Chapter 142: Erecting a Hero's Monument
The morning light is dim and the morning dew is rising.
After three hours, the battle finally came to an end.
Ten thousand garrison commanders leaned their spears on the ground, and wherever they looked, there were corpses scattered all over the ground and rivers of blood.
Some were from Qi, and some were from Xia army.
Their bodies were in pieces and their original appearance could not be seen. Only the identification tags hanging around their necks recorded the names and origins of these heroes in a few words.
A trace of sorrow flashed across Shoubei Wan's eyes, his fierce eyes filled with tears. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his face. His voice was like a bell, his tone almost choking with sobs: "Soldiers, we won!"
The surviving soldiers cheered and shouted.
“We won!”
"We have secured Shaoqing Prefecture!"
Perhaps it was because the rising sun in the east was too dazzling, or perhaps it was because the wounds that were so deep that the bones were visible were too painful, the soldiers laughed and laughed, but tears rolled down their cheeks.
The scimitars and spears fell to the ground with a thud, and the soldiers fell to their knees, crying loudly with their mouths open.
The crying was earth-shaking and reached the sky.
The north wind blew whistling past the soldiers' ears.
Just like those brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives, we cheered and wept with them.
The soldiers cried bitterly, wiped the blood and tears from their faces, and grinned again.
"You can go without worry. We will protect Shaoqing Mansion and your family!"
“Have a safe journey!”
The originally biting cold wind suddenly became gentle, brushing across the soldiers' cheeks, rising from the ground, carrying tens of thousands of heroic souls into the paradise.
......
Shoubei Wan led his soldiers back to the city, and someone retrieved the bodies of the fallen soldiers and handed them over to their families along with the pension.
Returning to the city with the soldiers were Wu Yi and the Qi army who had abandoned their armor and surrendered.
Wu Yi was knocked off his horse by a spear from the garrison commander Wan, and the palace soldiers rushed forward and captured him alive.
Xiao Jinbao had bad luck as he fought against Mu Tingyu, the former young master of Wanbao Villa and current captain of Shaoqing Prefecture.
The two fought on horseback for more than a hundred rounds. Xiao Jinbao gradually lost the upper hand and was killed by Mu Tingyu.
There were about 20,000 Qi soldiers who abandoned their armor and defected. Most of the remaining 120,000 died in the indiscriminate bombing at midnight. Their tents were blown into the sky, leaving no trace of their bodies. A few died at the hands of the Xia army during the battle.
Garrison commander Wan asked the prefect for instructions to put all the prisoners in a prisoner-of-war camp and to discuss how to deal with them later.
After Xia Jun returned to the city, the infirmary was once again full.
Except for the Xia army soldiers who died in the battlefield, almost all the survivors were gloriously wounded. After entering the city, they went straight to the wounded center and were treated by military doctors and doctors in the city.
There were not enough rooms in the infirmary, and the open courtyard and streets were filled with wounded soldiers lying on stretchers.
The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and screams were heard everywhere.
The doctors, wearing black robes that resist dirt, carried medicine boxes and quickly shuttled among the wounded soldiers.
"gauze!"
"Qingshui!"
"Mulberry line!"
"Hemostatic medicine!"
The doctors who were good at suturing had their hands almost flying out of the shadows as they threaded the needles on the wounds of the wounded soldiers.
Each doctor is equipped with a female assistant, who comes either from the Qiong Ying Society or from a charity hall.
After two battles to defend the city, they were able to provide first aid to the wounded with ease and deliver the items the doctors needed as soon as possible.
The doctors and their assistants worked in perfect harmony, doing their best to pull one wounded soldier after another back from the brink of death.
......
When the news of the Qi army's defeat reached the government office, everyone was filled with joy.
"Great, we won!"
"I can finally sleep peacefully. I haven't been this happy since I passed the imperial examination."
"Who isn't?"
Although the government office had the support of the prefect, and the Xia army had the support of gunpowder and muskets with amazing lethality, they were still worried until the last moment, without receiving the accurate news of the victory.
Over the past month, their three meals a day have been like chewing wax, and their sleep has been restless. They always dream of horrifying scenes of destroyed cities, ruined homes, and widespread wailing. After waking up in shock, they find it difficult to fall asleep again.
"Sir, our army has won a great victory this time and successfully defended Shaoqing Prefecture. Why don't we find some time to celebrate?" Wu Tongzhi suggested.
Wang Tongpan was thinking the same thing, so he echoed, "Shaoqing Prefecture has escaped danger and is now safe. The military and civilians should celebrate together."
Du Qingtang said, "There's nothing to celebrate."
Everyone was stunned.
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes and looked at the list of fallen soldiers sent by General Huang Qian. "This great victory was built with the flesh and blood and bones of twelve thousand soldiers. They died on the eve of victory, many of them never saw the sun. Many soldiers in the wounded camp are also hanging by a thread. How can the military and civilians celebrate together?"
Although the prefect's tone was calm, it felt like a slap in the face to them.
Everyone's face was burning with shame.
