Women Who Want to Put on Makeup
Women Who Want to Put on Makeup
"I will take charge of the Qing Province region."
"Xu Province is my, Chen Deng's, homeland. If granted the opportunity, I will assuredly produce results."
Figures of the Pure Stream Faction scattered to every corner for the Yellow Turban Rebellion Suppression.
The scope of the Yellow Turbans' insurrection was so vast that those gathered here were to disperse across the Han Dynasty and wage simultaneous campaigns of subjugation.
And among those, the region He Jin personally considered most crucial.
There, fittingly, he decided to dispatch the two people he trusted the most.
"You mean Ji Province?"
"That is so. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, you shall go there and assist General Lu Zhi, who currently serves as General of the Household for the North."
"You mean General Lu Zhi?"
"Yes. Together with him, pacify Ji Province decisively. No matter how much I ponder it, there is truly no one I can entrust with this but the two of you."
General of the Household for the North Lu Zhi.
A man currently fighting a bloody war against the Yellow Turbans in Ji Province, their de facto stronghold.
Though not a person obsessed with factional power, he was counted among the Pure Stream Faction insofar as he was an upright figure who kept the Ten Regular Attendants at a distance.
Upon He Jin's order to assist this Lu Zhi in pacifying Ji Province, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao gladly bowed their heads in acceptance.
Winning their superior's trust and being given the most vital mission was clearly a good thing.
But beyond that, there was another reason they rejoiced at being dispatched to Ji Province.
'Gonglu will certainly come to Ji Province too...'
'A mission to strike the Yellow Turbans' stronghold. He commands a large army and is stationed in Henei, right next door. There's no reason to leave Gonglu out.'
Merits were merits, but what mattered most to them right now was reuniting with their little brother, who had been exiled to some remote corner.
Rejoicing that this could now happen naturally, they felt a surge of impatience to depart at once.
Their departure was interrupted before it could begin.
"G-General-in-Chief! A g-grave matter!"
A general rushed into the council chamber in alarm.
Puzzled, He Jin took the letter the man held out.
And then...
-BANG!!!
"Those fools!!"
"?"
"W-why, what is the matter, General?"
He Jin slammed the table in rage.
In the instantly chilled atmosphere, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao cautiously checked the contents of the letter He Jin had practically flung at them.
It was...
"Ah..."
"The Ten Regular Attendants... those sons of bitches, at it again!"
*
Xu Rong.
Having become a newly appointed Colonel in Yuan Shu's army, she lived each day in somewhat elated spirits.
Colonel was a rank effectively just below General.
A position commanding a 'division,' the sub-unit of the 'army' a General led.
By modern standards, it was a post equivalent to a major or colonel.
To think that a position of such considerable rank could be bestowed overnight on a junior soldier like herself from distant remote Liaodong.
Even if she had saved his life, General Yuan Shu's reward felt to Xu Rong more like an undeserved grace.
Xu Rong had come this far precisely to find a master worthy of her service.
She had striven to seize an opportunity to prove her merit, and when that moment finally came, she poured her entire being into demonstrating her worth.
And by that single act, she resolved to pledge her loyalty to the man who instantly recognized such effort and ability.
The man named Yuan Shu.
It was said that a scholar will die for one who knows his worth,
And a woman will adorn herself for the man who delights her.
Having at last met a lord worthy of giving her life for, and now able to serve him—this fact made every moment joy and happiness to her.
So today again, Xu Rong finished training the troops as a Colonel and headed back to her quarters.
At that moment.
"!"
A presence felt at her back.
Just as the always-chilling sensation began and she started to turn her head...
-Poof!
"Ugh..."
"Too slow!"
A lively voice rang out, accompanied by a now-familiar sensation.
She didn't even need to turn around and see a face to know who it was.
"Colonel Ji... what is it this time?"
"What do you think? Came to have a drink with my cute junior. You're free after this, right?"
"No, I'm not."
"Not free—who's lying now, when I'm the one who draws up the schedules?"
"Uhm..."
"Come on, let's go! You worked hard today too, so let's drink our fill."
Even among fellow Colonels, Ji Ling was the undisputed second-in-command of the army and the senior Colonel.
She wasn't a bad person... no, to be honest, she was a very good person, but this attitude of clinging so unreservedly made even Xu Rong, a woman herself, feel somewhat burdened.
Especially that part concerning feminine pride, which was a size larger than her own, currently pressing against Xu Rong's shoulder.
"Colonel... you're heavy."
"Oh please, you swing a greatsword weighing several dozen jin with one hand, how heavy could a couple lumps of flesh be?"
"Hah..."
Ji Ling spoke with a smile so brilliant it seemed to shine.
Yet apart from this burden, Xu Rong's feelings toward the person Ji Ling were undeniably favorable.
The work of a Colonel required attending not only to personal martial prowess but to managing the soldiers as well.
And since Ji Ling was giving her a great deal of help in performing that smoothly even now, Xu Rong felt sincerely grateful for it.
Besides, being looked after as a junior after work like this wasn't so bad either—apart from the slight fatigue it caused.
"Here, here, take a cup. This older sister poured it for you, so drink it all down in one go~"
Wondering as always how she procured all this, Xu Rong downed the drink Ji Ling offered.
