novelSusiti Chapter 41: Flames of War Ignite the Homeland, Spiders Weave Webs and Spin Silk
Chapter 41: Flames of War Ignite the Homeland, Spiders Weave Webs and Spin Silk
On October 1st, the central government of the Zhou Kingdom issued an edict prohibiting the massacre of villages and cities during large-scale military operations, with violators to be punished. The edict also commended Han Kun for his excellent character in restraining his troops and ensuring they did not commit any offenses after the capture of Xiangzhou City.
On October 11th, Guo Rong held a grand ceremony at the Daqing Hall to confer the title of Marquis upon Han Kun. To emphasize the extraordinary nature of this conferment, Guo Rong specially bathed and fasted for seven days at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
It's worth mentioning that the Great Zhou Dynasty was short-lived and currently has no Imperial Ancestral Temple. Guo Rong went to the ancestral hall of the late emperor—the Earth God Temple on the hillside where the late emperor's mausoleum is located. In the small Earth God Temple, which is only about five or six zhang in diameter, the statue of the late emperor sits in the main position, with the Earth God and Earth Goddess on his left and right. To maintain symmetry, they actually separated the husband and wife.
Whether the imperial edict will be effective or not, and whether Guo Rong's earnestness will have any effect, remains to be seen.
On October 15th, Guo Rong appointed Prime Minister Li Gu as the commander-in-chief of the Huainan army, and dispatched 30,000 imperial guards and 30,000 troops from various garrisons, totaling 60,000 troops, to march south along the newly repaired Tongji Canal to attack Yu.
Li Xuan and Li Ji, who were on leave at home, watched the scene of Li Gu's army setting off with their whole family. The wagons rumbled, the horses neighed, and the soldiers carried bows and arrows at their waists. Columns of a hundred men each carried various flags and rolled in, while the mules and horses pulling the wagons neighed excitedly.
Swords, spears, and armor were piled on the carts and covered with tarpaulins, the occasional glint of their iron gleam chilling to the bone. The imperial guards, their crimson uniforms forming a vast sea of red flowers, surged forth like a magnificent red dragon, plunging headlong into the endless southern wilderness.
Countless cargo ships on the Tongji Canal set sail with the help of the north wind. These ships, with deep drafts, were fully loaded with grain, weapons, and other war supplies. They had actually been carrying out transport missions to the Huai River front for a month in advance, and were still doing so today.
The second son, Li Ke, was held in Li Xuan's arms, while the eldest son, Li Yuan, held his mother's hand, nervously protecting his mother who was beginning to show her pregnancy.
Li Ke turned his head away from Li Xuan's beard and said, "Father, it's so spectacular. Where are all these people going?"
Li Xuan said with a complicated expression, "They went to Shouzhou."
Li Ke didn't know Shouzhou, so he continued, "Where is Shouzhou?"
Li Xuan freed one hand to tidy his beard and replied, "Shouzhou is on the Huai River. It takes five days to travel north by boat from Guangling to Chuzhou, and four days to travel west by boat from Chuzhou onto the Huai River to Shouzhou. It's not far."
Li Ke asked innocently, "Really? Then let's go to Shouzhou quickly. In Shouzhou, if we stand high up, can we see Guangling, see Grandpa and Grandma, and see Uncle Yuantu? Daddy, I miss home."
Li Xuan, Li Ji, and Feng Niaoniao's eyes reddened, and Pan Ziying quickly grabbed Li Ji's hand. Li Ji shook his head, indicating that he was alright. Nothing was more painful than watching the flames of war spread to his hometown and seeing his relatives suffer from the ravages of war.
Li Xuan suppressed her complicated emotions and forced a smile as she said to her son, "Yes, there's a temple in Shouzhou City, and in the temple there's a very tall iron tower. You can see our village from the top of the tower."
Li Ke curled up on Li Xuan and clapped his hands happily: "Great! I can talk to Uncle Yuantu and Grandpa and Grandma from the tower." He was still young and had no experience climbing high, so he thought that he could talk to them once he saw them.
