gnovel Chapter 16 What Did the Actress Do Wrong to Be Imprisoned?
Chapter 16 What Did the Actress Do Wrong to Be Imprisoned?
"The nine-story pagoda is so tall, he jumped down and disappeared without a trace. The old man calls himself Fuyaozi, could he be a roc in human form?"
It was already dinnertime when they returned to the government office. Gao Huaide talked to his sister and brother about the old man's strange talk and bizarre behavior, finding everything about him incomprehensible.
"According to him, the White Tiger Army launched a three-pronged attack with 518,000 troops, intending to pacify Jiangnan. However, the Azure Dragon Army fought across thousands of miles, captured Daxing City, and was thus thwarted in the path to unifying the world."
"The Azure Dragon and White Tiger returned to their positions, the Phoenix descended to earth, quelled the dust and smoke, transformed into a roc in the northern borderlands, trained flocks of birds in the southern wilderness, and finally ushered in the prosperous Tang Dynasty."
"You don't like reading books, you only like listening to operas, and you don't even realize you've been fooled."
Looking at her younger brother's foolishly convinced expression, the girl chuckled and said, "Those two lines are from Emperor Taizong's 'Ode to the Majestic Phoenix.' Because he was the second son, he was known as the Second Phoenix. It's not some phoenix descended to earth."
"The old man also said: The battle between the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger delayed the unification of the world by twenty-nine years, which was then compensated for by the Later Tang Dynasty. The royal aura of Jiangnan had not yet died out, so after the Later Tang Dynasty, the Southern Tang Dynasty continued the dynasty's life." (Note 1)
Having witnessed the old man's many miraculous feats, Gao Huaide was unconvinced and made a face at his sister: "What's wrong with liking to listen to opera? Which family doesn't support a troupe of actors? Be careful you don't marry an ugly doctor in the future."
The ugly doctor he mentioned refers to the story of the opera "Ta Yao Niang".
Ta Yaoniang was born at the end of the Sui Dynasty. She married a man from Henan who was ugly and fond of drinking. He often called himself a doctor and would beat his wife when he returned home drunk. His wife was beautiful and good at singing, and she would sing songs of pity. Whenever she cried out, she would shake herself, hence the name.
Upon hearing this, the girl pretended to pinch him, and Gao Huaide covered his head and begged for mercy. The younger brother, seeing his older siblings fighting, pretended not to see anything and went to stand guard at the door to watch.
Soon after, a voice called out, "Father is here!" Gao Xingzhou walked in and saw his three children getting along well. One was dignified and virtuous, one was mature beyond his years, and one was innocent and adorable. The atmosphere was extremely harmonious, and he nodded in satisfaction.
Gao Xingzhou paid no heed to such supernatural tales. After listening to Gao Huaide's retelling, he pondered the personalities of the generals the old man mentioned, and they were indeed consistent with what he knew. He wondered how the old man had obtained such information.
Six years ago, the King of Dingzhou colluded with the Khitan to rebel. Gao Xingzhou was then the Right Dragon Martial Commander, and Fu Yanqing was the Left Dragon Martial Commander. Together with Yao, Zhang, and others, they followed the commander-in-chief Wang Yanqiu to fight against the rebellion.
In that battle, Zhang Qianzhao was eager to achieve merit and disregarded the city's preparedness, urging his commander to launch a strong attack on the enemy's stronghold, resulting in the deaths and injuries of as many as three thousand soldiers. (Note 2)
Zhang Qianzhao, while garrisoning Cangzhou, distributed grain to relieve the people during a severe drought and famine, earning praise from the late emperor. However, on harvest day, he unexpectedly ordered double the taxes, drawing criticism from the court. Indeed, as the old man said, he was a narrow-minded and greedy villain.
Yao Yanchou was the commander who led 50,000 troops to escort An Congjin to his post in Xia Prefecture last year.
A few years ago, Amai, Quxibao and other Dangxiang people plundered Fangqu and invited the Uyghur envoy to be killed. The court ordered troops to attack them, and Amai and others fled to the mountains.
The late emperor believed that the Dangxiang people were afraid and could be restrained and pacified. Before the envoy arrived, Yao Yanchou had already entered Baiyu Valley, exterminated seven clans and seven hundred people, destroyed nineteen Dangxiang clans, and captured two thousand seven hundred people. It is no exaggeration to say that he was cruel and bloodthirsty.
As for Wang Sitong's reputation for being pretentious and cultured, along with the nickname he gave himself, "Jimen Warrior," it had already spread far and wide. His poems were mostly of this kind: "I thought he would soar straight to the heavens, but luckily the blue sky held him back."
