Chinese New Year

Chapter 1499 The Aftermath (Part 1)

The twelve golden statues stood on the shore of the desert, and everyone stared at them intently, so much so that no one paid attention to the silver bricks, pearls, agates, gems and other treasures unloaded from the ships behind them.

Yes, if there is anything more important than gold, it is more gold.

These rough, unskilled men never valued art; gold and silver artifacts were just blocks of gold and silver to them, devoid of any artistic value.

Shao Xun was a bit more sophisticated than them; he appreciated and collected art, such as this statue in front of him.

But the more he looked at it, the stranger it seemed. How could it look like the Indian god Shiva?

He had assumed that the Kingdom of Lin-yi was Buddhist, but it now appears that it is likely a coexistence of multiple faiths, including indigenous beliefs, Indian religions, and Buddhism.

The base of the Shiva statue is made of jade, while the statue itself is made of gold. Could this be the legendary Jade Throne Golden Buddha?

Besides Shiva, there seems to be Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, and the native goddess of Lin-yi.

"Put them all away," Shao Xun said, pointing to the various statues.

Although it's a foreign deity, it's a real shame to melt it down. Let's just keep it as a work of art. If future generations can preserve it properly—frankly, that's unlikely—we might be able to hold an art exhibition in the future.

If the Lin-yi Kingdom had been under the stable control of the Central Plains dynasty at that time, then this would have been the culture of an indigenous minority group, and there would have been no risk of it being demanded by others.

Upon hearing Shao Xun's instructions, Shao Zhen immediately ordered his men to collect all the statues they had obtained from countless temples.

As for the twelve bronze statues, they were stored in a hall and kept safe.

To be honest, Shao Xun really liked this thing. Sun He was a reliable guy; he gave him this surprise without saying a word. This time, he deserved a generous reward.

"Husband." Yu Wenjun looked at Shao Xun with a look of reverence in her eyes.

Shao Xun was very pleased, but said aloud, "It's a trivial matter. Lin Yi's only advantages are the roads and the disease. Now I am not afraid of the long journey and the winter advance, so a great victory is inevitable."

Yu Wenjun laughed.

Shao Xun also looked at her and smiled.

Crown Prince Shao Jin lowered his head slightly, feeling a little envious. He thought to himself, how could his father so easily coax his mother, while he himself almost got scratched?

Mother probably already knows about Xi's affair, but I wonder when she will talk to me, since Xi didn't come in through the proper channels.

"Liang Nu, why not give rewards to the soldiers who transported and escorted the goods?" Shao Xun looked at his son and smiled.

Shao Jin, eager to try, asked, "Grandpa, how much should the reward be?"

"You make the decision yourself," Shao Xun said, looking at him encouragingly.

Shao Jin thought for a moment, then turned to look at Dou Yuzhen, the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Household Department, who was not far away, and said, "Minister Dou, you may send someone to deliver a message, and the person will be given two bolts of silk."

Dou Yuzhen looked at Shao Xun and, seeing that he did not object, immediately ordered his subordinates to go and relay the order.

Before long, enthusiastic cheers erupted from both inside and outside the desert. Although the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" were the loudest, Shao Jin was still very happy.

This was the first time he had received cheers from the soldiers in front of his father, a feeling that made his heart race and his emotions surge.

His father always seized every possible opportunity to nurture him and pave the way for him. Because of this, all the hardships he had endured before were nothing; they had all paid off.

Yu Wenjun was also gratified to see her son like this. She held Shao Xun's arm tightly, as if it were the most important thing in her life, something she could not give up, would never give up, and even—in her next life.

There's nothing wrong with being a submissive woman who depends on her husband.

******
The news of the appearance of the Twelve Golden Men spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every street and alley in Bianliang.

The main force behind the dissemination of the spoils was the government troops who escorted these spoils of war back to the capital.

They vividly recounted their "glorious deeds" in the Kingdom of Linyi, leaving the idle people of Bianliang stunned.

"The people of Lin-yi are relatively short, but quite fierce," someone said. "They are also very dark-skinned, which is strange; I've never seen such dark-skinned people before."

"They're just a little vicious," someone nearby said. "They're ruthless and cruel in private duels, readily cutting off hands and feet and gouging out eyes, but they're quite lax in field battles. If our brothers from the Left Golden Guard were to don armor and wield weapons, they could rout them."

"Defeating them is not difficult; the difficulty lies in reaching them." Someone else said, "I was so nauseous on the boat that my legs went weak when I disembarked in Guangzhou. I don't know how many of my comrades died in a daze from this serious illness."

Upon hearing this, those who had been talking loudly fell silent, and the atmosphere became slightly tense.

They returned, but some could not. Most died from acclimatization problems or inexplicable illnesses, while only a small number died in battle.

Non-combat casualties are the most intractable problem. Although some people warned of the dangers of the hot and humid land of Jiaozhou before the expedition, everyone was in high spirits and did not take it seriously. Moreover, they thought it would be a winter campaign, so there was no problem at all.

But they forgot that if you live in one place for a long time and then go to another, even if the weather doesn't change much, you can still get sick. Many soldiers from Henan fell ill during the campaign against Liaodong, even though Liaodong wasn't hot at all.

After losing interest, the soldiers bought some random things at the market and left without much enthusiasm.

The merchants were somewhat disappointed by the departure of the garrison soldiers; it was hard to find someone willing to spend money recklessly.

But it's alright, we've already made a profit today, so let's talk about the interesting things we just heard. "How dark-skinned are the people of Linyi?"

