Chapter 71: The Recapture of Sangyang
On the afternoon of April 22, the Censorate submitted its case-closing report.
Sun, the wet nurse of the young master of the Chen family, admitted that she was instructed to hide the gold bars in batches into the gift box in the storeroom and to take out the rare ancient books that were originally in the box.
The investigating officials found the lost ancient books in the suburban village house described by Sun, and also found a large amount of copper coins, which was the reward that Sun's family had received.
After listening, Yu Mingshu pressed further: "You were instructed by someone? Who instructed you?"
Xie Huaijin said helplessly, "Sun did not confess and committed suicide by hitting her head against the wall in prison. In addition, when the people from the Censorate searched the village, they found that her husband and son had died at home. The coroner came to examine them and said that they died of poisoning."
"What kind of poison?"
"The father and son mistakenly took the poisonous plant for a medicinal herb and used it to make chicken soup, which led to their poisoning."
"Whoever gets investigated dies? What a coincidence!" Yu Mingshu laughed angrily.
Xie Huaijin said solemnly, "This person spent a huge amount of money to frame you and Chen Qu, and now a thousand taels of gold have gone down the drain. He will definitely not let this go. I came here to remind you not to leave the city these days, and to be extra careful when you do travel within the city."
Yu Mingshu slowly tightened her grip on the fish-shaped talisman in her sleeve, smiled at him, and said, "I understand, thank you."
Today, the Crown Prince has fallen ill again. Yu Mingshu took the fish tally to the Right Guard's residence. Under the strange gazes of the guards at the gate, he was politely invited into the hall.
"Master Yu, please have some tea first. Our deputy commander will be here shortly!"
"Okay, okay, I'm not in a hurry."
The young guard ran off in a flash, while many eyes outside the door kept peering into the hall, as if the newcomer was not a close advisor to the crown prince, but a strange creature never before seen.
Yu Mingshu felt uneasy under their gaze and muttered to herself, "Does the Crown Prince's fish tally have such power? It can actually make a group of warriors treat her with such deference?"
Under the corridor behind the main hall, in the corner of the open space, there was an inconspicuous square table. At this moment, the deputy commander surnamed Gao was playing cards with two of his men.
The playing cards clattered on the table, and the three men howled, sometimes excited and sometimes frustrated. Occasionally, guards would pass by in the distance, but they would all tacitly avoid the area and not disturb them.
"Boss Gao, you lost again. Here's the note!"
"I've already covered my face with stickers, where else can I put them!"
"His nose is empty, stick it on the bridge of his nose!"
The robust man stood up excitedly, tore off a piece of paper, dipped it on his tongue, and made a gesture as if to press it onto the vice commander's nose.
The deputy commander wasn't about to be messed with. He raised his arm to block him, tilted his head back, and yelled, "Go away, go out on patrol when it's time! I'm not playing anymore!"
After saying that, he wiped the bits of paper off his face, crumpled them into a ball, and threw it on the table.
Just then, a guard from the front yard rushed over, shouting in a rough voice, "Boss Gao! Sister-in-law, sister-in-law is here!"
Gao Fu had lost several rounds of card games in a row and was feeling frustrated. Hearing his loud and boisterous voice, Gao Fu got angry.
"Are you still half asleep at midday? Your sister-in-law is pregnant and at home waiting to give birth, how could she possibly be here at the Imperial Guard's residence!"
"No, no!" The guard waved his hands repeatedly, gesturing wildly, "It's General He's..."
Which one exactly?
The guard gritted his teeth and said, "Master Yu is here!"
The three looked at each other, startled, and immediately stood up, straightening their crooked collars.
"Let's go, let's go see what's going on."
The four returned to the hall. The guard was pushed by his boss and staggered into the room. Under Yu Mingshu's questioning gaze, he raised a smiling face.
"Lord Yu, our Deputy Commander Gao has arrived."
Tall, rich and handsome……
Yu Mingshu coughed lightly and stood up to greet the newcomer. After all, the other party was a fourth-rank deputy commander, whose rank was above hers.
"I've met the high-ranking deputy commander."
I still want to laugh.
She thought that if she kept calling him "Deputy Commander," the other person might not be happy, so she decided to change her address to "General" next time.
Deputy Commander Gao waved his hand, "No need for formalities! What brings the most talented woman in the Great Liang to the Guard Commander's residence? We, a group of warriors, are afraid we haven't been able to entertain her properly, so please forgive us, Lord Yu."
Yu Mingshu shivered, feeling that the person was speaking in a strained voice.
"Not at all, not at all. It is I who have presumptuously come and disturbed General Gao and everyone's afternoon rest." She quickly bowed in return, and then took out the fish-shaped tally to explain her purpose.
