Chapter 551: The Great Compassion Dharma King Knows My Heart Entirely

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In Xuzhou, Hu Cile had actually long since made his preparations.

Because Xuzhou was the key city for defending against the Southern Tang, the Military Governor of the Wuning Army stationed there had always been one of the great garrisons of the Central Plains court.

The Wuning Army originally had a troop quota of five thousand, and each successive Military Governor, upon taking office, liked to bring along some of his own yabing guards.

By the time Hu Cile took over as Military Governor of the Wuning Army, the Wuning Army already had more than six thousand men, and there were also tens of thousands of military households settled around the city of Xuzhou, who could at any time raise another two or three thousand men.

And the three thousand men he had sent to Liu Yanzhen had mostly been used to maintain the supply line from Songzhou to Xuzhou, mainly keeping the Bianshui waterway open, which allowed them to escape the fate of annihilation.

From this one could also see that Liu Yanzhen truly lacked experience. A Southern Tang general with real experience would certainly have held Hu Cile and the Wuning Army hostage.

Even if he did not push them to the front line as cannon fodder, he should at least have made the Wuning Army stain their hands with Zhou army blood and swear a blood oath of allegiance, so that he could use them with some peace of mind.

But Liu Yanzhen had not grasped this point, so the Wuning Army's strength was undamaged, and it still had the ability to hold the city of Xuzhou.

Moreover, at this time, Xuzhou, as the lock and key of the north and the gateway of the south, possessed a geographical advantage that the Xuzhou of later ages could not compare to.

Because at this time, the Yellow River had not yet seized the Huai's course to enter the sea, and the Xuzhou area was still a fertile Yellow River alluvial plain, not the Yellow River flood zone of later ages.

Without the massive accumulation of Yellow River silt, the elevation of Xuzhou at this time was generally more than ten meters lower than in later ages.

This made the large stretch of hills behind Xuzhou appear considerably taller than in later ages. Though they could not be called towering, they were still not so easy to pass through.

And the Bianshui and Sishui rivers, coming from the northwest and due north respectively, were even more stable. The city of Xuzhou was built at the confluence of the two rivers, letting them perfectly encircle Xuzhou, forming a natural moat that was basically impossible to cut off.

More importantly, cut off by the surrounding mountains and tall hills, Xuzhou had become the hub through which Central Plains forces entered Huainan and the southern separatist forces entered the Central Plains. It simply could not be bypassed.

Thus this city was blocked by mountains on three sides and faced a river on one, drawing in Pizhou and Suzhou to the south, controlling Yanzhou and Jizhou to the north, and holding the Bianshui and Sishui to the west, with the momentum of a torrent sweeping a thousand li.

Added to the barrier of the nearby hills, which prevented an enemy's large army corps from deploying here, it was easy to defend, hard to attack, and free to advance or retreat — truly the peerless fortress of the Jianghuai region.

It was only because Zhang Zhao was taking advantage of Li Jing being a fool, and of the Southern Tang having enjoyed peace for over a decade with its people not yet accustomed to the flames of war, that he dared to go fishing at his leisure.

If the ruler of the southern separatist state had been a Song Wudi like Liu Jinu — no! Even someone of the caliber of Chen Wudi Chen Baxian or Chen Wendi Chen Qian —

Zhang Zhao would long since have raised the troops of his entire realm and besieged Xuzhou, and might even have spoken kindly, offered titles and promises, to persuade Hu Cile to surrender.

At the end of the third month, after Zhang Zhao had dealt with Du Chongwei, he immediately led the main army in person eastward along the Bianshui.

This time they had captured nearly thirty thousand Southern Tang troops, who could be used as laborers, and had also seized more than a hundred ships of various sizes, with grain and fodder amounting to as much as fifty thousand shi. With no logistical pressure, his mood was especially buoyant.

Before this, Zhang Zhao had already ordered Bai Congxin and Gao Xingzhou each to command three thousand troops as the vanguard and press straight for Xuzhou, while he himself boarded a ship and led the thirty thousand main troops downstream.

In his excellent mood, Sage Zhang even summoned Hu Guang to his side and calmly discussed the problem of Hu Cile with him.

Zhang Zhao had in fact considered that Hu Cile might slip out of his control, but he had not expected Hu Cile to turn his back so thoroughly, so he asked Hu Guang for his thoughts.

Hu Guang studied Zhang Zhao's expression and, seeing that he was in a good mood, simply steeled himself and spoke everything in his heart. He cupped his hands and looked at Zhang Zhao.

"If the Sage wishes to know the reason, it is actually very simple. From what your subject has observed, my father does not consider himself one of the earliest group to follow the Sage.

In closeness he cannot compare to Fan Quan, Fan Shun, Man Xiong, Dunzhu, and the like; in ability he cannot compare to Yan Jin, Bai Congxin, Ma Yaozi, and the others. Add to that his age being greater than the others, and his position has never been high."

