Lyrics－抒情诗

喜欢了很长时间的一篇文，心血来潮的翻译。一直以来都将英文翻译成中文，却总在心里嘀咕我们自己这边有些作者写出来的东西绝对独树一帜，手痒了很久想向外推销出去，无奈功力尚浅，心余力不足。后来一想不对呀踏不出第一步的话又怎么能真的让外面领略到咱这边的风光无限，于是牙一咬心一横，全当我献拙吧。只求来日功力有增，不糟蹋了好文。

The Allegiance

Disclaimer: All characters belong to themselves and the history. To be frank, this fiction is translated from a Chinese slash story and I just want to popularize it because it's really touching and sadly beautiful in the poetic Chinese language. Hope I can show it in English and share with you.

Summary: A sadly beautiful farewell scene that an official went to see off a legendary general who was gong to the severe battlefront, where there was an uprising caused by the official who didn't mean to but forced to. Slash, RPS.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Make sure you know the following names and terms before reading, cuz it's a story of the mysterious ancient China.: )
 
Heshen Niohuru (1750 - February 22, 1799)whose courtesy name was Zhizhai (If one called the other's courtesy name in ancient times, that meant they were very intimate. It's somehow like the first name.) was a Manchu official of the Qing Dynasty, a favourite of the former emperor Qianlong. He was reportedly very capable of politics and attractive in appearance, which brought about many friends as well as many foes.

Fu Kangan, aka General Fu, was a famous military commander of the Qing dynasty. For his great services and exploits in battle, Fukang'an was made a prince of the fourth degree, the first Manchu outside the imperial family to receive that rank. He is believed to be a little order than Heshen and his courtesy name was Yaolin.

The Jiaqing Emperor(1796 -1820), son of Qianlong Emperor, is the current ruler in this fiction.

Helin Niohuru , Heshen's younger brother, was Fu's subodinate.

tael is the money of the Ancient China.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

In autumn of the 1st year of Jiaqing’s reign, Fukangan consumed all his fortune to make provision of over eight hundred thousand tael, preparing to go to Yunnan-Kweichow with all the troops drafted. To his surprise, an imperial edict came issuing that he should go there alone because there were too many routed forces in Yunnan and kweichow, which would wreak havoc in the long run. Thanks to Helin’s volunteering for coming along for battle, thousands of soldiers followed willingly, which forced Jiaqing to permit. On one night in October, Fukangan led the army out of Chongwen Gate, moving southwards to the unpredictable battlefield far far away.

“General Fu...”,Helin pressed his legs to horse’s belly slightly, keeping up with Fukangan who was at the front, " my brother...Had my brother said anything to you?”

Fukangan paused before smile wryly, "He has felt so much guilty and remorseful that I can hardly have a word with him anymore...” Why couldn’t he understand, understand that for him he wouldn’t mind costing blood or life,and that he thought he was always worth it.

“The battle ahead must be severe, and our soldiers are not well trained this time--”, Helin sighed, swallowing the rest of his words that even he himself wouldn’t have dared to provoke the empire by supporting Fu if it was not out of gratitude, loyalty and a sense of justice.

But still Fu could read the subordinate's thought, reaching out to the steed’s flying hair, “ Most of my lifetime was spent in war. I’ve narrowly missed death for countless times and already learnt not to care since long ago. Fighting for your country is not else than allegiance and sacrifice. It’s okay as long as one can feel no qualms before the gods. If there have to be something unfulfilled, then it must be the four years spent in the Captial, during which I tried, frustrated, and still couldn’t rekindle the lost feelings, which...might be my own fault -- ”

 
“ General!” Helin suddenly reached out to Fu's halter, making him looked confusedly up at him. Following his gaze，Fu looked ahead, and transfixed at that moment. Out of the ancient crimson gate stepped the man who riveted all his sight and mind over glances.

“Zhizhai!” He couldn’t help calling out a little loud, spurring his steed on.

The General moving on, his soldiers were about to follow suit naturally, but Helin barred the way with a hand. “ The whole troop, one hundred steps backward march!”

With heavy clangs of the armor and metal boots echoing, he watched the two figures who had both experienced a lot overlapping in the distance. They had waited for this day for too long - over two decades - the couple should have been happy...

He looked down at the scar-like crossing of his palmprints, and all of a sudden was striken by a rush of shiver.

Heshen turned his gaze up at the horse drawing nearer and nearer as wind, the knight's cloak swinging as dark as the sound night approaching.

