Chapter 1056: The Road in the Dream

Eunuch Cui, the Grand Defender of Fengyang and Director-General of Grain Transport, was so publicly loyal and devoted to the state, yet he never delayed a single tael of silver from coming into his account. Such a clear separation of public duty and private interest left Zhao Jin and his comrades deeply uncomfortable. But Cui Wensheng's visit also made one thing clear: for the time being, the court and the local authorities would take no action against the Zhao Camp in Xuzhou. Most people, in all likelihood, didn't even see anything harmful or improper about what was happening here.

"Have Ma Liu and the others keep gathering information. The urgent dispatches by fast horse must not be delayed for even a moment." Zhao Jin still gave the instruction, though he felt somewhat more at ease. These days, he had been expanding and reorganizing the troops, pouring every ounce of his energy into it, while also having to stay battle-ready at all times in case the court made any targeted moves. Eunuch Cui's visit and departure allowed Zhao Jin to relax considerably.

After seeing the eunuch off, Zhao Jin left camp and went home for the first time in many days. Although the expansion and reorganization of the Third Regiment and the Qingjiangpu area had yet to begin, the overall situation was already settled. From here on, they simply had to follow the established approach and let things take their course; there wouldn't be so many complicated matters.

Zhao Jin's return home surprised and delighted his wife and children, and also made his mother, He Cuihua, very happy. She specially arranged for a lavish feast to be prepared, and the whole family ate together. Zhao Feng and Zhao Long, the little ones, ran around laughing in excitement, while Mu Shulan's expression and movements carried a certain languor — the effects of pregnancy on body and spirit were already showing.

The family had much to say, but after finishing his meal, Zhao Jin yawned continuously. Everyone could see his exhaustion and drowsiness. Xu Zhenzhen first coaxed the two children, who were clinging to their father, into going to bed early. He Cuihua and Mu Shulan also retired early. Zhao Jin and Xu Zhenzhen turned in early as well. To an outsider, it might have seemed like the lord and his lady were making up for lost time, but no one knew that Zhao Jin fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.

In his deep slumber, Zhao Jin had a dream. When the dream began, Zhao Jin stood upon a broad road. This great road stretched on with no end in sight. Zhao Jin felt the scene was somewhat familiar, yet he could not recall when he had experienced it before. What struck him as strange was that such a wide road was practically empty — not a single person could be seen in his field of vision, and silence reigned all around.

In a daze, he sensed movement behind him. He turned his head to look, and what he saw made him start. The road behind him was filled with people. Chen Sheng, Wang Zhaojing, Shi Manqiang, Ji Xiang, Dong Bingfeng, Sun Dalei, Liu Yong — and Lei Cai, Ruhui, Zhou Xuezhi. Every familiar person stood behind him, and every one of them was smiling at him. At that moment, Zhao Jin had already forgotten that Sun Dalei had long since died in battle. He even greeted him with a laugh: "Dalei, you're too fat — you need to eat less!" His brothers roared with laughter. Sun Dalei scratched his head sheepishly but did not reply.

Only then did Zhao Jin find it a little odd. Though his brothers and he were close, they had never been lacking in propriety. Why were they right behind him, while his parents, wife, and children were behind them? But seeing that his parents, wife, and children were all smiling and clearly didn't mind, Zhao Jin merely let the thought pass through his mind.

The people standing behind him stretched on beyond sight, as if everyone he had ever known was here. Some he had only met once — the companions who had drawn lots together for sparring matches at the freight yard, the very first dozen or so household guards, the twenty household guards who had ridden out of the city with his brothers, and all the household guards from every subsequent expansion. Zhao Jin even saw the militia and the refugee tenant farmers whom he had encountered only once.

Every person, everyone on the great road, everyone behind Zhao Jin, was smiling at him. Yet Zhao Jin grew somewhat bewildered. Why was everyone on this road? Why was everyone behind him? What was he supposed to do next? He looked back again. The faint smile remained on every face — a smile that came from the heart. They simply stood there in silence, smiling at him.

Zhao Jin still could not make sense of it. Being stared at by so many smiling faces was even starting to unnerve him. In the midst of this confusion, someone suddenly shoved him hard from behind. Zhao Jin stumbled forward a step. Who dares push me? A flash of anger rose in Zhao Jin's heart. He turned his head to look and discovered it was his second uncle, Zhao Zhenxing. In the dream, Zhao Jin had forgotten that his uncle had passed away ten years ago. But the moment he saw his second uncle, Zhao Zhenxing, tears still streamed uncontrollably down his face. So many words welled up in his heart, wanting to be spoken.

Unlike everyone else, Second Uncle Zhao Zhenxing had no smile on his face. Instead, he wore a rather stern expression. Staring hard at Zhao Jin, he said, "Xiao Jin, what are you standing there in a daze for? Walk forward!"

That one sentence jolted Zhao Jin awake. He suddenly knew what he had to do. Wiping away his tears, he nodded and said, "Right, right. I have to walk forward. Second Uncle, you lead us forward, alright?"

Second Uncle Zhao Zhenxing smiled and shook his head. "How could Second Uncle lead you?" he said. "You are the one walking at the very front, leading everyone forward!"

