Chapter 589: Not a Meeting of Souls, but a Tool

Hexi and Guanzhong have now become two very interesting geographical concepts.

The people of Guanzhong are eager to pull Hexi over to their side, calling the two together Guan-Long or Guanxi.

The people of Hexi, for their part, seem rather unwilling, always drawing a clear line between Hexi and Guanzhong and showing considerable resistance to the concept of Guan-Long.

And the people of Fengzhou and Weizhou, lying on the border between Hexi and Guanzhong, are even more interesting — without any prior agreement, they all claim to be people of Hexi rather than of Guanzhong.

There is only one reason for all of this: Sage Zhang has successfully taken control of the Central Plains.

And in the military campaign by which Sage Zhang took the Central Plains, the people of Hexi undoubtedly claimed the largest share of the cake.

Even now, among Sage Zhang's trusted confidants — the six guards of the personal army and the seven external garrisons of the imperial guard — men from Hexi still hold more than seventy percent of the posts.

Not to mention the Left and Right Feathered Forest Guards, the innermost of the inner circle, which it has already been decided will in the future be selected only from the young men of Hexi.

This has therefore produced an inevitable phenomenon: anyone with even the slightest connection to Hexi is doing everything possible to turn themselves into a person of Hexi.

And those with no connection to Hexi at all are doing everything possible to link their hometown to the geographical concept of Hexi.

Although Zhang Xiaobao had already decided in his heart to accompany them to Shuzhong in the capacity of Li Yinsheng's master, and had even prepared himself to take the surname Han for a time in order to pass as one of the Li-Han brothers.

Of course, now that matters had reached this point, it was no longer something he alone could decide.

Zhang Xiaobao needed to tell his father and elder brother of his plan, in order to obtain their approval — especially his elder brother's.

And Wang Jin of the Brocade Guard personal troops also needed to report the matter up to Zhang Liecheng, Commander of the Brocade Guard and Marquis of Shicheng; in the end, it would be Zhang Liecheng who presented the plan before Zhang Zhao.

Moreover, Li Xiaofeng, as an envoy of the Shu kingdom, could not possibly reach the Eastern Capital so quickly, and after arriving at the Eastern Capital, Kaifeng Prefecture, he could not be allowed to complete his mission and return right away — so Zhang Xiaobao could still enjoy his leave.

Passing through Qinzhou (Tianshui), Zhang Xiaobao also encountered Yin Yaozi, the Grand Commissioner of the Guanzhong Circuit and Commander-in-Chief of Guanxi, who was on his way to Chang'an.

After Zhang Zhao took control of the Central Plains, Yin Yaozi had finally been willing to reconcile with the Yin clan, giving up the somewhat roguish name Yaozi and formally taking the name Yin Zhengqi according to his generation in the Yin family lineage.

Yin Yaozi even made a point of stepping down from his carriage to exchange a few words with Zhang Xiaobao, consoling him with a touch of regret.

The two were very familiar with each other, because Zhang Xiaobao's military career had begun as a guard in Yin Yaozi's personal escort.

In truth, the circle of Hexi people was very small, because among the prefectures of Hexi, only four — Gua, Sha, Liang, and Lan — had truly reaped enormous benefits.

Shanzhou, Hezhou, Weizhou, and Ganzhou, among others, were either too heavily Wenmo-ized or had once been hostile territory.

Although quite a few people from these prefectures had also entered the core circle of the Zhang-Zhou regime, they still could not compare with Gua, Sha, Liang, and Lan.

So even when facing high and mighty state dignitaries, many young men of Hexi still had all sorts of connections and channels.

This was a situation Zhang Zhao would try his best to avoid, but for the young men of Hexi, it was a tangible benefit they could see and touch.

Going up along the Wei River, after passing Fugiang County, one arrived at what the people of Hexi considered Hexi proper.

Zhang Xiaobao and several dozen armored soldiers returning home prepared to rent a few horses for the journey; their warhorses were left in Fugiang County, where men from the mule-and-horse agency would later tend them carefully all the way and transport them to the designated place.

