Chapter 8: Worries

  Zhao Lao San glanced at Wang Shi beside him, and in his heart he was also shouting injustice. He was just a rural old man, how could he know what the imperial court was thinking? According to the elderly, during the war in Central Plains, it was common for men to be conscripted as soldiers. However, since the Li family of Western Qin became the emperor, the people had all settled down, and even if there were occasional wars, they were fought at the borders. When news reached Gongyi County, people heard about it like a legend, let alone being forced to join the army.

  He's the only son of a single family, and his father just died. How can this be said to be reasonable? But since it was personally entrusted by County Magistrate, it cannot be ignored. Zhao Lao San was in a difficult situation, but he secretly gritted his teeth, thinking that after this time, whoever wants to be the village head can be, and I will never get involved in such things again.

  "I, an old man, don't know much, I just heard that general say that the Western bandits are currently attacking Yan Prefecture, and Yan Prefecture has already begun to sound the alarm. They claim to be recruiting soldiers, but in reality, they are transporting grain and supplies to Qingyang. As for other matters, I don't know anything else. However, that general said that even if we went onto the battlefield, we wouldn't be of much use. So there's no need to go and fight the Western bandits to the death. We just need to complete the tasks assigned by the imperial court and then we can all return home. And besides, we'll still get our silver pay..."

  At this moment, Zhao Shi thought a lot. It's just been a year, and everything in his past life seems so distant. Every time he recalls it, it feels like watching an old movie as an outsider. To be honest, it's ridiculous. In his previous life, his thirty-eight years of life and death may seem legendary to ordinary people, but now it seems simple and straightforward, just like a black-and-white film with no twists or turns, directly leading to the end - birth, aging, illness, death, joy, sorrow, parting... these things that are most normal to ordinary people, he has only had a few encounters with the god of death.

  He has always fantasized about living a normal life, but the reality is that someone like him can be calm in the midst of gunfire and rain, can track down clues with ease, but has already lost the ability to strive for money due to poor living conditions, will not be ecstatic about sudden wealth, and will not worry about whether his clothes are suitable... ...and so on. Between him and normal people, there is an invisible, yet real, chasm that cannot be crossed or broken. Perhaps the only thing they have in common is that neither of them wants to die, if that can even be considered a commonality.

  At this moment, Zhao Shi's heart was filled with only a sense of confusion and loss. Fate had given him a chance to be reborn, and the power to choose was in his own hands. Was this a form of compensation or an evil joke? What choice should he make? Should he spend the rest of his life in a mountain village, or... The fierce beast hidden deep within his heart roared incessantly at this moment, and his blood was boiling like fire. It turned out that he still had an inexplicable connection with war after all...

  The ones who are worried are not just the Wang family, but also Zhao Lao San and even Zhao Shi. The county magistrate is now very annoyed. As a county magistrate, he naturally has more access to information than ordinary people. The Xia people have invaded with 1.5 million soldiers, but as someone from a military background, the county magistrate knows that only 600,000 to 700,000 of them are actually capable of fighting. The Western Qin has tens of millions of soldiers, and with the Tong Pass natural barrier on the east side, the Later Zhou and Later Shu in the south are not worth worrying about. The Tubo in the southwest is an ally of the Western Qin. Only the Western Xia to the north, which shares a long border, is easy to attack but hard to defend. There are many ethnic tribes with complex relationships in between, making it a major problem for the Western Qin. The Western Qin has sent troops to conquer them before, but the Western Xia is located in a remote and barren land, and every time they have been defeated due to either being stuck under the city walls or lacking food and water, and then being ambushed by the Xia people from behind, setting up traps and causing trouble everywhere.

  Of course, these battles have nothing to do with the young county lieutenant, he is low-ranking and can't manage even if he wants to. In fact, conscription is not within his jurisdiction either, but who made him a county lieutenant? He has to assist in the matter of conscription anyway.

  Things went wrong right here, originally this time was not a formal conscription, it was said that it was actually a gathering of a group of civilians. However, the county lieutenant was still very young, and young people naturally had bigger ambitions. This can't be said to be a bad thing, with ambition, things are done diligently, always thinking about doing things perfectly, leaving a good impression on the superior at the annual performance evaluation, compared to those who eat the court's salary but think that one less thing is better than one more, it's much better.

