Fish Meat – Chapter 249
by Little PandaThe Tenth Year of Shunde
Like Snapping Dried Twigs and Pulling Up Rotten Wood (16)
Ah Qin heard the bells as she ran towards the city wall.
“Ah Liao, what happened!” She stood with Ah Liao atop the watchtower, looking down. By now, all the torches on the city wall had been lit, illuminating every member of the night-traveling army approaching the city. Ah Qin was momentarily struck speechless by the sight of the enemy surrounding the city like a surging tide.
“Who are they?”
Ah Liao’s hair and the front of her clothes were already soaked through by the rain. Beads of water trickled down from her tightly furrowed brow, along the bridge of her nose.
“I don’t know either, I can’t see clearly.” Ah Liao gripped Ah Qin’s hand. “Never mind that, let’s get down first. It’s too dangerous up here.”
Just as Ah Liao and Ah Qin descended from the watchtower, it was blasted in two at its midpoint. Amidst cries of alarm, the collapsing upper section tilted towards them. Ah Liao watched helplessly as the tower structure bore down on her. Before the scream caught in her throat could escape, a sharp pain struck her back, and her whole body was thrown aside.
“Commandant Zhangsun!”
Nearby guards quickly rushed over to help Ah Liao up. She was covered in mud and water, with several scrapes. She had no time to check her injuries. Turning back, she saw the toppled watchtower lying across the city wall like the enormous carcass of a beast. One of Ah Qin’s legs was pinned squarely beneath it; she was gritting her teeth, struggling desperately to pull herself free.
“Ah Qin!” Ah Liao started to rush forward to save her, but countless stones launched from below the city bombarded the wall, the impacts like shattering heaven and earth. If the guards hadn’t pulled Ah Liao back, the stones that had just flown up would have swept her off the ramparts, smashing her into paste1.
“Go!” Ah Qin’s ankle was already crushed. She didn’t have the strength to lift the tower structure alone, and the section of wall between her and Ah Liao had been turned into a deep trench by the earlier attack from the stone throwers2.
The stone throwers continued their frenzied assault, the deafening booms mingling with the miserable screams from within the city.
Rubble constantly fell from above, cutting Ah Liao’s forehead. Blood flowed like a torrent.
The city wall beneath her feet was already crumbling, threatening to collapse at any moment.
There was no time to hesitate.
Ah Liao staggered to her feet, her gaze fixed, and ran towards Ah Qin.
“Don’t come!” Seeing her advance instead of retreating, Ah Qin’s eyes filled with tears of desperation. She shouted with all her might, but her voice was easily swallowed by the thunderous sounds of the siege and the storm.
“How could I not come!” Ah Liao stumbled towards the trench before she even regained her balance.
The stone throwers had smashed through the walkway atop the wall. Falling into the trench meant plummeting from a height of four zhang3. Ah Liao didn’t know Qinggong4, and the breach was a full half-zhang wide5. While not entirely impossible to cross, leaping over it amidst the fierce assault and numerous distractions was no easy feat.
Ah Liao focused completely, without a shred of hesitation. Fixing her eyes on the gap, she leaped.
“Danger!” Ah Qin, lying prone, watched in horror as an incendiary projectile6 hurtled towards Ah Liao in mid-air. Dozens of blazing incendiary projectiles rose into the sky in unison, illuminating the space above Ming County and outlining the airborne Ah Liao with a fiery golden edge.
Ah Liao stared straight ahead, as if completely unaware of the projectile beside her. Ah Qin’s heart leaped into her throat. With a flash of firelight, Ah Liao cleared the trench, landing on the uneven stone surface. The incendiary projectile shot past behind her, crashing into the city. Ah Liao stumbled, pitching forward, a trail of flames licking at the back of her robe.
Before Ah Qin could cry out again, Ah Liao rolled forward twice, extinguishing the fire on her robe. As she finished rolling and steadied herself in a crouch, she landed right in front of Ah Qin.
They looked at each other, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
“Endure it for a moment!”
Normally, she would definitely take her time to appreciate Ah Qin’s stunning tear-streaked face, perhaps even compose a few sentimental poems to praise her and win her favor. But the current crisis allowed no time for such romantic trifles7; rescuing Ah Qin was the top priority.
The wooden tower structure was incredibly heavy. When it fell, it had instantly crushed Ah Qin’s left ankle. Though Ah Qin had some strength, she couldn’t exert it at all. Ah Liao pushed and heaved, but the tower remained utterly unmoving.
