Lady Sima

“Then, this concludes the meeting.”

The next morning, once Yu Bi announced the end of the council, the various officials filed out toward their respective posts. Yu Bi glanced furtively around, then edged closer with hesitant little steps.

“Do Yeop...”

“Young Master Do? Shall we set out soon, then?”

Unfortunately, Sima Lang chose that exact moment to speak as well. Yu Bi flinched, retreated half a step, then bolted straight out of the office.

“Do you know why Lord Yu Xian suddenly acted like that?”

“It’s not the first or second time—how would I know? Anyway, shall we go?”

She must have gotten jealous after I said I got along better with Sima Lang. It would blow over soon enough; I decided to leave it alone.

Giddy-up!

And so, first thing in the morning, I rode out with Sima Lang toward the civilian military farms set up along the border between On County and Yawang. With a brief moment of free time, I checked the regional status window.

Population had risen by roughly ten thousand. At the same time, absorbing the Black Mountain Bandit prisoners had thoroughly refreshed our troop numbers.

Two counties might not sound like much, but few in Henei could field a force of this size. For the time being, though, the deficit would continue while we expanded infrastructure for the new arrivals.

Worse, the influx had driven down public sentiment, and both training and morale had taken heavy hits. The only silver lining was that clearing out the nearby mountain strongholds had let us hold the line somewhat.

Without the resources hauled back from those strongholds, we would have gone bankrupt outright. Settling them quickly and getting them farming was therefore the top priority.

From early morning we toured the civilian farms, putting them to work building huts and clearing land. The Black Mountain Bandits, however, had been half-dragged into the work, and their complaints were endless.

“Hey, Hoji? Why the hell do we have to do this? We’re basically tenant farmers under you now.”

“Better tenant farming than banditry, right? The magistrate and the Sima clan even lent us the land—so work hard and pay it back.”

“If you hadn’t sold us out in the first place, none of this would’ve happened!”

Having their former comrade suddenly lording it over them clearly grated. Did they not understand what “above” actually meant?

“You lot know who I am and still pull this? Originally every last one of you should’ve had your heads chopped off and hung on the gates of Luoyang—you realize that? I spare your lives, even lend you land, and you still blame me? Shut up and get back to your spots. Do I have to tear one of you limb from limb as an example before you wake up?”

“No, we were just...”

Thanks to the special ability of Regulated Conduct, even a light threat made them crumple at once. Add the crushing weight of my Command stat and they shuffled back to work, still muttering curses under their breath.

“Young Master Do, your dignity is truly imposing. I could never have spoken like that.”

“It’s nothing special. Treat them too kindly and they climb all over you. This isn’t the time to patiently persuade every idiot who doesn’t know his place.”

I treated them thoroughly like livestock. Yet Sima Lang seemed to find even that side of me pleasing; a smile lingered on her lips.

“Come to think of it, it’s nearly lunchtime. I’ve had a meal prepared for you at the main house—shall we go eat there?”

“...?”

Sima Lang had prepared lunch for me? The place wasn’t far from the civilian farms, so dropping by for a quick bite before returning shouldn’t be a problem.

Thus I paid a long-overdue visit to the Sima clan estate. Sima Lang, treating me as a proper guest for once, introduced her younger siblings.

“This is Fu, this is Gui, this is Xun... I’m sorry. I’ve introduced too many at once—you won’t remember a single one, will you?”

“No! I think I can memorize them quickly. More importantly—the meal?”

“They’re preparing it in the kitchen now. Just a little longer.”

“...?”

We were drowning in work and they were still cooking? Couldn’t they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just grab some dumplings so we could chew and go?

“The meal is served.”

What followed was absurd. The sliding doors opened and dish after dish fit for a royal banquet poured in, filling an entire table.

“Lady Sima? What is all this?”

“I didn’t know what Young Master Do likes, so I had them prepare a variety. Our household servants are famous for their cooking even in the surrounding areas—please try some.”

“No! That’s not what I meant. We’re in the middle of work right now. Even if we eat quickly and go inspect the newly cleared fields, the day is barely long enough. We can’t sit here leisurely savoring a feast.”

True to her noble upbringing, even a simple meal had to be extravagant. Maybe they dined on every delicacy under heaven every day, but I certainly did not.

“...”

Sima Lang’s face stiffened in clear dismay. When their eldest sister received a scolding, the younger siblings who had been happily reaching for their chopsticks began watching the mood as well.

“Look, just... Lady Sima, stay and eat slowly with your siblings. I’ll head out to the fields first.”

“No! I was thoughtless. I’ll go with you.”

“You don’t have to. You went to the trouble of preparing all this—you should eat before leaving.”

“But if Young Master Do is going to throw himself into work without even lunch, how can I sit still?”

“...”

Her determination to understand the feelings of the lower classes was praiseworthy, yet now I felt terribly guilty toward her and her siblings.

Nibble, nibble...

So we went out to the cleared fields and sat side by side, each chewing on a single dumpling. Sima Lang, unused to the food, ate at a conspicuously slow pace.

“Lady Sima? You really didn’t need to follow me. Everyone has their own way of living—I wasn’t picking a fight with how you take your meals.”

“No. I was the one who knew far too little of the common people’s lives. Of course they would hate being told to work on nothing but this. Haa... I’ve grown up like a flower in a garden. I never dreamed Young Master Do and the others were suffering like this.”

“...”

Was it even possible for a person to be this kind? Sima Lang was not the sort who would nibble dumplings outdoors in the wind because of me.

