The general’s head has turned white,
The enemies have fled far away,
The old general without opponents, oh—
For the first time turns to look homeward,
Home still stands!
Yellow sand polished bright the war lance,
But aged the countenance
The old horse licked at old wounds
The song of Yang Pass played thrice, oh—
Breaks the heart!
When I left home you still had black hair and rosy cheeks,
Now your hair is white as snow
What made your hair turn white?
The desert’s cold frost, oh—
Too merciless!
Drunk and collapsed on the sunny slope,
This is my family’s land.
Father tilled the soil here,
Twelve ranks of military merit, oh—
Not worth cherishing…
The army had a rule: as soon as a war horse grew old, it would be killed and skinned. This wasn’t considered cruel, because it was the coffin of those who died in battle. Every warrior believed that horsehide was the war horse’s soul. Once wrapped in horsehide for burial, upon reaching the netherworld, one could still fight bravely together with one’s beloved war horse. There were even more enemies there.
“Always not dying—this is a big problem. The companions in the netherworld are now suffering eight-sided sieges from others. If this old Cheng doesn’t go, those dead bastards won’t be able to hold out. Old Li, why don’t you go first to scout ahead? Help them resist for a while. Once this old Cheng dies and goes over, we’ll properly deal with those killers together and wipe them all out!”
Having told a passage about the great Battle of Hulao Pass, thinking of those deceased comrades-in-arms, Cheng Yaojin’s heart seemed very uncomfortable. He proposed to Li Ji, who was resting with his eyes closed beside him.
Li Ji slightly opened his eyes and said: “Soon. As long as Jingye continues to act so recklessly, this old man will soon go over there to fight. You don’t need to curse me—this old man will go too.”
“Your sons and grandsons are all arranged very well. Only Li Ji’s descendants grow like wild grass. My son died early, only leaving me this single seedling. Now he’s serving as Grand Metropolitan Commander in Xiangzhou. This is His Majesty giving this old man face. But when a young person grasps great power, he can’t distinguish relationships of benefit and harm. I heard recently things there are very restless. This old man sternly ordered him to return. As a result, his wife and children came back, but he didn’t return, saying he must prioritize national affairs!” Li Ji gave a bitter laugh and said: “Xiangzhou is right near the capital region. What significant military secrets could there be? You and I both came down from the battlefield. What the situation under heaven is now—how could it be concealed from us?”
Hearing these words, Cheng Yaojin immediately stood up and said to Li Ji: “This won’t do. Just days ago Yun Ye warned the family that during this time no mistakes are permitted. His Majesty has established the Investigation Court at Vermillion Bird Gate. The chief officers are Zhou Xing and Suo Yuanli. These two are extremely cruel and vicious. Falling into their hands, there’s only one path—death.”
“Recently the Grand General of the Left Guard, Qiu Xinggong, was inexplicably arrested and taken to the Investigation Court, accused of treason. Isn’t this nonsense? Under the bright universe, what does Qiu Xinggong have to commit treason with? I hastily went to visit. Zhou Xing was extremely courteous in his protocol. He showed this old man the confession letter with Qiu Xinggong’s personal signature and seal, along with evidence. This old man examined it three times—it was indeed Qiu Xinggong’s personal handwriting without doubt. I wanted to personally question Qiu Xinggong, but was stopped by the eunuchs, saying without an order it wasn’t allowed.”
“If Jingye continues this way, there will definitely be big trouble. His Majesty is cultivating his own people anew. Even the Great Emperor isn’t good to stop His Majesty from doing this. With each new emperor come new ministers. Now we’ve reached the critical moment of eliminating the old and retaining the new. Whether you’re guilty or not, loyalty is the first choice. If one thing goes wrong, even if Jingye wants to return home to till the fields, he won’t be able to.”