The 80,000 Xia troops faced the 140,000 Qi troops. Even though they had gunpowder in the lead and wiped out more than half of the Qi troops in one go, the Xia army was not made of iron and steel. They were all made of flesh and blood.
On the battlefield, we use real guns and swords, and the enemy will show no mercy.
The Xia army killed countless Qi soldiers, and similarly, the Qi army also killed countless Xia soldiers.
These Xia soldiers who died on the battlefield were not Sun Wukong, who gathered the essence of the sun and the moon and popped out from the cracks in the rocks.
They have parents above them and wives and children below them.
Losing the pillar of the family was like the sky falling and the earth collapsing for their parents, wives and children.
Twelve thousand families were heartbroken because of the loss of their loved ones, but they, as government officials, were only concerned with celebrating and enjoying themselves. This was really inappropriate.
Wu Tongzhi and Wang Tongzhi resisted the urge to find a crack in the ground to crawl into, and stood up to apologize: "Your humble servants spoke carelessly, please forgive me, sir."
Du Qingtang raised his hand and said, "I don't blame you. I am also happy that we have defended Shaoqing Prefecture, but we really shouldn't add our joy to the suffering of others."
"The people of the city can celebrate on their own, so let's forget about it," said Zhou Tongzhi. "Your Excellency is very thoughtful. If you hadn't reminded me, I would have celebrated as well."
Zheng Tongpan deeply felt the same way and asked respectfully: "Sir, should the pension for the deceased's family be based on the court's regulations, or..."
"Triple the original salary," Du Qingtang said without hesitation. "In addition, all officers and soldiers will receive an extra two months' salary."
The families of the deceased need to be comforted, and those who have made contributions should be rewarded.
Everyone had no objection.
The government has been making a lot of money in the past two years and is not short of that little bit of money. With pensions and monthly salaries, both the dead and the living can rest assured.
Du Qingtang closed the list of fallen soldiers and said solemnly, "I intend to erect a monument to heroes at the west gate and engrave the names of all the soldiers who died defending the city on it, so that the people and future generations can pay their respects. What do you think?"
Zhou Tongzhi's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, this is a brilliant plan!"
Historical records of the Battle of Shaoqing Prefecture are mostly limited to a few words, such as "the military and civilians defended the city" and "defeating the majority with the minority."
History will only remember the name of the prefect and the name of the enemy commander.
However, those soldiers who died defending the city were like tiny dust, coming and going in a hurry.
The long river of history flows unceasingly, and they disappeared in the torrent of history. No one will know about their heroic deeds on the battlefield.
Now that a monument to the heroes has been erected, all the people passing through the west gate will stop to remember them and pay their respects to them.
"Leave this matter to Lord Zhou. Make sure it's done beautifully." Du Qingtang paused. "The wall can be demolished now. Send the five taels of silver to each household as soon as possible."
People from the four counties under its jurisdiction fled into the city for refuge, and some of them stayed in the homes of people in the provincial capital, which more or less caused some trouble to them.
In order to reduce unnecessary conflicts, Du Qingtang promised these families that he would give them five taels of silver as compensation after the war.
"Yes, I will arrange it right away."
......
On the other side, in the military camp stationed along the Changfu River.
Captain Zhang approached the garrison commanders and said, "General, since we have won such a great victory, would you like to invite all the officials to the camp to celebrate with us?"
But Shoubei Wan shook his head: "Forget it, even if we invite him, the prefect won't come."
Winning a battle is certainly worth celebrating, but it is so unfair to the soldiers who died on the battlefield.
Mu Tingyu agreed and suggested, "Why don't we let everyone go back, reunite with their families, and celebrate their victory?"
Shoubei Wan thought this was a good idea and sent someone to notify them.
When the military order spread, the soldiers looked at each other in confusion.
"Are you going back?"
"I'm not in the mood. I just want to lie down in the tent and recuperate."
Witnessing the death of their colleagues, the soldiers felt very uncomfortable and looked listless and dejected.
"Then I won't go back either."
"When they have their funeral, we will go over and help them and send them off for the last time."
"......Um."
-
At the prefect's command, the craftsmen in the workshop carried hammers and headed for the three city gates in the east, south and north.
The cement wall was extremely thick, and the craftsmen hammered and pounded for the entire morning but made little progress.
Fortunately, the people in the city heard the news and came to help the craftsmen demolish the wall.
After several hours of unremitting efforts, hundreds of people finally dismantled the concrete wall that was as strong as a wall of iron and steel and had resisted the attack of the Qi army.
After half an hour of fierce pounding by the battering ram, the scarred city gate burst open, and light rushed in.
The craftsmen and the common people carried their hammers, letting the brilliant rays of light shine on their faces, with satisfied smiles on their faces after surviving the disaster.
"Thanks to these three walls, we are not surrounded by the Qi bandits on all sides."
"I don't know how this thing is made. It was soft at first, but after a few hours it became incredibly solid. If you could build a house with cement, it would definitely be stronger than a brick house."
"We both had the same idea. Not only can we build houses, I think we can also pave roads."
