Fish Meat – Chapter 6

The Sixth Year of Shenchu

Urgent Matters

Sun Mingyi was deeply irritated by the commotion outside the county office, where people were demanding the expulsion of refugees. He slammed his bowl on the table and snorted, “That brat from the Xie family, does he even know his own limits? He makes a mess and expects me to clean it up!”

The county clerk responded, “Lord Sun, please don’t be angry. We must act cautiously and decisively now. Although Jixi is under our jurisdiction, they are just a bunch of barbaric raiders. The number of refugees is large, and if we don’t control them soon, it will spell disaster. Once Qixian is breached, refugees from all around will flood in, not to mention the hundred thousand disaster victims in Jixi. If they all cross the Shuo River into our territory…”

Sun Mingyi turned abruptly, his face filled with rage. “Do you think I don’t know the consequences of opening the city gates? That Xie brat talks about benevolence and righteousness but doesn’t understand that those who are not of our kin are bound to have different hearts! It’s been only a few days, and the marauders are already causing trouble everywhere! He must be aware of the risks but is just eager to make a name for himself by taking risks for the Xie family.”

The clerk suggested, “It seems we have no choice but to drive the refugees out again.”

Sun Mingyi sat down, his brows furrowed deeply. “Do you think they’ll leave willingly now? We have only three thousand soldiers in Qixian . We could defend because of the city walls, but now, the marauders are inside the city. If we push them too hard, they might rebel and cause chaos!”

“The neighboring county’s forces are being mobilized, and Young Master Xie should return in a couple of days. Perhaps you could persuade him again. If Qixian falls into chaos, it will affect the entire Suichuan, and the Xie family won’t escape responsibility. If the Xie family is willing to lend their private troops, it might alleviate the current refugee crisis until reinforcements arrive. Alternatively, we could seek advice from Lord Yunmeng of the Xie household.”

Sun Mingyi pondered for a moment before sighing heavily and standing up. He put on his worn-out coat. “Fine, I’ll go to the Xie residence.”

When Xie Suishan heard from the servants that Sun Mingyi was seeking an audience, he knew it was about the refugee issue.

The troubles caused by the refugees in Qixian had also caught Xie Suishan off guard.

The refugees were difficult to manage and even threatened the safety of the citizens. He now fully understood the saying, “It’s easy to invite the gods in, but hard to send them away.” The public granary had long been emptied, and forcibly collecting private grain nearly caused a conflict between the officials and the people, resulting in very little being collected. The citizens of Qixian were unwilling to contribute their grain for the refugees. These people, who usually seemed simple and united, turned out to be so stingy at critical moments. He had boasted on the city wall that he would take full responsibility for the refugee issue. Now, after just a few days, if he went back on his word and expelled the refugees, he would become the laughingstock of all Suichuan. His father scolding him would be the least of his worries; he would definitely be dragged to the ancestral hall for punishment. And his sister, Ah Xun, would also mock him. (LP: How selfish are you?)

Xie Suishan, nursing a headache, waved his hand and told the servant to inform Sun Mingyi that he was not at home, quickly sending him away.

Sun Mingyi and the clerk were left fuming outside the Xie residence. They decided to wait at the gate to catch Xie Suishan.

Before a stick of incense had burned out, a few soldiers from the county office came rushing to report that the refugees were causing chaos in the city, looting and killing in broad daylight. Sun Mingyi, feeling overwhelmed, instructed the clerk to continue waiting for Xie Suishan while he sent a strong soldier to ride swiftly to the neighboring county to request troops. He then gathered the city’s forces to suppress the refugees.

Alai ran from the marketplace towards Taoyuan Temple. After only a few steps, she saw a group of terrified people coming towards her, their clothes in disarray, some even stained with blood.

Alai grabbed an elderly woman and asked what had happened. The woman, panting heavily, said that the refugees had gone to the north of the city, looting not only food but also people. Those who resisted were beaten or even killed, behaving no different from bandits. She had escaped from the north of the city, where everyone had fled.

Just as she had feared!

Alai had a bad premonition when the refugees were first let into the city.

She had heard many gruesome stories about the Jixi people from her mother. They were known for their greed and brutality, and she had no fondness for them. The Jixi tribe was notorious for their savagery and love of war. Their men were barbaric and warlike, and their women were considered lower than cattle. Before they submitted to Da Yu, they frequently harassed the borders, committing all sorts of atrocities. Although they had surrendered and pledged allegiance, they continued their looting and especially their abduction of women. A woman from Da Yu could be sold in Jixi for the price of a fine warhorse. In recent years, Jixi had remained restless, causing trouble wherever they went, emboldened by their status as a vassal state. Now, facing famine and attacks from three small countries, they had fled en masse to Suichuan, bordering Da Yu.

Although they were technically subjects of Da Yu, the city gates should never have been opened to them. The Jixi people were innately brutal and greedy, fundamentally different from the scholarly and cultured citizens of Da Yu. Her mother had warned her countless times to be wary of the Jixi people.

