Sitting idle in camp wasn’t a solution. According to Lai Chuanfeng’s explanation, Beisha City wasn’t without precedent of being breached—Lai Hu’er had broken this city and beheaded a thousand enemies. We’re much more formidable than Lai Hu’er, so why can’t we break it?
That this brainless talk could even come out of his mouth! Lai Hu’er was a fierce general of the Former Sui. According to the elders, he was truly a mighty general who could run horses on his arms and stand men on his fists. Leading thirty thousand soldiers in non-stop fierce attacks for two days, he had finally taken this fortified pass, ultimately beheading only a thousand. No one knew how many of Lai Hu’er’s subordinates had died. Even Emperor Yang of Sui only knew his great general had captured Beisha City, not how many soldiers had died. With an army of a million, losing ten or twenty thousand—no one cared.
Lai Hu’er could afford to lose ten or twenty thousand soldiers, but Yun Ye couldn’t. Losing ten would take his old life—how dare he lose ten or twenty thousand? Back when Cheng Yaojin had said something about consulting Lai Chuanfeng when land battles were undecided—that was pure nonsense. Only at this moment did Yun Ye discover that his subordinates were all blockheads who only grew muscles, not brains.
National crisis produces excellent generals. Anyway, the fleet wouldn’t arrive for over ten more days. When the time came, he’d board a ship and look around—perhaps he’d have a good idea. For now, better to relax.
Once Dan Ying reached Hebei, it was like coming home. Today he’d go find an elder from years past to drink wine, tomorrow he’d go to a dog meat shop to eat meat. Yun Ye had been entertained many times too. Apart from the hosts being wretched and detestable in appearance, there was nothing else to say—especially that pot of dog meat, it was truly authentic.
No one knew Yun Ye was a marquis. When Dan Ying introduced him to others, there was only ever one title—big brother-in-law.
“Little Ying, these people couldn’t all be bandits, could they? Dengzhou city is tiny as a fart, yet it’s a place where merchants gather. Why do I think that dog meat seller looks like a fence? You can’t learn bad habits and become a bandit too.”
“I’m introducing you to a few heroes and you have so many complaints. If you don’t want to go, next time I’ll go myself.” Dan Ying was very impatient. In his eyes, there were only heroes who ate meat in large chunks and drank wine in large bowls—no distinction between justice and evil. This dignified Marquis Yun Ye, in his view, was just his big brother-in-law and nothing else. Introducing him to his friends was just normal human sentiment.
Today’s companion was relatively bold. In the freezing weather, he had his front open, black dense chest hair connecting to his beard, even the place where he tied his belt was hairy. On his head he wore a fur hood, only exposing his mouth and one eye. If this fellow wasn’t a fierce bandit, Yun Ye would rather gouge out his own eyeballs and stomp on them.
Grasping a pig’s knuckle in his hand, he bit it until oil flowed from his mouth. He spat out a bone, then drank a large bowl of wine. Probably drinking the Yun family’s strong liquor for the first time, when the alcohol went to his head, his face flushed red and he gave Dan Ying a thumbs up. He pulled off the fur hood wrapped on his head in one motion. Only then did Yun Ye see clearly—this fellow truly had very distinctive features. Big mouth, big eyes, big nose, even his teeth were big—one could match two of Yun Ye’s. His eyeballs were probably so conspicuously large that someone had blinded one, and he wore a fur eyepatch. Sitting there, he looked as fierce as could be.
“Uncle Human Bear, we two haven’t seen each other for three years. Your body is still so robust.” Dan Ying accompanied him in drinking a bowl of wine, picked up the huge wine gourd and filled this Human Bear’s bowl again.
“This is your big brother-in-law? Looks refined and cultured, can’t do our line of work. But being a mole at the market isn’t bad. With that fine skin and tender flesh, the ladies like him. Keep watch, scout the locations, give him a share afterward—it’s not impossible. I must give you, Little Ying, face. Come, fill it up! This wine is good. Get your uncle two carts later.”
So I’ve become a lookout thief? Yun Ye looked at Dan Ying furiously, but who knew Dan Ying acted as if he hadn’t seen anything and continued saying to Human Bear: “Uncle, some people can’t be judged by appearance. Don’t look at how my big brother-in-law appears refined like a scholar—you don’t know that my master fell into my big brother-in-law’s hands. At the time, he could neither beg to live nor beg to die. Master and big brother-in-law had a grievance, and little nephew caught in the middle couldn’t help either side. Who knew Master would fall? I really couldn’t bear to see him suffer, so I stole him away from my big brother-in-law’s hands. The result? Haha, my master turned around and sold me out. If not for big brother-in-law saving me, little nephew would have died long ago.” Dan Ying spoke smilingly of his painful past as if he didn’t care at all.
Hearing Dan Ying say this, Human Bear put down his wine bowl. His one eye stared at Yun Ye for quite a while before saying to Dan Ying: “I told you long ago to guard against that shameless old master of yours, but you just wouldn’t listen. You stole someone from your big brother-in-law’s hands, yet your big brother-in-law still saved you—that shows he treats you as one of his own. Getting you back, at most he’d beat you once and that would be it. Such relatives are worth associating with. Ever since I partnered with your master on one deal and he took seventy percent for himself, I, Old Bear, have looked down on him. Over thirty brothers sharing thirty percent—how could he bring himself to do it!”
