Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

On the sixth day of the first month of the sixteenth year of the Jiazhao reign, in Xuanfu Town.

The clouds on the horizon were as red as blood, and as the sun set in the west, the heavy smell of blood in the air made Noyan Taiji very uneasy.

He glanced at Guo Zhigui and said, "This place is near the South Gate. Are you wandering around here hoping to escape Xuanfu Town?"

Thousands of elite Mongol cavalry guard the south gate; no one can escape. Even if you manage to sneak out, you'll face certain death.

He looked around the streets and saw that the houses and shops were in a mess, and there were corpses everywhere, men, women and children, all of whom had died from knife wounds.

Some women were dressed in tattered clothes, their breasts and bodies exposed, their deaths were gruesome and unbearable to witness.

Nuoyan, pale-faced, asked, "Why are there so many corpses? How can the Tuman tribe's military discipline be so poor!"

Guo Zhigui said coldly, "The people near the South Gate have all been killed. They were not only undisciplined, they were worse than beasts."

After Zhou's army at Beidaying was surrounded and annihilated, they began a massacre of the city's inhabitants, killing countless civilians!

Nuoyan's eyes were filled with anger as she muttered to herself, "Slaughter the city..."

Last night, spies from the Tuman tribe opened the south gate, and the army captured Xuanfu Town in one fell swoop. When Nuoyan received the news, he was not happy.

If it weren't for the fact that members of the Ordos tribe had also entered the city, he wouldn't have even wanted to step into Xuanfu Town. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the south gate, he saw corpses lying everywhere.

His mood was extremely heavy. The Great Zhou regarded itself as a superior country, and its border raids and plunders were minor troubles that had not yet become a major disaster, so there was still room for peace talks between the two states.

With one of the nine towns of the Great Zhou captured, the Great Zhou will surely fight to the death, and the two states will be locked in a stalemate that is difficult to reverse.

The Ordos tribe is also deeply embroiled in this, and it's unknown how many lives will be lost...

Noyan Taiji asked in a cold voice, "Has Badu already entered the city?"

Shu Ergan, who was standing beside him, said, "I received news that he will enter the city to take charge at dawn today."

Noyan Taiji said to Khurgan, "Send an order to the Ordos soldiers in the city: anyone who dares to slaughter the innocent will be severely punished according to military law!"

Suddenly, Gan received the order and spurred his horse into the city to relay the military orders to the troops entering the city.

Although he was a rough man, he was well aware of Noyan's background and understood the significance of it.

Noyan Taiji said, "Enter the city immediately, find Badu, I have something to say!"

……

The cavalry galloped through the southern part of the city, the road as silent as death, with only a few screams heard sporadically before the silence returned.

Guo Zhigui and Hou Liang understood the reason for this situation, and Noyan Taiji naturally figured it out quickly.

The Tuman tribe was the first to occupy the south gate. Once the Zhou army in the city was surrounded and annihilated, the massacre of the city would also begin from the south gate.

In just over an hour, they had wiped out the entire population near the south gate!
The closer the cavalry got to the city, the more the silence was broken, and terrifying scenes began to appear before their eyes.

Countless Mongol soldiers swept through the streets and alleys, chasing after unarmed civilians. The scene was filled with the glint of swords and the screams of agony, a heart-wrenching spectacle reminiscent of hell.

Without questioning, without scolding, without driving away, the sharp scimitar, without any hesitation, slashed at all living things.

Noyan Taiji saw a shop and a young woman ran out. She was beautiful, with disheveled hair and barely clothed, crying and shouting as she rushed into the street.

A disheveled Mongol soldier with a lewd grin chased after her out of the shop, his curved sword poised to slash at the woman's back.

Noyan Taiji's eyes widened in fury. With a muffled roar, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow with lightning speed, piercing the throat of the Mongol soldier and pinning him to the ground.

The disheveled woman, oblivious to everything, stumbled to the well across the street and leaped down!

Nuoyan witnessed this scene, her eyes turned red, and her whole body trembled slightly.

