Chapter 28: Prince Gao (Final Chapter)
In the Xinsi year of Shaoxing, the Jin invaded with 600,000 men. The Shenyong, Wuping, and other generals crossed the Huai River from Shouzhou Road, joining forces with Wanyan Yuanyi, the agricultural envoy, to form the vanguard with 30,000 men. Tushan Zhen's 100,000-man Eastern Route Army advanced from Qinghekou, and the Jin Emperor personally led another 100,000 troops to attack west of the Huai River. Langqi and his master, strongly recommended by Shi Gong, met with the Privy Council and were subsequently given military commissions and sent to the front lines. Before leaving, Langqi came to see me outside Brahma Temple and recounted the drought that struck Weiyuan Fort, his hometown, in the tenth year of Shaoxing. I assumed he was trying to smooth things over, so I listened. When he described how the Jin army's seizure of grain had emptied the public granaries and left the famished people cannibalizing their own children, I condemned the soldiers, calling them worse than animals. Langqi seemed to have anticipated my reaction. He asked, "Why do you use a set of rules of superiority and inferiority to entrap the world and suppress the truth? How could something that should have happened not have happened?" He accused me of imagining my sympathy, accusing me of fantasizing about the principles of heaven and earth, of hierarchy and nobility. He said Shi Gong, consumed by the fantasy of reviving Zhongwu Gong, was obsessed with waging war against the Jin Kingdom and had now chosen him to be the next Zhongwu Gong. But he couldn't be. He'd seen drought and famine, and his patriotism had faded. That day, he told me that Shi Gong was a two-faced man. He wanted to seize military power, so he used the intelligence provided by the Jisufang to coerce court officials into sending his own men to Huainan as generals. Shi Gong also wanted to place the same loyalty he'd once described to the emperor on a single person. This was a man who had died on the battlefield, and he had already chosen his master.
I didn't believe all this. I thought that if Lang Qi was lying, what he feared most was that I would tell Shi Gong what he said. So, that night, I told Shi Gong what I had said. Shi Gong said that these words were absurd. He sent people to the front line because he was worried that Liu Qi was short of manpower, so he sent some capable people to the front to fight the enemy. He had so many things to do every day, how could he have so many calculating thoughts? He also assured me that he had no intention of letting his master die in battle. He did admit to his admiration for Yue Fei, saying that he insisted that the death of the Zhongwu Duke was an accident caused by the interweaving of many wrong things.
At the time, I didn't understand his meaning, feeling he wasn't as sensible as Langqi. Years later, I realized: by describing Duke Zhongwu's death as accidental, he was pinning his ambitions on Huaibei, exonerating the court and himself. That day, after Shi Gong spoke of Duke Zhongwu, he recounted his deep hatred for the Qin clique, appealing to both emotion and reason. But I didn't listen. I wanted to leave quickly and find my master to explain the dangers of fighting on the front lines. After leaving the Shi residence, I sought out my master and urged him to leave the capital with me at night. Like Langqi and Shi Gong, I patiently persuaded him, saying everything I could. I imitated my grandfather and uncle, erupting in rage. But he insisted on going to Huaibei to fight, refusing to listen to me. I fought him, destroying the room and beating him until he was bruised and battered. He seemed to be me again, the one who had refused to learn martial arts, and I was him again. I once again mentioned my grandfather's name and my own title, and demanded he kneel. He knelt in front of me and said that he must clear his ancestors of the crime of surrendering to the Jin army and that he must make meritorious deeds. He also said that dying on the battlefield was also the ancestral precept of the Gao family. He knelt down to explain to me why he had to go to the battlefield. I don’t know how many times he repeated those worthless rhetoric. For a full hour, he repeated almost the same words. These words were so stupid that I didn’t know where to start to refute them. Then, he stood up and walked in front of me and said, if there is no one left in the Gao family, you will be the last one. He looked down at me again. After he finished speaking, I found a bundle of ropes, tied him to a chair, and persuaded him to go back to Dayao with me. Finally, I said everything I could say, and then I went to find Lang Qi again. I pointed the horsewhip at Lang Qi’s nose and said to him, if you dare to harm my master, I will definitely kill you. Lang Qi smiled sinisterly and said to me, it’s just to take my head, you are not as good as those literati who want to avenge Jiang Yanying.
