Chapter 391: Six Hundred Farewells

Huitou Pavilion, located thirty *li* outside Liangzhou city, symbolizes a place where one bids farewell and turns back. From early morning, old people began to arrive in a steady stream. By noon, the pavilion was filled with the white hair of its occupants, and as dusk approached, there were at least five or six hundred people both inside and outside the pavilion, representing all walks of life. Not all were city residents; some were septuagenarians who had traveled hundreds of miles specifically for this occasion. Some, already acquainted in the city, traveled together and then, at Huitou Pavilion, unexpectedly met old comrades they hadn't seen in years, leading to a mix of emotions and heartfelt discussions about the world. More often, people who were initially strangers, waiting for someone, couldn't bear the solitude and struck up conversations, discovering they were all from different "old battalions." As a result, the scene at Huitou Pavilion was quite peculiar: an old man in splendid clothes might kneel before a simple, impoverished farmer; some brought fine wine but still drank cheap green ant wine; some argued fiercely, red-faced, over a battle from the Spring and Autumn period; and there were also lonely old men sitting by themselves, leaning on canes.

On the post road, there was constant traffic, including richly dressed riders on fine horses and lavish carriages with retinues. Young people, unfamiliar with the past, wondered if these old folks were senile or had "taken the wrong medicine." In the afternoon, an elderly man with a missing arm, riding an ox cart, was about to dismount and lead his ox off the road to avoid obstructing merchants, but he still blocked the path of a carriage. The driver was a burly fellow, probably arrogant due to his master's power and accustomed to a short temper. He yelled loudly, but the old ox was stubborn. The coachman, from an influential family, jumped down, disdainfully cursed the old man for being "blind" and said, "A good dog doesn't block the way," raising his whip to strike the old man's head, caring nothing if he lived or died. However, as the whip came down, the poor old man, who was leading the ox, lightly grasped it. He apologized a few times, then released the whip and continued to "reason" with his old ox. This made the strong young coachman feel utterly humiliated and furious. He stepped forward to kick the "old fossil" to the ground, to avoid his master in the carriage seeing the scene and being displeased with his inefficiency. Unexpectedly, his fierce kick was evaded by the old man, who swayed as if drunk. The single arm lightly pushed the coachman's chest, sending him floating back three or four *zhang* (about 10 to 13 meters) without falling. The coachman stood rooted, aghast, wondering if he had met a true master in disguise. The old people at Huitou Pavilion and along the post road cheered loudly at this sight. Frustrated, the five or six armed retainers behind the carriage, who shared in their master's honor and shame, couldn't stand it. Just as they were about to charge, a richly dressed old man in Shu brocade outside the pavilion roared. Almost simultaneously, more than ten voices spontaneously shouted "stop." These well-dressed, affluent old men walked through the crowd, exchanged smiles, and then simply clasped their hands in greeting. The Shu brocade old man angrily faced the riders and shouted, "Who among you dares to charge? Go on, try!"

From the luxurious carriage emerged a corpulent merchant with a large head. Seeing the old man in Shu brocade, he was terrified. He dismissed his henchmen, slapped the coachman hard, and then knelt, trembling, "Your humble servant, Song Long, greets General Youzhou."

The old man in Shu brocade said expressionlessly, "You may know this old man, but this old man doesn't know you. What are you? Get lost!"

Song Long, a sixth-rank civil official in Liangzhou, had seen General Zhou at a banquet where he was seated at the lowest table. Although Old General Zhou had just retired from his immensely prestigious position as General of Youzhou, he had countless protégés. Even Grand Generals like Zhong Hongwu and Yan Wenluan treated him with utmost courtesy and spoke warmly with him. How could a mere sixth-rank official like him dare to disobey? Beiliang Dao only governed three prefectures. Besides the first-rank generals with real power guarding the borders, the most powerful positions were the Generals of Liangzhou, Youzhou, and Lingzhou. Liangzhou and Youzhou bordered Beimang and were far superior in importance to the General of Lingzhou. The title of General for these three prefectures was not just an empty honorific without a tiger tally (symbol of authority). Even if Song Long were given ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare provoke Old General Zhou.

A tall old man, who emerged with former Youzhou General Zhou Kang, looked slightly younger and more robust than Zhou Kang. He fixed his gaze on the one-armed old man who had arrived by ox cart, and tears welled up in his eyes. He immediately knelt on the post road, choking back sobs, "Yuan Nanting, old veteran of Lotus Seed Camp, greets General Lin!"

