Chapter 86: Eighty-Six: Flowing Light (Part 2)

On this day, the Zhao Jiu, by removing the firewood from under the cauldron, using borrowed strength to strike, killing two birds with one stone... well, in short, he used Li Gang, the Duke Minister far away in Yangzhou, to easily break the currently powerful "Shouzhou Faction," settled Nanyang as the auxiliary capital, and then smoothly settled many major matters in the time it takes an incense stick to burn, leaving everyone caught off guard and secretly sighing in admiration.

It could only be said that under the original system, the Zhao Song Emperor already had more than enough power, and in chaotic times, a Zhao Song Emperor who could win battles seemed even more uncontrollable.

However, what caught people even more off guard was Jin Wushu.

Contrary to expectations, the Jin Jun made no retaliatory counterattack. According to scout reports, while Zhao Jiu was meeting at Bagongshan, this Fourth Prince of the Jin Kingdom, having gathered all his troops, hastily crossed the Guohe River and led his entire army further north.

Wasn't he afraid of rubbing his butt raw from hurrying so much?

With Jin Wushu gone, the newly minted Dingjiang Military Governor, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Right Army and Surveillance Commissioner of the Five Commanderies of Huaidong, Zhang Jun, joined forces with Zhang Suo, the Direct Scholar of the Dragon Pavilion and Surveillance Commissioner of the Two Circuits of Jingdong, to march north. Their purpose was both to recover lost territory and to carefully monitor Jin Wushu's withdrawal. They were accompanied by the third of the Xin brothers, Xin Dao's troops, and some Jingdong circuit officials and their families who had been lingering in Shouzhou. Thus, the area around Bagongshan was suddenly half-empty!

A few days later, seeing the Jin army continuously heading north without stopping, they turned from Xuzhou towards Yanzhou at the foot of Mount Tai. The entire army, less than twenty thousand cavalry, carefully and orderly crossed the passage east of Mount Tai. In response, Zhang Suo and Zhang Jun, who were trailing far behind, and Yue Fei, who had just received orders to station in Jizhou, all knew their own strength and numbers were limited. None dared to provoke such a large and disciplined cavalry force easily. Instead, they carefully guarded and monitored the enemy as they passed through this strategic pass and returned to Jinan Prefecture, the occupied territory along the Yellow River.

When the news arrived, the Zhao Jiu did not delay any further. He immediately issued an edict and, taking the Imperial Army he had been diligently reorganizing over the past few days, prepared to move up the Huaihe River towards Nanyang.

Among them, Han Shizhong, the Wucheng Army Military Governor, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Left Army, and Surveillance Commissioner of the Four Commanderies of Huaixi, led the Imperial Left Army (which was essentially the so-called Han Family Army) of about eight thousand men, marching north of the Huai.

Wang De, newly appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Center Army, temporarily commanded the newly promoted Commanders Qiao Zhongfu, Fu Qing, Zhang Jing, and Xin Xingzong, totaling about twelve thousand men, marching south of the Huai.

Then, the Imperial Personal Guard and Hu Yantong's unit, which had the fewest troops, escorted the Emperor and the court officials, along with some officials' families and a few lightly wounded soldiers, directly boarding boats from the Huaihe River and heading west.

Of course, amidst all this, there were various inevitable incidents: Han Shizhong specially detached troops to go downstream to retrieve his own household goods and the families of his soldiers; water force commanders were dissatisfied that most of the sailing ships were transferred to Zhang Jun; Wang De's appointment as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Center Army caused discontent among some generals; Zhang Que, the Privy Council Vice Director and Privy Councilor, fell ill as soon as they set out and had to stop in Chuzhou... and so on.

But at this juncture, as someone privately commented, the Emperor held great power, the morale of the military and civilians in the Huai region was greatly boosted, and the soldiers, after this battle, were all submissive to the central command. The strange phenomenon of the slightest wind or grass movement triggering a crisis for the temporary court was long gone.

Therefore, these miscellaneous matters had absolutely no impact on the court's westward journey.

On the fourteenth day of the second month, the traveling court officially set out. The Zhao Jiu boarded one of the specially reserved large sailing ships. The three routes—water, north, and south—set off simultaneously, a mighty force heading west. On the fifteenth day of the second month, the Zhao Jiu himself easily passed through Xiashi Mountain via the water route, arriving at the mouth of the Nanfei River. He paused here, waiting for the troops from the northern and southern routes, which had detoured around the mountainous areas, to assemble.

"Your Majesty, would you like to go ashore for a short rest?"

