Holland
The north wind whips across our faces, sending sand and stones flying everywhere.
It was late winter, but Hecheng, located on a strategic border route, was still not warm.
Snow remained unmelted between the gray walls and black tiles, and banners fluttered in the wind atop the city walls. The wind swept through the streets and alleys, stirring up gusts of yellow sand and gravel. The Liang family mansion stood in the western alley of the city, simple and unassuming. Two stone carvings of mythical beasts stood in front of the gate, their weathered faces bearing the marks of time, exuding an air of solemnity.
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar. The servant waiting at the gate craned his neck to look into the distance, his face full of excitement. A moment later, one announcement after another echoed through the courtyard.
"Fourth Master is back—"
"Fourth Master is back—"
Inside the main hall, a light incense burner emitted a delicate fragrance. Liang Zhengshao was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. Upon hearing the announcement from outside, he couldn't help but become excited, clenching his fist and saying:
"Great! Fourth brother is finally back!"
Liang Zhengze stood at the foot of the steps, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and couldn't help but peer out into the courtyard, smiling with narrowed eyes:
"The fourth prince has made great achievements this time and has been personally appointed as a third-rank general by the emperor. He is now enjoying unparalleled prestige! We have finally been looking forward to his return!"
Liang Zheng had been holding a nominal post in the outskirts of Mujing for some time. Half a year ago, his wife suffered a difficult childbirth, so they returned to Hecheng to recuperate. The Liang family was a family of martial arts masters, but this generation had few descendants, with only a handful of male heirs remaining. The grandchildren had all inherited the family tradition of martial arts from a young age, and each of them was agile. Now that such a great general had finally emerged and had been granted a marquisate, everyone was naturally happy for Liang Zheng.
Even the older women in the hall beamed with joy and hurriedly sent someone to prepare fresh tea to welcome Liang Si and cleanse him of his travel dust.
At this moment, in a corner of the plum grove in the huge backyard of the Liang family mansion, the head of the family, Liang Suzhi, stood with his hands behind his back in the cold wind, not taking a single step into the hall.
He was over seventy years old, his hair was gray, and his spirit was not as good as before. The old plum branches that had been blooming for several years in the courtyard intertwined, making his back look even more heavy and unyielding. Liang Suzhi looked up at the sky. The sky was square and the sky was gray. Although it was not snowing, the thick clouds looked like layers of snow that had been piled up for a long time.
Liang Zhengyuan dismounted, and before even removing the saddle, he strode into the house, taking three steps at a time. He didn't even have time to take off his cloak before quickly walking into the courtyard, where he was greeted by his eldest and third brothers, who were all smiles.
The brothers were overjoyed to see each other after so long. Before they could exchange many pleasantries, they hurriedly led him to the main hall. Liang Zheng said, "...I heard yesterday that you were coming back. My aunt was so happy that she didn't even eat. She recited Buddhist scriptures all night long!"
Having survived a near-death experience, Liang Zhengyuan felt deeply ashamed to be returning home. Upon hearing his mother's words, his eyes instantly welled up with tears. As they entered the main hall, Madam Wang, unable to contain her joy, saw her long-unseen son and immediately let go of the maid's hand to greet him, bursting into tears of happiness.
"Yingzhi... my son has finally returned safely..."
Liang Zhengyuan lifted his robe, knelt solemnly on the ground and bowed deeply to Wang Shi, his voice choked with emotion, "Your son is unfilial, causing you worry at home. Now your son has finally returned."
Wang hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, and carefully held Liang Zhengyuan's face from left to right. Even his sisters-in-law couldn't help but feel moved, holding their handkerchiefs with great joy.
Liang Zhengyuan recalled that he had received an urgent letter from his grandfather upon returning before taking office. Looking around the entire hall but not seeing his grandfather Liang Suzhi, he asked, "Where is Grandfather?"
Wiping away her tears, Wang pointed to the backyard outside the window. "Your grandfather has been waiting for you in the yard since early this morning. Go quickly."
Liang Zhengyuan's father died of illness before he was thirty. He was practically raised by Liang Suzhi and was always closest to his grandfather. He dared not delay and hurriedly went to the backyard.
The plum blossoms cast sparse shadows in the courtyard. Following the bluestone path forward, one could see a figure standing in the open space of the courtyard—his grandfather, whom he had not seen for a long time. Liang Zhengyuan's nose tingled with emotion, and he knelt down to perform a deep bow, "Grandson Yingzhi greets Grandfather."
