Chapter 267.2: Hello Chang'an
Chapter 267.2: General Ningyuan
But when she looked toward her homeland, it still hurt.
Ah Dian held back his tears, leaned closer to her, and took her hands, blowing on them gently.
After her hands, he moved on to blow on her forehead and head.
The air he exhaled was strong, each puff seeming to carry all the effort of trying to blow away her pain.
Chang Suining’s temple hairs puffed up under his careful blowing.
“Feeling better now?”
“All better,” Chang Suining smiled softly. “Not hurting at all.”
Back in her homeland, seeing her old friends, the pain was gone.
Ah Dian was much relieved. He poured her a cup of hot tea and handed it to her, as if she had truly just returned from a long journey.
After she drank, Ah Dian thought of a crucial question: “Your Highness, now that you’ve become Xiao Ah Li, what about the real Ah Li? Where did she go?”
Chang Suining answered seriously: “Ah Li, like me, will take a new form after a long journey. If fate allows, we will meet again someday.”
“I see…” Ah Dian thought hard, then said, “Then I’ll definitely recognize her when that time comes!”
“Then this task shall be entrusted to you.”
Ah Dian patted his chest: “Your Highness, you can rest assured!”
Chang Suining nodded with a smile.
If possible, she truly hoped for that day to come.
Ah Dian was no longer sleepy. He obediently knelt before her, saying “Your Highness” repeatedly, the words never ending.
Finally, Chang Suining instructed him: “From now on, outside, you must not call me ‘Your Highness.’”
“Why?” Ah Dian asked, puzzled.
“Because this is my greatest secret,” Chang Suining said succinctly. “If bad people learn this secret, they will capture me and burn me as a monster.”
Scaring children was her forte.
Ah Dian was truly alarmed: “Your Highness is not a monster!”
“Then what should you call me in the future?”
“Y…your Highness…” Ah Dian covered his mouth, then hurriedly corrected himself: “Xiao Ah Li!”
“Good boy, Ah Dian.”
Chang Suining smiled, patting the top of his head.
Receiving this long-awaited praise, Ah Dian was extremely happy and satisfied. If he had a tail, it would surely wag to the heavens.
Next, his thoughts focused on one matter—
“Your Highness, now there’s no one else around… can I call you ‘Your Highness’? Being a little girl, is it uncomfortable?”
“Is it fun being a little girl?”
“Can you make me a little girl too?”
Then the topic gradually wandered: “Little girls can have babies. Can they have kittens too? If I became a little girl, could I have several kittens? What color would they be?”
“…” Chang Suining’s tone was troubled. “Well… as the saying goes, every profession is a world apart…”
“…”
As dawn approached, Chang Suining finally left Ah Dian’s tent.
Xi’er and Ah Che, stationed outside by orders, greeted her.
Hearing that Ah Dian had just gone to sleep, Xi’er sighed: “General Dian really has remarkable energy.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve,” Chang Suining yawned. “Children always like to stay up for the eve.”
Chang Suining returned to her own tent and slept until nearly noon.
Just after washing and dressing, she heard a commotion outside. Soon, Ah Zhi entered: “Miss, a messenger from the capital has arrived with an imperial edict.”
This messenger, who had departed from the capital before the New Year, had caught up just in time, arriving at the camp on the first day of the new year.
The imperial edict was to praise and bestow honors upon Chang Kuo and his daughter, as well as the soldiers under their command, for their merits.
Though the campaign against Xu Zhengye had not yet concluded, Chang Kuo’s earlier rescue of Hezhou and suppression of Li Yi’s rebellion were deeds deserving of reward.
The edict highly praised Chang Kuo and his daughter, Chang Suining, for their loyalty and valor, granting them gold, silver, jewels, and estates, already sent to the capital to the Cavalry General’s mansion.
Chang Kuo, feeling slightly disappointed, thought: why not send them here as well? After all, the capital is a nest of tigers; whether we can return safely is uncertain.
With this simple thought, he gave a modest evaluation: the reward lacked sincerity.
Besides verbal praise and gold and silver, the most anticipated part was the title.
The eunuch messenger continued to loudly read aloud:
“…Cavalry General Chang Kuo’s daughter, Chang Suining, defended Hezhou, slew the leaders under Xu Zhengye, later executed the rebel Li Yi. Though a woman, she is an extraordinary talent, her abilities manifest in this world—a sign of Heaven’s favor for Da Sheng. I, following the will of Heaven, exceptionally confer upon you the title of General of Ningyuan, with the salary of a fifth-rank general. May you follow your father to accomplish more meritorious deeds, defeat the Xu forces, and protect Da Sheng’s territories. I await your triumphant return in the capital—”
The eunuch finished with the two words “By Imperial Command,” smiling at Chang Suining: “General of Ningyuan, receive the edict.”
Amid the silent, expectant gaze of all the soldiers, the young girl clasped her hands and bowed.
“I, Chang Suining, humbly thank Your Majesty for your grace.”
The eunuch handed her the edict with both hands, smiling: “Miss Chang is Da Sheng’s first female fifth-rank general. In the future, you will surely achieve further extraordinary deeds…”
Chang Suining accepted it: “Thank you for your kind words, Sir Eunuch.”
The eunuch nodded to her, then approached Chang Kuo, bowing: “The Emperor has a few words not included in the edict, which I am instructed to convey privately to General Chang…”
Seeing that “privately” did not mean avoiding the crowd, Chang Kuo spoke straightforwardly: “Please do tell us, Sir Eunuch.”
Ning Ning is now officially an officer… so everyone, do you have your votes ready? Let’s celebrate a bit, hehe!
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