Chasing The Moon (Moonlight Mystique) - Chapter 3
Volume 1 (Human World): Chapter 3
In the late night of the first month, the lights were brightly lit in the mansion of the General of the Capital.
Heavy footsteps paced back and forth in the main hall. General Shuo, usually mild and hearty, furrowed his thick eyebrows into a “川” shape.
The whip in his hand was crushed by his grip, making a crisp sound.
Lady Bai leaned against the old nanny, tears in her eyes, constantly looking outside with hope and prayer in her eyes, her face pale.
When General Bai turned his head and saw Lady Bai’s haggard appearance, he felt both anger and heartache.
He slammed the whip in his hand on the ground, causing a loud noise in the hall.
“When that bastards comes back, I will definitely give them a good beating! This time, no one can stop me!”
General Bai gritted his teeth, pointing at the sky as he swore.
Hearing this, Lady Bai’s eyes reddened even more. “Husband, it’s already so late, and you’re still saying these things. If anything happens to Xi’er and Shuo’er, I don’t want to live anymore…”
General Bai cherished Lady Bai the most in his life.
Hearing her words made him short of breath.
He quickly threw away the whip and held Lady Bai.
“My dear, what nonsense are you talking about? I’ve already sent the mansion guards to search. I’ve also requested the Imperial Court and the guards of the Five City Garrison to search the entire city. Xi’er, and that brat must be fine!”
General Bai’s eyes darkened, revealing the fierceness and ruthlessness of the battlefield, where blood flowed like water.
“If anyone dares to touch my Bai Xun’s daughters, I’ll annihilate their whole family!”
Although Lady Bai felt somewhat reassured by his words, tears still streamed down her face as she stared unwaveringly outside the hall.
Outside the hall, Song Lin, the minister of the Imperial Court who came to report on the search situation, couldn’t help but shiver upon hearing General Bai’s dark roar. He sighed repeatedly in his heart.
What kind of situation is this? Everyone is celebrating the Lantern Festival at home, but he can’t find peace.
Ah, the two legitimate young ladies of the General’s mansion have gone missing from the lantern festival, and they still haven’t been found. If something really happened, he, the Minister of the Imperial Court, would probably lose his position.
Apart from the princes and princesses, only General Bai’s precious daughters could make both the Five City Garrison and the Imperial Court act simultaneously.
It would be one thing if it were ordinary noble children, but it had to be his daughters!
General Bai Xun was born in the countryside but achieved the pinnacle of becoming a great general in the Great Jing dynasty, which makes his life story somewhat legendary.
He was a commoner from the foothills of Mount Tai, living a carefree and aimless youth.
Despite his innate strength, he was merely a porter, making a living through physical labor.
Through a fortuitous encounter, he saved Miss Han Wanrou, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yong’an mansion, who had accidentally fallen into the water near Mount Tai.
He fell in love with her at first sight.
Fearless of heaven and earth, Bai Xun, accustomed to rural life, had no sense of worldly etiquette or social hierarchy.
He even carried baggage and went to the Marquis of Yong’an’s mansion in the capital to propose marriage.
The Marquis of Yong’an’s mansion was owned by a prestigious family, even in decline.
They were descendants of the founding nobles of Great Jing. With Bai Xun’s background, he couldn’t even step through the gates of the Marquis of Yong’an’s mansion.
The old Marquis has only Miss Han. If it weren’t for the fact that Bai Xun saved his daughter, it would have been more than just driving Bai Xun out of the capital with a stick.
This incident caused a small stir in the capital, but as the ignorant porter was expelled, the nobles in the capital soon forgot about it completely, not bothering to inquire about the porter’s surname or identity.
Han Wanrou has had an excellent reputation among the noble girls in the capital since childhood. She was knowledgeable, reasonable, and beautiful; she was originally a sought-after bride by many families.
However, after falling into the water near Mount Tai, she remained bedridden, and no family was willing to marry a sickly mistress.
Thus, the marriage of the daughter of the Marquis of Yong’an’s mansion was delayed for a full seven years.