Speaking at the bow of the ferry was Feng Yi, the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Palace Service, a former retainer of the Prince of Kang's mansion, and now the manager of the Imperial Medicine Bureau. This man had previously been sent to serve Li Gang and Pan Fei in Yangzhou. Upon his return, because the Zhao Jiu forbade these people from casually going to Bagongshan, he had stayed in Shouchun by the Nanfei River. Now, he had just returned with another Grand Councilor, Xu Jingheng, from the Eastern Administration, and had taken over the daily internal affairs of the palace.

The "Your Majesty" in his mouth was naturally Zhao Jiu, who had just finished meeting with Grand Councilor Xu Jingheng and had come out to the bow for some fresh air.

"May I inform Your Majesty," Eunuch Feng, seeing the Emperor's momentary confusion, explained eagerly. "Shouchun to the south is a major port. Before the great battle at Bagongshan, the north-south passage there was blocked by the army, so this place naturally became a vital link connecting north and south, vaguely forming a market. Grand Councilor Xu even took the opportunity to establish official ferries, grain markets, and specialized tea and salt offices here... Your servant returned from here, knowing that although the market behind this ferry is small, it gathers countless novel goods from north and south, and there are also singing, dancing, and taverns. It is truly lively. Many of the court's civil and military officials have gone ashore to take the opportunity to buy things. Why doesn't Your Majesty go ashore to rest a while and relieve the fatigue of the journey?"

Zhao Jiu stood at the bow of the only sailing ship. Hearing this, he looked south. Indeed, on this spring afternoon, the ferry market ahead, which had quieted down due to the simultaneous arrival of troops on the river and the Grand Councilor on the bank, was gradually becoming lively again, with faint sounds of bustle. He was momentarily tempted.

However, after thinking for a moment, he slowly shook his head: "Forget it. If I go up, I don't know what kind of commotion it will cause. The boat is fine."

Feng Yi carefully acknowledged, naturally not daring to say more. Lan Gui on the side couldn't help but secretly curl his lips. Only Yang Yizhong seemed thoughtful but said nothing.

Even so, the Zhao Jiu was extremely bored on the boat. He first returned to the cabin to jot down a few notes, then sent someone to instruct Zhang Jun to dispatch censors to patrol both banks and coordinate the reception of the Imperial Left and Right Armies to prevent soldiers from disturbing the people. Then he walked a few circles around the deck, incidentally shooting a wild duck that had dared to swim in front of the imperial vessel. Finally, with nothing left to do, he took a nap in the drowsy atmosphere of the spring afternoon.

But he didn't sleep long before he was woken up by the cold, as the sun had shifted west and the temperature difference between day and night in spring was very large.

However, upon waking again, Zhao Jiu finally developed a different mood. He turned to the stern, looking thoughtfully at the Xiashi Mountain to the east, covered in lush spring flora... It was nothing special; this Zhao Jiu had just dreamed of Zhang Yongzhen again, and naturally thought of the thousands of corpses left at Bagongshan.

Now, this Zhao Jiu, with his engineering background, had a certain rational, straightforward way of thinking. He knew the dead could not be brought back to life, that war inevitably required sacrifices, and that in the future, many more people, like Zhang Yongzhen and the thousands of fallen soldiers, would never return home.

Moreover, at this point, this was the optimal solution that resulted in the fewest deaths.

But even so, the reasoning was clear, and the Zhao Jiu himself acted decisively without any sentimentality. Yet today, on the verge of departing far away, the thought of it still stirred some melancholy and nostalgia.

The setting sun gradually descended, the sky grew darker, and distant stars began to appear in the market town. Because the southeast had been fully supplying the Bagongshan camp, the accompanying ships were also well-lit. Even some of the soldiers who had gone ashore to set up camp and guard the river began to light perimeter bonfires to cook food.

The bright moon had just risen, and above and below the river, it was momentarily dotted with countless stars.

Dinner was ready, but the Zhao Jiu still had no appetite, just staring at the mountain. Those around him roughly guessed the Emperor's thoughts and dared not disturb him... until a sudden commotion arose on the river. Something had happened, causing the people on this large, sail-lowered ship to surge to one side. Then, countless soldiers holding torches rowed small boats over rapidly, surrounding the starboard side of the large ship.

Now, the Zhao Jiu, having been on the battlefield, was startled awake. He calmly looked over, then couldn't help but smile.

It turned out that just moments ago, two medium-sized cargo ships had come downstream from the upper reaches. Probably due to the dim light, they had sailed right up to the large ship carrying the Zhao Jiu and three Grand Councilors. Only after they actively hailed the ship did the Personal Guard on board become alert, causing such a stir.

