Fish Meat – Chapter 102
by Little PandaThe Tenth Year of Shenchu
Iron horses and golden spears (4)
The watchtower was built in less than a day. Ah Xin placed the tower behind a withered branch, which perfectly concealed the tower’s body. When someone climbed up to keep watch, their head would just peek out from the tree fork at the top, not obstructing the view at all while hiding their body. Although hastily constructed, the tower was very sturdy; simple but not carelessly made. Zhen Wenjun personally climbed the tower to test it. It was completely stable without any wobbling, but the situation in Mengliang City, fifteen li away, couldn’t be seen clearly.
She couldn’t see clearly, but Ah Xin’s eagle eyes could discern the details.
“Wine jars are piled like mountains in the east of the city. Every day, large numbers of women are captured and brought into the city. It’s truly a scene of debauchery and revelry.” Ah Xin gathered wine and meat from nearby towns and had people disguise themselves as surrendered officials from the county, sending large quantities of wine, meat, and beautiful women into the city. “Enjoy your pleasures to the fullest; you don’t have many days left to live.”
Like a river, good wine and beautiful women were sent into Mengliang City. The soldiers, who had already won several major battles and received praise from the Chongjin leaders, indulged in wine and women. Hu’er Ji let them rest and recuperate, waiting for them to be full of energy before making a swift push south to capture Runing. With the general’s orders, they drank freely, celebrating day and night. After several days, Hu’er Ji gradually felt something was amiss, as if someone was secretly encouraging the soldiers to become increasingly dissipated. He decisively issued a ban on alcohol, smashing all the wine and prohibiting anyone from bringing more wine into the city, with execution as the punishment for violating the order. The beautiful women in the city were also dragged outside and all buried alive, and no one was allowed to mention them again.
It had been over a month since the great defeat of Mengliang. The rewards after victory should come to an end. Hu’er Ji told his brothers to prepare for departure; it was time to continue the invasion into Da Yu.
“They won’t be able to leave,” Zhen Wenjun said while stirring the tree roots and soup dumplings in the pot, chuckling, “To keep them here, I’ve made a significant investment.”
In the tens of thousands of wine jars that Ah Xin had sent, Zhen Wenjun had added her own gift: cartloads of honey-coated blades. With every sip, the Chongjin soldiers would silently cut their throats. These fine cuts might seem insignificant on their own, but over time, they could prove fatal.
Zhen Wenjun had added powdered night lotus seeds to each jar of wine.
Night lotus is the most crucial ingredient in Furong Powder, and its seeds are often used by many merchants in food, making it incredibly flavorful and addictive.
Adding it to wine had the same effect.
Zhen Wenjun didn’t bring too many night lotus seeds, but fortunately, their effect was greatly enhanced when added to wine. She only needed to grind them up and add a small amount of powder to each jar. The Chongjin soldiers who drank it craved more, each consuming over ten jars a day. After drinking continuously for a month, they were all addicted. When Hu’er Ji suddenly imposed a ban on alcohol, unable to drink or touch women, the soldiers had no outlet for their desires. They became restless and anxious, behaving strangely, unable to sleep at night and struggling to wake during the day. When awake, they were irritable and uneasy. Many soldiers who were once as close as brothers now came to blows over trivial matters.
“What’s going on?!” Hu’er Ji, residing in the former prefect Liu Guan’s mansion, exploded in anger. He summoned Lin Jian and asked him in the Chongjin language, “Do you Da Yu people know any sorcery? Why have my brothers become like this?”
Lin Jian had a Chongjin friend in his childhood, from whom he learned quite a bit of the Chongjin language, allowing him to communicate freely with Hu’er Ji. Hearing Hu’er Ji’s words, he found it quite amusing:
“The Da Yu people think Chongjin are man-eating demons, while the Chongjin think Da Yu are sorcerers. It’s quite interesting. General, Da Yu people don’t practice sorcery, but they do use poisons. If I’m not mistaken, the wine brought into the city in recent days probably contained some poison, perhaps Furong Powder.”
“Furong Powder? What’s that?”
“It’s a very popular drug in Da Yu territory. It can strengthen the body, increase vitality, ward off cold, and invigorate the mind. After taking it, one can be naked in the cold winter without feeling cold.”
“Is there really such a powerful drug?”
“But its effects are only temporary, and it’s highly addictive. Once consumed, it’s nearly impossible to quit for life. Many side effects make people irritable, indulgent in sensory pleasures, and prone to hallucinations. When the drug craving hits, even they don’t know what they might do. The most terrifying thing is that long-term use of Furong Powder can easily cause the body to rot and die from ulcers.”
