Chapter 728: The Prince of Qin's Battle-Breaking Dance

In the ninth month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Yu Luan, Jian Yao, and Lu Jingxiang of the Zanhuang Mobile Corps under Xu Yue'e's command in Zhenbao Garrison mutinied. Xu Yue'e suppressed them with the thunderous might of the New Army camp; over eight hundred men were killed in total. In the aftermath, the Prefect of Zhending, caught in the vortex of the affair, resigned in disgrace and was replaced by Qiu Maohua.

Provincial Governor Xu Biao was rebuked by imperial decree and ordered to redeem himself through meritorious service while bearing his guilt. The Ministry of War promoted Xu Yue'e to Assistant Regional Commander of Zanhuang, placing her in charge of the defenses of Zanhuang, Lincheng, Yuanshi, Gaoyi, and Baixiang.

On the advice of the Jingbian Army advisor she had engaged, Xu Yue'e, after purging the core cadres like Yu Luan, did not let the matter expand. Mindful that Yu Luan and his men had once dealt heavy blows to the Tatar invaders and rendered service to the state, she compensated their families according to the regulations for those who died in battle. The local soldiers and civilians quickly settled down.

Afterward, Xu Yue'e reorganized her entire force, which now numbered fifteen hundred cavalry and three thousand infantry—all New Army troops. The rest were all organized into farming garrisons, who tilled the land in busy seasons and drilled in idle times.

She also followed the advisor's plan, building ties with the newly appointed Prefect Qiu Maohua and the garrison commander of Gu Pass, Li Maochun, and others. This allowed refugees to travel from Gu Pass through Pingding Department, Shouyang, Yuci, and other places to reach Taiyuan, opening an additional route into Shanxi.

By late in the ninth month, the situation in Zanhuang and the surrounding areas had completely calmed, and the New Army's drilling proceeded with fiery intensity. By then, Xu Yue'e had learned of the great victory beyond the frontier. Because Lady Zhong, the Marchioness of Empress Dowager, missed her grandson Wang Yi and constantly longed to see him, and because Wang Yi had never met his father since birth, Xu Yue'e decided to make a trip to Xuanfu.

In late ninth month, accompanied by a guard escort, Xu Yue'e quietly left Zanhuang with her son. Passing through the prefectural city of Zhending, Xingtang, Daoma Pass, and other places, she took the route through Guangchang, Weizhou, and Baoan Department, heading for the garrison city of Xuanfu.

On the third day of the tenth month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the area around Xinghe Post was a sea of people. There were officials and generals from all over Xuanfu Garrison who had come to welcome them, merchants and people from the Three Jin regions offering their greetings, and even more local garrison households from the surrounding area. Many students walked to and fro in groups, beating gongs and blowing horns, holding small flags, each more excited than the last.

Not to mention that this great victory had tremendously boosted the morale of soldiers and civilians alike, but under Wang Dou's governance, everyone lived in stability, free from hunger, cold, and bandits. In the foreseeable future, life would only get better and better. The common people wholeheartedly supported Wang Dou; living on this land, they had, in a very short time, developed a deep sense of belonging.

"Ya ya. Ya ya. So lively, so lively..."

Old Man Zheng Xingxiang's family was also squeezed among the crowd from the same garrison village. His second son Zheng Tianmin's daughter, Yaya, held a small flag painted with the pattern of sun, moon, and surging waves, clapping her little hands in excitement. Beside her, some children from the same village were also waving flags and making a ceaseless racket.

In the fourth month, Zheng Xingxiang's family of eight had been gathered and sent to farm at a garrison village near Shachengbao. Several months had passed, and they had all quickly become naturalized residents; becoming full Han subjects was only a matter of time—one of the privileges of being garrison villagers.

His eldest son Zheng Tianliang and second son Zheng Tianmin, because of their good performance, had even become guards of the garrison village, permitted to carry sabers and firearms. Now, as they welcomed the victorious army's return, under the Garrison Commander's arrangements, they all wore their sabers openly.

Everyone else held a small flag. Every ceremony held under Wang Dou's governance involved the entire populace waving flags to display a fiery, vigorous spirit. Because of this, many merchants from other regions had long been doing a steady business in paper and cloth with the people under Wang Dou's rule—the demand here was enormous.

On such ceremonial days, commoners who had purchased weapons like swords and sabers were also permitted to wear them openly, without the constables needing to check their weapon permits. Firearms, however, were not permitted.

Commoners under Wang Dou's rule could purchase long muskets if they had a firearm permit, but these could only be stored at home. No matter the day, they were not permitted to carry them outside.

Originally, when authorizing the sale of firearms to the civilian populace, Wang Dou had considered selling some pistols to them. But he later realized that this posed too great a security risk—after all, pistols were easily concealed assassination tools. Therefore, except for strictly registered armed escort agencies, common civilians were not allowed to possess pistols.

