85
No matter who was pulling the strings behind the scenes, once Anyang City was taken, everything would come to light.
But unexpectedly, a torrential downpour that lasted three days brought the tense struggle for Anyang City to a halt. Though it was spring rain, there was nothing gentle or soothing about it, the bean-sized raindrops pelted the tents with a relentless, drum-like rhythm that frayed the nerves and unsettled the mind.
That day at noon, as the rain began to let up, Mu Peixuan prepared to step out of the camp for a round. Since he was leaving, Xu Ying and Zhou Zijin naturally went with him. Unexpectedly, Fang Yuan also joined them. The camp was the domain of Tianqian and Zhongyong, and Kunze were generally not permitted to enter. Fang Yuan was clearly aware of this rule and took the initiative to report to the military medical unit, tagging along as a military physician.
In the military medical unit, there were no strict restrictions on Tianqian or Kunze, though Kunze were highly influenced by Tianqian’s Xinxiang and thus were rarely accepted.
Half of the military physicians who accompanied the trip stayed in Fengzhou. The camp was already short of manpower, and the war situation was tense. Fang Yuan, brought in by Xu Ying, was simply kept on. The supervisor originally thought that Fang Yuan was a delicate and tender-skinned person and was obviously a nobleman who had never done housework, so he had been prepared to turn a blind eye. However, when Fang Yuan saw the bloody, wounded soldiers carried down from the battlefield, his face turned pale, and he went up to help without even blinking. As a result, he was not inferior to the medicine boys who had been staying in the camp for a long time, it was a great improvement.
Xu Ying had made it clear to Mu Peixuan that he wanted Fang Yuan to help out at the military medical unit. Mu Peixuan knew about it, and when he saw Fang Yuan dressed as a military physician in the camp, he just nodded slightly as a greeting.
After the rain, the ground was muddy. When the wind blew, the branches on the roadside shook and water droplets fell.
Mu Peixuan and his companions rode out of the military camp on horseback. After riding for a while, they dismounted and walked on foot, as if they were going to climb the mountain. Xu Ying blinked and asked Mu Peixuan, “Your Highness, are you planning to take a look at Anyang City after the rain?”
Mu Peixuan glanced at him and said, “Watch your step.”
The mountain road was slippery and difficult to walk on. The sound of gurgling water could be vaguely heard in the mountain stream. All of them were martial artists. Although Fang Yuan could not keep up with their pace, he had Xu Ying’s support. Mu Peixuan and others deliberately waited for a while. Not long after, they reached the top of the mountain together. It was called the top of the mountain, but in fact it was just a hill.
Suddenly, Zhou Zijin exclaimed in surprise, “…That’s Anyang City.”
In the distance, there is a city surrounded by clouds and mist. It was Anyang City where the rebels resided. Looking down from a high place, one can vaguely see rows of houses in Anyang City. At noon, there may be wisps of smoke rising slowly, which is quite lively.
Hearing the sound, several people looked over. Xu Ying muttered, “It’s quite beautiful… it turns out there is a river in Anyang City.”
The long river, like a white silk ribbon, flows around the city, like a winding water mirror.
Mu Peixuan said, “That river is called the Jin River. The Jin River in Anyang is like the Qing River in Ruizhou.”
“Anyang relied on the Jin River to become the capital of Fengzhou, but over the years, Anyang has never suffered a serious flood,” Mu Peixuan said. “Even two years ago, when Ruizhou suffered from floods, Anyang was safe and sound.”
Xu Ying was stunned. For a moment, he didn’t understand why Mu Peixuan suddenly talked about the flood in Ruizhou.
Zhou Zijin said, “I know this.” He was from Fengzhou. Anyang was not far from Fengzhou, so he had heard about Fengzhou’s affairs more or less. He talked about it eloquently: “I heard that sixty years ago, the governor of Anyang, Qin Huaisheng, spent five years building a dam on the upper reaches of the Jin River, diverting the Jin River and letting it flow into the Min River. Qin Huaisheng also built many ditches in Anyang City, and since then, there has been no waterlogging in Anyang City.”
“The people of Anyang City were grateful for Lord Qin’s kindness. After his death, they built a temple for him, which is still popular today.”
Mu Peixuan looked at Zhou Zijin approvingly. He looked down at the city and said calmly, “It has rained heavily in the past three days. The water level of the Jin River must have risen—”
Before Xu Ying could react, Fang Yuan asked, “Does Your Highness want to flood Anyang?”
Mu Peixuan looked at Fang Yuan in surprise. Fang Yuan looked at Mu Peixuan with an open expression. Zhou Zijin, who was beside him, also figured out the key point. His eyes lit up, and he said, “If we destroy the dam and let the river water flow into Anyang — then we can easily take Anyang!”
Mu Peixuan nodded slowly and said, “Yes, I did think about it.”
Xu Ying was happy at first, but then he remembered the flood in Ruizhou. He hesitated and said, “What about the people in Anyang City?”
Zhou Zijin hesitated for a moment and whispered, “I think the people in the city have been bewitched by the Jiulian Sect. They repeatedly go to the city gate to help the rebels. Such behavior is no different from that of the rebels. I think it is not a pity for them to die—”
Xu Ying said, “But that’s just some people. Once the river water flows into Anyang, what will happen to other people?”
Zhou Zijin was speechless and subconsciously looked at Mu Peixuan.
