The Tragedy of Wu Cheng'en

  The singing gradually subsided, and the spring night still had a bit of coolness. Songs always have an end, leaving only silence. The moonlight turned pale, shining on everyone's face like ghosts. If the atmosphere wasn't adjusted, the camp might develop into a ghostly realm. Yun Xiang cleared his throat: "Brothers, come sit over here. Anyway, no one wants to sleep. Since you all think it's boring, I have a story to tell. Do you want to hear it?" Everyone chimed in, eager for the adult to tell a story. Whether it was good or bad wasn't important; first, they had to flatter him. It was novel enough that an official was telling stories to soldiers. These guys were so used to being soldiers that they'd become ghosts.

  Memories of the stories he knew flashed through his mind quickly, and then it was settled. Tang Xuanzang, this guy probably hasn't even gone to India yet. The loud and boisterous Journey to the West has no shadow. From a young age, reading "Journey to the West" can't let Wu Cheng'en monopolize the beauty of later generations. I'll make it clear now who dares to accuse me of plagiarism? Wu Cheng'en? His grandfather's grandfather hadn't even been born yet, just him.

  It is said that after Pangu opened up the sky and earth, the Three Sovereigns governed the world, the Five Emperors established the social hierarchy, and the entire world was divided into: Dongsheng Shenzhou in the east, Xiniuhezhou in the west, Nanqianbuzhou in the south, and Beijuzhouchou in the north. Legend has it that in Dongsheng Shenzhou, there is a country called Ao Lai, which borders the great sea. In the middle of the sea, there is an island, and on this island, there is a mountain called Huaguo Mountain. This mountain is not ordinary; it is the ancestral vein of the ten continents and the gathering place of the dragons from the four seas...

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  Under the cold moonlight, the Han man in Manjiang Town was filled with anger in his chest. Such a heroic figure was heavily pressed under the Five Fingers Mountain by the icy secular law, with no way to go up to heaven and no door to enter the earth. Looking at the cowherd boy below the mountain, who had become an old man from childhood in an instant, he could only gaze longingly at the eagles outside the sky, yearning to regain his freedom. Cheng Chumu clenched his fists with both hands and slammed them heavily on the sand, unable to disperse the suppressed anger in his heart. "Why?" Cheng Chumu glared fiercely at Yun Ye, as if he was the culprit who had pressed the Monkey King under the mountain.

  "Power needs restraint, unrestrained power is a double-edged sword, hurting others and oneself. The fate of the Monkey King was sealed when he obtained his powers. Brother Cheng, it's just a story, why take it seriously? Tonight, under the bright moonlight, let us brothers have a long talk. I've been away from the human world for too long, and know nothing about worldly emotions, etiquette, or laws. In this mundane world, I fear I have no place to stand. Please teach me, Brother Cheng."

  Yun Ye's carefree and mischievous appearance made Cheng Chumo furious, but he couldn't vent his anger anywhere. He waved his hand fiercely, then suddenly smiled again, feeling embarrassed about losing his composure. Lying beside Yun Ye, he nudged him with his elbow; "Tell us another chapter, this great story is making me itch all over, how can I sleep if I don't hear the end? Ask the brothers if they want to listen?" As soon as the words left his mouth, the surrounding soldiers rushed over, staring at Yun Ye with gleaming eyes. Yun Ye felt a chill run down his spine under their gaze, and in the low, soothing voice, that unfortunate monkey continued to wait anxiously for the arrival of the monks in Chang'an City.

  Days passed day by day, the salt bag was piled higher and higher every day, the storytelling time after dinner became longer and longer, and Yun Ye's Guanzhong dialect became more and more familiar.

  Here is the translation:

  General-in-Chief Cheng Yaojin has been laughing non-stop for days, his laughter echoing in the camp like a night owl. Especially after sending off Longsun Wuji, who had destroyed Prince Chang Le's son, he laughed even more heartily. Five hundred kilograms of salt were exchanged for fifty fine horses from the Western Regions - what a great deal! It was especially satisfying to snatch food from the jaws of a tiger. Old Cheng patted his belly contentedly, thinking that for three months, he had been eating vinegar-soaked cloth every day, and his teeth had almost fallen out. The thought of it still made him feel nauseous.

  It wasn't that he didn't have enough salt to eat; the whole army was eating vinegar-soaked cloth. Would he be the only one to eat salt? That would be a disaster for morale! His own son was lucky, managing to accomplish great things at just 14 years old. Without any foundation or backing, his young master had managed to do something amazing. Once the imperial edict arrived from the capital, this young man's official position would be confirmed, and he would be tied to Old Cheng's war chariot.

