“You, Ximen Rang, are certainly not the type to kick someone when they're down.” Qin Qianli took a few breaths, finally calming down, and said, “Ximen Rang, what do you want to say to me?”
Ximen Rang leaned forward and said, "Lord Qin, I have come here today because I have a question that I cannot understand."
"Ask away. I am a dying man, and I will answer anything that is right."
"Lord Qin, as a subject, should one be loyal to the ruler or to the country?"
Ximen Rang's question startled Qin Qianli for a moment. After a long while, he said, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. In the hearts of a subject, the ruler and the country are one. Loyalty to the ruler is loyalty to the country."
"If a ruler is without virtue or ability, does not understand the compassion of Heaven and Earth above, nor does he follow the desire for benevolence and forgiveness among the common people below, and employs mostly wicked and evil men, and his actions are mostly cruel, what should a subject do?"
Qin Qianli gave a cold laugh: "To remonstrate to the death."
"Brother Qin, do you truly think so?"
Qin Qianli fell silent. The words "die for remonstrance" had slipped out without much thought. After a moment, he slowly asked, "Ximen Rang, what exactly do you want to ask?"
"If remonstrance to the death is effective, then a subject should not cherish his own life or fear death. But if remonstrance to the death is not only ineffective, but the ruler is allowed to continue, the people will be plunged into misery and the state will be on the verge of collapse. What should a subject do then?"
Qin Qianli trembled, and his breathing became rapid again. Ximen Rang couldn't see his face clearly, nor did he care to see his expression. He then asked, "Would you rather watch the people suffer for the sake of being praised as a loyal minister, or would you rather be branded a traitor for speaking out for the people?"
Both of them held their breath and fell silent in the darkness. After a long while, Qin Qianli said with a bitter smile, "If I hadn't suggested that Your Majesty tolerate Liu Guang, none of this would have happened."
"Please, Lord Qin, dispel the doubts in my heart." Ximen Rang's voice was hollow, as if it came from afar.
"I was wrong. My loyalty should have been to the country, not the ruler." Qin Qianli sighed deeply. "Thank you for coming to see me, Brother Ximen. I entrust my great Chen Kingdom to you."
"Only loyalty is my duty," Ximen Rang said slowly, rising to bow to Qin Qianli. "Thank you, Brother Qin."
As Qin Qianli watched Ximen Rang's blurry figure move towards the door, tears streamed down his face, and he cried out, "Brother Ximen!"
Ximen Rang stopped and slowly turned around, saying, "Brother Qin, is there anything else?"
Qin Qianli swallowed his words back and said in a low voice, "You've worked hard. Take care of yourself..."
On the 28th day of the first month of the second year of the Wude era of the Chen Kingdom, the sky was clear and blue over the Qionglu Grassland and off the Dongming Guanyuan Island. Only in Luoying, the capital of the Chen Kingdom, was a cold wind howling and a drizzle falling. In the drizzle, the Imperial Censor of the Chen Kingdom did not ride in a sedan chair, but left on foot from the prison where his former enemy was being held.
"The wind and rain... the red wind and rain..."
He muttered to himself on the street, but no one could hear him.
Chapter Three: Sea of Fire
Morning is always the most important and busiest time of the day. Not only do we need to wash up and fill our empty stomachs after a night of hunger, but we also need to plan for the day and fight against the laziness of wanting to go back to bed. Therefore, the early morning is when we are most relaxed.
The Ame no Maru appeared somewhat hazy in the thin morning mist, but the Japanese looking out from the harbor still recognized the ship. Although they were a little surprised that it had only gone to sea two days ago and was returning today, the signals it transmitted were still "normal".
"Mr. Ren's calculations are indeed brilliant; the Japanese pirates were far too careless," Tu Longziyun said in a low voice. "This time, I will certainly not be hasty, lest I jeopardize your plans." Ren Qian smiled slightly. The buildings in the Japanese pirate port, and even the few pedestrians scattered around, stirred up his anger, but he did not show it on his face. Born on the eastern coast of the Su Kingdom, he lost his family and home to Japanese pirates at a young age, surviving only thanks to his uncle who was traveling far away as a merchant. From then on, he vowed to avenge his family and country. He spent several years investigating the Japanese pirate situation in eastern Su Kingdom, and the atrocities he collected from the pirates made him utterly disgusted. These Japanese lived a carefree life, yet they never reflected on the blood and tears of countless people in the Divine Continent that made their lives possible. The more peaceful and leisurely the Japanese appeared to him, the more intense his anger became.