"His Highness has granted me permission to mobilize the troops of the Imperial Guard. I have dared to come here today because I have a matter to ask for your assistance, General."
The address of "General" brought a smile to Deputy Commander Gao's face, and he said with great enthusiasm, "Speak freely!"
Yu Mingshu said, "Please send a few men to protect my family, General."
She wasn't entirely without reservation when she said this. The Crown Prince hadn't specified the purpose of the fish tally when he gave it to her, but logically speaking, the Crown Prince's guards should be used for official business.
Is protecting her family considered a public duty?
From one perspective, this would certainly be considered misuse of public resources.
However, the fact that she and her family offended their political enemies because of official business, and that she asked the Guards Office to guard against the potential dangers brought about by official business, was not entirely out of personal favoritism.
Deputy Commander Gao didn't think that far ahead. The Crown Prince rarely went out, and the Imperial Guard was practically bored out of its mind! Even if Yu Mingshu didn't have the fish tally, he would still help out for the sake of General He.
He patted his chest and agreed, "It's a small matter, Master Yu, don't worry. With me, Gao, here, not a single finger of the Yu family will be missing."
In a daze, Yu Mingshu was escorted away by a group of guards. Even after leaving the gate of the Guards' Mansion, he still couldn't understand why these people were so enthusiastic.
In the hall, the eyes of the two subordinates changed.
Gao Fulu coughed twice, and his voice returned to its usual high-pitched and piercing state.
"The person General He has taken a liking to is indeed extraordinary."
What's so special about it?
"She's as beautiful as a fairy, has an ethereal air about her, and speaks so pleasantly," the deputy commander exclaimed. "She's much more approachable than that Secretary Yang."
…
As the summer of the twenty-first year of Fengle drew to a close, before the autumn winds blew across the rice paddies, a river of blood flowed outside Sangyang City.
As the long night drew to a close, the Northern Yan's military flag, fluttering in the wind atop the city walls, was severed in two with a single stroke. The rising sun leaped from the clouds, and the flags of the Great Liang once again soared high above the city walls.
The north wind howled, whipping the blood-stained cloak behind He Zheng. A sharp whistling sound came from beside him, but there was no sound of a blade piercing flesh as he had expected.
He Zheng dodged the enemy's attack and then delivered a fatal blow to the barely alive Northern Yan general at his feet.
The knife slit the man's thick throat, and as his head was severed, his bloodshot eyes seemed to still be twitching.
He swung his arm and flicked the blade, the filthy blood flowing away along the groove before sheathing it.
He Zheng turned to his generals and said, "Once the army enters the city, quickly clear away the corpses of the Yan soldiers and count the number of people in the city according to the household registration of Sangyang City."
"yes!"
"The army is marching into the city!"
"May Heaven bless Daliang! May Heaven bless Sangyang!"
For more than three months, Sangyang City has fallen into the hands of the Yan people. More than half of the people of Daliang have died or been injured, and the survivors are mostly the elderly, women and children.
Although the Yan army spared their lives, they did not give them the dignity of being human. They were made slaves, servants, or used as food... This turned Sangyang City and even the entire Youzhou into a living hell.
Today, He Zheng replanted the Liang flag on the city wall and beheaded the enemy general, thus bringing the first sunrise to the long night in Sangyang City.
When the Liang army entered the city, the people who had been hiding for three months timidly walked out onto the streets. When they saw the armor worn by the soldiers and heard the familiar official language, many people knelt down tremblingly, tears streaming down their faces.
He Zheng entered the county government office surrounded by a crowd.
Jing Hong said in a low voice, "On the day the Northern Yan captured the city, the magistrate of Sangyang County refused to retreat an inch and refused to surrender to Yan. He was buried alive by the Yan general and died in the line of duty."
He Zheng paused, a chill running down his spine. Thinking of the magistrate of Sangyang County who had been buried alive by the Yan people, he suddenly felt that ending that man's life with a single blow had been too lenient.
Where is Liang Feng?
“He heard the news yesterday afternoon and has already fled to Baishi City in Northern Yan.”
He Zheng scoffed, "You're too scared to fight, but you're quick to run away."
The lieutenant frowned and asked, "Should we give chase?"
He Zheng shook his head and said, "Let's settle Sangyang City first, then we can talk about other things."
The city of Sangyang after the great battle can only be described as devastated. After three days of investigation, the list of survivors that his men submitted was shockingly thin, with less than one in ten remaining compared to the original household registration.
This city ended the war twenty-two years ago and had only enjoyed a few years of peace before this calamity struck. It will probably take another twenty years to restore people's livelihoods.
How many twenty-year periods does an ordinary person have in their lifetime?
Liang Feng deserves to die.