I had ruined a pleasant meal. She was chewing on a low-grade lump of flour she would never have tasted in her life, yet still blamed only her own shortcomings.

“We each live according to our abilities. Because Lady Sima surveyed the land and spread agricultural methods, those people can work at all. That’s something only you can do.”

“Even that—would I ever have thought of trying it without Young Master Do’s help? I probably never would have tasted a dumpling this hard either. That’s why I like the present.”

“Pardon?”

“I-I mean I’m glad you gave me this opportunity. Otherwise, when would I ever have shared a meal with Young Master Do?”

“...”

Sima Lang flushed with embarrassment and brushed a strand of hair aside. Then she took the dumpling in both hands again and began nibbling—so very demurely.

It still wouldn’t suit her palate. She might even be regretting having to eat such a thing.

Yet she was doing her utmost to swallow each mouthful. That kind heart, sitting in the same place and sharing the same meal, trying somehow to draw closer to them—it moved not only people but Heaven itself.

We returned to the county office. Sima Lang looked thoroughly exhausted from the long outdoor work, yet she never once lost her smile.

“Will you rest now, Young Master Do?”

“Ah... actually I still have a bit left to do. It’s still in the planning stage, so I’ll handle it alone. Lady Sima, please rest and recover your strength.”

“If Young Master Do is going to work overtime, how can I rest? Two people might finish faster.”

“...”

Her constant apologies left me nowhere to put myself. Still, there were parts I truly could not manage alone, so I called her over and sat her down.

Advanced techniques were out of reach, so we had to develop even basic ones as far as possible to raise output. This was the next technology I had chosen.

“Hmm... if we search through local records, collect useful techniques, and compile them, we should be able to harvest far more grain. But it might be a bit much for just the two of us...”

“We’ll need help from the others, of course. I simply thought that drafting a plan in advance would make the actual work easier.”

Having over-invested in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Command, I was still useless for this. But if we added Sima Lang, Shang Lin, Lu Zhi, Jian Yong, and even Yu Bi, it should somehow be possible.

So we stayed up late into the night drafting the plan for developing the new technique. When Sima Lang’s eyelids began to droop, I suggested we call it a day.

“Young Master Do is always so full of drive. I’ve heard my father lecture endlessly about a ruler’s duties, yet I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as you.”

“Everyone works hard where no one can see them, I’m sure. Just look at yourself, Lady Sima—you worked all day and then sat through a meeting with me.”

“I’m grateful you see it that way. Still... um...”

“...?”

Sima Lang seemed to have something she wanted to say. She cleared her throat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠several times, as if the words were terribly difficult to bring out.

“Is there something you wish to say?”

“Um, well... you still use honorifics with me. I was wondering if you might call me a little more comfortably now.”

“For example?”

“For instance... calling me Baidal (my courtesy name)...”

“...”

Sima Lang turned her head away shyly, as if the mere suggestion embarrassed her. Well, once you grew close enough, that was the proper way to address someone.

But she was the eldest daughter of the prestigious Sima clan. If I casually used her courtesy name and Sima Yi happened to overhear, she would seize the chance to brand me an unmannered lout.

“C-calling you by your courtesy name feels a bit much... how about... Lady Sima?”

“I like it! Ah... I mean, I’m happy with whatever Young Master Do finds comfortable.”

She seemed quite pleased. In truth, “Lady Sima” and “Young Lady Sima” were both honorifics, yet somehow it felt as though I had defined her more precisely.

As a woman, rather than merely a person.

“Then I’ll take my leave first.”

Sima Lang left her farewell and departed. I was about to tidy the documents and head to bed myself when—

“Do Yeop...?”

“Huh? Lord Yu Bi, you’re still awake?”

Somehow Yu Bi had appeared again. She approached with empty, thoroughly shocked eyes and suddenly asked:

“Just now... how did you address Lady Sima Lang?”

“You heard that too? She said the titles felt too stiff, so I was trying a little change.”

“But why that particular title? ‘Lady Sima’? You have never once called me ‘Lady Yu,’ have you?”

“What is this... Lord Yu Bi is my lord. Who on earth addresses their own lord that way?”

“And before that? I have known Do Yeop far longer than Lady Sima Lang, yet you have always used only formal titles and never once called me affectionately.”

“To be honest, even calling someone by name without leave already feels far too familiar to me.”

In truth, even the “Lord So-and-so” form was wrong. In ancient China, freely using another’s given name was permitted only when you stood above them.

Thus “Lord Yu Bi” was as mismatched as “you-sir.” I had simply been clumsy with the culture and started with names from the beginning; once it stuck, everyone just wrote me off as a rude bastard and let it go.

“I refuse! I no longer wish to be called ‘Lord Yu Bi’ either!”

“Is that so? Then from now on I’ll address you properly as ‘My Lord.’”

“Ugh... that is not what I meant. H-Xuande. From this moment, please call me Xuande.”

“Please say something that makes sense. The instant I casually use Lord Yu Bi’s courtesy name, Guan Yu will try to take my head on the spot. Can’t we just compromise with ‘Lord Yu Bi’ as we have been?”

“This is truly too much... If you insist on acting this way, I have my own methods.”

“Pardon? What do you intend to do?”

“...”

Yu Bi gave no answer. She simply glared at me like a child whose candy had been stolen, then stuck out her lip in a full pout to display exactly how sulky she was, and stalked away.

What was she planning to do?