Chapter 644: Thirty Thousand Monuments

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Author: Fenghuo XizhuhouUpdate Time: 2014/06/24 17:08:58 Word Count: 5382

Chen Xiliang was not wearing the fourth-rank civil official's robe of the Qincang City Governor, nor even a scholar's gown. He looked no different from the impoverished refugees, with the only presentable item on him being a pair of exceptionally sturdy wolf-skin boots. When Xu Fengnian saw this man who looked more like a refugee than the refugees themselves, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. However, Chen Xiliang was escorted by a dozen White Horse Valiants, which at least saved some face for this scholar who was at the center of attention in Beiliang. Chen Xiliang was currently standing at the entrance of a village, leading a large group of workshop officials and laborers to set up a well-pulley and dig a well. The village was fortunately located in a low-lying area with exposed springs, a rare small oasis within Liuzhou. Generally, places with water sources were fiercely contested by multiple separatist forces; water often meant incessant bloodshed.

Over a hundred villagers from this community squatted in the distance, watching the commotion. Some men chewed on tough, iron-hard flatbreads, while more gazed with a mixture of yearning and awe at the White Horse Valiants. Even after dismounting, these soldiers wore bright armor and carried sabers and crossbows. Before Liuzhou was incorporated into Beiliang's territory, border soldiers aspiring to become light cavalry scouts had to come here to kill, using refugee heads as their advancement currency. Occasionally, small cavalry units were annihilated by large groups of bandits. The sabers and armor on fallen cavalrymen had always been the most prized possessions for refugee leaders. With horses and sabers, and especially if one could wear armor, they could become the "grandest of grandfathers" in the refugee lands. Thus, the sudden appearance of these White Horse Valiants both enticed and terrified the villagers. Yet, the young leader, rumored to be an impressively high-ranking Beiliang official, strangely neither ravaged women nor plundered money and grain upon entering the village. He simply spoke at length, saying things that no one believed possible—could such a good thing exist in the world? If just one person from each household joined the army, they could gain civilian household registration in Lingzhou and even cultivate land? And they could freely choose whether to enlist at the border or within Lingzhou, with no coercion, the only difference being that border army pay was significantly higher than Lingzhou soldiers'. Initially, no one was willing to engage, but then they heard that this young official had firmly defended Qincang City against ten thousand well-armed bandits. Rumor also had it that he had caused the deaths of many personal guards and attendants of the King of Beiliang and would soon be taken back to Liangzhou to be publicly beheaded. Even if he wasn't executed, he would lose his official position. Many refugees who survived in the city at the time recounted this with vivid detail, suggesting it was likely true. If so, this official was indeed a formidable hero, but what if he were to be dealt with by the King of Beiliang? Would his promises still hold true then? They couldn't articulate the principle of "not releasing the hawk until the rabbit is seen," but they certainly understood the idea of "not taking off your pants until you see the wife."

Then, the villagers saw another cavalry unit gallop up, stopping outside the village. Gradually, a young man, more handsome than any woman, approached, accompanied by a small child as dark as charcoal and followed by a burly man who looked like a general. His attire was truly eye-catching; he seemed like a military commander capable of leading hundreds of soldiers. Some of the fearless local youngsters from the village wanted to circle around for a closer look, but their elders quickly shooed them away. However, some robust women, strong enough to knock down a man from Jiangnan with one hand, had their eyes sparkling. "Oh, what a pretty young man! What lucky woman will have the pleasure of him?" Their own men didn't mind much, at most grumbling under their breath, and the women dared to retort a few times. The bolder ones smacked their thick lips, wishing they could swallow that young man with phoenix eyes whole. But soon, all the villagers were terrified to their core, their scalps tingling. They watched as the White Horse Valiants, upon seeing the young man, knelt on one knee, one hand on the ground and the other on their sabers, and simultaneously intoned, "Greetings, Your Royal Highness!"

As the White Horse Valiants knelt, the Liuzhou officials responsible for digging the well also dropped to their knees en masse, their fear and deference even more pronounced than that of the solemn White Horse Valiants.

