novelAbuy Chapter 10 Xingzi Ridge
Chapter 10 Xingzi Ridge
Before the morning mist had dissipated, a convoy was already traveling on the arid dirt roads of northern Shaanxi.
The procession of over a hundred people stretched out for quite a while. Yang Chongwang led the way with several capable men, carrying a fish-head knife at his waist and watching the yellow slopes on both sides of the road ahead with a wary look in his eyes.
In the middle of the procession were several carts pulled by oxen and mules, loaded with sacks of grain, with a black iron pot used for stewing mutton tied to the side of each cart; behind them were villagers with their families, most of them looking hungry and walking unsteadily, but they were still able to keep up with the pace of the procession.
Li Chengye walked in the middle of the group, carrying the goose-feather saber on his shoulder. He frequently looked back at the elderly, women, and children in the group, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.
Of the hundred or so people who came out of the village, only about thirty were actually capable of fighting; the rest were the elderly, women, and children. Such a force, let alone resisting the government troops' encirclement and suppression, would probably not even be able to handle some bandits or outlaws encountered on the way.
"Brother Chengye, look ahead!" Li Chengen's voice came from the front, tinged with panic.
Li Chengye strode forward and looked in the direction he pointed. He saw that the mountain road ahead suddenly narrowed, and the earthen cliffs on both sides became even steeper. To make matters worse, the lead ox had been startled by something, its front hooves raised, and it was restless and refused to move, blocking the cars behind it.
"The mountain wind is blowing pebbles that hit the cow's ears, startling it." Old Qin caught up with him, leaning on his wooden stick, and immediately saw the cause. "This animal is domesticated and has never seen anything like this in the mountains. Just keep it calm."
After saying that, Master Qin took out a small piece of salt from his pocket, slowly squatted down in front of the ox, lowered his voice, gently stroked the ox's neck with one hand, and brought the salt to the ox's mouth with the other.
The ox, initially restless, gradually became attracted to the salt and began licking it, its breathing slowly calming down. Taking advantage of this, Master Qin waved, and Li Chengye, along with a few men, carefully moved the oxcart to the side of the road, clearing the way for other vehicles to pass.
"Master Qin, thank you so much for today." Li Chengye bowed and expressed his gratitude.
Master Qin waved his hand and sighed softly, "We've only been out of the village for less than a day, and the road ahead will be even more difficult. But what worries me is that the drought in northern Shaanxi has been severe in recent years, and the mountains are also suffering from drought. There are fewer wild animals, but more refugees and bandits. Carrying so much food on the road is like being a piece of fat meat; we're bound to attract unwanted attention."
Li Chengye nodded, having anticipated this. He turned to Yang Chongwang: "Brother Yang, could you please take a few men and walk a little further ahead, scout out the situation at any forks in the road? Also, have the brothers take turns guarding both sides of the group, making sure they are vigilant."
Yang Chongwang responded and immediately selected several nimble young men, including Zhu Yao and Shi Tou, who picked up their weapons and went forward.
"Master Qin, how long will it take us to get into the mountains?"
Master Qin squinted and calculated: "Tonight we can reach Xingzi Ridge, north of Shiguan Town, to rest. We should be able to enter the mountains by tomorrow evening. Once we're in the mountains, the roads will be difficult, but it will also be difficult for the government troops to catch up. There are many ravines in Huanglong Mountain; even those who know the way can get lost, while those who don't will be confused."
Just then, Zhu Yao, who had been scouting ahead, rushed back in a panic: "Brother Chengye! There are people on the road ahead!"
Everyone immediately tensed up, and the men grabbed their weapons.
Li Chengye gestured for everyone to remain calm and be vigilant.
He followed Zhu Yao forward to see what was going on.
When Li Chengye followed Zhu Yao to the place he said there were people, Yang Chongwang was there, but his expression was somewhat complicated.
What Li Chengye then saw stunned him.
There were indeed quite a few people on the road ahead.
But they were neither government soldiers nor highway robbers.
They were refugees.
The refugees who fled the village just like them, but whose situation was incomparable to theirs.
In the wasteland beside the official road, a dozen or so shacks were crookedly erected. Calling them shacks was a stretch; they were just triangular frames propped up with tree branches and tattered mats.
Dozens of people were sitting or lying outside the shed, all dressed in rags and emaciated.
Several children, naked, were digging in the dirt, as if searching for grass roots. These children were thin, like sticks of firewood, but their bellies were very large.
Li Chengye knew that this was due to ascites and bloating caused by prolonged famine, and that the children's condition was so severe that it would be difficult to save them.
After confirming that these people posed no threat to them.
Li Chengye instructed Zhu Yao to tell the team to continue advancing.
He waited where he was.
When their group appeared before these refugees.
The refugees slowly crawled out of their shacks, not panicking, but rather as if they had regained some energy, and got up to surround the vehicles.
An old man, who seemed to be their leader, bowed to them shakily.
"Please, gentlemen, have mercy and give me something to eat. I haven't eaten for days."
