Taiheiki

Chapter 96 Remaining Sweat

"Are you worried that they will rebel?" Wei Cong stopped and asked, looking into Liu Jiu's eyes.

"It's unlikely they'll rebel. After all, we have far more people, better weapons, and we even have ships!" Liu Jiu carefully considered his words. "But some people might mutiny and flee. After all, this is already Yuzhang, and they're from Yuzhang, so it's easy for them to escape. Also, someone might try to assassinate you. After all, they were enemies not long ago!"

"That's right!" Wei Cong sighed. "There is indeed such a risk, but I have to do it. How many people do we have now? Three hundred and twenty-seven. This number is enough to be bandits, but it is far from enough to do anything else. Logging? Shipbuilding? Mining? Smelting? Building a Wubao? Not to mention reclamation and grazing. We have too many things that need people to do. Sooner or later, we will have to include these guys in our ranks. There are also many others. If we have to be on guard against each one, we will not be able to do anything!"

"Alright!" Liu Jiu also knew the true purpose of Wei Cong's trip. If someone else had told him such a grand plan, he would have simply walked away with a scoff. But he had witnessed firsthand how Wei Cong had led them to this point, and he had long since tied everything he had to this man. Even if there was a bottomless abyss ahead, as long as Wei Cong told him to charge forward, he would jump out with his eyes closed.

Wei Cong whispered, "Perhaps what you said makes sense. We should stay here for a few more days to observe these guys. Some of them will go with us, and some will run away halfway!"

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The next few days were the happiest Qian Wen had ever experienced. Early each morning, he would lead his companions, armed with nets, spears, bows, and slings, to the dense grass by the lake, searching for prey. Perhaps due to the sparsely populated area, the prey was plentiful, and most of the birds and beasts exhibited a simple, foolish agility. Many wild deer wouldn't even turn and flee until they were more than twenty steps away. At this distance, even a single bow or sling could easily kill or knock them down.

Qian Wen's specialty, smoke-fuming, was especially effective against wild rabbits. The rabbits here hadn't yet mastered the art of locating their nests on distant slopes. He could easily locate the holes in their dens and smoke the rabbits out with smoke. He often completed his day's work in just one morning, then retreated to lie back on the grassy slope, basking in the sun and waiting for dinner. But few wanted to rest; everyone bustled through the swamps and forests with gusto, returning with their catch only after dusk.

"Damn, this life is just too comfortable!" A sailor, lying on the grass, sighed. "There's no hard work at all. I just go hunting and get meat to eat. I've never lived like this in my life!"

"Yes!" the man next to him sighed. "Even back in the countryside, it wasn't as good as this. Not to mention the farm work, there were also government duties and military service. After the military service, there was also chopping wood and making charcoal, repairing the house fences and walls, digging wells, and pruning mulberry trees. Anyway, there were only a few days a year when we could rest and catch our breath. There were very few people who could go out hunting and fishing happily like this. Even if they did bring back fish, they wouldn't eat them themselves. They would trade them for salt or other things. The rest would be given to their parents, wives, and children. It's nowhere like this where you can enjoy it to your heart's content!"

“I wish I could live like this every day!”

"You want to hunt every day? Even the emperor can't do that!" Someone sneered, "Even if it's the emperor, if he goes hunting a few more times, his ministers will advise him against it!"

"That's right! When I was a kid, my teacher told me that King Zhou of Shang was destroyed by the Zhou people because he spent all day hunting and didn't take care of state affairs!"

"Is this true? Excessive hunting will lead to the destruction of a country?"

"By the way, Qiantou! Do you know how long we will stay here?"

"I don't know about that!" Qian Wen shook his head. "But in my opinion, they won't be able to stay for a few days. After all, there are so many of us. No matter how many prey we have, they can't withstand such a fight!"

"Then let's change places!" someone said with a smile. "We've seen these lake branches everywhere along the way. We can change places and play for another five or six days. It's very enjoyable!"

"Are you dreaming? Is that General Jiang Yi going to take us hunting everywhere in the future? Do you think he is that kind of person?" Someone sneered.