Liang Suzhi slowly turned around, his still sharp eyes filled with a deep twilight as he looked at his grandson kneeling before him. Even though he was not wearing armor and was only dressed in a dark blue robe, he was no longer the boy who used to ride a wooden horse under the locust tree. Instead, he was a young general who had traversed thousands of snow-capped mountains, crossed mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and was ruthless under the blade.
Liang Suzhi spoke in a low voice, simply saying, "Come here."
Upon hearing this, Liang Zhengyuan took a step forward, standing three feet away from his elderly grandfather. The old general remained standing with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, his gaze fixed on a withered vine in the corner of the wall in the distance, and he remained silent for a long time.
A sudden gust of cold wind came from nowhere, sweeping low across the courtyard, swirling up the remaining petals of plum blossoms on the branches, and causing the hem of their clothes to flutter slightly.
Liang Suzhi stared intently at Liang Zhengyuan before slowly speaking, his voice deep and resonant like a night bell:
Do you know why your grandfather summoned you back in such an urgent manner?
Liang Zhengyuan received the imperial edict and was to take up his post in the Military Affairs Department soon. He was not supposed to be able to return to Hecheng in time, but after receiving the secret letter from his grandfather, he did not dare to rest at all on the way and returned in two full days.
He thought that he had gone through many hardships and almost never returned, so it was only right for him to come back and pay his respects to his grandfather and mother.
...As for other reasons, he had a vague, unformed guess in his heart.
Liang Zhengyuan's throat tightened. He recalled the earnest advice his grandfather had given him when he left Hecheng to stay at the Lin family mansion in Mujing. He then said softly:
"...Grandfather, are you worried about Yaoyao?"
Yaoyao was Lin Xu's childhood name. She was born to Liang Suzhi, his only daughter and only niece. Liang Suzhi and his wife gave her this nickname as soon as she was born, and over the years, only Liang Suzhi has called her that.
Liang Zhengyuan recalled his brief conversation with Lin Xu before his departure. She had been full of energy then, and perhaps because of being a mother, she seemed much more composed. He smiled and said:
"Grandfather, rest assured, Yaoyao is doing well now. She has even been granted the title of Lady Zhao'en. Her husband's political career is going smoothly, and her uncle often thinks of her. Everything is peaceful and going well."
Upon hearing the news from Yaoyao, who was thousands of miles away, Liang Suzhi's eyes lit up. The usually stern old general's expression relaxed considerably, though he then complained about his eldest grandson, Liang Zhengshao's, incompetence.
"...I already told your eldest cousin to send something to Yaoyao, but he dragged his feet and only just sent it. I don't know when she'll receive it in Mujing. This girl is pregnant for the first time, so she might suffer a lot. Her mother was like that back then, and she couldn't eat anything..."
Finally, Liang Suzhi pressed his hand down, his expression turning serious again.
"This is one aspect; the other aspect concerns yourself."
Liang Zhengyuan looked up and saw that his grandfather's face, etched with deep lines, was unusually grave, and his voice was as deep and resonant as a night drum:
"Grandfather asks you, do you still remember the Liang family's precepts?"
How could Liang Zhengyuan forget? He said, “I do not pursue fame or empty praise. A family is established by its foundation, not by its reputation. I have kept this in mind for many years and will never forget it.”
Liang Su nodded, his expression softening slightly: "Indeed, among my many grandchildren, Zheng Shao is steady but timid, Zheng is undecided, and Zheng is bound by convention... Only you, though a bit mischievous in the past, are the most intelligent and insightful. Now, let me ask you again, why has the Liang family remained steadfast in Hecheng for so many years, never setting foot in the interior?"
Liang Zhengyuan received the praise, but dared not be complacent. After pondering for a moment, he cautiously replied, "Grandfather, I consider Hecheng my homeland. Do you wish to guard this land..."
Liang Suzhi slowly shook his head, but his eyes became much sharper, containing something that Liang Zhengyuan still couldn't understand.
"No—it's just that nowhere else but He City can accommodate us."
Liang Zhengyuan froze, then hurriedly looked at his grandfather.
But then Liang Su sighed and said slowly, "For many years, my Liang family has held fast to this place. We have been skilled in martial arts for generations, but we have never been employed by the court. Do you think it is because we are inferior to others in leading troops into battle?"
