Chapter Seventeen: A Passionate Kiss
On April 15th, after the emperor offered sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he ascended the throne to review the troops, appointing Prince Jin as the Grand Marshal of the Expedition against the Barbarians, commanding 500,000 imperial guards and local troops from Guangdong and Hunan provinces to launch a campaign against Jiaozhi (Vietnam). Therefore, the grand wedding, originally scheduled for June, had to be postponed. Those who knew the inside story said this was exactly what Prince Jin wanted; those who didn't knew said he sacrificed his personal interests for the greater good, and their admiration for him only grew stronger.
Since its founding over a century ago, the Great Zhou Dynasty has never been without military troubles, but these generally originated from the northwest. The southern barbarian lands, uncivilized and with weak populations and small size, generally automatically acknowledged the Great Zhou as their superior nation, and rarely saw conflict. Although some might be tempted to rebel, the Great Zhou would usually send a few envoys to rebuke them, and then deploy local garrison troops to the border, their armor gleaming and their swords and spears ready, which would usually deter them.
Therefore, this southward campaign against the barbarians is the first of its kind since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Not only is there no precedent to follow, but victory is the only option; defeat is not an option. If they win, the surrounding small states and barbarian tribes will naturally tremble with fear and trepidation. If they lose, war will surely break out everywhere, with small foes lurking around, threatening the very foundation of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The Prince of Jin was well aware of this, so after receiving the command, he spent his days either training his troops in the Imperial Guard camp or practicing military drills with his advisors and generals. He dared not underestimate the power of Jiaozhi because of its weakness.
On the first day of the fifth month, the Imperial Guards, having made all the necessary preparations, marched south, and the Emperor personally saw them off at the Bianhe River wharf.
On that morning, the weather was fine and sunny. Hundreds of boats lined up on the river, banners fluttering, drums and horns sounding. The people who had gathered along the banks of the Bian River praised the army's might and marveled at its grandeur. They knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times. Then, the loud bugle call sounded, and the messenger signaled with flags. The boatmen carrying the soldiers and warhorses of the Great Zhou raised their sails one after another and sailed downstream.
It flows out of the Bian River and into the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
It was the transition from spring to summer, the river was wide and the water was calm, with flowers and trees lining both banks, making for a beautiful scene. However, the Prince of Jin and his generals had no interest in enjoying the scenery and remained in the cabin of the ship where the central command tent was located, conducting a sand table exercise.
"...As the saying goes, conquering cities is inferior to conquering hearts and minds. The people of Jiaozhi are not yet enlightened, and their customs are uncivilized. If we forcefully attack and occupy them, it will easily incite their rebellious spirit, and they will resist to the end. It would be better to first use a strategy of winning hearts and minds—write the crimes of Li Yunshao and Gao Fuying on a notice board, carve it on wooden boards, and let it float downstream. If the people know that the royal army's southern expedition is actually to quell the internal strife in Jiaozhi, establish a wise king, and govern the region, they will surely respond enthusiastically." After the Right General finished speaking, he looked at the Prince of Jin and asked, "What does the Marshal think?"
“Good.” Prince Jin nodded and turned to instruct the adjutant, “Immediately draft the notice and send it to the prefect of Qingyuan, instructing him to find local craftsmen to carve it on wooden boards.”
The adjutant responded.
General Zuo said, "I've heard that the people of Jiaozhi are skilled at driving elephant formations. This formation is quite powerful. How should we deal with it?"
They exchanged glances. They had only heard of elephant formations in ancient military books, but none of them had ever witnessed them firsthand, and they had no idea how powerful they were.
The Prince of Jin said, “Elephants are beasts, and all beasts fear fire. A fire attack is certainly the right thing to do, but I don’t know what’s so special about this elephant formation. It’s not too late to decide after we’ve seen it.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a guard outside reported, "Marshal, the fleet has entered the Si River, and Sizhou is another 120 li ahead."