"I think it would be best if the government arranged for someone to build the cement house. That way, the formula wouldn't be leaked and the Qi thieves wouldn't learn it."
"That's a good idea, but it depends on how the prefect arranges it."
The three city gates were reopened to traffic, and the people from the four counties under its jurisdiction left the city with their families as the sun set.
"It's great that we survived."
"After surviving this catastrophe, everyone will be safe and live a long life."
"I can finally go home. No matter how prosperous the city is, or how kind the people I stay with are, a nest of gold or silver is still not as good as my own doghouse."
"Go home!"
The people were carrying bags on their backs, and the setting sun made their shadows very long.
They strode forward, spreading laughter and joy along the way.
On the other side, in the provincial capital, yamen runners and clerks went door to door, offering five taels of compensation.
The people held the white silver in their hands and smiled so hard that their teeth were showing.
"If you use it sparingly, it can last for two or three years."
"But I only need to collect this kind of money once. I don't want the Qi bandits to attack me again."
"That's right, as long as Shaoqing Prefecture is peaceful and tranquil, I don't need this money!"
-
Du Qingtang discussed post-war reconstruction and other matters with the kings of Zhou, Wu and Zheng, and rode to the wounded camp to comfort the wounded.
After visiting the eight wounded soldiers' camps one by one and comforting tens of thousands of wounded soldiers, Du Qingtang finally arrived at the wounded soldiers' camp in the west of the city.
Because there were so many wounded soldiers, those with serious injuries stayed in the house, those with more serious injuries lay in the yard, and those with less serious injuries lay on the street.
It was freezing cold in the twelfth lunar month. In order to prevent the wounded soldiers from catching cold and worsening their injuries, many charcoal braziers were prepared in the wounded camp to dispel the cold and bring warmth to the wounded soldiers lying outside.
The street outside the infirmary was blocked by stretchers. Du Qingtang tied his horse to a hitching post and walked for a while before reaching the infirmary.
Du Qingju was stitching up the wounded outside, and Wang Nianzhi was helping her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Du Qingju caught a glimpse of a blush. She knew who it was without turning around. She said softly, "I'm busy here. Please be at your ease."
Du Qingtang nodded and walked straight into the wounded soldiers' quarters.
The wounded soldier lying on the stretcher had his eyes wandering and his dark face flushed red.
The prefect actually came to see them in person, and the Lord of Deyang Township, who was personally appointed by His Majesty, actually treated their wounds personally.
“It’s like a dream.”
After the wounded soldier finished speaking, he realized that he had actually said what was in his heart. He was so embarrassed that his face turned red and his neck became thick. He wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it.
Du Qingju was stitching up his wound and couldn't help laughing when she heard this: "Don't be nervous, I'm just Du Qingju here, just a doctor."
The wounded soldier's panic miraculously disappeared. With a red face, he murmured in a hoarse voice, "I know you're a good doctor. Two years ago, my wife gave birth, and thanks to the forceps you invented, both mother and daughter were able to survive. You are the savior of our Zhang family. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
His opening of the mouth was like pressing the start button, and the other wounded soldiers all started talking at once.
"My father was bitten by a snake while cutting grass for pigs in the mountains this summer. Several doctors at Yiyuantang said he was beyond saving, but it was Doctor Du who finally saved him."
"My sister had a difficult birth at the beginning of the year. Thanks to Doctor Du who arrived in time and performed a Caesarian section on her. Yesterday afternoon, I went to my sister's house and saw that my eldest nephew had grown plump and strong. When he grows up, I will teach him martial arts and have him join the army to defend Shaoqing Prefecture!"
"Doctor Du, you may not remember me. Last spring, I went hunting in the mountains and was bitten by a blind bear. You sewed up the wound for me, and the scar hasn't completely healed yet."
"I'm honored to receive your trust." Du Qingju's eyes were filled with a smile so intense it threatened to overflow. She turned to look at the female soldier on the stretcher, "I remember you. You're the only female hunter I've ever met. Your name is Lin Yu, right? I didn't expect you to join the army. You're amazing."
Du Qingju studied medicine for several years and traveled to many places to practice medicine. She did not care about the opinions of her peers, nor did she care about the prejudices and rumors. The only thing that was precious to her was the recognition of the people.
Listening to the wounded soldiers praising her at this moment, her heart felt sweeter than drinking honey.
Lin Yu didn't expect that the Deyang Township Lord still remembered her. Her face flushed, and she suddenly felt that the knife wound on her arm was not so painful anymore.
On the other side, Du Qingtang was about to leave after visiting the last batch of wounded soldiers when he was blocked by Doctor Liang and others.
Doctor Liang bowed his head, his tone extremely humble: "Sir, I was blind and didn't recognize the great man before, and I offended your sister. Please be magnanimous and don't take offense at a lowly person like me."
Several other doctors also bowed and apologized, keeping a very humble attitude.
Ever since they learned of Du Qingju's identity, they have been living in agony all the time these days.
They were worried about revenge from the prefect and the Lord of Deyang Township. After all, with their status, they could destroy their families with just a few words.