Song Long, who had been trying to figure out how to appease Old General Zhou, felt his heart tremble again upon hearing this. Yuan Nanting: the White Feather Cavalry, known for their archery supremacy in the Beiliang army, had been divided into three parts. After Wei Fucheng, one of Beiliang's Four Fangs, went to Xishu, General Yuan Nanting alone commanded two of them, truly holding immense power. But even that wasn't the end of it. Who was General Lin, who could make a fourth-rank General Yuan Nanting kneel? Song Long felt like dying, as if a great disaster had fallen upon him! At this point, he disregarded Old General Zhou's "military order" to get lost and also knelt, kowtowing vigorously. He didn't care which inconspicuous "Great Bodhisattva" General Lin was in the Beiliang army; he just continued to bow and pray.

Zhou Kang had held the position of Youzhou General for over ten years. He naturally recognized Yuan Nanting, who commanded the White Feather Guard, paramount in Beiliang's crossbow cavalry and archery. However, they weren't particularly close. The Beiliang army's invincible iron cavalry was formed in Liangliao, then moved south, growing stronger through battles during the Spring and Autumn period, making its composition extremely complex with various origins. He and Yuan Nanting belonged to different factions, each supported by older, experienced generals and influential figures. However, when Yuan Nanting knelt and addressed him as "General Lin," Zhou Kang immediately knew who the one-armed old man, more than ten years his senior, was: Lin Doufang, the first head of the Eighteen Old Battalions' Lotus Seed Camp! He had lost an arm saving the Grand General. The Grand General himself had once said that if Brother Doufang had a daughter or granddaughter, they should become his son Xu Xiao's daughter-in-law in the future! But after the Grand General was enfeoffed as king, there had been no news of Old General Lin. To be fortunate enough to meet him, even arrogant and self-important Zhou Kang respectfully clasped his hands and said, "Zhou Kang greets Old General Lin!"

The one-armed old man led his ox off the post road and walked to the side. After nodding to Zhou Kang, he went to help Song Long up. He said calmly, "The Grand General painstakingly trained an elite army that dominates the world, not for you to flaunt your power over ordinary people. Alright, Master Song, stop kneeling. Go attend to your duties. You don't need to be concerned about today's incident regarding me; be more concerned about the common people."

Song Long didn't even dare to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He quickly nodded in agreement and fled in disarray, fearing he was an eyesore.

These old men paid no mind to the clownish Song Long. Zhou Kang smiled and asked, "Old General Lin, why have you also come?"

The one-armed Lin Doufang was not an artful, pretentious official. At a time when the Beiliang army should have been honored and rewarded, he "retired gracefully," becoming an anonymous commoner for nearly twenty years. He looked towards the post road and sighed softly, "Haven't you all been waiting for the Crown Prince to enter the capital?"

As an old veteran of the Lotus Seed Camp, Yuan Nanting, even as a general, remained respectful towards his former superior. He clasped his hands and said, "Reporting to General Lin, Yuan Nanting and the old comrades have been waiting all day, but no carriage escorted by iron cavalry has passed through Huitou Pavilion."

Lin Doufang nodded and smiled, "On the way here, I also heard about him going to Beimang and 'taking two heads.' Do you believe it?"

Zhou Kang said gravely, "The matters concerning Xu Huainan, the Great King of the Northern Court, and Fifth He of Tibing Mountain, have spread throughout Beimang. The truth cannot be hidden. Their heads were indeed forcibly severed, beyond doubt. If only Xu Huainan had died, I, Zhou, might have considered it a cunning tactic of the Beimang Empress to eliminate useful subordinates once their purpose was served. But for Fifth He to also die suddenly, it cannot be explained by internal strife in Beimang. Now, intermittent news suggests that Tao Qianzhi of Liucheng also died by the Crown Prince's hand. Furthermore, Xie Ling, that devil from Beimang, was also slain. Later, the Crown Prince even encountered Tuoba Chunjun, the youngest son of Tuoba Bodhisattva, and personally battled and killed one of his two highly-ranked demonic subordinates. Privately, I, Zhou Kang, have mapped out the Crown Prince's route through Beimang at my residence, and it perfectly matches the times of these prominent figures' deaths. It should be accurate. These past years, us old men have truly been dim-witted."