Watching his granddaughter frolic and play at his feet, Zheng Xingxiang's face bore a satisfied smile. Life in the garrison village was the paradise he had dreamed of. He did not fear hardship or toil, nor did he fear labor; he only wished for his family to be safe and have enough to eat. Now that all this had come true, how could he not be satisfied?

Because of his outstanding farming ability, Zheng Xingxiang had even caught the eye of the Civil Affairs Department. Though he was already past sixty, he could still become a legendary official? Zheng Xingxiang sincerely hoped that this peaceful and happy life could go on forever.

At that moment, he had a teapot balanced on his head. By his own account, this was called "welcoming the king's army with baskets of food and pots of drink," something that had to be done to greet the returning royal troops. He had also drawn a large crowd of old men to follow his lead.

Just like the people of this village, the inhabitants of one garrison village after another crowded both sides of the road. Each of them was in high spirits, their genuine joy written plainly on their faces. Though they came from all corners of the land, their hearts were the same as Zheng Xingxiang's—filled with satisfaction and gratitude.

Life in the garrison villages was stable; the past days of wandering and destitution were gone. Every day after finishing work, the village comfort officer would read them the news, and propaganda troupe members often came down to perform operas. Such a life was unimaginable to those who had once suffered from hunger and cold.

As long as they worked hard, they could quickly become Han subjects and receive their own land, which was an even greater draw for everyone. Therefore, under Wang Dou's governance, the support rate among the garrison households was the highest.

Of course, another reason for their great joy was that on ceremonial days, the village would treat them to a grand feast. But Wang Dou believed that as long as the morale of soldiers and civilians could be united, spending a bit of money and grain was well worth it.

The dense crowd surged like an ocean. At the inner edge of that sea of people, led by Grand Viceroy of Xuanda Ji Shiwei, the Marquis's Lady Xie Xiuniang, the locally stationed Jingbian Army generals Zhong Xiancai and Zhao Xuan, civil affairs officers Zhong Zhengxian and Qi Tianliang, and Army Supervisor Eunuch Du Xun, they all stood together on the grasslands, waiting.

They had received word that Wang Dou, leading the army returning in triumph, was about to arrive.

Xuanfu Provincial Governor Zhu Zhifeng, Datong Provincial Governor Wei Jingyuan, Eastern Route Military Defense Circuit Ma Guoxi, Department Magistrate of Yanqing Wu Zhi, and others were also among those welcoming. They stood behind Ji Shiwei, watching the jubilant crowd and the beaming Viceroy Ji before them, unsure what expression to wear.

In particular, some minor gentry from the Eastern Route, such as the former headman of Xinzhuang Village, Jiang An, and the head of the village tithing group, Xu Kuan, wore awkward expressions. Xu Kuan was especially and indescribably embarrassed, for he saw his own daughter, Xu Yue'e. She stood coolly beside the Marquis's Lady Xie Xiuniang, and upon seeing her father, merely cast him a cold glance.

Back then, the people of Xinzhuang had viciously attacked Xu Yue'e, and Xu Kuan, as her father, had even driven his own daughter out of the house, leaving her to fend for herself. He never imagined that his daughter, like the Grand General Wang Dou, would eventually become a legend of Xinzhuang.

Though the villagers touted this with great effort, their words thick with pride, it was easy enough with Wang Dou. But whenever outsiders asked about Xu Yue'e, they did not know how to answer.

Now, seeing her again was even more mortifying; each of them felt utterly ashamed.

Xu Kuan also understood that perhaps he would never be able to claim this daughter back in this lifetime. What a pity. She had borne a son for the Grand General.

On this trip back to Xuanfu Garrison, Xu Yue'e traveled through her native land, and her emotions were many. She went directly to the Grand General's mansion. Lady Zhong was overjoyed to see her and her grandson. She held the baby, looking from Xu Yue'e to Wang Yi, and beamed with delight: "That rascal. He's certainly blessed with good fortune."

She added, "Yue'e, these years have been hard on you."

These words nearly brought Xu Yue'e to tears.

In truth, in Lady Zhong's heart, she had always held a fondness for Xu Yue'e. Back when Xu Yue'e was driven from the village, Lady Zhong had often given her aid, and perhaps harbored other thoughts in her heart. She never expected that after so many years, Xu Yue'e would still become her daughter-in-law and even bear a son.

Xu Yue'e stayed at the Grand General's mansion for several days. By then, Xie Xiuniang had already led a massive comfort delegation beyond the frontier. Xu Yue'e also wished to see Xie Xiuniang, and even more so, Wang Dou. Lady Zhong clung to Wang Yi and refused to let go, so Xu Yue'e had to take a few guards and travel alone to this frontier land beyond the passes.