Zhang Zhao nodded. The situation was indeed so. Hu Cile had been something of a figure on Zhang Zhao's side when cavalry was scarce at the beginning, but after the ranks had expanded several times, his value had declined.

Add to that his advanced age — he was already forty when he followed Zhang Zhao — and he was indeed not a key person for Zhang Zhao to cultivate. The one Zhang Zhao focused on cultivating was the Hu Guang before him.

Hu Guang continued, "But my father has always thought highly of himself. Before following the Sage, he had also served in the Palace Guard Army, but he never handled relations with his comrades well.

His comrades thought him overbearing, and he thought his comrades were all mediocrities.

He often told me that the greatest disappointment of his life was not being able to rise above others and enjoy wealth and honor to the fullest.

After he came to follow the Sage, although he could indeed put his abilities to use, he was not particularly outstanding among the heroes under the Sage's command.

When the Sage in former years used my father to replace the Duke of Qinghai, my father was greatly dissatisfied. Looking back now, the resentment in his heart probably began from that time."

When Hu Guang finished, Zhang Zhao was also taken aback. Hu Cile's character was something he had never considered before.

Because when he had sent Hu Cile to the Central Plains, first, Hu Guang was already in the Central Plains, and second, it was indeed because Hu Cile was the sort of man in his army whose ability was passable but whose loss would not be too painful.

So if what Hu Guang said was correct, then the series of actions Hu Cile took afterward could be clearly explained.

It was simply that, being old, he felt that rising above others on Zhang Zhao's side was already hopeless, so he might as well make himself a provincial military governor in the Central Plains, scrape together more money, and enjoy wealth and glory.

As for why he chose to go over to the Southern Tang, first, it may have been because Li Jing indeed offered a great deal, and second, Hu Cile had after all been away from Liangzhou for six or seven years and had no clear understanding of Zhang Zhao's ambitions and the growth of his power.

He thought Zhang Zhao probably would not enter the Central Plains, or at least would not enter it so smoothly, and since he did not want to bend the knee and throw in his lot with the Khitan, he simply went over to the Southern Tang, enjoying high office, rich salary, fine wine, and beautiful women first.

This was the normal choice of a normal man, which of course also proved from the side that Hu Cile was indeed just an ordinary man.

If it had been Murong Xinzhang or Bai Congxin and the like, they would certainly have believed that Zhang Zhao would enter the Central Plains for sure, and then held Xuzhou well to coordinate with Zhang Zhao. When the time came, what wealth and honor would they lack?

Unfortunately, Hu Cile did not have that vision.

But Zhang Zhao still sighed in self-reproach. "In this matter, I too am at fault! I should not have let you father and son remain in the Eastern Capital for so long.

If I had recalled your father to Liangzhou then and chosen another to replace him, today's situation would not have come about!"

When Hu Guang heard this, tears fell like rain. Although he despised Hu Cile's choice, that was, after all, his father!

And although Zhang Zhao had promised to spare Hu Cile's life, in the peril of war, Hu Cile would still have to survive long enough to be captured.

Thinking of this, Hu Guang cupped his hands and said to Zhang Zhao, "Your subject wishes to enter Xuzhou once more before the great army attacks the city. If I can persuade my father to open the gates and surrender, it may also redeem some of his sins."

Zhang Zhao hesitated a moment, then said slowly, "But you must think it through clearly. Although you wish to show filial piety, your father may not necessarily regard you as filial. What if something unexpected happens..."

Hu Guang shook his head and said resolutely, "As a son, my life was given by my parents. How can I, out of love for my own life, stand by and watch my parents fall into desperate straits without doing anything?"

Saying such words was already not easy; acting on them was even harder. Zhang Zhao looked at Hu Guang with some emotion, and his assessment of him rose another level in his heart.

"For Hu Cile to have a son like you, his life has no regrets! Go. I can give Hu Cile three days to consider, counting from the moment my central army's great banner reaches the walls of Xuzhou."

Inside the city of Xuzhou, Hu Cile had also arranged the defenses. He had contracted Xuzhou's defense into a pattern of one city and three forts, all four of which had the advantage of being encircled by the Sishui and backed by mountains.

In addition, he had conscripted large numbers of local Xuzhou fishermen and boatmen, who could resupply and move troops along the Sishui under cover of night. Hu Cile himself felt that even if the Southern Tang court sent no one, holding out for several months would be no problem.

Thinking that the defensive system was complete, Hu Cile's heart felt somewhat lighter.

Returning to his residence, he saw that his old wife had already prepared the meal, all Khotan dishes he loved — cheese lamb chops, honey-glazed lamb shank, salted cheese baked rice, and the like — along with purple wine that was extremely hard to buy in Xuzhou.

However, there were no serving maids around; only his old wife was there alone.

Hu Cile did not know why his old wife was like this, but with fine food before him, he did not think much of it. He ate the meat in great mouthfuls and drank the wine in great gulps.

His old wife, just as she had before he took a pile of concubines, served him food and poured his wine, full of tender warmth.

