Futile Devices Scans

Chen Lu returned to face Envoy Li alone with fear and trembling. Fortunately, Brother Wuzhi never lied to him. Envoy Li was quite a good person and did not make things difficult for him in the slightest.

Only after speaking with Envoy Li face-to-face for a while did Chen Lu realize that not only was he young, but his gaze was clear and his temperament appeared extremely innocent.

Tsk, tsk. Judging by how he had clung to Commander Zhang while drunk, Envoy Li must have fallen for Commander Zhang first and taken the initiative to court him. Just like Chen Lu, he was a little fellow with grand ambitions!

Were Envoy Li not so cold and difficult to approach, Chen Lu would truly have liked to ask him for advice on how he had managed to cling to Commander Zhang until the man became his.

–

Over the next several days, everyone was once again occupied with official business. Chen Lu buried his little thoughts at the bottom of the chest once more.

Several days later, Young General She was pursued into the abandoned fortress by the Xiao troops from Tianmen Pass. Commander Zhang and Envoy Li rescued General She, while Liu Wu went to meet them—and once again witnessed Commander Zhang lifting Envoy Li into his arms as though no one else were present…

Liu Wu: “…”

–

Early the next morning, Liu Wu was once again standing in the county yamen’s side courtyard in a daze.

Chen Lu had not been on duty the previous night, so he had not slept in the clerks’ office but returned home to accompany his parents. In recent days, his father had learned that a Commander Zhang had arrived, driven the incompetent County Magistrate from power, and brought the situation in Ant County under control. His heart had settled considerably, and even his chronic cough had improved somewhat. Since his father was feeling better, Chen Lu was in excellent spirits. He served him breakfast early that morning, helped his mother sweep and wash the courtyard, then skipped toward the county yamen with his little book case on his back.

At a glance, he once again saw Brother Wuzhi picking at his saber hilt in the side courtyard. He called happily, “Brother Wuzhi! Were you looking for me? I wasn’t on duty last night, so I didn’t sleep here.”

Liu Wu had hidden there precisely because he knew Chen Lu was absent. Upon suddenly hearing his voice, he immediately assumed an expression of upright righteousness. “Ahem. You’re here. I… was looking for you. That is… I wanted to tell you that a General She arrived last night.”

The two colleagues stood in the courtyard while Liu Wu recounted in detail how they had rescued General She the previous night. Chen Lu listened with mounting tension.

“So you were summoned from home last night as well?” Chen Lu asked. “I can’t believe I slept so soundly that I didn’t hear anything happening next door. From now on, even when I’m not on duty, I should sleep in the clerks’ office so I won’t delay important matters.”

“Sleep properly at home,” Liu Wu said. “You aren’t needed for all that fighting and killing.”

Chen Lu froze and immediately felt somewhat dejected. It was true that he could not help with fighting and killing. Unlike Commander Zhang and Envoy Li, he could not stand shoulder to shoulder with Brother Wuzhi and slay enemies. All he could do was chase after him and try his hardest not to become a burden.

So that was why Envoy Li could cling to Commander Zhang every day, while Chen Lu could not even catch hold of Brother Wuzhi’s hand without being avoided. It was because he was useless…

His small face creased. Liu Wu’s heart tightened at the sight, and he hurriedly said, “I misspoke. You are needed, of course you are. You’ve been working hard lately, and I saw you dozing off during the day, so I didn’t wake you last night. General She’s food, lodging, and care while he remains in Ant County will also require your arrangements. That is why I came looking for you first thing this morning.”

Successfully coaxed, Chen Lu broke into a delighted smile. “All right! I’ll arrange everything immediately!”

–

Chen Lu’s belief that he was useless was, in truth, excessively modest.

He had read widely from all manner of serious—and idle—books, possessed a strong command of the brush, and had learned from his father, Old Clerk Chen, how to draft official documents and keep accounts. His mind was also livelier than that of his grave and proper father. He knew how to appear weak and act spoiled, was eloquent and socially adept, and got along very well with the older employees of the county yamen. He could arrange countless internal affairs in perfect order.

Commander Zhang valued and trusted him enough to entrust him with writing secret letters by hand. That very night, Commander Zhang happened to obtain some intelligence from General She and ordered Chen Lu to write an urgent letter and send it to Kuiyuan.