Here, she met Xie Xiuniang, only to discover that the skinny, child-bride-like girl she remembered from the past had undergone a tremendous transformation. She had become a noble Marquis's Lady, her every gesture full of grace. Even the Viceroy and Provincial Governors had to salute her.

Although Xie Xiuniang was very warm, Xu Yue'e still felt a sense of things having changed beyond recognition, a feeling of loss and bewilderment.

Xu Yue'e's exploits were widely known throughout the three garrisons of Xuanda. Many people cast strange looks at this icy, proud woman. In particular, Ji Shiwei's gaze swept over her several times. Though Xu Yue'e remained as cold as ever, she felt deeply uncomfortable inside.

Zhong Zhengxian, Qi Tianliang, Ye Xi, and others all stood behind Xie Xiuniang. They, too, paid little attention to Xu Yue'e. Only that Zhong Xiancai occasionally glanced at her. And there was the stunningly beautiful Ji Junjiao, who was all smiles and extremely cordial, but Xu Yue'e simply could not find common ground to talk with her.

Ji Shiwei, watching his daughter, was very satisfied. Ji Junjiao walked a high-end path in the Grand General's mansion—one could say she laughed and chatted with learned scholars and had no dealings with the unrefined. At that moment, a group of noble ladies gathered around her, their tinkling laughter ringing out from time to time. Watching them all blend so well together, Ji Shiwei nodded to himself.

The Young Madam stood beside Ji Junjiao, a rather haggard look on her face. She was silent and still, seeming heavily preoccupied, and paid close attention to this woman, Xu Yue'e.

Zhong Susu had her hands behind her back, still dressed as a general. She glanced from time to time at Xu Yue'e, then at the Young Madam, and said to Zhao Xuan beside her, "Little Xuan, have you noticed? There are a lot of vixens around. This is no good for the Grand General."

Zhao Xuan was baffled. "What vixens? Besides, this is the Grand General's business—what does it have to do with you?"

Zhong Susu had nowhere to vent her frustration. Seeing Du Xun beside her with a shifty look, his eyes constantly sweeping over her, she said hatefully, "What are you looking at? You dead eunuch!"

Not far to the right, Du Xun had sharp ears and heard her immediately. He let out a snort and muttered to himself, "Clearly a hen, but insists on dressing like a rooster. What a character!"

A young eunuch beside him said in surprise, "General Zhong is a woman? How come this servant didn't know?"

Du Xun said smugly, "What matter under heaven can escape my fiery, golden eyes?"

He did not press the matter. In truth, he guessed that Wang Dou and the various Jingbian Army generals had probably long known Zhong Susu's identity, but by tacit understanding, they simply never exposed it, thus avoiding all sorts of awkwardness. For him to reveal it now was no good thing.

He changed the subject. "The Marquis of Yongning returns in triumph this time. I hear the spoils are considerable?"

A young eunuch said, "I hear they seized several hundred thousand head of cattle and sheep, and tens of thousands of warhorses."

Another young eunuch said, "His Excellency is the Army Supervisor of Xuanfu Garrison. With the General Who Guards the North's great victory, naturally, a portion of these spoils must be given to His Excellency."

Du Xun grunted in acknowledgment. "As Army Supervisor, I must still be upright and incorruptible. I'll just casually ask for a hundred or eighty warhorses."

The eunuchs around him all flattered him: "His Excellency is upright and incorruptible, truly a model for us all to emulate."

Du Xun chuckled slyly. "This time, I joined forces with Viceroy Ji and the others to bring the local Bureau of Imperial Music and Dance all the way here, giving Wang Dou plenty of face. No matter how stingy Wang Dou is, he can't treat us the way he usually does, right?"

In the early afternoon, at the hour of Wei, rolling iron cavalry finally appeared on the western horizon of the grasslands. Hoofbeats rumbled like thunder, banners spread like a sea. Amidst the fiery red flags of sun, moon, and surging waves, a single massive great standard stood out like a crane among chickens, fluttering in the waving sea of banners. The Marquis of Yongning, Wang Dou, had finally returned with his army in triumph.

A heaven-covering, earth-sweeping roar of "Ten thousand victories!" rose, and the dancing sun-moon wave-tossed small flags rolled in red waves, spreading all the way westward. There was also the glint of countless waving blades. Several thousand garrison-household commoners shouted and leaped, lining the road to welcome the triumphant army's return.

Their voices seemed to shatter the sky and split the earth, exploding all the way to his ears; even some attendants beside him grinned foolishly, unconsciously joining the same cheers. Such a power to move men's hearts. Watching this, Datong Provincial Governor Wei Jingyuan's expression grew stern.

He said coldly to Xuanfu Provincial Governor Zhu Zhifeng: "Brother Zhu has labored with utmost devotion, wanting the Xuanfu commoners to be loyal to the imperial court, wanting the Jingbian Army to serve His Majesty. But — is that possible?"

