Joy and sorrow

Jiang Heng braved the scorching sun and arrived at this legendary, desolate land that had been trampled into a barren wasteland.

Contrary to what was rumored, the vast expanse of land was covered with short grass, giving it a somewhat spring-like appearance at first glance.

Jiang Heng walked along the post road, where a cold light gleamed faintly on the lush black soil. What was that? As he drew closer, he realized it was a broken halberd embroidered with embroidery.

Those are fertile fields irrigated by the blood of soldiers.

—————

"Huan'er, be good. When Daddy comes back, we'll have plenty to eat. Countless gold and silver will buy Huan'er new clothes." The young girl led the child, and a dark shadow flashed over their heads, leaving a gray feather.

"Mother, it's a pigeon." The child's breath was weak; he was still ill.

"Brother! There's news!" The thin man ran into the inner hall, clutching the pigeon.

The man stood up, took the paper tube, and slowly unfolded it to read. He murmured, "The news about the half-day flower fields is true; we all have land now."

Then he shouted, "Everyone, come here!"

This courtyard was a place where these people lived and settled down. Hearing the man's voice, everyone gathered around.

"Brother Jin? Do you have land now?"

"Jin Tao, you're not kidding us!"

"Oh God, this is a gift from heaven..."

Jin Tao handed out the note, and everyone passed it around to read.

"Let's set off as soon as possible while it's still warm in spring," Jin Tao instructed, and they began packing their belongings.

"Houqi, you're weak. If you can't hold on, just tell me, and I'll carry you." Jin Tao found Duan Houqi and patted him on the shoulder.

"Brother, brother, we don't have to be bandits anymore!" Duan Houqi said with a beaming smile, as if he had been relieved.

Jin Tao sighed and went to the corner of the room to get a hoe.

"Brother—there's a fight going on over there!" It was Duan Houqi's voice.

Jin Tao rushed over to see what was happening. After pushing aside the onlookers, he found someone lying on the ground. He reached out to touch him, but he was already lifeless.

"He...he was arguing with me, I didn't," the assailant was so terrified he became incoherent, "I...I didn't kill him..."

Jin Tao arranged for Duan Houqi and the others to work together to carry the person on the ground away, while he himself carried away that bastard.

"Tell me, what's going on?" Jin Tao said.

"He...he said it was that guy surnamed Jiang, yes, the one who wrote the posters, the fraudster." The man sobbed, "I wanted to teach him a lesson, but I never expected..."

"What did he fight over with you?" Jin Tao asked again.

"I want money, I want money..." the man cried out, completely hysterical.

Jin Tao's expression was solemn as he gestured for two men to take the man away.

"Brother Jin, we have at least a few dozen strong men from around here, why don't we give it a try?"

"Yes, some of us ride horses, some shoot arrows, each of us uses our strengths, and we can defeat the imperial army."

Jin Tao looked at the two excited people and calmly asked, "How do you know?" He tidied himself up and then turned around to help the women tidy up.

The two continued their argument, and Jin Tao turned around and said solemnly, "The border war is intense, but many officials in the court have their own troops. They eat meat and fish all day long and are fat and strong, while we rob the rich to make a living and are starving. What good is having military strength if we can't even feed ourselves?"

The two remained silent and went downstairs to help the others tidy up.

Someone picked up a pen and wrote:

In the first year of Wansheng, Jiang Heng observed that the flowers had borne fruit after half a day. He then used a black dove to announce to the people in the heavens that about thirty poor people who had failed in their business ventures had come out with their families to make a plan. Some said: "It is better to die on the way than to suffer hardship and humiliation in a prosperous city."

At the end of February, I left home to make a living, carrying my elderly parents and young children.

Hiking in mid-March, traversing the yellow sands to finally reach the flowers.

—————

Jiang Heng sent the message and immediately returned to find Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng ran to greet them, and Jiang Heng let Wang Sheng ride a horse. The two returned to the camp after several days.

"It's Brother Wang!" Several wounded soldiers saw the man on horseback from afar and staggered over.

Wang Sheng dismounted and exchanged greetings with the others.

Jiang Heng watched from the side. He was inwardly joyful, and his aura was naturally gentle.

"This is Young Master Jiang Heng, who has been kind to us all," Wang Sheng introduced.

"I, Jiang, extend my greetings to you all. I wish you all a speedy recovery so that you may return to the battlefield one day to defend our homeland and our borders," Jiang Heng said.

The wounded soldiers looked at him and nodded in approval.

