Po Sanniang (1)
Comforted by Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei remained for the time being at Baidi City.
It was less illness than sheer mental exhaustion that held him there.
One way or another, most of the generals who took part in the great battle at Yiling will be pulled from their key posts.
Zhuge Liang was exacting in both public and private affairs. How else could a man strip himself of rank after a northern campaign that had not even been his fault?
Someone had to answer for the defeat—and one could hardly hold a newly founded state's emperor to account. Liu Bei might have blundered as sovereign, yet so long as Feng Xi and the other commanders had returned alive, most of them would still face demotion. Feng Xi, as chief commander, bore the heaviest burden of all; he might even be stripped of office entirely.
Of course, talent is scarce and the true cause of the defeat lies with Liu Bei, so they'll reinstate them soon enough.
I returned to Chengdu a step ahead. Guan Xing had urged it—now that he was known to be alive, I ought to show my face to the family.
They must have been worried sick, true enough.
Family once believed dead in Jing Province had miraculously come home.
But we never sent so much as a word. How wounded must they feel?
I had poured everything into stopping the disaster at Yiling and paid almost no mind to personal ties. Accepting that, I set out for home with Guan Xing. My fiancée, Po Sanniang, fell in behind me without a word.
…The family of Guan Yu.
According to Guan Xing, our mother had fallen ill after Father's death and passed away before the campaign at Yiling. Apart from the servants and household retainers, only two of us remained at the house now.
That aside—
Every time we passed along the road, women turned their eyes our way. At first I thought I was imagining it, yet whenever my gaze met theirs, their cheeks flushed pink. When I tried not to look at all, the stares only grew more blatant. The weight of all that attention settled on me like a burden.
…Guan Suo, you bastard.
No wonder every other person called him a pretty-boy gigolo. Just as in the setting of Hua Guansuo Zhuan, he was an alpha male—and every other man's natural enemy. Jealous glares from men and open favor from women fell on me in equal measure. I was only riding along the street, yet the sheer volume of eyes made me uneasy.
I have heard more than enough about Guan Suo's reputation on the way here.
A gifted martial talent who also delighted in the company of women—a wastrel. That was the common talk. He had never quite sunk to the level of a lecherous scion of a powerful clan, yet wherever Guan Suo set foot, romantic scandals followed. Compared with Guan Xing, who was praised as a man of real ability, the judgment on him was rather harsh.
…And since the novel Hua Guansuo Zhuan is mostly that sort of story, the talk isn't wrong.
It reminded me of those noble-house romances that thronged the web-novel shelves.
"…Mm."
Po Sanniang made no secret of her discomfort. She rode forward until her horse was level with mine, deliberately cutting off the women's line of sight. A few of them sighed in open disappointment. With her at my side, the stares thinned a little.
"Ah—thanks."
"There's nothing to apologize for, Nanggun."
Jealousy sharpened her tone just a fraction.
"It would be stranger if women didn't flock to a hero. I'll simply have to endure it."
At her words I ran through the background Guan Suo carried. Founding meritorious family of Shu, blood of Guan Yu. Looks striking enough to earn the name Hwa Gwan-saek—Flower Guan Suo. Martial talent inherited from his father. Of course he was popular with the opposite sex. And after saving Liu Bei from crisis, Guan Suo's stock had only risen further.
"…And part of it is my own doing."
"…What?"
"It's nothing. Having so fine a lord at my side, a few cold looks are only natural."
She smiled with a half-resigned air.
…Why does Po Sanniang follow me so faithfully?
Riding along, I found myself curious about her. She had followed me into a battlefield where death was all too real, without a moment's hesitation.
She is a military officer herself, so of course she might come.
Yet there had been orders she could not have understood from her position—like the false report meant to warn of the fire attack. Even so, she had obeyed simply because I asked.
I should speak with her honestly sometime.
I wondered why a woman so devoted remained only a fiancée.
"We've arrived. This is the residence His Majesty bestowed."
The character for Guan hung on the plaque above the gate. A vast estate with its own martial training ground—an enormous home.
Liu Bei must have granted this to Guan Yu's family.
Thinking that, I stepped inside—
"Elder brother—!!"
Someone cried out at the top of her lungs and came running.
Thud!
