Governor Yu escorted them out of the city; Bai Shan was eager to go home, and this group of officials were not ones for lingering farewells. Besides, the capital and Qizhou were too close for such goodbyes to feel final, so they simply exchanged nods and mounted their horses to leave.
Bai Shan and Lord Tang rode in the lead, and Governor Yu watched as their sleeves fluttered in the wind, slowly fading into the distance. Stroking his beard, he said, "What a pity."
The deputy general asked, "What's the pity?"
"It's a pity we can't recruit him," Governor Yu glanced at him, "If you had even a third of Lord Bai's cleverness, I wouldn't need to say this."
The deputy general replied, "…If I had that, I wouldn't be a soldier; I'd pursue literary studies and take the imperial exams. Even passing the exams in my thirties or forties wouldn't be a loss."
Governor Yu remarked, "You have the audacity to say that."
He turned and said, "Let's go back."