……

At that moment, the thunder of hooves came from the street corner, and a troop of elite Mongol cavalry swarmed in.

The leader was a young Mongolian general, with a lithe figure, a straight nose and wide mouth, piercing eyes, and a fierce demeanor.

He was dressed in a traditional Chinese robe, with fine soft armor, a long black bear fur robe, a fox fur hat with a high brim, and a jeweled curved sword at his waist.

He saw that Noyan's expression had initially brightened, but when he saw Noyan kill a Mongol soldier with an arrow, his face turned somewhat grim, and he led his troops on horseback to meet him.

Pointing his whip at the corpse on the ground, he frowned and asked, "Noyan, why did you shoot the soldiers without cause?"

Noyan Taiji said coldly, "The Ordos military regulations stipulate that those who rape women must be executed without mercy! Prince Badu believes he shouldn't die!"

Ba Du's face stiffened slightly. Avoiding Nuo Yan's sharp gaze, he said, "I only ordered the massacre of the city. The soldiers were a bit reckless when they arrived. Why are you making such a fuss?"

"You may punish him with whipping and caning as you please, but why take his life so easily?"

Noyan Taiji angrily said, "That woman just now, unwilling to be humiliated, threw herself into the well and committed suicide. Didn't she deserve to die?"

When two nations are at war, each serving its own master, the massacre of commoners is an act of inhumanity and will surely incur divine retribution!

Prince Badu smiled sneer, his expression arrogant, and said, "Noyan, you've read too much Han history. Don't forget you're a Mongol."

……

Hearing the screams all around, Nuoyan suppressed her anger and said, "Badu, Xuanfu Town is a major city in the north, and it has now been occupied by the Mongols."

We need Han Chinese in the city to farm, weave cloth, trade, and perform labor for us. They are not livestock or cattle; each of them is useful.

If you want to massacre and kill everyone in the city, what use is it for us to lose Mongol soldiers and gain an empty city?

Since this is a three-way allied force plotting a southward advance, we, the Ordos tribe, have something to say: please immediately cease your order to massacre the city!

Prince Badu frowned and said, "Noyan Taiji, don't forget that you have the blood of the Golden Family. Why are you speaking up for these Han dogs?"

We besieged the city for three days, and countless Mongol warriors died beneath its walls. Their blood could not have been shed in vain. These commoners had helped the Zhou army defend the city, and they all deserved to die.

Let their lives be a sacrifice to the fallen warriors, so that the Han people may know that daring to obstruct the Mongols' southward advance means certain death!

Nuoyan said in a deep voice, "Back then, our ancestors swept across the world with their iron cavalry, entered the Central Plains, and committed countless massacres. Yet, in just over a hundred years, they retreated to the northern desert."

Don't think that killing people will establish your authority. There are hundreds or thousands of times more Han people than us. Can you kill them all?
The massacre not only reduced Xuanfu Town to ruins, leaving our Mongols with nothing, but it also thoroughly enraged the Great Zhou, who would surely launch a full-scale counterattack.

"When that happens, Anda Khan's southward campaign will face even greater difficulties. I advise you not to act rashly."

Behind Nuoyan was a military horse. Guo Zhigui and Hou Liang had their hands bound and each saw the scene before them.

Hou Liang said in a low voice, "Sir, this Mongol is acting strangely. He's speaking up for us Han people."

Guo Zhigui said, "If he weren't so strange, we would have both died under a hail of arrows long ago. He must be connected to Third Master. I hope he can save the people of the city."

……

Noyan Taiji's words seemed to have touched Prince Badu, who said, "It's not that there's no way for me to stop the massacre."

"If you agree to my father's proposal, and the Tuman tribe and the Ordos tribe become one family, I will spare the entire city's inhabitants."

Upon hearing this, Nuoyan reached out and gripped the hilt of her knife tightly. Her eyes shone like autumn pools, sharp and gleaming with anger and murderous intent.

Prince Badu, seeing his expression, remained unconcerned, arrogant, as if he had the other party completely under his thumb.