I returned to Dayao. Your court revoked my rewards shortly thereafter, and had the Privy Council conceal the news that I had been awarded a military rank. However, I was still praised by my uncles in Dayao by virtue of the title bestowed by the State of Song. The following year, I went to the palace to meet the emperor, and Duan Zhengxing bestowed upon me the title of Prince of Dayao. In the year of Renwu in Shaoxing, someone delivered a long letter to Dayao, informing me of the death of my master. This person was Zhao Du, and now he is the Doctor of the Left Secretariat. When I was in the capital, I met him once at Lengyan Temple on the south bank of West Lake. There were too many people at the time, so we didn't say much. Later, when we met in Dayao, he told me that my master was a skilled rider and warrior, just like the Duke of Zhongwu in the past.
Liu Qi (Song Dynasty) commanded the armies of Jiangnan, commanding them at the mouth of the Qing River on the Huai River. Wang Gang, commander of the Imperial Guard, led 5,000 troops to defend Baoying, while his general Wu Chao stationed on the southern bank of the Huai River. Zhao Du suggests that Master and Lang Qi arrived at the battlefield around this time. Wang Quan, the commander of Huaixi, retreated to Yangzhou without a fight, and the people of Zhen and Yang fled south by boat, stationing their troops at Guazhou. The Jin army, with a large force approaching the river, attempted to capture Yangzhou. The court summoned Liu Gong to retreat. By the time Liu Gong retreated from Huaiyin to Yangzhou, the Jin army had already occupied Zhenzhou. Master had been assigned to Wang Gang's command before the battle, originally defending Baoying. Lang Qi fought under Wu Chao against the Jin Shenwu Army in Xuyi, and despite his achievements, he was unable to reverse the situation. After the fall of Xuyi, Wu Chao joined forces with Wang Gang, commander of the Right Army of the Imperial Guard. Master and Lang Qi also joined the other armies. Both of them joined Liu Gong's army. As Liu Gong led his troops from Huaiyin to Yangzhou, a group emerged from the camp, declaring they could no longer retreat. These were the remnants of Wang Gang's Palace Guards. Lang Qi, acquainted with these individuals, viewed the remaining military forces in Baoying and Xuyi as intended to delay the Jin army's Eastern Route Commander, Tu Shanzhen, and thus resented Liu Qi's Zhenjiang General Administration. Some suggested that Liu Dutong possessed 70,000 troops and should remain to fight the Jin. It was Lang Qi who made this suggestion. Upon hearing this, the Zhenjiang General Administration sensed an attempt to divide their forces. This person was Ye Yiwen, the head of the Privy Council. Doctor Zhao didn't mention this in his letter, but he did state that the Zhenjiang General Administration did not possess 70,000 troops. This question could have been deliberately asked, either to recapture the Huaidong troops or to accuse them of collecting unpaid wages.