"Commander Tulong, I have spent twelve years investigating the Japanese pirates. For the first three years, I only investigated along the coast of my Great Suhai. Later, I realized that strengthening the military along the coast could only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. There are thieves who can be thieves for a thousand days, but there are no thieves who can defend against thieves for a thousand days. To eliminate the Japanese pirates, we must understand their inner workings and then take the initiative to strike, so that the Japanese pirates can no longer plague China." Seeing that the surrounding generals seemed a little nervous about the disguise and infiltration, Ren Qian deliberately diverted their attention and said, "The reason I asked Commander Li Jun to trouble you all to fight the Japanese pirates during his joyous occasion is firstly because the sea is calmer at the end of winter." "Firstly, we won't encounter the divine wind like the Four Seas Khan; secondly, most winter mornings are foggy like the morning mist, making it easier for our army to infiltrate; and thirdly, the Japanese pirates would never expect the Peace Army to attack while Commander Li is overjoyed, making them suspicious." Tu Longziyun nodded in agreement. Just then, Ren Qian gestured and said, "Almost there, get ready!" The port was preparing to welcome the Rain Maru. The workers were yawning and swaying as they moved along in their wooden clogs. In the wooden houses near the port, many housewives were beginning their day's work, and the cries of babies could be heard from time to time.
The Rain Maru gradually slowed down, and the faces of the sailors and samurai dressed in loose Japanese uniforms could now be seen. The remaining wariness of the Japanese on the dock had also vanished, and they looked with disinterest at the poor women washing up at their doorsteps.
"Begin!" Just then, a shout came from the Ame no Maru. The voice was spoken in Japanese, and the people in the harbor could hear it clearly. They all looked at the Ame no Maru in surprise.
The sailors who had been so casual on the Rain Maru were nowhere to be seen. Hundreds of fire arrows wove a net of divine fury, their target not the people in the harbor, but the fishing boats and houses moored there. It was the dry winter, and the boats and houses were made of highly flammable wood. Almost as soon as the Japanese cried out in alarm, several places in the harbor were already engulfed in deadly flames.
The once peaceful harbor was instantly thrown into chaos as Japanese soldiers braved a hail of arrows to fight the fire. Most of the sailors on the pirate ships anchored in the harbor had gone ashore, so only two small boats rushed towards the Rain Maru, but before they could get close, the ships were set ablaze by fire arrows.
Suddenly, the Rain Maru retreated, as if to withdraw. The Japanese, momentarily suppressed by the sudden barrage of arrows, howled and boarded their ships. All five large ships in the harbor that hadn't yet caught fire raised their sails. The Rain Maru retreated with all its might, while the Japanese, relying on their superior navigation skills, gave chase. Seeing that the Rain Maru was within range of the Japanese arrows, several sampans were lowered from it using ropes.
The sampan drifted towards the harbor with the rising tide. The Japanese soldiers, seeing the thick cotton blankets piled on the sampan, were greatly alarmed, thinking that the enemy was hiding behind the blankets and had another plot to take advantage of the approaching sampan. They fired a barrage of arrows at the enemy. However, the cotton blankets were thick and the arrows could not penetrate them, so the Japanese soldiers switched to firing fire arrows.
Ren Qian had already ordered the Japanese soldiers to prepare rockets. If the Japanese didn't use rockets, Ren Qian would. The cotton quilt was ignited by the rockets, and moments later it produced a deafening roar. A water column dozens of feet high stirred up huge waves, and the Japanese ships that were approaching by sampans were blown to pieces. It turned out that what was wrapped under the cotton quilt was gunpowder!
"Hmph, they set themselves on fire, killing themselves. These Japanese pirates always do such foolish things." Tu Long Ziyun snorted softly, watching the two Japanese ships that had dodged the explosives speed towards them. Tu Long Ziyun waved his hand and said in Japanese, "Release!" Several more sampans were lowered from the Rain Maru. This time, the Japanese pirates learned their lesson and dared not use rockets again. The two Japanese ships separated, keeping a safe distance from the sampans. With this delay, the Rain Maru shook them off and sailed away. Seeing that they couldn't catch up, the Japanese pirates began to rescue their own men who had fallen into the sea.
Just then, another deafening explosion rang out from the harbor. It turned out that the later-arrived sampans also carried gunpowder, but this gunpowder was wrapped in pig bladders, making it impervious to seawater. Ren Qian had timed it perfectly; the fuses were lit just after the sampans reached the shore. Although slightly off from his plan, the gunpowder exploded simultaneously, blasting the harbor's dock facilities to smithereens. The massive dock, built over centuries by the Japanese, was instantly reduced to rubble, and the fires from the explosions combined with the existing fires in the harbor, instantly creating a blazing inferno that shot straight into the sky.
Ren Qian watched the firelight that illuminated the sky from afar on the Rain Marsh, a cruel sense of pleasure rising in his heart. For thousands of years, Japanese pirates had burned down the houses of countless people in China, and now the fire had finally reached the houses of the Japanese.
