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    I Am Fish Meat

    Fish Meat – Chapter 234

    by Little Panda

    The Eighth Year of Shunde

    Like Snapping Dried Twigs and Pulling Up Rotten Wood (1)

    In the summer of eighth year of Shunde, at the foot of Mount Xiong’equn​1, lay the main camp of the Yu Army.

    Several soldiers, clad in heavy cotton coats that left only their eyes exposed, were panting heavily as they trudged with difficulty across the filthy ice layer.

    Together, they carried a cumbersome wooden frame, upon which were piled several sacks so dirty their original color was indiscernible. Everywhere they went, they drew the sideways glances of all the soldiers; some even stood up directly, staring intently at the sacks.

    “Disperse, it’s the same as always,” one of the soldiers carrying the frame said.

    Someone in the crowd cursed, retreated, and went back to collapsing inside a cold tent, wanting to sleep until tomorrow’s general offensive. But having not eaten a proper bite of food in three days, their stomachs filled with various kinds of tree bark and roots, they felt uncomfortably bloated and nauseous. They couldn’t sleep at all.

    Bu Jie stood outside a tent, his messy beard unshorn for a long time, merging with his sideburns. The cotton coat he wore was also tattered. On his grimy face, the most striking feature was his high nose; even his eyes were buried beneath wildly overgrown eyebrows, squinted into slits by the biting wind, requiring one to push aside the hair to find them. The wrinkles covering his face resembled those of a seventy-year-old man; if he appeared like this in Runing, he would probably be immediately taken for a beggar.

    “Military Advisor Bu,” the soldiers carrying the wooden frame lacked the strength to call out loudly. Only when they drew near did they call him quietly. Lacking even the energy to bend down, their hands loosened, and the wooden frame fell onto the unmelted snow, smashing a pit into it.

    “Still the same old story,” the soldiers said dejectedly. “We only managed to dig up some tree roots. This blasted mountain is bald; there’s nothing here. If this goes on, we won’t even be able to lift our sabers.”

    Bu Jie, preoccupied and uneasy, wasn’t listening to them. He asked urgently, “Have you seen General Zhen?”

    “General Zhen? No. What, is the General missing?”

    Bu Jie sighed, “Ai.”

    “Advisor, don’t worry. The General always has a plan. I saw that Ah Bi is also missing. Maybe the General took it hunting?”

    Just as they were speaking, Bu Jie’s gaze, which had been restlessly scanning the distance, suddenly fixed. The soldiers knew he had spotted Zhen Wenjun without needing to turn around.

    Before the horse had fully stopped, Zhen Wenjun leaped to the ground, holding a plump badger in her hand. The badger still clung to its last breath; as she jumped, its fat body gave a slight twitch in mid-air.

    Zhen Wenjun’s fur hat had been blown askew by the strong wind, and her cloak was lost somewhere. The smile on her face didn’t diminish. A short-legged hound, yellow all over with snow-white paws, panted with its pink tongue lolling out, having galloped back alongside her. It was also excited; as soon as Zhen Wenjun landed, it wagged its tail frantically, jumping up to paw at her trouser leg.

    “Ah Bi, don’t make trouble.” Zhen Wenjun rubbed its small head twice and peeled it off her leg, striding towards Bu Jie. Seeing the badger, Bu Jie and the soldiers looked as if their eyeballs were about to fall out—meat! Meat that would fill your mouth with juices at the first bite!

    “Eat, eat, eat, of course we have to eat. But how can this little bit of meat be divided among my two hundred thousand troops?” Zhen Wenjun and Bu Jie walked into the tent, letting the door flap fall behind them. She tossed the now-dead badger onto the table. Ah Bi placed its two front paws on the edge of the table, craning its doggy head up, baring its teeth, looking desperately greedy, but was shooed away by Zhen Wenjun.

    “But those soldiers just now already saw it. It won’t take more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn​2 before it spreads throughout the entire camp. General, you have no choice but to divide it,” Bu Jie said.

    “How to divide it? Stew it in the soup until it dissolves, and even then, you won’t taste a speck of grease when it’s distributed. That would be too wasteful. Or should we give it to the severely wounded to save their lives?”

    Bu Jie said, “Tomorrow is the great battle. Whether we can eradicate the last remnants of the Chongjin before the cold current arrives and return to Runing depends on the success or failure of this battle. If the General gives it to the wounded, what will the others think—those who charge into enemy lines and repeatedly achieve merits? General, it is not scarcity that causes worry, but uneven distribution​3.”