Li Chengye's throat tightened slightly.
He saw the shadow of Lao Du in the old man's eyes.
There were whispers among the group. Clearly, no one wanted to share their food with them.
Li Chengye was silent for a moment, then turned to the person next to him and said, "Go, get a bag of millet from the car."
Yang Chongwang, who was standing next to him, pulled him aside and said in a low voice, "Chengye, we're not bodhisattvas. This little bit of food was earned by our brothers with their lives. We're about to go to Huanglong Mountain ourselves, and we don't know what the situation will be like, or whether we'll have enough food."
Li Chengye looked at Yang Chongwang and said, "Just give him one bag, just to put your mind at ease. Otherwise, what's the difference between you and Zhao Shouren?"
Yang Chongwang opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything more.
Each bag of rice weighed about fifty or sixty jin (approximately 25-30 kg). Li Chengye arranged the order and distributed some to each of them.
Let them pour it into the broken bowls and jars they cobbled together and boil it.
Li Chengye took a sesame seed cake from the car and handed it to the old man who had been bowing earlier.
"Sir, where are you from?"
"Suide, from Suide." The old man sobbed as he wolfed down the sesame seed cake.
Li Chengye gave him his water pouch, afraid that he might choke to death if he ate too quickly.
"It hasn't rained for three years, and the seedlings in the fields have all withered from drought. Now the taxes are heavy, and we simply can't afford to pay them. So the village head led people to demolish the houses. With no other way to make a living, we had no choice but to head south. We heard that we could beg for steamed buns in Xi'an Prefecture, so we came here."
Xi'an Prefecture, located in Guanzhong, is now severely affected by soil erosion, and there is a huge gap between it and the Guanzhong granary of the Qin and Han dynasties. However, compared with the drought-stricken land of northern Shaanxi, it is simply a "land of abundance" with favorable weather.
Whenever there was a famine in northern Shaanxi, people would flee to Guanzhong. Li Chengye had heard his father say that there was steamed buns to eat in Guanzhong.
Suide is located north of Baishui County, at least 300 li away from here.
These people have been begging all the way here, and they've been hungry all the way. They're really very resilient.
"Are you still planning to go to Xi'an? You might not make it there."
"Let's just go wherever we end up."
The old man's words made Li Chengye feel uneasy; he wasn't sure if he would end up like the old man.
At this moment, a young man squatting by the shack raised his head and stared straight at Li Chengye.
"Sir, where are you headed with weapons and provisions?"
The young man was probably in his early twenties. Although he was thin with prominent cheekbones, he had a large frame. He also had a scar on his face, suggesting he had served in the military.
Li Chengye said calmly, "Going into the mountains is also a way to make a living."
The young man's eyes lit up, and he struggled to his feet.
"Take me with you. I used to be a border soldier. I can work hard and I can kill people."
Li Chengye and Yang Chongwang exchanged a glance.
"What's your name? Why did you leave the army?"
"My name is Han Sanhu. The imperial court owed us two years' worth of wages, and we couldn't survive anymore, so my brothers and I staged a wage riot. Later, the authorities wanted to suppress it, so I escaped." Han Sanhu gritted his teeth. "When I got home, my parents had starved to death, and we had lost our land, so I had no choice but to go with everyone else."
Yang Chongwang stepped forward and carefully examined him: "Which battalion are you in? Which watchtower are you guarding?"
"The Right Battalion of Yulin Guard is guarding Yezhumao Mound," Han Sanhu answered fluently, even mentioning a few jargon terms used by the border troops.
"Hold out your hand, let me see."
Then Yang Chongwang carefully examined Han Sanhu's outstretched palm.
Yang Chongwang nodded and whispered to Li Chengye, "It's true. Yezhu Maodun is twenty li east of Zhenbeitai. I've been there. Take him in."
Clearly, Yang Chongwang had developed a fondness for talent.
According to him, Han Sanhu's right index and ring fingers had large knuckles, which he had developed through years of practicing archery. He was a veteran archer.
They had previously found two bows in Zhao Shouren's house: a hard bow weighing sixty jin and a soft bow weighing thirty jin.
According to surviving servants of the Zhao family, this was used by Zhao Deming, the eldest son of the Zhao family, when he practiced archery. He used a hard bow for foot shooting and a soft bow for mounted shooting.
When Yang Chongwang was in Jian'an Fort, he mainly used bows and arrows to defend the city. He could hit the target seven times out of ten from fifty paces away. It wasn't because he had any special talent, but simply because he was skilled through practice.
He used the stiff bow, and then recruited another archer, so that he could use both bows.
Li Chengye wanted to let Han Sanhu show off his skills and see how good he was.
But Han Sanhu looked ashamed.
"Sir, I haven't had a proper meal in over a month, and I can't draw the bow now."
Li Chengye looked at his arm, which was a little thicker than a hemp stick, and cursed himself for being foolish.
Then, he listened to Yang Chongwang's words and agreed to take him into the team. It was just one more person to feed, which they could manage.