"It's probably even blacker than charcoal."

"Were all the concubines of the King of Linyi arrested? They're so dark-skinned, His Majesty probably won't want them."

The crowd burst into laughter, but also felt somewhat awkward. After exchanging glances, they quickly moved on from the matter.

"Alas!" someone sighed and said, "Gentlemen, we travel through villages and towns, often covering dozens or even hundreds of miles, exhausted to the point of death, only to end up with a little bit of profit. Thinking about it carefully, it's really not worth it."

“Zhang Jin is right,” someone echoed. “My second nephew went to the Western Regions and enlisted as a soldier in the Kucha garrison. Within a few months, he had land, houses, and women. I heard that as long as he makes a contribution, he will have the opportunity to return to the Central Plains to take up a post. Thinking about it carefully, the money earned by risking one's life is indeed a lot.”

"Can he really come back?"

"As long as you make a contribution, you will become an official. Why can't you come back? But I've heard that the Western Regions are not bad either, but some people may not be willing to come back."

"How about Linyi?"

"It's probably not that great. Didn't you hear them say that after capturing the capital of Linyi, the army looted everywhere until late February, then burned down Dianchong City, and the various camps withdrew in batches?"

"If it were a good place, why would they act like this? They must not want to stay long, so they burned, killed, and looted before leaving."

"That's true. What's so interesting about a bunch of dark-skinned people?"

The vendors chatted idly until the next wave of soldiers arrived.

They were still as extravagant as ever, still as witty and cheerful as ever, and still as fond of showing off...

******
While the small merchants in Bianliang were discussing the matter, a heated debate was also taking place in the government office regarding the aftermath of the southern expedition to Linyi.

Old Deng Liangfen didn't speak; she just listened quietly to what others were saying.

Wang Feng didn't really have his own opinion on this matter, and since he didn't know much about the South, he was afraid of saying the wrong thing and revealing his ignorance, so he hesitated and let others express their opinions.

Wen Qiao and Wang Que'er had a disagreement on this matter, because the former wanted to withdraw the troops, while the latter believed that the troops should remain stationed.

Yes, the garrison troops and imperial guards have returned, but the Liang army has not withdrawn entirely. Instead, they have left thousands of barbarian soldiers conscripted in Guangzhou to guard various key transportation routes.

These people are not particularly adapted to the climate of Linyi, but they are much better off than people from the north, so they can barely tolerate the summer weather.

“As far as I know, Fan Fo has been proclaimed King of Lin Yi by his men,” Wen Qiao said. “In that case, it will be difficult for him to hold onto the land. If we force the army to remain and fight day and night, who knows how much it will cost us.”

"Why does Prime Minister Wen want to withdraw his troops?" Wang Que'er said with dissatisfaction, "Everyone in the world knows that His Majesty has conquered the capital of Linyi, destroyed its country, and seized its gold to cast twelve golden statues. If we withdraw our troops suddenly and do not defend the new land, I am afraid that in a few years, the Linyi troops will return to Rinan and repeat the same thing."

“Fan Fo is already willing to submit, why go to such lengths?” Wen Qiao sighed. “Prime Minister, I know you want to give the soldiers a chance to earn merit and be rewarded, but Lin Yi is really not an option.”

Wang Que'er was displeased and turned to look at Wang Feng.

Wang Feng felt a chill run down his spine.

Wang Que'er is not someone to be trifled with. He is probably the number one martial artist under the emperor's command. Not only is he extremely favored by the emperor, but his foundation is also becoming increasingly solid.

Seeing that there was no way to avoid it and he had to make his stance clear, Wang Feng could only stammer, "It would be a real pity to lose the newly conquered territory directly. It would be better to have the troops from Jiaoguang stationed within the territory of Linyi Kingdom. If Fan Fo launches an attack, then we can fight him. If we really can't win, then it's not too late to withdraw. Prime Minister Wen, Prime Minister Wang, what do you think of this plan?"

Wen Qiao listened and pondered for a moment, then said nothing.

Wang Que'er stroked his beard lightly, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Liang Fen glanced at Wang Feng in surprise, realizing that this guy had managed to smooth things over.

A direct withdrawal would be inappropriate, as it would damage morale and also offend His Majesty's reputation.

Long-term garrisoning is actually quite troublesome and costly, and in the future, they might be defeated and driven away by the Linyi people.

The fact that the northern soldiers could not adapt to the climate of Linyi, and that most of the horses they brought with them died of illness, speaks volumes.

If we rely solely on the local troops and barbarian soldiers of Jiaoguang, their combat strength is highly questionable, and they may not be able to withstand the enemy's counterattack.

The story of the Twelve Golden Men had already spread, but in the eyes of many people, it was a symbol of the destruction of the Kingdom of Lin-yi. How could Your Majesty possibly accept being told that this kingdom had come back to life?

Therefore, a compromise of stationing troops first and then withdrawing when it becomes unsustainable seems to be a viable way to break the current deadlock.

"Gentlemen," Liang Fen said, putting down her teacup as she saw that Wen Qiao and Wang Que'er had stopped arguing. "Whether it's war or peace, it's ultimately His Majesty's decision. Why do you need to argue? Just submit your memorials to the Emperor."

Wen Qiao and Wang Que'er exchanged a glance and had no objections.

Wang Feng breathed a sigh of relief, then took the initiative to write a memorial and prepare to send it to the inner court.

Liang Fen turned her head away again; without him, the Political Affairs Hall would probably fall apart.

(End of this chapter)