Since the old man has made this assertion, there's no point in worrying. We should focus on dealing with the Dingnan Army of Xia Prefecture and wait for news from Fengxiang Prefecture.
……
Meanwhile, in Chang'an, the city lights began to illuminate the night.
This ancient capital was once the center of the world, where all nations paid tribute.
The prosperous scene described in Li Bai's poem, "A single moon shines over Chang'an, and the sound of ten thousand households pounding clothes," was repeatedly ravaged and destroyed by the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tibetan Hu people, and the chaotic troops of the regional military governors. Yet, it was resiliently rebuilt time and time again, restored to its former glory and splendor, just as it had been during the Kaiyuan era.
Fifty years ago, when Emperor Huang Chao of the Jin Dynasty occupied Chang'an, described as "fragrant aromas filling the air and the city adorned in golden armor," he did not damage the city. The streets and palaces remained intact.
On the contrary, the troops of the various regional military governors who came to quell the rebellion entered the city and looted, set fire to, and ravaged this famous city.
Palaces, residences, markets, and neighborhoods were all destroyed by fire, with six or seven out of ten burned down. Within the imperial palace, only the Hanyuan Hall remained standing; the fire only reached the western and southern palaces and the Guangqi Palace.
After suffering that calamity, Chang'an never recovered. With the decline of the Guanlong Group and the end of the Tang Dynasty's golden age, it forever lost its qualification as the capital.
Wang Sitong, the highest-ranking official in Chang'an, who is also the Prefect of Xijing, the Chancellor, and the Governor of Jingzhao, is currently hosting a banquet for the imperial envoys.
Wang Sitong was appointed as the commander of the Fengxiang campaign army to lead troops to attack Prince Li Congke of Lu. His two guests were Yao Yanchou, the deputy commander, and Chang Congjian, the commander of the cavalry and infantry.
His personality was completely incompatible with theirs; in fact, they were diametrically opposed.
Wang Sitong was the son of Wang Jingrou, the prefect of Yingzhou, and the grandson of Liu Rengong, the military governor of Lulong. Despite being a descendant of a military leader in the north, he was fond of composing poems and exchanging verses. He would entertain scholars of all kinds, regardless of their virtue or lack thereof, receiving bribes and gifts, spending hundreds of thousands of taels of silver annually.
Yao Yanchou was a cavalry general of the Shatuo tribe, and Chang Congjian came from a family of sheep butchers; neither of them was literate.
What are poetry, songs, and romantic notions? That's why he and Wang Sitong couldn't even have a proper conversation.
After several rounds of drinks, Yao Yanchou slammed his fist on the table and said, "Li Congke has lost his mind. Rebelling against the court will only lead to his death. Once we capture Fengxiang, we must slaughter all the rebels and have a good time."
Chang Congjian raised his glass in agreement, and Wang Sitong frowned almost imperceptibly upon hearing this.
Yao Yanchou was indifferent to killing, and he did more than once in Baiyu Valley, disobeying the late emperor's orders.
Just two years ago, Yao Yanchou was ordered to arrest Yang Yanwen, a military officer in Hezhong Prefecture. However, Yang Yanwen was instructed to refuse entry to the prefecture while his superior, Li Congke, the then military governor of Hezhong, was out inspecting horse administration.
The late emperor specifically instructed that Yang Yanwen be spared and not killed, so that he could be questioned in person. However, Yao Yanchou disregarded this instruction and killed Yang Yanwen.
He dared to disregard even the late emperor's personal instructions; Wang Sitong couldn't tell whether he was acting under orders to kill to silence witnesses, or whether he was simply overcome by an uncontrollable urge to kill. (Note 3)
With such a person as his deputy, it's likely that the rebellion will be difficult to quell gracefully.
Yao Yanchou, unaware of Wang Sitong's inward contempt for him, assumed he was worried about the war and casually remarked, "Why should the commander worry? There's an old saying, 'A mountain can crush an egg.' With six garrisons attacking one, Li Congke's balls will be crushed. What's there to be afraid of losing?"
Wang Sitong was displeased by his vulgar language. Just as he was about to say something to change the atmosphere, his subordinate reported that the Prince of Lu had sent an envoy to request an audience.
Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive.
If Wang Sitong refused to see him, Yao Yanchou would surely become suspicious and wonder if he would meet with him privately after the banquet. So Wang Sitong simply ordered his men to be brought in, so that they could say what they had to say in front of everyone.
The envoy strode in with his head held high and chest out, and one could tell from his posture that he was a military officer.
Following behind the envoy were ten graceful and elegant female entertainers, all around sixteen years old, each carrying a five-stringed zither.