  But this time, the county lieutenant would rather have himself and those guys do things by the book, but there's no regret medicine to buy. Who let him only hear people say that a good hunter from Zhaojia Village in Gongyi County has emerged, with a height of nine feet, swinging his arms with a force of thousands of kilograms, even speaking with a voice like thunder, and the ancient evil is nothing more than this. The Western Qin military expedition attaches great importance to military merit, and such a good hunter will surely make achievements if he joins the army. As the recommender, one wise eye recognizes talent on the evaluation form that cannot be escaped.

  The county magistrate was overjoyed when he heard the news, and without inquiring whether the rumor was true or not, he immediately reported it to his superiors and even managed to secure a small official position for this good fellow, showing that he had done his utmost, being more diligent than if he were handling his own affairs.

  However, the county lieutenant now had a mind to strangle those who boasted to himself. As soon as Zhao Lao San mentioned that Zhao Shi was only twelve years old, the county lieutenant's heart cooled down. Originally, he still had a thought of possibility in his heart, and it was said that there is no turning back after shooting an arrow. If this matter didn't succeed, lightly speaking, it would be a crime of hearsay and dereliction of duty. If it happened to coincide with the superior's displeasure, a careless word could lead to a charge of deceiving one's superiors and taking credit for oneself, which was a capital offense under military law.

  While the county magistrate was busy with his official duties, chatting with a military officer next to him who didn't care about the case, Zhao Lao San quietly approached him and whispered: "Sir, he agreed, but..."

  County Magistrate let out a long sigh, things having come to this point, there was nothing more to say, and it could only be handled this way. As long as they got past this hurdle, if anything were to happen later, the blame would fall on that young whippersnapper, with no relation to himself whatsoever.

  When he thought of the embarrassing situation, County Magistrate smiled lightly and turned to see Zhao Lao San staring at his eyes. He immediately felt a bit unseemly, coughed, and straightened up with an air of authority, "Nothing is impossible, are there any conditions? As long as he's willing to go, this official will agree to anything."

  "That's a good sentiment, Zhao's family said that anyone who goes out of the village must take him with them... and also, the child is the only son in the family, and his father just passed away, so if he leaves, there will be only three women left at home..."

  "This is nothing, the official can afford the expenses for settling down at home."

  "No, no... It's not that... Zhao Lao San hastily waved his hand and said: "Wa Er is being righteous, he doesn't dare to take the official's money, he just wants to ask you to pass a message to his brother-in-law, asking him to take care of things at home until he returns."

  "Oh, I didn't expect that such a noble person would emerge from the countryside." The county magistrate first praised him and then asked: "What is his uncle's name? This official will send someone to inform him when he returns."

  When the words "Zhang Shiwen" came out of Zhao Lao San's mouth, County Magistrate initially didn't think much of it. Later, his eyes scanned Zhao Lao San's somewhat suspicious face and suddenly felt that something was off. His eyes widened, and he asked in a hoarse voice: "Zhang Shiwen? Is that the Salt Control Officer Zhang from our county?"

  。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

  At this time, the troubles are not just these characters. Small people have small troubles, and big people also have their own worries.

  Chang'an, the gathering place of wind and rain from all over the world. Here, there were once poets and swordsmen who sang and drank freely, as well as renowned generals with outstanding achievements, and national scholars and ministers with profound knowledge. The wealthy merchants also gathered here, creating the prosperous Tang Dynasty. However, many things have become like fleeting clouds in the eyes of later generations. Since the time of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, An Lushan and Shi Siming rebelled, attacking Chang'an and destroying countless palaces. After the war, it was not until more than 120 years later that Zhu Wen, the King of Liang, followed Cao Cao's example, holding the emperor hostage to control the vassals. The next year, Zhu Wen forced the emperor to abdicate and established himself as emperor, moving the capital to Kaifeng. Before leaving, he set fire to Chang'an, reducing the ancient city to ashes.

  The Li family of Later Li rose up in arms, occupying all the land within the passes, and rebuilt the capital on the ruins of Chang'an. For over two hundred years now, the city has been carefully constructed by the Li family, although it still cannot compare to its former glory in many aspects, the intention is clear. At this time, Chang'an can only be compared to Kaifeng, the capital of Later Zhou, in terms of scale and population.

  Don't talk nonsense.