“To use such a vicious method against my brothers!” Hu’er Ji slammed his palm on the wooden table, furious. “Where are those little insects hiding now?”
“In response to the general, the deserters and civilians have likely retreated to the small county of Xie to the west. The Da Yu emperor Li Ju should also be in Xie County.”
Hu’er Ji wanted to gather his troops to attack Xie County, but when he summoned several “horse heads” (unit leaders) who commanded troops, these leaders all had dark circles under their eyes and looked dispirited, with mucus running down their noses after speaking just a few words.
Hu’er Ji was infuriated by the sight. He dragged two of them out and had them beheaded as a warning to others, threatening all soldiers that anyone who dared to drink again would be dealt with by military law.
For a while, no one dared to drink, but the addiction to night lotus was like an elusive, unkillable bug, constantly gnawing at the hearts of the Chongjin soldiers, leaving them dejected and listless, severely hampering military operations. Hu’er Ji’s plan to launch a surprise attack on Xie County was obstructed, and he could only remain in Mengliang City, attempting to rectify the troops’ conduct.
Zhen Wenjun’s poisoning strategy was highly successful, boosting the morale of the remaining forces in Xie County.
Ah Xin had some reservations in her heart. After all, she had accidentally ingested Furong Powder before and personally experienced a series of torments worse than death, so she deeply despised this substance and hated those who used poison. However, on the battlefield, there was no such thing as an “improper method.” Every monument was built upon the bones of the defeated, and after years of warfare, she understood this better than anyone. Therefore, she still lavished praise on Zhen Wenjun in front of everyone for her actions, commending her profusely.
Ah Xin was a person who clearly separated public and private matters, and Zhen Wenjun increasingly understood this. Encouraged, she worked even harder, collaborating with Bu Jie to develop water engineering plans, intending to use water as a weapon.
That’s right, Bu Jie had arrived.
Initially, Zhen Wenjun didn’t want him to come to the northern front, but he secretly followed the main army on his own. Unfortunately, he got lost halfway, nearly becoming food for wolves in the wilderness. He barely made it to Xie County, where he learned that all those who had fled from the defeat at Mengliang had retreated to Xie County, and that Zhen Wenjun and Ah Xin often went to Cansan Peak to observe the situation in Mengliang City. So he sought them out. When Zhen Wenjun saw him, it was like seeing a family member bringing cotton clothes in the dead of winter; she was so happy she almost burst into tears.
Bu Jie, whose clothes were tattered like a wild man’s, excitedly cupped his hands in greeting the moment he saw Zhen Wenjun and said, “My lady!”
Zhen Wenjun returned the greeting and said in a clear voice, “Shuiping! Noβ¦ Wensheng!”
“Shuiping?” Bu Jie was puzzled.
Zhen Wenjun was too excited and accidentally blurted out what she was thinking.
She brought a bowl of soup dumplings for Bu Jie to eat first. Bu Jie, who had been hungry for several days, wolfed it all down in an instant. Zhen Wenjun asked him if he knew how to make water levels.
“My lady, are you thinking of using water attacks to recapture Mengliang City?” Bu Jie immediately understood. “I once had a teacher who was a master of water attacks. I learned a thing or two from him and participated in several battles with him, helping him make water levels, templates, and measuring rods. However, at that time, I was only assisting under my teacher’s guidance. If I were to make them on my own, I’m afraid I’d need to study and practice more.”
Zhen Wenjun immediately encouraged him: “It’s great that you know how! Start making siege equipment right away! I’ll assist you! You teach me!”
Zhen Wenjun was very intelligent. Bu Jie only told her the description of water levels from the military text γTaibai Yinjingγ: “Use the rod to reflect the template, squint to view the three floating wooden teeth and the template, use the measuring rod’s scale to determine the height, move and observe repeatedly, multiplying the measurements. The heights and depths of hills, valleys, and waters can all be measured in inches and tenths.” After a brief instruction, Zhen Wenjun could extrapolate from one point to three, thoroughly understanding the key aspects of water attacks. She could even point out Bu Jie’s mistakes, earning his great admiration.
While Zhen Wenjun was tirelessly researching siege techniques and equipment day and night, the routed soldiers and civilians in Xie County had no fighting spirit and were unwilling to join Ah Xin in recapturing Mengliang.