However, thirty or forty days passed, and these two did not take any action against them, as if they had forgotten them.
They hoped that Du Qingtang and Du Qingju would forget about them, but they were still unsure. They felt like there was an invisible sword hanging over their heads, which never fell. They were restless day and night and felt deeply terrified.
Doctor Liang approached Liang Chuxia more than once, asking her to plead with Du Qingju to spare them, but Liang Chuxia refused. Every time she saw him, she would slip away and he could not catch up with her.
Seeing the prefect appear at the wounded soldiers' home, several people discussed it and then came out to admit their mistakes and ask for the prefect's forgiveness.
Du Qingtang stood tall and graceful under the eaves, her indifferent gaze seemed to solidify into substance, pressing heavily on the backs of Doctor Liang and the others.
Doctor Liang's breath was caught, cold sweat broke out on his back, and he bent down again.
A long time passed, so long that their backs and waists ached and they could no longer bear it. Their bodies swayed and sweat poured down like rain. Only then did Du Qingtang slowly speak, "Has my sister forgiven your offense?"
Doctor Liang and his companions were speechless.
Of course not.
When Du Qingju confessed her identity that day, they were so scared that they knelt down and begged for mercy. Afterwards, they felt a little ashamed and angry, and felt that they had lost face, so they did not apologize to Du Qingju anymore.
Du Qingtang chuckled, but there was no trace of laughter in his voice. "You all targeted the Deyang Township Lord in the past, but now you come to me to apologize. Could it be that my ears are connected to the Deyang Township Lord's ears, so you think you don't need to apologize in front of the victim to get her forgiveness?"
He was just hoping for the best, thinking that she was the official in charge of Shaoqing Prefecture and would not make things too difficult for them for the sake of her reputation and face. That was why he bypassed Du Qingju, the person involved, and ran to her to apologize.
"Then again, if the Deyang Township Lady was just an ordinary woman, would you apologize to her?"
Not at all.
They would only hold high the banner of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues and the rules and regulations for women, and intensify their efforts to isolate and exclude Du Qingju.
If Du Qingju had not been so strong-willed, she would have been forced to close Xinglin Hall and stop practicing medicine.
Then they would laugh wildly and continue to use the same method against the next female doctor.
Du Qingtang was not qualified to forgive them on behalf of Du Qingju, nor did he want to forgive them. After saying that, he turned away, leaving Doctor Liang and others standing under the eaves with pale faces, accepting the baptism of the wounded soldiers.
"They are the ones who bullied Dr. Du."
"Doctor Du developed a cure for the plague and saved tens of thousands of people. How dare they bully Doctor Du?"
"Some people, the older they get, the thicker their skin becomes. If I were them, I would have been too ashamed to live in this world long ago."
"Doctor Du is just too kind. If I encountered something like this, I would have beaten them until they cried for their parents and begged for mercy on their knees."
"I recognize them. They work at Liang Family Clinic, Yiyuantang, Renyitang, and Gushengtang. Remember to tell your friends and family not to go to these four clinics for treatment."
"We should spread the word not only to our friends and family, but also to our neighbors."
The voices of the wounded soldiers' discussions reached their ears, and the faces of Doctor Liang and others were so pale that they could no longer be described as pale.
"He's your grandfather, can you bear to see him being bullied at his age?"
Liang Chuxia looked in the direction of the voice and saw Doctor Liu working at the Liang Family Clinic.
Doctor Liu looked at her with disappointment and condemned her, "The Liang family raised you to this age, but they didn't expect you to be such an ungrateful person."
Liang Chuxia was annoyed, her cheeks flushed. "It wasn't me who asked them to target Master. I did try to persuade them to stop, but no one listened to me."
"They are not children anymore. They should be responsible for their own actions." Liang Chuxia paused, her voice barely audible. "Grandpa treated me like that before. I can't repay evil with kindness."
If she pleaded for her grandfather, where would that put her master?
Compared to her grandfather who always beats and scolds her, her master is more important.
Liang Chuxia ran away after she finished speaking. These people couldn't tell right from wrong, and she was too lazy to waste her breath on them.
There are still many wounded soldiers waiting for her to treat!
......
It was already evening when Du Qingtang returned to the government office.
The officials had already left their posts, leaving only a few yamen runners on night duty.
"grown ups."
Du Qingtang nodded, walked through the second hall and into the inner house.
The hinges between the door leaf and the door frame were a little rusty, and when Du Qingtang pushed the door open, it made an extremely harsh creaking sound.
Du Qingzhu heard the voice and poked her head out of the kitchen, her eyes curved with a smile: "Xianyu, you're back? I made dumplings and candied sweet potatoes. Go back to the room and change your clothes first, and dinner will be ready soon."
Du Qingtang looked at Du Qingzhu, who was wearing a robe around her waist, and felt as if he was in another world.
The last time I saw this scene seemed to be more than two months ago.
After that, there was the plague and the war. Du Qingtang was so busy that it was a luxury for him to sleep for two hours a day, let alone sit in the dining room of the third hall and eat a home-cooked meal in peace.
