Chapter 436: Aiyo Aiyo, Aiyo Aiyo

Beside the "Shi"-sign Warm Post, a flourishing little town had already taken shape. After Wang Dou ordered that all courier stations within his territory could operate independently, every station along the Eastern Route burst forth with vigorous life.

The stations' military postal function remained unchanged, but alongside each station, all sorts of civilian livelihood projects were specially run — inns, tea houses, restaurants, warehouses, horse firms, and so on, a great variety of them, providing services to passing travelers and transporting commercial goods.

Travel and freight are hard necessities for soldiers and commoners alike; no one can avoid them. At the Eastern Route's courier stations, these civilian projects are now run by station officials and station hands in partnership with various merchants. A portion of the yearly profit is turned over to the Shogunate Finance Bureau, and the Shunxiang Army provides them with protection.

Station hands who used to be so poor the wind whistled through their pockets are now each making a fortune. Station laborers who had fled before have all come back. Even station hands from outside the Eastern Route are coming into the territory one after another to seek a livelihood. It's a pity Li Zicheng rebelled so early — otherwise, if he heard about the current state of the Eastern Route, he would certainly rush over to find himself a bowl of rice.

Of course, Wang Dou did not forget the courier stations' primary function: flying-report pond-horses and transmitting official dispatches. Only the function of conveying traveling officials was drastically cut back by him. This was also the biggest reason the courier stations had fallen into dire straits — eating and drinking at public expense, using public vehicles for private purposes — even in later ages such practices were repeatedly banned yet never stopped, let alone in the Great Ming dynasty.

In truth, the Great Ming had always had strict regulations on the use of courier horses, and the tally documents issued by the Ministry of War were quite scarce. But where there are policies from above, there are countermeasures from below. When high officials and powerful nobles lacked a tally but still demanded you provide horses, would you, a station official, dare refuse?

In the second year of Chongzhen, Liu Mao, a Supervising Secretary of the Office of Justice, once tried to rectify the courier system — entirely out of public-spiritedness — yet he offended officials across the entire realm. Why? Because a great many officials of the Great Ming were precisely the ones profiting from courier-system abuses. The final result: large numbers of station runners who had lost their livelihood rose in revolt, and Liu Mao himself met a bad end — not even a single man could be hired to carry his coffin.

Wang Dou strictly enforced the standards for courier-horse use. This inevitably offended many people again, but Wang Dou had offended plenty of people already and did not care about offending a few more. Within the Eastern Route, no power existed that could threaten the Jingbian Army, so the various officers and generals dared not say anything. When outside officials passed through the territory, they could only hire their own carts and horses at the stations. If they wanted to eat, stay, and amuse themselves for free — not a chance.

Chen Sheng and the others walked into a cart firm beside the Warm Post named "Qing Tian Fu." The square in front of the firm was broad and spacious, filled inside with all kinds of ox carts and horse carts; not far away was the official road.

Right next to the cart firm was a "Civilian Letter Bureau." This was a type of private post office that had appeared as early as the Yongle era, mostly in Jiangnan. Its services included delivering letters and items, handling remittances, and so on, and it was quite popular among the common people.

Chen Sheng looked over. Around the cart firm and the Civilian Letter Bureau were clustered restaurants and inns, along with all kinds of shops. At that moment, carts and horses were going in and out, carrying customers and goods. Among them were some brothers from the unit, already seated in horse carts and heading home.

Seeing Chen Sheng and his group approach, a plump, chubby manager came over personally to greet them. Smiling all over his face, he cupped his hands: "Welcome, welcome. Welcome, officers and soldiers, returning in triumph. May I ask which Warm Post you gentlemen are heading to? Or are you going to Yanqing and Huailai?"

One shrewd brother in the squad said, "We're going to Huailai. How much in paper notes per person?"

The plump, chubby manager took out a placard and said with a smile, "The rates are all listed above. The charge differs for each Warm Post you pass. You gentlemen are all military personnel, so by regulation, you get a thirty percent discount."

Chen Sheng and the others took the price list and looked it over. Written on it was: "Within ten li, per Warm Post the charge is seven ge; for active-duty soldiers, five ge."

Chen Sheng calculated in his mind: from Yongning to Huailai they would pass more than ten courier stations; per person it would cost about six or seven sheng in grain notes.