Ye Yiwen might be connected to Shi Gong. Doctor Zhao believed that Master had sought an audience with Liu Gong as a special envoy to rescue his old superior (Liu Qi). He proposed sending troops to raid the camp, lure the enemy troops out of Yizheng (Zhenzhou), and then intercept them halfway to assassinate the Jin commander. Liu Gong approved his idea and asked if he was willing to carry out the mission himself. Master replied that he would lead his men to lure the enemy out, but if they refused to come out, he would accept death. Liu Gong then asked who could intercept the enemy. Master said Lang Qi was skilled with a sword and could carry out the assassination. Liu Gong summoned Lang Qi again. Lang Qi, a fellow disciple of Master Shi Gong, said the plan was dangerous and unfeasible. According to Doctor Zhao, Lang Qi was acting on orders from Marshal Ye and did not want to be an unknown assassin. This was the beginning of the falling out between Master and Lang Qi. This plan proved unfeasible, and Liu Gong was forced to abandon Yangzhou and enter Guazhou. The Jin army then planned to seize the Guazhou ferry. During his retreat, Liu Gong dispatched his generals Wu Chao and Yuan Qi to engage the Jin army, while Master Liu led a group as Yuan Qi's vanguard. Yuan Qi and the Jin army engaged in a battle in a taro forest. Outnumbered and outnumbered, the Song troops suffered heavy casualties. One hundred and four Song infantrymen, including Lang Qi, set an ambush within the forest. Yuan Qi led his troops, luring the Jin army into the ambush. The ambushers fired powerful arrows, forcing the Jin army to retreat. Master Liu was wounded in this battle, struck by two arrows: one from Jin general Gao Jingshan and one from a Song soldier. Afterward, when discussing Master Liu's achievements, it was true that Master Liu captured fifty Jin soldiers, while it was false that Lang Qi killed their main commander. However, Liu Gong couldn't retreat in vain; the truth had to be told. After all, upon returning to Zhenjiang, Liu Gong handed over military command to General Ye. General Ye assigned Liu Gong's nephew Liu Si to guard the Guazhou Ferry, assigning him only 1,500 men, and ordered Li Heng to hold the fort with 8,000 men. Master and Lang Qi had also joined the armies of Liu Si and Li Heng. Wanyan Zongning, the commander-in-chief of Tu Shanzhen (Jin Dynasty), led a force of 20,000 troops directly to attack Guazhou, where Li Heng led his army to meet the enemy. Ye Yiwen crossed the Yangtze River to the east, claiming to be heading to Jiankang Prefecture to urge the troops to depart, but in reality, he abandoned Guazhou. Thus, Liu Si and Li Heng's forces became a tool to delay the enemy's crossing of the river.
Despite their large numbers, the Jin army was initially no match for Li Heng. So, they devised a strategy, using Han Chinese soldiers as the rearguard to draw Li Heng's army in pursuit. It's said that in that battle, tens of thousands were killed or wounded, bows worn out, blades blunted, and corpses strewn for over twenty miles. The Jin launched a relentless counterattack, and the Song army ultimately collapsed from lack of food. My master died in this battle. Zhao Du said one of his comrades was accompanying Li Heng at the time. Li Heng's front line was under attack, and he sent a message to his rear, warning of an ambush and ordering them to flee. The recipient of this message was none other than Lang Qi. Instead of fleeing, Lang Qi hindered the messenger and rushed to the front line, fighting alongside my master. My master and Lang Qi were the last members of the Song army to survive, and Lang Qi was the last of that group.
Doctor Zhao explained that his fellow soldiers had not witnessed the Master's murder, but had heard from Lang Qi that Gao Chun was murdered by him. Lang Qi explained that the Jin had already reported Master's capture of fifty enemies to Marshal Wanyan Zongning. Admiring his bravery and hearing that he was a descendant of Gao Qingyi, Zongning ordered the annihilation of the Song army, but insisted on capturing Master alive. He (Lang Qi) had killed Master to protect Shi Gong's reputation. After recounting Master's death in his letter, Doctor Zhao added that Lang Qi feared not Gao Chun's betrayal but that Gao Chun's impressive military exploits would reach the court, where officials would criticize him as inferior.
This is how I met Doctor Zhao. Now - not long ago, he sent me another letter, promising to avenge my master. I know what he is going to do and what he will do soon. His time has come, and my time to avenge my master has finally come. Is Master Meng willing to be my dagger? Yes, I am willing to pay the 7,000 strings of cash for your sin, and I am also willing to provide you with an identity and shelter, as long as you can avenge my master. However, besides revenge, I have a question in my heart. For many years, I have never asked this question to others. Now, since you have become the one who wants to avenge him, I might as well ask you:
"When Master was dying, did he regret not coming back with me?"
Without waiting for Meng Xiao's reply, Gao Zhenzhong asked again, "How does the military power I gave him from my father compare to the tricks played by the Song State?"