The wind was fierce that night, and it looked as though snow was coming. Chen Lu worried that the carrier pigeon might become frightened and refuse to leave the county yamen, so he asked Brother Wuzhi to ride with him and the pigeon cage beyond the city. They released the bird halfway up the mountain, hoping to force it to hurry back to Kuiyuan.

Liu Wu had ridden a horse for the first time in his life only earlier that day. He had swayed wildly in the saddle and nearly fallen, fortunately being saved by Envoy Li. Now it was nighttime rather than daylight, and Chen Lu was sitting behind him.

It would not matter if Liu Wu himself fell, but what if A’Lu fell?

He therefore did not dare relax in the slightest. His body remained rigid with tension, and both hands clutched the reins tightly. Although it was the middle of a freezing winter night, cold sweat soaked the inside of his padded coat.

Chen Lu had concentrated entirely on protecting the pigeon throughout the journey. Only on the way back, while holding Liu Wu’s increasingly rigid waist, did he notice something was wrong.

He leaned forward and asked, “Brother Wuzhi, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t move,” Liu Wu said. “Be careful not to fall.”

At that very moment, the horse snorted impatiently and tossed its head. Liu Wu tightened his grip on the reins and stammered, “H-hold on more tightly! You absolutely mustn’t fall!”

Chen Lu: Hehe.

He did not stand on ceremony in the slightest and happily wrapped himself tightly around Brother Wuzhi. His little face smacked against Brother Wuzhi’s shoulder, sticking there like a small baked flatbread slapped onto the side of an oven. Even if he were roasted black, he would not let go!

In the depths of the winter night, the horse swayed along at an unhurried pace while great flakes of snow began drifting from the sky.

–

Liu Wu abruptly drew the horse to a halt at the roadside and carefully dismounted.

“Move farther forward.”

Chen Lu did not understand, but obediently shifted his bottom toward the front. Liu Wu had him hold the pigeon cage before him, then mounted again and wrapped his arms around Chen Lu. He used his own cloak to cover Chen Lu’s head securely, sheltering his entire body within his embrace so that not a single snowflake touched him.

Chen Lu nestled obediently in his arms and remained silent for a long time, hiding beneath the sound of falling snow as he secretly sniffled.

Brother Wuzhi had cared for and protected him since childhood. He had always treated Chen Lu so well, yet he had also always regarded him only as a “colleague.”

Even this warm embrace was merely because of the heavy snow.

Once morning came, Brother Wuzhi would not even let him touch his hand again.

As Chen Lu secretly sniffled, he thought sadly, Perhaps I misunderstood. When Envoy Li clung to Commander Zhang, perhaps they were only colleagues too. Didn’t Commander Zhang pull him away at the time and refuse to let him get too close? Perhaps Envoy Li was simply drunk and randomly found someone to act spoiled with. Or perhaps he is like me and merely suffering from unrequited love…

His emotions churned so violently that even through the fierce wind and snow, Liu Wu noticed. Lowering his head until his lips nearly touched the top of Chen Lu’s hair, he asked, “Are you cold?”

Chen Lu shook his head, then nodded.

Liu Wu cautiously released one rein and stroked Chen Lu’s icy cheek. When his fingertips encountered dampness, his chest gave a heavy jolt.

The wind and snow were fierce, leaving Liu Wu’s voice slightly hoarse as he coaxed softly, “Hold on a little longer. We’ll be there soon.”

Chen Lu nodded again.

For the countless time, he lied to himself inside: Brother Wuzhi cherishes me so much. Even if we remain colleagues for the rest of our lives, I will be completely satisfied.

As if!

Chen Lu spent the entire ride back to the clerks’ office resting against Brother Wuzhi’s warm, soft chest, then passed another night having filthy dreams—no, sweet dreams.

–

It had not been a misunderstanding at all, nor was Envoy Li suffering from unrequited love. The two of them were lovers! They were the pair of affectionate little mandarin ducks from the storybooks, necks entwined as they flew and nested together!

Stormy waves surged through Chen Lu’s heart.

He raced into the constables’ quarters in the front courtyard and shook Liu Wu awake from where he lay bundled beneath the quilt.

In truth, Liu Wu had not been asleep. He had held Chen Lu throughout the ride the previous night. Although the wind and snow had been loud, he knew that Chen Lu had cried in his arms the entire way.

How could Chen Lu fool him by claiming it was the cold? Liu Wu had helped raise him from childhood and could be considered half elder brother and half parent. The moment the little thing stuck out his bottom, Liu Wu knew he was about to fetch a basin. The way Chen Lu had trembled and sniffled the previous night had clearly meant he was shedding tears. When Liu Wu reached out to touch him later, sure enough, his cheeks were wet.