Noyan Taiji said, "It's too early to talk about this. We can discuss it again once the situation in the south is settled."

If you continue to insist on your own way, I worry that the southward expedition will not amount to much. I will return to the camp to persuade Father Khan to withdraw the Ordos tribe from the three-tribe coalition.

"To avoid the Ordos tribe getting bogged down in a quagmire, losing lives, and gaining nothing, if the Tuman tribe uses the alliance as a pretext, then let our two tribes fight!"

……

When Prince Badu heard his resolute words and his desperate gamble, he was slightly shocked. He hadn't expected that Nuoyan would care so much about the massacre of the city.

He knew that Noyan was the only bloodline of Jirang Khan and the future ruler of the Ordos tribe. Although he was still young, he had remarkable insight and talent.

In recent years, Noyan has gained considerable prestige among the younger generation of the tribe, and his influence in the Ordos tribe is second only to that of Jirang Khan.

If he is truly angered, and he insists on persuading Jirang Khan to withdraw from the three-tribe alliance, even if the matter is not successful, it will create more discord among the three-tribe alliance.

If this thwarts the combined southward advance of the three Mongol tribes, it will ruin the Khan's grand plan. It seems extremely unwise to sacrifice these useless people.

He softened his expression and said, "Since you want to discuss the matter proposed by Father Khan later, then let's discuss it later."

Why ruin the harmony between our two tribes for the sake of these useless Han people?

"Mandujiang, convey my military order: those who stubbornly resist will be killed without mercy; cease the massacre of the city; select three thousand able-bodied men and escort them to the northern deserts as slaves."

The latter immediately dispatched several messenger cavalrymen to ride to various parts of the city to deliver the order.

The sound of cavalry hooves echoed, and they shouted loudly along the way, repeatedly conveying the order to stop the killing.

Nuoyan listened to the screams that rose and fell, but they quickly receded like a tide, leaving her back covered in a layer of cold sweat.

His grip on the hilt loosened slightly as he suppressed his surging emotions. He patted his shoulder with his right hand and bowed slightly to Ba Du, who nodded back.

Nuoyan turned his horse around and whispered, "Back to camp." With that, he charged ahead.

The accompanying guards and elite cavalry swarmed after them, and Guo Zhigui and Hou Liang's horses were also led by other knights, following closely behind.

The two followed the cavalry out of the south gate, feeling as if it were all unreal. They struggled desperately, racking their brains in an attempt to escape.

I thought I would have to go through a life-or-death struggle, with a slim chance of survival, but I never expected to leave Xuanfu Town so easily in such a strange way.

Thinking back to how Nuoyan had confronted him directly and saved all the people of Xuanfu Town, Nuoyan admired him greatly, regardless of his reasons.

……

Prince Badu watched Nuoyan walk away, his figure dashing and extraordinary, a strange expression in his eyes.

Mandujiang, who was standing beside him, said, "Prince Badu, Noyan was just bluffing. Even if he goes back and causes trouble, Jirang Khan will not agree."

If they violate the three-tribe alliance, the Tuman tribe will have a legitimate reason to send troops to punish them. The Ordos tribe is far weaker and will surely suffer a crushing defeat.

Jirang Khan is shrewd and calculating; he would never dare to take such a risk.

Prince Badu smiled grimly and said, "Although you are right, if the two tribes go to war, the Tuman tribe will surely win."

But there's a saying among the Han people: "To injure the enemy by a thousand, you will also lose eight hundred of your own strength." Even if we destroy the Ordos tribe, the Tuman tribe will still suffer a great loss.

With the three allied forces falling apart, Father Khan's southward expansion was about to be in vain.

When Mandujiang heard this, he felt strange. He was completely confused by Nuoyan, who kept saying that he was speaking the language of the Han people.

Prince Badu continued, "I am the son of my father Khan, and I will inherit his great achievements in the future."

