Mo Sang – CH 195

Chapter 195. Human Touch

Li Sangrou woke up, stepped out of her tent, and squinted at the distance. The crimson sun hung low on the horizon; it was sunset again.

“Boss!” Hei Ma leaped up and rushed to Li Sangrou. “Boss, you are finally awake! I…”

Hei Ma did not finish his sentence before tears streamed down his face.

“Boss is just exhausted! Look at you!” Da Chang slapped Hei Ma on the head.

“First time…” Hei Ma’s voice choked.

Da Chang fell silent.

Behind them, Xiao Lu, Chuantiao, and a few others stood in a row, grinning foolishly, meeting Li Sangrou’s gaze and calling her “Boss.”

Meng Yanqing and the others stood a step or two further away, meeting Li Sangrou’s gaze with a slight bow.

“Da Chang is right; I am just a little tired, but I am fine now.” Li Sangrou patted Hei Ma on the head, sniffed, and smelled the rich aroma of wine around him.

“The Commander-in-Chief has lifted the alcohol ban, and we’ve shared over a dozen jars of good wine,” Meng Yanqing said with a smile.

Li Sangrou hummed in agreement.

After such a fierce battle, she certainly needed strong liquor, a good, drunken revelry to soothe and numb her senses.

Da Chang handed Li Sangrou a cup of chilled tea.

Li Sangrou took it, sipped it, looked around, and asked, “What are we having for dinner? What’s available?”

“Chicken, duck, pork, mutton—we have it all!” Hei Ma interjected.

“Xinye, Nanyang, and several surrounding towns have all come to comfort the troops, bringing plenty of food and drink,” Meng Yanqing added with a smile, continuing Hei Ma’s words.

“Is the mutton fresh? Let’s roast some mutton first and make a pot of chicken porridge. The rest, Da Chang can decide,” Li Sangrou said, sitting down on the chair Xiao Lu had brought.

She was very hungry.

“I slept for a whole day and night?” Li Sangrou looked at Hei Ma and asked, frowning.

“A whole day and night! Da Chang carried you back, and when we got off the boat, he slipped and fell to the ground, and you did not wake up!

Then the physician came and checked your pulse twice, but you still did not wake up!

Never before has anything like this happened!” Hei Ma spoke each word with fear.

He was truly terrified.

“The physician said your pulse was normal; you were just exhausted. He came a few more times afterward, but Da Chang would not let them in, saying that since you were just exhausted, he should not disturb your sleep anymore,” Meng Yanqing said, standing up to help Da Chang start a fire and set up the grill.

“Oh, right.” Da Chang slapped his forehead. “Mazha, go to the commander’s tent. Bai-Cheng is there. Tell him: the boss is awake.”

“Look at you! Ru-Yi has come several times already and told you so many times; how could you still forget? This is so important! Mazha, hurry up!” Hei Ma immediately jumped up and complained.

“Are Master Wen and the commander both in the city?” Li Sangrou asked, looking at Meng Yanqing.

“Master Wen is in Fancheng, and the commander is in Xiangyang. Zhao Shaojian is in charge here, with those Hanlin scholars,” Meng Yanqing replied with a smile.

“Where is General Wen?” After a moment of silence, Li Sangrou asked, her heart pounding.

“The physician who came to examine him said he’s alright. He said that although he has many injuries, none are serious. He’s resting in Xiangyang.”

Li Sangrou slowly exhaled.

Da Chang had already cut the mutton. A group of old Yunmeng guards gathered around, working together to skewer the lean and fatty pieces, arranging them in rows over the fire to roast.

Li Sangrou took a handful, sprinkled on the seasonings, watched it sizzle with oil, blew on it, and took a bite.

“Boss, try this wine.” Hei Ma handed Li Sangrou a bowl of wine. “It smells delicious.”

Li Sangrou took it, took a sip, and nodded. “This wine is good. Who delivered it?”