Li Ju could have stood up to boost morale, but the Xie County magistrate had already fled, leaving Ah Xin as the only one who could take charge of the overall situation. Ah Xin was indeed Xie Fuchen’s daughter, but she was also Li Yan’yi’s lover, and it was uncertain which side she would ultimately support. Once she gained power, it would be difficult to suppress her again. Li Ju couldn’t give her this opportunity and let her take such an advantage.
“Why? Can you really swallow this great humiliation without wanting to seek revenge?” Ah Xin asked the remaining soldiers.
“We want to, but we know our own situation and capabilities. We barely escaped with our lives and don’t want to go back just to die.”
“That’s right, if they’d let us leave, I would have fled back to the south long ago.”
“The words may be crude, but the reasoning isn’t wrong. Everyone wants to annihilate the barbarians, but we all know our own limits. Whether we can win or not has already been proven last time. Even with two great generals in command then, we were utterly defeated. This time we don’t even have anyone capable of leading troops. How are we supposed to fight? Isn’t it just sending ourselves to die for nothing?”
A private soldier who had been following Ah Xin said, “Who says there’s no one to lead the troops? Our Lady Ah Xin has been on battlefields for nearly ten years, and many great victories were commanded by her! How can you be so ignorant as to not have heard of this?”
Upon hearing this, the crowd laughed loudly: “You said it yourself, Ah Xin, a lady! It’s just the small tricks of a little woman. Aren’t the men still charging at the front? Anyone can talk strategy on paper, but when facing the fierce barbarians, it’s a completely different matter!”
“Young man, I advise this Lady Ah Xin not to go to the front lines again. Everyone knows the barbarians like women. If Lady Ah Xin falls into the hands of the barbarians, should we kill the barbarians first or rescue the lady first?”
Roars of laughter erupted. The private soldier who spoke up for Ah Xin was a young man who greatly admired her strategic brilliance. Unable to bear these vulgar words sullying her, he drew his sword, intending to kill these foul-mouthed scoundrels, but was stopped by Ah Xin.
Zhen Wenjun, who had been watching from the side, saw that Ah Xin remained composed, seemingly accustomed to such talk and not angered by it.
Ah Xin, holding a wine bottle and cup, poured herself a drink and calmly said, “If saying these things helps alleviate your fear and self-loathing, by all means, continue. Once you’re done, you can return to your hometowns.”
The crowd was somewhat stunned, thinking they had misheard.
“Are you saying we can go back?”
Ah Xin nodded at the person who asked: “Didn’t you desperately escape to reunite with your families and homeland? Why else would you cling to life? Now that I’m letting you return home, isn’t that good?”
Most of the 20,000 deserters and 10,000 civilians who had retreated from Mengliang wanted to leave, but initially, Ah Xin didn’t allow it, thinking they would still recapture Mengliang. Now that she unexpectedly agreed to let them go, it was beyond their expectations. When good fortune suddenly arrived, many people didn’t quite believe it, suspecting some hidden plot.
Ah Xin simply stood beneath the city wall of Xie County and ordered her troops to open the city gates wide.
The cold wind rushed in from outside the city; she had made her stance clear.
“Those who want to go home, go back and spend your final moments with your families, clinging to your last breath! As soon as you return, the Chongjin army will soon break through Guanyang and strike directly at Runing. After Runing falls, the barbarian bandits will kill their way to each of your homes, slaughtering your parents and taking your wives and children!” Ah Xin pointed outside the gate, “Go!”
Ah Xin’s words sent a chill through the hearts of those present. A few hundred people left, but most remained.
“I’ll give you one last incense stick’s worth of time.” Ah Xin stuck the incense in the ground, still standing by the gate, waiting for the next group to leave.
The incense quickly burned out, and no one else left.
“Very well, close the gates.”
The heavy city gates were shut. Ah Xin looked at those who remained, seeing confusion, numbness, and bewilderment in their eyes. She made eye contact with each of them: “Since you didn’t leave, it shows that there’s still some fighting spirit in your hearts, that you want to give those barbarians a taste of their own medicine. Or perhaps you don’t have much fighting spirit at all, and you don’t even want to seek revenge against the arrogant Chongjin people. But you’re smart, knowing that staying here might mean death, yet there’s still some hope for victory. But fleeing back home leads only to certain death! Dying in poverty, starving to death, or dying as helpless slaves of a fallen nation! Even if you miraculously survive, you’ll forever bear the name of deserters! Is this what you want? Even I, the ‘little woman’ you speak of, can charge to the front lines and fight the Chongjin barbarians to the death. What are you men afraid of? Are you not even as good as this ‘little woman’?”