Upon hearing these words, all the doubt and confusion in Zhao Jin's heart were swept clean away. So that was it. So on this road, he was meant to lead everyone forward together. With this thought, Zhao Jin stepped forward and began to walk. For some reason, at that moment, there was not a trace of unease or hesitation in his heart. He simply felt that this was what he ought to do, that it had always been this way.

As he walked on, Zhao Jin could not help but glance back. He saw that everyone was following behind him. His companions still wore smiles on their faces, every one of them smiling. Second Uncle Zhao Zhenxing covered his mouth, coughing incessantly, his pace gradually slowing. Noticing Zhao Jin's attention, he merely waved his hand, signaling Zhao Jin to keep walking forward and pay him no mind. Sun Dalei, meanwhile, held pastries and snacks in his hands, eating them himself and constantly offering them to others, his mouth full of crumbs, his steps also slowing.

I'll have to give Dalei a good scolding when we get back. And Second Uncle's health — I should find a good physician to take a look at him. The weather's turning cold; this winter will likely be hard to endure. These thoughts were quickly cast from Zhao Jin's mind. His strides grew longer and longer, more and more resolute. He felt only that leading everyone forward without cease was precisely what he was meant to do.

Originally, the sides of the great road had been very empty — nothing but fields and open wilderness stretching as far as the eye could see. Such scenery was common around southern Shandong and Xuzhou, and Zhao Jin had not found it particularly remarkable. But as he walked on, Zhao Jin noticed that there were people on both sides of the road. Without stopping his steps, he looked carefully and discovered that the roadside was lined with countless figures — all of them with blood on their faces and mutilated bodies. Their expressions held sorrow and bitterness, hatred, pleas for help, and also fear.

Having seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood many times over, Zhao Jin felt not a trace of fear toward those at the roadside. He merely observed them with cool detachment. So these were all people he had seen on the battlefield and in various other circumstances. There were household guards from his own side, and there were enemies as well. Among them were government troops, private soldiers of powerful clans, the rebel rabble of the Smelling Incense Sect, and those refugee commoners who had been driven to their undeserved deaths. What a hard world this is, Zhao Jin thought with a sigh, yet he felt no particular pity. He had grown accustomed to it.

As he watched and watched, these sorrowful, broken, bloodied figures vanished. Yet the roadside was still filled with an endless sea of people. On every face was gratitude, on every face was a smile, on every face was the joy of having survived disaster and living in warmth and sufficiency. Seeing Zhao Jin, they all smiled and knelt in reverence. These people were the common folk within the territory of the Zhao Camp — the refugees they had taken in, and all manner of people who worked for Zhao Jin. Looking upon these scenes, Zhao Jin felt a profound happiness. Everything he had done was worth it.

As he walked on, the great road that had stretched endlessly before him suddenly came to an abrupt end. Before him appeared a boundless expanse of water — he could not tell whether it was a lake or a sea. On the other side of this vast body of water stood a mountain, a peak of towering majesty. From the point where the road broke off to that high mountain stretched an extremely long bridge. The bridge's surface was not wide, and it had no railings or handholds. One careless step and a person would fall straight off.

Zhao Jin suddenly realized that the water's surface was red — entirely the color of blood. Looking more closely, it seemed as if something was moving beneath the surface of this blood sea, this blood lake. It was as if countless people were waving their arms under the water. If one were to fall from the bridge, wouldn't one be seized by those arms below and never rise to the surface again? Zhao Jin halted his steps at this end of the bridge and observed carefully.

Moreover, the bridge surface itself was not safe. Along that extremely long bridge, it was not only narrow but also riddled with holes. And on the bridge stood people. Some were tall and brawny, some were lean and gaunt. Some wore official robes and armor, while others were dressed in the garments of foreign tribes. What Zhao Jin found curious was that he could even see the clothing of Japanese and Westerners — a rare sight indeed.

The faces of those standing on the bridge could not be seen clearly; each was a dark, indistinct blur. Following the bridge all the way across with his gaze, he then looked at that mountain. Though it was so far away, everything about that mountain was vividly clear. The mountain was actually built from piled corpses — layer upon layer of the dead. Some wore armor, some wore the clothes of common civilians, and some were stark naked. On that mountain, too, stood a few figures, but their attire and appearance could not be made out.

At that moment, Zhao Jin suddenly discovered that at the mountain's peak there was a great radiance. He did not know what place that was, but though there was no visible source of light, it blazed with brilliant illumination. Zhao Jin abruptly felt that this radiance was the place he was meant to go — and moreover, the place he was meant to lead all those behind him to. But this bridge, this blood sea, this mountain built of corpses — for the first time, Zhao Jin felt it was troublesome. He himself had the resolve to go, but what of those behind him? His comrades? His family? The others?

Zhao Jin looked back once more. This time, he discovered that Second Uncle Zhao Zhenxing was no longer behind him. Sun Dalei was gone. His parents and several elders were now far in the rear. But his comrades were all there. Most of the crowd that had been following him just moments ago was still there. No one's face bore a smile, but every expression was resolute. Zhao Jin did not open his mouth to ask. He knew that every person following behind him would continue on this path.

He looked very carefully. Though some faces were blurred and some were clear, Zhao Jin still wanted to remember every person's appearance. When he turned his head back around, Zhao Jin could not help but smile — a smile that came from the heart. He raised his hand and shouted, "Brothers, follow me!"

At this moment, Zhao Jin had no more hesitation. He strode forward boldly!

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