If he had even a fraction of the county magistrate's backbone, he could fight against Northern Yan for ten days—no, perhaps only five! If he could hold Sangyang for five days and wait for reinforcements from Youzhou to arrive, Northern Yan might not be able to invade Daliang's territory!
This person deserves to die a thousand deaths!
The commotion outside the courtyard interrupted his thoughts. He Zheng straightened his clothes, stood up, and strolled out, only to see a captain using his scabbard to drive away a thin young man.
"What's all the noise about?"
The captain was startled by the voice and quickly turned around to salute, "General."
He stepped aside to make way, allowing He Zheng's gaze to fall on the young man.
The boy wasn't short, but he had been starving for the past few months and was now skin and bones. His skin was dark yellow, his hair was messy, his clothes were torn in many places and stained with some kind of filth, and you could smell an indescribable odor from a distance.
"What happened?" he asked again.
The captain had no choice but to report the truth: "General, this man is Yunying, the son of the magistrate of Sangyang County. He is making a scene and wants to enter the inner quarters. I am doing my best to drive him away."
Yunying protested loudly, "This is my home! What right do you have to kick me out!"
The captain was speechless for a moment, then said sternly, "The county government office belongs to the public, how can it be the private property of your Yun family? Magistrate Yun has died in the line of duty, and the government office has changed hands. This is no longer your residence. Please leave immediately, young master!"
Yunying stared at him intently, then turned her intense gaze to He Zheng after a moment.
He sat down on the ground and burst into tears.
“My father is dead, my mother is dead, all of my Yun family members, young and old, more than ten people, are dead, and I am the only one left alive! Now I don’t even have a home anymore, where do you expect me, an orphan, to go? Father, Mother, take me away! Yunying doesn’t want to live anymore!”
After saying that, he crawled towards the captain on all fours, reaching out to snatch the sword from his waist. The captain was so frightened that he grabbed the hilt of the sword and retreated repeatedly.
"What are you doing?!"
"Let me die, let me go to see my parents!"
"Young master, can't you speak properly..."
"What more can I say, an orphan with no parents and no home!"
"well!"
The two pushed and argued, and He Zheng, unable to bear it any longer, shouted, "Let him in."
The two men, who were still vying for the right to use the horizontal sword, were both stunned for a moment.
“I said, let him in,” He Zheng repeated.
Yunying suddenly stood up and ran towards Hezheng, but forgot that she hadn't eaten enough for three months. She got up too quickly and suddenly everything went black before her eyes. She almost fell face down.
Fortunately, He Zheng reacted quickly and helped him up.
Once he had regained his footing, He Zheng immediately withdrew his hand and said in a deep voice, "I only conduct official business in the main hall and do not enter the inner quarters. Before the new magistrate takes office, you may continue to live in the inner courtyard of the county government office, but you must not set foot in front of the hall."
Yunying stared at him intently, "Then how do I get in and out of the mansion?"
He Zheng said, "There is a side gate in the inner courtyard."
Their gazes locked in a silent battle, and Yunying was the first to give in.
"I see."
Seeing him turn away in a huff, He Zheng turned to the captain and said, "Take some men and lock the main gate between the two courtyards."
Jing Hong followed He Zheng out of the government office. The road was desolate with few people around. He then spoke in a low voice, "Young master, since you were intentionally wary of that young master Yun, why did you let him into the county government office?"
He Zheng said, "That place originally belonged to him. If we drive him out as soon as we arrive, how are we any different from the Yan army?"
Jing Hong hesitated and said, "But Magistrate Yun is dead, and Young Master Yun will have to start his own household sooner or later. At this time, it might be better for him to adapt to a new life sooner."
He Zheng shook his head. "He hasn't recovered from the shock of losing his family. Let's give him some more time."
Jinghong sighed and said no more.
Under the blazing sun, the two of them, their shadows barely large, arrived at the granary. Before they even entered, they were hit by a pungent, burning smell, accompanied by plumes of thick smoke that seemed to rush towards them.
Seeing He Zheng's figure in the distance, the team leader jogged over.
"General, this morning some remnants of the Yan army attempted to burn down the granary, but fortunately we arrived in time and the fire has been extinguished. We are now taking stock of the remaining grain in the granary."
Sangyang City didn't have much grain left, and half of it was burned. He Zheng felt a pang of heartache upon hearing this.
"Order men to search the entire city of Sangyang again. If any remnants of the Yan army are found, execute them on the spot, leaving no one alive."
"yes."
…
On the twentieth day after the recapture of Sangyang City, the city gradually began to show signs of life. Food supplies were replenished, and the surviving people had been properly resettled.
Some people chose to leave Sangyang to stay with relatives and friends elsewhere, while others chose to return home and start a new life.
Widows who had lost their husbands and children adopted orphans from other families. As for the elderly who had lost all hope, soldiers often visited them to offer their condolences and help them clean the yard, chop wood, and cook.