Lin Doufang smiled faintly and said, "Putting aside the truth of these alarming claims for now, I haven't paid much attention to them. I came to Huitou Pavilion this time, before I die, simply because I heard about Xu Yongguan of the Fish Dragon Camp. After he suffered a broken leg, a young man who had saved him frequently bought him wine and promised to bear his coffin after his death. If His Highness hadn't been traveling at the time, carrying the coffin on behalf of the Grand General, Xu Yongguan might never have known who that young man was. As for me, I'm stubborn. I simply acknowledge this matter and feel that after decades of us fighting alongside the Grand General on horseback, having such a young man take over Beiliang is not disheartening. I once had a spat with the Grand General and went off to farm. A few years ago, when I heard about this young man's outrageous behavior, I even cursed the Grand General from afar, thinking, 'Grand General, you raised such a scoundrel! It's a good thing I, Lin Doufang, have no daughters or granddaughters, or wouldn't I be regretting it bitterly now?'"

Zhou Kang, Yuan Nanting, and the circle of old men nearby all laughed heartily in understanding.

Lin Doufang joined in the merriment, laughing, "Now I regret it even more! If only I had known, I would have married that Southern Tang princess back then. She was incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately, I was too proud at the time, and a moment's hesitation made me miss the chance. Otherwise, I would have a large brood of descendants now."

Yuan Nanting, usually stern and humorless like a harbinger of ill fortune in the army, now resembled a mischievous child. He grinned and asked shamelessly, "General Lin, you old man had such a romantic encounter with a Southern Tang princess? Do tell!"

Lin Doufang glared, and Yuan Nanting immediately looked down, feigning concern. Lin Doufang slapped his former subordinate on the forehead and admonished him, "You brat, you acted like a proper soldier when you were a junior officer, but now that you're a general, why are you acting like a rascal? Let me tell you this now: I hear you've recently been promoted to command a large portion of the White Feather Guard. Don't let greed blind you and only care about making money. If I ever hear about it, I'll break three of your legs! If I don't get the chance, I'll have to trouble General Zhou to do it. And if this brat dares to fight back, General Zhou, you can go explain it to the Grand General."

Zhou Kang burst into hearty laughter. "With that statement, I, Zhou Kang, will truly remember it. General Yuan, for years you've glared at me every time we met. Now that I have Old General Lin's 'imperial decree,' won't you be bringing chickens, ducks, fish, and meat to my residence every now and then to curry favor?"

Yuan Nanting was straightforward: "My disagreements with you, General Zhou, in the past were unavoidable. The border army and the local Youzhou military inevitably had some friction, but it wasn't because I, Yuan, had personal grievances or opinions about you. Frankly, since I met you here today, I, Yuan Nanting, have decided you can be an old brother. It's a pity you, Zhou Kang, aren't continuing as General of Youzhou! I'll talk to the Grand General about it later. If you can't be General of Youzhou, can't you be General of Liangzhou?!"

Zhou Kang shook his head and laughed, "Unlike you, Old Brother Yuan, who's full of life, my old bones aren't what they used to be. I won't shamelessly compete with young people for their livelihood. But if there truly comes a day when I'm needed to ride into battle, I, Zhou Kang, still drink several large bowls of wine and eat several catties of beef every day. I'd be ready to risk my life and kill dozens of Northern barbarians without breaking a sweat!"

Lin Doufang suddenly said, "I don't think he brought any cavalry with him on this trip to the capital. Perhaps we've all missed him."

Zhou Kang was stunned for a moment. Yuan Nanting burst into laughter. "That's even better! The Grand General's eldest son, our future King of Beiliang, should possess such arrogance."

A large group of old men around them nodded, smiling. Although they hadn't met His Highness the Crown Prince and had waited in vain for a day, they had no regrets.

A simple carriage slowly drove past, exiting Huitou Pavilion. It seemed to hesitate, then paused.

A white-haired man in white clothes stepped out of the carriage.Under everyone's gaze, the man bowed deeply.He bowed to the old veterans.

Upon seeing this person, Lin Doufang's eyes welled up with tears.He patted his coarse sleeve, then knelt and proclaimed loudly, "Lin Doufang of the Lotus Seed Camp respectfully bids farewell to His Highness the Crown Prince on his journey to the capital!"Zhou Kang immediately followed, kneeling and stating solemnly, "Zhou Kang of Youzhou respectfully bids farewell to His Highness the Crown Prince on his journey to the capital!""Your humble general, Yuan Nanting, respectfully bids farewell to His Highness the Crown Prince on his journey to the capital!""Qu An of the Eighteen Old Battalions' Climbing Camp, respectfully bids farewell to His Highness the Crown Prince on his journey to the capital!""He Tuiren, veteran cavalryman, respectfully bids farewell to His Highness the Crown Prince on his journey to the capital!"...Six hundred old veterans faced the young man who remained bowed for a long time, not straightening his back.In a rising and falling chorus, six hundred voices bade farewell!