Long-distance travel is in fact no small burden for warhorses, so to ensure their health, they cannot be made to keep pace with people at medium or high intensity for long stretches.

Besides, they were not carrying much on the road, so renting a few horses was entirely sufficient.

This was because in Hexi, a kind of paper military scrip, separated out from bank drafts, circulated very widely.

The reason for its circulation was that military scrip had more restrictions: every note, starting at five strings of cash, corresponded to a very strict serial number.

Each serial number in turn corresponded to a single soldier, and only when that soldier personally presented the note could it be exchanged for money or goods in any prefecture.

If it was lost, there was also a strict reporting procedure, and because communication in this age was slow, the exchange of military scrip was also restricted in terms of timing.

When to exchange and when to report a loss were generally standardized by circuit.

Yet although the restrictions were many, the benefits were still obvious.

At the very least, the Song-dynasty practice of needing to see money on the battlefield and stuff it into one's pocket before drawing a blade would certainly not occur, and at the same time it could lower the enemy's will to fight.

For example, in the Song dynasty, because armies had the custom of carrying large amounts of valuables to bestow as rewards on the spot, an enemy who defeated a Song army would often find the spoils absurdly rich.

Therefore, whether Liao, Jin, or Western Xia, so long as they were not facing absolute disadvantage, their morale when fighting Song armies was simply roaring.

But with military scrip, if any country's army fought the Zhou army, even if they won, all they would capture would be a pile of military scrip no better than waste paper — and their desire to fight would naturally diminish.

Of course, the primary purpose of military scrip was still to let soldiers bring their acquired wealth home as much as possible, without worrying about losses on the road or transport problems.

At the same time, it could stimulate economic activity, making them spend the great wealth they had acquired rather than bury it in the ground.

As for the military scrip itself, if they wanted to keep it, let them keep it — it would not reduce the circulation of metal currency on the market in any case.

The owner of the mule-and-horse agency was a plump old man; squinting at the armored soldiers before him — young in years yet long since come through mountains of corpses and seas of blood — his face was full of satisfaction.

But then, with a touch of desolation, he said, "The Sage is benevolent! He raised us herders and farm serfs up into people of wealth and standing. It is only that once the Sage has left, he will find it hard to return to Hexi."

The armored soldiers around him all nodded. It was not only the Sage who had left — most of them would also be leaving, to become people of the Eastern Capital.

Hexi's population had never been large to begin with, and with them gone, it would seem even more desolate.

"Then could Old Zhang not go along as well? Is the bustle of the Eastern Capital not far better than staying in Fugiang County?"

Zhang Xiaobao raised his head and asked Old Zhang, the owner of the mule-and-horse agency, because he felt this was all affectation — back when they could not even get enough to eat, he had not seen them so attached; they went wherever they could survive.

Old Zhang's fat head shook like a rattle-drum. "Who says I didn't go? I went.

My eldest can't wield a spear, but he can read a few characters, and now he's a bureau director in the Ministry of Revenue.

The second and third both followed Great General Bai and joined the Left Jinwu Guard; now they're the same as you all — they've got armor.

It's just that this old man lacks the good fortune. The Eastern Capital and the Divine Capital are both too noisy — too many people, the racket gives me a headache, and I can't understand what they're saying.

Better to come back to our Fugiang, look at these mountains and waters, run a mule-and-horse agency, plant a few hundred mu of land — now that's a good life."

Great General Bai was Bai Congxin, Commander of the Left Jinwu Guard, who held the rank of Great General of the Left Jinwu Guard.

And those who could set out with Bai Congxin were surely veterans from before, so the armored soldiers hastened to report their identities to Old Zhang one by one — and it turned out there was even a comrade who had served together with the Zhang family's second son.

At this, Old Zhang grew even more enthusiastic, insisting on keeping everyone for a meal before they left. A short armored soldier chuckled and teased Old Zhang.

"There are twenty or thirty of us fellows here — each man can eat a whole sheep in one sitting. Can Old Zhang afford to host that?"