Li Ji said disheartened and dispirited: “If something happens, it’s already too late now. Jingye has been restless since childhood, thinking that among the younger generation his own talent should rank first. But he doesn’t know that his little ability—not to mention comparing with Yun Ye, Zhangsun Chong, Dugu Mou, Chumo, Jianhu, Baolin of the second generation—even the third generation’s Li Rong and Yun Shou far surpass him.”
“With eyes high but hands low, who knows what he’ll do? You probably don’t know that the family general I sent to escort him home had his legs broken by him. I just don’t understand what colossal disaster he’s committed that he doesn’t even dare return home.”
Cheng Yaojin collapsed in his seat dejectedly, saying repeatedly: “This makes it difficult for us to even die peacefully of old age!”
Yun Ye walked out from the house carrying his cricket jar. Today’s harvest was good—Old Niu’s cricket still couldn’t beat his own. His purse was heavy with gold coins. It was just that late autumn had already arrived, so cricket fighting wouldn’t last many more days.
Sitting beside Old Cheng, he took the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea, drinking it with satisfaction. Just as he was about to boast to Old Cheng about his battle results, he discovered both old men looked worried and troubled. He said with a smile: “You two are the big winners. Why are you still looking so gloomy?”
Cheng Yaojin sat up and asked Yun Ye: “Do you have any way to save Jingye?”
Yun Ye shook his head: “A Grand Metropolitan Commander forcibly trying to take over local governance rights—what does he want to do? Does he want to cover the sky with one hand in Xiangzhou? In Great Tang now, military and political affairs run on two separate tracks. Who does he think he is? A regional commander? Even regional commanders don’t have local governance rights. Moreover, the crime of privately minting silver coins—no one can save him from that. I’ve already asked someone to make a trip to Xiangzhou. His head will probably soon appear before Duke Ying. This is the only method, the only method that won’t affect Duke Ying’s entire family. I’m the second-generation chief manager of our several families. I have this authority. Duke Ying, you should mourn!”
“I originally didn’t want to tell Duke Ying that this was my doing. Now I can’t hide it from you. If you want to beat or scold me, that’s up to you.”
Li Ji’s two fists clenched tightly. His fingernails had already embedded into his flesh. After a long time he finally opened his palms—they were full of fresh blood. Swaying unsteadily, he stood up, cupped his fists toward Yun Ye to express thanks, then turned to leave. When he had almost walked out of the courtyard, he turned back and said to Yun Ye: “His head need not be brought back. This old man doesn’t plan to let him be buried with a whole corpse. This matter—just the three of us knowing is enough.”
Seeing Li Ji walk out of the courtyard, Cheng Yaojin asked quietly: “Boy, did you really send someone to kill Jingye? Are they reliable? Although that boy Jingye is a bastard, his skills aren’t bad. Otherwise he wouldn’t be arrogant to this degree.”
“Dan Ying went, so he’s certainly dead. If he had only minted silver coins for profit, squeezed out the Xiangzhou Prefect, and forcibly taken over governance rights, I’d still have a way to keep him from death. But that utterly selfish nature of his disgusts me to the extreme. Before the incident he didn’t even tell his own grandfather what wrong he’d committed. He also sent his wife and children to Chang’an as a delaying tactic. Is this still human?”
“Not caring about the large Li Family household in Chang’an, not caring about his own wife and children, also not thinking—if he were labeled with the charge of rebellion, would there be any survivors in Duke Ying’s mansion?”
“Duke Ying’s enormous meritorious deeds couldn’t offset the crime of rebellion! So I completely lost any thought of rescuing him. Even if this person were sent to the distant island, he wouldn’t settle down. He’s purely a black sheep that harms the flock. Might as well just have Dan Ying kill him and extinguish the root of disaster from the source.”
“Just now Duke Ying probably thought of the reason I did this, so he had those later words.”
Cheng Yaojin kept sucking in cold air, saying with lingering fear: “If there were only Li Ji alone in the family, dead would be dead. But there are over three hundred people in the family! Although he’s the only legitimate son from the principal wife, does he disregard the brothers and uncles from the side branches?”