The poor two boat owners and several boatmen were swarmed by countless soldiers, tied up, and thrown onto the large ship. Hearing talk of "Your Majesty," "Grand Councilor," and "protect the Emperor," and seeing countless armored soldiers surrounding them with weapons drawn, they were scared half to death, unable to speak properly for a while.

After a good while, when the three Grand Councilors also came out, one of the two boat owners, a younger and sharper man, finally figured out what was happening. He quickly kowtowed and begged for mercy. According to him, the two were brothers-in-law, both traveling merchants from upstream. Hearing of the great victory at Bagongshan and the opening of the north-south route, and that this place was lively, they had brought goods to sell.

However, they hadn't stumbled here by accident due to the dark. They had seen a large ship anchored here from afar, assumed it belonged to some noble, and had specifically come alongside to see if they could sell their goods on the spot.

"I see. Release them!"

The Zhao Jiu had already roughly guessed what had happened, but was just waiting for everyone to calm down. Now that a boat owner had regained his senses, he simply gave the order.

Everyone around, from the three Grand Councilors on down, agreed, seemingly unconcerned with such an episode.

However, just as the sharper boat owner was repeatedly kowtowing in thanks, preparing to take his still-shaken companion and boatmen ashore to take shelter, the Zhao Jiu felt a slight stir in his heart and casually asked, "Boatman, what cargo are you carrying on your ships?"

"May I inform the Zhao Jiu, it's just two boatloads of oranges, fit to be offered to Your Majesty!" The sharp boat owner, startled, suddenly came to his senses and prostrated himself on the deck again.

"How could I accept your tribute?" Zhao Jiu couldn't help but laugh, but asked again. "But are there still oranges at this time? I ate quite a few oranges at Bagongshan, but they were gone after the last ten days of the first month."

"May I inform Your Majesty," the other boat owner, slightly older and more timid, gradually came to his senses. Trembling, he dared to steal a glance at the Zhao Jiu's face under the torchlight, then spoke as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube. "My brother-in-law and I have a family secret. We take the large, fine oranges from the south, which ripen at the beginning of winter, transport them home, place them on wooden racks, cover them with pine branches, arrange them loosely, and store them in a ventilated cellar. By regularly replacing the pine branches, we can keep the oranges fresh for a month longer than others."

Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly: "That way, you make much more profit than other merchants."

"That's exactly what Your Majesty said!" The previously timid older merchant, completely ignoring his brother-in-law's signaling, slapped his thigh in front of the Emperor and three Grand Councilors, complaining in a Huaixi accent. "Isn't it because of the Jingkang disaster? I heard the Two Sages went north to hunt. And before, that Ding Big Official who governed our area, even after being pacified, was still the same. We didn't dare to ship our goods out casually. So the oranges that should have been cleared from storage early this year are still here. That's why, taking advantage of Ding Big Official's withdrawal a few days ago, we hurriedly loaded two large boats to clear out our stock, planning to sell them in Shouchun. Who would have thought we'd meet Your Majesty!"

Zhao Jiu was thoughtful, then smiled slightly: "So it seems I am delaying your orange sales..."

"Don't say that!" This time, the younger, sharper merchant could no longer bear it. He directly grabbed his brother-in-law and kowtowed again. "My brother-in-law is ignorant and talks nonsense. Your Majesty, please don't mind him."

"It's fine," Zhao Jiu laughed even more, speaking gently to the older merchant. "Your two boats must have several thousand oranges, right? How much per catty? Could it be a bit cheaper if I buy the whole boatload?"

At this point, the older merchant also came to his senses and looked somewhat flusteredly at his brother-in-law.

The Zhao Jiu, completely unconcerned, sent someone ashore to find an unrelated merchant in the market to ask about the spring market price for oranges, and also asked about the quantity... It was about six or seven thousand, far more than the number of soldiers... He then had Lan Gui take money to pay the two men. He also had the two merchants assist, letting the soldiers row boats by unit to collect oranges. He planned to distribute two per person to the Personal Guard and Hu Yantong's unit, both on the shore and on the boats, and then hand over the remainder.

Once this order was given, many soldiers on the ships played along, spreading the word that the Emperor was treating everyone to oranges. Soon, before many oranges had even been distributed, someone took the lead and rowed over. Holding up oranges in the river, they shouted their thanks to the large ship, expressing gratitude for the Emperor's gift.

In response, the Zhao Jiu simply sat down at the bow, had a lantern hung to illuminate himself, and while peeling an orange, nodded in acknowledgment to the soldiers who came to thank him and join in the fun.

