Xuanqing Guard-Chapter 46: Behind

After taking a hot bath and eating a bowl of hand-made noodles, he lay on his bed, feeling soft all over, and quickly fell asleep.

Outside the door, Xia Nu noticed her master seemed to have forgotten about punishing her for falling asleep on his bed without permission, and she let out a long sigh of relief, clutching her chest.

Although Xia Nu’s own bed was just as soft, for some reason she never found it as comfortable to sleep on as her master’s. It was as if... as if it lacked a certain scent.

She didn’t know what she thought of, but the little fox girl’s face blushed crimson.

...

Early in the morning, Shen Hao was jolted awake by the sound of drumming and gongs outside.

The first proper sleep in over half a month was thus disturbed, so Shen Hao wore a gloomy face as he turned over, got up, and went to see which bastard was making life hard for him.

But when Shen Hao came out, shrugging on his clothes, he saw Xia Nu running toward him with excitement all over her face, and because she couldn’t stop in time, she bumped right into him.

"What the hell are you doing!"

"S-s-sorry, Master!"

"What are you running for, acting so weird?"

Shen Hao was a bit pissed, though to be fair, the soft little fox girl bumping into him didn’t hurt at all and actually felt kind of nice. But whose servant acted this noisy all day long?

"M-master, no, it’s that outside the Government Office has sent lots of people to congratulate you with gongs and drums! Housekeeper Hu sent me to wake you up!"

In the blink of an eye, Xia Nu completely forgot about crashing into her master, delightfully relaying what was happening outside, and as she spoke, she pulled Shen Hao to wash up, deftly getting him ready and looking heroic.

"...You said it’s people from the Government Office? Congratulating me on what?"

"Master, you’ve been ennobled! A First-Grade Viscount!"

With that, Shen Hao finally understood what was going on. The bad mood from being awoken vanished, replaced by a strange joy and novelty.

He hadn’t expected that after more than eight years of life-or-death struggle, he’d finally made something of himself. Being ennobled meant he was now counted among the upper-tier of the country, even if it was just scraping into the bottom ranks of the elite—he was still elite.

He straightened his cyan shirt, put his hands behind his back, and headed toward the main room without needing Xia Nu to rush him.

In the main room, four people were already standing. Shen Hao had seen them before, but wasn’t really familiar. They were the Chief Officer, Deputy, Government Official, and Master from the Li City Government Office.

The four, seeing Shen Hao come out, hurriedly congratulated him with cupped fists, their faces plastered with smiles, looking even happier than Shen Hao as if they’d been ennobled themselves.

"Congratulations, Shen Zongqi, best wishes to Shen Zongqi!"

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

According to the Jingjiu Dynasty’s customs, when one holds both an official position and a noble title, the official position is used first, so they didn’t launch straight into calling him "Lord."

Then came a torrent of flattery. Compared to those folks in the Xuanqing Guard, the four local officials here were much better at the art of talking up to people. Their words were so flattering that even Shen Hao couldn’t help but feel a bit light-headed.

"You’re all too polite. Please, have a seat."

Shen Hao didn’t smile much. He no longer needed to smile at everyone he met.

Seeing Shen Hao’s lack of warmth, the four from the Government Office quickly toned down their words, thinking to themselves, "This Shen Zongqi is really not easy to get close to, tsk tsk, the evil qi around him is strong!"

Even though he wasn’t dressed in the Black Banner Battalion’s attire, Shen Hao’s natural majesty and aura were already unmistakable—he inspired awe even at home, not something ordinary people could meet his gaze over.

Not to mention, Shen Hao had just presided over the execution of over two hundred people at East Market yesterday. In the eyes of these officials, he was shrouded in a murderous aura.

"Shen Zongqi, this is your noble title certificate. There’s also a backup at the Government Office. If you lose it, you can get it reissued. Please keep it safe."

"Also, as per the Dynasty’s regulations for noble privileges, as a First-Grade Viscount, you may collect five hundred jin of grain and three bolts of fine silk from the Government Office each year. Additionally, there’s a monthly ten tael silver stipend for your household..."

The treatment for a First-Grade Viscount really was quite meager.

Of course, for most ordinary people—such as those who had crawled out of heaps of dead with military merit—such benefits were a source of joy. But for Shen Hao, well, he didn’t really care.

He listened patiently, then, not inviting the four to stay for a meal, simply served tea and saw them out.

It wasn’t that Shen Hao was ungracious, or stingy about one meal’s cost, but with his current sensitive position, he wasn’t allowed too much contact with local officials.

"Have Aunt Zhang make some soy-braised pig’s trotters and marinated peanuts. If there’s good wine, fill a jar. We won’t eat lunch at home—pack it to go."

"Huh? Pack to... Oh, okay! Yes, Master!" Xia Nu was very curious and wanted to ask, but when she saw the knife-like look in Shen Hao’s eyes, she could only lower her head and swallow her words.

Aunt Zhang was quick-handed: five braised pig trotters, a big bag of marinated peanuts, and she even made two jin of soy-braised beef, all packed into a huge lunch box, and a jar of five jin of Old Man’s Brew.

She worried that if Shen Hao had unexpected guests, there might not be enough food.

"Take the food box and come with me." Shen Hao grabbed the wine jar and had Xia Nu carry the lunch box after him.

As soon as they left, a black-canopied carriage pulled up, with a driver and a Warrior aboard. After the last assassination incident, Shen Hao had been forced to double his guards.

They went to Fushou Store to buy incense and paper money offerings.

"Go to Jiugong Mountain outside the city."

Jiugong Mountain was a burial ground twenty li from Li City—lush, scenic, and with excellent feng shui, or so it was said. But it was by no means easy to be interred there.

Jiugong Mountain was also called "Merit Mountain," for only those of merit could be buried there. For example, those who fell in battle for the Dynasty could get a memorial plot. Or government officials who died in the line of duty—naturally, including Xuanqing Guard members.

In the carriage, Xia Nu curiously peered out the window. Since coming to Li City, she’d never really gone out, nor did she know what Jiugong Mountain was. But the girl was observant. Seeing her master’s cold, closed eyes, she knew better than to disturb him.

After about half an hour, the carriage stopped, and Shen Hao took the wine and climbed up the mountain.

No guide was needed—Shen Hao had been here many times and knew that, near the right side of the summit, was the "reserved zone" for the Xuanqing Guard.

By habit, Shen Hao first burned a pile of paper offerings at the edge of the reserved area, bowed with cupped hands—a greeting to the Xuanqing Guard heroes buried within. Only then did he go in further.

There were quite a few new graves inside, most of whose names Shen Hao could call out.

The most recent grave was Old Xiao’s—Shen Hao’s previous coachman, who’d died in the attack half a month ago.

Shen Hao had come when Old Xiao was buried; he could still recall vividly how grief-stricken the atmosphere had been then.

Now Xia Nu understood why her master had come here, and was even more careful not to speak, focusing on laying out the food from the lunch box in front of several tombstones as Shen Hao requested.

Shen Hao himself lit incense and paper offerings, poured wine at every grave he knew, sipping a little himself after each pour, chatting occasionally as if the people in the graves were still alive.

Half the wine was poured out, half drunk. All the pig’s trotters went into Shen Hao’s stomach; he ate quite a bit of beef and peanuts too. The rest he divided among Xia Nu and his two guards.

They stayed until sunset, before Shen Hao collected himself and returned to the city.

Those who knew Shen Hao well were aware that, as for Jiugong Mountain, Shen Hao came at least once a month.