Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 23 We who are still alive should help them settle this account
In the autumn of the 13th year of Yuankang in the Qin Dynasty, the Qin-Yan War, which lasted for half a year, came to a brief end.

Daqin and Northern Yan fought on two fronts, conquering five cities in the northwest and recovering 300 miles of lost territory.

The Yan State Zhenxi Army, led by its young commander Ouyang Xu, captured Qin State's Fengtian County and confronted the Chilin Army across the river.

Both sides won and lost, and then stopped fighting.

Emperor Yuan Kang of Qin offered sacrifices to heaven with soil from five cities in the imperial city to comfort the ancestors of the Qin Dynasty. At the same time, he issued a general amnesty and rewarded meritorious military generals.

The Twelve Guards of the Northwest were rewarded with three generals and fifteen captains.

Zhou Chang, a general of the Imperial Guards, was promoted three levels and appointed as a fourth-rank assistant minister in the Ministry of War.

Among the rewards, there was no recognition for the 100,000 Red Scale Army soldiers who fought hard on the two fronts in the northwest and the west, nor for the 3,000 soldiers who died fighting in Toyota County, and there was no posthumous recognition for Yu Lin and others who died in Toyota County.

Although the State of Yan lost five cities and tens of thousands of troops, it was able to save face by taking a city on the western front.

The emperor personally ordered a commendation and rewarded Ouyang Shucai, the commander of the Great Yan Zhenxi Army, with a sword, ten thousand taels of gold, and the title of the second-rank Zhenxi General and the Marquis of Zhenxi.

Luyang Prefecture, post station outside the city.

Zhang Yuan, wearing a black Wuwei robe, bowed to the people in front of him.

At this time, it had been a month and a half since the end of the battle of Toyota County.

The young man in the moon-white Confucian robe sighed and looked at Zhang Yuan: "Everyone has their own aspirations. If you don't want to go to the Imperial City with me, then forget it."

"If he wants to go there someday, just come find me at the Imperial City Academy."

He paused and said softly, "The entire Red Scale Army gave up the reward in exchange for a general amnesty. This will give an explanation to the soldiers and civilians who defended Toyota County. The teacher has done his best."

The teacher he was referring to was Zhou Chang, the only general who was promoted three levels in the Qin-Yan War.

He held a military post as a civil servant and was appointed to the Ministry of War after one battle.

Outsiders don’t know that if it weren’t for the loss of 3,000 soldiers in Toyota County, which caused flaws in Zhou Chang’s plan and prevented his success, Zhou Chang would have been promoted to the position of Minister of War in one step.

He is one of the Six Heavenly Officials, a third-rank official.

Bai Shaoting, who was standing aside, had a complicated expression on his face and his eyes fell on Zhang Yuan.

"Don't worry, the Chilin Army will take care of the families of Yu Lin's brothers who died in the battle."

"We will also make every effort to compensate the other soldiers who died in the Red Scale Army's conscription."

The 100,000 Red Scale Army gave up their rewards, and Zhou Chang reduced his reward by one level in exchange for a general amnesty.

With this general amnesty, the 3,000 defenders of Toyota County held out for three months, which violated military orders, but the surviving soldiers would not be punished by military law.

With this general amnesty, Yu Lin, the commander-in-chief of the Red Scale Army, will not bear the stigma of disobeying orders.

The country has its laws and the army has its regulations. He knew that both Zhou Chang and the Chilin Army had done their best.

The fact that Yu Lin and the 3,000 defenders were not held accountable was already a great honor.

The emperor was able to use the name of amnesty to protect the face of the 3,000 defenders in Toyota County, which was the greatest tolerance he could show.

Even so, the Red Scale Army had to raise the funds for the compensation for the soldiers who died in battle.

As for the rewards for military merit that were promised when the soldiers were recruited, it was impossible to fulfill them.

In other words, the dense handwriting on the linen cloth rolled up by Master Tao has become empty words.

It was for this reason that Zhang Yuan rejected Han Xiaotong's invitation to go to the Imperial City and also rejected Bai Yu's invitation to join the Chilin Army.

He wants to go back to Luyang Prefecture.

Those names on that roll of linen need an explanation.

Zhang Yuan nodded, clasped his fists and said, "Take care, everyone."

Zhang Yuan walked out of the posthouse. Duan Hong, who was standing beside him, handed him the bundle and the long sword wrapped in linen and said, "Zhang Yuan, I'll leave my brothers in Qingshan Village in your care."

This made Zhang Yuan grin.

He pointed at his black clothes and took the long sword and bundle: "You let me, a black-clothed guard, take care of a group of bandits. I'm afraid you're not giving me credit for it."

Having said that, he and Duan Hong smiled at each other.

Zhang Yuan naturally would not ignore Duan Hong's entrustment.

Duan Hong has good cultivation and is noticed by Han Xiao. He first becomes his bodyguard and goes to the imperial city with him.

Han Xiao came from a prominent family in the imperial city. He was also a disciple of Zhou Chang and a student at the Imperial City Academy. Duan Hong followed him, so he would definitely have a future.

After three months of bloody fighting in Toyota County, Duan Hong no longer wanted to go back to being a bandit.

Carrying a bag on his back and holding a long sword, Zhang Yuan strode towards Luyang City.