Li Xuan responded with a strained smile, "Okay, okay, let's talk, let's all talk."
The eldest son, Li Yuan, suddenly asked Feng Niaoniao, "Mother, is the army marching south to attack our Guangling? Shouzhou used to be Chuzhou, and Chuzhou used to be Guangling, right?"
Feng Niaoniao looked at her son in surprise, sighed and comforted him, "As long as the army wins, Guangling will be incorporated into the Bianliang court. Then we can see our maternal grandparents and reunite with the villagers."
Guangling is still under the jurisdiction of Nanyu. If the army breaks through Chuzhou, our hometown will become the battlefield. Reunion? I wonder in what form we will reunite? Will we live or die? Feng Niaoniao thought of this and lowered her head sadly.
Li Yuan seemed to accept her mother's explanation and asked, "Then what about Father? Is Father also going to war?"
Li Xuan said, "It should be soon. The transfer order from the Privy Council hasn't arrived yet. You must listen to your mother at home. She's pregnant, so you must protect her, understand?"
Li Yuan and Li Ke both answered loudly.
Pan Ziying and Li Ji stood to one side whispering to each other.
Pan Ziying said, "We've only been back for a few days, and we're already going on another southern expedition. When will it ever end? You haven't even visited my two estates yet. My brother and sister-in-law bought a piece of wasteland; I heard it didn't cost much. You should go to the county government and ask around. If it's cheap, we can get a piece too. We'll leave it there for now to grow weeds, and then we can tidy it up when we have time later."
Li Ji comforted him, "Alright, alright, I'll go to the county government office today and see if there's any suitable wasteland I can buy. Don't worry about these trivial matters; the most important thing now is to ensure a safe pregnancy. If I'm not home, you can move back to your parents' house. I'll feel at ease knowing your father-in-law and mother-in-law are there to take care of you."
Pan Ziying disagreed, saying, "What are you saying, sir? I married into the Li family, so I am a Li family woman. Although my parents-in-law passed away early, I have never neglected my daily morning and evening prayers, nor have I failed to burn incense three times a day. It is thanks to the blessings of our ancestors that I conceived so quickly. How can I abandon the ancestral tablets and run back to my parents' home to rest and prepare for childbirth? Don't worry, the maids I brought are all experienced and reliable. We will also hire two experienced old women from outside to guide the pregnancy. There will be no problem."
Li Ji said with difficulty, "Alas, my sister-in-law got pregnant around the same time as you, so it's not good to trouble her this time. I really can't bear to leave my wife alone at home."
Pan Ziying said irritably, "Let's not talk about pregnancy. I'm carrying your first child, and also my first child. I'll definitely be extra careful. But we can't neglect the matter of acquiring property. Although your retainers receive salaries from the court, we still need to give them some decent rewards during festivals."
Even if their families live in Bianjing, we, as the host family, cannot be stingy. You absolutely cannot survive in Bianjing without money. You must take this to heart, understand? Look, as soon as my elder brother returned, he went to the county government to cause trouble, not only losing half the land price but also extorting an extra 500 mu of land. You should learn from him. What are you afraid of? You are a member of the Imperial Guard; Bianliang City is full of Imperial Guards and their families. The county magistrate should be afraid of you.”
Li Ji, both amused and exasperated, repeatedly assured, "Alright, alright, I'll go make a scene, I'll bang on the table and make a scene until the magistrate can't take it anymore." Ever since she became pregnant, Madam Pan had become more assertive, and now she was giving Li Ji orders with a clear conscience.
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Both of his wives were pregnant. Li Xuan and Li Ji had come out in carriages. After watching the army's departure for a while, both wives were exhausted. Li Xuan and Li Ji had no interest in watching the tens of thousands of people march off to war from beginning to end. They each helped their wives into their carriages, and the two brothers drove the two carriages back to the city.
The flow of people and vehicles at the city gate was unusually large today. Many military families who had just seen their loved ones off to war were also queuing to enter the city. Seeing this, Li Xuan and Li Ji dismounted and led their packhorses on foot. Just as they were queuing, a loud voice called out to them: "Brother Li, brothers Li, please wait a moment."