    Zhen Wenjun looked at Bu Jie, falling into deep thought.

    This Northern Expedition, with her as the commander-in-chief, was her third foray deep into the north. Nearly two years had passed since she left her homeland. How they had survived last winter, how many had died—she remembered it deeply. During these years in the north, her body was covered in frostbite; she had learned firsthand the coldness of this godforsaken place and somewhat understood why the Chongjin people were so determined to march south. If it were her, she wouldn’t be able to stay here either.

    Bu Jie was right. They had to leave this wretched place quickly before summer ended, otherwise, it would be another purgatory.

    Tomorrow’s battle must be won.

    News that the General had hunted a badger indeed spread quickly throughout the camp. They had thought everything from wild rabbits and masked palm civets to reindeer and foxes had long been eaten clean by them. They hadn’t expected the General could still catch a badger; it truly made one’s mouth water​4. For these battle-hardened veterans, tomorrow’s great battle wasn’t as important a topic as how the General would handle this badger.

    At night, the bonfires were lit. Everyone saw the badger as they had hoped, hung by Zhen Wenjun over the most prominent brazier in the camp.

    Summoning all the officers and soldiers, Zhen Wenjun stood on a high platform, pointed at the fat badger with her horse-halberd​5, and shouted into the cold wind: “This meat is only for the bravest soldiers! Tomorrow, whoever charges at the very front, whoever kills the most enemies, besides being promoted in rank and enfeoffed as a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households​6, will also get to enjoy this badger! Did you hear me? Enjoy it alone!”

    An uproar erupted below the platform; saliva flowed freely.

    Zhen Wenjun knew this group of soldiers she had personally trained all too well. Suppressing a laugh, she yelled, “Whether you can rise to prominence​7 in this lifetime! Whether you can fill your own bellies! Whether you can return home in glory and be loved by the people of the entire nation! It all depends on this final battle! Do you still remember the Shame of Runing?! Tomorrow is the day we wipe away that shame!”

    Heaven-shaking shouts pierced the clouds.

    “Kill! Kill! Kill!”

    This badger, before even entering anyone’s mouth, had managed to ignite the morale of the entire army. Bu Jie stood aside, watching General Zhen, his heart surging with emotion.

    Back when Zhen Wenjun was still a yellow-haired child​8, he had resolved to assist her. Ultimately, he had not chosen the wrong person.

    The thirty-year-old Zhen Wenjun was already the number one female general of Da Yu.

    No, the number one military general of Da Yu.

    The moment the victory report reached the capital, the entire city erupted in celebration.

    This savage tribe that ate raw meat and drank blood​9, this nightmare and shame for all the people of Da Yu, had finally been utterly torn apart in the eighth year of Shunde. From now on, they no longer needed to fear hearing the words “Northern Frontier”; the Northern Frontier was incorporated into Da Yu’s territory. Da Yu’s domain expanded from forty-eight commanderies​10 to fifty-two, its vast territory becoming the largest in history.

    All of Da Yu was reveling in the victory, yet in the Taiji Hall of the Forbidden Garden, one person wore a worried frown.

    This person was the current Son of Heaven, Li Feng.

    Li Feng and the Palace Attendant Gentleman​11 Liu Shao​12 stared blankly at each other. Finally, Liu Shao let out a long sigh:

    “She actually managed to do it.”

    In the eighth year of Shunde, Li Feng had reached the “age of dancing with shields and axes”​13; in less than two years, he would reach the capping age​14. Yet, precisely at this moment, Zhen Wenjun was about to return victorious.

    This woman, merely thirty years old, was already a Second-Rank​15 General. The only one in court comparable to her was Wei Jing’an, who had spent these years suppressing rebels across the country, eliminating the Pang clan of Hetian Commandery and the Yan clan of Jingji Commandery, bearing magnificent honors. And these two people colluded together​16; ultimately, they were one family.

    Back in the first year of Shunde, Zhangsun Yao had begun establishing the Council of Advisors, and from that time, the entire court had fallen into his hands. Whom he wanted to depose or promote, the Son of Heaven had no need to know. Wei Tingxu, during her period of mourning leave​17, had already been promoted to the newly established Ministry of War​18, serving as its Left Vice Minister​19. In the sixth year of Shunde, when Zhangsun Yao fell gravely ill, the thirty-two-year-old Wei Tingxu, upon his recommendation, leaped to become Minister over the Masses​20, ranking among the Three Ducal Ministers​21. This was unprecedented in the history of Da Yu; her promotion speed was comparable to rising towards the moon.

