At Her Mercy (GL) - Chapter 3

When she was twelve, Zhen Wenjun was not yet called Zhen Wenjun; she had a very common name: Alai.

That year, her legendary life was slowly beginning to unfold.

It was the severe winter of the sixth year of Shenchu, and a great famine had struck.

Qixian County, a crucial northwestern town in Da Yu, was gripped by hardship.

The cold night, filled with continuous gray snow and howling winds, saw the four gates of Qixian tightly sealed. Outside the city, the starved lay everywhere. The refugees fleeing the conflict in the northwest showed no sign of dispersing.

On the city wall, lights burned like torches, ready-to-roll boulders were stacked on the battlements, and powerful crossbows were poised in the embrasures.

County Magistrate Sun Mingyi held a torch and shone it down toward the base of the wall. In the pitch-black night, he could see the bodies of the drowned, frozen hard on the surface of the winding moat outside the city, slowly drifting away. Yet, even more refugees, undeterred by the frigid river water, plunged in from the opposite bank, pushed aside the thin ice, and surged toward the city wall in waves.

The three-carriage-wide ring road beneath the city wall was completely filled with jostling heads. Wails, pleas, and the sound of people beating on the city gates continued day and night, stirring up fear within the city. These refugees had surrounded the city for three days. No matter the shouts, drives, or even threats, they ignored everything, refusing to leave even an inch.

The food packets thrown down from the city wall in the evening had long been snatched up. More and more refugees arrived from the northwest, blocking the city gates, and now the river channel. Yesterday, more than ten drowned bodies had been pulled from the river, yet even more refugees, unafraid of death, continued to besiege the city and even tried to force their way in.

Qixian was a critical pass in the northwestern highlands. The city walls were extremely high, but these refugees, without any military training, were attempting to scale the walls with their bare hands to survive. Some were even organizing human ladders. In the dark night, dense black figures clung to the city wall like ants, constantly climbing upward.

“Drop the stones!”

At Sun Mingyi’s command, the armored soldiers swung their great swords and cut the ropes holding the boulders. The heavy rocks crashed down along the wall, wiping away the black dots clinging to the surface one by one. The giant stones hit the ground with the sound of thunder, the earth shaking violently. People were crushed like grass, reduced to a pulp. The refugees scattered in fear, thrown into chaos.

After the boulders rolled through, blood stained the steps, and wails filled the ground. Soon, the surviving refugees gathered again. Their calloused, filthy feet stepped over the bloody paste and meat chunks, returning to the high wall to continue banging on the gates and building human ladders in an attempt to breach the city.

These refugees climbed upward recklessly, with no regard for their lives. In their eyes, the city was full of warm torches and delicious food. As long as they crossed this high wall, they could eat their fill. Each one of them, crazed with hunger for food, lunged forward like starving wolves.

Sun Mingyi was a veteran who had participated in countless major battles, but the sight of these famine-driven, maddened refugees still filled him with dread, and their shouts made his scalp crawl.

Even suicide warriors would be no fiercer.

They killed all night, but the refugees showed no signs of weakening. Near dawn (the hour of Mao), another wave of refugees attacked. Sun Mingyi raised his command flag with one hand and shouted, “Fire the arrows!”

The drumbeats roared. Two hundred archers were about to release their arrows, and oil was ready to be poured down, when suddenly a loud shout pierced through the wind and snow.

“Stop!”

Before Sun Mingyi could turn around to see who the newcomer was, the tall man, who had pushed through the blocking soldiers, grabbed his command flag.

The person lunged fiercely, trying to seize the banner. Sun Mingyi, a man seasoned in battle, pulled back instantly, easily disrupting the man’s balance.

Two soldiers advanced with spears, crossing them to form an angle that locked the intruder’s neck.

Two heavy kicks to his back made him cry out in pain. Just as the man was being pinned to the ground, his chin about to hit the dirt, he urgently shouted:

“County Lord, wait! I am Xie Suishan!”

Sun Mingyi was puzzled: “Young Master Xie?”

By the light of the torch, he could finally see that this person was indeed Xie Suishan, the eldest legitimate son of the Prefect of Suichuan, Xie Taihang.

The soldiers retracted their spears. Sun Mingyi said, “What are you doing here?”

Xie Suishan pushed aside the soldiers behind him, pulled out the Prefect’s official seal and token from his sleeve, and thrust it in front of Sun Mingyi: “What do you think I am doing here! Seeing the token is like seeing the Prefect himself! Sun Mingyi, how dare you act so recklessly, slaughtering your own countrymen! This is an absolute disregard for human life!”

Sun Mingyi’s expression did not change. His eyes, stained with the sight of blood, reflected the cold light as he countered: “May I ask Young Master Xie, how have I slaughtered my own countrymen? And how have I disregarded human life?”