“I picked it out!” Hei Ma immediately became proud.

“Master Ma’s skill in picking wine is truly remarkable!” The old Yunmeng guard squatting beside her, skewering the mutton, laughed. “Clerk Zhang said Master Ma picked out only the best wines!”

“That clerk said they were all the most expensive!” Datou quickly corrected.

“That’s right! I come from a distinguished family; I am proficient in everything—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, and flowers. This is nothing!” Hei Ma waved his hand proudly.

Xiao Lu, with Datou and Mazha, smirked and swayed at Hei Ma.

Li Sangrou drank her wine, ate a dozen skewers of roasted mutton, and, after finishing a bowl of chicken porridge, she stopped eating. She poured herself a bowl of wine and slowly sipped it, looking at Meng Yanqing and asking, “Is everyone still there on your side?”

“Everyone’s there,” Meng Yanqing smiled. “Not a single one’s injured.

We just took those boats to fill in the river. Once it was filled, we sent the boatmen back.

We promised them beforehand that we’d get them home safely.

When we returned, a chaotic battle had already broken out on the city walls, so we did not go near.

This morning, we watched as the boats were salvaged, the river was dredged, and then we handed over our tasks.

Everyone had just returned before you woke up,” Meng Yanqing answered in great detail, looking at Li Sangrou, wanting to ask a question, but swallowing the words back.

He overheard Yao, the clerk in charge of the bows and arrows, say that before the battle, he had distributed 2,500 crossbow bolts to the Boss’s ship, but only about 800, less than 900, were returned to the storehouse.

He heard that the thirty strong soldiers responsible for loading the crossbows were all exhausted, their arms aching all night.

He really wanted to ask the Boss if it was truly one bolt per shot.

However, the Boss’s expression was clearly not good, so he’d better say as little as possible.

Li Sangrou did not ask any more questions or speak. She leaned back in her chair, slowly sipping her wine, watching the crescent moon rise, and the stars fill the sky.

The next morning, when Ru-Yi arrived at the camp, Li Sangrou, Da Chang, Hei Ma, and a few others had already gone to stroll around Xinye County and would not return until the following day.

The next day, it was completely dark when Li Sangrou and the others finally returned to the camp in a large cart loaded with bags and bundles of food and drink.

Early the next morning, Ru-Yi arrived. Li Sangrou, accompanied by Hei Ma, who was carrying a large bamboo basket filled with bundles and packages on his back and in his hands, followed behind Li Sangrou. They left the camp, crossed the boat bridge, and entered Xiangyang City.

At the foot of Xiangyang City walls, water hoses were being used to flush the walls.

Li Sangrou first went to see Wen Shunzhi.

Wen Shunzhi’s face was fine, except for a few bruises. However, his chest, back, arms, and legs were wrapped in fine linen soaked in medicinal juice.

Seeing Li Sangrou enter, Wen Shunzhi quickly stood up and gestured for a servant to bring him clothes.

“You are wrapped up much more securely than clothes. You look alright,” Li Sangrou said with a smile, looking Wen Shunzhi over.

“It’s nothing serious. I heard the Boss was exhausted?” Wen Shunzhi also looked Li Sangrou over.

“A good night’s sleep did the trick. We went to Xinye County yesterday; there’s a lot of good food there, so we bought some for you.” Li Sangrou turned to look at Hei Ma.

Hei Ma first raised his left hand. “The Boss said you were injured and needed some nourishment. This is what our Boss picked out for you.”

Hei Ma stuffed the five or six bags he was carrying in his left hand into the servant’s arms, then raised his right hand and took out a bag. “This is what Da Chang picked out for you—donkey-hide gelatin, good for replenishing blood. This is what I picked out for you—sesame flakes, very fragrant. This is what Xiao Lu picked out. This is from Chuantiao, this is from Datou, this is from Mazha—all snacks.”