Du Qingtang's mind was in turmoil, but he didn't show it on his face. He nodded and went back to his room to change into his regular clothes. When he came out again, dumplings and candied sweet potatoes were already on the table.
In addition, there is a dish of vinegar and a dish of chili oil.
"Come quickly and eat it while it's hot. It gets cold quickly, especially the candied sweet potatoes. They get soft after a while. They taste better when they're crispy." Du Qingzhu waved. "Dumplings stuffed with shepherd's purse and pork. The shepherd's purse was given to me by an aunt who lives near the Changfu River. She picked it by the river in September, dried it, and stored it in the cellar. It's tender and delicious. Come and try it."
Du Qingtang responded, walked over to Du Qingzhu and sat down, then took a bite of the dumpling dipped in vinegar.
Du Qingzhu held his chin: "How is it?"
Du Qingtang pursed his lips and commented objectively, "It's delicious. Seventh Sister's cooking skills have improved a lot."
Girls all love to hear nice things, and Du Qingzhu was no exception. She immediately beamed with joy, raised her chin, and said with a bit of pride: "I've been cooking in the Fire Camp recently. I've secretly learned a few tricks from the Fire Army, and my aunt who cooks with me has also passed on some experience to me."
Du Qingtang smiled and lowered his head to eat dumplings.
"By the way, Xianyu." Du Qingzhu picked up a dumpling, dipped it in chili oil and took a bite, his voice a little unclear, "When will you return to Beijing?"
Du Qingtang raised his head and said, "I took office in April of the 18th year. After the new prefect arrives and both sides complete the handover, it will probably take until June or July."
Du Qingzhu calculated with his fingers and muttered, "There's still half a year left, so I'll put the Food Fragrance Pavilion up for sale two months in advance."
After two years of development, the business of Shixiang Pavilion is very prosperous, with a constant stream of guests. It can be regarded as the best-performing restaurant in the city.
On the other hand, the franchise of the "Shixiang Pavilion" brand has also been doing very well. It has now spread throughout the province, and snacks from Shixiang Pavilion are sold in surrounding prefectures.
Du Qingzhu made a fortune, and Du Qingju, the shareholder, also made a lot of money.
However, no matter how good the business is or how much money he makes, Du Qingzhu cannot stay here forever.
Even if I don't go to Xiajing with the youngest brother, I have to go back to Baoding Prefecture.
Du Qingzhu thought for a long time. Instead of hiring someone to manage Shixiang Pavilion, where the emperor was far away and difficult to take care of, and she had no idea what the other party was doing, it would be better to sell it and open a new one after settling down.
"I guess no one outside the province will know about Shixiang Pavilion anymore, and I'll have to start all over again." Du Qingzhu muttered softly, then suddenly smiled, "But I'm still young, and this is the time to strive hard. Xiajing is under the rule of the emperor, so business will definitely be better."
Du Qingtang pushed the vinegar dish in front of Du Qingzhu so that she wouldn't be out of reach: "You are optimistic."
Du Qingzhu spread his hands: "I can't help it, after all, I'm a little genius in business."
Du Qingtang: "...Stop talking and eat quickly."
Du Qingzhu chuckled, finished a plate of dumplings, and then ate up her portion of candied sweet potatoes. Finally, she leaned back in her chair, stroked her round belly, and burped.
Du Qingtang finished eating quickly, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and sighed: "I haven't eaten so comfortably in a long time."
Du Qingzhu laughed, but also felt a little distressed. She raised her hand and touched the youngest's cheek: "Xianyu, you've been exhausted recently. The little flesh you had put on with great difficulty has disappeared. In fact, you are even thinner than when I first came to Shaoqing Mansion."
Du Qingtang blinked: "...You were twisting the sweet potato with your hands just now, and you touched my face without even washing it?"
Du Qingzhu finally managed to be sentimental, but when she heard this, she wrinkled her nose: "You actually despise me? I'm angry!"
Du Qingtang shook his head: "I didn't, I was just discussing the matter."
Du Qingzhu snorted and threatened fiercely: "Next time I will touch your face with my sticky hands!"
Du Qingtang pondered for a moment, rubbed his index finger in the plate of candied sweet potatoes, and then pressed it on Du Qingzhu's face.
Du Qingzhu: “???”
Du Qingtang said seriously, "Okay, we're even."
Du Qingzhu: “…”
"Ahhhhh I'm going to fight you!"
Du Qingzhu pounced forward with his teeth bared, pressed his cheek against Du Qingtang's, rubbed it hard twice, then put his hands on his hips and laughed: "Now we're even!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
-
The next day, General Huang Qian handled the remains of the fallen soldiers, cremated them, placed them in porcelain jars, sealed them, and sent them to the address registered on the military rolls of the fallen soldiers along with triple the pension.
When the soldiers arrived, Yang's mother was sitting under the eaves knitting a woolen sweater.
The winter in Shaoqing Prefecture was bitterly cold, the conditions in the military camp were difficult, and the bedding was very thin. She was worried that Yang Tianchuan would catch a cold, so she specially learned how to knit a sweater from the girl who worked in the garment factory next door. She planned to knit one for Yang Tianchuan and try to send it to him before the New Year.