Li Xuan and Li Ji both turned around to look in the direction from which the voice came, and it turned out to be Zhao Quanyi, the Timely Rain.
It's worth mentioning that the Li brothers settled in Bianjing thanks to Zhao Quanyi's introduction and help; they owed him a great debt of gratitude. However, Zhao Quanyi's elder brother, Zhao Quanzhong, was the Commander of the Palace Guard. The Li brothers, Li Xuan and Li Ji, served in the Imperial Guard. Back when they were just low-ranking officers, they could have been on good terms with Zhao Quanyi.
The two brothers have now received notification from Li Chongjin that they will soon become army-level commanders, each leading 2,500 elite troops, for a total of 5,000 elite soldiers. Their influence is now vastly different from before, forcing them to reduce their interactions with Zhao Quanyi to avoid suspicion.
Especially now that the imperial court's newly established army has not yet been fully recruited, and supplies and provisions are being prioritized for the southern expedition, the time for the two of them to take office is still far off. They dare not offend Li Chongjin, the head of the Imperial Guard, who is in a competitive and check-and-balance relationship with Zhao Quanzhong.
Zhao Quanyi seemed completely unaware of the Li brothers' predicament, nor did he perceive any sign of estrangement from them. He continued to greet them warmly and generously, and also greeted the two ladies inside the carriage.
Li Xuan and Li Ji had no choice but to return the courtesy and then called Li Yuan and Li Ke out to meet Zhao Quanyi.
Zhao Quanyi chuckled and handed out candy to the children. After they returned to their carriages, he complained, "Li Dalang and Li Erlang, it's so hard to see you two these days. You finally get a break, but you don't even come out to meet me. If I hadn't heard from the Xiangfu County government a few days ago that Li Dalang went to cause trouble and buy land, I wouldn't have known that you'd already started buying property in Bianliang."
Why didn't you come to me when you were buying property? I manage the household registration in Kaifeng Prefecture; I can handle these small matters easily. Why bother making a fuss yourself? You don't consider me, Zhao Er, a friend at all. And yet I've been thinking about you every day. How are things going? Have you encountered any difficulties establishing your business in Bianjing?"
Li Xuan laughed and said, "Brother Zhao is wronging me. Without Brother Zhao's help, we wouldn't have a place to stay in Bianjing. It was Brother Zhao who arranged the repairs of my house. In terms of friendship, who in all of Bianliang is closer to Brother Zhao than me? I just cherish Brother Zhao's friendship very much. I can handle this small matter of buying a house and land myself. Why would I need Brother Zhao's favor?"
Li Ji responded with a smile, "What good is a minor official position to us outsiders? The county government only gave in because of Brother Zhao, didn't they?"
Zhao Quanyi was speechless and said irritably, "No, no, your causing trouble at the county government has nothing to do with me. Don't talk nonsense. I am, after all, a military officer in the Kaifeng Prefecture's Household Department. I see people from both county governments all the time. I didn't instruct you to cause trouble. I'm saying you don't need to cause trouble. Just take a letter from me to the county government, and they'll know you're one of their own as soon as they see it. The land transfer will be done without anyone noticing."
Li Xuan, Li Ji, and Zhao Quanyi all knew what the Li brothers' continued association with Zhao Quanyi meant. However, Zhao Quanyi, being a man of the underworld, possessed a chivalrous spirit. As long as old acquaintances hadn't become enemies, he dared to continue to warmly visit and exchange pleasantries.
All of this stemmed from his family's mission; everything he did was to expand his elder brother Zhao Quanzhong's network within the Imperial Guard. He connected warriors from all over the country who came to join the army with the Zhao brothers, Zhao Quanzhong and Zhao Quanyi.
Zhao Quanzhong and Li Chongjin were both former generals of the Imperial Guard. Before the reorganization, their connections within the Imperial Guard were equally strong and extensive. After the establishment of the Imperial Guard Command, Li Chongjin not only maintained his connections with the former Palace Guard Command, but also, as the commander of the Imperial Guard Command, legitimately and legally expanded his network within the Command.