Noyan is a pivotal figure in the Ordos tribe. Such a person can only be conquered. I will make him willingly serve me…”

Shenjing, Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

The past few days have been filled with continuous winter rain, making it damp and cold, and difficult to move around, so the sisters mostly stayed indoors.

However, when female guests arrived for the New Year, Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, and others each sent one or two people to entertain them.

The rest of them stayed at home, playing chess, embroidering, or chatting and laughing, listening to the pattering rain outside, which was quite charming.

Jia Cong had only taken a two-day leave, leaving early and returning late every day, so the sisters rarely saw each other, which was a bit of a disappointment.

The weather cleared up that day, and the sun shone brightly. As usual, Jia Cong went out early in the morning.

Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, Baochai, Xichun and other sisters took advantage of the fine weather to visit various places in the West Mansion.

Even Daiyu, who was usually cautious about entering and leaving the West Mansion, began to show great interest.

Because Baoyu used to live in the inner courtyard of the West Mansion, Daiyu was worried about being involved and entangled. So, apart from going to Rongqing Hall with her sisters, she would avoid going to other places in the West Mansion if she could.

Today, she was in a playful mood again. She and her sisters strolled hand in hand in the inner garden for a long time, and then went to Sister Feng's courtyard to hug and tease the eldest sister, showing her great affection.

Finally, they went to Rongqing Hall to pay their respects and prepare to have lunch with Grandmother Jia. Grandmother Jia was naturally very happy to see her granddaughters, and they chatted for a while.

Grandmother Jia asked, "Why haven't we seen Cong-ge'er these past two days? Could it be that he has too many visitors to the East Mansion and can't get away?"
In the past two days, there have been far fewer visitors to the West Mansion, unlike in previous years. I wonder why.

Yingchun said, "Grandma, you don't know this, there's a reason for this, and it's quite frightening to tell."

The day before yesterday, Congdi was entertaining guests when he was suddenly summoned to the palace by the Emperor and did not return home until it was completely dark.

That day, my sisters and I were worried, so we sat in his courtyard until dark. When Cong returned, he mentioned the matter in the palace.

It is said that a military report came from the north that the Mongols had sneaked into the pass, occupied the military town's granary, and killed all the people in the town.

The Emperor was furious upon learning this, and thus summoned his ministers to discuss the matter. It seemed a major war was imminent in the north.

……

Grandmother Jia was also startled when she heard this, and said, "The nine border regions have been peaceful for the past few years. At most, the Mongols occasionally raid. So many troops have been stationed in the nine border regions."

They couldn't control the Mongol Tartars no matter what they did, and they caused such a huge incident.

Shi Xiangyun said, "That's not all. Third Brother heard that the granary was seized by the Mongols because someone in Shenjing leaked the secret."

Many officials from various government departments were interrogated by the Dali Temple whenever they were involved in this matter.

Many of the noble relatives who frequented the area had children involved in their affairs, and each family was worried about getting into trouble. That's why they hadn't been visiting each other these past two days, fearing they might get into trouble.

Grandmother Jia was still shaken when she heard this, and said, "I never imagined that such a big thing would happen in just two days."

But Cong-ge'er is now a Hanlin official, so he should be more relaxed. These life-or-death matters should be handled by military officers; why is he always so busy?

Baochai laughed and said, "How could the old lady forget that Brother Cong is not only a Hanlin official, but also a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works."

Whenever such a major event occurs in the court, none of the Six Ministries can remain idle, so it's only natural that Brother Cong is so busy.

Grandmother Jia almost blurted out that her son, Jia Zheng, was also an official in the Ministry of Works, and that he was quite idle, even having a ten-day holiday at home these past few days.

Fortunately, he wasn't completely senile yet; he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue, almost choking on them.

He couldn't help but sigh. His son was, after all, an official granted through hereditary privilege, and had served in that position for over a decade. Not a single day of leisure had passed him by...

……

Shi Xiangyun laughed and said, "I'm afraid my third brother is not only busy, but the things he does in the yamen are the least of his worries."

My second uncle has mentioned it several times: although my third brother is now a civil official, he became famous in one battle back then, and the army talked about him with great interest, saying that he was a born general.