Yet Liu Wu knew only that he had cried. He refused to consider why.

Had the cold made him cry? Was he frightened of the war? Had he cried because he hated Liu Wu holding him—because Liu Wu disgusted him?

His thoughts in turmoil, Liu Wu tossed and turned upon the narrow cot for the entire night. Deep down, he vaguely knew the true answer, but he did not dare consider it and could not allow himself to consider it.

It was all Commander Zhang and Envoy Li’s fault. For so many years, everything between Liu Wu and A’Lu had been peaceful. They could have lived their entire lives in such tranquility. It was all because those two were shameless and utterly devoid of propriety, embracing each other right in front of A’Lu and corrupting the innocent boy!

–

Just as Liu Wu was stewing in irritation, Chen Lu crashed into the room like a little deer and began shaking him.

“B-Brother Wu—Brother Wuzhi!”

Liu Wu’s brain was nearly shaken from his skull. Dizzy and confused, he asked, “Wh-what? What happened?”

Chen Lu trembled while pressing the pigeon cage against his own face. “I-I just—I just saw Commander Zhang and Envoy Li! They slept in the same bed! And they were holding each other like this…”

Liu Wu hurriedly covered both Chen Lu’s mouth and the pigeon cage. “Shh! Shh!”

Against his palm, Chen Lu whispered, “Are—are the two of them…?”

Lovers!

Liu Wu’s heart lurched. He declared decisively, “They are not! Colleagues in the capital are simply that close! Don’t imagine nonsense!”

A’Lu truly had been corrupted by those two. For the first time, suspicion appeared on his face at something Liu Wu had said. “Really?”

Liu Wu forced himself to answer firmly, “Really!”

Chen Lu appeared to sigh in relief. “Then I was being presumptuous…”

–

As if!

How could the former child prodigy be so easily deceived? Chen Lu saw through Brother Wuzhi’s performance at a glance. When the two of them brought the pigeon to the rear courtyard together, Brother Wuzhi had clearly stood outside coughing randomly for ages, not daring to open Commander Zhang’s door at all.

Very well. You know how to put on a performance. Do you think I don’t?

Chen Lu put on an innocent expression. Later, when he saw Envoy Li reaching for Commander Zhang’s hand, he deliberately asked Liu Wu, “Brother Wuzhi, do ‘colleagues’ in the capital truly hold hands like this?”

He heavily emphasized the word colleagues.

Meeting his innocent gaze, Liu Wu continued to answer resolutely, “They truly do.”

Chen Lu: Hehe.

You brought this upon yourself.

He grabbed Liu Wu’s hand and clutched it with every ounce of strength he had possessed since nursing at his mother’s breast.

Liu Wu immediately panicked. “What are you doing? Your hand is covered in ink…”

Chen Lu openly smeared the ink covering his hand all across Liu Wu’s palm. Both of them were extremely nervous, and a thin sheen of sweat immediately formed between their overlapping hands, smearing the ink into an even darker mess.

Liu Wu could no longer maintain the solemn righteousness upon his face and guiltily turned his head away.

Neither spoke as they walked hand in hand toward the front courtyard. When several other colleagues appeared in the distance, Liu Wu finally could not resist tugging his hand and whispering, “That’s enough. Let go quickly.”

Only then did Chen Lu release him and say solemnly, “County Commandant, this clerk must attend to official business. I’ll come back and hold your hand again tonight.”

Liu Wu glared at him. Chen Lu fearlessly puffed out his small chest and continued showing concern for his colleague. “Oh dear, I got ink all over your hand. Let me wipe it clean.”

Before he could even take out his little handkerchief, County Commandant Liu turned and fled.

–

Chen Lu had now completely seen through Brother Wuzhi’s outward strength and inner weakness concerning this matter.

He possessed an exceptionally sensitive little heart. After noticing the sweat in Brother Wuzhi’s palm, the guilt in his eyes, and that violent jolt of his chest the previous night, a bolt of lightning crackled through Chen Lu’s clever little head.

At last, he realized that perhaps he had been approaching the matter incorrectly all these years.

Could it be that Brother Wuzhi also felt something for him…?

Even if it was only the tiniest little bit…

Then no one could blame this little fellow for having grand ambitions!

–

Chen Lu summoned all his courage and intended to catch his colleague’s hand again that night and give it a thorough holding.