Xie Suishan pointed to the corpses scattered all over the ground below the city wall: “The evidence is right here! What further argument do you have? You firmly held the city gates closed, allowing your countrymen to starve to death outside the city. If that isn’t disregard for human life, what is? They are not bandits; they are just pitiful people suffering from the great famine! They traveled thousands of miles to Qixian just to beg for a mouthful of food for themselves and their wives and children! Qixian’s public granary is plentiful, so why can’t you let them into the city and save their lives? Instead, you resort to such brutal measures!”

Sun Mingyi said in surprise: “Plentiful public granary? You call that half-empty granary plentiful? Leaving aside that these are refugees fleeing the conflict in the northwest and the Xi, and are therefore not our own people, just consider the sheer number—nearly twenty thousand people—how much grain would it take to sustain them? Once Qixian runs out of official grain supply, do you know the consequences of a refugee riot?”

“Not only the public granary, but the private grain reserves of the people in the city! The Xizhou borders our Da Yu territory and has always been our vassal state, so they should be counted as the people of Da Yu! Public or private, you should open the granaries to provide relief and save the people! How can you bear to let them freeze and starve to death outside the city by keeping the gates shut? The human heart is made of flesh; if you give them a warm meal now, they will remember your kindness forever. Sir, your vision should be long-term, not focused on immediate, petty gains. Grain can be harvested again, but lost goodwill is hard to recover! I will take responsibility for any consequences if the refugees enter the city!”

Xie Suishan’s angry outburst released the frustration he had contained for days.

This Sun Mingyi, relying on the military power in his hands, had dared to deploy troops and massacre the refugees without even consulting his father. Qixian was merely a county seat under Suichuan Commandery. How could a County Magistrate make such a major decision? He completely disregarded the Prefect of Suichuan—this was a slight to the Xie family. This kind of arrogance must be curtailed. After the refugee matter was settled, he would definitely urge his father to impeach Sun Mingyi and have him exiled to Yizhou.

Ultimately, dealing with Sun Mingyi was a small matter; the greater purpose was gaining merit.

Although the imperial court had issued no clear decree, the increasing number of refugees meant the emperor would soon issue an edict instructing commanderies to open granaries for disaster relief and accept the refugees.

If Suichuan could act ahead of others, his father could leverage this merit to be retained in the capital after reporting for duty next year.

This was a crucial step for the Xie family, and as the eldest legitimate son, he had to handle it well to gain favor with his father and avoid his father saying again that the Xie family sons were inferior to the daughters.

The torches overhead swayed in the wind, occasionally spitting sparks. Sun Mingyi calmly watched Xie Suishan’s aggressive, youthful face. His snow-damp beard was dry and graying, and his rough lips, cracked in several places with dried blood, trembled slightly.

“Fine.” Sun Mingyi uttered the word, so quick and decisive that it surprised everyone.

He shouted to the exhausted soldiers who had guarded the gates for days without sleep:

“Everything will be managed by the Prefect’s Young Master! Withdraw the troops, and open the city gates!”

The bitter cold of the north was bone-deep, causing shivers and making the skin feel like it was covered in a layer of frost.

Xie Suishan watched as the city gates slowly opened. Tens of thousands of refugees, like a frenzy of rats, ants, snakes, and insects, surged forward, desperately fighting to enter the city. Their excited shouts made his ears ache.

He had dismissed Sun Mingyi and now stood on top of the city wall. The triumphant smile on his lips should have felt easy, but unexpectedly, it was stiff and lacked confidence.

Those refugees let out hungry, beast-like growls. They pushed aside the soldiers, trampled their fellow Xizhou countrymen, and squeezed into the city full of hope. What would they do here?

He had to admit, a sense of unexpected panic and indecision was slowly spreading in his heart.

Xie Suishan forced himself to calm down. Opening the granaries to help the people—this is justifiable anywhere you go.

His father had educated him since childhood to be virtuous. He was acting with a compassionate heart, walking honestly on the path of righteousness. Why should he worry?

As dawn approached, Xie Suishan watched all twenty thousand refugees from outside enter the city before descending from the wall.

He had ridden a horse here alone, but now he saw the Xie family carriage parked nearby. After a brief thought, a look of understanding crossed his face. Just as he was about to step forward, a junior officer stopped him, asking how the twenty thousand refugees should be settled.

Xie Suishan hesitated for a moment and then instructed: “First, settle the displaced people at Qingshui Temple on Nanshan. You take my token to the abbot and have him serve them some gruel and noodle soup first. Also, after they are settled, you lead men to the county granary and send thirty cartloads of grain to Qingshui Temple to appease the refugees. Do you understand?”

The junior officer took the order and left. Xie Suishan dusted his sleeves, straightened his cap ribbons, and stepped into the carriage. As expected, he saw a middle-aged gentleman dressed in a scholarly blue gown sitting inside. He respectfully bowed to the gentleman and asked, “The weather is so cold, why did Sir Fang come out?”