Gao Zhenzhong said, "I heard that after returning to Chengdu, you contacted hundreds of wealthy people and dominated the commercial markets of Western Shu, living a luxurious life for many years. Now you are wanted by the government, and there is no way back to those days. You are also a descendant of Meng Gaozu. He is very utilitarian. I wonder if you are any better."
Meng Xiao said: "I don't like extravagance, nor do I like utilitarianism."
Gao Zhenzhong said, "That is to say, you are not like your fathers or ancestors. Then what kind of person are you?"
Meng Xiao said, "I am not talented. I am not from a military family. My ancestors were guilty, and I am a criminal. Now I have taken refuge with the prince. I will be whatever the prince says I am."
On the winter solstice of the Bingshen year, Meng Xiao met his cousin Meng Quan in Dayao. The two talked about Prince Gao and what happened back then. Meng Xiao said, "That's the weird thing. The Prince wanted to avenge his master Gao Chun, so why wait until today? Does Lang Qi have some extraordinary ability, or is he destined to be his nemesis? If Doctor Zhao wanted to summon me, he only needed to say a word, and I would travel 4,000 miles to Beijing to meet him. Why would he ask the Prince to be his messenger? Besides, who knows what happened on the battlefield? What if Gao Chun was not killed by Lang Qi, but by the Jin soldiers? Would it be wrong to avenge Lang Qi? You see, after Doctor Zhao said that and Prince Gao heard that, they were both not stupid. Who would go to Chencang County to report the head of the intelligence office (Lang Qi)? "Being done? Besides, compared with figures like Zhao Langzhong and Gao Junwang, how noble can Gao Chun be? Why did Zhao Langzhong and Gao Junwang elevate Gao Chun to the position of successor to Zhongwu Gong? I don't understand, and I don't understand why these two nobles, plus Shi Gong, chose Gao Chun... However, the Junwang gave me 7,000 strings of cash, so I have to believe that everything is completely true from beginning to end. But brother, considering that you and I are relatives, please tell me the truth. I dare to ask, was the bundle that was sent from Longgan County, Deshun Army, to Chongguang Temple in Xinfan County really filled with things from the Wu family?"
Meng Quan asked, "So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"
Meng Xiao said, "If so, then I believe what Master Bai Heshang said about me being the White Tiger of the Western Palace incarnated. I believe what was written in the Family Records and the Family History. I believe that I am really my father Meng Jian's son, and I also believe what the prince said."
Meng Quan asked, "What if it's not?"
Meng Xiao said: "If not, I'm afraid my age should be counted from now on."
After returning to Beijing, Meng Quan recounted to me during a meeting at Wanghu Pavilion that he didn't know whether the baggage implicated in several deaths had originally departed from Longgan County, Deshun Commandery, or from the capital. But what was certain was that his cousin, Meng Xiao, had returned to Chengdu from Dasheng Temple and later relocated his ancestral tomb from Chengdu to Baisha Town, all in search of a new identity. Currently, the only person who could offer him that identity was Zhao Du, so Meng Xiao had to make the trip to Duting, no matter what.
I listened to him as I walked with him along the plank path leading to the embankment, constantly meeting the eyes of the tourists we passed. When we reached the shore, I saw a clerk carrying a stack of bills, talking to someone, and suddenly, I mistook him for the sergeant. A hunchbacked old man, accompanied by his two granddaughters, stood motionless amid the crowd of passersby, his face tilted upward, gazing at the birds in the trees. A girlish smile adorned his face, as if immersed in a unique emotion, declaring his freedom from greed and all identity. As I passed him, he remained motionless, his calm gaze passing over me as if he saw nothing. The two girls, however, paused on the grass, looking at me with polite curiosity. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a stone falling into the water: a splash! The sound tore a rift in the reality I could see, allowing the light of a distant time and space to penetrate the cloudy sky and pierce my eyes. Meng the chef's words brought me back to my senses: "Goodbye." I watched him put on his hat, walk up the road lined with cypress trees, and disappear in the crowd.
End of article
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