Unfortunately, the Xiao bandits attacked again. Resisting the enemy was more important, and he found no opportunity.

Another day, Commander Zhang led everyone in fighting a splendid battle and even imprisoned that rat of a County Magistrate. Disguised as a village woman, Liu Wu also participated in the fighting. When the battle ended, he returned to the county yamen with terrifying makeup covering his face and the bloodstained hem of his skirt lifted in one hand.

Still holding up the skirt, he went directly to the yamen bathhouse, intending to find a large basin and thoroughly scrub the garment clean.

He had borrowed the dress from Chen Lu’s mother the day before, and it had fit him painfully tightly. Liu Wu had personally taken up an embroidery needle and altered it through the night, sewing on several additional pieces of cloth before he could barely wrap it around his body.

Supplies were not abundant in their small county, and both the Chen and Liu households lived honestly and simply. Since the dress had not been damaged, it could be washed and worn again. Alternatively, the cloth could be remade into a short jacket or fabric bags. In any case, it must not be wasted.

Liu Wu washed the powder from his face, revealing clear, bright features. Born in the countryside, he naturally could not compare with the elegant refinement of a noble family’s young master. Yet he had practiced martial arts since childhood. His posture was straight, his brows and eyes clear, lending him a simple, unaffected handsomeness.

Although wearing a woman’s dress made him look thoroughly ridiculous, it happened to cinch around his lean, powerful waist and emphasize the shapely curve of his backside, lending him a certain alluring charm.

Bouncing footsteps sounded behind him.

Liu Wu carefully peeled off the bloodstained dress without looking back. “You came at the right time. Commander Zhang intends to confiscate that rich rat’s property. I already sent the head constable with some men. Follow them and keep the accounts.”

No answer came for a long time. Liu Wu turned around in confusion and found Chen Lu staring at him in a stupor.

He paused, then looked down at himself. “I’m not injured. This is the bandits’ blood. Don’t be afraid.”

Chen Lu was not afraid. He merely stared blankly at him.

Brother Wuzhi from his bridal-chamber dreams had appeared before his eyes. Chen Lu had dreamed countless variations of those wedding nights, but Young Master Liu had always worn a green groom’s robe, neat and dignified, with an imposing appearance.

He had never worn a brilliant red bridal skirt.

What breathtaking spring scenery…

I was too young and insufficiently ambitious before. I didn’t know how to dream properly. I wasted all those beautiful nights and splendid scenes, wasted this broad chest, wasted this slender waist and pert backside…

“Hey!” Liu Wu exclaimed. “Why is your nose bleeding? What did you eat this morning that gave you so much internal heat? Why are you standing there like a fool? Pinch your nose quickly! The blood is already running down your chin… Stop fooling around! I’m trying to stop the bleeding! Why are you holding my hand?”

–

In truth, Liu Wu had not been wrong. Chen Lu really had been corrupted by that utterly shameless pair of little mandarin ducks.

Before Commander Zhang and Envoy Li came to Ant County, Chen Lu might have possessed countless secret thoughts, but faced with Liu Wu’s overflowing righteousness, he had never dared put any of them into practice. Now, however, this pair of little mandarin ducks fluttered before their eyes every day, shaking Liu Wu’s heart and giving Chen Lu an opening. He decided to treat “flying and nesting together with Brother Wuzhi” as a serious undertaking.

Unfortunately, Chen Lu had only just spent the night dreaming of springtime passion with Madam Wu—no, dreaming a golden-millet dream—when the carrier pigeon bearing disastrous news arrived the following day.

The imperial court had abandoned Hedong and Hebei, handing the three strongholds over to the enemy.

Envoy Li, who knew nothing about this, also returned to the capital to report on his mission.

Before Envoy Li departed, Commander Zhang pinned him down upon the mountain path and fiercely gnawed at his lips. Apart from storybooks and illustrated albums, Chen Lu had never witnessed anyone gnawing another person’s lips with his own eyes. He stared in amazement and felt overwhelmingly envious.

He therefore looked expectantly at Liu Wu. “Brother Wuzhi…”

“Colleagues in the capital do not do that!” Liu Wu snapped.

Ha! So you do know!

The pair of little mandarin ducks were separated from that point onward. When Commander Zhang went up onto the walls to fight, he remained as vigorous as a dragon and fierce as a tiger. When reassuring the people, he was still calm and approachable. Yet whenever he reached some quiet place with no one around, half his tiger skin seemed to collapse, leaving him distracted and despondent.

