novelSusiti Chapter 39 Promotion and Who is the Southern Barbarian?
Chapter 39 Promotion and Who is the Southern Barbarian?
Xiangzhou, the capital of Weibo Town
While Li Chongjin led the Imperial Guards into battle, Guo Rong had already led the Palace Guards back to Xiangzhou. This was to shorten logistical distances. Xiangzhou was not far from Bianliang and was accessible by waterway, making it an ideal transit point for supplies for the army's northern expedition.
Fu Yanqing, the military governor of Weibo, and Guo Rong were father-in-law and son-in-law. As military governor of Weibo, Fu Yanqing always obeyed the emperors of Bianliang, and successive Bianliang emperors bestowed favors upon him. By Guo Rong's time, Fu Yanqing had been promoted to Prince Fu, and was also the emperor's father-in-law. Last year, Guo Rong's wife, Lady Fu, gave birth to a son, and this infant carrying the Fu family bloodline greatly inspired the entire Weibo region. Fu Yanqing became even more loyal in guarding the northern border of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Fu Yanqing and Guo Rong were very familiar with each other. When the late emperor was in power, Guo Rong married a girl from the Fu family and often visited his father-in-law, taking the opportunity to say some things on behalf of the late emperor that were inconvenient to say in official documents.
After Guo Rong ascended the throne, Fu Yanqing, who was cautious by nature, became taciturn, fearing that he might accidentally harm the status of his daughter and grandson.
Guo Rong was determined to win over his father-in-law to guard the northern gate for him, while also being careful not to let the Fu family's power rise and disrupt the balance, thus creating a new situation of interference in politics by maternal relatives.
The father-in-law and son-in-law each had their own thoughts, and their relationship was a mix of intimacy and distance, with consideration concealing a sense of propriety. They were truly a top-notch father-in-law and son-in-law combination.
That day, the two were at it again. Guo Rong insisted on personally pouring wine for his father-in-law. Fu Yanqing absolutely refused to let the official pour wine for him. The two went back and forth at the banquet, looking like they were playing a game.
Just as the father-in-law and son-in-law were enjoying their time together, a servant came in to announce, "Your Majesty, Commander Li of the Imperial Guard has arrived."
Guo Rong then put down the wine pot and said, "What a coincidence, Brother Li has arrived at just the right time. Quickly, invite him in for a drink. Someone, bring another set of bowls and chopsticks."
Fu Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief; finally, someone had come to her rescue.
He said enthusiastically, "With the general returning, this small pot of wine won't be enough. Someone, quickly bring five dou of wine. We can't let Commander Li find fault with us."
Guo Rong laughed and said, "You are my elder, how dare he criticize you?"
Fu Yanqing laughed heartily: "I am still the host. It is the host's duty to prepare enough wine and meat. How can I not let the guests enjoy themselves?"
Li Chongjin was outside and arrived quickly. As soon as he entered, he smiled and said, "It smells so good, Your Majesty. I am indeed very hungry. Li Chongjin greets Your Majesty and His Highness Prince Fu."
Guo Rong hurriedly invited him, "Brother, please take your seat. This great victory has greatly enhanced the prestige of our nation."
Li Chongjin didn't stand on ceremony. He decisively took his seat, first pouring wine for the official, then for Prince Fu, and finally filling his own cup. He closed his eyes, took a big gulp, and shouted with satisfaction, "Good wine, so refreshing!" This fellow actually grabbed the wine pot and filled it up again.
Guo Rong and Prince Fu were used to this kind of martial arts style and did not find it offensive at all.
Li Chongjin drank three cups in a row, exhaled a breath of alcohol, and seeing that the Emperor and Prince Fu were both looking at him, he put down his cup embarrassedly, patted his forehead, and said, "Your Majesty, I have lost my composure. I beg Your Majesty to punish me. I have been impolite. I beg Prince Fu to punish me."
