gnovel Chapter 105 Two Years of Separation from Yan'an
Chapter 105 Two Years of Separation from Yan'an
While Gao Xingzhou was busy making various arrangements, Gao Huaide was immersed in a complex and indescribable emotion.
During his two years in Yanzhou, he seemed to have experienced a lot, yet nothing seemed to leave a particularly deep impression.
Reaching out to stroke Xiao Bai's soft, long mane, Ru Hua barked and circled around his feet. Gao Huaide muttered to himself, "Could this be what Father meant by wasting time?"
"drive!"
He spurred his horse on, and Ruhua followed closely behind, galloping from one place to another, trying to fill the void in her heart.
The streets and alleys, the brothels and theaters, are all filled with traces of where I once lingered.
The pagoda on Baota Mountain is deserted, the market in Bao'an Town is noisy and bustling, the deep well in Qingjian City is rippling, and the reeds at Sanchuankou sway in the wind. Every place, more or less, carries the memories of the past two years.
After going around in circles, Gao Huaide returned to the prefectural city and arrived at the back hall of the government office.
Bluestone slabs, yellow sand, and green tree shade—this training ground holds shared memories for him, his brother, and Yang Chonggui.
Gao Huaide pulled a spear from the weapon rack and began practicing with great skill.
As each move flowed smoothly, the melancholy gradually dissipated, and a sense of enlightenment dawned on him.
How can you call that wasting time?
Separation from his younger brother taught him to cherish family ties; his time with Yang Chonggui taught him how to make friends; and his experience in military battles made him realize how difficult it is to command troops.
The melodious sound of a piano drifted to my ears. A gentle breeze blew, all things were coming to life, and the landscape was beautiful. It was my sister playing "Yangchun".
Gao Huaide was momentarily dazed, recalling that his sister had played "Early Spring" two years ago, and now it was late spring two years later.
He unleashed his spear technique, employing the "Unpredictable Sandstorm" move he had learned outside Xiazhou City. Several silver flowers bloomed in the air and vanished in an instant.
The music stopped abruptly, and Gao Huaide put the gun back on the weapon rack.
"You may think these past two years have been uneventful, but there are actually many things worth remembering."
Gao Huaixuan said quietly, "It's my sister who lives a life that never changes."
Gao Huaide dared not respond.
Because she was a woman, the elder sister faced many restrictions, and could only find solace in the zither.
Her life was already destined: she would be married to a man of equal social standing, bear children, and be a good wife and mother. Compared to her sister, what did she have to be pretentious about?
In the distance, Gao Xingzhou, standing with his hands behind his back, looked at his two children with a solemn expression, seemingly lost in thought.
……
The 18th day of the third month of the third year of the Qingtai era, Bingwu day.
Ma Yisun, a Hanlin Academician and Vice Minister of Rites, was appointed as Vice Minister of the Chancellery and concurrently Chancellor.
The following day, Lü Qi, a scholar of the Duanming Hall, was promoted to Vice Censor-in-Chief.
When Li Congke was in Fengxiang, Ma Yisun, who served as the military governor's judge, opposed the idea of raising an army: "If the emperor summons us, we will not wait for him to go. Your words are ominous and not a wise plan."
With a knife to his throat, he still quoted the Analects, which made him a complete bookworm, and everyone laughed at him.
The fact that Li Congke appointed him as prime minister shows that he was utterly disappointed with Lu Wenji and Yao Yi.
Lü Qi, on the other hand, was alienated by the emperor for advising Li Song on a policy of making peace with the Khitan. (Note 1)
March 30th, Wu-Wu day.
The Imperial Censor Lu Sun was appointed Right Assistant Grand Master; the Supervising Censor Wei Shui was appointed Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Studs; the Supervising Censor Wei Xun was appointed Registrar of the Court of Imperial Treasury; and the Supervising Censor Wang Yue was appointed Registrar of the Court of Agriculture.
The Court of Imperial Stud was in charge of horses and carriages, the Court of Imperial Treasury was in charge of finances and treasuries, and the Court of Agriculture was in charge of grain and granaries. However, due to changes in the imperial system, warhorses were placed under the military control of the Wardens and the financial power was placed under the jurisdiction of the Three Offices. As a result, several officials from the Censorate were essentially transferred to sinecure positions.
This mass exile was solely due to the case of Bai Wenshen, the magistrate of Bao'an Town, who was stripped of his shackles and chains.
Lu Sun offered a defense for this.
After the Lantern Festival, Li Congke issued an edict to investigate and hold those responsible accountable. The prime ministers issued a court summons and questioned the Censorate.
Lu Sun refused to admit his mistake and brazenly replied in an official document: "By imperial decree, you are released, but no further proof may be claimed."
On May 12 last year, Li Congke issued a general amnesty, and Lu Sun used this as a pretext to claim that he was acting on imperial orders.
The Secretariat continued to question: "The imperial edict stated: 'No further investigation into the details is needed, but the six characters 'Zhizheng' (算证) must be retrieved.' This is an unauthorized alteration of the imperial edict."
Lu Sun had no way to deny it, so the Court of Judicial Review ruled that he was guilty of losing his property, and thus ordered his demotion.
Luoyang, North City.
The crowd that was walking peacefully suddenly became chaotic, with some running back and others pushing forward, and the wide and smooth road was blocked for a moment.
"Look, someone's going to be beheaded!"
Prisoners were usually executed in the autumn; those sentenced to immediate execution were invariably traitors, usurpers, and heinous villains.
Moreover, this execution was different; the execution ground was guarded by the Imperial Guards. They escorted a prisoner, bound hand and foot and tightly secured with thick hemp ropes, onto the execution platform.