Pushing against the panicked crowd, Alai searched for her Fourth Aunt but couldn’t find her. Nearing Taoyuan Temple, she spotted a few ragged figures moving near the stone steps. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hid behind a tree, cautiously peeking out.

They were refugees.

Three filthy, barely clothed refugees were squatting together, seemingly fighting over something. Alai squinted, trying to see clearly, when she saw a purple hand roll down the steps and one of the refugees immediately grabbed it and started gnawing on it, his yellow teeth stained with blood.

Alai quickly covered her mouth to stifle a scream.

They were eating people!

The situation was worse than she had imagined. The only road up the mountain was occupied by refugees, so she couldn’t take the main path. There was a winding forest path that also led up the mountain. Usually unused, it was sometimes frequented by monks seeking secret trysts, which she had accidentally witnessed a few times. The path was secluded, primarily used by such illicit visitors. (LP: Aren’t monks not allowed to have s*x?!)

Worried about her Fourth Aunt’s safety, Alai couldn’t afford to be cautious. In the decaying forest, she gathered a few dead leaves and a bunch of grass. She stuck the leaves in her hair and tucked them into her waistband, then crushed the grass to extract some green juice, smearing it all over her face. With this simple disguise, her small frame blended into the forest, making her hard to spot.

As she made her way up the mountain, Alai’s heart pounded with anxiety. Several times, she narrowly avoided bumping into refugees, holding her breath and carefully evading them.

The forest was dense with branches that hindered her progress. Alai pulled out an object from her waistband, holding it between her fingers. Her nimble fingers moved so quickly that her actions were a blur. Wherever her hand went, branches were cleanly cut away, clearing a path. She was in such a hurry that she hacked and crashed her way through, breaking half the branches herself and smashing through the rest. It seemed the monks had been adhering to their rules lately, as the path had not been used for some time.

Finally reaching the gate of Taoyuan Temple, she saw that the doors were tightly shut, with a hundred refugees banging and cursing in a language she couldn’t understand.

Alai circled around the temple, wading through wild underbrush and climbing over obstacles, getting scratched by branches all over her body. She couldn’t find any way in.

All the gates of Taoyuan Temple were firmly closed. No matter how much the refugees outside shouted and cursed, the temple stood like a silent giant, unmoved.

Sitting in a tree, Alai felt a bit relieved.

Since the refugees couldn’t get in, they couldn’t threaten her Fourth Aunt. But what if her aunt had already left the temple? No, she wouldn’t have. Her aunt had said that the prayers would take a long time. She must still be inside, trapped when the refugees surrounded the temple.

Hopefully.

Eventually, the refugees gave up trying to break into the temple and dispersed. After all, there were plenty of fattened sheep awaiting slaughter in the city, and they didn’t need to waste time here.

As the refugees scattered, Alai jumped down from the tree and banged on the temple gate, hoping to see her Fourth Aunt safe and sound when it opened.

The Sixth Lady had taken a nap and lazily got up, her stomach growling with hunger.

She called a maid to serve her meal and casually asked if Fourth Aunt had returned yet.

“Not back yet? At this hour?” The Sixth Lady opened the window and saw that it was already dark. She had been to the Wang family’s house a few times, and the Wang matron was never a gracious host. Often, before they could finish their tea, she would already be showing signs of wanting them to leave. Could it be that the gifts her mother brought today really pleased the Wang matron?

“What? She left?”

After banging on the gate until her hands were red and her voice hoarse, a young monk finally opened the gate a crack. Recognizing him as the one who had greeted them earlier, Alai quickly asked about Fourth Aunt. To her dismay, the monk said that Fourth Aunt had lit some incense, donated a bit of money, and then left with two senior monks carrying her basket.

“Did she go to the Wang family?” Alai asked anxiously.

“I don’t know.”

This was bad.

This was very, very bad!

Alai felt a surge of panic and rushed back down the mountain. Covered in mud and grass, the people of Qixian mistook her for a refugee from Jixi and avoided her.

When she reached the Wang family’s alley, she was thrown out by two guards before she could even call out.

“You blind wretch! How dare you cause trouble here!”

Ignoring the pain from her fall, Alai quickly got up and shouted, “I’m not a Jixi person! I’m a gardener from the Xie household!”

Hearing her Qixian accent and the mention of the Xie family, the guards paused and looked at her. “Why does a gardener from the Xie family look like this?”

Hearing the guards’ words hit Alai like a thunderclap, her mind spinning with shock and fear. Her last glimmer of hope now rested on the slim chance that her Fourth Aunt had indeed changed her plans and returned home early.

Night had fallen, and as Alai hurried back to the Xie residence, she was torn between vigilance and anxiety. She had to stay alert for any refugees lurking in the shadows while her heart raced with worry. She prayed fervently that she would find her Fourth Aunt safe and sound at home, desperately hoping that nothing had happened to her.