The attacks from the stone throwers and incendiary projectiles came wave after wave. Signal smoke rose throughout the city8, while the shouts of battle raged outside the walls.
Defenses were hastily organized within the city. Archers unleashed volleys of arrows, and hot oil was carried up to the damaged crenels9 and poured down along the ramparts10, temporarily repelling the soldiers madly scaling the walls via ladders11.
“Quick, help!” Ah Liao couldn’t budge the tower structure no matter what, sweat pouring down her face in desperation. Just then, several hundred soldiers flew onto the city wall. She roared at one squad, “Get over here!” A dozen burly men came forward to lift the tower. Straining until their faces turned red, they finally managed to move it slightly, creating a small gap. Ah Liao quickly dragged Ah Qin out and supported her, retreating from the wall under the cover of the soldiers.
Once they retreated into the city, protected by the walls and the heavy gates, they were temporarily safe. Ah Liao grabbed a Chiliarch12 and demanded to know who the attackers were.
“Reporting to the Commandant, they seem to be Hu people!”
Hu people!
Just as expected!
These weren’t the Chongjin Hu, but those displaced people who caused trouble in Suichuan back then, the five great Hu tribes of the northwest, including the Jixi.
Ah Liao’s location, Ming County, was a strategic town in the northwest of Dongchun Commandery, bordering Suichuan Commandery, and an important gateway into Dongchun. The Suidong Mountains ran north to south, dividing Suichuan and Dongchun. Due to the treacherous mountain terrain, Ming County was the best entry point, arguably the only passage, for any army wishing to move east from Suichuan.
Ming County was heavily garrisoned. The old and weak of the Zhangsun family had been placed safely in the rear. She and Qingyuan’s ladies, however, were in Ming County. She was the defender of the city, and the ladies wouldn’t leave her, so they were stationed here together.
Wei Tingxu’s worries had come true.
“The Yao family has mobilized its entire force, and Nanya has already fallen. They will inevitably fight with their backs against the wall13, making them very difficult to deal with. Coupled with support from King Hengshui, I fear Da County cannot be breached quickly.” Wei Tingxu had written this in a previous letter to her. “The Yao family is prepared for a protracted war14, which is very risky for us. The major Hu tribes north of Suichuan have been causing trouble since the Shenchu years. Although they are not as fierce as the Chongjin Hu, they are more cunning. While Yu was engaged in a major war with the Chongjin, these Hu bandits sat back and watched the tigers fight15. Now, with civil war in the Central Plains16, they will surely seize the opportunity to act. To enter the Central Plains from the northwest, they will definitely take the Ming County route, exploiting our vulnerability. If Ming County falls, I fear the connected commanderies of Dongchun and Pingcang will be in imminent danger17. Dongchun and Pingcang are our foundation; they must absolutely not be occupied by the Hu bandits. The vital task of defending Ming County is entrusted to you, Ah Liao.”
Wei Tingxu had long anticipated that the northwestern Hu tribes would take advantage of the situation. Ming County had high walls, deep moats, and heavy troop deployment. Ah Liao had always believed those uncivilized savages were no match.
But she had underestimated the enemy.
These northwestern groups were called the Five Great Hu Tribes, but initially, their combined numbers weren’t even half that of the Chongjin Hu during the Shenchu years. Ten years ago, Ah Liao had been north of Suichuan. The people there didn’t even have bows, arrows, or armor. When tribes fought, they charged in with wooden clubs, bare-chested. Ah Liao and Ah Zheng had climbed a tall tree to watch; they had just finished eating two peaches when the battle below ended.
It was such a disorderly mob18 that Ah Liao hadn’t taken seriously. But how could she have imagined that an army of over a hundred thousand could evade her scouts and approach Ming County without a sound, even employing siege engines!
There had to be a Central Plains faction colluding with the Hu bandits, providing them with weapons and equipment, throwing open the nation’s gates for them, delivering them right to Dongchun’s doorstep.
Even so, under normal circumstances, Ah Liao wouldn’t fear them, given Ming County’s defenses. But the enemy had chosen the most inconvenient time for her to arrive.
Why did it have to be tonight?
Ah Liao was covered in mud and water; it was impossible to tell rain from sweat.
She ordered someone to take Ah Qin away, then told the Chiliarch to retrieve weapons from the storehouse. She herself re-ascended the city wall with her officers and soldiers to get a better look at who these attackers really were.
One hundred fifty thousand troops was definitely a very conservative estimate. Now, the pervasive flames illuminated the situation outside the city more clearly.
Two hundred thousand. There were at least two hundred thousand people.