Hei Ma showed each bag to Wen Shunzhi and then stuffed them into the servant’s arms.

Wen Shunzhi chuckled and bowed slightly to Li Sangrou, saying, “Thank you, Boss and all the brothers.”

“No need for thanks; we are brothers. Do not stand on ceremony,” Hei Ma replied politely.

“You rest here; I am going to see the Commander-in-Chief. This is my first time in the city,” Li Sangrou bid farewell to Wen Shunzhi and followed Ru-Yi towards the nearby yamen.

Gu Xi and Wen Cheng were both there, looking quite haggard, but their eyes were bright, and they were in excellent spirits.

Seeing Li Sangrou, Wen Cheng quickly stepped out of the house to greet her, bowing deeply. “Boss, you’ve had a long journey.”

“I do not deserve it.” Li Sangrou quickly stepped aside.

“Boss, you’ve had a long journey,” Gu Xi followed behind, also bowing deeply.

“I really do not deserve it!” Li Sangrou again stepped aside.

“This siege went much more smoothly than I expected. The credit undoubtedly belongs to you,” Gu Xi said with a smile, stepping aside to let Li Sangrou sit down.

“I dare not accept such praise,” Li Sangrou replied again.

Wen Cheng chuckled.

“The truth is,” Li Sangrou said, looking at Wen Cheng.

“You truly meant it, but you certainly deserve it,” Gu Xi said, gesturing for Li Sangrou to sit down. He continued, “On the day Xiangyang was captured, I sent word to Ezhou, ordering General Wen to lead his troops back to reinforce the Grand Canal.

These past few days, I’ve been very worried. Now, the situation is settled!” Gu Xi slapped the table happily.

“Will we stay in Xiangyang for a while?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile.

“General Cao set off for Ezhou two days ago. We will stay here a bit longer to streamline military and civil affairs, redeploy our defenses, and wait until the new prefect arrives and takes charge before heading south across the river,” Gu Xi said with a smile.

“Then I can pick out a shop and find a manager,” Li Sangrou said, standing up. “I will go out for a stroll and will not disturb you any longer.”

“Why not move into the city? There are empty houses nearby. Shall we have lunch together?” Gu Xi stood up with Li Sangrou.

“I will look around first,” Li Sangrou casually agreed, gesturing towards the door with her chin and smiling. “Look, so many people are already waiting. You go about your business. I will look around here, then go check out Fancheng. I will not be coming back.”

……………………

The news of the great victory at Xiangyang was carried by banners adorned with red and green ribbons, shouted and cheered as they rushed into Jianle City.

A series of celebratory messages arrived one after another at Xuande Gate; the messengers dismounted and rushed into the imperial city, reporting the news along the north-south main street towards the palace.

Officials and clerks throughout the imperial city, upon hearing the commotion, rushed out, watching the messages draped in red and green ribbons approach, discussing with immense joy. This report of the great victory at Xiangyang would wash away all the oppressive atmosphere, worry, and even fear that had gripped the city, leaving only half the Grand Canal untouched.

Before the official report, a memorial personally written by Gu Xi had already been presented to Gu Jin.

Inside Qingning Palace, Qing-Feng ran in and out several times, reporting that the good news had reached Nanxun Gate, passed Zhuque Gate, and filled Jianle City with excitement. He reported that the officials from the Three Departments and Six Ministries had all come out, and the capital was bustling with activity.

Prime Minister Wu chuckled, “What a spectacle! I will go see!”

“We are watching the excitement here too,” Gu Jin said with a smile, gesturing for Prime Minister Wu to sit back down. He then looked at Qing-Feng and said, “The peonies in the back garden are blooming beautifully. Have them cut and distribute to everyone.”

“Yes!” Qing-Feng’s tone rose.

“I originally thought that it would be excellent if we could capture Xiangyang City within six months,” Privy Councilor Pang said with a bow and a smile.

“I was just laughing at him, thinking he was only dreaming,” Prime Minister Pan chuckled.