The executioner stood solemnly, holding a large, cleaver embracing him, his eyes cold as he watched the prisoner being tied to a wooden stake and tightened with several ropes.
"This fellow has committed a serious offense, as he was actually escorted to his death by the emperor's personal guards."
Whispers arose from the crowd.
At noon, when the sun is at its zenith, the yang energy is at its peak.
The executioner called out the prisoner's name: "The auspicious hour has arrived. This prisoner is Bai Wenshen, the garrison commander of Bao'an Town, Yanzhou. Verify his identity and proceed with the execution!"
He picked up his pen and drew a red circle above the three characters "白文审" on the order slip, then threw it forcefully.
When the card is struck, the head must also fall.
The executioner ripped off the red cloth wrapped around his broadsword, spat out a mouthful of wine, and the midday sun shone directly on it, making the blade gleam.
An executioner grabbed Bai Wenshen by the hair, forcing him to stretch his neck.
The next moment, the executioner aimed at the back of the neck and swung his broadsword heavily.
Blood gushed out, and heads fell to the ground.
"Well done!"
"What a sharp knife!"
The crowd cheered.
Only one person had a gloomy expression; he was Bai Wenke, the former prefectural governor, who had lost his post due to being implicated by his younger brother and replaced by Zhang Lang. (Note 2)
"Brother, I will avenge you!"
He angrily uttered a single sentence, then left the city and headed north to seek refuge in Taiyuan.
……
On the eve of his departure, at dusk, Gao Huaide took a silver ingot and, as if guided by some strange force, came to a secluded alley in the city.
Seeing the woman leaning against the door deep in the alley, Lu Qian and Fu An exchanged a smile: "The young master has finally figured it out and learned how to philander."
Although this woman is a bit older, she is plump, mature, and sensible, and will surely be able to properly guide the young master.
As the woman gradually became more familiar with her business, she was no longer as shy and timid as when she first started, hesitant to actively solicit customers. Seeing someone peering out from the alleyway, she greeted them with a beaming smile.
Upon seeing that it was a boy of about ten years old, the woman was slightly embarrassed. Then, remembering that the government had not yet paid the new military governor's meeting fee, she hooked her arm around Gao Huaide's and leaned closer, saying in a sweet voice, "Young master, you've come to play with me too?"
Gao Huaide smelled a perfumed fragrance, and his arm touched something that was swollen and soft. He felt dizzy and followed the woman into the house.
A three- or four-year-old child was playing in the courtyard when the woman instructed him, "Young man, go to the stove and boil a basin of water. Come back when your mother calls you."
The child seemed used to it, and after agreeing, he left.
Gao Huaide entered the room and glanced around. The room was simple with tables and chairs, but the bed was covered with brocade quilts and an old bronze mirror hung on the wall for grooming.
Facing the boy, who was only a few years older than her son, the woman felt a pang of shame and, biting her lip, asked, "Young master, what do you want to do?"
Remembering the purpose of his trip, Gao Huaide took out a silver ingot and placed it on the table.
The woman was startled. Normally, accompanying a customer for one time would only cost three to five hundred coins. This silver ingot was worth ten taels, enough to buy a woman as a slave or maid.
She was just an ordinary prostitute, not a high-class courtesan. Could this young man be teasing her, or perhaps he had some strange fetish?
"Young master, you don't need that much. If you don't have any loose copper coins, you can come back with this silver ingot. I'll be waiting here anyway."
The woman, however, still possessed a conscience and did not succumb to greed. In her mind, the child before her was most likely playing with money stolen from home, and it was best not to accept such money to avoid causing trouble.
Deep down, she didn't want to take on such a small client. If Gao Huaide didn't return, that would be fine too.
"Take it."
Gao Huaide got up and left, leaving behind the words, "This is what I owe you, but we'll call it even from now on."
The woman was puzzled, but had no time to think about it. She quickly put away the silver and called her son over.
The child was quite puzzled. Usually, his mother would take at least the time it takes to burn a candle before waking him up, and sometimes she would let him sleep first until he woke up in the morning before waking him up again. Why was it so quick today?
Without explanation, the woman took out a memorial tablet from the wooden box containing luggage and clothes, and had the child kowtow to it, thanking his deceased father for his protection in heaven.
She herself seemed ashamed to face the memorial tablet, turning away to the side and quietly wiping away the two lines of clear tears that had diluted the rouge on her cheeks.
At the alley entrance, Lu Qian and Fu An saw the young master enter the door and then come out shortly afterward, which puzzled them.
Even if it's quick the first time, there's not even enough time to take off and put on clothes.
Fu An tentatively asked, "Such vulgar women are probably not to the magistrate's liking, or perhaps this woman is incapable of serving?"
Gao Huaide snorted but didn't reply.
The next morning, the day arrived for us to depart from Yanzhou.
Gao Huaide reined in Xiaobai and looked back once more at the yellow earth that had gone from being unfamiliar to becoming familiar.
In his eyes, unlike the barren, arid yellow sands of Xia Prefecture, the loess soil of Yan Prefecture was full of vitality. It was still springtime now, but when the summer and autumn harvest season came, the rolling waves of wheat would surely turn into a sea of golden yellow.
Gao Huaide lingered, reluctant to leave, still admiring the scenery, while the carriages and horses ahead rumbled away into the distance.
"Brother, it's time to go."
Gao Huailiang urged, "There's still a long way to go to the capital."
Goodbye, Yan'an County.
Gao Huaide silently bid farewell to Yanzhou, remembering its old name.
The name Yan'an originated in the Sui and Tang dynasties. Because it was located on the border, it was chosen to signify stability and peace.
Gao Huaide was unaware that the days to come would be far removed from those four words, flowing like a mighty river, full of turbulent waves.
He is about to face the first major shock of his life.