The shrewd brother in the squad said, "These rates — you wouldn't be swindling us, would you?"

The plump, chubby manager slapped his leg: "Aiyo, my military masters, these rates were jointly decided by the Civil Affairs Bureau and the merchant houses. The black-faced Lord Bao from the Pacification Office even comes by from time to time looking for fault — who would dare raise the prices? We couldn't afford the fines, oh no." ...

He turned back and pointed at a placard hanging at the cart firm's entrance, on which were written the large characters "Model in Supporting the Army," and added: "Besides, our Qing Tian Fu Trading House's Proprietor Lai has a deep friendship with the Grand General and is now the vice-chairman of the Zhendong Merchant Association. Back when the Eastern Route was rooting out traitors, he stood on the General's side — how could he do such a dishonorable thing?"

Chen Sheng said, "Enough, we'll take these rates."

Within the squad, apart from the squad leader, Chen Sheng commanded the highest authority. Once he said this, the other brothers said nothing more.

Chen Sheng asked, "Manager, are there any carts or horses that go directly to Fanshan in Huailai? We'd like to hire two."

The plump, chubby manager looked somewhat embarrassed: "My apologies, but that area is the operating territory of another cart firm. Our humble firm cannot go there."

After they settled matters, Chen Sheng and his eight companions hired two horse carts at the "Qing Tian Fu" cart firm and headed west along the official road.

Chen Sheng and Ju Yiwu shared one horse cart. From time to time he gazed outside; his heart was full of joy. Riding in a horse cart — in the past, he had hardly ever enjoyed such a thing, but now he could return home in style.

Because the road was good to travel on, the horse cart did not jolt. Chen Sheng said, "The road surface has changed quite a lot."

Ju Yiwu grunted in agreement: "It has changed a lot."

The cart driver had sharp ears and heard them from up front. He laughed and said, "Before the Grand General came to the Eastern Route, this road surface... tsk tsk, full of potholes and hollows, and covered in dust — real misery, oh yes. But now it's so fine."

He cracked a ringing whip and sang a folk song in a high voice: "Yo... dear wife, the stars in the sky are many but not as many as the moon; a snow-white rooster can't compare to a goose; for cooking porridge or rice, nothing beats the grain from your own field; when you're sick, you still need your dear wife..."

The official road wound along the banks of the Qingshui River, passing one courier station after another. Sometimes the cart driver stopped to let the horses drink water and eat some bean fodder. After passing three stations, they had already reached Yanqing Department. The group did not stop but continued on toward Huailai.

That evening the group rested at an inn beside a courier station. The next day, the carts and horses arrived beneath the walls of Huailai City. In later ages, Huailai City would be submerged under the Guanting Reservoir, but at this time it was a major city along the route, seven li in circumference, where Ma Guolei, the Huailai Military Defense Circuit Intendant, was stationed.

Huailai City had three gates: east, south, and west. The east gate was called "Mingjing Gate," and not far from the city gate was a courier station. Fifteen li west of the city was the Yi-sign Warm Post; twenty-five li west of the city was the Lao-sign Warm Post; thirty-five li west of the city was the Chen-sign Warm Post. Further on was the large Tumu Courier Station, and going toward Xuanzhen, there was also Jiming Courier Station.

The courier station near Mingjing Gate was called the Kai-sign Warm Post. Upon arriving here, Chen Sheng parted ways with the brothers in his squad. He and Ju Yiwu hired a horse cart at the cart firm beside the Warm Post and headed for Fanshan Fort.

The two of them were from the same garrison fort called Fansan Fort. Around it were also Fanwu, Fanliu, Fanqi, and other garrison forts, all populated by commoners whom Wang Dou had brought to the Eastern Route from the various prefectures of Northern Zhili back then.

The horse cart traveled west. Several li past the west gate of Huailai City, it turned west onto another road, somewhat smaller than the road they had traveled before — they had entered a county road.

According to the regulations set by Wang Dou and the planning of the Civil Affairs Bureau, roads within the Eastern Route were divided into three grades. Roads between cities were first-grade standard, called official roads, paved with sand and gravel mixed with lime-mortar slurry, lined with trees on both sides, and with a pavilion every five li.

