Chapter 40
In the winter of 1943, the commanding general of the Shandong province, Zhao Zheng, suffered from paralysis due to a stroke. The command was temporarily taken over by his fourth son, Zhao Huaiyu. Even though Huaiyu was just 18, there was little opposition within the military. The strongest protest came from the second son, Zhao Huaisen, but it was quickly suppressed.
As for the third son, Zhao Huaichao, he had withdrawn from the military academy two years prior and re-enrolled in Peking University. He studied physics and joined a lab under Shen, the second son. Huaichao didn't have an interest in military matters. Upon hearing about his father's stroke, he returned to support Huaiyu.
Four years have passed, and both Huaiyu and Huaichao have grown up considerably. After visiting their father, Huaichao saw Huaiyu standing under the porch in the distance, which made him quite emotional.
Who would have thought that among all the brothers, it would be the once obedient youngest one who would rise to the top? Over these years, Huaichao had opened his eyes and learned a lot in Beijing. He came to realize that his youngest brother was just hiding his ambitions, but being able to conceal for so long from childhood was no ordinary feat.
In any great endeavor, forbearance is key. His youngest brother had endured, and thus earned his position of today.
Huaichao had thought about carrying the title of marshal himself. When his father sent him to the military academy, the intention was for him to inherit his position. Unfortunately, Huaichao knew he was not cut out for commanding soldiers or politics. Therefore, he left the academy two years earlier and enrolled at Peking University. He now does research that he loves, which he finds much more satisfying than being a marshal.
He slowly walked over. Hearing his footsteps from some distance away, the youngest brother turned around to look at him.
The 18-year-old young man, looking like a complete adult, had lost all traces of boyhood. Clad in a dark green uniform with a cloak of the same color, holding a riding crop in his gloved hand, he appeared to have just returned from horseback riding. He had eyes much deeper than ordinary people, emotionless like a calm, deep pool. He just stood there, his presence imposing.
"Third Brother."
At the age of 14, Zhao Huaiyu looked at Zhao Huaichao with apparent admiration, but internally he felt a mix of jealousy and disdain. Perhaps there was also a hint of envy he wouldn't admit. The 18-year-old Zhao Huaiyu gave him a casual nod, his demeanor calm and composed.
"Youngest Brother."
Zhao Huaichao advanced further and gave his brother another thorough look, he couldn't help but praise, "I was in such a rush to see father earlier that I didn't get to look at you properly. Yes, you do look every bit like a marshal now."
Zhao Huaiyu replied lightly, "Thank you, Third Brother, for backing me earlier."
Zhao Huaichao dismissed it with a wave of his hand, "There's no need to thank me. We are brothers." He knew very well, even if he hadn't spoken earlier, Zhao Huaiyu would still have become the marshal. He clearly saw in the hall that none of the adjutants had any intentions of opposing. Only Zhao Huaisen was seething with anger.
After the greetings, an awkward silence prevailed. After all, the brothers were not especially close and had not spent time together in a long while. They only caught up briefly during the New Year's festivities in the past four years. Their relationship as siblings was probably not as close as that with their own attendants.
Finally, Zhao Huaichao deftly broke the silence. Gazing at the snowscape under the porch, he sighed emotionally, "How swiftly these years have passed. I remember when we used to play in this courtyard. Now, in the blink of an eye, we've all grown up, established homes and careers..."
Zhao Huaiyu narrowed his eyes, looking at the falling snow on the trees. He had no interest in Zhao Huaichao's nostalgic reminiscing and interrupted him, "Get to the point, Third Brother."
In his childhood, he didn't play with Zhao Huaichao and Zhao Huaisen, it was torture — the pain of being ridden like a horse or chased like a dog while pretending to be dumb and dazed.
Zhao Huaichao also recalled their childhood and felt awkward. "Well then, I'll be frank. I want to take our mother away. I have saved some money from my research work in the past two years and bought an apartment in the capital. So, I want to bring our mother there."