Once Li Chongjin consolidates the Imperial Guards under his control, and with a large group of brothers in the Palace Guards, Zhao Quanzhong's life will be difficult. And if Zhao Quanzhong's life is difficult, Zhao Quanyi's will also be difficult. Therefore, although Zhao Quanyi has only met the Li brothers a few times, once he learns that the Li brothers are about to be promoted and take command of five thousand Imperial Guards, he becomes like a persistent leech, impossible to shake off.
People who have been so friendly should feel obligated to reciprocate. Li Xuan immediately said generously, "Isn't it just always been unfortunate? Today, by chance, nothing much is happening. After I send my family home, let's go to a corner restaurant outside and have a good meal and drinks."
Li Ji also laughed and said, "My brother went to the county government office to make a scene and gained quite a few benefits. I haven't even gotten any credit yet, and I didn't expect that Brother Zhao could actually talk to the county government. My brother doesn't need your invitation anymore, so why don't you give me one? I'll go to the county government office and see if I can get an even better deal."
Zhao Quanyi laughed heartily and said, "Alright, it's settled then. We'll go to Sister-in-law Zhou's shop. Their donkey meat is absolutely delicious. It just so happens that I didn't bring any invitations with me today, so after you take your wives home, just go straight to the shop. I'll go home and get you a few invitations to use. This time, you're both going to Jianghuai with my brother. As a military dependent, it's my duty to relieve you of any worries."
Li Xuan cupped his hands and said, "Then it's settled. Brother Zhao, please don't bring any money. I must come to settle the account this time."
Zhao Quanyi said with a displeased look, "What? I just enjoy the comfort of the account book, and you won't even give me the chance to satisfy my hobby? That's really not fair."
Li Xuan feigned displeasure and said, "Since it's a timely rain, then you should keep your salary for emergencies. Why should we rob each other when we brothers can enjoy some wine and meat in private? Consider it a token of gratitude to Erlang for giving my brother an invitation. You've done me such a great favor; surely you won't even accept a drink from me?"
Li Ji chimed in, "Brother Zhao is a righteous man; who in Bianjing doesn't know that? My brother will pay this time, I'll pay next time, and then it'll be Brother Zhao's turn, how about that? We have a long future ahead of us; who knows how many years we'll be drinking together? What's the point of arguing about this?"
Zhao Quanyi's expression softened slightly upon hearing this: "Brother Ji is right. Very well, I'll bring some of the finest wine from home; surely there won't be any fighting over it."
Li Xuan and Li Ji naturally said no, no. So the group bowed and said goodbye at the city gate, and went home to prepare for the banquet.
On the way home, Zhao Quanyi's servant asked, puzzled, "My lord, they're just two military officers from the south. They've only just been promoted and they're no longer trying to curry favor with you. Why bother with them?"
Zhao Quanyi chuckled and said, "Most soldiers and generals in this world are roughnecks, neither educated nor aware of fate. They often make mistakes and commit shameful acts without realizing it. They are all obsessed with hometown ties and brotherhood, completely unaware of choosing sides or avoiding suspicion. The Li brothers are well-read and have a deep understanding of strategy. Why do they distance themselves from me, and why do I prevent them from doing so? There's a lot to learn here. Don't worry, smart people never suffer losses in their interactions, and only by avoiding losses can things last. These two are worth befriending, lovable, and interesting."
The servant awkwardly touched his nose. His master had said a lot of things, but he still couldn't understand them, and he couldn't help but start to doubt his own intelligence.
On the other side, Li Xuan and Li Ji were also sighing.
Li Xuan said, "Human affairs change, and the past and present are intertwined. These imperial guards may seem rough and tough, but they are actually quite cunning. There's no way to escape them."