Seven years later, a young military officer named Bai Xun emerged in the northwest, leading a small cavalry force to victory over the Rong tribe outside Tongguan, reversing the declining trend of Great Jing’s defeats in battle over the past decade.
Emperor Jingkang, upon hearing the good news, was overjoyed. He personally led the army to march and promoted Bai Xun to the position of third-rank General of Anxi, showing great favor towards him.
Bai Xun was cunning in warfare, and in the final battle, he defeated the King of the Northern Rong with strategic alliances and clever tactics.
In this battle, Bai Xun shielded the Emperor from an arrow, becoming Emperor Jingkang’s lifesaver.
The Emperor admired his talent and was grateful for his kindness.
Breaking conventions, he issued an edict on the battlefield, promoting the then twenty-eight-year-old Bai Xun to the position of First Rank General.
Despite receiving the title, Bai Xun did not return to the capital to receive his rewards.
Instead, he requested permission to go to the South Sea to pacify the pirates. Emperor Jingkang, seeing a rare general who was both talented and uninterested in power, naturally granted his request.
Three years later, the pirates in the South Sea were eradicated, and the people living along the coast were grateful to the court, praising the Emperor’s benevolence.
Bai Xun returned to the capital with the glory bestowed upon him by the people.
This was Bai Xun’s first time setting foot in the capital after gaining fame and reputation in the northwest.
In the Jinluan Hall, the Emperor was greatly pleased, recounting Bai Xun’s ten years of achievements and asking what he desired in return.
Bai Xun bowed deeply, shocking the Jinluan Hall with his words.
“I am willing to exchange ten years of military service for noble titles and marry the daughter of the Marquis of Yong’an’s mansion.”
Bai Xun’s ten years of military service only sought one thing, and it was only reasonable for the Emperor to grant it.
The imperial decree for the marriage was issued the same day and reached the Marquis of Yong’an’s mansion.
It was only then that the elderly Marquis of Yong’an, who had retired from official duties due to his advanced age, realized that Bai Xun,the renowned first-grade general for the past several years, was the nameless porter he had expelled from the capital years ago. Shocked and ashamed, the old Marquis, knowing that his daughter had been single for ten years, felt great comfort in sending his beloved daughter off to marriage.
The events of that year spread like wildfire in the capital.
Bai Xun’s story of loyalty and devotion—risking his life on the battlefield for a decade for the sake of one person—quickly became the talk of the town.
Bai Xun was a clever man.
Despite being a rising star with considerable military power, he never socialized or made friends with any aristocrats except for attending court sessions and paying respects to Emperor Jingkang at the palace on time.
He paid little attention to the attempts to win him over by several princes, thus offending many aristocrats and dignitaries.
However, Emperor Jingkang valued him more for it.
In the second year after his return to the capital, the Emperor entrusted him with the command of the defense forces of the capital region.
Thus, Bai Xun became the most influential solitary figure in the capital.
Apart from the Emperor, he had no friends to drink or chat with.
But Bai Xun didn’t mind this at all.
He devoted himself to his deep affection with Lady Bai in the general’s mansion every day.
Lady Bai was delicate, and it took seven years of marriage before she finally gave birth to twin daughters.
The elder of the twin daughters was named Bai Xi, and the younger was named Bai Shuo.
On the day of their birth, Bai Xun was granted the title of General Zhuguo by Emperor Jingkang, and Bai Xi was chosen by the Emperor to be the Crown Prince’s consort. The favor bestowed upon the Bai family was unprecedented in the capital.
When Bai Xun’s younger daughter, Bai Shuo, turned three years old, Bai Xun arranged a marriage for her.
This marriage also carried a sense of gratitude, as Bai Xun had been saved by the then Minister of Rites, Chong Tai, when he was expelled from the capital by the Marquis of Yong’an.
Chong Tai, who was deeply moved by Bai Xun’s deep love and unfortunate fate, encouraged him to join the army in the northwest and even provided him with fifty taels of silver, which eventually led to Bai Xun becoming the first-rank general after more than a decade.
Now that Chong Tai has risen to the position of Prime Minister.
