CH 31

Ch31 - Invasion

“General, the Wang brothers have agreed to help! Our men can descend the mountain anytime!” Ah-Yan, who’d hurried back to the mountain stronghold that very night, said excitedly to his boss.

He was one of the Qingyang Stronghold’s plants, pretending to be a peddler so as to disguise his identity and freely shuttle back and forth between villages. If he caught wind of a merchant caravan anywhere, he’d immediately report back to the stronghold. General Zhang had come up with the idea; it was one of the reasons their stronghold had grown mightier over the years. If not for their cunning and ferocity, they wouldn’t’ve been able to take over such a huge mountain.

Zhang Hun chuckled at the old man sitting beside him, “It seems you were right after all, advisor.”

The Qingyang Stronghold had changed quite a bit in the last few days. Now not only had a bunch of lackeys gotten titles like general, or lieutenant, but they’d gotten a military advisor and started hanging up flags everywhere. Those were all ideas that Tian Chang had come up with to make himself seem useful to the bandits. An old man like him couldn’t run around hacking people with machetes anymore, so he had to rely on “strategy” to prove his worth.

Tian Chang realized now, that someone like him would only be looked down on if he found a noble family to cling to. It’d be better to bolster his status among the outlaws, which is why toppling the Liang Estate was extremely important for him.

He cleared his throat and said, “I came up with these plans all for the sake of our comrades. The most valuable thing in the Liang Estate is the land. If we take the estate, we’ll have fertile fields, women, and servants. If we don’t, we won’t be able to feed all these people and horses.”

These bandits had been robbing refugees more frequently than usual, likely because they were having trouble making ends meet. They needed fields and the people to plant them; they needed merchants to make money in their name.

General Zhang grinned, “That’s true – if your two coconspirators are reliable. If not, we’ll just have to burn them!”

He couldn’t count on a ruffian like him to stick to a plan. Still, Tian Chang had some confidence. Liang Feng, with his new personality, really might send his troops out to fight instead of turtling up in the main residence. The moment those greenhorns came out from the walls, the bandits would butcher them.

Tian Chang harumphed coldly, “Rest assured, general. All they have to do is let people into the estate; the Wang brothers are daring enough for that. Still, general, you must take care to send some competent people. Don’t let them kill that Liang Feng by accident!”

He’d be getting off too lightly if he died without knowing why. Tian Chang was already determined to let that Liang fellow have a taste of what it was like to be ruined and destitute, to have his family wrenched apart!

General Zhang laughed and pounded Tian Chang’s shoulder, “You worry too much, advisor! How could my subordinates fail to capture a sickly weakling? Underlings, arrange a banquet; we’ll feast tonight and move out tomorrow!”

The bandits cheered uproariously. Tian Chang stroked his beard. If he couldn’t be a faithful subject, then he’d be a wicked schemer. Hadn’t Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe, of the previous dynasty done the same? Sworn fealty to a number of lords before his luck finally turned around? That was what it meant to live in chaotic times!

Then, he remembered something and added, “Don’t forget to seal the main roads to the Liang Estate, general. We’ll lose the advantage if we’re discovered too soon…”

“I know that! Come, come, have some wine, advisor. We’re getting drunk tonight!”

Tian Chang’s mouth opened and closed the bandits began to get rowdy. He decided not to say anything after all. These bandits were tough, that was for sure. They’d ravaged countless villages already – they didn’t need him to stick his nose in where it didn’t belong. Tian Chang smiled as someone handed him a winecup. He took a small sip; it was sour and turbid, far inferior to the Liang Estate’s wine. Still, when he thought of how Liang Feng would disgrace himself as he kneeled and begged for his life, the shoddy wine wasn’t so difficult to swallow anymore.

※

“How strange, the messenger should’ve arrived already. How come he’s late?” Jiang Da mumbled to himself as he gazed out the window.

A letter sent from the Liang Estate should only take two days to reach Tongdi; even if it went onwards to Jinyang, it’d get there in another three or four days. But it’d been half a month already, and the messenger hadn’t returned. Had he been delayed?

Jiang Da couldn’t help feeling anxious. He’d been busy recently in the Liang Estate. Aside from checking up on Liang Feng and performing acupuncture on him, he’d also gotten some lime and started making limewater. Limewater heated up as it was mixed; when it came into contact with skin, it’d make it redden and blister as if it’d been burned. Its effects were more intense than he had anticipated. And, limewater couldn’t be preserved. After at most two days, it’d be no different from plain well water. It had to be used immediately after it was made.