    At the end of the sixth year of Shunde, Zhen Wenjun embarked on her third Northern Expedition. Just as the grand army left the capital, Zhangsun Yao passed away from illness.

    As Head Councilor​22 of the Council of Advisors, Zhangsun Yao, before his death, promoted the “Austerity Law”​23. The Austerity Law called for the entire nation, from the Son of Heaven down to the common people, to economize on clothing and food​24 with the great war looming, conserving money and grain to supply the Yu Army. All key ministers in the court, regardless of joyous or sorrowful events, were granted only three days’ leave, after which they had to return to the central administration and diligently fulfill their duties.

    At the time, Li Feng felt there was something fishy about it. Zhangsun Yao never made careless moves​25; there was definitely something shady about the rapid implementation of this Austerity Law. Sure enough, ten days later, Zhangsun Yao died. Liu Shao had wanted to incite Li Feng to seize this golden opportunity to take back power. However, three days later, Protector-General​26 Zhangsun Wu finished the mourning rites and returned to court. Together with Palace Attendant Wei Jing’an, he recommended Wei Lun’s younger brother, Wei He​27, the current Minister of Justice​28 and concurrently Auxiliary Councilor of the Council of Advisors​29, as the new Head Councilor.

    Li Feng, of course, was unwilling. Having finally outlived Zhangsun Yao, he was already seventeen years old and no longer needed any Council of Advisors. He wanted to control this court himself, to control the Li family’s empire.

    But Zhangsun Wu and Wei Jing’an showed not the slightest intention of letting go.

    Moreover, there was still that Wei Tingxu.

    Wei Tingxu was not only Da Yu’s number one female official but also the first female official to ascend to the high position of one of the Three Ducal Ministers.

    After Wei He took control as Head Councilor, besides Guan Xun who was far away in the south, the only ones truly controlling the central administration within the Council of Advisors belonged to the Wei and Zhangsun surnames. Wei He had been an official for nearly forty years, starting as a minor County Magistrate​30 in Pingcang, working diligently day after day​31. Later, when transferred to the central administration, he also climbed slowly from a Fifth-Rank​32 minor official. Wei He was incorruptible and devoted to public duty, conscientious and meticulous, enjoying a good reputation both in court and among the people. But in terms of possessing the talent to be a general or a chancellor​33, qualifying him for the position of Head Councilor, Wei He probably still fell short. Placing him in such an important position now was intended to use his age and seniority to silence the objections of the ministers. Otherwise, with the already immensely powerful​34 Wei Tingxu, adding another Head Councilor in their thirties would likely result in a flood of memorials and cause unnecessary complications​35.

    With Wei He at the forefront, Wei Tingxu, Zhangsun Wu, and Wei Jing’an, acting as auxiliary members, could pass down all decisions through Wei He’s hands. Wei He was merely a puppet for these three.

    And among these three, Wei Tingxu was the most difficult to fathom.

    If Zhen Wenjun returned triumphant, what more could the Son of Heaven possibly bestow upon her? This wife-and-wife pair—one holding the reins of central power, the other with the tiger tally at her waist—Li Feng, as the Son of Heaven, truly didn’t know what else he could give them.

    The empire itself?

    Li Feng asked Liu Shao, “Has this year’s official selection​36 roster been delivered?”

    “It has been delivered.” Liu Shao placed the roster into Li Feng’s hands.

    Since Li Feng’s return to Runing, the Palace Attendants (Huangmen​37), long abolished, had also returned to the Forbidden Garden.

    Li Feng couldn’t possibly have a group of Zhuiyue Female Soldiers following him around. He wasn’t decisive and efficient​38 like Li Yanyi; he didn’t like running around everywhere, preferring to stay within the Forbidden Garden and enjoy himself. Since he wasn’t needed to approve memorials anyway—no matter how significant the events in the realm, the Council of Advisors would handle them, with the Wei and Zhangsun families propping things up—he could just listen to some tunes and produce some imperial sons. Therefore, having Huangmen attend to him was only natural. Previously, he had complained to Wei Tingxu, saying he was no longer a child and didn’t want those crude women dressing him; he wanted to re-establish the Huangmen. Wei Tingxu didn’t voice any opposition and quickly brought him a batch of young Huangmen to serve him day and night. She appointed a Palace Attendant Gentleman to manage the young Huangmen, who was, in reality, Wei Tingxu’s informant.

    Li Feng detested this Palace Attendant Gentleman but grew quite close to Liu Shao.

