Jin’er walked quickly out of the room, turning into the corridor. With no one around, the heat in her face gradually faded, and she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and tilt her head up to smile, the sunlight bright, falling from above her field of vision.
Even though she knew that before Liheng left for Shandong, they would still need to have a talk about this matter one way or another, getting his understanding ahead of time still made her happy.
She couldn’t help sniffling, hurrying back to that courtyard, to the room she shared with Sister Yunzhu. Once through the door, she couldn’t help but clench her fists in front of her and jump up, bouncing excitedly a few times like a little zombie, her foot suddenly landing on the hem of her skirt.
“Ah——”
Whoosh—crash—bang—
“What’s going on?”
Ning Yi’s puzzled voice came from outside.
“No—nothing’s wrong!”
On the bed in the room, Jin’er rolled over, lying there, sunlight streaming in from the door and window. In the room, a stool had toppled over, the mosquito net had been pulled down and collapsed halfway onto the bed. The sunlight shone on the crystalline face of this ordinarily lively and cheerful girl, on her white robes and body. She parted her lips slightly, staring at the ceiling, lying like that for a good while, then, somewhat hesitantly, pressed her palms together and raised them to her lips, closing her eyes.
“Father, Mother… can you see this… someone wants Jin’er… may your spirits in heaven… bless him…”
She murmured these words, a tear welling from the corner of her eye, sliding down the side of her face, falling gently…
Outside the window, it was a day of brilliant sunshine.
And our gaze now turns north.
……
In the Wu Dynasty, on the eighth day of the fifth month in the tenth year of the Jinghan Emperor’s reign, on this sunny day in Bian Liang, our line of sight passes over wild plains and great rivers, over towering mountains and ridges, heading north, to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Within the borders of Yi Prefecture, dark clouds gather in the gray sky beneath our view. Passing through the clouds, beneath the sky is a curtain of heavy rain.
Mountain forests, cities, winding roads, dilapidated villages scattered within the rain curtain, and a river flowing past the wilderness ahead. South of a small city, a military camp the color of lead-gray showed a stern and forbidding air—soldiers patrolling, carts and horses coming and going, kicking up splashes of water and mud. In weather like this, most of the soldiers stayed in their tents, waiting for the rain to stop before drilling again. As noon approached, the curtain of the command tent in the camp was suddenly thrown open, and a tall, burly man from Liaodong strode in, covered head to toe in rainwater.
In the center of the tent, the man who was clearly the army’s commander—a general with a long saber at his waist—was studying a map at a table. He wore magnificent, imposing armor and a treasured blade, though it seemed, perhaps because he hadn’t worn it long, there was a faint air of not quite fitting in. But looking only at this middle-aged general—his features dignified, his build imposing, his gaze steady—one could tell he had commanded troops for years and carried considerable presence, yet had not developed the air of a nouveau riche.
At that moment he was pointing at the map with several officers around him, arranging military affairs. The man who had just entered from the doorway seemed to be a core member of this army; still dripping with rain, he laughed heartily. “Big Brother! That bastard Xiao Gan sent someone with gifts again, and had a messenger deliver a letter too. Just as you said, we kept the goods and had the messenger sent packing. The letter’s here…” He tossed a sealed letter onto the table, then looked at the map. “So, have things been decided? If you ask me, given the state the Liao are in, what’s there to discuss? Just attack directly! We’ve got two hundred thousand troops!”
“Ha, all you know how to say is nonsense!”
The general laughed, picked up the letter from the table, walked back a few steps, and sat down grandly in the chair at the head of the tent before tearing the letter open. The man who had just entered laughed. “Am I wrong, Big Brother? If the Liao weren’t collapsing like a landslide, why would they be sending us gifts like this? Big Brother, what does the letter say?”
“All flowery language…” The general glanced over it a few times, then casually tossed the letter aside. “Read it yourselves.”
“I don’t know that many characters…” The man beside him picked up the letter, but no one really looked at it, figuring their Big Brother up there would just tell them anyway.
The general above shook his head and sneered. “The Liao have submitted formal petitions of vassalage to both the Wu Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty.”