Within the territory of a department, county, or guard, roads from a city to a large fort, or between one large fort and another, were county roads.

Roads from a large fort to a garrison fort were township roads — sand-and-dirt roads wide enough for two carts or horses to travel abreast.

Chen Sheng and Ju Yiwu rode the horse cart past Fanshan Fort and turned onto the township road to Fansan Fort. Because the road had crushed stone and fine sand, there was not much dust, and the ride was fairly smooth — far better than the potholed dirt roads between the various garrison forts in the past.

Along the township road were many fields, planted with all kinds of crops. Irrigation wells could be seen everywhere. The closer they got to Fansan Fort, the more violently Chen Sheng's heart pounded. How he longed to see his child.

It was the agricultural off-season, so there were not many people in the fields. No doubt the people of the garrison fort were all finding ways to work short-term jobs outside. Fansan Fort in particular was close to the various sites at Heishan Temple, where there were many livestock farms, mines, and processing workshops — far too many opportunities for work. ...

But it was not far from the hour of You now, and the closer they got to Fansan Fort, the more people were walking on the township road — no doubt everyone was returning from work.

Seeing the horse cart pass by, especially the two inside — Chen Sheng and his companion — some people from the Third Fort who recognized them stared at each other in surprise: "Sire Chen, Sire Ju, you've returned? And riding a horse cart, too — returning home in silken robes."

Amid his anticipation, Fansan Fort appeared before Chen Sheng's eyes. The fort stood on flat open country. To the south lay Fanshi Fort and Fanwu Fort, and beyond them, towering mountains and steep ridges.

Within this fort were several Company Commander. The interior was laid out in barracks style, similar to the old Jingbian Fort. Surrounding it on the outside was a rammed-earth wall about two meters high; beyond the wall was a moat several meters deep. There was a barricade gate, a drawbridge, and at the wall's edge were arrow towers and watchtowers. The defenses were fairly ordinary, but now that order prevailed within the Eastern Route's governance, such defenses were sufficient.

For a garrison fort like Fansan Fort, depending on the fort's size, it would be assigned anywhere from one squad to several squads of garrison troops — a number of bird-gun musketeers, a number of saber-and-shield men, and the rest all pikemen. The able-bodied men and sturdy women of the garrison also each had a pike for defense. The fort chief and Garrison Commander, depending on the slack farming season, would summon the men for drill.

When Chen Sheng's horse cart arrived before Fansan Fort, it immediately drew the attention of everyone in front of the fort.

Now all the garrison forts were under the military-farm system; there was no distribution of private fields. The garrison households were issued monthly rations. During the busy farming season, the monthly grain was ample and the meals rich; during the slack season, the monthly grain was less, and people still had to take on outside work to supplement the household budget. In a newly established garrison fort like this, there were not many people who could afford to ride in a horse cart.

A crowd gathered around, discussing and guessing who it might be.

Chen Sheng and Ju Yiwu stepped down from the cart, and at once a stir went through the crowd. Everyone said, "Sire Chen, Sire Ju, you've returned."

A wave of warm greetings sounded. Chen Sheng and Ju Yiwu were among the very few people from the Fanshan area who had joined the Shunxiang Army — they could be called the pride of the Third Fort. Looking again at the two men, clad in full armor, wearing waist sabers, heroic and extraordinary, the crowd clicked their tongues in admiration: "Look at that gallant bearing — people who join the Shunxiang Army are truly out of the ordinary."

"That killing aura — they must have slain quite a few roving bandits."

"I hear the Grand General has granted leave: all officers and soldiers who went on campaign get ten full days."

When Chen Sheng and Ju Yiwu lifted down bundle after bundle from the horse cart, then took out grain notes to pay the cart fare, the crowd buzzed even louder: "They've struck it rich, struck it rich! Sire Chen, Sire Ju, they've really struck it rich! Look at that thick stack of paper notes — the face value is dozens of dan!"

"Those bundles, big and small — surely meat and grain and flour. Mistress Chen is a fortunate woman."

"We toil for a whole year and it doesn't match their one campaign. No wonder everyone wants to join the Shunxiang Army. The rewards for going to war are this generous."

"You can't put it that way — they're also risking their lives out there..."