“Truly, Heaven blesses our Great Qi!” Prime Minister Du exclaimed with emotion.

“The Shizi is unstoppable,” Prime Minister Wu laughed.

“This is the Shizi’s memorial; take a look.” Gu Jin handed Gu Xi’s thick memorial to Prime Minister Wu.

Prime Minister Wu finished reading it and passed it to Grand Councilor Pang, who was sitting next to him.

“The Boss…” Grand Councilor Pang finished reading the memorial, his lips pressed tightly together. Seeing that everyone had finished reading, he looked at Gu Jin with a look of shock. “Did she really kill over a thousand people?”

“Exhausted,” Prime Minister Wu sighed softly.

“It was unavoidable. The Shizi said the Boss dislikes killing,” Gu Jin sighed. “It was all unavoidable.

If any of you gentlemen have any good wine in your residences, please bring some out and give it to the Boss to soothe her heart.”

“Yes,” Prime Minister Wu and the others quickly bowed and smiled in response.

“Judging by the journey, Wen Yanchao’s army should be able to reach Lianghuai in two or three days. If everything goes smoothly, this year’s summer harvest might be decent,” Minister Wu said, looking at Gu Jin.

“Now that Jingzhou is secured, the situation is largely settled. We can manage the harvests for one or two years. There’s no need to rush them; let them focus on this battle.” Gu Jin leaned back slightly, looking relaxed.

“Regarding the great victory at Xiangyang, I would like to trouble Minister Wu to write an article. It does not need to be long; send it to the Morning News in a bit, and it will be published first thing tomorrow morning.”

Gu Jin paused, the smile on his face fading. After a moment, he sighed.

“The Battle of Xiangyang was a devastating one. The matter of compensation for the deceased will be overseen by Prime Minister Du.

Also, the relief and compensation efforts along the banks of the Grand Canal need to be planned. This requires a considerable sum of money, and I have not yet figured out where to source it.

You all think about it first.

Prime Minister Du must personally oversee the compensation funds for the Battle of Xiangyang, ensuring that the full amount reaches each family without any deductions.”

“Yes,” Prime Minister Du bowed in agreement, his heart heavy with sorrow as he thought of the heavy number of dead reported in the memorial and the scorched earth along the Grand Canal.

“The sooner we take Xiangyang, the fewer days the people of Lianghuai and the entire nation will suffer.

These soldiers died a worthy death. Have the Hanlin Academy members accompanying the army write biographies for the soldiers and publish them in the Morning News. Prime Minister Pan, please keep an eye on this matter,” Gu Jin continued.

Prime Minister Pan bowed in agreement.

“Should we write one for the Boss?” Prime Minister Pan asked, looking at Gu Jin. “No need,” Gu Jin said. “And as for the rest of the articles, there’s no need to mention her. Firstly, she does not like such fame, and secondly, fame would be detrimental to her safety.”

“Indeed, if there were such a person in Southern Liang, she would have to be eliminated no matter what. It is best not to mention her at all!” Privy Councilor Pang looked at Minister Pan with a solemn expression.

“Indeed,” Minister Wu nodded.

After the discussion, everyone withdrew. Gu Jin sipped his tea, lowered his eyes, and thought for a moment before instructing Qing-Feng: “Go to the Daxiangguo Temple and have them perform several Buddhist rites.”

“Pray for blessings? Or for the deceased?” Qing-Feng asked cautiously.

“Let them do as they please,” Gu Jin said, lowering his eyes. “You said last time that the Boss loves melon seeds?”

“Yes, I heard Ru-Yi mention it. He ran into Da Chang buying melon seeds, and he was very picky, saying that their boss loves them.”

“You personally pick some melon seeds, roast them, and have someone deliver them to Xiangyang. Not a reward, but a gift from a friend,” Gu Jin continued.

“Yes,” Qing-Feng replied, bowing his head.