"May I ask if Young Master Jiang is a member of Tiansong?" a soldier asked.

"That is indeed me," Jiang Heng replied.

"We have long admired Lord Jiang's reputation!" The group clasped their hands in a respectful gesture of respect.

Jiang Heng was puzzled as to why he was so respected after revealing his identity.

Wang Sheng noticed his confusion and said, "Tian Song only has the Jiang family as a large clan. The former prime minister of the previous dynasty made great contributions and is highly respected in the army."

Jiang Heng smiled bitterly. His father was indeed a meritorious official, but although he had inherited his legacy and virtues, he had repeatedly failed to fulfill his father's last wishes, which he absolutely could not accept.

He returned the greeting, and the huge stone in his heart seemed to be pulled by a rope, becoming heavier and heavier.

Jiang Heng was introduced, so naturally he had to wait for the swift cavalry to return victorious before he could attend the banquet and compose a poem. They had set the date in advance and were all reciting festive songs to look forward to the return of Xiao Han. It was not hard to see that their young master was confident of victory.

The soldiers spent several days in the army in high spirits, despite their injuries. They were all in great shape, quite different from the army Jiang Heng had encountered halfway through the journey.

Jiang Heng's personality was different from that of the soldiers who had been fighting for many years, which made everyone find him interesting and they were willing to talk to him about strange and unusual things to relieve their boredom.

Having nothing to do that day, Jiang Heng was resting on a rock watching people practice swordsmanship. Several people approached Jiang Heng mysteriously, one of them hiding something behind his back, and said, "Sir, would you like to learn a few sword techniques?"

Although Jiang Heng was not very active as a child, he was not averse to this kind of thing. He accepted it gladly, thinking that it might be useful for self-defense in the future.

Suddenly, a figure leaped out, moving swiftly and decisively, a sword aimed directly at Jiang Heng's neck, nearly taking his life. Jiang Heng was drenched in sweat, but he steadied himself.

“Zhou Ze! Young Master Jiang has been kind to the commander-in-chief; you must not be disrespectful!” several people urged.

Zhou Ze didn't care at all, looking Jiang Heng up and down. Even though he was two heads shorter than Jiang Heng, he still looked arrogant and disdainful.

Jiang Heng found this man interesting and said, "Young man, you are quite capable. I admire you."

"Why don't you avoid it!" Zhou Ze shouted.

"Why avoid it?" Jiang Heng asked with a smile.

People nearby rushed over upon hearing the commotion, but seeing the two locked in a stalemate, they watched without offering any further advice.

"Aren't you afraid of losing your life in the face of a surprise attack?" Zhou asked again.

"I have no attachments, and no one will remember me after I die, so what does it matter if I die?" Jiang Heng said calmly.

The crowd was somewhat surprised and began to discuss the matter.

Zhou raised an eyebrow, patted the people next to him, and said, "Look, this person has some courage. I can teach him a little swordsmanship."

"My ancestors, please stop causing trouble! If anything happens to Young Master Jiang, the commander-in-chief will tear us to pieces when he returns to his horse!" Wang Sheng said anxiously.

Jiang Heng found it amusing and looked at the long sword in Zhou Ze's hand, saying quietly, "Switch to a short sword if it's under seven feet."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ze instantly flew into a rage, saying, "Whether I am seven feet tall or not is still undetermined, so don't try to tell me what to do!"

Wang Sheng said, "This is the son of the Prime Minister. This is a great disrespect! You are punished by serving water and holding a sword for half a day. Go immediately!"

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Zhou walked away, leaving behind the words: "I don't care what kind of princes or nobles you are, I'll kill you all the same!"

Jiang Heng laughed heartily and said, "I like his personality."

Everyone was happy and came to teach Jiang Heng how to use a sword, but they found that they had come in too much of a hurry and were not prepared, so they were all a little flustered.

At this moment, a man stepped out from the crowd, holding a long sword with a hilt forged from gold and jade. The base of the hilt was carved with a blue phoenix spreading its wings, and the phoenix had two tail feathers that flowed like ribbons connecting to the hilt. The white blade gleamed coldly, and the scabbard was decorated with strange gemstones that changed colors under the light. The man presented the sword and said, "I have forged a sword for you, young master. I hope you will accept it with pleasure."

Upon seeing this sword, Jiang Heng realized that it was unique in the world, and the inscription on the hilt, which sounded like a homophone, indicated that it was made for him. He then accepted it with great ceremony.