Many among them had Hu faces. They set up scaling ladders and charged upwards, utterly fearless of blades, swords, or hot oil, as if they had nine lives. Looking more closely, those operating the siege engines and incendiary projectiles all had Yu faces.
It really was like this.
Just as she thought, even if the Jixi people were greedy and savage, they were like scattered sand. Luring them together must have required tempting them with benefits.
Who had instigated this?
Who?
News of Li Feng’s death had already spread everywhere. The Crown Prince and the Empress were missing, their prospects likely grim19. This very moment was the perfect opportunity for all the princes of the Li clan to contend for the realm. Whoever could control the Central Plains and drag Li Mu out of the Forbidden Garden might well win the people’s hearts and pave the way to the throne. Of course, for the Li princes to ascend the throne, besides breaching Runing and seizing the Imperial Seal, there was one more crucial thing to do: eliminate the Wei and Zhangsun clans, as well as the Grand Marshal Who Pacifies the Nation, Zhen Wenjun, who held military power and dominated her own region. Colluding with the northwestern barbarians for this purpose was not impossible.
Besides the Li princes, there was the increasingly powerful Red Lotus Cult. It was said that Huang Fu had captured the Li Min clan who were trying to flee Yu, and buried the entire clan alive, sparing not even pregnant women or infants in swaddling clothes. The Red Lotus Cult’s influence was surging. What other motive could Huang Fu have for his mystifying tricks20 besides ascending the throne? It wasn’t impossible for the Red Lotus Cult to let the Hu bandits through the pass, using their strength to flatten Dongchun and Pingcang. After using the Hu tribes, they could then dispatch troops to suppress them, occupying Dongchun and Pingcang while also eliminating the Hu and winning popular support – killing two birds with one stone21.
Thinking calmly like this, Ah Liao had fewer lingering worries. It was either the Li princes or the Red Lotus Cult; their objectives were the same.
Ah Liao didn’t have much experience leading troops in battle, nor was warfare her forte. But facing a formidable enemy, she understood she must get the message out and seek reinforcements. If Ming County fell, Dongchun’s entire defense network would likely be unable to withstand the pressure of a 200,000-strong army. Dongchun and Pingcang were interdependent like lips and teeth22; only by having Wei Tingxu promptly dispatch a large army back to reinforce them could the situation possibly be salvaged.
She dispatched heavily guarded messengers out of the city. The news had to get out, no matter what. One route went to Xiao County, the other to the Wei River.
Just three days ago, Ming County’s main garrison had received news from light cavalry scouts: suspected Red Lotus Cult members were causing trouble in the small southern county of Xiao, and the troublemakers seemed to be heading towards Ming County. After receiving this intelligence, Ah Liao had discussed countermeasures with the defending generals. The consensus was to dispatch troops to Xiao County. This county had fewer than three hundred households; using it as a battlefield would minimize casualties. Keeping the rebels outside Ming County was the best strategy.
Thus, two senior generals led troops out towards Xiao County. The two counties weren’t too far apart; the main army could reach it in five days.
Only three days had passed when Ming County, stripped of its main force, was besieged. Only now did Ah Liao understand that the trouble in Xiao County was a trap. Someone must have fed them false intelligence to lure Ming County’s garrison away. This main force had been gone for three days. If they hadn’t been ambushed, there was still hope they could return in time to defend Ming County. But if the army’s transfer was itself part of someone’s treacherous plot, then Ming County’s main force might already be completely wiped out.
But the dispatch of troops to Xiao County was done secretly. Unless the enemy had a spy hidden in Ming County who could pass on the information without anyone noticing23, how could they have intercepted the main force? And how could this massive besieging army attack so brazenly, without any apparent concern? It was clearly a fierce assault launched without fear of repercussions from the rear.
Ah Liao was certain: there was a spy in the city.
And this spy was someone likely to make people lower their guard.
Ah Liao thought of Ah Qin. She thought of Ah Xu’s pregnancy back then, and Ah He’s accusation.
She had always trusted Ah Qin, believed she had never done anything to betray Qingyuan. But how could today’s predicament in Ming County be explained?
Ever since Ah Qin returned to her life, the previously peaceful Qingyuan had been slowly fracturing. Ah Liao didn’t want to admit it, but it was the truth.
Was the one who betrayed her Ah Qin?
“Commandant!”
Someone beside her shouted and tackled her. An incendiary projectile crashed down where she had just been standing, exploding into countless sparks.
It couldn’t be Ah Qin.
Ah Liao’s mind was in turmoil. It definitely couldn’t be her!