Ah Xin moved through the crowd, making eye contact and questioning each person, as if she were arguing with thousands of people at once.
The men who had just mocked her had all stayed, and their eyelids twitched incessantly as Ah Xin spoke to them.
“You’re all men,” Ah Xin said, grabbing the collar of the man who had earlier said “it’s the men who charge at the front,” and continued, “How can you be inferior to the Chongjin men? Is it because you lack courage?”
The muscles on the man’s face twitched, his fists clenched harder than stone.
“Actually, who isn’t afraid of death? We’re all afraid, including me,” Ah Xin released him and sat down on the stone steps by the road. Zhen Wenjun noticed that everyone’s gaze was drawn to her, all listening to what she would say next.
“Life is as fleeting as a white horse passing through a crack. I fear death, but I fear more dying without having done anything in this life, entering the grave without having enjoyed anything, becoming food for worms and ants! War is indeed cruel, but are you certain to die? No, but you are certain to receive rewards for fighting!” Ah Xin pointed to a mansion with vermilion roof tiles to the east of the county town, “Our Da Yu’s emperor is right there! He sees everything you do today! If you drive away the Chongjin people, how can you worry about not being rewarded? How many people spend their entire lives trying to climb higher without ever getting a chance? How many people long for the opportunity to fight in battle, to have a chance to compete for merit? Now this opportunity is in your hands. Risk your lives for a lifetime of wealth and honor. Tell me, is it a loss? ‘Sacrifice oneself for the nation’s crisis, view death as returning home.’ If you can’t bear the rise and fall of the world in your hearts, at least seek an opportunity for your own meteoric rise! Since ancient times, hasn’t it always been that the victors become kings and the losers become outlaws? If you do nothing and enter the yellow earth like this, why did you come to this world at all!”
Ah Xin finally hit the most crucial point. Zhen Wenjun saw that on the faces of these people who had been poor all their lives and feared poverty, a complex expectation and hope emerged from their anger.
“Bring them up!” Ah Xin stood up and shouted. Her private soldiers carried up more than ten large boxes.
The crowd curiously craned their necks, whispering among themselves.
Zhen Wenjun was also excited; no matter how much Ah Xin had said, nothing compared to this final move in terms of brilliance and captivating hearts!
The lids of the boxes were opened in unison, and with a chorus of sounds, the boxes full of gold left people speechless. These people had never seen so much gold in their entire lives. The gold was eye-catching even on a cloudy day, making it impossible for the wide-eyed crowd to look away, their mouths watering.
“Besides the emperor’s rewards, whoever leads the charge, whoever rushes to the front, can take this gold as they please! Take as much as you can carry, take it all!”
While the emperor’s rewards might have seemed distant, the mountains of gold before their eyes were very real. And this Xie family’s Ah Xin was actually saying they could take it freely?
Several men rushed forward, pointing at her: “Are you speaking the truth?”
“Of course it’s true.” Ah Xin casually took off the jade pendant from her waist and tossed it to him, “If you don’t believe me, take this as collateral.”
These men were all butchers who slaughtered pigs and sheep; they couldn’t identify what constituted good jade. But this jade was smooth all over and warm to the touch, looking like it could fetch a good price.
Everyone saw that this woman didn’t hesitate at all, actually offering her personal jade pendant as collateral, making them believe her words even more.
“The gold and silver can all be yours. Once you take my money, you’ll be my soldiers from now on. There’s one thing I want to make clear,” Ah Xin drew the long sword she always carried on her back, pointing it at the crowd, “If you retreat in battle, you’ll be dealt with by military law. I will show no mercy.”
Zhen Wenjun understood that Ah Xin was using a strategy employed by all commanders. As stated in γThe Six Secret Teachingsγ, “Rewards should be as high as mountains, punishments as deep as valleys” – clear rewards and punishments are fundamental. Rewards must be substantial to motivate soldiers’ emotions, and punishments must be clear to eliminate negative elements and stabilize morale.
Ah Xin was indeed an experienced commander. She quickly rallied the scattered hearts of the people, gaining troops to use and enhancing her prestige. Even the civilians from Mengliang and Xie County were eagerly volunteering to join the army.
A delicate young girl who looked not yet of age for her coming-of-age ceremony ran up to Ah Xin and said:
“Sister, sister, I want to join the army and fight the barbarians too. I also want big gold ingots! Can I?”