The little grandson came running over, clinging to Mother Yang like a sticky dumpling. She was so scared that she quickly raised her hand to avoid stabbing him with the tip of the knitting needle: "Nian'er, don't move around. I might hurt you."
Nian Ge'er nodded obediently, ran away, brought a small stool, and sat down next to his grandmother, putting his little hands on his knees and sitting up straight.
Mother Yang's heart melted into a pool of water. She freed her hand and touched Nian Ge'er's hair: "Your father has finished the war and will be back to see you soon."
Nian Ge'er opened his eyes wide and mimicked like a parrot: "Dad~"
Just as Yang's mother was about to say something else, there was a knock on the door.
"Who's there?" Mother Yang put down the half-knitted sweater and walked over to open the door, muttering, "Could it be that your father is back so soon?"
The courtyard gate opened, and it was Yang Tianchuan, but it was not Yang Tianchuan.
A palace soldier in soft armor stood at the door and handed the white porcelain jar to Yang's mother. His voice was hoarse and his eyes were slightly red. "I'm sorry, Auntie, we couldn't protect Dachuan."
Mother Yang felt dizzy and the sky and earth lost their color and all things lost their sound.
"Auntie!"
Mother Yang took a deep breath and held onto the door frame to avoid falling.
She is a strong wife and an even stronger mother.
Looking back on the past, she had sent off her husband and children one after another, and she had never shed a tear when the old man sent off the young man. This time was no exception.
She just held on to the door frame, took a few deep breaths, then slowly stood up, raised her hands to tidy up her wind-blown hair, smoothed out the wrinkles on her clothes, and finally took her son with both hands.
The guards noticed Mother Yang's reaction and became even more worried: "Aunt, please accept my condolences."
Mother Yang shook her head, her voice hoarse and inaudible: "I'm fine. Dachuan died to protect Shaoqing Prefecture and the people... I'm fine..."
The guard then handed over a small cloth bag: "Here is Dachuan's letter home and the pension. The prefect is so kind that he has tripled the pension, totaling one hundred and fifty taels. Please keep it."
Mother Yang held the porcelain jar but did not take it. Instead, she asked in a pleading tone: "I can't read. Can you help me see what Dachuan wrote in his letter home?"
The soldier hesitated for a moment and then agreed.
He couldn't refuse the request of a mother who had lost her son.
The soldier opened the letter and found only one sentence in black and white:
"Will I be your pride?"
Yang Tianchuan asked his mother, will I be your pride?
Mother Yang's lips trembled.
She recalled that two years ago, when the government sent troops to suppress the bandits, Yang Tianchuan had asked her, "Mom, did I do something wrong?"
Yang's mother replied, "It's not easy for everyone."
At that time, Shaoqing Prefecture was in chaos and it was difficult to survive. How could she dare to ask for too much?
Therefore, although Yang Tianchuan felt that he had fallen into depravity, his mother never blamed him.
Yang's mother still remembers that after she said that, Yang Tianchuan's face suddenly turned pale, and then he burst into tears while eating.
Two years later, her son asked her again: "Will I be your pride?"
But not in a face-to-face manner.
They are separated forever.
She once again saw her son die young.
Mother Yang's breath trembled, and tears as big as beans rolled down from the corners of her eyes. She murmured, "...You are."
She raised her head, her gaze seeming to penetrate layers of clouds and mist to see her son in heaven.
She whimpered softly, like a mother animal who had lost her cub, full of despair and heartbreak.
"You always have."
Her son is kind and brave, and he corrects his mistakes as soon as he realizes them. He is the best child in the world.
She had always been proud of him, deeply proud.
“Always!”
“Always!”
Yang's mother said it over and over again, crying and complaining.
Unfortunately, Yang Tianchuan could no longer hear it.
......
When the palace soldiers arrived, Wu Kangnian's wife Mu Yuzhen was making clothes for her unborn child.
Mu Yuzhen was originally just an ordinary peasant girl. Later, the prefect opened a garment factory. She signed up with a lucky mentality, and unexpectedly she was selected to become a female worker.
Later, the government held a Hehuan Festival, and Mu Yuzhen and her husband Wu Kangnian fell in love at first sight and got married a month later.
In the blink of an eye, they had been married for a year.
The Qi bandits invaded, the garment factory stopped production, Wu Kangnian went to the battlefield again, and Mu Yuzhen had nothing to do at home, so she found some scraps of cloth and made clothes for her unborn child.
While sewing clothes, Mu Yuzhen talked to the baby in her belly: "Your father has gone to the war. Be good and obedient. When you grow up, let your father teach you how to ride a horse."
"Your mother doesn't have many talents, but I'm good at sewing. The woolen sweater knitting method I figured out earlier was so good that even the prefect praised it."
"When you are born, I will make sure you have beautiful clothes to wear every day. I will dress you up beautifully..."
“Knock knock knock—”
The knock on the door interrupted Mu Yuzhen's mumbling. She put down the half-made clothes, stood up and went to open the door.