The five-stringed instrument resembles a pipa but is slightly smaller. It produces five open strings, twenty interlocking strings, and one bridge string, capable of producing twenty-six different tones. It is not uncommon for a single person to play the instrument alone, but it is extremely difficult to find ten beautiful and musically talented young women and train them to play in unison.
Wang Sitong sighed inwardly. These young actresses were exactly to his liking; the Prince of Lu was very thoughtful. It was a pity that he couldn't accept this rare gift.
The military officer strode to the center of the hall, stopped, and announced loudly, "His Highness Prince Lu has long admired the Governor's talent in music and has specially presented ten female musicians to entertain you during your poetry recitations."
The military academy officer felt that the words taught by the clerk were not clear enough, so he simply changed them to more direct language: "These women are highly skilled in music, arts, and bedroom techniques. Let them play the pipa and flute, their melodies are very beautiful. You, sir, will know once you try it."
The actresses reacted differently to his vulgar and explicit words; some remained calm, while others were shy and timid.
Such was the fate of women in the entertainment industry. Originally daughters of good families, once implicated in a crime and sent to the brothel, they would become lowly playthings in the hands of high-ranking officials and nobles, and sooner or later they would submit to their fate.
Wang Sitong glanced at Yao Yanchou sitting opposite him, and seeing him grinning as he watched his reaction, he immediately shouted, "Men, seize him!"
A group of soldiers rushed into the hall like wolves and tigers, drawing their sharp blades and surrounding the group.
The actresses were so frightened that their faces turned pale and their legs went weak. They had to support each other and lean on one another to barely keep their balance.
The military academy officer, daring to come alone, displayed extraordinary courage. He laughed heartily and said, "I had intended to wait until the garrison commander had finished his merriment before discussing serious matters, but it seems unnecessary. The Prince of Lu has ordered that if the garrison commander does not comply, he will take matters into his own hands!"
Chang Congjian, who had been engrossed in drinking, became interested upon hearing this.
He squinted at the envoy: "This hero is robust and imposing; he must be quite delicious. Perhaps I could prepare him and roast some of the best pieces to go with my wine."
Chang Congjian was once struck by a stray arrow, the arrowhead lodged in his thigh bone. He ordered a physician to chisel the bone to remove the arrow. Those around him could hardly bear to look at the scene, finding it unbearably cruel. Yet, he remained calm and composed, a scene comparable to Guan Yu scraping his bone to remove poison.
In this respect alone, he could be considered heroic. However, he had a penchant for cannibalism and would often capture children from the countryside to satisfy his appetite, making him an utterly vicious and cruel person.
Chang Congjian's gaze swept over the female entertainers, and he licked his lips. "These women have such delicate skin and tender flesh; they're quite a treat. Cutting into their flesh while they scream in agony must be incredibly satisfying."
These poor women never imagined they would encounter such ruthless people. They had heard of cannibalistic soldiers before, and now they realized it was true. They thought they would at most offer their bodies for others to rape and play with, but instead they were to be cut open and eaten alive. Instantly, their faces turned deathly pale, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Fearing that they might provoke Yao Yanchou and Chang Congjian's ferocity, they all lowered their heads, covered their mouths, and bit their lips, not daring to beg for mercy or meet their fierce gazes.
Wang Sitong disapproved of Chang Congjian's tyrannical behavior and objected: "Killing them is unnecessary. I have already sent my son to court to discuss matters, and we can use these actresses as evidence to demonstrate our loyalty to His Majesty."
Before Yao Yanchou and Chang Congjian could say anything more, Wang Sitong waved his hand and ordered his men to take the men away and throw them into prison. (Note 4)
As the military academy student was being led out the door, he turned back and shouted, "Remember, my name is Song Shenwen. Go down there and wait for you. Prince Lu will definitely avenge us!"
Wang Sitong admired this man's courage and couldn't help but praise him, saying, "The Prince of Lu has been on the battlefield for a long time, and indeed there are many heroes in his army."
Yao Yanchou's bloodlust was not satisfied, and he said angrily, "All you need to do is raise an army as soon as possible. Once we reach Fengxiang Army, there will be plenty of soldiers like these offering their heads. What's so special about that?"
Wang Sitong didn't want to offend him, so he promised to make preparations to send troops as soon as possible and sent two courtesans to sleep with him before sending him away.
The 20th day of the second month of the first year of Yingshun, Gengyin day.
The new emperor visited the mausoleum construction site to inspect the progress of the late emperor's mausoleum.
On that day, Wang Sitong, the garrison commander of Xijing, reported to the emperor that Li Congke, the military governor of Fengxiang and the Prince of Lu, refused to obey the order.
Thus began the imperial court's campaign to conquer Fengxiang.