Fish Meat – Chapter 3

The Sixth Year of Shenchu

Refugees Enter the City

At the age of twelve, Zhen Wenjun was not yet called Zhen Wenjun; she had a very ordinary name—”Alai.”

That year, her legendary life was just beginning to unfold.

In the early winter of the sixth year of the Divine Dynasty, in the great wilderness.

In the northwest stronghold of Da Yu, in Qixian County, Suichuan.

On a cold night, with grey snow and cold wind raging. The city gates of Qixian County were tightly closed, and corpses littered the fields outside the city. The refugees fleeing from the war in the northwest showed no signs of dispersing.

On the city walls, torches blazed, stones were ready to be rolled down from the battlements, and crossbows were poised to shoot from the fort holes.

County magistrate Sun Mingyi held a torch and looked down from the city. In the pitch-dark night, he saw frozen corpses slowly drifting away on the moat, but more refugees, undeterred by the cold water, plunged in from the opposite bank, breaking the thin ice, and surged towards the city walls wave after wave.

Below the city walls, the wide circular path was filled with moving heads. The cries, pleas, and pounding on the city gates continued day and night, causing panic among the city’s residents. These refugees had besieged the city for three days and did not leave despite being scolded, driven away, or even threatened.

The food packets thrown from the city walls at dusk had long been snatched clean. More and more refugees from the northwest blocked the city gates and the moat. Yesterday, more than a dozen drowned bodies were fished out of the moat, yet more refugees, undeterred by the threat of death, continued to besiege and even force their way into the city.

Qixian County was a crucial passage in the northwest highlands, with extremely high city walls. These refugees, though untrained in military matters, climbed the walls barehanded to survive. Some even organized human ladders. In the darkness, the dense black shadows clung to the city walls like ants, constantly climbing upwards.

“Drop the stones!”

At Sun Mingyi’s command, the armored soldiers swung their large swords and cut the ropes holding the rolling stones. The heavy stones thundered down the walls, sweeping away the black dots climbing the walls. The stones hit the ground with a sound like thunder, shaking the earth, and turning people into pulp. For a moment, the refugees, exhausted from fleeing, were in chaos.

Blood flowed down the steps where the stones had rolled, and cries of agony filled the air. Before long, the surviving refugees gathered again. Their calloused and filthy feet trampled on the bloody remains and gathered at the base of the high walls, continuing to pound on the gates and build human ladders to storm the city.

These refugees, desperate for food, climbed the walls recklessly. In their eyes, the city was filled with warm torches and delicious food. As long as they crossed these high walls, they could feast. Each one was driven mad by hunger, like wolves pouncing on prey.

Sun Mingyi, a seasoned general who had fought countless battles, was still filled with fear at the sight of these refugees, driven mad by famine. Their cries made his scalp tingle.

Even dead soldiers were not like this.

He had killed refugees all night without seeing any signs of retreat. As dawn approached, another wave of refugees attacked. Sun Mingyi raised his command flag with one hand and shouted, “Release the arrows!”

The drums roared, and two hundred archers prepared to release their arrows. The fire oil was ready to be poured down, when suddenly a loud shout pierced through the wind and snow.

“Stop!”

Before Sun Mingyi could turn to see who it was, a tall man broke through the soldiers’ blockade and grabbed the command flag. The man, with a forceful grip, tried to snatch the flag away. Sun Mingyi, a veteran of many battles, easily disrupted the man’s balance with a counter pull. Two soldiers stepped forward, spears thrust forward, forming a cross that locked the man’s neck, and they stepped heavily on his back, causing him to cry out in pain. In an instant, he was subdued on the ground, and as his chin was about to hit the ground, he hurriedly shouted:

“Hold on, County Lord! I am Xie Suishan!”

Sun Mingyi was puzzled, “Young Master Xie?”

In the torchlight, he finally saw that the man was indeed Xie Suishan, the eldest son of Xie Taihang, the Prefect of Suichuan.

The soldiers withdrew their spears, and Sun Mingyi asked, “What brings you here?”

Xie Suishan pushed away the soldiers behind him, took out the Prefect’s token from his sleeve, and held it in front of Sun Mingyi: “What do you think I’m here for! Seeing this token is like seeing the Prefect himself! Sun Mingyi, how dare you wantonly massacre your compatriots! This is sheer disregard for human life!”

Sun Mingyi, his face impassive, eyes reflecting the cold light, retorted, “May I ask, Young Master Xie, how have I massacred my compatriots? How have I disregarded human life?”