"In that case, let's run away," someone whispered, "Now that we have dried meat and weapons, now's a good opportunity to escape!"

The surroundings suddenly became quiet. People's eyes flickered as they carefully peered around, wary of eavesdroppers. After a few minutes, someone whispered, "We don't even know where we are now. How can we escape? Where can we escape to?"

"My hometown is Haihun County. This place shouldn't be far from it!" Someone whispered, "Get on the boat and head west. We should be there in a day or two!"

"My hometown is Shiyang, which isn't far away!"

"My hometown is Yichun, which is quite far away!"

People were whispering about the distance to their hometowns. Then their eyes turned to Qian Wen and someone asked, "Qiantou, where are you from?"

"Yuhan County! It's right next to Poyang County, so it shouldn't be far from here!" Qian Wen looked very cold.

"That's good! How about we run? If we all run together, they won't be able to catch us!"

"You guys run! I won't move for the time being!" Qian Wen whispered.

"What?"

"If I run back in this state, I will be a disaster! I will only cause trouble to my family!" Qian Wen whispered.

The surroundings fell silent. Qian Wen's words touched a sore spot for everyone. The expressions of the rebels and deserters were gloomy. This was a problem they all faced. Someone whispered, "What should we do? We can't just keep going on like this, can we?"

"There's no other way!" Qian Wen said with a smile, "We just have to wait for the amnesty!"

"amnesty?"

"Yes, usually when the emperor ascends the throne, gets married, or appoints a crown prince, he will grant amnesty to the entire nation, and all past sins will be forgiven!"

"really?"

"If that's the case, then there's hope!"

"That's right. If I have to wait three to five years, it doesn't matter. Life here is pretty good anyway!"

Everyone's gloomy faces lit up when they heard this. Seeing his companions' smiles, Qian Wen gave a wry smile. They had committed the unpardonable crime of treason, and he had just lied to them, to trick them and make them feel better. These people in desperate situations clung to any glimmer of hope, whether true or false, and refused to let go.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore!" Someone laughed. "There's meat ready to eat, why are you still thinking about those troubles? Seriously, even if you were pardoned now and allowed to go home, would you really have so much meat to eat?"

"That's right, we must be happy and be happy first!"

"It's a pity there's no wine, otherwise I'd be content to die with wine and meat!" "It wasn't long after I started enjoying myself that I encountered a difficult time and was met with such a great separation.

Drinking, singing and dancing, what else is there to be happy about?

Look at the sun and the moon, they are running fast.

In this world, there is everything and nothing.

How foolish it is to be greedy for money and cherish what is valuable.

When fire is found by chiseling stone, how long will it last?
Be happy when you should and feel happy in your heart.

Calming the mind and nourishing the character will ensure a long and healthy life. (From the Han Dynasty Yuefu poem "Man Ge Xing")
As the singing continued, more and more people stood up, clapping their hands and dancing to the beat of the song.

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Yuhan County.

Ah Qiu clung to the tree, his limber form like a civet cat. He easily scaled the highest branches and saw smoke rising from the distant reed marsh. Reed harvesters were preparing dinner. Several thatched huts clustered along the lakeshore, where a small stream flowed into the water. A wooden trestle jutted out into the water, and next to it stood a low, thatched-roofed house.

He continued to climb until the branches could no longer bear his weight. The lake was empty of boats, like a large, crystalline mirror. It was not yet time for the fishing boats to return, but he could see wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys and the half-closed oxcart behind the longhouse.

"It's still the same!" Ah Qiu bit his lip. He had been like this since he was a child, loving to climb to high places, looking into the distance, and seeing all kinds of new things, even at the risk of falling. He had been beaten by his mother for this, but he never changed.

"Aqiu, Aqiu!" The shouts of companions came from under the tree.

"What's wrong?" Aqiu looked into the distance intently without even turning his head.

"You'd better come down!" Perhaps because of the height, the voice below was a little trembling: "I'm afraid you will fall!"