Old Zhang smiled with a mixture of pride and satisfaction. "Can't afford it? You underestimate me! Our Hexi farm tax is only one part in twenty, and every household has at least three hundred mu of equal-field land. Never mind this mule-and-horse agency — this old man could feed and drink you all on his own."

Later in the evening, Old Zhang indeed put on a grand spread. Never mind sheep — he had even bought a long-haired ox specially to slaughter.

Braised beef brisket, roast beef, red-braised ox trotters, mixed offal soup, plus fine black-millet wine — the armored soldiers ate with endless cries of approval, and Zhang Xiaobao too ate until his belly was round and bulging.

He now understood why Old Zhang said he could not get used to the Eastern Capital. The Eastern Capital was bustling and convenient, but in terms of quality of life, it could not compare with Hexi.

In the Eastern Capital of Kaifeng, even the Sage could seldom eat beef; he could only eat a bit of beef left over from sacrifices.

Ordinary households in the Eastern Capital, though life was much better than in the Jin period, still counted a meal of mutton as a great feast.

But in Hexi, eating a sheep was utterly commonplace, and eating an ox was no great matter either — as could be seen from Old Zhang's eldest grandson.

Old Zhang picked up two huge chunks of beef and insisted his grandson finish them so he would grow, but the eldest grandson wore a bitter face, as if he were eating poison.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, Old Zhang even had his daughters-in-law come out and greet everyone.

It turned out Old Zhang had four sons and three daughters; except for the youngest son and the third daughter, all the rest had followed the Sage to the Eastern Capital.

Within two years, Old Zhang had taken four wives for the youngest son who stayed at home; the boy's sole mission was to increase the family's members.

Drunk and reeling, Old Zhang came over, took Zhang Xiaobao by the hand, and introduced them one by one.

Of his four daughters-in-law, one was a Western dancing girl bought through a traveling merchant, one was a Tibetan woman who had come down from the mountains, and the other two he had taken for his son in the Central Plains when he entered the Eastern Capital.

Old Zhang shook his big head again and said with some regret, "I had meant to take one more wife for this boy, but unfortunately Guanzhong no longer lacks grain, and there are no more disasters, so no one is willing to sell off a sister or daughter anymore.

Not like the year before last by the Yellow River, when there were plenty of people with nothing to eat — two pints of millet could buy you a daughter-in-law."

Having said this, and seeing that his daughters-in-law, especially the two from the Central Plains, were still somewhat bashful, Old Zhang raised his wine bowl high and spoke directly to them.

"What is there to be shy about? Look clearly — these men are all your elder brothers. Without them fighting abroad, without them charging through sword and flame behind the Sage, how would we be eating beef until we are full today?"

At these words, the daughters-in-law stopped being bashful, and together with Old Zhang they raised their wine bowls.

"We humbly welcome our elder brothers' triumphant return; please drink this bowl of victory wine."

At these words, some fellows who had been staring brazenly at the daughters-in-law immediately withdrew their eyes.

Following Zhang Xiaobao, everyone raised their wine bowls as well, and in their hearts rose the pride that soldiers ought to have, of which the Sage often spoke.

Old Zhang watched as the armored men who had just been brimming with wild spirit instantly turned into gentlemen who kept the Way, and was greatly satisfied. He personally walked to the door and opened it wide.

Zhang Xiaobao looked up and saw that outside stood a crowd of neighbors from nearby, carrying meat and hugging wine jars, coming over noisily.

Zhang Xiaobao stared blankly at Old Zhang, and the sturdy old man at the head of the group gave a sly grin.

"If we don't get you all good and drunk first, us old bones wouldn't dare sit at the table with you."

For a time, with the neighbors joining in, the atmosphere grew even livelier. Zhang Xiaobao let himself go completely, and on this land of Hexi he suddenly felt the sensation of home.

Everyone toasted the Sage, toasted the great victory, and even toasted this year's bountiful harvest, singing and dancing and reveling until midnight.