The girl launched herself like a rocket straight into my midsection. The force of the collision was no joke.
"Guh—!"
A dull impact drove me backward; for a moment my vision swam. Off balance, I toppled and hit the ground hard on my back. Still reeling from the sudden assault, I looked up at her.
"You're safe!!"
A girl in her mid-teens with the same blue-black hair as mine clung to me, sobbing aloud. I cast a bewildered glance around, but no one else seemed the least bit concerned.
"Hic—I was so worried! Why didn't you send us word?!"
Tears brimmed in her eyes as she buried her face against my chest.
…This girl?
Fragments of Guan Suo's memories had already leaked into me; her face felt oddly familiar. I looked to Po Sanniang—her expression, so recently troubled, was now perfectly flat. The girl had called me elder brother. I knew at once who she was.
"Yinping?"
"Yes, Elder Brother!"
The girl called Yinping answered with a bright, lively smile.
Guan Yu had four children: three sons and one daughter. She was the sole daughter of the Guan household—Guan Yinping. Unlike the fictional Guan Suo, she had truly existed. Sun Quan had once proposed a marriage alliance, offering to wed their children to each other. Guan Yu's reply was recorded thus:
—How could I give a tiger cub to a dog's pup!!
Hearing that, Sun Quan flew into a rage, and the rift between them only deepened.
At the time I thought Father had been far too arrogant…
I studied Guan Yinping's face carefully.
Seeing her in person, I understand how he felt.
If I had a daughter this pretty, wouldn't I brand any man who tried to take her a thief? Thinking of doting fathers everywhere, Guan Yu's position made perfect sense.
"I'm so glad you're safe."
Guan Yinping pulled back from my chest and wiped the tears from her eyes. Tears and snot had soaked my clothes thoroughly. I felt no anger. Family was supposed to worry.
She's lovely, and she fretted over me—how could I be angry?
The smile that broke through her tears was truly beautiful. But when I told her I had struck my head and lost some of my memories, shock flooded her face. According to her, of all the siblings, she and Guan Suo had been especially close. Their ages were nearer than the others', and Guan Suo had doted on her.
"Then… is your head all right now?"
"Yes, it is."
"Then I'll have to teach you everything you've forgotten."
"Yinping, I have official duties. If there is anything Guan Suo does not know, instruct him."
"Yes! Leave it to me!!"
Toward Guan Xing she was every bit the proper younger sister. He delivered me home and then left for the palace to attend to business.
"You treat me and Elder Brother rather differently."
The contrast in her manner was so sharp I had to ask.
"Well, of course—Elder Brother Anguo is the head of the family now. We can't afford to embarrass ourselves in front of guests."
Guan Yinping took me through the house, pointing out every corner. After the battlefield, the sight of such an innocent child felt healing.
…Though she is draining my energy at an alarming rate.
I simply could not match Guan Yinping's tempo.
"…But Sister Sanniang—aren't you leaving? It's getting late."
Unlike the tone she used with me, a faint edge of displeasure crept into her voice.
"I haven't moved my household yet, and I have nowhere else to stay."
"Couldn't you lodge with the military office?"
At that, Po Sanniang smiled sweetly and turned to me.
"Nanggun, if it would not be an imposition… may I stay here?"
"Go ahead."
She had helped me countless times on the field; I agreed without a second thought. Beside me, Guan Yinping shot me a sharp look.
…Because I gave permission on my own?
"Thank you! Then—may I sleep in Nanggun's room with him?"
"Uh, that would be…"
"Absolutely not."
Guan Yinping cut me off, cheeks puffed out in refusal.
"Our house is large and full of empty rooms. It would be far better if you rested comfortably in one of those."
"We're engaged. Surely sharing a room is fine?"
"Not while I'm here. I manage this household, after all."
What on earth was this?
Where she treated me with gentle affection, Guan Yinping clearly kept Po Sanniang at arm's length. A subtle war of nerves crackled between them.
…What is their relationship, exactly?
If they were engaged, shouldn't the family get along? Knowing nothing of their history, I could only watch in confusion.
After a brief standoff, Po Sanniang yielded and agreed to take an empty room. Guan Yinping promptly assigned her one as far from Guan Suo's chambers as the house allowed.