During this period, many bald monks had been tirelessly traveling throughout Liuzhou, begging for alms and spreading their teachings. Later, young immortal-like figures from Wudang Mountain also came to wander the region. All of them described the young feudal lord either as a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva or the manifestation of Zhenwu (a deity), which was very influential in the less-enlightened refugee areas. Xu Fengnian gently told them to rise, then walked towards Chen Xiliang. The dozen or so White Horse Valiants naturally followed behind the King of Beiliang, subtly isolating the escorts brought by the Qincang Captain. Wei Shihui rubbed his nose, feeling a little awkward but not daring to show any dissatisfaction. In the original siege of Qincang City, the forces were vastly outnumbered. Although the defenders typically had an innate advantage, Qincang's city walls were not particularly tall or sturdy, and the morale of Qincang City's original few thousand troops had long been fluctuating. If not for the fewer than a hundred White Horse Valiants, each fighting at the forefront, Qincang City would have been massacred several times by the ten thousand elite bandits. Whenever a breach appeared in the city defenses, a group of silver-armored soldiers would rush forward as suicide fighters, desperately holding back the tidal assaults, refusing to retreat even in death. It was these White Horse Valiants, each said to be worth a hundred lives of Qincang City, whose willingness to die inspired the old guard of the Qincang Dragon King's Mansion to fight to the death. The ferocity of the Qincang siege could be seen in one detail: every fallen White Horse Valiant, because they were deeply hated by the attacking bandits, was inevitably dismembered. After the Dragon Elephant Army arrived as reinforcements and the bandits retreated upon hearing the news, the collection of bodies in Qincang City could only result in the construction of numerous cenotaphs, almost like empty coffins.

Upon seeing Xu Fengnian, Chen Xiliang's face showed some remorse, and he hesitated to speak. Xu Fengnian patted his shoulder, then sat on the edge of the well, looking up and smiling, "Would you prefer to return to the King's mansion as an unranked advisor, or serve as the Deputy Governor, second-in-command in Liuzhou? You can choose."

Chen Xiliang casually squatted by the well, a stark contrast to his usual reserved demeanor at Qingliang Mountain. He quietly said, "Although I'm still very afraid of witnessing death, I always thought of staying at Qingliang Mountain, discussing strategies on paper. Even if I couldn't be a wealthy idler there, at least I wouldn't have to live in fear. But now, I feel that just walking away like this would be deserting. During the siege of Qincang City, not a single one of Your Royal Highness's White Horse Valiants retreated, nor did the several thousand armored soldiers of Qincang City, or even the refugees within the city. For me to leave now would be improper."

Xu Fengnian asked, "So you've agreed to be the Deputy Governor of Liuzhou? Governor Yang also intends this; he values you highly. With you two partnered in Liuzhou, I can rest assured."

Chen Xiliang shook his head, "A Deputy Governor is the most crucial assistant official in a prefecture. If it were Lingzhou, the tranquil rear-yard of Beiliang far from conflict, I'm confident I could barely manage. But Liuzhou's current appointments favor those skilled in both civilian and military affairs. I'll pass on that; I'll focus on doing well as the Qincang City Governor for now. Anyway, whatever I think of, I'll speak frankly to the Governor, so I don't need the official position of Deputy Governor."

Xu Fengnian didn't press him, nodding, "As you wish. Anyway, if you ever feel like becoming a high official, just go and ask Yang Guangdou for the official position yourself. You don't need to consult Qingliang Mountain."

Qincang Captain Wei Shihui, standing nearby, was utterly astonished by this conversation. Where in the world could one find such an accommodating feudal lord? An official position that one could simply choose? Clearly, all those rumors about the King of Beiliang severely punishing Governor Chen were baseless! Wei Shihui had long heard of Xu Beizhi and Chen Xiliang, the two influential figures of Qingliang Mountain. It was widely believed in Beiliang that Xu Beizhi's abilities far surpassed Chen Xiliang's, and that he governed Lingzhou with a blend of firmness and flexibility, reportedly almost sidelining Li Gongde, the Grand Administrator and head of the civil officials. However, Wei Shihui was relatively more optimistic about Chen Xiliang. There was no particular reason, just the fact that this scholar could defend Qincang City to the death, and he actually managed to hold it!

Chen Xiliang suddenly asked, "Your Royal Highness, have you visited those cenotaphs?"

Xu Fengnian replied, "I only entered the city last night. I was planning to go offer sacrifices with you."

Chen Xiliang assented, stood up, and beckoned a small workshop foreman over, quietly giving instructions on related matters. Just then, a tall, sturdy youth emerged from a group of laborers and walked towards them. He was quickly stopped by two White Horse Valiants, whose sabers were already half an inch out of their scabbards, emanating a strong intent to kill. Xu Fengnian looked at the youth and realized it was an acquaintance. When he had first entered the refugee lands alone, he had encountered trouble outside a village near Qincang City. The refugees, desperate for gain, had attempted to rob him of his horse and saber for a quick fortune. This spear-wielding youth was one of them, possessing a fierce, unique spirit characteristic of refugees. If Xu Fengnian remembered correctly, the youth also had a scrawny sister. It was her sudden appearance that prevented Xu Fengnian from killing him and prompted him to give the siblings a bag of silver bits. Xu Fengnian spoke up, "Let him come over."