I think the Jurchens are Tartars, but aren't the Mongols also Tartars? If my third brother can pacify the Jurchen Tartars, he can naturally sweep away the Mongol Tartars as well.

I reckon my third brother will most likely be going to war this time, and he'll probably achieve great merit again, shining brightly in front of everyone. I'll go to Hongde Gate to see him in his glory then.”

Yingchun, still shaken, said, "Sister Yun, you make it sound so easy. I don't want him to achieve any great feats. I just want him to stay peacefully in Shenjing."

Going to the battlefield, where swords and spears have no eyes, is something I would prefer not to send him to, as that suits my taste best.

My sisters won't be at home forever. I'll be content if he can stay with us peacefully for a few more years.

Shi Xiangyun laughed and said, "Second sister is too timid. Last time, when Third brother went to Liaodong, he didn't get hurt at all. It's not as scary as you say."

Daiyu also said, "When Third Brother came back from Liaodong that time, you didn't stay at home for long, so you didn't know some of the details."

Last time we went to Liaodong, if it weren't for my second uncle's blue rhinoceros armor, my third brother might have been in trouble. There was a knife mark on the armor that almost cut through it.

Every time I went to my third brother's study and saw him wearing that armor, my heart pounded. Once was enough; it couldn't happen a second time.

……

Although Grandmother Jia was not close to Jia Cong, she was well aware that the current prosperity and wealth of the two mansions depended entirely on Jia Cong.

Naturally, she hoped he would live a peaceful life, preferably staying at home for the rest of his life, which would save her the most trouble. Why should he go out and cause trouble everywhere?

He said, "Second Sister and Lin Sister are right. Cong-ge is only so young, yet he has already achieved so much. He should be content."

"The Great Zhou has so many powerful families and military generals; why would they insist on sending him on a campaign? It makes no sense."

Baochai heard this but did not speak. In her heart, she thought that although there were many generals in the Great Zhou, only Cong and his brother were proficient in firearms.

If I could think of it, surely my second sister, Lin Daiyu, could too, but she just didn't want to mention it. A sense of unease crept into my heart...

As the sisters were lost in their own thoughts, the curtain at the entrance of the hall was suddenly lifted, and a fiery red figure flashed in.

She smiled and said, "What a coincidence that I've come today! All my sisters are here. I haven't seen you last time, Lin sister. How have you been lately?"

……

Since Baoyu moved to the East Courtyard on the fifth day of the month, he was truly restless and uncomfortable no matter where he looked.

I tossed and turned all night, feeling lost and unable to sleep.

Knowing his feelings, Xiren would deliberately flatter him and cater to his tastes every night, but Baoyu would only fudge her advances and eventually lose interest.

It's understandable that he felt this way; he was filled with rage, but had no gun in his hand—what could he do?

Unexpectedly, after only one night in the East Wing Courtyard, sorrow immediately descended upon them.

Jia Zheng seemed quite pleased with Baoyu's return, and early in the morning he summoned him to test his studies, which frightened Baoyu so much that his hands and feet went weak.

Fortunately, Jia Huan was also with them, which relieved Baoyu greatly, as Jia Huan had always been less capable than himself, giving Baoyu more confidence.

Unexpectedly, after not seeing Jia Huan for many days, the man seemed to have been possessed by some evil spirit, as if he had become a completely different person.

Not only could he recite the Analects from memory, but he also answered the master's questions fluently and logically, revealing his disgusting and corrupt nature.

The master even praised him highly, saying that Jia Huan, at the age of thirteen, was well-versed in the subtle words of sages and had already grasped the profound meaning of the Analects, proving himself to be a teachable child.

When it was Baoyu's turn to test him, although he had also read the Analects and could answer most of the questions, his answers were not much better than Jia Huan's fluent and thorough understanding.

As a result, the master ridiculed him for being a bookworm who lacked inspiration, was dull and sluggish, and had no originality, which made Baoyu feel very ashamed.