With his mandarin-duck seniors no longer present to show him the way and the war growing increasingly urgent, Chen Lu was as busy as a spinning top every day. Sometimes he went two or three days without seeing Liu Wu. He knew that Liu Wu was preoccupied with the fighting and had no attention to spare. This was hardly a suitable time to confess his feelings.

Yet sometimes, while working late into the night, he would bite his brush handle and wonder dazedly: What if they lost the battle tomorrow and he and Brother Wuzhi both died at the hands of the Xiao bandits? Would all his unfulfilled feelings cause him to haunt Brother Wuzhi even as a ghost, clinging to him all the way to the Bridge of Helplessness?

He would not even allow Brother Wuzhi to drink Granny Meng’s soup. They would be reborn as neighbors in the next life and become infants again. Even if Chen Lu could not yet walk, he would crawl next door and continue pestering him.

Chen Lu did not know that more than ten years earlier, when he truly had been a nursing infant, he had clung to Little Brother Wu’s back every day like a tiny milk ghost, thereby already fulfilling the wish of his previous life.

That night, Chen Lu found an excuse to deliver supplies to the defenders at the city gate again. The spring night was slightly chilly. He pretended to sneeze, then leaned against Liu Wu beside the fire.

Liu Wu allowed him to lean there but did not open his cloak and draw him into his arms. A spring night was not bitterly cold like a winter one, so he could find no excuse to embrace him.

Chen Lu glanced around and, seeing no one nearby, reached for Liu Wu’s hand.

Liu Wu’s hand withdrew slightly.

“Colleagues are allowed to hold hands,” Chen Lu said.

Liu Wu’s hand froze awkwardly, allowing Chen Lu to seize and hold it tightly.

“The ground is hard,” Chen Lu continued. “I sat for too long during the day, and my waist hurts.”

Having thoughtfully provided Liu Wu with an excuse, he burrowed into the man’s arms.

Liu Wu could only embrace him.

Chen Lu sat confidently against Liu Wu’s chest, lowered his head, and played with the palm covered in saber calluses and tiny scars. In the same casual voice he used for ordinary conversation, he asked softly, “Brother Wuzhi, you are already twenty-five this year. Why haven’t you married?”

Liu Wu stared down at their overlapping hands for a while before replying, “Don’t you already know? My fate is inauspicious. I bring misfortune to others—to my parents and to my wife.”

Chen Lu knew this was merely Brother Wuzhi’s excuse. He had used it to withdraw from two engagements over the years.

Stroking a fresh scar upon the back of Liu Wu’s hand, Chen Lu thought, No one said you would bring misfortune to a husband. Hehe.

“Brother Wuzhi, once the war is over, we…”

Liu Wu covered his mouth.

Chen Lu: “?”

“It is terribly inauspicious to say things like that during a war!” Liu Wu said.

Chen Lu: “???”

Even if they could not discuss it now, could Liu Wu not at least promise him after the war?

Chen Lu had no choice but to swallow his heartfelt confession once again. Sighing, he settled more deeply into Liu Wu’s embrace.

Brother Wuzhi was not stupid. Although he had not read many books and possessed a solemn, proper temperament, he was not rigid or old-fashioned. His mind was quick and turned no more slowly than Chen Lu’s. Chen Lu knew that Brother Wuzhi had understood his feelings long ago.

Even if he had pretended ignorance before, could he continue pretending now that he held hands with his “colleague” every day?

Chen Lu could also guess why Brother Wuzhi continued rejecting him.

He sighed once more like a tiny old man.

Outside the walls, the Xiao army was transporting supplies throughout the night. The following day would probably bring another bloody battle. In troubled times, survival was uncertain. How precious was genuine love, and how small were the worries of convention?

Chen Lu sighed. “Then once the war is over, can the two of us talk it through?”

Liu Wu fell silent.

Merely promising to talk should not count as inauspicious. After a moment of silence, he finally answered, “All right.”

Thus, the two tacitly agreed to postpone the matter until later. Chen Lu nestled against Liu Wu’s chest again and temporarily became quiet.

The night was deep and silent, broken only by the soft crackling of the firewood. They were the only two people upon that stretch of wall, wrapped in the darkness, hidden and peaceful.

When Liu Wu heard the sleeping breaths coming from his arms, he carefully lowered his head and rested his face against Chen Lu’s slender shoulder, holding him even more tightly and cherishingly.

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