novelAbuy Chapter 125, Part 3: The Song of the Year at the Foot of the Tsurugaoka Hill
Chapter 125, Part 3: The Song of the Year at the Foot of the Tsurugaoka Hill
Luzhou.
"Sister Xuan, Brother Liang, do you know? The place where we are standing is where Emperor Xuanzong of Tang once lived."
Gao Huaide, in a mysterious manner, explained the rumors he had heard to his older sister and younger brother.
When Li Longji was a prince, he held the official titles of Prince of Linzi and Vice Minister of the Imperial Guard, and concurrently served as the Prefect of Luzhou, where he governed for nearly three years. At that time, he resided in this government office located on a high hill at the northern end of Po Street.
The magnificent government office housed a pavilion called Defeng Pavilion, and to the west of the pavilion was a carriage road that connected to a building called the Flower Viewing and Dressing Pavilion.
After Li Longji ascended the throne, he renamed his former residence the Feilong Palace and added buildings such as the Shengrui Nunnery and Wangyun Pavilion. As a result, the Luzhou government office was far more grand than ordinary local government offices, resembling an imperial palace.
"His title before he ascended the throne was also Prince of Lu."
"Maybe this place really does have dragon energy," Gao Huaide thought to himself.
On either side of the main gate of the government office, the bell and drum towers stand tall and straight, named "Wind Chaser" and "Cloud Movement". Climbing the towers, one can see the entire city at a glance.
The three siblings were standing on the bell and drum tower of "Yun Dong" at that moment, enjoying the view and chatting.
"The Eight Scenic Spots of Luzhou are: the Divine Head Smoke Tree, the Ge Well Cold Spring, the Lu Doctor's Verdant Layers, the West Flowing Evening Crossing, the Heavenly Tomb Phoenix Cry, the Crouching Ox on the Mountain, the Wei Zi's Gentle Breeze, and the Shadowless Hill."
Gao Huaide introduced the famous attractions of the state as if they were his own family. Every time he moved to a new place, he would discover local scenic spots and act as a tour guide for his older sister and younger brother, a task he never tired of.
Gao Huaixuan was worried about her father and had no mind to enjoy the scenery. She frowned slightly and said, "Father left a letter saying that if the capital and Hebei send reinforcements, the troops from both places will definitely pass through Luzhou. Therefore, he specially left a team of soldiers and ordered you to report any news in time. Don't take it lightly."
Military and political affairs in Luzhou were handled by officials at all levels; entrusting them to Gao Huaide would only be a hindrance. However, Gao Xingzhou knew his son's temperament very well. If he didn't find something for him to do, it was easy to imagine that he would idle away his days and waste precious time. Therefore, he arranged a task for him.
"Hey, the military has its own channels for transmitting messages, I don't need to worry about it."
Gao Huaide knew that his father had put him in charge of the so-called intelligence communication, but it was just a backup plan.
Even more outrageous, by comparing two messages from different sources, the father could tell whether he had done his job diligently or was slacking off.
How could you be so distrustful of me? Humph.
Gao Huailiang, mature beyond his years, comforted his sister, saying, "Sister Xuan, don't worry too much. The imperial court has the upper hand, and the generals are seasoned veterans. Once the reinforcements arrive, we will surely be able to quell the rebellion."
Hearing his younger brother say this, Gao Huaide felt depressed: if his father returned in triumph soon, wouldn't his carefree days be over?
He couldn't distinguish the importance of the matter, and felt that, in this case, the battle should be dragged on for a while longer.
"Brother, any news lately?"
"No, there's no sound at all."
Gao Huaide stretched and said, "Ever since that great victory in mid-August, there hasn't been a single interesting military report. It's so boring."
"So what are you busy with all day wandering around?"
"To investigate the local customs and seek out wise men."
"I think they're checking out the food and visiting the tourist attractions."
"Haha, just doing it along the way."
Gao Huaide was not ashamed at all that his lie had been exposed. Instead, he invited Gao Huaixuan and Gao Huailiang to go on a trip to relax.
"There's a hill about ten miles north of the city. It's said there's a temple on the top of the hill dedicated to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. How about we go check it out?"
Unexpectedly, he misjudged the situation this time.
Upon arriving at the place, one sees three hills stretching horizontally from east to west, covering an area of over twenty li and several tens of zhang in height. Compared to the majestic Taihang Mountains in the distance, they seem to disgrace the word "mountain."
"Perhaps there's a scenic view up there that's worth seeing?"