Unexpectedly, after taking in Han Sanhu, the other refugees also surrounded him, crying and begging Li Chengye to take them in.
But we really can't accept it.
Li Chengye and his group went to Huanglong Mountain with the intention of hiding from government troops. Once inside the mountain, it was easy for them to move around with their own people and vehicles. Adding Han Sanhu wouldn't be a big deal, but any more people would be too much.
After resting, Li Chengye and his group continued on their way. Some of the refugees wanted to follow them, but they soon fell behind.
Seeing some of the refugees who couldn't keep up with them lying on the ground crying, many people in the group turned their heads away.
Qin, who was walking in front, spoke up.
"Everyone has their own destiny. The bag of rice we gave them was more than enough. If we really want to save them completely, we'd have to be the emperor."
"Even if the emperor truly wanted to save the people, he couldn't save the Ming Dynasty now."
Li Chengye, who was walking in front, couldn't help but chime in after hearing what Master Qin said.
Master Qin was somewhat puzzled: "Is there anything in this world that even an emperor can't accomplish?"
"Emperors are not God, nor can they conjure up food out of thin air for people to eat."
"Zhao Shouren's family clearly had grain; if he had taken it out voluntarily, it would have been enough for the whole village to get through this year's crisis. But he was unwilling to do so, and instead took advantage of the disaster to seize the land."
"In years of famine, there is no shortage of food, only a lack of fairness. If the gentry and gentlemen like Zhao Shouren had been willing to open their granaries and distribute grain back then, there would be no famine victims in our village this year, and we wouldn't have cut off his head."
Yang Chongwang shook his head upon hearing this: "It's easy for you to say, but what landlord would voluntarily give away their own grain to us poor people?"
"Yes, that's not true. Even if the emperor issued an imperial edict ordering them to do it, they wouldn't. That's why I said the emperor can't save them."
"Besides, the emperor wouldn't issue such an edict. Back then, Emperor Wuzong only went beyond the Great Wall to fight a war, ignored the ministers, and took away military power before dying young. This empire is nominally the emperor's, but in reality, it belongs to those gentry and landlords. That's why I say the Ming Dynasty is beyond saving."
"The landlords and gentry each have their own agendas, and none of them will listen to the government or the emperor. If the drought doesn't end, the situation will only get worse, and there will be more and more people like us."
The conversation fell silent.
As they walked into the afternoon, they rounded an abandoned earthen walled village. Master Qin pointed to a undulating mountain range to the north: "That's Xingzi Ridge. There's a dilapidated temple at the foot of the ridge; we'll spend the night there."
Xingzi Ridge is not high, but its terrain is treacherous. The road cuts through the ridge, with steep earthen cliffs on both sides. The dilapidated temple sits on an earthen platform beside the road. It has long since lost its incense, and its doors and windows are gone, leaving only a main hall that can barely provide shelter from the wind and rain.
The group stopped in the open space in front of the temple and began to settle in. The women gathered firewood and boiled water, while the men cleaned up the debris inside the temple.
Upon entering the temple, Li Chengye realized that it should be called a Taoist temple. Although the statues enshrined in the main hall had faded and weathered, they could still be vaguely discerned as the image of a Taoist priest.
Then, Master Qin led Yang Chongwang, Han Sanhu, and Li Chengye to the highest point of Xingzi Ridge and looked north.
As the sun sets, its afterglow paints the rolling loess hills a dark gold. To the north, a deep blue mountain range rises majestically – that is Huanglong Mountain.
"We'll be at the foot of the mountain by tomorrow afternoon." Qin Ye pointed to a faintly visible path. "Go into that ravine, and that's the road into the mountain. There are many forks in the road, so we have to keep a close eye on the group. If we get lost, we won't be able to find it again."
Han Sanhu suddenly spoke up: "Chief Li, Chief Yang, there's something I need to tell you." His expression was serious. "The day before yesterday, I heard from some people who fled from Chengcheng County that Wang Er might be released in the next couple of days."
Wang Er was from Baishui County. In April, he killed officials and rebelled in Chengcheng County, directly capturing the county seat. The government could not stop him and could only watch as he gathered refugees and grew stronger in Chengcheng.
It has been almost two months now.
Han Sanhu continued, "The two who escaped said that the food supply in Chengcheng County is almost exhausted. These past few days, due to the uneven distribution of food, there have been daily fights and deaths. I heard that Wang Er is from Baishui County. I think he might be coming to Baishui County."
"This is important news."
Ever since Wang Er killed the official and rebelled, rumors about him have been endless.
Wang Er was born in Sanli Village, which is 30 li away from Qingshi Village.
Li Chengye had heard of this man before; he was known for his extraordinary strength, his willingness to stand up for the weak, and his reputation as a chivalrous figure in the village.
When the group came down from Xingzi Ridge, the meal was already prepared at the campsite.
Master Qin respectfully cleaned the offering table in front of the statue and offered sacrifices.
I put my hands together and silently prayed for blessings.