“Huh?” Several officers were stunned. “Would the Wu Dynasty agree to that?” “Hard to say.” “They do care about face.”
As the men discussed among themselves, the general at the head of the tent stood up. “Even if they agree, they’ll still attack!” He waved his hand. “The Liao have already been beaten senseless by the Jin. This time Grand Marshal Tong is marching north with over two hundred thousand troops already stationed here—how could they leave without firing a single arrow? Xiao Podian is clever—while blocking Grand Marshal Tong’s army on one side, he’s surrendering to various parties on the other to buy time. They’re giving us gifts, and the letter says that regarding our defection to the Wu Dynasty, they will absolutely not pursue the matter. The Wu and Liao are brotherly nations—even if we go over to Wu, we’re merely going to our elder brother’s side. The letter also says that if we’re willing to sit back and watch how things unfold this time, without getting involved, there will surely be generous rewards in the future…”
Breaking away from the Liao and surrendering to the Wu Dynasty—this general was none other than Guo Yaoshi of the Ever-Victorious Army. He smiled now, spat, and walked over to the table. “Do they take me for a fool? I’ll take their gifts, but we’ll take the Wu Dynasty’s honors too! Now that we’ve pledged allegiance to Wu, the first thing I want is to take Yanjing! This is something His Majesty has wanted for a long time too… Oh right, is tonight’s banquet ready? That civil official who arrived a few days ago—we need to look after him properly.”
“It’s ready,” one of the officers nodded. “Singing girls, food, performances, all arranged. But that fellow’s so full of flowery talk, looks like he couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag, yet he’s so meek and deferential toward us. I don’t understand why Big Brother values him so much—every time he sees him he lowers himself so much…”
“You don’t understand a thing,” Guo Yaoshi laughed. “That man holds a high official rank. You see him being respectful to us now—that’s because we’re the ones in the spotlight right now. Once that heat dies down, I’m telling you, in the south, civil officials rank above military officers! He’s here to keep us in check—don’t lack self-awareness…”
As he spoke, he lowered his head and placed a small flag on the map, muttering to himself. “Anyway… that man has real learning, so it never hurts to show him respect. Tonight, send half of what Xiao Gan sent us to him… send the other half to Grand Marshal Tong and Military Commissioner Liu, and let’s throw in some of our own local specialties too… Hey, do you think these scholars have particular customs about how gifts should be given? We northerners, don’t let anyone say we’re country bumpkins…”
As he said this, the others exchanged glances, naturally having no idea how scholars ought to give gifts. Someone hesitated and asked, “Since that’s the case, Big Brother, why did we choose the Wu Dynasty at all…”
The others chimed in in agreement. “Yeah.”
Guo Yaoshi lifted his head to look at them. “It’s just a bit of trouble, that’s all—where isn’t there trouble? Let me ask you: is it better to add flowers to brocade, or to send charcoal in the snow that people will remember?”
He paused. “The Jin have already conquered half of Liao. Those Jurchen people—which of them isn’t crazy? If we went over there, could you outdo them? Even if you could outdo a few of them, would they value you for it? The Wu Dynasty is different—they’ve wanted to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun for two hundred years. The moment we arrive, they immediately get two prefectures back—who would dare not value us? Next, while Xiao Gan is locked in standoff with Grand Marshal Tong, we’ll attack Yanjing first. With enemies on all sides, Xiao Gan won’t have time to come to the rescue, and we’ll sweep through the Sixteen Prefectures. The people of Wu will remember us.”
“The people who summoned us over have been at it for a while already. Do you know why it’s this particular moment? The Wu Dynasty suffered a great defeat before—ten thousand men defeating a hundred thousand—that sort of thing doesn’t happen often, but it shattered their side’s confidence. Grand Marshal Tong is marching north, and before he’s won a victory, we’re the charcoal sent in the snow. After this, riding on the momentum of these two hundred thousand troops, we’ll sweep the entire north and reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures. Even if most of the credit goes to Grand Marshal Tong, I tell you, most of the fame will be ours!”