At Liang Feng’s suggestion, he’d mixed limewater solutions with different ratios of lime to water, then poured it on a few bug-infested locations and observed its insecticidal properties. Once he got the most ideal ratio, he’d teach regular people how to mix it themselves.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Aside from limewater, there were also “facemasks.”

Aljcu Gj qlmxfv eq j qlfmf bo mibat ogbw atf ajyif jcv ragfamtfv la bea oija. Pa kjr rbwfktja rwjii, kbnfc bea bo rlix jcv tfwq, jcv tjv akb atlc raglcur atja mbeiv yf tecu bnfg atf fjgr. Qfjglcu la ofia j yla raeoos, yea ja ifjra la kjr rlwqif jcv fjrs ab wjxf. Cmmbgvlcu ab Oljcu Mfcu, la tjv ab yf rafjwfv yfobgf fjmt erf lc bgvfg ab xlii atf yiluta. Pa mbeiv qgbnlvf rbwf qgbafmalbc jujlcra rlmxcfrrfr atja rqgfjv atgbeut wemer jcv rjilnj.

It might not seem like much to ordinary people, but it was a different story for doctors, who still had to visit patients, and for laborers, who had to transport and bury the dead. If it was effective, it’d benefit countless people. He had to send it to his grandfather as soon as possible.

As to the instructions to boil water before drinking it and to wash hands before eating, Jiang Da had no objections, of course. Those were all long-established customs of wealthy, powerful families. There must’ve been more to those customs than mere fussiness and ostentatiousness for them to have become so important. Just like how the imperial palace used white ash to plaster the walls, or how the empress resided in separate apartments. Nobles probably did many of these things already without knowing why.

Liang Zixi just happened to poke a hole through the window paper. It was no longer important that Buddha had entered his dream; it was important to make sure that people had this knowledge so that the spread of disease could be controlled.

Jiang Da looked out the window again and shook his head, wondering when the messenger would get back…

※

“Achoo!” Leaning on the wooden railing, Xunji sneezed loudly, then shrank his neck. Even though it’d gotten much warmer, the winds up on the watchtower were still chilly. Without anyone to even talk to, he was rather lonely.

When the militia was first established, he’d tried his hardest to join. But due to his limp, he’d been forced to stop after a few days. Still, because he was hardworking and his eyesight was decent, he’d managed to snag a position as a watchtower sentry. Every day, he’d switch shifts with the other sentry and watch for enemies coming from afar.

Truth be told, the job was pretty boring. Even though the view was great, the only things that went on beneath him were either training or farming. It was nothing interesting, once you saw it every day. But with his leg problem, lookout duty was still better than having to go and plant fields.

He craned his neck and took a look at the barracks below. The crowd of soldiers was already getting into formation. They could stand around for two hours at a time. He hadn’t the slightest idea what the point was. Going by routine, they’d probably doing spear drills later. All those rows and rows of spears stabbing out did look quite impressive.

Xunji yawned, then looked into the distance. There were silhouettes out in the farmlands doing farmwork. The estate had just gotten a new set of chain pumps. Those serfs sure were driven; they busied about watering the fields bucket after bucket. A wisp of black smoke puffed up from the clayworks. The woodworks had built a shed downstream. People came and went, doing who knew what. The sight filled him with a sense of serenity; enough to make even those days of desperate wandering become blurry in his memory.

Being bought by the master must’ve been the luckiest thing that’d ever happened to him. Xunji couldn’t help smiling like an idiot. Keeping guard on the watchtower was about all a half cripple like him was good for, but he didn’t worry for food or shelter – that was all that most people ever hoped for. If someday Yiyan soared up the ranks, perhaps he might benefit by association too?

Just as he was daydreaming, he saw a wisp of smoke rising up from a faraway mountain. Xunji looked at it confusedly for a moment, then tensed up abruptly. He grabbed the railing, “Mount… mountain bandits!”

※

“Master, starting tomorrow, we’ll be distributing seeds. Those few stones of high-quality seeds are enough for the soldier’s fields, but there were quite a few households who got a tax exemption this year, so the grains we collect might not compare to previous years,” ah-Liang said worriedly as he looked over the accounts. No matter how he calculated, their income wouldn’t cover their expenses; things didn’t look good!

“We won’t be selling any grain this year, same for the orchard and fishery. Raise a few more hens, so we’ll have more meat and eggs,” Liang Feng said dispassionately as he drew a few more brushstrokes on the paper in front of him.

“But then we won’t have any money going in the accounts this year!” Ah-Liang said restlessly.

