Cheng Chumo’s horse ran extremely fast. Seeing Yun Ye from afar, he flew down from the horse’s back, executed a beautiful forward roll to discharge the momentum, grabbed Yun Ye in an embrace and laughed heartily. They pounded each other’s backs and jumped around continuously.
Before they finished their happy reunion, Cheng Chumo released Yun Ye and leaped onto the Yun family horse cart. Using his dagger to pry open the oilcloth on the cart, he began rummaging around on top. His subordinates watched helplessly as their officer continuously stuffed things into his mouth. They were so envious their saliva flowed, but with a national marquis standing to the side, they didn’t have the courage to join in the fun.
Yun Ye said to them with a smile: “You are Chumo’s brothers, which means you’re also my brothers. The things on the horse cart originally had your share. If you don’t take them now, in a moment they’ll be gone. Don’t you know Chumo’s temperament?”
As soon as the words fell, the scene instantly descended into chaos. Poor Yun family horse cart—in the blink of an eye it was tormented by a group of strong men until it nearly fell apart. Cheng Chumo punched and kicked, trying to stop everyone’s frenzied grabbing. The effect was poor. He himself also took countless punches and kicks. Seeing he was outnumbered, he jumped down from the cart rubbing his eye sockets, still with a sausage clenched in his mouth.
He viciously kicked the buttocks of several fellows who were buried in wild eating a few times, considering it revenge.
Yun Ye removed the sausage from his mouth and said to him: “This is raw. It needs to be steamed before eating. Could it be Shuofang has no food?”
Better not to ask. Once asked, Cheng Chumo’s tears flowed freely, his face full of grief: “Big brother here was also raised pampered. Having eaten at your home, my mouth became picky. How could I have suffered this kind of hardship? They only have one method for cooking—boiling. They boil vegetables, meat, and rice together until cooked and that’s it. They don’t even give you your fill! They say we must conserve grain. Each person is only allowed to eat until eighty percent full. Big brother here is still growing, so inevitably I eat a bit more. Last time I took two extra flatbreads, the cook wouldn’t allow it. I beat up the cook, and as a result nearly got the military rod. We brothers kicked all the cooks’ butts in Longyou and never got punished. Hearing you were coming, big brother here has been anxiously anticipating day and night. Now that you’ve come, things are good. Big brother won’t have to starve anymore. Let this group of scourges enjoy these foods.”
Having just gotten smug for a moment, Cheng Chumo was about to show off his battle achievements to Yun Ye. Before he even rolled up his sleeves, he was kicked into a sprawl by Old Niu.
“Who taught you to greet guests like this? Are you charging into battle or performing acrobatics? Don’t you know how Jianhu’s foot got injured? If you dare recklessly show off again, this old man will break your legs.”
Old Niu had originally been quite happy. Seeing that Cheng Chumo had come to greet him and that he appeared intact made him happy in his heart. Who knew Cheng Chumo would give him a flying man stunt? This angered the old man. Niu Jianhu’s foot was injured precisely from reckless showing off. He didn’t want Cheng Chumo to also suffer a bad ending.
Before Old Niu, Cheng Chumo didn’t dare be presumptuous in the slightest. Who told him his old man and Old Niu were together called Cheng Da and You Jin? Back when they were bandits they were iron buddies. Seeing Old Niu wasn’t much different from seeing his old man. Either way he’d get beaten—what difference did it make who beat him?
Seeing Cheng Chumo obediently accept instruction, Old Niu snorted and went to the front to reorganize the troops so they could continue forward, leaving space for the two young brothers.
Dusting off Little Cheng, he stuffed the small wine flask from his bosom into his hands. It had been soaked in ice water for a long time before he took it out.
Cheng Chumo might have gone mad with craving. With one tilt of his neck, the flask of grape wine went down his gullet. He greedily shook out the last drop before stopping.
The convoy continued forward. Yun Ye sat on the cart shaft while Little Cheng rode his horse. The two chatted and laughed as they headed toward Shuofang City.