The courtyard gate opened, and a palace soldier wearing soft armor stood outside, holding a white porcelain jar in his arms.
Mu Yuzhen's heart was beating fast for some reason, and she swallowed her saliva: "Who are you?"
The palace soldier handed over the porcelain jar and said in a low voice: "Wu Kangnian unfortunately died in battle last night. These are his ashes."
"Boom—"
Mu Yuzhen only felt a bolt of thunder striking her head, causing her vision to go black and her ears to become deaf.
The palace soldier's mouth opened and closed, but she could not hear a word, and her mind was full of "Wu Kangnian's unfortunate death in battle."
Her husband... is dead?
The father of her child...is dead?
Mu Yuzhen didn't know how she received the porcelain jar, pension and letter from home from the palace soldiers.
When she came to her senses, she was already standing on a stool with a white silk hanging in front of her.
The cold wind came in through the gap in the window, which made her shiver and wake up immediately.
Mu Yuzhen slapped herself hard.
How could she commit suicide for a man?
Even though she had a deep relationship with this man, even though they had agreed to share life and death together when their love was at its peak, he was gone and the living had to look forward.
She is Mu Yuzhen.
She is not a useless person who cannot survive without Wu Kangnian.
She has a very stable job that pays well for her work.
She received a pension of one hundred and fifty taels.
She also has an unborn child.
Yes, kid.
This child is connected to her by blood. In the future, he will learn to speak, call her mother, and throw himself into her arms like a ball of cotton.
She also has to watch the baby grow up little by little from the cradle, send the child to school, and let the child wear beautiful clothes.
The future is long and there are many beautiful things in this world. How could she commit suicide?
Mu Yuzhen wiped the tears from her face, got down from the stool, threw away the white silk, and sat back to continue sewing clothes.
She continued to talk to the baby in her belly.
"Your father...is a hero. He probably won't be able to teach you how to ride."
"But it doesn't matter. Mom will work hard to earn money, and then she can hire a martial arts master to teach you how to ride a horse."
"What other children have, ours must have as well!"
-
Thousands of soldiers took action at the same time and delivered the ashes of the fallen soldiers to their families in just one day.
Many families hung white flags, and the sound of wailing was heard everywhere, lingering over the city for a long time.
On this day, there was no laughter or joy in the city, and every household hung a white flower at the door.
The whole city mourned and was grateful for their contributions to Shaoqing Prefecture.
"Have a safe journey."
"If you live a life of righteousness in this life, you will surely be born into a good family in the next, and live a long and prosperous life."
At the same time, news of Shaoqing Prefecture's great victory gradually spread to the provincial capital and surrounding prefectures.
The Left Governor's eyes were filled with disbelief. "How is this possible? Shaoqing Prefecture only has 40,000 troops. How can they defeat the fierce and powerful army of the Great Qi?"
The Right Governor had always been at odds with the Left Governor, and his tone was filled with schadenfreude. "Have you forgotten that Lady Du is no ordinary woman? The firearms in her hands can make her a single person against thousands of troops. How come she can't defeat the fierce army of the Great Qi?"
"Master Wen, have you forgotten that no matter how ferocious the Qi bandits are, they are still flesh and blood."
"And the most important thing right now is that the Shaoqing Prefecture's troops are at the gates of the city, but we haven't sent any troops to help."
"Once Du Qingtang reports this matter to the emperor, the governor, Lord Wen, and everyone else will be held accountable by the court. They could face exile at the very least, or even death at the worst."
The Governor's pupils suddenly shrank, and his hands hidden in his sleeves clenched tightly.
The Left Governor's breathing became disordered for a moment, and he shouted in a timid voice, "She dares!"
The Right Governor sneered, "Why wouldn't she dare? If we had rejected her request for help, we would have been pushing her into a desperate situation. Lord Wen, what makes you think she wouldn't dare to complain to His Majesty?"
He looked at the Governor-General and said, "Your Excellency, please do not forget that Du Qingtang was able to sit firmly on the throne of the fourth rank despite committing the crime of deceiving the emperor. This shows that she is in the Emperor's good graces."
"If Du Qingtang sincerely seeks revenge, who among you here can escape this disaster?"
"No!"
The Governor made a decision in an instant. He shook his head and sighed deeply, "Master Wen, even if you have a grudge against Master Du, you shouldn't have promised to send troops to reinforce Shaoqing Prefecture, but in reality you're disobeying and putting Shaoqing Prefecture in dire straits."
"Come here, throw Wen Tao into jail and wait for your punishment!"
The Left Governor was stunned. He did not come to his senses until the yamen runners clamped his arms. He struggled desperately and shouted hysterically: "Sir, what do you mean? It's clearly you..."
"Shut his mouth for me." The Governor gave the order, and the yamen runner immediately fetched a piece of coarse cloth and blocked the noisy mouth of the Left Provincial Government Envoy. "I'm truly sorry, but I'm old and about to retire. I don't want anything to happen at this critical moment, so I have no choice but to inconvenience Master Wen."