Guo Rong and Prince Fu laughed simultaneously. Guo Rong said, "Enough, enough. Considering your long and arduous journey, what's a few cups of wine? Quickly tell me about the battle. This mere memorial is not enough for me."
Li Chongjin then recounted in detail the events leading up to the battle, and Guo Rong and Prince Fu listened attentively, nodding occasionally. Li Chongjin was a veteran general who had been on the battlefield since he was fifteen. This was his first time leading 40,000 Imperial Guards on an expedition, and capturing a key border town in half a month was no small feat. Guo Rong didn't intend to criticize him; he wanted to know how strong the newly formed Imperial Guards were and whether they had surprised him.
"...Before I set off, the city of Xiangzhou was bustling with people distributing money and holding funerals. It was quite a scene." Li Chongjin, who was not very educated, racked his brains to recount the course of the battle. As if granted a pardon, he grabbed his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
Guo Rong said with delight, "This Han Kun, I didn't realize he'd suddenly improved so much. I only knew him as self-disciplined and incorruptible. I never imagined he could actually restrain his subordinates from robbing and killing. It's truly a great surprise to me. Xiangzhou is an important border town, and the court will have to invest heavily in its development. If it's completely slaughtered and becomes a dead city, leaving Hebei wide open, I don't know how much of a headache that will be for me. Well done, well done! I heard he's a monk who left the temple to become a layman. It seems his Buddhist nature hasn't been extinguished; he's a promising talent. I will reward him."
As a superior, Li Chongjin was most concerned about what rewards his subordinates would receive. He immediately asked, "If the reward is for not massacring the city, what does His Majesty intend to reward them with?"
Guo Rong hesitated and said, "In this battle, the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry was the first to break through the city and capture the enemy's commander. Their achievements are considerable. Saving the lives of the city's inhabitants is a meritorious deed for the nation. Therefore, I hereby award the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry a five-colored military flag to commemorate their merits. Han Kun is granted the title of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, and is enfeoffed as the Marquis of Xiangzhou, with a fief of three hundred households, a hereditary title. I hope that all armies will learn from the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry and cause me less trouble in the future."
Fu Yanqing frowned slightly, glancing cautiously at Guo Rong. He thought to himself that the Emperor really did everything in a whirlwind. After all, Guo Rong was his son-in-law, and his future concerned the Fu family's future. He needed to make Guo Rong think things through more thoroughly.
He gently reminded them, "In chaotic times, many warriors are bloodthirsty, and massacring cities and annihilating villages is commonplace. All generals are accustomed to it. Since His Majesty intends to restrain the armies' acts of massacring cities, he should bestow upon Han the title of Deputy Commander-in-Chief with great ceremony. A decree should be issued to the world: all people are born to be subjects of the Emperor, and no army, whether in war or in suppressing rebellions, should slaughter civilians. Those who obey will be rewarded, and those who disobey will be punished. Only in this way can there be more and more Han Kuns."
Guo Rong nodded: "Taishan is right. After returning to the capital, I will personally confer the title of Emperor on Han Kun in the Mingtang Hall and proclaim to the world that the Great Zhou Dynasty is irreconcilably opposed to the massacre of cities. All military officers must obey this order to show that Heaven cherishes life. If we slaughter wherever we fight, when will I ever be able to unify the world? If all the cities in the world are ghost towns, am I the Emperor or the King of Ghosts? By the way, Prince, your memorial requests merit for the Li brothers, which puts me in a bit of a dilemma."
Li Chongjin was stunned for a moment. If a high-ranking general like Han Kun could reward merit, why would it be difficult for low-ranking officers like the Li brothers?
He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, attacking a city is always a difficult task, and rewarding the one who breaks through the city is an age-old principle. I have already made a promise to the entire army that whoever breaks through the city first will be promoted three ranks and receive five hundred bolts of silk. Although the Li brothers are from the south, their achievement of being the first to breach the city is a merit that will be witnessed by everyone. If I cannot keep my promise, how can I have the face to command the army?"