  Xingfu Temple Back Garden in Chang'an Mingde Alley

  The sound of the guqin floats with the wind, this is the residence of Yang Gan, a university scholar and junior teacher of the crown prince, who knows the secrets of the imperial court. Yang Gan was born into the Yang family of Western Qin generals, his ancestor Yang Ye, also known as Ji Ye, was a famous general of Western Qin, who served as the commander-in-chief of Jinming Fort, deputy envoy of Qinfeng West Road, commander-in-chief of Yanbian Town, and later demoted to be the pacification commissioner of Jingzhao Prefecture, commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard, and junior protector of the crown prince. He was then exiled to Tongguan, with a great reputation, known as "Yang Wudi" by the Khitan people in the north at that time. At that time, Emperor Gaozong of Western Qin addressed him only as "Gong" without mentioning his name, and the Yang family had already become one of the most prominent families in Western Qin.

  The Yang family has been passing down martial arts for 27 generations, but with the arrival of Yang Gan's generation, an anomaly emerged. Yang Gan was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, able to write at six and compose poetry at seven, yet he showed no interest in wielding swords or staffs. With his high aspirations and proud demeanor, he also refused to accept official titles and honors from the imperial court. At eight years old, he passed the child prodigy exam; at nine, he became a government student; and by fifteen, he had already achieved the highest rank of scholar-official. During the palace examination, his essay on current events was like a string of pearls, astonishing all the officials and delighting the emperor, who personally bestowed upon him the title "Su Hui" as one of the Emperor's students.

  Up to this point, Yang felt that his path was clear and smooth, and with his exceptional talent, although he became famous at a young age and his momentum was too strong, he still rose through the ranks to become the Minister of Personnel at the age of 30. Just when people thought that this young and ambitious man would one day take control of the central government, Emperor Wu of Western Qin suddenly became muddle-headed in his old age, ignoring the opposition of his ministers, and launched a campaign against Western Xia, resulting in heavy casualties and defeat. Furthermore, the commander-in-chief of the Western Garrison, Ren Dejing, was surrounded and surrendered to Western Xia, causing an uproar throughout the court.

  Emperor Zhao of Song issued an edict admitting his own guilt and stepped down from the throne. His eldest son Li Congye succeeded him as emperor.

  Yang Gan was demoted to a remote area in Lingnan for ten years due to his close relationship with Ren Dejing and his own sharp tongue. He wasn't recalled until the death of Emperor Ping, when Emperor Zhengde ascended to the throne. After this setback, Yang Gan tempered his behavior, focusing on his duties and gradually rising through the ranks over the next twenty years, eventually becoming one of the most powerful officials in the empire.

  It's early spring now, the wind carries some warmth, but it's actually icy and bone-chilling. Plus, there was a big snowfall in winter, and the ice and snow haven't completely melted yet, so the weather can't possibly get warm anywhere.

  The Yang mansion was originally grand, and this back garden was not small either. Although it is said that various countries are now standing together, reenacting the story of the Spring and Autumn period, after all, they are still Han people. The architectural style of the south had already been introduced to the north during the Tang Dynasty, and when building houses and mansions, emphasis was placed on a harmonious combination of mountains and water, with nine-turn corridors, especially in terms of garden design, which emphasized grandeur and symmetry. However, the northern architectural style has undergone many changes, so that at first glance, the Yang mansion's back garden appears to be densely forested, with only a few flying eaves visible through the trees. It can be seen that it has already mastered the essence of both southern and northern gardening styles. At this time, although it is still early spring, the peach blossoms, pear blossoms, and lilacs transplanted from elsewhere have already bloomed profusely, reflecting off the lake in the garden, and with a few pavilions scattered about, at first glance, one feels as if their chest has been opened wide.

  At this time, under several plum trees that still had ice and snow but were in full bloom, two slender maids stood on either side, one holding a censer with faint wisps of smoke, the other holding a long sword with a scabbard. Both women wore expensive sable coats, their raven-black hair tied back casually, matching the garden's splendor, making their skin seem like frozen milk and their beauty surpass that of flowers.

  Under the plum tree lies a rug, on which is a low table, and on the table is a zither. The sound of the zither is clear and ringing, yet it carries a sense of Zen that calms the mind and makes one forget his worries.

  The one playing the piano was a middle-aged man in his forties, sitting cross-legged with an unclear height, wearing a plain robe. The middle-aged man's face had a lot of wind and frost, with a scar running from his forehead to the tip of his nose, looking quite ferocious. However, paired with this person's bright and lively eyes, it made him exude a unique charm of a mature man.