  His own son was also a clever one, able to see through people. If someone could deceive him, they must be extremely cunning! A person who would hand over a priceless secret formula without hesitation - what kind of character did they have? For the sake of a soldier he had only met for a day, his son had risked his life - if Old Cheng didn't quickly promote this young man to the Left Guard, he would be kicked in the head by a donkey!

  It was just that his son had suffered a beating while helping someone out. Never mind, after spending more time with him, they would get along fine. Everything about this young man was strange and unusual - not a single ordinary item among them. His background must be quite extraordinary.

  Ordinary people's sons, when faced with a large army, could only stand upright without trembling - let alone argue with reason! Ah, once this young man had accumulated ten thousand kilograms of salt, Old Cheng would call him over to take a look. He couldn't bear to see only book-smart scholars who knew nothing but poetry and classics. A person like this, who was literate and could solve big problems - that was the real treasure!

  Xu Mougong, no, now called Li Ji, was also this kind of person - full of bad water, yet knowledgeable about everything. His old brother had indeed recognized his talent early on. This young man his son had picked up wouldn't be simple either.

  Starting from a lowly position as a military secretary, Old Cheng would keep an eye on him. Once he saw him in action, if he truly had ability, the Left Guard was big enough to accommodate him - why not?

  Cheng Chumu went to the main camp every ten days to deliver salt, each time one thousand catties, this was already his sixth trip, and he would complete the task entrusted by his father after four more trips. Thinking that the imperial court only allowed the collection of one hundred thousand catties, and the salt fields had to be handed over to the local authorities by the end of July, his heart ached. As soon as he entered the commander's tent, he saw his father sitting alone at the desk, tapping his fingers on the table, making a knocking sound. Not knowing what he was thinking, he quickly bowed and saluted: "Commander Cheng Chumu reports to the general, this week one thousand catties of salt have been fully paid, now preparing to return to the salt fields, does the general have any instructions?" In the military camp, there were no father-son relationships, only generals and commanders.

  Lao Cheng looked up at his son and felt that something was off. His usual greasy and messy son had become clean and tidy, with a more pleasant expression than before. Even the lice were no longer crawling out of his hair, and he seemed to be radiating energy from within. He was indeed his own flesh and blood, full of spirit.

  Cheng Chu saw his father staring at him silently, and hastily pulled out an oil-paper package from his bosom, taking a step forward to give it to his father.

  Cheng Yawen opened the package with a puzzled expression, only to find that it contained a large pancake, golden yellow in color and emitting a fragrant aroma of wheat. Old Cheng felt a sense of comfort upon seeing this, knowing that his son had shown filial piety. He took a big bite of the pancake, savoring its delicious taste, which was crispy and fragrant, unlike the usual pancakes they ate every day. Cheng Chumo saw his father eating the pancake, poured a cup of tea, and respectfully handed it to Old Cheng. After Old Cheng finished eating the pancake and drank two mouthfuls of tea, he finally spoke up: "Son, how's the pancake?"

  Lao Cheng said casually: "Not bad, the cook in the big camp should be taken away to feed the dogs. Is this big pancake made by Yun Xiaozi? It's not that your father said you have the skill of making food, two catties of salt is the real thing, looking at it, the day specified by the court is approaching, now if we collect one catty less, our Left Wuwei will be short of one catty of salt, what's the point of doing this fancy stuff? I'm your father, do you want to make an offering or something?"

  Cheng Cheng hurriedly explained: "Father, this is a special military ration made by Yun brothers. Our army is marching outside and in a hurry, we can't eat meals on time, so we take two bites of the big pancake. This big pancake is cold and hard, many soldiers who ate it had bloating stomachs and severe abdominal pain, which would be unwise to lose military strength before battle. So Yun brothers specially made this kind of pancake, in a hurry, eating two bites and then drinking some water can fill the hunger. It's the best military ration, besides, this pancake can keep for a month without going bad even in July."

  "What? January isn't bad? Really?"

  "It's true, I've tried it myself, putting it in a cloth bag for a month doesn't spoil it and there's no strange smell."

  "Will Yun Xiaozi present this method to the imperial court? Is there no request?"

  "Dad, Yun brothers are my brothers. This big pancake was made by him when I mentioned that you have stomach problems. He also said: except for fighting, all the big and small ones in the army are idiots. Knowing that the military food is problematic, they don't even try to change it, they deserve to suffer for so long."

  Cheng Yaojin remained silent, bowing his head in contemplation. After a moment, he made up his mind: "Pass on my order, summon Yun Huan to come to the main camp immediately."