The three Grand Councilors looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

On the contrary, Lu Haowen and Wang Boyan, who were somewhat familiar with the Emperor's unrestrained demeanor, each took an orange, thanked the Emperor, and then calmly sat at the bow and slowly ate... Finally, the always serious Xu Jingheng could only step forward and awkwardly sit down to eat an orange.

The oranges were distributed layer by layer. The soldiers and the court officials, civil and military, totaled no more than two thousand, so the distribution was completed quickly, with many left over. Just as the Zhao Jiu was about to order the remainder given to the families of the accompanying officials, a commotion arose from the shore. News from the river had spread, causing nearby residents to flock to the ferry, seeking the Zhao Jiu and begging him to grant them oranges for good luck this year.

The Zhao Jiu had nothing to say to this. He waved his hand again, giving half of the remaining oranges to be distributed at the southern ferry landing. Everyone, young or old, man or woman, could receive one.

However, oranges were just a casual fruit, not precious in Huainan. People were mostly just coming to see the Zhao Jiu for the excitement. Many who received one didn't eat it, but kept it in their bosom, hoping to use it as a token of the Emperor's favor.

Therefore, after a short while, the Zhao Jiu finished his performance and was about to get up for a proper meal. But as he looked up, he saw a bright, pure white moon hanging above the Xiashi Mountain ahead, like a bright lantern, its light reflecting on the river below. His heart stirred again, and he sat back down. Then, everyone on the river and shore saw the Emperor seated at the bow pick up another orange, carefully peel half of it, push out the segments from the bottom, open the lantern beside him, take out the nearly spent candle inside, and place it into the orange peel. Only then did he stand up again and walk towards the ship's rail in full view of everyone.

Understanding his intent, Feng Yi eagerly called for a small boat to come alongside. Yang Yizhong helped the Emperor carefully descend the gangplank into the small boat. Then, the Emperor set the orange lantern adrift on the Huai River, letting it float with the current, drifting east towards Xiashi Mountain.

Now, such an act was quite wasteful during a journey. One lantern was fine, but with the Emperor doing this under the gaze of thousands, it was likely to invite imitation, wasting the court's stored supplies. Therefore, the three Grand Councilors and other key officials who had rushed over upon hearing the news all frowned secretly.

However, since His Majesty had set lanterns adrift on the river, he then turned back to the large boat and, gazing eastward at the drifting starlight, let out a long sigh: "I came in haste and could not wait for the Bagongshan cemetery to be completed for a proper sacrifice. These humble drifting lights shall serve as an offering to the warriors' souls."

The civil and military officials around him, from the three lords on down, all grew solemn.

Soon, the soldiers nearby and the commoners on the shore—some understanding that His Majesty was sacrificing to the comrades who died at Bagongshan, others not knowing the reason and thinking His Majesty was simply sharing joy with the people—all began to imitate him... Those who hadn't eaten their oranges naturally went along with it; those who had eaten went to borrow from others; those with candles used candles; those without candles used oil and stuffed in some random wicks; and those who couldn't even find oil simply placed some dry pine branches in the water, lit them, and pushed them into the river.

In the end, even the usually steady Yang Yizhong personally went down, right in front of His Majesty, set a few orange lanterns afloat, and threw something into the river.

In short, just moments later, thousands of drifting lights, dotting the scene, swayed eastward along the Huaihe River, flickering on and off, like a dream.

After waiting a while longer, as the drifting lights gradually faded from sight, leaving only the bright moon above, many of the civil officials and poets who had earlier thought His Majesty wasteful now felt a sense of loss instead. A few, recalling the days before the Jingkang Incident, felt as if in a dream, to the point of covering their faces and weeping silently, forming a stark contrast with the still-excited commoners on the shore.

As for Zhao Jiu, His Majesty, he now felt completely at ease in his heart, no longer thinking of anything else. He simply picked up a large orange, tucked it into his bosom, and turned to go down to the cabin for his meal.

As the saying goes: Snow washes away the dust of captives, the wind holds back the clouds of Chu.

Who will write of this tragedy, crossing by night into the city tower?

The bold spirit of lakes and seas all my life, the landscape of rivers and mountains now, I sit calmly awaiting the celebratory wine.

Happily, where the cranes cry, the general uproots the invader.

I recall those years, Zhou and Xie, in the prime of autumn.

Little Qiao newly wed, the sachet yet untied, their achievements leisurely enjoyed.

The setting sun at Red Cliff, the bright moon at the Fei River crossing, faintly stir one's sorrow.

I wish to ride the wind and go, but again I see the floating light flow.

End of this volume.