"The Grand General has been promoted to Regional Commander; he's sure to expand the army. We'll have our chance."

Ju Yiwu, cold of face but warm of heart, took out some candies and distributed them to the children crowding around him, drawing cheers from the little ones.

Chen Cheng saw the crowd surrounding him, countless eager gazes, and felt somewhat at a loss — he was never good at socializing. After thinking it over, he cupped his hands and said, "Fellow neighbors, Cheng and his family have long been in your care. Tomorrow, Cheng will set out a banquet before the Horse King Temple, and I ask you all to honor us with your presence."

The crowd chattered all at once: "Sir Chen is too courteous."

"The two great sirs are hosting a feast — we will certainly attend."

They warmly clustered around the two men as they entered the settlement, scrambling to help Chen Cheng and the other carry their things. Chen Cheng was distracted, his eyes only scanning the crowd, searching for those he held in his heart.

Suddenly, he heard someone calling from behind: "Husband."

"Papa..."

Chen Cheng turned around and saw his wife and concubine hurrying toward him. Beside them were three children — if not his own sons, and his darling little girl, then who else?

Chen Cheng's heart trembled, and he could not hold back his tears.

Wang Dou granted the soldiers on campaign ten days' leave — not only Gao Xun and the other B-grade troops, but the A-grade troops of the remaining units were also given leave. Every one of them had a horse, and compared to the B-grade soldiers' roundabout journeys, their return home was far more comfortable.

In the Ren unit, under Gao Shiyin's command, pikeman Zhao Rongcheng followed his squad leader, along with Lai Dexiang, Luo Liangzuo, and the other squad brothers, out of the barracks. With a chorus of shouts, each man mounted his horse, whooping and hollering as they raced toward Baoanzhou.

They wore iron helmets and iron armor, carried waist sabers, and with loud cries they simply spurred their horses on at a gallop. None carried much luggage — even Zhao Rongcheng brought only a few roast fat ducks and a jar of fine wine, prepared to share with his grandfather back home.

Compared to the B-grade soldiers, who could not wait to exchange money for grain and went on shopping sprees, the A-grade soldiers were largely indifferent to gold, silver, and grain tickets. Most of them saved up their military merits, preparing to exchange them for land beyond the frontier in the future.

What they discussed was mostly how to build a great manor beyond the frontier, a great pasture, and so on. Each man often calculated his military merits — how much land he could exchange for in the future: five hundred mu, a thousand mu, five thousand mu? Even measured by the li?

For the A-grade soldiers, who often received bonuses and whose families were already well-off, money held little appeal — but the attraction of land remained ever vigorous and full of life.

The whole squad were all men of Baoanzhou. As they spurred their horses onward, though only ten riders, their momentum was considerable. Iron hooves pounded the ground, and far off at the checkpoint intersection, those porter convoys scattered to both sides of the road. After the iron cavalry passed, they could only watch the riders' backs with gazes of envy and awe.

They galloped onto the official road from Yongning to Yanqing and Huailai, the great earth sweeping past beneath them, iron hooves striking the solid road.

The mild-tempered Squad Leader Sun could not help but feel a surge of heroic spirit and sang out loudly: "Hey, beautiful great grasslands, I will come, I will come."

Zhao Rongcheng and the others spurred their horses behind and sang in unison: "Ayo ayo, ayo ayo!"

"I shall make the Tatar heads into my drinking cup."

Zhao Rongcheng and the others sang in unison: "Ayo ayo, ayo ayo."

"Their wives shall be my concubines, their children shall be my servants."

"Ayo ayo, ayo ayo."

"My horsewhip shall flog them heavily."

"Ayo ayo, ayo ayo!"

"Cross the high mountains, cross the plains, tread the great earth, tread the grasslands!"

"Ayo ayo, ayo ayo!"

"Until the very ends of the sky, hey."

The men sang in unison: "Kill kill kill kill, kill kill kill kill!"

This song was called "The March of Men." No one knew who in the Ren unit had composed it, but once sung, it became instantly popular and became the unit song under Gao Shiyin's command.

The iron cavalry swept past like a violent storm, leaving a trail of wolf howls in their wake.

The soldiers each returned to their own homes and saw their own kin. (To be continued...)