always diligent and humble. Even Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong spoke casually with me, but he continued to address me with respectful formality.
One of the minds of Liu Bei's army — always reliable, never forgetting his place.
Someone who had been with me since I was very young, a teacher to me in many ways.
Above all, someone I could trust enough to share what I knew — and who never betrayed that trust, defending Jiangling to the end. The finest of comrades.
Honestly I wanted to prostrate myself in thanks, but I repaid him with a cup of wine.
"Haha. What did I do… This is far, far too kind."
Xu Shu's eyes reddened with emotion as well.
And Yu Eun.
"You should have a cup too, Yu Eun. You've always followed me well even through the hard times — I'm always grateful."
My deputy, whom I had personally requested from Liu Bei.
Since joining our army he had followed me into every difficult battle, never once complaining. A precious comrade.
A sturdy general to whom I could entrust my back in combat.
"Haha. Honestly, serving under you, General, I've been looking forward to sharing a drink someday — today that wish is fulfilled."
Wang Ping could not be left out either.
"Wang Ping. I'm truly grateful that you protected the unit even while I was away."
The one who, when I was separated from them, had perfectly filled the role of commander and safeguarded my troops.
A meticulous general who, despite not knowing letters well, insisted on writing the unit logs himself in clumsy hand so he could show them to me.
"I merely did what was required of me."
And Ma Su.
"Lord Ma Su. Please take a cup."
Our proud mountaineer(?).
When I first met him, my future knowledge had made me somewhat distrustful, to be honest.
But had I not met him, I might have wandered southern Jingzhou and never made it back to Jiangling.
And another precious comrade who had worked diligently to help defend the city.
"There's a saying — Wine is the chief of all medicines. Among all remedies, wine stands first."
Ah, please ease up a little on the classical quotations.
Gou Fu needed a cup too.
"Gou Fu. You've worked hard as well. Thanks to you we received critical help more than once."
Someone who had followed Xu Shu in defending Jingzhou — a pillar of support.
Especially his early suppression of the fire Mi Fang had started had been an enormous help.
A sturdy ally who had rescued us at just the right moment even when we were being pursued.
"I have never forgotten that General Jin Cheong recommended me to His Majesty."
Guo Yi was there too.
"Guo Yi, you've always worked hard attending His Highness the Crown Prince."
I well knew how difficult it was to serve Liu Shan.
Assisting Liu Bei's heir meant always walking on thin ice, always tense.
And in times of crisis he had also served as gate commander of Jiangling Castle — reinforcements that had solidly bolstered our insufficient strength.
"You flatter me. It is an honor to serve His Highness."
Finally, Liu Min.
"Liu Min. The Strong Crossbow unit's performance was truly magnificent."
The one who had joined latest, yet led a new unit and unveiled a new weapon that chilled Wu's forces to the bone.
A young talent whose future achievements I looked forward to.
"I too hope to serve at General Jin Cheong's side going forward."
The people raised their cups high overhead and cheered, and I smiled brightly from the center of the banquet hall.
Suddenly I thought of those not present.
Liu Bei, of course, and Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Liu Feng, Ma Chao, Pang De, Ma Dai, Wei Yan, Deng Zhi, Fei Yi, Gan Yong, and more.
Ah — and Father as well. My only family in this world.
These were the bonds I had formed in this world.
Bonds like jewels. May they shine all the brighter in the new stories yet to be written.