He did not explicitly articulate his words, but the intended meaning was unmistakable.
His mother was only a concubine. Now, with their father in this condition and the affairs of the inner court being entirely managed by the official wife, he heard that the wife already dismissed many childless concubines during his journey. If his mother stayed in the secretary's department, she would face the wife’s harsh treatment – not to mention, Zhao Huaiyu was now in charge.
His mother had suppressed and undermined Zhao Huaiyu a lot in the past because of him. Whether Zhao Huaiyu was petty or not, he could not leave his mother in the secretary's department. So, he planned to take his mother away, likely never to return.
His unconditional support for Zhao Huaiyu in the hall and his suppression of Zhao Huaisen before their clan had also been partly due to this reason.
Zhao Huaiyu raised his eyebrows: "As you wish, as long as the wife does not object."
He could overlook what Concubine Eight did to him in the past. Perhaps because he emerged victorious, he didn’t bear the same resentment towards her as he did initially. Her years of striving for nothing turned out to be the best revenge. However, it was impossible for him to help her. If Zhao Huaichao could take Concubine Eight away from the wife, it would have been purely down to his own capabilities.
Zhao Huaichao knew clearly in his heart and bowed to Zhao Huaiyu, "Thank you. I will visit my mother first and talk with you later."
He took two steps away, turned around again, and said with an apologetic expression, "Anyway, I must apologize to you, on behalf of myself and my mother. I'm sorry."
With that, he hurriedly left.
Zhao Huaiyu was slightly taken aback, but then he casually reached out and a servant came to his side, handing him a hat. Putting it on, he said lightly, "Go and have someone keep an eye on him."
"Yes."
With the power transfer in Lu Province, Zhao Huaiyu, as the new military commander, had to complete the necessary formalities, such as going to the capital to report and receive his title.
By the time everything in Lu Province had settled down, it was already the middle of January. The newly-appointed Young Marshal Zhao Huaiyu and his brother Zhao Huaichao took a train together to the capital.
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At the same time, Shen Qi was at a blind date.
To be more precise, he was attending a plum blossom appreciation banquet, which was nominally organized by Shen San, but was actually specially prepared for Shen Qi's blind date.
According to the rules set by President Hua, men and women could only register for marriage after they reached the age of 20, and getting married before that was considered illegal. Therefore, although teenagers as young as fourteen or fifteen could declare love, they would generally only get engaged at eighteen and formally marry at twenty.
Four years had passed, and Shen Qi, now twenty-two, had already exceeded the legal marriage age by two years. From his mother, the wife of the president, to his six-year-old nephew Dou Jin, everyone's attention was on his marriage.
Since turning twenty, Shen Qi couldn't stand it and set up a separate residence outside, spending more than half of each month there.
The Madam was not conservative by any means. But in this environment, it seemed acceptable to at least settle down or get engaged. Yet Shen Qi to this day hadn't shown any interest in any girls.
When the Madam began to wonder if there was something wrong with him, Shen Qi had to admit that he was only attracted to men and had no intention of marrying a woman in his lifetime.
This caused a great uproar. Even President Shen, who was always tolerant and allowed free reign for Shen Qi's growth, disapproved. In his mind, Shen Qi was to inherit the family heritage and possibly even his title. Shen Qi could be a little flirtatious but he had to get married.
A tug-of-war that lasted almost a year continued, with both husband and wife deploying various methods. Shen Qi had no choice but to proclaim his sexual orientation on the radio in front of the entire nation.
It would become an undeniable part of future history that he was the first person in the Republic of China to publicly come out of the closet.
At this point, the Shen couple had no choice but to accept the situation and help him deal with the aftermath. However, Shen Qi had had this planned out all along. He didn't want to live a lie for his entire life. As long as he possessed absolute strength, he had nothing to fear. Looking back at history, weren't there openly gay emperors, and even some who almost made a man their queen? They still held ultimate power. Even among these warlords, many kept male actors as their paramours.