Guo Rong said, "Don't overthink it. I'm just thinking about how to make better use of them. They've both made great contributions, one being the vanguard and the other capturing the commander. A promotion of three ranks would be easy; they're currently the Deputy Commandant of the Benevolent and Brave Army. A promotion of three ranks to the rank of Senior Imperial Guard Commandant of the Eighth Grade would be reasonable, and five hundred bolts of silk would be justified. What I'm struggling with is deciding what substantive positions to assign to these brothers."
Li Chongjin said thoughtfully, "Regarding positions, our Imperial Guard was hastily established and is severely understaffed. Take the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry, for example. It was supposed to have 15,000 men, but now it only has 6,000. Of the six armies, only four have been established. Each army should have five commanders according to regulations, but now there are only three. The Li brothers are both commanders at the commander level. If we want to be promoted, we can only be promoted to army commanders. Your Majesty, don't worry, there will be positions for us."
Guo Rong shook his head and said, "I've read the memorial. If it weren't for the unsuccessful siege two days ago, which resulted in the heavy losses of a group of elite northern troops, talented generals like the Li brothers would only be able to work as laborers in the artisan camp, right?"
Li Chongjin said awkwardly, "Your Majesty, the law is not without human sentiment. Even if I wanted to treat everyone equally, most of the soldiers are northerners, especially my old comrades who fought alongside the late Emperor. It wouldn't be right not to give them any preferential treatment."
Guo Rong said with deep sorrow, "To unify the North and South, we must first unify the hearts of the people, so that there is no distinction between North and South, only between the wise and the foolish. After much thought, I believe we should take this opportunity to give the people of the South some hope. We must not let them feel that our dynasty is just a change in name only, and that there is no hope for them to follow me on this expedition."
Therefore, I plan to recruit Huainan people to form two armies after conquering Huainan, and place them under the command of the Li brothers. This will inspire other officers in the Huainan and Jingchu regions. But if we take action after conquering Huainan, how will their positions be arranged? Promotion orders can't be delayed for months.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Chongjin tentatively asked, "Does His Majesty mean that, since the Longxiang Army is currently incomplete, two troops should be reserved for the Li brothers?"
Guo Rong nodded and said, "Have you noticed? The Li brothers are quite formidable. Their armies are all newly established, yet their troops are the best trained, with the strongest martial arts and teamwork. Other armies always struggle to attack cities, but they stormed them in one go. This shows that Lianghuai has elite troops, and the Li brothers were able to find such troops."
The elite troops in the land are limited; they are all meticulously trained from childhood, and their strength lies elsewhere. Our conquest of the Huai River region may not succeed, but if we can seize the opportunity to recruit several thousand elite Huai soldiers, the Southern Yu will lose several thousand usable troops. This is a huge gain for the Southern Yu. With these elite Southern soldiers, will the Northerners in the Imperial Guard still dare to suppress the Southerners? If you cannot treat them equally, I will truly be angry.”
Li Chongjin understood: Guo Rong still harbored resentment towards him for favoring his old comrades from the former Palace Guard in Bianliang. If everyone acted like Li Chongjin, how could anyone in the world possibly pledge allegiance to Guo Rong?
Li Chongjin's arrogance immediately subsided, and he said dejectedly, "Your Majesty, I know my fault. I have learned a lesson this time. I lost six hundred of my brothers, and I am filled with remorse. If I had known earlier that there were so many talented generals among the Southerners, I would have been more open to suggestions and not acted so rashly at the beginning of this battle, which only wasted the vitality of our Imperial Guard."
"Your Majesty, the Longxiang Army currently has one commander who has been killed. It would be better to have Li Xuan temporarily take over, while simultaneously granting both Li Xuan and Li Ji the title of military commander. Inform them that the court will build a new army once sufficient troops are recruited, thus improving the Longxiang Army's organization. They will be notified of their transfers once the new army arrives."