    Liu Shao was one of the Huangmen purged from the Forbidden Garden by Li Yanyi back then and had been working as a stableman in Runing. When Li Feng was sent back to Runing, the city, ravaged by war, was desolate with few people, and even fewer capable workers. Seeing that Liu Shao had previously served Emperor Huai in the Forbidden Garden, Li Feng summoned him back to continue serving him.

    Liu Shao was also from Yanxing, making him somewhat of a fellow countryman to Li Feng. This man was skilled in flattery and ingratiation, adept at arranging feasts and procuring beauties from the populace for Li Feng, quickly winning his favor. At Liu Shao’s instigation, Li Feng framed the Palace Attendant Gentleman appointed by Wei Tingxu, had him killed without trial by the Court of Judicial Review, and let Liu Shao take his position.

    Li Feng worried Wei Tingxu would hold him accountable for this matter, but Liu Shao said, “Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven! Why fear a subject? Wouldn’t that be turning the world upside down​39 and throwing the court into chaos​40?”

    Li Feng: “That being said… if not for Minister Wei, We​41 wouldn’t be here today.”

    Li Feng had always told himself that this empire was essentially given to him by Wei Tingxu. Without Wei Tingxu, wouldn’t he still be in Yanxing, sneaking around alleys stealing chickens and dogs​42? Without Wei Tingxu, his father and mother would worry about every meal daily, and could never have possessed fiefdoms or enjoyed fine clothes and rich food​43.

    “Your humble servant knows Your Majesty is a gentleman who repays kindness, but now Your Majesty is the Lord of Ten Thousand Chariots​44, the Returned Dragon Ascended to the Throne​45. Since you have returned to the imperial position, the realm should be ruled by Your Majesty. How can the Wei and Zhangsun clans usurp power and seek illicit gains within it? Your Majesty inherited the throne legitimately; the Wei and Zhangsun clans merely did what they ought to have done. Your Majesty has already greatly rewarded them. Now they seek things that should not belong to them—that is acting improperly, harboring intentions of treason!”

    Initially, Li Feng merely listened to these words. As he grew older, his attempts to assume regency​46 were ruthlessly rebuffed by the Council of Advisors, leaving him deeply frustrated and unhappy.

    Liu Shao’s incitement grew stronger, and Li Feng’s eldest son was born. Amidst his joy, he also felt he should plan for his son’s empire. No, rather, he should grasp the empire back into the hands of the Li clan.

    Zhen Wenjun’s great victory made Li Feng even more uneasy. He understood that although Zhen Wenjun’s relationship with Wei Tingxu was very subtle, as long as the two were still considered one family, he could not let down his guard against them for a single day.

    In the past two years, he had secretly put considerable effort into the matter of abolishing female officials. Of course, he hadn’t dared to act too overtly, but rather pushed things forward slowly.

    Now, the situation in the realm wouldn’t allow him to proceed slowly. Li Feng took the official selection roster handed over by Liu Shao, read it from beginning to end, and his eyes lit up when he saw a particular name. He circled it with a vermilion brush​47.

    “It has to be her.”

    LP: Y’know, if it was me, I’d let them do whatever they want! To be the emperor, enjoying luxury and not worrying about anything, everything handed to me, that would be enough.

