“My lord, have you come to inspect the military provisions?” Old Jiang happily opened the gate, clearly dissatisfied with the family head’s habit of not visiting even once a year. Finally seeing the marquis arrive, he naturally wanted to get straight to the point, lest the lord always think they were freeloading.
“Uncle Jiang, let’s not use the term ‘military provisions’ in our family. I’ve just come to see you all. You haven’t been coming to the house much this year either, all holed up on this little mountain doing what? Haven’t you guarded city walls enough in your lifetime? Walk around more, visit more. It would put my mind at ease to see you gentlemen appearing around the estate from time to time.”
Yun Ye placed a large package of pig head meat he’d just bought from the market on the large wooden table at the entrance. Visiting old folks always required bringing something. These old soldiers didn’t care for refined delicacies—fatty, oily pig head meat was what they loved most.
Old Jiang unwrapped the lotus leaf package, picked out a piece of pig snout meat and tossed it in his mouth, saying to the other old soldiers: “Rare that the marquis still remembers our tastes. Liu the cook’s pig head meat is indeed delicious. No rush to eat the meat—my lord, let us show you what we old brothers have accomplished these past six months.”
Surrounded by a group of old soldiers, Yun Ye entered the rear courtyard. It was liquor distilling time, and the courtyard was crowded with people. Bare-backed, muscular men wearing only shorts were using wooden shovels to scoop out distiller’s grains from the steaming barrels. Women with towels covering their mouths poured cold water over the grains, while several other women pasted alcohol content labels on wine jars. Each distillation produced different proof levels that needed blending to achieve consistency. The Yun family’s liquor now swept through Chang’an in popularity. The Cheng family’s merchant caravan took the blended liquor everywhere to swindle money from the barbarians of the grasslands and deserts. The steward had specifically said they didn’t want good liquor, just the inferior blended kind—the higher the proof, the better.
Before Yun Ye could even taste the wine, Old Jiang dragged him into a very large room. Seeing each old soldier’s face full of pride, he knew they must have accomplished something extraordinary.
Old Jiang spat twice into his palms, grabbed a thick iron chain on the ground, and with a mighty heave of both arms, lifted up a large section of flooring, revealing a dark, pitch-black opening.
Another old soldier surnamed Zhao lit a fire starter and descended the steep wooden ladder. Yun Ye followed down in bewilderment. When his feet touched solid ground, he discovered an extremely deep tunnel stretching before him. Old Jiang lit a torch and strode ahead, gesturing for Yun Ye to follow. The tunnel was extremely winding, with stone doors in many places. Every hundred paces, there was a small stone chamber where one could straighten their back. Yun Ye reflected for a moment and realized the tunnel’s direction was pointing straight toward the Yun family estate.
After walking for a while, they reached the tunnel’s end. The small mountain was a stone mountain, with water dripping down in some places, looking rather unstable. Chisels, sledgehammers, hoes and other tools lay scattered on the ground. Yun Ye turned around, his heart so pained he could barely speak: “Uncle Jiang, what is all this?”
“My lord, even a cunning rabbit has three burrows—how could our family not prepare in advance? We’re all old soldiers accustomed to the battlefield. Though we don’t understand the winds and rains of the imperial court, we’ve seen plenty of dirty deeds, and some were even carried out by us brothers personally. What despicable acts haven’t we done—murder and robbery? Originally we thought coming to the Yun family meant doing these same things, but unexpectedly, the marquis has never used us for such purposes. The Yun family has never had any dirty business for us to handle.”
“My lord, what good family wouldn’t want to be marquises and dukes for ten thousand generations? The marquis now enjoys imperial favor, so the Yun family naturally sails smoothly. The marquis doesn’t consider future matters—first because you’re young, second because you haven’t suffered losses. We cannot take the Yun family’s stipend for nothing and forget future dangers while living the good life. So we old fellows discussed it and decided that while we still have strength, we’d carve out an emergency escape route for the Yun family. As long as we can evade a major military siege, with the marquis’s abilities, even if our family is left with only its people, making a comeback would be a matter of moments.”
“My lord, our family must endure for ten thousand years with descendants ever prosperous. Please accept us as family retainers. We swear to share the Yun family’s fate in advance and retreat unto death. If we prove false, may heaven strike us with thunder and lightning, may our descendants die extinct!” Tang dynasty people generally didn’t make oaths lightly, but once sworn, they would die trying to fulfill them. They valued their oaths more than life itself. Many Guanzhong swordsmen lived by their word of honor—the saying “three cups and a solemn vow spoken, weightier than the Five Sacred Mountains” described them. All sorts of strange and unusual promises were rarely left unfulfilled.
“Jiang Niu, are you willing to become a retainer of the Yun clan?” Yun Ye took out his utility knife and presented it to Old Jiang. Old Jiang accepted it with both hands without hesitation, saying: “Jiang Niu is willing, with no regrets even unto a hundred deaths.” Having spoken, he immediately slashed his own wrist with the blade and held it up. Yun Ye took the knife and also cut his own wrist. Old Jiang raised his hand and pressed his wound against Yun Ye’s wound. This ritual was called “mingling destinies.”