Liang Zhengyuan was shaken, feeling as if his grandfather was about to tell him some secrets that had troubled him for many years—
For example, why did the Liang family, so valiant, teach their descendants to be low-key and avoid the world? Why were the Liang family's grandchildren, each skilled in battle, only able to hold minor, insignificant official positions in remote areas? And why was his grandfather so eager to summon him back as soon as he received an imperial reward?
A strange sense of foreboding washed over him, and before he could answer, he heard his grandfather say in a deep voice:
"The imperial court's bestowal of a marquisate upon you is naturally an unparalleled honor. But let me ask you, do you remember when the last time my Liang family was granted a marquisate?"
Liang Zhengyuan cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Your grandson would never forget that when your great-grandfather was still alive."
Even though he was still learning to speak at the time, he remembered the joy of receiving the reward and the jubilation of the Liang family. However, not long after, his great-grandfather passed away due to illness, and the Liang family fell into decline. He always believed that the Liang family had practiced martial arts for generations in order to serve the court as soon as possible, achieve merit and fame, and become a nobleman or prime minister.
But now, Liang Zhengyuan felt a chill run down his spine—
Liang Suzhi turned around, his fingers lightly brushing over a few plum branches, his eyes cold as ice. "Back then, your great-grandfather was granted the title of Marquis Zhongwu, but soon fell ill and never recovered. Your great-grandmother followed him in death, and the Liang family line ended there. Do you think I, Liang Suzhi, have survived to this day? Is it because my martial arts are superior to your illustrious great-grandfather's?"
Before Liang Zhengyuan could speak, Liang Suzhi continued, "Don't forget... In the early days of the founding of Dayu, the Nine Provinces were in turmoil. Remnants of the previous dynasty colluded with foreign enemies, and the people of Hezhou were suffering. At that time, your great-grandfather was the governor of Hezhou."
Liang Zhengyuan lowered his eyelashes; he knew this history.
At that time, Hecheng was one of the nine major prefectures, and his great-grandfather Liang Dongfeng was serving as the governor of Hezhou. The Wei family had just entered the imperial court, and the court was in dire need of rebuilding. However, due to years of war, the national treasury was empty, and the government was no longer able to suppress the rampant enemy leader who was causing trouble in Hezhou.
At that time, my great-grandfather was ordered to resist stubbornly, but unexpectedly he was isolated and helpless. He had neither military provisions nor reinforcements sent by the imperial court. In a short time, the militia of Hezhou were exhausted, and famine and plague broke out everywhere. People called it the "Hezhou Bone-Gnawing Disaster"...
Later, rumors spread like wildfire, saying that Liang Dongfeng, as the prefect, had secretly colluded with foreign enemies and intended to overthrow the court. While he was leading his remaining troops to defend the city, the Emperor Taizu issued an imperial edict that "treason and collusion with the enemy are crimes punishable by death." Hecheng was left isolated and helpless, and Liang Dongfeng had no choice but to die to prove his innocence, committing suicide on the city wall.
The people of Hecheng were heartbroken to see their prefect dead and wept and pleaded for him for three days, stirring up a great deal of anger among the people of Hezhou. Just then, the imperial court sent another edict, saying that treacherous people had instigated and misled the emperor, thus wronging the loyal minister, and that Liang Dongfeng should be exonerated. As a result, the Liang family of more than one hundred people was spared from being exterminated.
Even so, Liang Dongfeng was dead, most of Hezhou had fallen, and the Liang family had nearly declined over the years, their glory gone...
Liang Zhengyuan overheard this tragic and little-known story while playing as a child.
But he noticed that his grandfather's figure was noticeably more hunched, and he looked much older. In just half a year, his grandfather's spirit had declined significantly... As he was sighing to himself, he heard Liang Suzhi sigh and say:
"Over the years, the men of the Liang family have either died or been wounded, leaving seclusion as the only way out. Dayu belongs to the Wei family, but our Liang family has never betrayed the Wei family, yet we have still ended up in this predicament. It's not that Grandfather is heartless, but this family precept was bought with the blood of your ancestors. The Liang family's bloodline can only be sustained by staying in Hecheng..."
Liang Zhengyuan's throat tightened, and he was about to speak when he heard his grandfather say, "Back then, when I sent you to Mujing, I was worried about my Yaoyao. She's such a young girl; what if she unfortunately follows in her mother's footsteps..."
Even after many years, Liang Suzhi's voice still choked with emotion when he spoke of his beloved daughter. He sighed:
"Now... Grandfather cannot lose you again. You should return to the capital soon and resign from your official post in person."
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