Moreover, the Shen family was at the height of its power. With the first three sons unacceptable to inherit the family business, many people had their eyes on Shen Qi, the fourth son. In the next five years, Shen's father was certain that he would no longer be in power - but Shen Qi was too young for the position. By coming out, the attention focused on him would significantly lessen.
Besides, he was young; shouldn't young people have the freedom to be reckless and passionate? Who could say for certain what was right or wrong?
After his revelation, President Shen and the Madam had no choice but to accept the truth. However, Shen Qi had underestimated the acceptance level of the people in his time. The Madam quickly changed her attitude, becoming resolute in choosing a husband for him.
According to the Madam's mindset, if he didn't want to marry a woman but preferred men, then she would find a male spouse for him - be it through search or recommendation. He had to get married.
No matter how imposing and domineering Shen Qi was in public, when facing his mother, he could only submit.
As for President Shen, he would listen to his wife's decisions.
And thus, an event to find a suitable partner for Shen Qi began. Everyone knew the banquets were held for that purpose, and many people showed up, whether genuinely in love with Shen Qi or simply for their personal gain.
Shen Qi was accompanied by his older brother Shen San in the pavilion, while below them, the plum grove was teeming with handsome youths. They were as young as 14 and as old as 18, with plenty of variety for him to choose from.
One thing Shen Qi felt the Madam got wrong was that she misunderstood his preference. Although he was attracted to men, he never explicitly revealed whether he preferred to be the dominant or submissive partner. Of course, as a matter of pride, he would never publicly admit it, and it was just fine if people misunderstood.
"How about that one?" Shen San, trying to appear refined with a fan in hand despite winter, pointed underneath a plum tree at a quietly standing young man wearing a light blue robe. The youth had the air of a charming gentleman.
"Too skinny," Shen Qi replied absentmindedly.
"What about him?" Shen San turned the fan, pointing toward another young man in a suit and overcoat, beaming brightly in the plum grove.
"Too short."
"And him?" Unfazed by Shen Qi's dismissals, Shen San refused to accept that not one of the thirty-two individuals he'd scouted over many days had a chance.
Despite his lack of enthusiasm, Shen Qi continued to turn down the options. He had lost hope in his older brother's taste in men; every option seemed too submissive. Was he expected to grudgingly take the dominant role?
Exasperated, he held his forehead, acknowledging that it must be due to the domineering image he displayed over the years. Even his own family assumed he was a dominant partner, let alone outsiders.
Just as he was considering subtly hinting at his true nature, Shen An whispered in his ear, "Master Qi, Young Master Zhao has arrived in the capital and come directly to you. He's waiting outside the garden."
Shen Qi's eyes narrowed, about to instruct the staff to accommodate Zhao before suddenly recalling a kiss from four years ago. Intrigued, he made up his mind, "Invite him to meet me directly."
"Yes, sir."
Seeing Shen San's curious gaze, he hinted with a smirk, "Brother, tell everyone to leave now; I've found my choice."
"Who is it?" Shen San sat up straight immediately.
"Well, here he comes," signaled Shen Qi, tilting this chin slightly to direct his brother's gaze.
Snow had fallen overnight, covering the entire garden with pristine white, perfect against the blooming, vibrant red plums. A painting could be made just by casually looking around — each snow-clad path and untouched snow pile — except for the walkways carefully cleared.
Into this picturesque scene walked a sturdy, upright figure, like a sharp sword disrupting the tranquility of the painting, evoking an chill of a winter day.
When their faces' features became distinctly visible, the figure paused, lifting his hat-covered head. A pair of deep-set eyes looking straight at Shen Qi.
Shen Qi, from his vantage point, returned the gaze with a nonchalant smile on his lips.
Red plums blossomed all around, reminiscent of their first encounter years ago.
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