“There’s still a hundred and ninety thousand on the accounts. It’s enough to cover daily expenses. We absolutely cannot touch the estate’s output anymore. Once the summer harvest season is over and grain prices fall again, we’ll buy some more foodstuffs so that we have an emergency stockpile.” Liang Feng wasn’t stupid; in uncertain times, food was far more valuable than money. Filling up their warehouses – that was the most correct thing to do. As for the rest, the Liang Estate could supply itself. That was the best part of his estate’s economy. Once they shut their gates, they were a mini-society in and of itself.

Ah-Liang’s mouth opened and closed, but he had nothing to say. The Liang Estate’s greatest expense was indeed the master and his son. If the master decided to economize on food and clothing, they’d save a very substantial sum.

Now, the woodworks were in the middle of crafting chain pumps; they were useful for fighting drought, so their summer harvest shouldn’t be a total bust. Many people had gotten tax exemption, and of those who hadn’t, many of them were working the low-tax fields issued to the militia. If everything went as expected, the entire estate would live more comfortably than they ever had before. He could hardly dare to dream that they could be so well-off during a time of drought.

And yet, for the sake of the militia, the master had to pinch his pennies. As his servant, ah-Liang couldn’t help feeling regretful for his master, and at the same time, grateful to his master. He didn’t even know how to express it.

Liang Feng put brush to paper once more, “Right now, the militia consumes about two hundred stone of foodstuffs, right?”

One stone was about sixty kilograms. If you accounted for the weight of chaff, then only half of it was actually edible. Since they lacked oil and salt, everyone had to eat about a kilogram of food each day in order to make up for their caloric expenditure. And didn’t that add up to two hundred stone a year? When grain prices were high, a stone’s worth could cost hundreds of coins. If he didn’t think of a way to make money and buy food, he and his lot really would be supping on the northwestern winds.

Ah-Liang hurriedly answered, “Actually, if we get some coarse cereals, we can save a bit more. But the cost of pickled vegetables, eggs, fish, etc., is rather large, and the taxes aren’t going to cover it.”

Standardized equipment, good weapons, sturdy armor – building an army really wasn’t something just anyone could do. Liang Feng sighed internally; still, the investment was absolutely worth it. He could only hope that the paperworks’ and clayworks’ new projects might be completed soon. He wondered whether he’d be able to recoup his costs by the autumn harvest…

He made another note on the paper and said, “We’ll also need to buy more cattle and sheep. The cattle can plough fields, and the sheep can provide meat and leather. The grasses here are plentiful; even children can herd livestock. It can supplement our income to some extent.”

“There’s a lot of Xiongnu in Bing Province, so cattle and sheep aren’t too expensive,” ah-Liang nodded along.

“Alright, as long as we take drought-prevention measures and guarantee the summer harvest, the estate can still manage to support itself…”

Just as he was speaking, he heard the sound of frantic ringing coming from afar. It was the watchtower’s alarm bell!

Liang Feng abruptly stood, “Warning alarm!”

“But how! The Liang Estate hasn’t encountered bandits for over twenty years….” Ah-Liang’s voice began to tremble, “Could it be that the sentry made a mistake?”

But right after the words left his mouth, a servant dashed in and gasped, “Master! Master! There’s warning from the watchtower, we’re being attacked by mountain bandits! Over… over a hundred people!”

“What!” The shock made Lüzhu weak in the knees. Over a hundred mountain bandits? How would they be able to resist?!

Liang Feng declared sternly, “Ah-Liang, hurry to the farmlands; tell the serfs they mustn’t panic. Marshal the young and healthy to take up weapons and gather together, to defend against enemy attack. Lüzhu, go retrieve a red robe, the brighter the better!”

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he sprinted to the watchtower.

※

An ear-piercing ringing echoed throughout the estate. Yiyan’s eyes snapped up towards the watchtower. His lord had arranged the watchtower sentries himself, this signal meant that there were enemies attacking the estate!

After the soldiers gradually discerned the direction that the ringing was coming from, they instantly descended into confusion and disorder. Who could’ve thought that they’d be attacked at a time like this? Did that mean they had to enter the battlefield?!

Yiyan turned and yelled, “What’re you afraid of?! Isn’t this what you trained for?! Everyone, ready your spears and form up!”

They’d practiced this basic battle formation for over a month now. The soldiers reflexively got into formation, and not long after, they were in four rows. Their formation may have been thin, but once everyone was squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder with each other, the fear in their hearts faded away. Most of them gripped their spears and settled their nerves.