In the back, in front of the post station, Han Xiao and others looked at his back with complicated expressions.

"At the age of sixteen, he's already half a step away from being a natural-born being. This guy is a prodigy even in the Imperial City." Han Xiao whispered softly, clenching his hands.

"He can kill cavalry with his foot, and one man can defeat twenty cavalry with one sword. If he can join my Red Scale Army, he will definitely have a place..."

……

Luyang Prefecture, Dingjia Lane, West City.

The setting sun is like gold, casting a shadow on the mottled streets, which are covered with fallen leaves, moving in the wind.

Returning after three months, Zhang Yuan felt extremely familiar with every tree and blade of grass here.

The scratches on the wall, the broken stone slabs at the street corner, the rafters sticking out from the eaves on the left, and the old tree by the window on the right...

"Zhang Erhezi? You, you're not, you're back?" The woman, who was carrying a dustpan, saw Zhang Yuan and her eyes widened. "Erhezi? You didn't die there. Good for you to come back, good for you to come back. Come to my house for a drink tonight—" The bearded man was pulled back by a hand from behind before he could finish his words.

Many people in the streets and alleys leaned out to look.

"Erhe, it's good that you're back."

“Brother Erhe, there are bad people in your family.”

Several children around eleven or twelve years old, wielding wooden spears and sticks, gathered around and, while talking, cast their eyes on the linen-wrapped sword in Zhang Yuan's hand and the long sword with a black sheath at his waist.

You can tell it’s the real thing at first glance.

Most of the families in Dingjia Lane are military guards. The children are familiar with weapons since childhood. When they grow up, most of them will replace their fathers and brothers in military positions.

The great Qin military guards, the son inherits the father's legacy.

Hearing that there were bad guys at home, Zhang Yuan looked up towards the courtyard at the end of the alley.

Although this courtyard is not big, it is the ancestral property of his Zhang family.

Is it because he hasn't been back for a long time and some rogue vagrants have occupied his house?

wrong.

Most of the people living in Dingjia Lane are from Wuwei families, and ordinary people cannot occupy the houses here.

There was a hint of coldness in his eyes as Zhang Yuan walked forward with a knife in hand.

The children followed behind curiously.

Before Zhang Yuan arrived at the familiar gate, he placed the long knife against the door and gave it a gentle push, and the door opened.

The scene in the courtyard made him slightly stunned.

Clothes drying on the clothesline, children scattered around, figures lying down, and medicinal herbs spread out...

"Zhang, Mr. Zhang!"

Beside the door, a middle-aged man holding a wooden stick looked at Zhang Yuan with excitement on his face.

Zhang Yuan remembered that this man carried his mother out of the city when he broke out of Toyota County.

"Master Zhang is still alive!"

"Master Zhang is back!"

In the courtyard, figures were running towards us.

Some people danced with joy, and some kowtowed to Zhang Yuan.

These people are all civilians who escaped from Toyota County.

At the side of the wing, Mr. Tao, who was sitting, looked at Zhang Yuan, laughing and crying, and then he started coughing madly.

Hu Chunniu, with a broken arm, walked out of the room with a basket of medicinal herbs in his hand, cursing and looking at Zhang Yuan with red eyes.

“It’s good to be alive, it’s good to be alive…”

Zhang Yuan walked over, reached out and pinched Hu Chunniu's empty right arm, then turned around and walked to the front of the wing room and sat down.

"Master Tao, how many people in our battalion are still alive?"

Master Tao covered his mouth and nose and coughed several times. When the redness on his face subsided, he nodded and said, "I don't know if Duan Tou is still here. There are a hundred people in this battalion, and including you and me, there are less than ten alive."

He took out the roll of linen stained with black blood from his arms and slowly unfolded it. Master Tao's hands were trembling slightly.

"I have heard about the imperial decree."

"Fengtian County fought to the death but to no avail. All our military achievements are in vain."

"If you die, it will be in vain."

His palm brushed over each name until it reached the end of the scroll, where it was Zhang Yuan's name.

A line of words written in charcoal's scribbled handwriting.

"Zhang Yuan, a native of Dingjiaxiang in Luyang Prefecture, is a member of the Wuwei Army. He has accumulated merits at the twenty-third level and is willing to exchange his military merits for opportunities to practice martial arts."

Master Tao smiled and looked at the words on the scroll: "Unfortunately, I'm afraid your opportunity to practice martial arts will not be exchanged."

Zhang Yuan leaned against the door frame, looking at the afterglow in the courtyard.

"If it can't be changed, then it can't be changed."

"Just stay alive."

Reaching out and gently rolling up the sackcloth, his eyes fell on each name.

"Zheng Jinwu, a native of Guangyuan County, Luyang Prefecture, has served in the army for three years and accumulated three ranks. He wants to exchange a cow for his family."

"Wang Mao, a native of Daping Township, Fengtian County, Luyang Prefecture, has served in the army for six years, accumulating eight levels of merit. He wants to earn money to build a house for his family."

"Xu Huanshan, Chen Youde, Chen Wuxiong..."

Zhang Yuan placed his palms on these names, a serious look on his face.

"Brothers, your military achievements are all earned at the cost of your lives."

"We who are still alive must help them settle this account."

(End of this chapter)