Xie Suishan pointed to the corpses below the city walls and said, “The evidence is right before your eyes. What more do you have to say? You have kept the city gates closed, letting our compatriots starve to death outside. If this is not disregard for human life, what is it? They are not bandits, just poor people in a time of great famine! They have traveled thousands of miles to Qixian, just to beg for food for themselves and their families! The public granaries of Qixian are full, why can’t you open the gates and save their lives? Instead, you have resorted to such brutal measures!”

Sun Mingyi was taken aback, “Full granaries? You call those half-empty granaries full? Moreover, these refugees are disaster victims who fled from the war in the northwest and the Xizhou tribe, not our people. It takes a vast amount of food to sustain over twenty thousand people. If Qixian’s official grain supply is insufficient, do you know the consequences of a refugee riot?”

“Not only the public granaries, but also the private food stores of the city’s residents! Xizhou borders our Da Yu and has always been a vassal state. As such, its people are also our people! Whether public or private, we should open the granaries and distribute food to save our people! How can you bear to let them freeze and starve outside the city? People’s hearts are made of flesh. If we give them a hot meal now, they will remember it forever. You should look at the long-term benefits, not just short-term gains. Grain can be replenished, but once people’s hearts are lost, it is hard to regain. I will take responsibility for any consequences of letting the refugees into the city!”

Xie Suishan’s outburst vented his long-standing frustration.

Sun Mingyi, relying on his military power, had not even consulted his father before deploying troops to massacre refugees. Qixian was merely a county under the jurisdiction of Suichuan. How could a county magistrate make such a big decision without considering the Prefect of Suichuan? This was a blatant disregard for the Xie family. Such arrogance must be punished. After dealing with the refugee issue, he would have his father submit a memorial to impeach Sun Mingyi and have him exiled to Yizhou.

In the end, dealing with Sun Mingyi was a minor issue. The more important matter was merit.

Although there was no official decree, the number of refugees was increasing daily, and the emperor would soon issue an edict for all counties to open their granaries for disaster relief and accept refugees. If Suichuan could take the initiative, his father’s position in the capital would be secured when he reported to the court next year. This was a crucial step for the Xie family, and as the eldest son, he had to take it well, earning his father’s respect and preventing him from saying that the Xie men were inferior to the women.

The torch above swayed in the wind, occasionally bursting into sparks. Sun Mingyi quietly observed Xie Suishan’s youthful, aggressive face. His beard, wet with snow, was dry and white, and his cracked, rough lips quivered slightly.

“Alright.” Sun Mingyi’s response was unexpectedly straightforward.

He shouted to the exhausted soldiers who had been guarding the gates for days without sleep:

“Everything is at the command of the Prefect’s son! Withdraw the troops and open the gates!”

The northern weather was genuinely freezing, cold enough to make people shiver, as if a layer of frost had formed on their skin.

Seeing the gates slowly open, thousands of refugees rushed in like mice and ants, their excited shouts piercing Xie Suishan’s ears.

He drove Sun Mingyi away and stood at the top of the city, but the smile of victory on his face was unexpectedly stiff and lacking confidence.

The refugees, with beastly hunger, pushed aside the soldiers, trampling fellow Xizhou citizens, and squeezed into the city filled with hope. What would they do here?

He had to admit, a sense of unexpected fear and uncertainty began to spread in his heart.

Xie Suishan forced himself to calm down. Opening the granaries and distributing food to save the people was a just cause.

His father had taught him to be kind since childhood. He was walking the righteous path with a compassionate heart, so what was there to worry about?

As dawn approached, and seeing that the twenty thousand refugees had all entered the city, Xie Suishan descended from the city wall.

He had come alone on horseback, but now he saw the Xie family’s carriage parked there. After a moment’s thought, he understood. Just as he was about to move forward, a young officer called out to him, asking how the refugees should be settled.

Xie Suishan hesitated for a moment, then instructed, “First, settle the disaster victims at Qingshui Temple on Nanshan. Take my token to see the abbot and have him provide some porridge and noodles for the refugees. And, once the people are settled, lead your men to the county granary and deliver thirty cartloads of grain to Qingshui Temple to appease the refugees. Understood?”

The young officer took the order and left. Xie Suishan straightened his clothes and approached the carriage, where a middle-aged gentleman in scholarly attire sat. He respectfully greeted the gentleman and asked, “Why has Sir Fang come in such cold weather?”