The youth, whose initial impulsiveness had driven him forward, was already terrified when he encountered the White Horse Valiants with their half-drawn sabers. He had always vividly remembered the handsome swordsman's superb martial arts and was grateful for the swordsman's mercy and the silver he had given. That piece of silver had now been pierced by the youth, threaded with a string, and hung around his sister's neck; she loved it dearly. When the youth learned that this person was none other than the King who held power over the lives and deaths of all refugees, his thoughts weren't complicated: he simply feared he might never see him again and wanted to thank him in person. The youth was nervous, his steps somewhat unsteady. After much effort, he managed to reach a spot five or six paces from the young feudal lord, his mind blank. He didn't know what to say, his face flushed, and he didn't even know where to put his hands. Xu Fengnian smiled softly and said, "What's your name? I remember you have a sister who's even bolder than you."

The youth finally recovered, swallowed, and said tremblingly, "Reporting to Your Royal Highness, my name is Liu Sheng, and my sister's name is Liu Yu."

Xu Fengnian teased, "You even know to use 'reporting'?"

The youth secretly pinched his waist, his mind finally clearing up a bit. He smiled shyly, "I learned it from the workshop officials. That's how they speak when they address the City Governor."

Chen Xiliang, smiling, explained to Xu Fengnian, "Liu Sheng wanted to enlist in the border army, but I thought he was too young and didn't agree. However, this young man is quite strong, so I allowed him to help the yamen with some tasks to earn a living. He's quick and clever and can already recognize over a hundred characters. In his free time every day, he writes words on the ground with a branch. Actually, the youth and his sister originally only had surnames, no formal given names, just casual nicknames. Liu Sheng and Liu Yu were names he chose himself."

Xu Fengnian looked at the youth and asked with a smile, "If you join the border army and die, what will happen to your sister? Why not choose the Lingzhou army? At least you wouldn't have to fight on the battlefield."

The youth answered earnestly, "The official in charge of registration said so! The border army pays more, and they pay quickly. As soon as you join, you get a large sum of silver, and they immediately give us a plot of fertile land in Lingzhou. Besides, aren't they saying that one of our Beiliang soldiers can fight three or four of their Northern Barbarians? I won't necessarily die if I go to the border. If I can spear a few Northern Barbarians and become a corporal or something, then my sister will never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of her life! Maybe she'll even have a dowry!"

The youth seemed to remember something and quickly added, making amends, "Reporting to Your Royal Highness!"

Xu Fengnian burst into laughter, then thought for a moment and said, "All right, I'll permit you to join the army in Youzhou. Your spear skills are quite good; I've experienced them myself. Once you learn to ride a horse, I'll have Huangfu Ping promote you to corporal. I'll also find a good family for your sister to live with in Lingzhou later."

The youth bargained, "Your Royal Highness, my sister still needs to keep the surname Liu, is that okay?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, then joked, "Or why don't you take my surname, Xu? How about that? I can promote you to corporal right now."

Qincang Captain Wei Shihui and his escorts' eyes turned green with envy. "Good heavens, what a windfall! Although the granting of surnames isn't as prevalent now as it was during the Spring and Autumn period, being granted a surname by the most powerful figures of the dynasty, such as an emperor or a feudal lord, is still a tremendous honor for common heroes. Grand General Xu Xiao, in his over forty years of military career, had granted surnames only a handful of times; Spear Immortal's junior brother, Xu Yanbing, was one such case."

However, to everyone's surprise, the youth paused, then shook his head and said, "I haven't even killed any Northern Barbarians yet; how can I be a corporal? Besides, if my parents knew my sister and I changed our surname, wouldn't they haunt my dreams and beat me to death?"

Wei Shihui nearly wanted to string up this ungrateful brat and beat him thoroughly. "If your parents knew you rejected the King of Beiliang's kindness, *that's* when they'd really haunt your dreams and lash you to death."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "That's fine then. Anyway, after you go to Youzhou, find a general named Huangfu Ping, and tell him I sent you to join the army."

The youth timidly asked, "Aren't I going to Liangzhou? I heard the pay is better there, and the land allocated is also good."

Xu Fengnian said, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face, "Liangzhou is about to go to war. Your spear skills are good, but you're not familiar with battlefield formations. No matter how skilled you are, you can't withstand a charge from the Northern Barbarian cavalry."

The youth uttered an "Oh" as if he understood, but not quite.

The villagers, who had initially dispersed upon hearing of the King of Beiliang's arrival, now returned, watching with keen interest as this audacious child spoke before the King. They were all somewhat envious, wondering what great fortune this boy must have accumulated in his previous life to speak with the King. How high-ranking must the King be? Anyway, they all knew that the entire Beiliang territory was His Royal Highness's family property—though, of course, this King wasn't old at all.

Afterward, Xu Fengnian and Chen Xiliang proceeded together to the cemetery ten li south of Qincang City. The cenotaphs of the fallen White Horse Valiants were located within the oasis. Xu Fengnian's disciple, Yu Dilong, and several escorts each carried a large satchel of Green Ant wine.

Xu Fengnian and Chen Xiliang offered wine at each grave, one by one.