Its deep aroma and smooth finish let even Xu Rong, unaccustomed to such things, tell that it was a remarkably fine vintage.
Ji Ling again filled the cup to the brim with the good liquor, its provenance dubious in many ways.
One cup, two cups. Watching Ji Ling grow steadily tipsier, Xu Rong too began to feel slightly lightheaded.
"So... have you gotten used to it? Managing and ordering around your subordinates, I mean."
"Yes, though it's still more awkward than fighting directly on the front lines, I've more or less gotten the hang of it thanks to you, Colonel."
"Hehe... that's kind of you to say?"
"The carrot and the stick... was that the method? It really did help quite a lot."
"Right. And I told you, balancing those two well is the basics of a superior commander."
"But, Colonel, there is something I've been curious about for a while."
"What is it?"
"What exactly is this... carrot?"
"Hmm... our lord says it's a type of vegetable... but I've never actually seen one either. Well... unlike us, our lord is a scion of the Yuan Clan, so it's probably the name of some precious vegetable we don't know about."
"I see... a vegetable. Never seen one of those back in Liaodong either. If I get the chance, I'd like to taste it sometime. If it's used in a metaphor like this, it must be quite delicious, yes?"
"I think so too. I heard it makes a crisp, crunchy sound when you chew it... somehow sounds like it would go well as a drinking snack."
Not quite drunk, but a pleasant buzz just right for sharing idle talk.
Setting down her gourd of liquor, Ji Ling showed a warm smile, as she usually did.
"Well, anyway... it wasn't easy for me either when I first started working as a Colonel. When I was our lord's personal guard, I only had to mind him. Then suddenly one day I had to handle subordinates, and I struggled for a good while. If our lord hadn't helped, I'd probably still be fumbling around."
"Remarkable... you as well, Colonel, but the more I learn about the General, the more extraordinary he seems."
As she spoke, Xu Rong smiled softly, recalling the man's—Yuan Shu's—image.
A man who, despite being born into a noble house, possessed an approachability that put others at ease.
And who also had outstanding ability and insight,
and was even so handsome one could fall for him at a single glance.
Though it hadn't been long since she caught his eye, the person Xu Rong had continuously observed since her days as a common soldier, Yuan Shu, gave her the sense of seeing a hero straight out of legend in the flesh.
At that moment.
"Right... he truly is extraordinary. Almost too much for a wretch like me to serve up close."
"..."
In the awkward silence that followed those words, a certain emotion began to tinge Ji Ling's face.
Xu Rong didn't press for details,
but even so, she could tell that this emotion didn't suit Ji Ling, who was normally as bright as the sun.
And she knew that this was by no means someone else's story alone...
"... Tch... maybe I drank too much? Suddenly starting to feel a bit gloomy."
"It's because you're getting old."
"What? I just turned twenty? We're barely two years apart."
"Twenty and still without a spouse—isn't that a bit late?"
"Haha... hey, if you put it like that, what about an old maid past thirty who still hasn't found a match?"
"Hmm, now that I think of it..."
One person naturally came to mind the moment talk of marriage surfaced.
Someone Xu Rong had once intended to serve as a liege, but now that she had found another master, felt unsettled by in a somewhat different sense.
Recalling that woman's face, and a pair of fearsome assets even larger than her face,
Xu Rong reflexively stared at what hung before her own chest.
Still, it was enough not to be called terribly small,
yet compared to that woman, and to Ji Ling right before her eyes, it was no contest. She had the feeling this place was somehow full of monsters.
However, just as meager weaponry meant lower chances of victory, war itself more often demanded fighting at a disadvantage.
Xu Rong knew well that, for the sake of victory, there were times you had to stake everything and advance even on slim odds.
Steeling her resolve in her own way, Xu Rong pressed firmly against her own chest, which for some reason felt especially modest today.
Though she could not help feeling envious all the same.
'Still... I won't lose... Someday, I'll adorn myself for him...'
At that moment.
"Colonel!"
"What, at this hour..."
"What's the matter?"
"I think you need to come out right this moment."
"..."
"Haah... fuck..."
A wave of irritation hit them, and both Xu Rong and Ji Ling scowled.
"Hey, can't you see we're off duty? Unless another Imperial Edict flew in from His Majesty, don't call us."
"Th-that is precisely it."
"What?"
"An Imperial Edict has arrived. From His Majesty the Emperor."
"..."
Words that instantly sobered away the tipsy buzz.
Ji Ling and Xu Rong could only stare blank-faced for a moment.
"Wait... has this damn Emperor got nothing better to do? Why is he playing edict-dispatch every time he gets bored?"
*
A sudden Imperial Edict arriving late at night.
Unlike before, what made this one especially irritating was that it had to grace us right when we were off duty and resting.
But what could we do? In a world with no Labor Standards Act, if they say jump, you jump.
In the end, Dong Zhuo, myself, and the other subordinates all forcibly swallowed every word we wanted to say, assembled before the Imperial Envoy, and offered formal courtesies.
The contents that then reached our ears.
As somewhat expected, it was a commendation for our recent victory.
The problem was, this commendation...
"Esteeming your merits highly, by His Majesty the Emperor's will, Yuan Shu is hereby appointed General Who Conquers the North, and Dong Zhuo, Governor of Hedong, is appointed General of the Household for the North."
"!?"