Ah Qin was sent back into the city. Qingyuan’s ladies had already gathered in the courtyard, waiting anxiously. Unexpectedly, Ah Liao hadn’t returned, only Ah Qin came back alone.
“A large army is attacking the city from outside. The main force isn’t here. I fear Ming County cannot hold.” Ah Qin endured the pain, leaning on the wall as she went into her and Ah Liao’s room to search. She found a command tally. With this tally, she could command the city’s troops.
Ah Qin mounted a horse, balancing precariously with only one foot in the stirrup. She addressed the ladies in the courtyard, “Everyone, quickly get into the carriages! I will escort you out of the city!”
Ah Qin was burning with anxiety, but everyone in the courtyard remained motionless.
Ah Zheng said, “We won’t leave until Ah Liao returns.”
Ah He also said, “We only trust Ah Liao.”
Ah Qin’s gaze swept across their faces. Seeing they were serious, she laughed coldly, “It’s not up to you!” She flashed the command tally and ordered the soldiers behind her, “Tie them up and throw them onto the carriages!”
The soldiers looked at each other, not moving immediately.
Ah Qin snapped sharply, “Do you intend to defy a military order? Don’t you want your heads anymore?”
The soldiers had no choice but to brace themselves and move forward to seize the women. Ah Zheng and Ah He were the first to draw their weapons, and the courtyard instantly erupted into a fight.
Footnotes
- 肉泥 | ròuní | Lit. “meat paste/mud.” A graphic description of being utterly crushed.
- 投石車 | tóushíchē | Stone-throwing vehicle; likely refers to trebuchets or large catapults used in sieges.
- 四仗 | sì zhàng | A zhang (丈) is a traditional Chinese unit of length, roughly 3.3 meters or 11 feet. Four zhang is about 13 meters or 44 feet.
- 轻功 | qīnggōng | Lit. “light skill”; a martial arts technique enabling light, swift movement, often depicted as defying gravity.
- 半丈 | bàn zhàng | Half a zhang, about 1.65 meters or 5.5 feet.
- 火油彈 | huǒyóudàn | Lit. “fire oil bomb/projectile”; likely pottery filled with flammable oil, launched by siege engines.
- 風花雪月 | fēng huā xuě yuè | Lit. “wind, flowers, snow, moon”; idiom referring to romantic themes or sentimental, often trivial, pursuits.
- 狼煙四起 | láng yān sì qǐ | Lit. “wolf smoke rises everywhere”; wolf dung was supposedly used in signal fires. Idiomatically means alarms are sounding, indicating widespread crisis or war.
- 垛口 | duòkǒu | Openings in the battlements used for defense.
- 城郭 | chéngguō | City walls and ramparts.
- 雲梯 | yúntī | Lit. “cloud ladders”; scaling ladders used in sieges.
- 千夫長 | qiānfūzhǎng | Lit. “leader of a thousand men”; a military rank.
- 破釜沉舟 | pò fǔ chén zhōu | Lit. “break the cauldrons and sink the boats”; idiom meaning to commit oneself to fight to the death, cutting off all means of retreat.
- 拉鋸戰 | lājùzhàn | Lit. “sawing battle”; a stalemate or war of attrition.
- 坐壁觀虎 | zuò bì guān hǔ | Lit. “sit on the wall and watch tigers fight”; idiom meaning to remain neutral and watch others struggle, possibly waiting to profit.
- 中原 | Zhōngyuán | The central plains of China, often considered the heartland or civilization’s core.
- 危在旦夕 | wēi zài dàn xī | Lit. “danger between morning and evening”; idiom meaning imminent peril.
- 烏合之衆 | wū hé zhī zhòng | Lit. “a gathering of crows”; idiom for a disorganized crowd or mob, unfit for battle.
- 兇多吉少 | xiōng duō jí shǎo | Lit. “inauspicious many, auspicious few”; idiom meaning the situation is likely to turn out badly.
- 裝神弄鬼 | zhuāng shén nòng guǐ | Lit. “pretend to be a god, play the devil”; idiom meaning to deliberately mystify or deceive.
- 一舉兩得 | yī jǔ liǎng dé | Lit. “one move, two gains.”
- 唇亡齒寒 | chún wáng chǐ hán | Lit. “if the lips perish, the teeth will be cold”; idiom signifying close interdependence, where the fall of one party jeopardizes the other.
- 神不知鬼不覺 | shén bù zhī guǐ bù jué | Lit. “neither spirits nor ghosts are aware”; idiom meaning unknowingly, stealthily, secretly.
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