In the third winter after the Wasoku had invaded the Midlands, Zhou Aichen, nearly two years old, had already begun to babble. Yang Aichen often spent time with him, playing tricks and keeping him entertained. His favorit game was feeding Aichen, one spoonful for his younger brother and one for himself. Mrs. Guan, well aware of his little scheme, would indulge him by serving extra food. Yang Zichun, protective and caring, often crafted small wooden toys for Aichen with his limited knife skills. Despite their simplicity, these toys brought immense joy to the younger child with his meager possessions, fostering a deep dependency on his older brother. Aichen clung to Yang Zichun daily. They played together, shared meals at the same table and even slept in the same bed. Sometimes, even Zhou Di had to step aside, quietly marvelling at the harmony between the two children, sight that filled him with you.
One day, Guan Yunkai and his wife went to the ration station to collect supplies for their family of three and a half members. As they walked into the shop, Guan Yunkai hurriedly pulled Zhou Di aside, speaking in a hushed tone:
"Zhou Di, I just heard a rumor on the street. It seems Yang Chen has been arrested by the Wasoku."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Di froze in shock and exclaimed:
"What? It is impossible. It must be a rumor. How could he have been arrested?"
Guan Yunkai replied, his voice low and serious:
"I thought the same, but everyone on the street is saying this."
Zhou Di nervously glanced at Yang Zichun who was playing with Zhou Aichen nearby and muttered:
"Don't tell Chun'er. Let's wait and see what is really going on."
Guan Yunkai chuckled and remarked:
"He really is Yang Chen's son."
Zhou Di grabbed Guan Yunkai firmly and said in a threatening tone:
"If you dare to say a word, I will kill you. Don't underestimate me what I don't dare to do anything. If you push me too far, I dare to throw caution to the wind."
Guan Yunkai gently freed himself from Zhou Di's grip and replied seriously:
"My brother, don't worry. I am also a citizen of the Midlands and a person of conscience."
Later that night, after the children had fallen asleep, Zhou Di crawled through the hidding passageway, intending to go to the former Cultural Relics Bureau, no, now it was Wasoku Garrsion Headquarters in Yucheng. He wanted to find out whether Yang Chen had truly been arrested. But to his surprise, the small door there wouldn't budge as if something heavy were blocking the door. Frustrated, he hung the door's hook back in place and went back to his home, his heart weighed down by uneasy and unsure of what to do. As he gazed at Yang Zichun's sleeping face, his tears steamed down his cheeks in silent, feeling waves of heartache. He buried his face in the pillow, crying softly, whispering:
"Chen Ge, Chen Ge, it can't be you, right? I'm so scared, so scared. If it's really you, what will I do? What about Chun'er? Chen Ge, I miss you so much."
After a restless night of tossing and turning, Zhou Di made the difficult decision to tell Yang Zichun about his father's situation. The next morning after breakfast, he said to Yang Zichun:
"Chun'er, you are a smart and mature child now. There is something Pa doesn't want to hide from you, but I don't know how to tell you." His voice wavered, and his eyes filled with tears as the pain in his heart struck once more. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "There's a rumor going around that your father, Yang Chen, has been arrested by the Wasoku people."
Yang Zichun was stunned upon hearing this, standing motionless for a moment before bursting into tears. He threw himself into Zhou Di's arms, sobbing:
"No, it can't be true, right, Pa? No, my dad couldn't have been arrested, right? Pa, my dad couldn't be arrested."
Seeing Zhou Di and Yang Zichun crying, Zhou Aichen, who had been smiling sweetly, also began to cry. Staggering over, he threw himself into Zhou Di's arms, clutching Zhou Di's arm with one hand and embracing Yang Zichun with the other, crying out:
"Pa, bro."
Zhou Di held the two children tightly, his arms wrapped around them as the three of them cried together for a long time. Finally, Zhou Di wiped his tears away and gently said to Yang Zichun:
"My boy, besides Mr. Guan and me, no one knows your true identity. You have to endure it when you're outside. Do you understand? I know it is very difficult for you, espcially since you are still a child, but you have to endure it no matter what happens. Don't show any emotion outside or let anyone suspect who you are no matter whether it is your father or not. Pa is always here to protect you." He continued, his voice steady despite the weight of his words, "I promise, if there is a chance, I will send you back to Qudu. Do you understand? But for now, you need to be strong. If you want to cry, do it at home but don't cry outside, Okay? Be obedient no matter what is going on. Remember, Pa always protects you. Do you understand?"