Yun Ye was very disappointed. This was too far from the frontier fortress he had idealized. He had originally thought that even if it couldn’t compare to Tongwan City, at least it should be better than the short cities inside the passes. Who knew it would just be a damn earthen enclosure? This gave him no sense of security.
He remembered in future forums discussing several famous armies in Chinese history—the Great Tang’s Xuanjia Cavalry was on the list. Now looking at them one by one, they all resembled country bumpkins, wearing shabby yellow clothing, loosely draped in leather armor. Some even wore bamboo armor made from strung-together bamboo strips. This made his sense of insecurity even stronger.
Worthy of being brothers, Cheng Chumo saw through his unease: “Brother, don’t worry. Those on the city walls are all auxiliary soldiers. The elite combat troops aren’t used for sentry duty and standing guard. With big brother here, even tens of thousands of troops couldn’t harm a hair on your head.”
Passing through the low city gate tunnel, Yun Ye sighed. The last rebel king Liang Shidu was merely this. Having occupied Shuofang for many years, he hadn’t made any great contributions to it. Just looking at those broken-down civilian residences in the city made it clear this one was definitely a master of harsh taxation and exploitation.
Just as Old Niu said, in the city aside from Great Tang soldiers there weren’t many households. Some bloodstains on the walls were still clearly visible, blackish and attracting swarms of flies. Flies were probably a grassland specialty. Whether now or in the future, they buzzed around people, impossible to chase away, extremely annoying.
Yun Ye himself had some mild cleanliness obsession. Seeing the chaotic city, chaotic marketplace, chaotic people, his heart immediately became irritable. Sitting in the commander’s mansion waiting for Chai Shao’s reception, it turned out to be inconvenient—he had gone outside to inspect the fortified outposts and wouldn’t return for three days.
A solitary city couldn’t be defended. Shuofang was no exception. Outside it had thirty-six fortified outposts of various sizes, arrayed in interconnected formation, mutually supporting each other. If the Turks wanted to break through Shuofang, they first had to clear away these thirty-six interconnected forts. According to Cheng Chumo, unless the Turks died by the tens of thousands, they couldn’t reach Shuofang. Hearing him boast so fiercely, only then did Yun Ye feel reassured. Otherwise constantly staying in a dangerous city didn’t conform to Yun Ye’s principles of conduct. Even Confucius said a gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. This was wise counsel that must be firmly remembered and passed down to descendants in the future, carrying forward this spirit generation after generation.
Yun Ye’s noble rank was high, Sun Simiao’s virtue and prestige were weighty. As for Xu Jingzong, a small assistant secretary—placed in Shuofang full of military men, even dogs wouldn’t bite him.
Although Yun Ye was a martial marquis, being unable to wield a blade or shoot arrows was also rare. These days even old literati like Fang Xuanling could wildly gesture a few moves and not be timid on the battlefield.
Fortunately he wore the hat of medical officer. The generals in the city were all very polite. Yun Ye’s famous miraculous technique of reclaiming blood and extending life still had quite a market in military circles. Since Chai Shao wasn’t present, Xue Wanche received Yun Ye in Chai Shao’s place.
A very imposing big man. This made Yun Ye think of that fool Xi Tong. Similarly tall and large, when this person sat behind the writing desk, he had an aura of imposing dignity without anger. Imagining if Xi Tong sat behind it—damn it, aside from wretchedness, it would still be wretchedness.
“Marquis Yun has come a thousand li to relieve our army’s worries. This general greatly welcomes you. Now to prevent plague outbreak, the area thirty li outside the city is entirely a restricted zone. People and horses may not enter or exit. Presumably there will be no problems. Within the city we must trouble Marquis Yun and must trouble Daoist Sun. Please do not decline.”