Zhang Xiaobao had also drunk too much; dizzy and muddle-headed, he returned to the room Old Zhang had arranged for him.

The room was not large, but it was well furnished. The bedding on the bed was freshly changed, and it carried a pleasant scent of soap pods and a faint fragrance.

Zhang Xiaobao stripped himself bare in a few quick motions, his brawny body looking flawless under the faint thread of moonlight.

So youthful and strong that a dark shadow at the foot of the bed stirred, and let out a sigh of longing.

Even in his drunkenness, Zhang Xiaobao was badly startled. He was about to leap up, but stumbled instead, because his right leg was no longer agile.

Yet Zhang Xiaobao was not at all flustered. With a slight flick of his hand, a short dagger always strapped to his leg appeared in his grip.

But in the end, the defect in his leg made him slow, and his movements lagged by half a step, so the other party immediately entangled him. Zhang Xiaobao was about to grab hold of the other and stab wildly with the dagger.

But the moment his hand reached out, he froze, because what he grasped was an exceedingly soft body.

The owner of that body was a head shorter than him, but that very fact let that longed-for softness press against Zhang Xiaobao's firm abdominal muscles.

The contrast between softness and hardness immediately sent a shiver through Zhang Xiaobao.

This battle-hardened veteran of a hundred fights could not help but tremble all over, and the dagger in his hand fell to the floor with a clatter.

On such a cool, quiet night, with the aid of alcohol, few men could push away such a hot, soft, fragrant body — and Zhang Xiaobao was no exception.

He was captured at once; his powerful body was pushed down onto the big bed full of the scent of soap pods by a being far weaker than himself.

Suddenly, Zhang Xiaobao used all his strength, rolled over, and brought the owner of that body to the foot of the bed where the moonlight could reach, then let out a long breath of relief.

She was a round-faced little peach, not especially beautiful, but very pleasant to look at, and brimming with the air of maturity.

But she was not one of Old Zhang's four daughters-in-law; she was a young widow who had repeatedly come to toast him at the banquet.

Seeing Zhang Xiaobao like this, the young widow was even more satisfied. She narrowed her eyes, stroked his chest, and said,

"Old Zhang was right. Among all these men, only you, young lord, carry a tiger's roar within yet remain courteous and restrained. Even with one bad leg, you are bound to become a great man someday."

In the morning, though the birds had called who knew how many times, Zhang Xiaobao still did not want to move. The night had been too wild, so much so that he had not even noticed his leg was lame, and the pent-up gloom he had long accumulated seemed swept clean all at once.

With a creak, the door was opened, and the woman came in carrying a large tray. On it was a bowl of soup noodles rolled extremely fine, topped with a thick layer of beef sliced thin.

Beside the noodle bowl was a large plate of pickled chives in vinegar, and in addition two eggs fried in mutton fat.

Truly sumptuous! It immediately gave Zhang Xiaobao a great appetite.

Like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds, Zhang Xiaobao finished the noodles in a few quick bites, drinking even the soup down to the last drop.

Then he gently drew the woman into his arms, feeling an unusual peace in his heart. The two had only met the night before, yet it felt as if they had known each other long ago.

"Does the young lord not ask why I did this?" the woman asked softly.

Zhang Xiaobao slowly, then firmly, shook his head. "If you want to tell me, you will. But I cannot ask, because I am going to undertake a great matter, and I cannot give you any promise."

Zhang Xiaobao had felt somewhat guilty; he was that kind of man, with an especially strong sense of responsibility. But the woman did not feel there was anything improper at all, and merely sighed lightly.

"When my husband left back then, he too said he was going to kill the enemy and win merit. But what came later was a black pottery jar."

After a pause, the woman continued, "But the Sage treated us well. He gave thirty thousand cash in consolation, granted three hundred mu of land and an ox, and even issued an edict for the agriculture erudites to coordinate labor and help. I and the children have managed quite well.

But the Sage's territory has grown larger and larger. My husband's younger brother and several of my brothers from my maiden family followed the Sage to the Central Plains, and this year they sent word that they do not plan to return to Hexi. So the land in my hands has grown more and more."