Guo Rong nodded, acknowledging the plan. He said, "Very well, let's do it this way. Tell them that I will not distribute the silk to the army; it will be transported directly from the Bianjing treasury to their homes. They can rest assured."
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Speaking of Bianjing, on the same day at dusk, the city was bustling with activity.
Feng Niaoniao had already become familiar with her neighbors. With Pan Ziying's introduction and help, Feng Niaoniao had also entered the ranks of the families of mid-level Imperial Guard officers.
However, the current Imperial Guard officers are rude and uncouth, and the women are equally ill-mannered. In order not to stand out, Feng Niaoniao always wears plain clothes and no makeup when she goes there. When the group of women gather together, it looks like a meeting of village girls.
However, the difference between chickens, ducks, and geese is too obvious. Feng Niaoniao can disguise herself, but even her tone of voice, rhythm, and accent are different from everyone else's.
While accents weren't a major issue—since these women weren't all locals, but mostly from other towns—Feng Niaoniao spoke gently and rhythmically, making even listening to her in plain language a pleasure. This surprisingly evoked both envy and resentment from the women.
Rejection could only be done covertly. Pan Ziying's father was a high-ranking official. Although he had retired, his connections and influence in the military were still unmatched by ordinary military families. Not to mention, he had a cousin who was a close advisor to the emperor and might become a general in a few years. They couldn't afford to offend him.
Feng Niaoniao sensed these undercurrents. She didn't take them to heart; since some people were unhappy, Feng Niaoniao decided to do more and say less, sparing her words. She focused on making every word precise and concise, avoiding unnecessary entanglements.
Over time, the women in this circle all knew that Feng Niaoniao was a formidable woman. She appeared to be a gentle and quiet lady from a prominent family, but in reality, she had a keen eye, spoke eloquently, and had a broad perspective on the world. She was even able to analyze news from the front lines based on official reports.
Since everyone was a military family member, their biggest concern was the situation at the front. Feng Niaoniao could read the official gazette to them and explain various information. Unbeknownst to them, she was gradually becoming a leader in her small circle.
On this day, the women gathered their children together to play, and then waited for Feng Niaoniao to read the official gazette. They sat on small stools like primary school students listening to a lesson, but unlike primary school students, they were much more attentive.
Feng Niaoniao read aloud news from the front lines in Hebei to them in Mandarin with a Huai accent. The official gazette was in classical Chinese, and Feng Niaoniao explained the meaning in vernacular Chinese as she read it.
Suddenly, the noise of children fighting outside startled all the women in the house. Although it was common for boys to fight, these women were not yet future wives, and they had always let their boys fight without interference.
But your mother is inside waiting for news from your father's war zone. Aren't you being unfilial by making a scene outside? Are you asking for a beating?
Soon, the children were dragged in by their ears.
Li Xuan's eldest son, Li Yuan, and second son, Li Ke, were sobbing uncontrollably, their noses running, their faces covered in black marks, and their clothes torn and dirty, as if they had been beaten on the ground.
Seeing her son's miserable state, Feng Niaoniao felt both heartache and suspicion. She asked, "Why were you fighting outside?"
Li Ke just clung to his mother's legs and cried. Li Yuan retorted indignantly, "They say my brother and I are southern barbarians, that our whole family are southern barbarians. They brag about being heroes, pshaw! They don't even dare to fight one-on-one, what kind of heroes are they!"
The women present were furious, their eyes blazing with anger as they glared at their sons, clearly ready to strike.
The children, terrified, shrank back, not daring to utter a sound. The women were furious not because of any southern barbarians, but because their sons dared not fight one-on-one. "Why are you stirring up trouble if you can't even fight one-on-one? What a disgrace!"
Several older women were the first to apologize to Feng Niaoniao: "We're so sorry, Madam Feng. It's all because our children are ignorant and lack manners, offending your young master. Don't worry, I'll give him a good beating right now and teach him a lesson!"
Upon hearing this, the children's fragile nerves broke down, and one after another they burst into tears as if the end of the world had arrived. It's clear that these powerful women from military families were truly formidable when it came to beating their children at home.