Dan Ying raised his wine bowl, clinked it with Human Bear’s, drained it in one gulp and said: “Uncle Bear, you’re the wise one. That’s exactly what big brother-in-law did. Little nephew got beaten once but was thoroughly convinced.” Human Bear ignored Dan Ying, drained a bowl with Yun Ye, put down the wine bowl, turned and was about to leave.
“Uncle Bear, what’s the meaning of this? We’ve only had one round of wine.”
“Little Ying, now that your big brother-in-law has whitewashed your identity, don’t wade back in. The greenwood path probably can’t accommodate you anymore. Your big brother-in-law, noble as a marquis, is willing to marry his own sister to you—that’s your good fortune. He kneaded Ding Yanping in his hands like dough. I can’t provoke Ding Yanping, much less can I provoke this big brother-in-law of yours who holds military power. Though I, Old Bear, am rough and bold, I still know which people can be provoked and which can’t.”
“Brother Dan Er provoked people he shouldn’t have and ended up dead with his whole clan exterminated. Little Ying, that you can properly take root in Chang’an and Luoyang is also borrowing your father’s blessing. Back then they went too far and felt guilty, so they let you off. Go live your wealthy and noble life properly. Don’t come see your Old Uncle Bear anymore. Just consider me dead.”
“Human Bear, you’re over forty now, right? Looking at you, you must have had many disappointments in this life. You want to live a good life, want to settle down, marry, have children, and continue the family line, right? From how you dote on Dan Ying, you must not have your own children. Do you know that your ancestors below are roaring and cursing your lack of filial piety? When you sleep at night, have you heard their voices?”
“I have a three-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter. When I’m sleeping, they always touch my face with their little hands. It’s very annoying, but once I open my eyes and see their bright black eyes, all my anger disappears. Don’t you want your child to touch your beard with little hands?” Having said this, Yun Ye held his wine bowl, took a sip, and prepared to hear how Old Bear would answer.
“Hahaha, I, Old Bear, was born of heaven and raised by earth. I never saw my ancestors, never saw my parents. Alive I’m a pile of flesh, dead I’m a handful of dirt. After today, who cares about tomorrow? Marquis Yun, you meddle too much.”
“Fine, Old Bear. I’ll give you five slots. As long as you help me retrieve the remains of the Former Sui soldiers who died for their country, you six people can walk openly on the streets. I guarantee no one will bother you. If officials look for you, it’s to measure land for you. You’ll still have to farm your land allocation and hereditary fields. You must pay your annual taxes on time.”
“No other rewards? No official positions or promises? No gold, jade, silk? Just land allocation and hereditary fields, and I still have to pay taxes? That bone mound is on the banks of the Liao River, six hundred li deep into Goguryeo, practically nine deaths and one life. You’re fobbing me off with this?”
Old Bear turned around and roared furiously at Yun Ye, as if he’d been greatly insulted.
“You’re really a master bargainer! Fine, I admit it! If you want wealth and glory, let your son earn it in the future through examinations. If you want gold, jade, and silk, hurry up and get married. If you perform meritorious service in battle this time, I’ll have rewards issued to you—gold, silver, copper coins, land, take your pick. Just no official position. My Great Tang’s official positions aren’t that cheap. Final offer—I’ll increase the slots to ten.”
Dan Ying stared dumbly at the two red-faced, thick-necked men. Even pounding his head, he couldn’t understand how the two of them were bargaining. The conditions his big brother-in-law offered didn’t even seem like conditions, but Uncle Old Bear wasn’t like this before! He was righteous to his brothers and magnanimous to all. How could he possibly care about things like land allocation and hereditary fields?
Under Dan Ying’s horrified gaze, Old Bear actually knelt down and kowtowed with loud bangs. Was this still that iron man? Was this still that hero who, when someone gouged out his eye, swallowed it whole, chewed it up and swallowed it down?
“Marquis, show mercy! I, Old Bear, have thirty-two brothers, dragging families with over a hundred mouths to feed! Half are wounded and disabled. Please show compassion and let them all come down from the mountains to farm! I don’t want gold, silver, or copper coins. Just have the officials allocate us a piece of land. I guarantee they’ll all farm honestly and absolutely won’t cause trouble.”
Dan Ying plopped down on the ground, his eyes losing focus. Old Bear’s twelve-foot Mo knife was still stuck in the ground, imposing and majestic, but its master knelt on the ground crying with tears and snot flowing.
Old Bear absolutely wasn’t afraid of death. Dan Ying dared stake his head on it. A man who traversed the white mountains and black waters—if he feared death, he would have died long ago without even bone fragments remaining. Suddenly, he remembered his own experience in Luoyang, that old prostitute biting his arm. The flesh didn’t hurt, but his heart hurt like needles pricking. Understanding this, Dan Ying also knelt on one knee, helping Old Bear plead with Yun Ye.
“Alas, Old Bear, now that the realm is settled, the human world is about to enter great order. The emperor in Chang’an city—you’re very clear what kind of figure he is. Now that a golden age is about to arrive, you won’t have any more living space. Do you know that three counties in Shu had uprisings, and the court dispatched one Pillar of State and two Cloud Standard Generals to suppress them at once? Telling you these things isn’t to say the court is making mountains out of molehills, but to let you know that now the realm’s military generals are so desperate for battle they’re going crazy. Their eyes will focus on you sooner or later. Under the encirclement of a great army, Old Bear, for you to survive would be harder than ascending to heaven.”