Chen Xiliang's expression was heavy. Before each cenotaph, he would recount to Xu Fengnian when and where the White Horse Valiant buried there had died.

After the memorial, Xu Fengnian felt something was missing.

Suddenly, a rider arrived to report that two strangers had trespassed into the area, claiming they wished to offer water instead of wine to honor the fallen heroes.

Xu Fengnian walked with his horse, and then saw Song Dongming, who had arrived in Qincang City half a day later than him.

This man, one of Liyang's hidden prime ministers, saw Xu Fengnian's entourage, especially Wei Shihui's distinct captain's armor. How could Song Dongming not discern the young man's identity? After a slight bow, he looked up and smiled, "Your Royal Highness, you cannot be considered to treat people with sincerity."

Xu Fengnian smiled, neither denying nor affirming, and said apologetically, "I hope Mr. Song will forgive me."

Song Dongming glanced at the young scholar beside Xu Fengnian, then withdrew his gaze and stated bluntly, "Your Royal Highness, you do not seem to be the enlightened ruler whom the common people would willingly follow and for whom soldiers would gladly die."

Without a word, Wei Shihui drew his Beiliang saber, intending to chop off the head of this loose-tongued bastard with one strike.

Xu Fengnian raised a hand, stopping the impulsive Qincang Captain behind him, and asked with a smile, "How do you mean that?"

Song Dongming, completely unfazed, calmly said, "There are thousands of frontier poems in Liyang, and among them, the line 'Why must one return wrapped in horse hide?' is often considered paramount. In my opinion, this is just empty talk from scholars who speak without understanding. Therefore, I, Song Dongming, have a question for the King of Beiliang."

Xu Fengnian calmly said, "Please ask."

Song Dongming looked around, then sneered, "May I ask, during the siege and defense of Qincang City, no fewer than three thousand Beiliang soldiers perished. Why is it that only your Royal Highness's White Horse Valiants have cenotaphs, and occupy this oasis land?"

Xu Fengnian remained silent.

Chen Xiliang's eyes suddenly lit up.

Song Dongming continued mockingly, "Xu Xiao, the Butcher, has ten thousand Great Snow Dragon Riders. His second son, Xu Longxiang, has thirty thousand Dragon Elephant Army. Beiliang Protector-General Chu Lushan has his personal guard, and Yuan Zuozong and Yan Wenluan also have their personal guards. These armored soldiers are naturally courageous and invincible, and willing to fight for Beiliang. But then what? If Northern Mang invades with its entire nation, can you truly resist with just these seventy to eighty thousand men? Or rather, can you win with just three hundred thousand Beiliang troops? Or, does Your Royal Highness believe this is a hopeless situation, and as long as you're resolved to die, you'll be worthy of Beiliang?"

Xu Fengnian still showed no anger and instead asked, "What counsel does Mr. Song have for me?"

Song Dongming asked, "Since Beiliang is destined to face Northern Mang's million iron cavalry alone, regardless of victory or defeat, it is imperative that every person dies honorably and has their name remembered. Does Your Royal Highness agree?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, "It should be so."

Song Dongming declared loudly, "Then I ask Your Royal Highness to find a place within your territory, create a 'Tomb of Heroes,' and erect three hundred thousand gravestones!"

Song Dongming then stared intently at Xu Fengnian, squeezing out each word through clenched teeth, "One death! One name recorded!"

Xu Fengnian replied, "Good. The back of Qingliang Mountain can be designated as this tomb."

Song Dongming asked again, "Among those three hundred thousand, will there be a gravestone for you, Xu Fengnian?"

Xu Fengnian replied without hesitation, "Yes. First, the five characters 'Beiliang Xu Fengnian' will be inscribed, just like for all other Beiliang armored soldiers, recording only when and where they were born. After my death, the time and place of my demise in battle will be added."

Song Dongming looked into Xu Fengnian's eyes. After a long pause, he bowed solemnly and said deeply, "I, Song Dongming, am willing to become a minister of Beiliang and offer strategies to the King of Beiliang!"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Good."

Once Song Dongming straightened up and raised his head, Xu Fengnian walked over to the descendant of the Luming Song clan. Standing side-by-side, Xu Fengnian lowered his voice and quietly said, "I know deep down you actually serve the Zhao imperial family, not the Xu clan. But what does that matter?"

Song Dongming also spoke softly, "Your Royal Highness is mistaken. My service to Beiliang is service to Liyang. I serve the common people, not merely the Emperor!"

Xu Fengnian neither confirmed nor denied, "Temporarily serving as Deputy Grand Administrator of Beiliang Province, stationed at Qingliang Mountain – is that enough?"

Song Dongming nodded, "More than enough."

In the autumn of the first year of Xiangfu, Song Dongming of the Luming Song clan entered service in Beiliang, causing a stir throughout the court and the land.

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