Zhou Di was at a loss for how to comfort Yang Zichun. Before he could say anything, Yang Zichun had already grabbed Zhou Aichen and rushed upstairs. Lying on the bed, he burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs. Zhou Aichen, sensing his brother's distress, hugged Yang Zichun tightly in return. He cried along with Yang Zichun, kissed him on the cheek repeatedly and patted him on the back with his small hand, imitating the way Yang Zichun often comforted him to sleep, and wiped the tears from Yang Zichun's face. While crying, Yang Zichun kissed Zhou Aichen on his chubby cheek and hugged him tightly in his arms, finding solace in the little boy's warmth.
The entire day, Yang Zichun remained noticeably quiet. He sat in the corner, simply polishing a small cylinder with focused intensity. Zhou Aichen, understanding that his elder brother was upset, quietly clung to Zichun's waist, leaning against his leg. Yang Zichun lowered his head to kiss Zhou Aichen on his forehead when Zhou Aichen occasionally rubbed his head against Yang Zichun's leg. For Zhou Aichen, this kiss meant that his elder brother was happy at this moment. Zhou Di, meanwhile, worked on repairing a jade Budda for An Yuanxi, his attention divided between his task and discreetly monitoring Yang Zichun's mood. He occasionally smiled at the children interactions but often sighed deeply, weighed down by worry. Nearby, Guan Yunkai was painting one of his traditional Chinese artworks. Everyone remained speechless. No one spoke or interacted with each other. It was a day spent in a somber atmosphere.
The next day, the subdued atmosphere lingered as everyone resumed their tasks. Mrs Guan stood in front of the shop, now displaying not only jade but also Guan Yunkai's calligraphy and paintings. Despite the challenges of the past nearly three years, the shop's modest success had been enough to sustain their livelihoods. Suddenly, a voice from outside broke the quiet:
"Parade! Come and see. That Young Marshal is being paraded through the street."
Mrs. Guan went outside in a hurry and asked:
"Who is being paraded through the street?"
"It seems to be that Young Marshal."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Guan hurriedly went back to the workshop and said:
"Young Marshal is being paraded through the street."
Zhou Di quickly grabbed Yang Zichun's hand and rushed outside, with Zhou Aichen wobbling behind. Guan Yunkai scooped up Zhou Aichen and followed them. They pushed their way into the crowd, where Zhou Di nervously held onto Yang Zichun's hand, hugging him tightly. Yang Zichun, with tears welling in his eyes, also leaned against Zhou Di anxiously. In the distance, a young man appeared, shackled and covered in bruises, walking slowly forward. There was a sign hanging from his back, which read: "Bandit Leader Yang Chen".
Yang Zichun stared at him with wide-open eyes in shock. He couldn't help but was stunned and was about to speak something but Zhou Di quickly covered his mouth. The young man, spotting Yang Zichun, seemed to recognize Yang Zichun, giving him a relieved smile and then proclaiming loudly:
"My people, don't be afraid. Our Yang's armies are on their way to here soon. We will make the Wasoku pay for their blood debt. Though I, Yang Chen, may perish, many more like me are fighting to free us from these Wasoku bastards."
He continued smiling, occasionally glancing toward Yang Zichun as he slowly walked past, shouting slogans from time to time. Zhou Di, visibly shaken, hurriedly pulled Yang Zichun back to the workshop. Once inside, he whispered in a hushed tone:
"Do you know him?"
Yang Zichun nodded, his voice trembling:
"Yes, I've seen him before. He's one of my father's subordinates, but I don't remember his name."
At that moment, Guan Yunkai walked in, holding Zhou Aichen in his arms and remarked:
"It's not the Young Marshal. It seems those Wasoku bastard made a mistake."
Yang Zichun immediately threw himself into Zhou Di's arms and Zhou Di hugged him tightly. Both of them began crying tears of relief. Yang Zichun whispered into Zhou Di's ear with a trembling voice:
"It's not Dad. It's not Dad."
Zhou Di, his voice equally tearful, replied:
"Yes, it's not your Dad. It's not Chen Ge."
Yang Chen, who was wrapped with bandages on his head and his arms, looked at all of the officers standing in front of him and asked:
Meanwhile, Yang Chen, his head and arms wrapped in bandages, stood in a room surround by officers. He glanced at them sharply and asked:
"Well, what's the situation?"
One officer stepped forward and responded:
"Fang Yu has been captured under your name. We have lost approximately 100 soldiers, with more than 200 seriously injured."
Upon hearing this, Yang Chen's expression darkened. Saddened by the news, particularly Fang Yu's capture, he asked in a low voice:
"How is Adjutant Yang?"
"He is still unconscious and the doctor is still operating on him."
Yang Chen's brow furrowed:
"What about our main troops? How are they holding up?"