Zhu Zhifeng was also staring blankly. Suddenly, tears streamed down his face.

Behind him, Military Defense Circuit Ma Guoxi, Department Magistrate Wu Zhi, and the others were all sobbing uncontrollably.

That afternoon, a grand-scale consolation delegation staged a performance for the returning army, and the main performers were from the Jiaofang Bureau of the Xuan-Da region.

In Ming times, the Jiaofang Bureau was the department in charge of state rites and music, uniformly responsible for the allocation, instruction, and examination of the empire's registered musicians. The female musicians of the Jiaofang Bureau were actually quite serious in nature; generally they only performed for pay, and selling their bodies was a minority phenomenon. Moreover, most were innately intelligent, with peerless beauty and artistry, and could be considered the mainstay of performing arts in that era.

Not far north of Xinghe Garrison, a vast, broad high platform had been erected. Wang Dou and the others sat upon the platform, lavish wine and dishes laid out before them. Countless officers and soldiers, and garrison-household commoners, sat encircling them on three sides in dense masses, equally lavish banquets spread before them — a dark, surging tide of people and a wave of feasts blanketing the grassland.

Though eating, drinking, and watching the song and dance, the Jingbian Army soldiers still maintained strict military discipline, every gaze clear and alert. Only the garrison-household commoners were beside themselves with excitement, eating while watching the show — what pure delight.

The first to begin, however, was a dance handed down from Tang times, said to have been composed by Tang Taizong Li Shimin. It was generally performed when officers and soldiers returned victorious, and was also very popular in Song and Ming times. Whenever the troops in camp were in high spirits, they would dance this tune with vigor. Performing it now was most fitting for the occasion.

War drums thundered, battle formations advanced and retreated, matched to the song's cadence. On the platform, Wang Dou and the others watched with unceasing admiration, especially since some of the melodies within incorporated Kucha musical tones — melodious and moving, soaring yet richly infectious. The garrison-household commoners watching below the platform cheered endlessly, many clapping their palms red.

Du Xun looked over smugly, satisfied in his heart: this Wang Dou must be content now, surely?

Perhaps considering that Wang Dou's ancestors were once from the Jiangnan region, the Jiaofang Bureau had also meticulously prepared a grand, magnificent large-scale musical dance — a folk dance handed down from Han times: now flourishing in Jiangnan.

Several hundred graceful women, dressed in elegantly beautiful dance costumes, beat the ground for rhythm, singing as they danced: "...If my lord were a cloud in the sky, I would be a bird amid the clouds, following and depending on each other, reflecting the sun and bathing in the wind. If my lord were the water in the lake, I would be the flower at the water's heart, loving and longing for each other, fish leaping and playing with shadows. In this mortal world, why do we gather and scatter? In this mortal world, why is there joy and sorrow? I only wish to stay long with my lord, not to be like the night-blooming cereus that flashes but once..."

Watching these women's wondrously graceful dance postures and the exceedingly tender song, Wang Dou could not help but feel dazed, his thoughts drifting to many things for a time.

When the dance ended, he rose to his feet. He walked to the front of the platform and looked at the many dancing courtesans below who were bowing with clasped hands in salute. Wang Dou raised his wine cup and said with a slight smile: "As a great civilization, we need not only rigorous institutions, but also rich humanities. You have allowed me to see this point. I, Wang Dou, thank you all!"

Below the platform, the female musicians of the Jiaofang Bureau all bit their lower lips gently. As members of the debased registers, they had always suffered discrimination; coming here this time had also been an act of helplessness. They had never imagined that Yongning Marquis Wang Dou would respect them so. Many of their eyes reddened.

Xie Xiuniang and Ji Junjiao, seated to Wang Dou's left and right, were filled with pride — this was their man. It was precisely because he was so unconventional that he could achieve such success. Xu Yue'e was also seated beside Xie Xiuniang, recalling how she had been driven out of the estate back then, and it was Wang Dou who had taken her in. He was indeed no ordinary man.

Du Xun and the others looked at each other in dismay. Quite a few cast sidelong glances, thinking to themselves that this Wang Dou was growing more and more unseemly.

Finally, Wang Dou raised his wine cup high: "This victory in the campaign beyond the frontier is the result of the common efforts of the Xuan-Da people, the result of scholars, peasants, artisans, and merchants cooperating as one heart. Without you, there would have been no army storming into Guihua, still less the destruction of these Hu bandits!"

He shouted: "Gentlemen, let us drain this cup!"

"Drain it!"

Below the platform, over a hundred thousand soldiers and civilians all boiled over. They all stood up and raised their wine cups.

That night, many of them got drunk. Soldiers and civilians celebrated together deep into the night. Even the cold wind beyond the frontier could not carry away the fire in their hearts!

They knew that such good days would continue, and that life would grow better and better.