Though now, he could stand there, meeting the other one's gaze, composed and calm.

“Zhizhai...” The earlier rapture he fell into soon ebbed when he saw Heshen’s indifferent look,so he simply halted his horse and asked, “ Are you... coming to see me off? ”

“The battle...It was me who Prince Fu fight for – so I... have to see you off, don't I?”

He was nearly overwhelmed to faint by a mixture of anguish, remorse, fret and something unstifled when hearing Fu requesting the battle assignment for him in the Court days ago, though right here right now he still had to pretend to appear chilly, well ready to perform another mutually hurt play.

Fu bowed his head in disappointment, smiling bitterly," you know perfectly well that it’s not what I expect to hear.”

Heshen felt as if there was a lump stuck in his throat," Then what do you expect, Yaolin?...Don’t do that for me anymore; I don’t deserve. It’s unnecessary to fight for me at all if you simply want to make some sorts of atonement out of guilt, for we both think it’s clear that there will be no way back if you go without soldiers and supplies. And the emperor ... the emperor wouldn’t leave it at that easily. Why can't you show your wits as usual this time? ”

Fu looked into his eyes, “ I wish I would lose my wits from now on if watching our chances passing away as ever shows my wits. And I’d rather die in the wilds if you find I’m simply making some sorts of atoneme --”

“You are insane!” Heshen cut him off boldly, gasping with his face growing livid with rage, “ H-How can curses of this kind easily come out? Take – take care of yourself! Goodbye!”

Hardly had the words finished when he turned away and started back determinedly. Fu hastened to jerk the halter and stuck in his way again, muttering softly, “ ’kay it’s nonsense and I know I’m improper, but the battle is vital for the Qing Empire, Zhizhai – Of course I will take it serious won't I ? So don’t worry about it -”

“ I’m worrying about YOU.” Heshen bit his lip, finally looking up at Fu. " The forward journey is unpredictable. I hope you will take care and never overextend the fighting – enough is good – since you always appear too aggressive and this time you will not – " Suddenly a face drew near.

Fu was bending down on the steed to stare at him, a thread of his loosened hair swinging in the cool wind of autumn before twisting together with Heshen’s, just as their fates did.

“Are you concerned about me?”

“Certainly I – ” Heshen shut up, his eyes widening in surprise at Fu’s suddenly drawing near, at the weathered look, at the dashing and valiant bearing, and the inky eyes which were as deep as night. “W- what are you doing?! You idiot! They’re all watching – ”

“If you do feel reluctant, just push me away – and evade again.” Fu murmurred and softly pressed his lips to Heshen’s before the man frozen had a chance to realize, and he continued, “ With this blessing from you, I know I’ll win!”

Though it’s hard for the soldiers hundred-foot away to see them clearly in the dazy night darkness, and even harder to see the blush suddenly coming into Heshen’s cheeks. They simply figured that their general was whispering something in the minister’s ear, yet Heshen gasped and pulledd a step away in astonishment, incredulous of the feeling the mild kiss brought about that his heart was almost thrilled to pound out of his throat.

Fu sat up straight, his eyes still on Heshen before he raised his left hand, and all the soldiers seated on the ground stood up immediately, gathering around their general rapidly.

“Brother...” Helin looked down at him, suddenly hit by sorrow; hardly had he returned to the capital for a year before having to leave again. Maybe it should be imputed to the fate.

It was his long-cherished dream that the two brothers from the Niohuru’s could both become influential officials, prospering the country with his gift for politics and Helin’s genius for military affairs, though now with the dream realized, he held his brother’s hand only to find himself downcast. Clenching the hand tighter, he mumbled in a shaking voice, “ Come back... as soon as possible; it’s said that the tenth princess (Heshen’s daughter-in-law, the tenth daughter of Empire Qianlong's) got pregnant, and when you come back, there will be another baby in our family...”

 
Helin smiled brightly at him as usual, intending to conceal their sorrow over leaving. “ I’ll go back in triumph and present the baby with the rebel chief’s head as a birthday gift!”

“No one would consider something so bloody as a gift!” Heshen pretended to be irritated, masking his sadness as well.

Looking at the two brothers for a while, Fu slowly raised his hand and signd to the troops as an order.

The whole army moved on; from now on, there would be a long long way to go, and the way might be too far to come back.

The troops went out of the capital Beijing southwest to the Yongding River. Across the river lying the Lugou Bridge like the Milky Way. Here’s the south border of the capital, and it meant god knew when he could see him again after crossing this river.

tbc

tbc