"No, I'm standing very firmly!" Ah Qiu said with a smile: "Let me watch for a while!"

There was a moment of silence below, and then another voice said, "Come down, there's nothing on the lake, what's there to see?"

"Who said there is nothing!" Aqiu was about to refute when suddenly a crimson dot flashed across his eyes. He widened his eyes and stared at the red dot. No, it was not a dot, it was a boat, a boat with a crimson sail.

"Look, there's a boat on the lake, a boat with a crimson sail, coming right here. What a beautiful boat!"

"A ship with red sails?" the companions below asked doubtfully, "How is that possible? Red cloth is so expensive, who would use it for sails?"

Soon, facts proved Aqiu right. The children under the tree also saw a crimson sailboat appear on the lake. As they got closer, they gradually saw six small boats behind the crimson sailboat. The sailboats were long and narrow, presenting a beautiful streamlined shape. This made Aqiu exclaim in admiration: "What a beautiful boat!"

"Aqiu, let's leave!" the companions under the tree shouted, "This boat doesn't belong to us, it might belong to thieves!"

"Thieves?"

"Yes, Dad said that things are not peaceful right now! Let's drive the sheep back quickly, or it will be too late!"

Ah Qiu looked at the boat on the lake, then at the flock of sheep under the tree. Deep down, he didn't want to leave, but he knew his companions were right: "Okay, wait a minute, I'll be right down!"

Qiu leaped toward the branch below, his hands extended for balance. It was an innate instinct; he wouldn't fall. Light as a swallow, his toes curled, clinging to the branch. He took a few steps and then leaped down to a larger branch. Then, hanging from his hands, he climbed inward, hand by hand, through the dense foliage until his hands and feet touched the main trunk. The bark was rough to the touch, and he descended quickly, leaping the final six feet and tumbling onto the ground.

"Are you okay?" His companion reached out and helped him up.

"It's okay!" Aqiu shook off his companion's outstretched hand and said, "Gather the sheep quickly!"

A few minutes later, they gathered the sheep and drove them down the hill. After walking a bit, Qiu looked back at the lake. He saw the crimson sailboat was less than two hundred meters from the shore. With his keen eyes, he could clearly see two rows of oars on each side of the boat. The oars rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern, slapping the water like the wings of a bird. He had never seen such a beautiful boat before, and he stopped unconsciously.

"Aqiu, what are you doing? Hurry up, the red boat is coming towards us!" The companions noticed that Aqiu had stopped and hurriedly turned back and shouted.

"I want to see that boat again!" Ah Qiu suddenly ran to his companion, took off the horn hanging around his neck, and stuffed it into his hand: "I'll give this to you. Help me drive the sheep back!"

"Aqiu, what do you want to do? Are you crazy? The people on the boat will take you away!" said his companion anxiously.

"I can hide in the grass and no one can find me!" Aqiu smiled and said, "Help me drive the sheep back, it's okay!" As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and ran towards the bushes not far away.

"Aqiu, Aqiu!" The companion shouted twice, but when he saw that he couldn't call the other person back, he had to turn around and leave.

Not far from the thatched longhouse grew a dense thorn bush. When Aqiu arrived, the sun was already setting, and the occasional firefly could be seen flitting out. Carefully, he lowered himself, gliding through the underbrush like a floating shadow. Finally, he found a sunken hole. Aqiu wiggled cautiously through it, making no sound. Once he was ready, he poked his head out through the bushes.

The lake water gently lapped against the wooden piles of the pier. Aqiu watched the red sailboat slowly turn westward, approaching the end of the pier. He saw a man shouting at the stern, and people crowded on the deck, dropping anchors and furling sails. Suddenly, with a coordinated call, the oars on both sides rose in unison and retracted inward. It reminded Aqiu of a white stork landing on the water, folding its wings. What a beautiful sight!

At this moment, the sound of drums suddenly rang out.

The gangway was lowered, and a tall man came down from it. Aqiu couldn't see the man's appearance clearly, but there was no doubt that he was the leader of the ship.

(End of this chapter)