The Prince of Jin's heart stirred, and he turned his head to look out of the cabin. Before he knew it, the sun had already begun to set.
The Right General said, "What the Marshal says is true. Historical records show that during the Warring States period, Qi general Tian Dan once drove a fire-ox cart to defeat the Yan army. Jiaozhi Mountain is covered with dense forests, and although the fire-ox formation is not feasible, it is still worth learning from." After he finished speaking, he saw that the King of Jin did not react at all and was still looking out of the cabin. He couldn't help but feel a little strange and coughed lightly.
The Prince of Jin snapped out of his reverie and said calmly, "I was distracted just now. What did the Right General say?"
"Fire Ox Formation".
"Oh." A smile flickered across the Prince of Jin's lips. "When I was young, I read about Tian Dan's fire ox formation that defeated the Yan army. I was very curious, so I begged my father to find me two hundred oxen, tied reeds to their tails, filled them with oil, and set them on fire. The oxen were startled by the fire and charged around wildly, killing many of them. I suppose oxen are animals, so how could they not be afraid of fire? Therefore, the authenticity of this fire ox formation is debatable."
General Zuo stroked his beard and said, "What the Marshal said is very true. Even the historical records are mostly based on errors."
The Prince of Jin nodded slightly, lowered his eyes, and remained silent.
When the generals and adjutants saw him suddenly fall silent, they were puzzled and looked at each other for a while. Xu Maoyu, who was sitting to the side, understood. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Generals, it will be more than two months before we reach Jiaozhi. We can discuss the battle plan at our leisure. The weather is fine today, so why don't we go up to the deck and enjoy the scenery?"
Although he held no official position, everyone knew he was the Prince of Jin's most trusted strategist. For years, he had served in the Prince's tent, offering advice and strategies, and was well-versed in the Prince's psychology. His words were obviously deliberate, so everyone agreed and bowed respectfully as they left the cabin.
In an instant, only Prince Jin, Xu Maoyu, Luo Youde, and Nanfeng remained.
The Prince of Jin remained silent for a while, then stood up, walked out of the cabin, onto the deck, and leaned on the railing to look around. Although the sun was already setting, the sunlight was still bright, shining on the water, making the surface shimmer. The sky and earth were clear, and the distant mountains, nearby waters, villages, and rice paddies formed a traditional Chinese ink painting. The boat seemed to be sailing in the painting.
Xu Maoyu walked to her side and stopped, waving the fan in his hand, and said, "Feiyang, there's no need to worry. I guess she'll definitely come."
The Prince of Jin pursed his lips and remained silent. After setting the date for the expedition, he sent a messenger to Haozhou, inviting her to meet him in Sizhou. The more he longed to see her, the more worried he was that she would not come.
Xu Maoyu noticed the lingering unease between his brows and couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. Who would believe that the Prince of Jin, who had so many women throwing themselves at him at the age of fourteen, would be so anxious about whether a woman would keep her appointment? In this world, indeed, there is always someone who can subdue another. No matter how domineering one is, no matter how powerful one is, when faced with an adversary, one can only proceed with caution.
The army arrived in Sizhou at dusk.
Officials of all ranks in Sizhou City lined up at the dock to welcome the boat, while a crowd of onlookers gathered along the riverbank. Seeing the banners fluttering at the bow of the boat and the guards standing like clay and wooden statues, they all spoke in hushed tones. Once the boat was afloat, the prefect led his officials aboard to pay their respects to the Prince of Jin. He then cautiously mentioned that a banquet had been prepared at the prefect's residence and requested that the Prince of Jin and all the generals grace him with their presence.
After saying this, the prefect bowed his head, waiting for the Prince of Jin to say, "No need." Everyone knew that the Prince of Jin was very strict with himself. He never asked officials to pick him up or drop him off unless he was passing through on official business, and he was even less willing to attend banquets. Yesterday, when he arrived in Chuzhou, he only met with officials and did not disembark for a banquet.