“Xiao Ye, help me keep an eye on Chuliang and Chubi. Once they do this kind of thing, you must immediately strike heavily. Absolutely don’t hesitate. Our family has even more people! Can’t afford to be hurt!”
Yun Ye shook his head in annoyance: “I got rid of the broken matters of the imperial court. I was thinking I could have a few easier days. Now this is good—Li Jingye’s matter has come up. Does he just not have a brain? The Directorate of Waterways is everywhere under heaven. If I hadn’t received early warning, Duke Ying’s troubles would be huge. You also know that the Emperor now has red eyes eliminating dissidents, and moreover with the Great Emperor’s support. Even Qing Que doesn’t dare step beyond the thunder pool one step.”
Cheng Yaojin scratched his head, let out a long sigh and said: “You should still have Xiao Wu go monitor these wastrel sons in our family. Give Xiao Wu money generously. Each with large estates and great operations—can’t afford disasters. Xiao Wu just likes digging caves in the mountains to live in. What big deal is that? Tomorrow have Xiao Wu come over. Tell her that Grandfather Cheng won some gold coins he can’t spend and is rewarding her for cave digging.”
When Yun Ye returned home from the villa district, he saw a thin, small fifth-rank official sitting in the guest hall, talking intermittently with Old Qian. A pair of pale, slender hands lightly tapped on the table with rhythm.
Seeing Yun Ye return, he immediately performed a grand bow: “This subordinate, Junior Minister of the Court of Agriculture and Chief Officer of the Investigation Court, Zhou Xing, pays respects to Duke Chu.”
Yun Ye didn’t make a sound. Instead he stood there and carefully examined Zhou Xing, only then speaking: “Calling you here today, actually I just want to ask how Qiu Xinggong’s family members were ultimately dealt with. Even capital punishment doesn’t extend to wives and children. How is it I heard you’ve imprisoned all his family members in the Investigation Court? Now that Qiu Xinggong’s crimes have been made clear to all under heaven, do you have other intentions?”
Zhou Xing bowed at the waist and answered: “According to our Great Tang legal code, this is indeed so. However, Qiu Xinggong is a criminal prisoner His Majesty specifically demanded be severely dealt with. Therefore the clause about punishment not extending to wives and children doesn’t apply appropriately to Qiu Xinggong.”
“Are you conducting affairs according to the Great Tang legal code, or listening to His Majesty’s decree? The reason our Great Tang established the Great Tang legal code was for everyone to obey it, including His Majesty. If His Majesty wants to conduct affairs according to his own will, first he needs to revise the Great Tang legal code. This is the ancestors’ legal code. This old man doesn’t believe His Majesty can brazenly violate it.”
“I give you one day’s time. Swiftly release Qiu Xinggong’s wife and children. Otherwise I will personally ascend to the palace hall to question whether the East and West Pavilions are mere ornaments, question whether the Prime Minister has already revised the Great Tang legal code, question why His Majesty treats the Great Tang legal code he swore to uphold like worn-out shoes to be discarded.”
Zhou Xing didn’t seem panicked at all. Instead he straightened his body and cupped his hands: “This subordinate is precisely His Majesty’s hunting dog. Whatever His Majesty says, this subordinate does. As long as Duke Chu can persuade His Majesty, this subordinate absolutely wouldn’t dare detain Qiu Xinggong’s wife and children one day longer.”
“Good courage! His Majesty ascended the throne only two years ago. The Investigation Court was established only three months ago. This old man hasn’t contended with anyone for victory in these many years. Now even a small chief officer dares dispute with this old man. Someone come! Bind him up and hang him at the Investigation Court’s entrance. After I have audience with His Majesty tomorrow, then we’ll deal with this.”
“Duke Chu…” Before Zhou Xing could finish speaking, Liu Jinbao led family generals walking in. After knocking down Zhou Xing, they tied him up like a silkworm with rope, hoisted him up, and walked out…