Zhang Xiaobao looked at the woman with some puzzlement, pondered for a moment, and said in a low voice, "The Sage long ago took precautions to prevent this sort of thing. He left behind so many agriculture erudites — are there still not enough people to farm the land?"

Hexi was not short of people. Although the Han were not many, a great number of Han had been produced by converting the Wenmo back.

In addition, many Tibetans, various Qiang, and various Tangut clans lived all around, so the population was not small.

But it was very short of people who knew how to farm. In Hexi, people of all ethnicities, including the Han, were excellent fighters, and quite good at herding and riding horses, but too few knew how to farm.

That was why Zhang Zhao had promoted agricultural examinations in Hexi and raised up thousands of agriculture erudites — all to improve agricultural production techniques in Hexi.

The woman covered her mouth and laughed softly a few times. "Oh, my dear young lord, it is certainly not a shortage of people to farm the land! It is a shortage of people to be masters of the land!

The brothers from my husband's family and my maiden family left behind so much inheritable land. Even just managing it requires people to manage it."

Not to mention households like ours in a military family — land is allotted by head, so one more child means one more share of land.

If you, you little rascal, can plant a seed in me, then ten months from now, that's two hundred mu of land in hand."

Zhang Xiaobao was stunned. He had thought this was a soulful encounter of mutual feeling — that the woman must have taken a fancy to his handsome looks at the banquet and was therefore waiting for him in the room.

He never expected that he was nothing more than someone else's tool. She just wanted a seed, and he happened to be suitable.

At that thought, Zhang Xiaobao felt his temper flare up at once, and he shoved the woman down onto the bed.

"What a hurtful thing to say. If you want a seed, is Fujiang County short of men?"

The woman wrapped both legs around him, clinging to Zhang Xiaobao like a spider, and giggled.

"How could I want a man from Fujiang County? What would I want him for? To lie on top of me, and then when he's free, come beat my children?"

Wounded! Truly wounded! Aching in the back and sore in the waist, Zhang Xiaobao returned to Liangzhou utterly dejected.

He had received no small welcome along the way. Every prefecture and county he passed through, families with members in the personal army or the imperial guard invariably invited him to dinner, and conditions in Hexi were far better than he had imagined.

Every household had received its equal share of land, every family its reward, the land tax was low, and the officials dared not go down into the villages to bully people — because a military household with armor and blades was not so easy to bully. With the trade routes open as well, the economy was quite lively.

In Hexi now, the prefectures and counties were prosperous and thriving, and beyond the prefectural and county seats stretched field after field, vast tracts of fine farmland and vast tracts of pasture — a sight that lifted the heart.

Even the old ferryman by the river and the fruit peddler at the city gate could eat meat every other day — a prosperity hard to believe.

And the closer one got to Liangzhou, the better conditions became. After crossing the border of Weizhou and passing through Didao into Lanzhou, the land opened wide and boundless.

Young lads like Li Yinsheng could be found in nearly every village and ward, and they were even better.

Because they had horses. Raised almost entirely in the saddle from childhood, by eleven or twelve they could ride like the wind and shoot from both sides.

The homeward journey of Zhang Xiaobao and his companions was completed under the escort of these future Hexi cavalrymen.

By the time Zhang Xiaobao traveled from Didao to Lanzhou, at least three or four thousand young lads from all over had gathered behind him.

And as it happened, the day of the Township Archery Rite was fast approaching. Young lads from eight or nine to fifteen or sixteen had gathered in great numbers outside Lanzhou. The Vice Commissioner of the Hexi Circuit and Prefect of Lanzhou, Jia Yanchang, simply announced that the Township Archery Rite would be held ahead of schedule.

The young lads sang and danced and compared their riding, archery, and martial skills. They surrounded Zhang Xiaobao and his companions, endlessly asking about the Sage, asking who else in the realm remained an enemy of the Great Zhou.

That surge of heroic spirit left Zhang Xiaobao dazed and entranced.

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