Seeing the provocation and smugness in Jia Huan's eyes, Bao Yu became even more disappointed in his younger brother, feeling that he had fallen into a quagmire, willingly degenerated, and was beyond redemption.

……

Fortunately, Lady Wang was concerned about the matter and came over in time to change the subject, thus saving Baoyu from a predicament.
He thought that living in the East Wing Courtyard would probably be like this every day, and that when he went to study at the Imperial Academy, his master's expectations would only rise higher.

He would constantly nag himself about his studies and career, becoming increasingly relentless and even fanatical about it, feeling that life was worse than death when he thought about it.

After enduring three days in the East Courtyard, he went to Madam Wang and said that he had not seen the old lady for many days and should go to pay his respects to her in order not to neglect his filial duties.

Although Jia Zheng knew his intentions and was full of sarcasm and contempt, he could not say much after Baoyu invoked the concept of filial piety, so he could only let him off the hook for the time being.

With his parents' permission, Baoyu's unhappiness of the past few days vanished.

He had already forgotten about his embarrassing performance in the exam a few days ago. He prided himself on being pure and untainted by worldly affairs, and had no desire to bother with corrupt and depraved matters.

Overjoyed, he had his maid arrange for a carriage and horses, and then changed into his brightest clothes.

Thinking that most of the sisters would be there if I went to Rongqing Hall at this time, I felt even more tender and pleased.

Seeing Baoyu's expression, Xiren became worried and naturally wanted to go with him.

……

In Rongqing Hall, Shi Xiangyun, with a carefree mind, inadvertently brought up a topic that caused concern among Yingchun, Daiyu, and others.

However, the atmosphere in the hall was ultimately harmonious and more relaxed than ever before. With the absence of the eccentric and unruly people, the inner courtyard of the West Mansion became even more peaceful and quiet.

Daiyu was feeling a tender affection in her heart when she suddenly heard a noisy commotion filled with decadent emotions. She was terrified and felt as if she had fallen into a terrible abyss.

When everyone saw Baoyu enter the hall, he was still dressed in his usual extravagant attire, fiery red and dazzling, which was eye-catching.

He wore a crimson round-necked robe with gold-embroidered floral patterns on the upper body, a pink satin inner garment, light blue and light blue trousers with dark floral patterns, and black boots with pink embroidered patterns.

He wore a jeweled purple-gold crown that bound his hair, but for some reason, the crown seemed a little smaller than usual.

A red headband with two dragons playing with a pearl on her forehead further accentuated Qiuyue's round, fair, and plump face, making her look very wealthy.

When Daiyu saw that he didn't ask any of the other sisters anything as soon as he entered the hall, but only asked her, she felt extremely uncomfortable.

But since his maternal grandmother was still alive, he couldn't expose her, so he simply said, "I am healthy and strong, I have no worries every day, and I eat and sleep well. It couldn't be better."

When Baoyu heard the word "strong and robust," he felt an indescribable awkwardness. He was no longer in the West Mansion, yet his sister spoke so casually; it sounded insincere to him.

Seeing Daiyu's indifferent expression, and feeling a pang of sadness at finally being able to see her, he dared not be too presumptuous.

So he changed the subject and said with a smile, "Just now when I walked to the hall, I heard Sister Yun's voice. Although it was loud and clear, I couldn't hear it clearly. I wonder what good news she had to say?"

Xiangyun smiled and said, "Since you went to the East Courtyard, Second Brother, have you changed your mind and only read the classics, ignoring everything outside? Did you not know that something has happened outside these past two days?"

When Baoyu heard the words "the classics of sages and worthies," he felt a pang of disgust and wanted to criticize them, but knowing that Xiangyun was not someone to be trifled with, he could only give up for the time being.

Xiangyun continued, "I was just saying that the country is in military turmoil and needs great generals. Third Brother might be going to war, which would be another time for him to make a name for himself."

Upon hearing this, Baoyu's face immediately stiffened, and the joy he had felt from the sisters' gathering vanished instantly..." (End of Chapter)