"Mr. Ren, your plan is truly brilliant!" Tu Longziyun chuckled. "What's remarkable is that Mr. Ren has such a thorough understanding of these ocean currents, wind directions, and tides. I'm afraid this port of the Japanese pirates won't be a good harbor again for at least three to five years." Ren Qian stroked his beard and smiled: "This is just the beginning. The Japanese pirates didn't expect us to appear here, thus giving me an opportunity. The next target won't be so easy." It turned out that after much deliberation, Ren Qian realized that there was only one way to fulfill the conditions proposed by Feng Jiutian: to use the Japanese pirates' own methods against them. By severely damaging several of the Japanese pirates' major ports, they would be unable to launch a large-scale harassment of Shenzhou in the short term. Fortunately, the Japanese pirates' homeland had not been directly attacked by Shenzhou for a thousand years, so they were somewhat careless, allowing Ren Qian to strike successfully.
Li Jun grabbed his opponent by the chest, straightened his waist, and threw him from behind, where he landed heavily on the grass, drawing cheers from the surrounding spectators.
"Again! Again!" Li Jun laughed loudly. "Who else dares to challenge me?" The Rong people have always revered warriors. Since Li Jun's wedding, he had been wrestling with these heroes of the Rong people every day. At first, he wasn't used to the Rong people's fighting techniques and would lose once every three rounds. But later, he gradually adapted and had no more opponents. After he had defeated several of the most famous Rong fighters, people kept coming to challenge him. On this one day alone, he had wrestled seven times.
"What a fine man!" Hulei Khan gave his son-in-law a thumbs-up. The marriage of Jisu, the "flower of the Rong people," to an ordinary man initially faced considerable resistance on the grasslands, but with Li Jun and his men's heroic and valiant performance over the past few days, the opposition had gradually diminished. While it's not easy to get someone to accept new things from the heart, at least Li Jun and Jisu had made a good start.
"The Great Khan has arrived as well." Li Jun placed his right hand across his chest and calmly performed a Rong-style bow. Hulei Khan patted his shoulder, noticed the fine beads of sweat on his forehead, and beckoned to the maid beside him. The maid then handed Li Jun a snow-white handkerchief.
Huleihan and Li Jun stood side by side. The sky was high and the wind was strong on the grassland. Both of them felt cheerful and couldn't help but take a deep breath.
“Li Jun.” According to common etiquette, Hulei Khan should address Li Jun as his son-in-law, but Rong people do not follow such etiquette. “It’s not been this lively in decades. It’s just a pity you can’t stay here for long.” Li Jun’s heart stirred. These days he had been thinking about how to persuade Hulei Khan to completely integrate the Rong people on the Qionglu Grassland into the Peace Army. Now it seemed to be the right opportunity. He pondered for a moment, then said, "Father, my sister Ji Su told me that in the past, our tribe constantly migrated in search of water and pasture. During famines, our brothers and sisters would often cry out in despair from hunger. If they couldn't endure it, they had no choice but to plunder from the surrounding areas. I wonder if Father has any good solutions to this?" "Ji Su even told you such a thing?" Hu Lei chuckled. "In the past, we only had cattle and sheep to eat. The common people around us were afraid that our Rong population would grow, so they refused to freely supply us with grain, medicine, and tea. If we couldn't buy it, we had to rob. Now that you are in Yuzhou, I no longer have to worry about hunger and cold." "Father, although I am fortunate to have married Ji Su, the common people and the Rong people are not yet one family." Li Jun wiped his sweat, returned the handkerchief to the maid, and whispered his thanks. After thanking him, Li Jun said to Hulei Khan, "If something changes in the future, I'm afraid our brothers and sisters on the grasslands will have to go back to the old ways." Hulei turned to look at Li Jun, his expression slightly displeased, and said, "Do you want all the heroes of the grasslands to obey you?" Li Jun knew that Hulei thought he was threatening the Rong people, so he quickly shook his head and said, "No, I'm just worried." Hulei let out a long sigh, patted Li Jun's shoulder heavily, and said, "Li Jun, you are a hero among ordinary people, but it's best if you don't interfere too much in the affairs of the Rong people." Li Jun couldn't help but smile bitterly. Not only had he failed to persuade Hulei, but he had even been interrupted as soon as he started. It seemed that it would not be easy to fully integrate the Rong people into the Peace Army system.
The Rong people and soldiers of the Peace Army around them also began to wrestle and compete. Li Jun and Hu Lei watched for a while, but they both felt bored, so they mounted their horses and rode towards the constellation land.