This Sir Fang’s name was Fang Yu, styled Huaiyuan, and he was known as Yunmeng, a renowned debater of the time and one of the Five Sages of Suichuan. Three years ago, Xie Taihang had personally witnessed the elegance of Yunmeng defeating a group of scholars in a debate and greatly admired him. He personally invited him from a remote area of Suichuan to the Xie family, where he became an counselor and teacher to the eldest legitimate son and daughter.

Deciding to let the refugees into the city should have waited until Xie Taihang returned from Yanzhou to be discussed. However, first, the cold had already frozen many people to death, and second, Sun Mingyi’s ruthless massacre was a perfect opportunity for him to gain merit for the Xie family.

Seeing the fleeting chance, he couldn’t wait any longer.

Since his teacher was also away from the Xie mansion lecturing, Xie Suishan made his decision.

Having studied under his teacher for many years, it was time for him to make some decisions on his own. When his father returned and saw his achievement, he would surely look upon him with new respect.

Yunmeng lifted the curtain of the carriage, glanced at the refugees being herded toward the south of the city by the officials, and spoke in a low voice that required close attention to hear:

“These refugees all come from the Xizhou borders. The Xizhou people are notoriously fierce in character. Does Young Master have a plan for settling them?”

Xie Suishan was momentarily stunned, then replied with some surprise:

“No matter how fierce, they are merely refugees now, only seeking food. Qixian is opening the granary for disaster relief for no other reason than to ensure they remember the kindness of our Xie family. I have some relationship with the abbot, Minghui, of Qingshui Temple on Nanshan, so I’ll settle the refugees there first. Qingshui Temple has a good reputation for charity and will surely arrange everything properly. I predict that the imperial court will issue an edict and allocate funds before the spring. At that time, all prefectures and counties will inevitably have to open their granaries for relief and take in the displaced. The distributed grain can be transferred from other counties in Suichuan later, but our Xie family’s understanding of the Emperor’s will will be a concrete step ahead of others. Perhaps the favored task of coordinating disaster relief will ultimately fall to my father. Setting aside the relief funds for a moment, the important thing is the documented merit. For years, opportunities for promotion have been seized by those martial generals who lead armies; our Xie family has not been able to achieve much.” After gathering his thoughts, Xie Suishan felt his mind was quite sharp, and his momentary self-doubt vanished immediately.

“The Xie family cannot continue to remain stuck in a small place like Suichuan.” Xie Suishan’s body swayed gently with the movement of the carriage, a satisfied smile of a great plan about to be executed spread steadily across his face. “Let me pave the way for my father.”

Taoyuan Temple, North of Qixian City.

A beautiful woman, lifting the hem of her skirt, carefully ascended the steps one by one.

The withered shrubs on both sides of the steps were already buried under the gray snow. The wind on the high ground was particularly strong and cold at this hour. The steps were uneven and covered with frozen water and snow, making every step treacherous. The beautiful woman was extremely cautious, worried about slipping and falling, and she constantly sighed.

Following the beautiful woman was a girl dressed in thin, rough gray cloth. The girl looked only eleven or twelve years old. She carried a basket and walked lightly, occasionally turning to look back, her bright eyes seemingly searching for something. The higher they climbed, the more the entire landscape of Qixian came into view, allowing her to see the towering city walls through the gray sky.

The girl’s brow furrowed slightly. After thinking for a moment, she vigilantly scanned the dilapidated surroundings.

“Alai,” the beautiful woman, still focused on her footing, asked casually, “Did Ah Xun tell you when she and her father would return?”

The girl called Alai quickened her steps to catch up to the beautiful woman and said, “Replying to Fourth Aunt, Sister didn’t tell me. They seemed quite rushed when they left. I happened to be out buying flower pots and didn’t get to see her.”

Since she didn’t get the answer she wanted, Fourth Aunt stopped speaking to her. The two arrived at the gate of Taoyuan Temple, where a young novice monk came out to greet them.

Alai was still looking around. Fourth Aunt asked her, “What are you looking at?”

Alai replied, “Replying to Fourth Aunt, I noticed that the soldiers on the city walls seem to have withdrawn. If no one is guarding the city gate, what if more refugees break into the city without permission? It is said that these refugees are coming fiercely, and Qingshui Temple on Nanshan can’t handle so many people. The grain Young Master sent will soon be eaten, and they certainly won’t stay put. Fourth Aunt, let’s hurry back. I feel it’s not very safe outside.”

Fourth Aunt slowly drawled out an “Oh”: “You are actually more thoughtful than the Xie family’s eldest legitimate son.”

Alai was slightly startled, then quickly lowered her head and whispered, “Alai is only a servant; how can I be compared with the Young Master? It’s just that before leaving, Mistress instructed me to remind Fourth Aunt to go and return quickly. Mistress was also the one who told the servant about the situation in the city.”