But then a voice said, "Alright, prepare the horses."
The prefect was utterly astonished, thinking he had misheard. He looked up and saw that the Prince of Jin had already stood up and was striding out of the cabin. Ignoring his astonishment, he hurriedly went up to him, bowed and said, "This humble official will lead the way for Your Highness."
After disembarking, Prince Jin quickly glanced around and saw Yu Qing, dressed in plain clothes, nodding slightly in the crowd. His heart swelled up like a bean soaking in water, then sprouted, grew leaves, and blossomed. You De led his horse over, and he mounted it. The uneven stone roads in Sizhou City gave him the feeling of walking on clouds.
The prefect, having regained his senses, realized that even others couldn't invite the Prince of Jin to his residence, and his face immediately lit up with pride. He straightened his back and began to fantasize about a bright future—if he caught the Prince of Jin's eye and gained his favor, he would rise rapidly in rank, perhaps even becoming a high-ranking official… Therefore, he abandoned his carriage and rode a horse, following closely behind the Prince of Jin. As he rode, he muttered to himself about how simple and honest the people of Sizhou were, and how no one picked up lost items on the road, implying that his achievements as the prefect were outstanding.
After talking for a long time, his mouth was dry and his lips were parched. All he heard was Prince Jin responding with "uh-huh" sounds, without uttering a complete sentence. Looking at his expression, there was a hint of a smile between his brows, but the smile was too gentle and too inappropriate, making him feel a chill, yet his mind was racing—could it be that Prince Jin really looked at him differently?
Upon arriving at the mansion, after a round of drinks, Prince Jin said he was feeling a bit tipsy and needed to return to the ship to rest. He told the generals to continue drinking and that they could board the ship at dawn the next morning.
The prefect stood up eagerly, saying that the manor had prepared soft couches and beautiful women for the prince's enjoyment. But the prince glared at him with a sharp glare, nearly making him wet himself. Realizing he'd messed up, he dared not be presumptuous again, stammering, "This humble official... will... escort the prince back to his ship."
Before he could finish speaking, the Prince of Jin flicked his sleeve and left with his guards.
The prefect stood frozen on the seat, at a loss for what to do, his legs trembling.
The Right General, who had fought alongside the Prince of Jin and knew his temperament, smiled and said, "Prefect, there's no need to worry. The Prince is straightforward and dislikes social niceties and the tedious formalities of welcoming and sending off guests. He doesn't have any ill will towards you. The fact that he's willing to have a drink with you today is already a great honor. Please sit down and drink with us. The Prince doesn't like beautiful women, but we do. Quickly, call them all out..."
The prefect was then relieved.
Prince Jin left the mansion with his guards. Yu Qing was already waiting by the roadside with his horse. Without saying a word, he led the way into a small alley. There was no moon or stars tonight, just pitch black. The wind was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. Prince Jin had drunk some wine and felt increasingly light-headed, as if he were not walking in a bumpy alley or in the pitch-black night, but on the grasslands outside Xingping City, where the stars seemed within reach.
Upon reaching a small courtyard, Yu Qing reined in his horse, went up and knocked on the door, which opened silently.
The guards stood discreetly outside the courtyard, while only Prince Jin went inside. The courtyard was small and easily visible. There were no lights, only a lantern hanging under the eaves of the main house. She stood under the eaves, looking at him, her plain white silk dress making her appear exceptionally pure and clean.
It has been a full six months since we separated in the suburbs of Beijing last year.
It's been two months since my last nighttime visit to Xinghua Lane.
I have a thousand words to say, but not a single one can express my feelings.
He walked over slowly and looked down at her.
She looked up at him, the dim light falling on her face, her eyebrows and eyes as if veiled in a thin mist, but her lips as delicate as flower petals. As he looked at her, he finally couldn't resist, cupped her face in his hands, and gently kissed her.
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