He laughed, arranging the flags in clusters on the map. “As for what comes after, I’ve thought that through for all of you too. With two hundred thousand troops pressing in, the Liao currently can’t hold them back, but they’re definitely no match for us in fighting ability. After the conquest of Liao, you all know how fierce the Jurchen are—they’re few in number and can’t push south, but to hold the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, someone capable of fighting will be needed. Brothers, all of you handle the fighting, and whatever pressure comes, I’ll bear it for you. But our Ever-Victorious Army will become the most formidable fighting force in the Wu Dynasty’s military, and we’ll establish our own household and dominion here, holding back the Jurchen! Everyone will bring honor to their ancestors. As long as we remain useful, those civil officials won’t be able to control us, and no one will be able to give you grief…” Men of Liaodong—wealth and honor are won at the tip of a blade.”
With this speech, everyone grew excited. The Ever-Victorious Army’s predecessor, the Grievance Army, had originally been formed from famine refugees selected in Liaodong. After it was established, despite its fighting ability, it had always been regarded with suspicion by the Liao, and its members hadn’t lived very comfortably. Yet in this recent period since surrendering to the Wu Dynasty, they had truly experienced being treated like a prized commodity. They never imagined their leader had already thought so far ahead for them—establishing their own household and dominion? Bringing honor to their ancestors?
As the crowd buzzed with discussion, Guo Yaoshi laughed again and waved his hand. “And there’s more, there’s more. The reason we sided with Wu is because we here, we’ve long heard of the prosperity of the south, always admired it, never really got to see it for ourselves. Our former Liao’s Five Capitals, said to be some kind of splendid world—I tell you, nowhere close! The Southern Dynasty, that’s true prosperity. Places like Bian Liang, Jiangning, Gusu, Hangzhou… those places, everything’s so beautiful… and the girls, their bodies smooth as water…”
This was, after all, the subject men could most relate to, and everyone burst into laughter, a bit of vulgar merriment. Guo Yaoshi straightened his expression.
“When the chance comes, all you brothers, go south and marry yourselves wives, start families, have children, so they won’t go hungry here anymore. From childhood, they’ll read some of the sages’ books… and when you’re old, when you can’t fight anymore, you’ll be cared for in a house down south, living out what the scholars call a peaceful old age. Then this life will truly have been worth it…”
As he said this, he lowered his head and smiled, then slammed his fist onto the table with a bang. When he raised his head again, his eyes held a fierce light. “But before all that! We fight! We win! Fighting the best we can—that’s what we need to do! I’ve already reached out to several gang leaders inside Yanjing. Next, as soon as we can convince Grand Marshal Tong and Military Commissioner Liu, we can move out immediately—break through the city first with light cavalry! By the time Xiao Podian reacts, the city will already be ours! Taking Yanjing will be our stepping stone to advancement! Tonight I’m hosting that official for a banquet, to persuade Grand Marshal Tong and the others—I’ll need his help too. He wouldn’t dare disrespect you all, and you’re not to give him attitude either, understand?”
“Understood.”
“Understood, Boss.”
“We’ll treat him like our own dad.”
“Hahahaha…”
Everyone laughed and roughhoused, still talking about future prospects. Guo Yaoshi picked up something at hand and tossed it at them, cursing with a laugh, “Get out! Keep your minds on Yanjing, train harder! Everyone fights when it’s time to fight—as for the miscellaneous odds and ends, I, your boss, will naturally sort those out! Go on!”
He chased the group of subordinates out of the tent, and the command tent fell quiet. Guo Yaoshi stood there, thinking through the whole matter, his right fist clenching, striking against his left palm. He raised his head slightly, his gaze proud and lofty. After a moment, his fist struck again. They hadn’t surrendered to Wu for long, and the Ever-Victorious Army hadn’t been enjoying favorable circumstances for long either. No matter how one looked at it, after making such a major decision, being the highest-ranking general and hosting such a large group for dinner wasn’t entirely without risk. But he thought it through and concluded there shouldn’t be any problems.
Thinking this, he nodded, full of ambition and confidence.
Bang!
His fist pressed into his palm.