Gao Huaide chuckled a few times and quickly climbed the highest hill.
Unfortunately, there are no temples here; it's just an ordinary, barren hill overgrown with weeds and shrubs.
Gao Huaide looked around but found nothing of note, which made him feel rather bored. Suddenly, he saw several people in the distance who seemed to be performing a ritual. He hurried over to see what was going on.
"Heroes rose up on the Shatuo, but what could they do against the tyrannical rule of the Zhu Liang? They could not save the Tang dynasty with one hand, while Liancheng still held the mountains and rivers of Jin."
Ok?
Before even reaching them, the song could be heard, and the lyrics were truly extraordinary. (Note 1)
The person reciting had an old voice. Gao Huaide stopped to look at them. The leader was an old man and two boys, followed by several servants.
The old man held two solid pieces of hardwood, tapping them to keep time as he continued singing.
"Under the banners of war, a remarkable son remains; before the drums and horns, many tears flow from the old man's eyes. The desolate road beneath the Three-Hanging Ridge still echoes with songs sung for a hundred years."
Gao Huaide was quite knowledgeable about music and could tell that the song was about the helplessness and desolation of a hero in his twilight years. Accompanied by the mournful sound of the autumn wind, the song conveyed a sense of sorrow and vicissitude amidst its heroic spirit.
After the old man finished singing, he threw down the hardwood and fell silent.
Gao Huaide waited a while, then stepped forward, bowed deeply, and asked in a friendly manner, "Old man, who are you worshipping here?"
The old man, who was around seventy years old, was still very energetic. After a brief look, he recognized that Gao Huaide and his party were also sons of officials.
"I am Li Renrang, and my ancestors were from the Li family of Longxi. They once served as the commander of the local fortresses in this dynasty. The father of my two grandsons also rose to the rank of Grand Commandant. Unfortunately, he died in battle eight years ago while fighting against the Khitan army during the campaign against the King of Dingzhou. Today, I have come to pay my respects to him."
Gao Huaide's expression immediately betrayed his true feelings after hearing his father recount the battle, and Li Renrang, being worldly-wise, noticed it instantly.
"So, young master, you've heard of the Battle of Dingzhou to quell the rebellion?"
"Yes, my father also participated in that battle; he was a member of the Dragon Martial Left Army."
Gao Huaide thought to himself that he had not been bragging. At that time, Gao Xingzhou and Fu Yanqing commanded the left and right armies of Longwu respectively, which were the main force in defeating the enemy.
"Oh, so you're a comrade-in-arms of my deceased son."
Li Renrang had no doubt that being able to correctly name the unit's troop number meant it couldn't be faked.
"The Left Army of Longwu is under the command of General Gao Xingzhou. I heard that he was transferred to this prefecture as commander, but he was busy with military affairs and rushed to the front line in Taiyuan. I have never had the chance to meet him in person."
"Chou'er, Yun'er, come here and greet this young friend."
The old man's two grandsons, the elder being a young man in his early twenties named Chu Chou, and the younger seventeen years old named Chu Yun. (Note 2)
Gao Huaide then asked if there were any historical anecdotes about the place.
Upon hearing this question, Li Renrang appeared somewhat dazed, as if lost in memories of the past. He answered after a long while, but his answer seemed irrelevant to the question.
"When Emperor Wu held this banquet here, I was just a young man in my twenties. Forty-six years have passed in the blink of an eye, and only now do I understand Emperor Wu's state of mind at that time."
Li Renrang sighed deeply.
"His Majesty Emperor Zhuangzong rose to fame in this battle, fulfilling the late emperor's three-arrow curse. Ten years have passed since then. As a young man, I have thought it best to bury his bones here."
"Young master, you're not a local, are you? Did you come to Luzhou with your father?"
Since Gao Huaide said that his father was Gao Xingzhou's subordinate, it is reasonable for Li Renrang to make such a guess.
Gao Huaide gave a vague reply, and then the old man sighed.
"This is Mitsurugaoka!"
……
In the first year of the Da Shun era, Li Keyong defeated Meng Fangli in Xingzhou, returned his army to Shangdang, and held a banquet at Sanchuigang.
The performer played "A Song of a Hundred Years," depicting the journey from youth to old age. The music was very sad, and everyone in the audience felt sorrowful.
At that time, Li Cunxu was by his side, only five years old. Li Keyong stroked his beard with a sigh, pointed and laughed, saying, "I am getting old, but this is a remarkable child. Twenty years from now, will he be able to fight here in my place?"