Feng Niaoniao pulled them aside and said, "It's not a big deal. Whether it's beating or punishing, we should first explain the reasons to the children. Otherwise, if we beat them today and beat them tomorrow, it won't hurt the children, but it will hurt the mother's hands."
The women all said, "Madam Feng is the most reasonable one. But these wretches deserve a beating; only then will they learn their lesson and know right from wrong and reason."
Feng Niaoniao smiled and dissuaded them, "It's alright. I'll ask them a few questions first. I hope you can all do me a favor. As long as the child knows he was wrong and won't do it again, that's fine."
After this calming down, the ladies' tempers subsided considerably, and they politely asked Feng Niaoniao to speak.
Feng Niaoniao called over the oldest child and asked, "Are they the southern barbarians you mentioned?"
The child, mustering his courage, sobbed and said, "It was me! I took responsibility for my own actions. It was all my doing, it has nothing to do with the brothers. If you want to hit someone, Madam, hit me!"
Feng Niaoniao smiled and said, "I didn't expect him to be such a little hero. He has the courage to protect his brothers at such a young age. He will definitely be a great general in the future."
The child's emotions came and went quickly. Even with tears still streaming down his face, he smiled sheepishly when he heard Madam Feng praise him: "Hehe, I... I wasn't that brave. I shouldn't have called Brother Yuan and Brother Ke 'southern barbarians.' Madam Feng, I won't say it again."
Feng Niaoniao nodded approvingly, "Then thank you, don't be afraid. I have a question for you, and if you answer it, I'll give you a dried persimmon."
The child said happily, "That's great! Madam Feng, please ask away, I'll tell you everything."
Feng Niaoniao asked, "Several hundred years ago, my ancestors were from Hebei; two hundred years ago, they were from Guanzhong; and now my family is from Guangling. Are people from Hebei barbarians? Are people from Guanzhong barbarians? Were my ancestors barbarians?"
The child was dumbfounded. What did he mean by hundreds or two hundred years? He racked his brains and said, "Since it's in Hebei and Guanzhong, it can't be the southern barbarians."
Feng Niaoniao laughed and said, "If our ancestors weren't southern barbarians, how did we become southern barbarians? If you go to the south to serve as an official and live there in the future, won't you and your family be southern barbarians?"
The child blinked, then blinked again, opened his mouth and stood there dumbfounded for a long time before finally saying, "How could I, my family, and I be barbarians from the south?"
Feng Niaoniao continued, "My ancestors once led armies in the Great Yu Dynasty to fight against the Rouran, Turks, Tiele, and Khitans. These people called anyone from the Great Yu Dynasty a 'southern barbarian.' In other words, the Liao people today consider everyone in Bianjing to be a southern barbarian. You are one too."
The child was taken aback, his mind a bit muddled, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "Ah, me too?"
Feng Niaoniao smiled and said, "Now, do you still feel happy calling others 'southern barbarians'? Anyone from the south is called a 'southern barbarian.' But who doesn't have people from the north? In the eyes of northerners, who isn't a 'southern barbarian'?"
The child suddenly realized, "I understand. I promise I won't call people from the south 'southern barbarians' anymore. I know I was wrong, Madam Feng, I'm sorry. Li Yuan, Li Ke, I'm sorry. I was wrong."
The oldest child apologized, and the other children, like his little followers, followed suit. Feng Niaoniao handed out a persimmon to each child and ended the questioning under the admiring gazes of the older women. As for Li Yuan and Li Ke, although they were beaten and humiliated, the apologies from so many of their peers made them feel elated and psychologically compensated, and they no longer harbored any thoughts of revenge.
Watching her sister-in-law Feng Niaoniao resolve a thorny North-South conflict with just a few gentle words, Pan Ziying couldn't help but admire her sister-in-law's abilities. She thought she should be a county magistrate, specializing in resolving family disputes.