"Swords over seven feet long!" someone shouted. This caused everyone to laugh uproariously, and the atmosphere returned to its usual cheerful mood.

"Now I will teach you how to wield a sword!"

"I'll teach you how to use your sword!"

"I dance the best, so I'll teach swordsmanship!"

Everyone eagerly taught him, and Jiang Heng enjoyed it immensely. Although he was still a little unsteady after half a day, he had already adapted to the sword.

Jiang Heng weighed the sword in his hand, thinking that the weight had been carefully controlled, demonstrating the meticulousness of the swordsmith. He then casually asked, "Who forged this sword?"

Wang Sheng said, "This man is named Lin Ye. He is most skilled at sword forging, and more than half of the longswords in the army are made by him."

"It's so exquisite, it must have taken quite a while to make," Jiang Heng said.

“Yes, to be honest, young master, he started forging it the night you returned. I only found out later,” Wang Sheng replied.

Jiang Heng then wrote down his name.

—————

Xiao Han's army returned on schedule, and the swift cavalry truly lived up to their reputation.

"Wang Sheng! How's your pursuit of that person going?" Xiao Han asked loudly.

Wang Sheng was extremely embarrassed and scratched his head, saying, "Reporting to the Young Master, the person has been brought back."

"Bring it up to me," Xiaohan said.

Jiang Heng smiled and slowly stepped forward amidst the puzzled looks of the crowd, bowing and saying, "Jiang greets the Prefect."

Wang Sheng stepped forward to report the situation and formally introduced Jiang and Xiaohan to each other. Xiaohan also agreed to the suggestion of asking him to compose a poem.

"Young Master, how is the commander-in-chief?" Wang Sheng asked worriedly.

Xiao Han, in a moment of joy, drank too much and his face turned red. He said, "His troops are too old. He should have won long ago, but he dragged it out for so long." He picked up his wine cup. "The imperial edict has been delayed... for three years! It's been three years! He didn't even get to have a coming-of-age ceremony!" He became agitated, and his hair became disheveled.

Wang Sheng rushed to help, but the surrounding area was crowded with people and remained completely silent.

Jiang Heng listened quietly, his heart heavy with sorrow. The evening breeze rustled, sending shivers down his spine.

Meanwhile, Zhao Peiming was leading the remaining nine people back step by step.

The aroma of wine and the stench of blood seem to belong to different worlds, yet they are so similarly intertwined that they are easily confused.

The "imperial gift" of a fine horse broke off and ran away on the way. He was only saved by the desperate protection of several people. As a general, he was so respected despite his incompetence and destitution. It would have been better if he had died a glorious death in some battle.

His situation was even worse than Xiao Han had described. Although he had returned victorious, he no longer had the troops to fight. If there was another invasion, the Sa Ta cavalry would be unable to intervene. All that awaited him was an imperial edict to behead him.

Their grain carts were hijacked by bandits, and they had no more supplies. Perhaps before they even saw the city walls of the pass, they would be buried far from home, just like the military generals of the past generations, tacitly buried together.

Fu Qinxiang's goal was about to be achieved, he thought. Kill him, kill the last legitimate son of the Zhao family, sever the Zhao family's roots, and she could finally rest easy.

But he can't just die like that.

His three elder brothers had all perished in battle; to be precise, it was just a common trap. If he couldn't return alive, his entire family would be executed.

Zhao Peiming looked up. The stars were too dazzling, the universe too vast, making them seem too insignificant, as was their hope.

"Commander... are you alright?" The last soldier asked hoarsely, blood still streaming down his right arm.

Zhao Peiming stopped, turned around to look at him, and tried her best to smile as she said, "Okay, it's alright."

“Commander, I’ve seen a sky like this when I was a child on Tianshi Ridge,” the soldier stopped, “so many stars, so dense, so… bright.”

"Stop talking," the other person said grimly.

"Let him speak." Zhao Peiming's voice trembled for a moment as she walked back to the man.

He noticed Zhao Peiming approaching, covered his severed arm with his torn robe, and smiled shyly.

He suddenly burst into tears again: "Commander, I... miss home."

Under the stars, Zhao Peiming's face was ashen. He said, "We will go back."

"Okay, I...believe..." Gradually, the voice was carried away by the cold wind, swirling away into the distance like a tumbleweed.

He collapsed and never got up again.

Jiang Heng took the freshly poured hot wine and downed it. He wasn't a drinker before, but now he hoped to get drunk.

He seemed to have been abandoned by the world.