This gentleman was Fang Yu, styled Huaiyuan, also known as Yunmeng, a renowned scholar and one of the five sages of Suichuan. He was also Xie Suishan’s teacher. Three years ago, Xie Taihang had personally invited Yunmeng to the Xie family after witnessing his eloquence in a debate. Yunmeng became a counselor for the Xie family and later the teacher of Xie Taihang’s eldest son and daughter.

(LP: Style name (or “courtesy name”) – This is an additional name that is given to a person, usually when they reach adulthood. The style name is meant to be more formal and reflective of the person’s character and achievements. In this case, Fang Yu’s style name is Huaiyuan.)

The decision to let the refugees into the city should have been discussed with Xie Taihang upon his return from Yanzhou. However, the cold weather had already claimed many victims, and Sun Mingyi’s disregard for human life presented an opportunity for the Xie family to gain merit. Seeing a fleeting chance, Xie Suishan couldn’t wait. He seized the moment, even though his teacher was away lecturing. After years of studying under Yunmeng, it was time for him to make decisions on his own and earn his father’s respect through his achievements.

Yunmeng lifted the curtain of the carriage and glanced at the refugees being driven towards the southern part of the city. In a low voice, he asked,

“These refugees are from Xizhou. The people from Xizhou has always been fierce. Do you have a plan to settle them?”

Xie Suishan, taken aback, responded,

“Even if they are fierce, they are merely refugees seeking food. We open the granaries not for any other reason but to earn their gratitude for the Xie family. I have some connections with Abbot Minghui of Qingshui Temple on Nanshan. He will surely arrange for the refugees. I believe the court will soon issue an edict to provide funds for disaster relief, and each county will have to open their granaries. The grain we distribute can be replenished from other counties in Suichuan. Our foresight will earn us real merit, and perhaps my father will be entrusted with overseeing the disaster relief. The disaster relief funds aside, the important thing is to have achievements to present. In recent years, opportunities for advancement have been seized by those military men, and our Xie family has had little to show for it.” After organizing his thoughts, Xie Suishan felt confident, and his initial doubts vanished.

“The Xie family cannot remain in this small place of Suichuan forever.” As the carriage swayed, Xie Suishan’s smile of triumph remained steady on his face, “Let me pave the way for my father.”

Taoyuan Temple, North of Qixian

A beautiful woman carefully lifted her skirt as she ascended the steps.

The withered trees and decayed stumps on either side of the steps were in a state of decline. Dirty snow, which had been partially cleared in the early morning, covered the steps again at this hour. The remaining snow had frozen into ice, making the stone steps very slippery. The woman watched her steps closely, afraid of slipping and falling.

She wore a somewhat old maroon-colored robe and skirt, with only a silver phoenix butterfly hairpin in her hair. Though her attire was modest, the exquisite red copper hand warmer she held suggested she came from a wealthy family. Yet, her cautious steps and the thick clouds of worry on her face, along with frequent sighs, told another story.

Behind her followed a young girl in plain grey clothing, holding a basket. The girl, about eleven or twelve years old, moved lightly and kept glancing back, her lively eyes searching for something. The higher they climbed, the more they could see the entire Qixian landscape, including the towering city walls in the grey sky.

The girl furrowed her brows slightly, then turned her vigilant gaze to the desolate surroundings.

“Alai,” the woman asked casually without looking up, “Did Ah Xun tell you when she and her father would return?”

The girl, called Alai, quickly stepped up to the woman’s side, “Fourth Aunt, my sister didn’t tell me. They left in a hurry, and I was out buying flower pots, so I didn’t get to see them.”

Receiving no answer, the Fourth Aunt stopped questioning her. They reached the entrance of Taoyuan Temple, where a young monk came out to greet them.

Alai was still looking around, and the Fourth Aunt asked, “What are you looking at?”

Alai replied, “Fourth Aunt, I see that the soldiers on the city walls have withdrawn, and there is no one guarding the gates. If more refugees break into the city without permission, what will we do? They say these refugees are aggressive, and Nanshan Qingshui Temple cannot accommodate so many people. The food sent by the young master will soon be gone, and they won’t stay put. Fourth Aunt, we should hurry back. I feel it’s not safe outside.”

The Fourth Aunt raised her voice slightly, “You are more thorough than the Xie family’s eldest son.”

Alai was momentarily stunned, then quickly lowered her head and whispered, “I’m just a servant, how can I compare to the young master? The mistress instructed me to remind the Fourth Aunt to return early, and she told me about the situation in the city.”