    TOC

    Footnotes

    1. 兇阿夋山 | Xiōng’ēqūn Shān
    2. Roughly 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the incense.
    3. 不患寡而患不均 | bú huàn guǎ ér huàn bù jūn | A famous saying from Confucius’ Analects, meaning people are less concerned about having little than about unfair distribution.
    4. 垂涎三尺 | chuí xián sān chǐ | Lit. “drool three chi down”; To covet something greatly, mouth-watering. (Chi is a traditional unit of length).
    5. 馬戟 | mǎjǐ | A type of halberd used from horseback.
    6. 加官進爵封萬戶侯 | jiā guān jìn jué fēng wàn hù hóu | A phrase signifying achieving high rank, nobility, and wealth through merit. A Marquis of Ten Thousand Households was a very high enfeoffment.
    7. 飛黃騰達 | fēi huáng téng dá | Lit. “fly yellow and soar”; To achieve rapid success and high status.
    8. 黃毛小兒 | huángmáo xiǎo’ér | A colloquial term for a young, inexperienced child or youth.
    9. 茹毛飲血 | rú máo yǐn xuè | Lit. “eat feathers/fur and drink blood”; Describes primitive savagery.
    10. 郡 | jùn | An administrative division, similar to a province or large county/commandery in ancient China.
    11. 黃門侍郎 | Huángmén Shìláng | A title for an official managing palace attendants (Huangmen). Huangmen (黃門) often referred to eunuchs or other close palace servants.
    12. 劉紹 | Liú Shào
    13. 舞象之年 | wǔ xiàng zhī nián | An archaic term for the age of 15-20, when youths traditionally learned martial dances.
    14. 弱冠 | ruòguàn | The traditional age of 20 for men, marked by a capping ceremony signifying adulthood.
    15. 二品 | èr pǐn | Second Rank in the nine-rank system of officialdom, a very high position.
    16. 朋比為奸 | péng bǐ wéi jiān | Lit. “associate and compare for treachery”; To conspire or collude for illicit purposes.
    17. 丁憂 | dīng yōu | Traditional period of mourning (usually 27 months) for a parent’s death, during which officials often had to resign from office.
    18. 兵部 | Bīngbù | The government ministry responsible for military affairs.
    19. 左侍郎 | zuǒ shìláng | A high-ranking vice minister position.
    20. 司徒 | Sītú | One of the Three Ducal Ministers (三公), the highest official positions below the Emperor.
    21. 三公 | Sāngōng | The three highest-ranking officials in ancient Chinese government, typically Chancellor, Grand Commandant, and Minister over the Masses.
    22. 院首 | Yuànshǒu | Head of the Council (Canshi Yuan).
    23. 簡律 | Jiǎnlǜ | Lit. “Simple Law”; A law mandating austerity.
    24. 節衣縮食 | jié yī suō shí | Lit. “economize clothing, reduce food”; To live frugally.
    25. 胡亂落子 | húluàn luò zǐ | Lit. “carelessly place a piece (in Go/chess)”; To make random or ill-considered moves.
    26. 護國将軍 | Hùguó Jiāngjūn | Title: General Who Protects the Nation.
    27. 衛合 | Wèi Hé
    28. 大理寺卿 | Dàlǐ Sìqīng | Head of the Court of Judicial Review (Dali Si).
    29. 參事院輔官 | Cānshì Yuàn Fǔguān | An auxiliary or supporting official within the Council of Advisors.
    30. 縣令 | Xiànlìng | Head official of a county.
    31. 十年如一日 | shí nián rú yī rì | Lit. “ten years like one day”; Describes consistency and diligence over a long period.
    32. 五品 | wǔ pǐn | Fifth Rank in the nine-rank system, a mid-level position.
    33. 出将入相 | chū jiàng rù xiàng | Lit. “go out as a general, come in as a chancellor”; Possessing both military and civil leadership abilities of the highest order.
    34. 權傾朝野 | quán qīng cháo yě | Lit. “power tilting court and field”; Wielding power that overshadows the entire court and country.
    35. 節外生枝 | jié wài shēng zhī | Lit. “a knot grows an extra branch”; To create complications, side issues arise unexpectedly.
    36. 銓選 | quánxuǎn | The process of selecting and appointing government officials.
    37. 黃門 | Huángmén | Palace Attendants, often eunuchs, serving in the inner court.
    38. 雷厲風行 | léi lì fēng xíng | Lit. “swift as thunder, fast as wind”; Decisive, vigorous, and efficient in action.
    39. 乾坤颠倒 | qián kūn diān dǎo | Lit. “heaven and earth reversed”; The natural order is upset.
    40. 朝綱混亂 | cháo gāng hùnluàn | The principles of court governance are in disorder.
    41. 寡人 | guǎrén | “The lonely one,” a traditional self-appellation used by kings and emperors, often conveying humility but also supreme status.
    42. 偷雞摸狗 | tōu jī mō gǒu | Lit. “steal chickens and feel dogs”; To engage in petty theft or dishonest activities.
    43. 錦衣玉食 | jǐn yī yù shí | Lit. “brocade clothes, jade food”; A life of luxury.
    44. 萬乘之尊 | wàn shèng zhī zūn | Lit. “the尊貴 (honored status) of ten thousand chariots”; A term signifying the supreme status of the emperor, whose domain could field ten thousand war chariots.
    45. 飛龍歸位 | fēi lóng guī wèi | Lit. “flying dragon returns to its position”; A metaphor for the rightful ruler taking the throne.
    46. 攝政 | shèzhèng | To act as regent, ruling on behalf of a monarch.
    47. 朱砂筆 | zhūshā bǐ | A brush using red cinnabar ink, often used by emperors or high officials for approvals or important marks.

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