They mingled destinies a full thirty-eight times, with twelve more times remaining until the old soldiers currently out with the merchant caravans returned to complete the ceremony. No matter who you are, after repeatedly cutting wounds in your own wrist thirty-some times, you’ll feel dizzy and lightheaded.
“My lord, you only needed to cut once—why did you cut yourself so many times? There’s hardly any good flesh left on your arm.” Old Jiang had forced himself to wait until the ceremony ended before asking Yun Ye.
“One cut per life. All I pay is a wound, but in the future you may pay with your lives. The ceremony must be solemn.” This single statement left Old Jiang and the others deeply moved.
Though Yun Ye very much wanted to curse at this moment, seeing a room full of old soldiers who had sold their lives and their descendants’ lives to him, he couldn’t bring himself to scold them. After thinking, he said to Old Jiang: “You should divide your families. Send one descendant from each family away to not participate in the Yun family’s core affairs. Though the Yun family is important, I can’t let you all lack posterity.”
“Hahaha, my lord’s words miss the mark! Once we entered the Yun family, how can we speak of our own posterity? After we die, we must attend you at your side. By age, we’ll certainly die first. After you choose your burial site in the future, Marquis Yun, we’ll move in first to clear the path for you and beat down those little demons in the underworld. Whatever incense offerings you receive, no matter what, we’ll have our share. So there’s no need to divide families. Once divided, there’s one more worry—it won’t do.”
Yun Ye threw back his head and laughed bitterly, looking at the old soldiers and saying: “The Yun family doesn’t seek great wealth and honor, only that everyone around us lives happily and in good health. So in our family, unless absolutely necessary, don’t speak lightly of sacrifice. Everyone in the Yun family has a precious life—it can’t be bought with a little favor or a bit of money.”
Hearing Yun Ye’s words, the old soldiers also burst into hearty laughter. This time they were truly bound to the Yun family. From now on, the money they received from the Yun family would no longer be called wages, but stipends.
Returning home with an arm full of wounds, Xinyue wiped away tears while bandaging Yun Ye’s injuries. Grandmother beamed with joy, her hands clasped together constantly praying to Buddha. Li Anlan stood behind Yun Ye, the envious expression on her face impossible to conceal no matter how she tried.
“Ye’er, tomorrow Grandmother will go to the distillery to properly thank them. Our family finally has true retainers. These kinds of people are reliable. Find fewer of those like the Heavenly Demon Princess.”
“Husband, Rong’er is also your child. Could you perhaps assign some of the family retainers to Rong’er as well? Just five households would be fine. What do you think?” Li Anlan bit her lip and knelt before Yun Ye in supplication.
Xinyue was very dissatisfied. Family retainers weren’t like copper coins or treasures to be given out so casually. Retainers were often the master’s very life—even in rebellion, those who would die alongside the master would certainly be the retainers. However, on the matter of retainers, Xinyue as the primary wife had no right to criticize.
“Mm, it’s like this: of the fifty retainer households, Rong’er will have five, and the girl from the grasslands will also have five. I’ll arrange it when the time comes. Don’t ask about it anymore. The Yun family’s retainers are not for you to profane, understand?”
With these words, not only did Xinyue and Li Anlan bow in acknowledgment, even old Grandmother nodded in agreement. The most important markers of a feudal clan were fiefs and retainers—both were indispensable.
With retainers acquired, the family head’s status immediately rose infinitely. Before bed, Xinyue carried a basin of water, and Li Anlan also carried a basin of water, both wanting to wash the family head’s feet. Unable to resolve the dispute, they each washed one foot.
After the foot washing, Xinyue climbed into bed early, batting her large eyes seductively at Yun Ye. Li Anlan sat reluctantly at the head of the bed, unwilling to leave.
“Looking is pointless—the medicine hasn’t worn off yet. If the princess doesn’t want to go back, then sleep together. I have things to say to you both tonight.” Yun Ye pushed Li Anlan into the bed, undressed himself, and also got into bed, extinguishing the lamp. Once the bed curtains dropped, the bed became a completely private space.
Lying between two women, he lost his desire to speak. Feeling the violent heartbeats on both sides, Yun Ye gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: “The Yun family has now finally gained a bit of capital. Our family was originally grass on a wall—top-heavy with shallow roots. The matter of accepting retainers requires extreme caution. These fifty old soldiers have followed me since Longyou, always protecting our family with complete dedication. They can be considered thoroughly known and trusted, which is why I agreed. I’m a suspicious person, and I know this isn’t a good trait. Gaining my trust is very difficult. You must be careful—though retainers are important, we cannot let them lead us by the nose. Many noble rebellions in the history books weren’t necessarily the family head’s decision. When all retainers decide to do something, the family head is actually powerless to resist.”
“Xinyue doesn’t understand these matters, but Anlan should have heard something. Your imperial grandfather was actually forced to jump out and rebel by his retainers and your father. The Yun family must prevent such things. Having retainers doesn’t mean people should think we have the capital to rebel. In the current environment, jumping out to rebel will get you killed more miserably than a pig.”
“With me sitting in charge of the Yun family, there won’t be problems. Anlan, you must watch over Rong’er’s situation. At the first sign of trouble, immediately take severe action to purge the household—don’t hesitate in the slightest. When the heavens are high and the emperor far away for too long, it’s easy to breed bad thoughts.”