People in the military spoke very directly, especially fierce generals like Xue Wanche who didn’t recognize many characters—even more direct. Forget it, don’t make things difficult for Old Xue. Making a rough man speak like a literatus—wasn’t this making things difficult for him? Just now using a commanding tone to speak to Yun Ye—if this were in Chang’an he’d long ago be scorned to death. You, an earl, loudly issuing commands to a marquis? Moreover you’re not even the commander. Don’t make things difficult for Old Xue. Didn’t you see the sweat coming down his face?
Yun Ye drew up his kneeling legs and plopped his bottom on the mat, saying with a smile to Xue Wanche: “General Xue, you and I are both military men. Why are you learning to speak like those civil officials today—sourly unpleasant? I was thinking that arriving at the military camp was like arriving home, planning to eat you out of house and home. You have no wine, no dishes prepared—could you be bullying my youth?”
This string of words left Xue Wanche stunned, then he burst into loud laughter. The sound reverberated in Yun Ye’s ears before he stopped and shouted loudly: “Bring wine and dishes!”
Old Xue no longer maintained his kneeling posture. His two thick legs also extended out from under the desk. Wiping the sweat from his head, he said to Yun Ye: “Before leaving, the commander instructed me to definitely treat you two well and not let my rough nature show. He also said Marquis Yun is a famous mathematics master, Daoist Sun is also an otherworldly sage—both people with true ability who must not be treated discourteously. For these few sentences, he had the secretary officer teach me for half the day. Look at this head of sweat I’ve produced—more exhausting than fighting a battle.”
In an instant he liked this simple rough man. No wonder he married a princess. Throughout history, emperors who founded their reign all rather liked rough men, including our dynasty’s Grand Ancestor who was the same. Those scholarly generals and wise generals—one fell into misfortune faster than the next. Only single-minded fierce generals often managed to preserve themselves, lacking none of wealth and honor.
“General Xue’s martial prowess is famous throughout the realm. Taking a general’s head amid ten thousand troops is like reaching into a bag to retrieve an object. Yun Ye only regrets his frail body prevents him from going onto the battlefield and killing enemies. Fortunately he still has one small skill, able to contribute his meager strength to the Great Tang’s prosperity. This is already fortunate. Borrowing the general’s fine wine, Yun Ye toasts the general.”
Xue Wanche laughed showing only a large mouth. A flat-bottomed ceramic bowl full of wine—with one motion of his hand it went down his gullet. Sun Simiao looked at Yun Ye with suspicion, not understanding what ghost scheme he was plotting. The Yun Ye of the past wasn’t this easy to talk to.
At the wine banquet host and guests enjoyed themselves fully. Xue Wanche was already drunk yet still said with rolled tongue he wanted to drink three more bowls with Yun Ye.
After taking leave, it was already sunset. Unable to see mountain ranges, he only watched the large red sun sink into the horizon. Yun Ye and Sun Simiao strolled through Shuofang City. From time to time formations of soldiers in ranks brushed past them, as if telling Yun Ye this truly was a military fortress, not the singing and dancing Chang’an.
“Boy, how did you become a different person today? In the past although you also bragged and flattered, today’s feeling you gave me was somehow so strange.”
“You’re overthinking it. Although this youngster is young in years, he’s not someone just anyone can bully. Speaking human words to humans, ghost words to ghosts—this is what Teacher Li Gang taught me. This Xue Wanche is a simple and direct rough man. Saying wrong things is commonplace for him. Who would haggle with him? This youngster likes dealing with rough people, doesn’t like those ghostly tricks of the court.”
“Some days ago you seemed somewhat dejected. I didn’t expect today you actually burst forth with heroic spirit again. I don’t know where your confidence comes from.”
“Actually Daoist you overestimate me. My doing this is nothing more than to preserve my life. In case the Turks attack, we can also prepare early and run faster.”
“This old Daoist truly overestimated you. Someone like you, a rat-like person occupying a high position, is a disgrace to our Great Tang.” Old Sun was somewhat angry.
“You truly are this youngster’s confidant. I also feel somewhat shameless.”