Seeing this, Yiyan briskly climbed up the short makeshift watchtower next to the barracks and looked from on high. He saw dust roiling on the road as a group of mountain bandits sauntered towards the Liang Estate. Their numbers were many, perhaps about a hundred. If they got past the walls, they’d instantly disperse and descend upon the farmlands. Then, both the farmsteads and workshops would be robbed clean. However, if they fought the enemy and lost, his lord would become defenseless. The inner courtyard’s high walls would be useless against the bandits with no one to guard them!

If he returned to ask instruction from his lord, he would surely lose the opportunity to carry out an active defense. But if he chose wrongly, the estate would incur even heavier losses. Did he take his squadron to attack enemies that far outnumbered them, or entrench themselves within the main residence to protect his lord? Yiyan’s teeth ground together. He wanted to fight; he wanted to crush those brazen, presumptuous thieves and defend his lord’s land. But what if his lord didn’t allow it? What if he failed?

Yiyan turned and looked once more to the watchtower. It was an entirely unconscious action, but upon closer look, his eyes widened and he clenched his fist. At some time, the bells had stopped already; smothering the air in silence. A tall, thin figure stood firm atop the tower, his robes red as a raging inferno. He raised his hand and pointed straight toward the gates!

His lord wanted him to go to battle! Yiyan leaped off the watchtower and roared, “We’re being attacked! Follow me to face the enemy and protect the estate!”

There was another rumble of disquiet in the ranks, but Yiyan had already slung his bow over his back and picked up his spear. He castigated, “Behind you are your fields, and the flesh and blood of your family! If you don’t want to lose it all, then after me, to battle!”

His resounding words immediately put a stop to their fretful unrest. The four team leaders, reading the situation, began to shout as well, “To battle!”

“To battle! To battle!”

Their battle cries shook the earth. They finally had their own land, and enough to eat and wear; this peaceful life was hard to come by. They didn’t want to lose it. They wouldn’t let anyone steal it from them!

The formation began to move, striding forth towards the low walls encircling the estate!

He understood! Liang Feng huffed out a breath of relief. Yiyan had understood!

Liang Feng’s mad dash had practically drained him dry. Sweat dripped down his body like rain as he leaned against the railing, only barely managing to stay on his feet. But his eyes didn’t miss a thing. He could see the horde of bandits idling closer, the neat rows of the Liang Estate’s soldiers. Of course being outnumbered five to one was terrifying, but he couldn’t allow these thugs to lay waste to all his work.

To be a soldier was to protect one’s home and country, no matter the enemy, no matter the peril!

It was only a pity that he hadn’t been fully prepared for this battle. His new soldiers didn’t have anything but the spears in their hands, no armor, no sabers, no shields. Could a force like this really come out victorious over a pack of ravenous, beastly mountain bandits?

Liang Feng lowered his arm, then said suddenly to the sentry behind him, “Get a drum!”

Xunji was already scared out of his wits; he made a sound of confusion.

“Hurry!” Liang Feng pressed; he hadn’t the energy to waste words.

Xunji finally reacted. He dragged his lame leg as he scrambled down the watchtower. Liang Feng turned and looked down towards the courtyard beneath his feet. A number of servants and maids had assembled there already. He’d cut back on the main residence’s staff a number of times, but they were still numerous.

Liang Feng ordered, “Men, take up a weapon and defend the turrets at the main gates. Women, prepare boiling water and firewood in case the worst happens! The militia has already marched forth into battle to protect us; I will remain here, to live or die with the estate!”

Only then did the people who’d been hoping that the militia would return to defend the main residence remember all the farmsteads behind them. They were all serfs of the estate, they all had friends and family out there. Plus, the drought hadn’t ended yet. If their fields were ruined, how would they live?

A few of the servants clenched their jaws and bound for the turrets. The more courageous women began to take action as well. They were still afraid, but when they saw their beautiful, frail, master standing strong on the watchtower, directing the soldiers to protect the estate, their hysterical fear wasn’t so overwhelming anymore. As long as the master was there, they wouldn’t be abandoned!

Liang Feng turned and said to Lüzhu, who was still quivering, “Lüzhu, you can withdraw now.”

At first, she’d rushed over together with Liang Feng. But, as she’d never encountered this kind of situation before, she’d been shaking in her boots the whole time, almost unable to stay upright. Yet Lüzhu shook her head determinedly, “I’ll stay wherever you stay, master!”

This time, though, she didn’t cry.

Liang Feng glanced at her and said nothing more. He cast his gaze afar; the mountain bandits were even nearer now. Would his fresh recruits successfully defend the gates? How would Yiyan conduct the battle?