Although the soldiers could not support the elderly for the rest of their lives, at least they could do what they could for them during the time the army was stationed in Sangyang.
After seeing off the strategist and deputy general, Jing Hong entered the room with a helpless expression and reported: "General, Yunying is lying on the door again."
He Zheng put down his pen, glanced at the sky, and reluctantly got up and walked towards the inner courtyard.
There was a gate between the front hall and the back courtyard of the county government office. The gate was very grand, with steps and eaves. At this moment, Yunying was sitting on the eaves, holding a lantern in her hand, gazing at the front hall in the distance.
He Zheng stopped five steps from the doorway, looked up, and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Yunying immediately patted the tiles on the eaves, raised her head and said proudly, "I didn't cross the line."
"I didn't say you crossed the line," He Zheng said helplessly. "I'm asking you what you're looking at every day when you climb up to the top of the eaves?"
Yunying looked at him for a long time before saying, "What can I do for you?"
He Zheng chuckled, "You don't need to do anything for us. I'll be grateful if you can just get out of this shadow and start a new life soon."
“But I don’t want to leave. I want revenge,” Yunying said calmly. “General He, I want to join the army. I want to personally kill the Yan army. I want to personally behead the traitor Liang Feng!”
This request was both expected and unexpected by He Zheng. Yun Ying's eyes burned with an inextinguishable fire, making his intentions impossible to ignore.
He Zheng looked him over again and asked, "How old are you?"
"Sixteen...thirteen."
"How big exactly?"
"Thirteen."
"Then why say sixteen?"
Yunying pursed her lips before saying, "You can join the army at sixteen."
He Zheng raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you change your mind?"
Yunying said, "You saved Sangyang City, I don't want to lie to you."
He Zheng laughed, "You can't fool me even if you try; it's all recorded in the household registration."
The boy remained silent and rolled his eyes at him.
He Zheng crossed his arms, pondered for a moment, and said, "If you really want to find something to do, you can go and help out in the logistics department."
Yunying was not satisfied with this arrangement and shook her head, saying, "I want to go into battle and kill the enemy."
He Zheng resolutely refused, "No." He didn't give him any room for negotiation.
Yunying cried out in surprise, "Why!"
He Zheng countered, "Have you ever practiced martial arts? Do you know how to use weapons? Can you carry armor?"
“I…” Yunying said, her neck stiff, “How do I know it won’t work if I haven’t even tried?”
He Zheng shrugged dismissively and said readily, "Okay, come down here, I'll let you try."
Just as Yunying was about to jump, she suddenly became alert and waited for him to say, "Are you deliberately trying to trick me? After I jump, you'll use the excuse that I've crossed the line to have someone throw me out!"
He Zheng said helplessly, "I'm making an exception for you today and allowing you to cross the line. I promise I won't lie to you."
"Swear it."
"I swear."
"..."
Yunying jumped down with some doubt, while He Zheng watched coldly, showing no intention of helping her up.
Sensing the reproachful look in the other person's eyes, He Zheng said frankly, "If you can't even get down from this height, there's no need to try again."
Yunying was speechless.
Seeing him standing unharmed in front of him, He Zheng turned around and pointed to the sandbag not far away, saying, "Carry that bag of sand and walk around the main hall three times."
Yunying was greatly shocked. What kind of trial method was this?
Seeing He Zheng's serious expression, which didn't seem like he was joking, he had no choice but to walk heavily toward the sandbag.
I tried to lift it, but I couldn't.
He tried his best not to look back at He Zheng's expression, gathered his strength again, and carried on once more.
This time, they took it on.
However, he had only taken two steps when he was pressed down so hard that he couldn't straighten up. He struggled in place for a while before his hands finally came free and the sandbag fell to the ground.
As if he had expected it, He Zheng came up behind him without saying a word.
Yunying gritted her teeth and said, "This is too heavy!"
He Zheng said, "The soldiers' full armor is heavier than this bag of sand. You can't even lift a sandbag, how can you support the armor?"
Yunying remained silent for a long time, then suddenly covered her mouth and nose with the back of her hand, turned around and ran away.
Jinghong, who had just entered, was nearly knocked over by him. Still shaken, he came to He Zheng's side, looked at his husband, then at Yunying who had disappeared into the distance, and hesitated before asking, "Was he crying?"
He Zheng didn't take it seriously. "Let him cry. He'll calm down in a couple of days. Given his background, studying hard is the right thing for him. Send him to Youzhou Academy tomorrow. Don't let his family misfortune ruin his studies."
It's hard to imagine that these words came from someone who has been skipping classes for years.
Jing Hong was filled with respect: "Young Master, you have great foresight. Young Master Yun will one day understand your good intentions."
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