Ah Xin had her sit beside her: “Of course you can. Don’t doubt your abilities. You can kill barbarian bandits and have big gold ingots too.”
“My name is Ah Wen,” the little girl said. “My parents gave me this name hoping I’d live a stable life, without illness or disaster, and especially not to show my face in public. But I don’t like stability. I like fighting in wars; war is the most interesting thing in the world. I’ve studied military texts since I was young. I can be your deputy commander! Sister, can I follow you? I think you’re amazing.”
“Ah Wen, war isn’t fun,” Ah Xin didn’t dismiss her due to her young age, but spoke seriously, “War is a last resort, where everyone walks on the edge of a blade. If you truly want to join the army, first learn how to prevent wars from happening and how to keep a place safe, then learn how to kill. This is the correct order.”
Ah Wen’s eyes were full of admiration, listening attentively, wanting to remember every word she said in her heart.
Watching Ah Wen and Ah Xin sitting together, Zhen Wenjun was reminded of Wei Tingxu.
She wondered if this was how she and Wei Tingxu looked in others’ eyes when they sat close together.
Looking at the snowy horizon, the air seemed to carry not only coldness but also a hint of bloodshed.
She didn’t know if the person she was thinking of had eaten today, or if she had a small hand warmer in her bosom.
A total of 46,000 able-bodied men were recruited from the remnants of the Mengliang disaster, civilians, civilians and garrison troops of Xie County, and private soldiers. Ah Xin continued to recruit brave warriors near Xie County, regardless of background or gender, selecting only those who could draw a bow of four jun or pull a crossbow of nine che. This time, another 4,000 people were gathered.
An army of 50,000 was ready to set out, Zhen Wenjun’s secret weapon for attacking the city was also completed, and preparations for water attacks were in place.
Now they were only waiting for one thing.
Waiting for Bu Jie’s signal.
Bu Jie could observe celestial phenomena and predict tomorrow’s weather by examining the night sky.
They needed Bu Jie to determine the best time for the attack.
After days of waiting, the restless soldiers finally received the orderβlaunch the attack tomorrow! With united will, they would reclaim Mengliang!
Thinking of wealth and prestige, they could barely contain their excitement!
Hu’er Ji received a letter of surrender, which came from the Governor of Guanyang.
Hu’er Ji had Lin Jian read the surrender letter. The letter greatly praised Hu’er Ji, saying he was the reincarnation of Xiang Yu, and that the entire city of Guanyang was willing to submit to Chongjin and become subjects of Wula’er.
Hu’er Ji of course knew that Wula’er was the god of Chongjin, but he wasn’t sure who Xiang Yu was. Lin Jian gave a general account of the Chu-Han Contention from several hundred years ago, which Hu’er Ji found very entertaining.
“You Central Plains people are truly cunning.”
Hu’er Ji certainly wouldn’t be thrown off by a surrender letter of unknown authenticity. He dispatched a thousand light cavalry to investigate the situation in Guanyang.
This thousand-strong light cavalry had just reached the foot of Cansan Peak when they were unseated by traps set by Zhen Wenjun, and instantly paralyzed by saimafei. Ah Xin had their clothes stripped off and replaced with their own attire, intending to disguise themselves as Chongjin soldiers and infiltrate the city on their horses, cooperating from within and without.
The horses ridden by the Chongjin soldiers were very spirited and became wild upon sensing the unfamiliar people. Bu Jie, being an expert horse tamer, told everyone not to panic and explained the essence of horse-taming techniques. Within half an hour, all the wild horses were tamed, except for two that stubbornly refused to comply and were immediately killed by Bu Jie.
Zuo Kunda had been a messenger since childhood and loved horses to the point of obsession. He understood that these horses refusing to submit were the most loyal ones. Seeing the horses beaten to death, he couldn’t help but cry loudly.
Bu Jie told him that if these loyal horses weren’t killed now, they would eventually die from hunger strike. It was better to help them go more easily.
Having calculated the round-trip time, Bu Jie also predicted which day the freezing point would occur in the coming days. After the heavy fog on that day, the temperature would definitely drop significantly.
Once he determined the day, the Da Yu troops disguised as Chongjin cavalry gradually approached the gates of Mengliang city while the dense fog had not yet completely dissipated.
The guards on the city wall couldn’t see the faces of the approaching group clearly, but they vaguely resembled the light cavalry sent out by the general. Just as they were about to open the gates, the vice general Bu’ertu stopped them:
“No! These people are Da Yu people disguised as fake troops!”
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