In his tipsy haze, Hucile felt as if he had returned to the old days in Khotan, and even felt a trace of nostalgia. Seeing that his old wife was neither eating nor drinking, he said with a smile:

"You and I have been together thirty years, not like ordinary couples. And now we are not without servants. Call a few people in, put down that wine jar, and drink a cup with me."

Hearing this, his old wife smiled gently and drank a cup with Hucile. But this wine and this cup were not from the same pot as Hucile's.

After they had drunk a cup together, his old wife suddenly looked at Hucile with sorrow.

"Thirty years have passed in a flash. Our children have all made something of themselves, so I have no regrets. Tonight I shall take my leave of you, General. If the Great Compassion Dharma King permits, then after I pass through the wheel of rebirth, in the next life I shall renew our bond."

Hucile's old wife was an extremely devout believer; she truly regarded Zhang Zhao as a god or Buddha.

After their return east, she no longer even chanted the Buddha's name. What she recited and chanted was always Zhang Zhao's Supreme Great Compassion Dharma King.

Back when Hucile betrayed Zhang Zhao, his old wife had tried desperately to dissuade him for this very reason.

Hearing his old wife speak like this, Hucile was greatly alarmed and hurriedly explained: "Xuzhou may not necessarily be impossible to hold. It is the court's gateway in Huaibei, so reinforcements and provisions are certain to come.

Even if it cannot be held, we can still withdraw south of the Yangtze. The south is good! It is enough for us to live out our old age in peace."

His old wife looked at Hucile with even greater sorrow. "Does the General truly believe it can be held? Now it is you, Hucile, who have betrayed the Great Compassion Dharma King. The men of the Wuning Army, from top to bottom, have not betrayed the Great Compassion Dharma King.

They are not traitors; on the contrary, they are heroes who refuse to submit to the Khitan. Why would they follow the General in a desperate defense? What benefit is there for them?"

These words struck Hucile exactly at his weak point, and cold sweat poured down his face.

Hucile had actually thought of this before, but he had been unwilling to dwell on it. Now that his old wife had laid it bare, he realized that this was indeed how things stood. Why would the Wuning Army, from top to bottom, fight to the death with him?

Seeing Hucile stunned, his old wife continued: "The General may still wish to say that you can surrender the city.

Yes! You can surrender the city, but Wei'er will surely die. If you go over to the enemy, the Son of Heaven of Tang will certainly kill him."

Hucile's face grew even more unsightly, but his old wife kept speaking. "The General could also disregard Wei'er's life or death, but for the Great Compassion Dharma King to spare you, Guang'er would certainly have to plead desperately.

What a pity! My Guang'er is a hero born to the saddle, yet because of you, his father, his talents will be buried for a lifetime, and he will be pointed at and whispered about for a lifetime."

At this point, Hucile's old wife suddenly began coughing violently. With the coughing, large amounts of bloody froth sprayed from her mouth.

Hucile looked closely and saw that his old wife's face was already deathly pale, and she had collapsed to the ground, curling up and convulsing ceaselessly.

Were these the symptoms of poisoning?

Only then did Hucile realize that his old wife's wine pot and cup were not the same set as his own. He let out a piercing wail, threw himself forward, and fiercely embraced his old wife.

Scene after scene from his youth flashed before his eyes: the most beautiful woman in the clan had married him, borne him three sons and two daughters, mended his clothes when he went on distant campaigns, and repaired the plates of his armor under the oil lamp.

Those moments Hucile had almost forgotten now appeared one after another.

Hucile wept aloud, but he heard his old wife in his arms weakly forcing herself to chant.

"Supreme Great Compassion Dharma King, you know my heart completely, know my pain, know my sorrow, and pity my many hardships..."

This was the Great Compassion Dharma King's Heart of Compassion Mantra. Only now did Hucile understand that his betrayal had utterly destroyed his old wife's faith. From that moment on, she had already died.

Clang! The door was suddenly pushed open, and a cold wind rushed in. The stout, burly Hu Tai appeared at the doorway with Hu Guang.

By sheer coincidence, Hu Guang, fearing that Hucile would not open the city gate, had first sought out Hu Tai, intending to go home to persuade him—but instead he witnessed this scene.

Amid desperate wailing, Hu Guang sent Hucile flying with a flying kick, snatched up his mother's body, and began weeping loudly.

"Mother! Mother! No! No!"

Hucile's old wife summoned the last trace of her fading sight and saw Hu Guang right before her. At the corner of her blood-frothed mouth, a faint smile appeared.

Hu Guang no longer had any mind to pay attention to Hucile. He picked up his mother and walked out without looking back.

Hu Tai sat down on the ground in a daze, trembling.

Hucile did not come back to his senses for a long while. After an unknown length of time, he looked at the pot of poisoned wine on the table that his old wife had drunk from. After hesitating again and again, he suddenly pulled out the stopper and drained it in one gulp!

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