Eighteen years later, in the first month of the fifth year of Tianyou, the Tang Dynasty fell to Zhu Wen. Li Keyong was already a dead man, and Li Cunxu, not yet twenty-five, ascended the throne as the Prince of Jin in Taiyuan.
At that time, Luzhou had been besieged by 80,000 Liang troops for nearly two years. Zhu Wen believed that with Li Keyong dead, the isolated city would be captured soon, so he returned to Bianliang.
In April, taking advantage of the Liang army's arrogance and complacency, Li Cunxu, along with generals such as Zhou Dewei, left Jinyang and led his army south at breakneck speed.
Upon reaching Sanchuigang, recalling his childhood memories, Li Cunxu sighed, "This is where the late king held a banquet!"
Just then, a dense fog enveloped the daytime, and the troops marched through the fog, attacking the enemy's fortified city and achieving a great victory.
This marked the beginning of a glorious era for a war god.
Upon hearing the news, Zhu Wen couldn't help but express a sentiment similar to Cao Cao's: "A son should be like Li Keyong, for then there would be no ruin! As for my son, he's nothing but a pig and a dog!"
Fifteen years later, the outcome of the struggle for supremacy between Jin and Liang proved that this ambitious man was not wrong.
"This old man is quite pitiful. He's an old man who has to bury his son. As he talked about it, he couldn't help but burst into tears."
After they parted, Gao Huailiang said sympathetically.
"Those two boys are the ones who are truly pitiful."
Gao Huaide calculated the time: "The Dingzhou Rebellion happened eight years ago. When they lost their father, they were probably about the same age as us now."
"That's not how you use an analogy."
Gao Huaixuan gently patted her younger brother's mouth, making him take back his unlucky words.
Seeing that he had displeased his sister, Gao Huaide quickly changed the subject: "Sister Xuan, what was that 'century-old song' that the old man mentioned?"
"My elder brother is utterly ignorant and incompetent."
Gao Huailiang answered first: "The Hundred-Year Song was written by Lu Ji, a famous scholar of the Wei and Jin Dynasties. It is divided into ten-year sections and tells the story of a hundred years of life.
He pleaded, "Sister Xuan, you sing so well, please sing for us."
The wheels rolled and the horses' hooves clattered. Gao Huaixuan couldn't resist her younger brother's insistence and began to sing softly.
"At ten o'clock. Her face was as radiant as a blooming flower, her body as graceful as a gust of wind, and her movements as swift as the wind..."
"At twenty o'clock. Her skin was radiant and her appearance was perfect; her beautiful eyes and graceful face shone with glory..."
"At thirty, one's actions will establish a reputation and renown; one's strength will be enough to lift a tripod, and one's ambition will soar to the clouds..."
……
"At seventy o'clock. My spirit is somewhat diminished, and my physical strength is lacking; I no longer wish to look at myself in clear water or a bright mirror..."
"At eighty o'clock. By then, his eyesight and hearing had deteriorated, and he could no longer recall his previous words and deeds..."
"At ninety, many words are erroneous, much sorrow fills the heart; descendants, in their homage, may ask, 'Whom shall we turn to…'"
"At the age of one hundred, his eyes become cloudy, his mouth drools, his breathing becomes labored and he has difficulty to sit or lie down, and he can no longer enjoy the comforts of a bed."
The girl's voice was soft and melodious, and the first half of the song was pleasant to listen to, but the lyrics of the second half turned sad and became mismatched.
"Sister Xuan, we're only ten years old, and Brother Liang is even younger. Things are still a long way off, seventy or eighty years from now. Why think about it now? Just enjoy the present moment."
Gao Huaide tilted his head back, leaned his body backward, and began to hum, imitating the tune of a traditional opera.
"A son should be like this, even Sun Quan had a letter of surrender; no one dared to step forward to kill, Zhu Quanzhong dropped his chopsticks upon hearing this."
As the carriages and horses gradually disappeared into the distance, his song lingered in the wind.
"Looking down upon the heroes of ten kingdoms, his mind is set on what will happen twenty years from now. With his iron scepter, he commands with unrestrained elegance, astonishing all who behold him; with his golden goblet, he pours forth wine until he is drenched, yet remains unsatisfied even after a thousand cups..."
By the last sentence, it was barely audible.
"A myriad of emotions overwhelm me; where are the heroes of today? How could emperors, who were once so brilliant, possibly possess true talent?" (Note 3)