"Commander Zhu has completely annihilated Takayama Otto's main force. Takayama Otto only managed to retreat with fewer than 1,000 soldiers to Yichun. Captain Zhao has also destroyed An Yuanxi's vanguard."
Yang Chen nodded grimly and issued his next command:
"Instruct the Service Department to distribute pensions and rewards generously to the families of fallen soldiers. Make sure their families are well taken care of."
"Yes, Young Marshal."
Yang Chen smiled and remarked:
"It seems our mission to divert An Yuanxi's main force has exceeded expectations. Our next target is to advance towards Yucheng. That's An Yuanxi's stronghold. I'll make sure this butcher has nowhere to hide."
As he spoke, Yang Chen leaned over the map, studying the location of Yucheng. In his heart, he thought: Dizi, wait for me. I'll be back soon.
He straightened up and issued commands:
"Xinde, give the orders to Captain Zhao, let him move here and block all routes to the sea. Don't let a single Wasoku people escape to the coast. Also, inform Wang Lei to continue targeting and sinking Wasoku warship at sea."
At this moment, the phone rang:
"Young Marshal, the Grand Marshal is on the line."
"Pass it to me."
Yang Tianhu's anxious voice came through the line:
"Chen'er, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Tell mom not to worry about me."
"You know, the news here is that you have been captured by the Wasoku people. I just read the battle report. If you dare to pull a stunt like this again, I will order you come back to Qudu. You dared to face nearly a division of the Wasoku troops with just a regiment with you. If the reinforcements hadn't arrived in time, maybe you..."
Yang Chen interrupted:
"Dad, I'm fine. We were fully prepared and took advantage of the terrain. Apart from the regiment, my personal guard also took part in this battle, with about 200 soldiers."
"Are you injured? How is Zaihua? Is he injured?"
"I'm fine. Zaihua is seriously injured and still undergoing surgery. Please don't tell Uncle Yang. I will check on his operation after I finish my tasks here."
"What is your next step?"
"I'll have Commander Zhu and his troops take a rest. Now I will start preparations to attack Yucheng. Once we are in charge of Yucheng, the Wasoku people won't be able to retreat by sea so the only option left for them to escape will be by land, which means they have to retreat overland to the north."
"Chief-of-staff Sun, Feng Quan'an and Chen Shuyu are also proceeding eastward in an orderly manner. The western region has been completely liberated and now they are entangled in the central region within the Chen family territory, where Wasoku army has been deployed there, along with Chen Shubing's troops. It's proving more challenging for them there than in the west. I'm continuing to send various military supplies to them from here. Of course my troops are also advancing to the northern."
"Dad, there are also some main troops of Wasoku's army in your region. It's not easy for your troops to move north. So, Dad, please take care of yourself. And is everything okay at home?"
Yang Tianhu sighed and said:
"Your mother is in turmoil, worse yesterday and better today. I think the main concern is to worry about all of you, especially with no news from Hu Suqiao and Chun'er. Lady Xu's health is deteriorating. Lady Liu and Jing's wife are taking care of them. Sometimes Sihua helps out at home when she has time. Sanhua has been focused on reconstruction in the liberated areas so she has no time to go home. That is the situation at home so you don't need to worry a lot."
"Dad, don't let Sanhua work too hard. Let her come home more often to be with Mom Xu and comfort her. In addition, I want Zaihua to go home too. He is only one son of Uncle Yang's. If anything were to happen to him, we would weigh heavily on Uncle Yang's whole family."
"I do think so. It would be better for me to issue this order to them. If it is you, I don't think they will follow your order, especially your Uncle Yang. All of them want to protect you and Yang Yang, even at the cost of their lives, especially after Zheng's death. Tianying has exhorted Yang Yang's bodyguard repeatedly to ensure his safety."
"Is Yang Yang doing well under Zhang Jin?"
Yang Tianhu replied:
"He is still too young and lacks the ability to do much more. Of course he complained to me that Zhang Jin made him a squad leader with 12 soldiers, all of whom are there to protect him. He would rather be a regular soldier in another squad than being a squad leader. So I reminded him that as a squad learder, he has a responsibility to protect his own soldiers, train them effectively and improve himself. It was also his responsibility to minimize casualties in his squard. He's improving a bit better now."
When Yang Tianhu said this, he couldn't help but smile. Yang Chen responded with a smile:
"Yang Yang is growing up indeed. I am glad to hear that my younger siblings are maturing."
"Yes, I am proud of all of you. Chen'er, I'm still worry about Chun'er. It has been nearly three years without any news from Suqiao and Chun'er."
"Dad, please don't mention it anymore. It makes me.... Please, don't bring it up anymore."
Tears welled up in Yang Chen's eyes as he spoke.