Li Ji laughed and said, "Spiders spin webs and old trees grow from their roots; it's all for the purpose of forming cliques and expanding their power. It's been like this since ancient times. Regardless of whether one is civil or military, who doesn't want connections and networks all over the world? My brothers and I will soon command two armies, and with the Pan family as our backing, we can barely be considered someone of importance among the numerous factions within the Imperial Guard. Even our Commander-in-Chief Li of the Imperial Guard said some nice things when he summoned us last time, which shows that we already have the right to stand and watch the Imperial Guard play their cards."
Li Xuan sighed, "Watching others play cards is nothing. What I'm afraid of is that we two will become their cards. Tomorrow I'll visit Scholar Li Fang and ask if we can be transferred far away from Zhao Quanzhong during this southern expedition, so that we won't suddenly be placed under Zhao Quanzhong's command during the battle. With Zhao Quanzhong's thick skin, if he rewards us with a lot of credit, and the court approves it, we won't be able to refuse his favor, and we won't be able to explain it to Commander-in-Chief Li later."
Li Ji nodded; "That Zhao Quanzhong seems honest and kind. How could a renowned general who rose to the rank of Commander of the Palace Guards be truly honest? Brother, you say Zhao Quanzhong is already making moves. Why hasn't our Commander-in-Chief Li sent anyone similar to Zhao Quanyi to approach us?"
Li Xuan sneered: "Is there any need to say it? Commander-in-Chief Li thinks we're the meat in the pot, while Zhao Quanzhong thinks we're meat in someone else's bowl. Of course, their level of attention is different. Besides, we're from the South. Even if Commander-in-Chief Li values us now, we brothers are still ranked low in the Imperial Guard."
I think even on Zhao Quanzhong's side, northerners are given priority. We should focus on training our troops diligently. Their affairs are just infighting among northerners; we shouldn't get involved, nor can we afford to. The Emperor's instruction to the Pan family to arrange a marriage alliance with you is giving us an opportunity to remain neutral. It's meant to encourage us to do our jobs conscientiously and not have any improper thoughts. We can't be ungrateful.”
Li Ji nodded and said, "I understand. Without the Zhou Kingdom's support, we brothers have no real foundation in the court or the army. We absolutely cannot do anything out of line. Since we're drinking with Zhao Erlang today, and our Commander-in-Chief Li likes Shandong soy sauce, I'll buy two jars of the best and deliver them to your door tomorrow. That way, we won't offend either side."
In mid-October, the Jianghuai region had just completed its autumn harvest, and the joy of the bountiful harvest had not yet faded. Emperor Guo Rong of Zhou then launched a fierce attack on the Southern Yu Kingdom. This war raged across the Huai River region. From east to west, Haizhou, Chuzhou, and Shouzhou became the focal points of contention between the two states.
A constant stream of urgent reports from the postal courier service drifted towards Nanjing like snowflakes.
The Jinling court issued a series of orders. Prince Qi, Li Da, was appointed as the supreme commander of all the armies north of the Yangtze River and to guard Yangzhou. Troops from various garrisons south of the Yangtze River and the imperial guards of Jinling were each drawn from their respective units, forming an army of 120,000 to cross the Yangtze River northward to resist the Zhou army.
Martial law was declared throughout the Lianghuai region. Weapons and armor were distributed to all military garrisons and militias, and training was overseen by the militia commanders, ready to support the front lines at any time. The order came so quickly that Liu Yanzhen, the military governor of Desheng Army who had been in office for less than a month, had not yet had time to figure out how to deal with Li Jue.
Liu Yanzhen was overjoyed upon seeing the order from Jinling, believing his chance to distinguish himself had arrived. He said to his men, "With the Qinghuai Army drawing the enemy's main force forward, our Desheng Army will advance by land and water, using warships to cover the infantry and vice versa. We will attack along the river, catching them off guard. How could we possibly lose?"
In order to prevent Li Jue from gaining merit, he deliberately kept him in the local area. He then mustered more than 20,000 soldiers from Desheng Army Town and joined forces with more than 10,000 reinforcements sent by Prince Qi, Li Da, to form a massive army of 36,000 men by land and sea, which marched towards the Zhou army camp near Shouzhou.