Five years ago, he personally visited the General’s mansion to seek a marriage proposal for his youngest son, Chong Zhao.
After much deliberation, Bai Xun pondered for several days, then went to the palace to explain the events of the past to Emperor Jingkang, earnestly requesting his permission for the marriage.
In the seven years since Bai Xun returned to the capital, he had no interaction with any other mansions, only sending three bottles of personally brewed osmanthus wine to the Chong mansion every New Year’s Eve.
It was only then that Emperor Jingkang learned of this connection and, feeling sentimental, approved the marriage proposal.
Thus, the twin daughters of the Bai family, though only eight years old, held prestigious statuses far surpassing those of ordinary noble daughters.
Otherwise, how could the disappearance of the two girls make a Minister of the Imperial Court like him so anxious, even doing errands inside and outside the city late into the night?
Concerning the reputation of the two young ladies, the search for them had to be both discreet and urgent, making the task incredibly difficult.
Sighing, Song Lin stepped into the main hall of the general’s mansion.
He had barely entered when Lady Bai’s eyes lit up. Before she could speak, General Bai strode up to Song Lin.
“Master Song, any news about my two bastards?”
Who addresses their own daughter like that?
Especially one who’s chosen by the Emperor to be the Crown Prince’s consort!
Song Lin was a proper scholar, and he was so annoyed that his beard twitched. But knowing Bai Xun’s reputation, he didn’t say much; he just shook his head with a troubled expression. “General Bai, I’m incompetent. The two young ladies haven’t been found yet.”
Seeing the change in Bai Xun and Lady Bai’s expressions, Song Lin quickly added, “I’ve found out that someone saw the two young ladies in the southern market earlier. I’ve already ordered all the bailiffs to search the southern part of the city.”
Instead of improving, Bai Xun’s expression grew even darker at this news.
The nobles and officials resided in the north, while the commoners lived in the south. Even beneath the Emperor’s feet, there were shady areas. The southern market was chaotic, inhabited by thieves, beggars, and the lowest of society. Xi’er and Shuo’er were clearly in the northern market to see the lanterns, so why would they be in the southern market?
Bai Xun, familiar with the streets, knew that his two precious daughters were not simply lost.
He immediately comforted his wife and, with furrowed brows, personally led his guards to search the southern part of the city.
The sound of iron hooves echoed through the night on the official road, waking up half the city’s residents.
Song Lin, a scholarly figure, trembled as he followed behind General Bai’s fast horse, sighing helplessly.
After the curfew,the emperor prohibited riding a horse in the capital city.
If the general were caught riding a horse by the Imperial Censor, he would be in serious trouble tomorrow morning!
“Miss Bais, where are you two? If we can’t find you soon, the whole city will be turned upside down.”
Just before the bailiffs from the Imperial Court reached the southern city gate, a foul-smelling ox cart emerged smoothly from the secondary gate, as it did every day.
The two men driving the cart were the Qian brothers, who usually dispose of swill from the Zhonglin alley in the southern part of the city. They had been doing this job for five or six years and were well-acquainted with the guards at the city gate.
The soldiers didn’t bother inspecting the cart too closely, fearing the stench, especially since the brothers always placed a thick layer of hay inside and outside the cart to mitigate the smell.
No one noticed that, despite their usual humble appearance and demeanor, the hands gripping the reins of the ox cart were slightly tensed, veins bulging, and emitting a faint black aura.
As the ox cart moved away, an old soldier standing below the city wall began to murmur.
Did he hear a rumbling sound from that cart just now? He sharpened his sword and glanced at the cart a few more times, but seeing everything calm inside, he turned his head away and didn’t look again.
It’s just some swill and hay that has been transported like this for years; what could possibly go wrong?
The ox cart drifted farther from the southern city gate, and the sounds of people on the street grew fainter. Inside the cart, the two Miss Bais were trapped amidst the overpowering stench of swill.
Each had a piece of cloth stuffed in their mouths, tied into makeshift gags, staring at each other with eyes wide open—one simmering with anger, the other ice-cold.The two of them have different appearances and expressions, except for their strikingly similar eyes, which bore an unusual intelligence.