That night, the Left Governor committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment.
Compared to the panic of officials in the provincial capital, several prefects were very calm.
"The letter requesting assistance was lost along the way, and I didn't receive it. Who can I blame?"
"Your Majesty is a wise ruler. A wise ruler would not convict someone without any evidence."
"What a pity, Du Qingtang actually survived."
Thinking that Du Qingtang had made another contribution and had a bright future, the prefect of Jingdong Prefecture secretly resented him but could do nothing about it.
What a joke! Even the most powerful army of Da Qi was defeated by this crazy woman. Who would dare to offend her?
But the higher you climb, the harder you fall.
As a woman, Du Qingtang was promoted to the fourth rank. She must have become a thorn in the eyes of all the civil and military officials in the court, and was destined to have a tragic end.
Then he can just sit back and watch the fun.
-
According to local customs in Shaoqing Prefecture, funerals only last for two days.
On the third day, the fallen soldiers were buried.
On the fourth day, garment factories, dried fruit factories and major shops in the city resumed business.
Although the counterattack was won tragically and many families lost their breadwinners, life had to go on no matter what.
That morning, the government troops who had been stationed on the banks of the Changfu River for over a month broke camp and left the city.
Before leaving, Guard Wan came to the government office and asked the prefect, "What do you plan to do with the prisoners?"
Du Qingtang rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
The grudge between Du Qingtang and Wu Yi can be traced back to the previous life, and Wu Yi was the culprit of her third tragic death.
If it was at the beginning of her rebirth, she would be full of resentment and would definitely make Wu Yi suffer a lot, just like she did to Yuan Sheng and Qi Heming, making his life worse than death.
Many years have passed, and now Du Qingtang has many relatives and friends around him, and his mentality has become much calmer.
Rather than avenging her previous humiliation, Du Qingtang wanted Wu Yi to be a stepping stone for her promotion.
"grown ups?"
Seeing that the prefect didn't say anything, Shoubei Wan asked again.
Du Qingtang came back to his senses, his gaze shifting from contemplation to determination: "Wu Yi will be escorted to the capital, and the rest will be beheaded as a public display."
Guard Wan was shocked: "Behead them all?"
That’s tens of thousands of people!
Du Qingtang didn't answer but asked, "Do you want to recruit them?"
Thinking of the cunning of the Qi bandits, Shoubei Wan felt a chill run down his spine and shook his head like a rattle. "No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I'll do as you say!"
So that afternoon, five hundred Qi soldiers were taken to Caishikou, and the executioner raised his sword and heads rolled to the ground.
The people watching the execution had tears in their eyes and clapped their hands, saying it was so satisfying.
It was these people who caused them to be trapped in the city for more than a month!
It was these people who caused them to lose their sons, husbands and fathers!
These people deserve to die!
It would not be too much to be cut into pieces!
......
From then on, one thousand Qi soldiers were pushed to the execution ground every day.
The executioner's machete was so sharp that its edge curled up, but the blood on the ground of Caishikou never dried.
At the same time, Wu Yi was escorted to Xiajing by 5,000 palace soldiers.
Wu Yi is a third-rank military general of the Great Qi. As long as you can pry open his mouth, you can get many unexpected surprises.
Du Qingtang sent someone to deliver it to Xiajing all the way, hoping that Emperor Qingyuan would not let her down.
"Sir, everything is ready at the west gate."
Du Qingtang raised his head from the pile of official documents, glanced at the neatly dressed Zhou Tongzhi, put down his wolf-hair brush, and rode his horse towards the west city gate.
When we reached the west city gate, there was a huge crowd outside the city, and all we could see were the backs of heads.
"The prefect is here!"
The crowd automatically made way for each other, and under everyone's watchful eyes, Du Qingtang calmly dismounted and walked forward steadily.
"Greetings, His Excellency the Prefect!"
Everyone shouted in unison, the sound shaking the sky.
Du Qingtang nodded slightly and stopped in front of a stone tablet about fifteen feet high on the left side of the west city gate.
The three big red characters "Heroes' Monument" are engraved on the stone tablet, shining brightly in the sun, just like the souls of those heroes.
Behind the fifteen-foot-high stone tablet, there are another one hundred and sixty stone tablets about six feet high arranged in an orderly manner, with no end in sight.
There are rows of six-foot-tall stone tablets, on which the names, ages and hometowns of the fallen soldiers are densely engraved in regular script.
There are one hundred and sixty stone tablets, each of which records one hundred fallen soldiers.
According to complete statistics, the total number of soldiers killed in this battle to defend the city was 15,960.
Du Qingtang, wearing a crimson official robe, stood in front of officials and common people, standing like a pine tree in front of the hero's monument.
The cold wind blew the corners of the scarlet robe rustling, as if it was about to fly away with the wind.
"bye--"
Everyone had a solemn expression as they bowed towards the stone tablet, paused for a few breaths, and then stood up.
"Bye again—"
Everyone bowed again.
"Three bows—"
Everyone bowed three times and sang loudly: "Have a good journey!"
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