"Li Jun, look at this land of constellations, so lush and verdant. Look at these Rong heroes, so strong and mighty. We Rong people have been born and raised here for thousands of years. I love my tribe and my people, and I hope you understand this." Seeing Li Jun remain silent, Hu Lei knew he was somewhat displeased, so he said, "The Four Seas Khan conquered the world and created an unprecedented and unparalleled legacy. The Rong cavalry swept across the land, conquering the world. Although all of that is gone now, the Rong people still retain the same pride in their bones as they did during the Four Seas Khan's time. I was a bit harsh just now, please don't take it to heart." Hu Lei's mention of the Four Seas Khan sparked an idea in Li Jun. He smiled and said, "Father Khan is right, but I have a question I don't understand, and I hope Father Khan can enlighten me." Hu Lei rode his horse for a while and said, "Speak." "Father Khan, among the Rong people, there is such a formidable figure as the Four Seas Khan..." "Heroes of the world, but why hasn't the Rong people's population increased over the past thousand years?" Hu Lei stopped his horse, a look of astonishment on his face. After a while, he said, "A hundred sheep can't compare to one wolf. Although the Rong people are few in number, they are all like wolves." Li Jun shook his head and said, "Since the Rong people are like wolves, why are they gradually declining, while the ordinary people, who are like sheep, are gradually flourishing?" "This..." "Father Khan once said that this place hasn't been lively for decades. Does Father Khan know the reason?" A thousand thoughts raced through Hu Lei's mind. Originally, he and the other Rong leaders were somewhat dissatisfied with Li Jun marrying his daughter as an ordinary leader. Moreover, the aggressive offensive of the Peace Army also made them secretly alarmed. Therefore, they had doubts about Li Jun. But now, Li Jun's questions forced him to think deeply.
"Because of the persecution of us Rong people by ordinary people." After a while, Hulei said slowly, his face gradually turning ugly.
“Indeed, the fear of the Rong people’s bravery is a reason why ordinary people blockade them,” Li Jun said. “But from the Rong people’s perspective, isn’t there also a reason? Before knowing my strength, which of the Rong warriors who wrestled with me showed me any respect? Even you, Father Khan, did you secretly look down on me because I am just an ordinary person?” Hulei laughed heartily, his laughter carrying far on the wind. After a while, his expression became calm and composed. He said, “Indeed, if Jisu hadn’t insisted on marrying you, I would never have let a cowardly ordinary person marry my precious daughter!” “With Father Khan’s eyesight, do you still think I am a cowardly ordinary person?” Li Jun wasn’t angered by Hulei’s words; the contempt in Hulei’s tone seemed to refer to someone else. His short question made Hulei fall into deep thought again.
“If I had considered you a weakling, I fear that within five years, there wouldn’t be a single Rong person left on this vast grassland,” Hulei said. “Li Jun, you are a hero, the highest-flying and most discerning of all the hunting eagles.” Hulei’s praise made Li Jun feel somewhat uncomfortable. He looked up and noticed a slight smile on Hulei’s lips. Li Jun raised his head, looked at the blue sky, and said, “Even the highest-flying and most discerning hunting eagle is merely a tool for the hunter. Although I haven’t been on the grassland for long, I seem to have heard this proverb.” Hulei’s smile finally faded. Li Jun wasn’t like the young men of the grassland who would get carried away by a few words of praise, which deepened Hulei’s wariness. After a while, Li Jun said, "Father Khan, ordinary people fear the Rong people, and the Rong people despise ordinary people. You kill me and I kill you for thousands of years, and in the end, many heroes on both sides have died in vain. I think if ordinary people did not fear the Rong people, and the Rong people did not despise ordinary people, and everyone lived in harmony like brothers, wouldn't that be far better than fighting and killing each other and endless revenge?" "The Rong people and ordinary people are like brothers?" Hu Lei exclaimed, "Is that possible?" "Why not? Ordinary people, Rong people, Qiang people, Yi people, Yue people, aren't they all descendants of the Great Goddess Nü Jing? The Great Goddess Nü Jing gave birth to five sons, who became the ancestors of five tribes. Hasn't this legend been passed down among the five tribes all along?" According to the legend of Shenzhou, the ancestral god Prajna created the world, and the goddess Nü Jing, the mother of all things, was born in his body.
Nu Jing, inspired by the footprints of Prajna, gave birth to her eldest son, Qiang. Bathing in the ocean, she gave birth to her second son, Yi. A dream of a dragon and tiger entering her womb resulted in the birth of twin brothers, Chang and Rong. Finally, in a mountain cave, she gave birth to her fifth son, Yue. These five sons married daughters of ancient gods and settled in various parts of the Divine Continent, becoming the ancestors of the five tribes of the continent. This legend circulates among all the tribes, but the order of the five brothers differs slightly; each tribe believes its ancestor was Nu Jing's eldest son.
Hu Lei was preoccupied with the struggle between the Rong people and ordinary people that had been observed for thousands of years since the time of the Four Seas Khan. He had not expected this ancient legend to be used by Li Jun to prove that the Rong people and ordinary people were originally brothers. Hu Lei was taken aback and felt that although it was a bit far-fetched, he could not refute it for the time being.