Mu Peixuan looked at Anyang City in the distance and said, “Zijin, do you still remember the epidemic in Fengzhou? If we divert water to Anyang, how is it different from what the rebels did?”
Zhou Zijin was stunned for a moment, and then he heard the young commander calmly say, “Capturing Anyang City is certainly important, but we captured Anyang City to quell the rebellion and bring peace and stability to the people.”
After a while, Zhou Zijin raised his hand and bowed to Mu Peixuan and whispered, “Zijin is shallow.”
Mu Peixuan shook his head and said, “No need to do that. I also have had this thought before, but I just don’t want to be like Liu Ziyi.”
Suddenly, Fang Yuan said, “Your Highness is kind-hearted and cares about the people. You’re a blessing to Ruizhou.”
“It took Lord Qin five years to build the dam, and it will be difficult to destroy it after such a heavy rain,” Fang Yuan said with a smile. “Although this heavy rain will hinder the march, I hope it will continue for a few more days.”
Mu Peixuan’s eyes fell on the Kunze in front of him. The Kunze was young, wearing a coarse linen shirt, which could not hide his gentle and good temperament, but his eyes showed a bit of sharpness. Fang Yuan was well-known for his talent in Ruizhou City, and he and Xu Ying were childhood sweethearts. Mu Peixuan also studied at Qinghe Academy in those days, so the two had also known each other for some years.
It was the first time that Mu Peixuan saw Fang Yuan being so aggressive.
Fang Yuan said, “The weirder and stranger this rain is, the more beneficial it is to us. I believe Your Highness has also heard the rumor that Daliang is doomed, the Xiao family perished, and the world is prosperous in the west. Liu Ziyi used this folk song to play tricks and deceive people. Why can’t we use this heavy rain to disrupt his army’s morale?”
Mu Peixuan looked at Fang Yuan deeply and said, “Thank you for your advice, Young Master Fang.”
Fang Yuan smiled and said, “Your Highness has your own thoughts. Fang Yuan’s little trick doesn’t deserve any mention.”
Mu Peixuan said, “We should be thankful. If Young Master Fang hadn’t reminded the cooking camp to make ginger soup in the past few days, many soldiers in the army might have caught a cold already.”
Seeing dark clouds gathering in the distance and another rainstorm approaching, they did not stay in the mountain for long and went down the mountain. It was difficult to go up the mountain, and the road down the mountain was even more slippery. Xu Ying was worried about Fang Yuan, so he simply bent down in front of him to carry him down the mountain.
Fang Yuan was stunned, looked at Mu Peixuan and Zhou Zijin, who were a few steps away, and whispered, “I can walk by myself.”
Xu Ying said in a muffled voice, “I’ll carry you.”
Fang Yuan hesitated for a moment, looked at the young man’s broad shoulders, and then still leaned on him. Xu Ying scooped up Fang Yuan’s legs, saying, “It rained, and the road is all mud. Your shoes will get dirty.”
Fang Yuan said, “It doesn’t matter, they’ll be clean after washing.”
Xu Ying said, “After washing them, put them by the charcoal stove to dry; otherwise, they won’t dry.”
Fang Yuan responded, and after a while, he heard Xu Ying ask, “Yuan Ge’er, have you already thought it all out?”
Fang Yuan was slightly taken aback and said, “Thought out what?”
Xu Ying stared at the rugged and muddy mountain road, his steps firm, and said, “How to deal with the rebels, flooding Anyang…”
Fang Yuan didn’t expect Xu Ying to say the four words ‘flood Anyang.’ His slender fingers clenched the fabric on Xu Ying’s shoulder. Xu Ying smiled and said, “His Highness suddenly brought us to the mountain and mentioned the Jin River. There wasn’t a hint of surprise on your face. Clearly, you had already thought of it.”
Fang Yuan said softly, “Will you be angry that I kept it from you?”
Xu Ying shook his head and said, “Yuan Ge’er, I will never be angry with you.”
Fang Yuan’s expression shifted slightly. He lowered his eyes to look at Xu Ying, who didn’t look up, chuckled softly with a hint of self-satisfaction, and said, “I knew long ago that you are exceptionally intelligent.”
Fang Yuan couldn’t help but smile.”
Xu Ying said, “Yuan Ge’er, no matter what you want to do, don’t forget about me.”
“I will help you,” Xu Ying said. “I also want to help you.”
Fang Yuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, “Alright, then when we return to Ruizhou, go ask my father for marriage.”
“…Ah?” Xu Ying froze for a moment, his feet not stopping, and he almost bumped his head into a cedar tree. The roots of his ears instantly turned red. “What?”
Fang Yuan chuckled softly and said, “You don’t want to marry me?”
Xu Ying mumbled, “I want to. How could I not want to? I’ve been thinking about it for so many years already.”
His ears were red, and his face was also red. He carefully supported Fang Yuan’s legs with both hands and said, “When we get back, I’ll find a matchmaker to propose to your family. But, Yuan Ge’er, don’t let Master test my knowledge again.”
Fang Yuan snorted with laughter and said, “You are my father’s first student, yet after all these years of studying the Four Books, you still haven’t finished them. How could my father not be angry?”
Xu Ying sighed and grumbled, “I’m just not cut out for studying.”
The moment they stepped into the gate of the military encampment, the rain began to fall. It continued for two days straight, with lightning and thunder at night and a dimness during the day, carrying a rather intimidating air of “dark clouds pressing down on the city, threatening its destruction.”
This rain went on endlessly. The common people within Anyang City rarely saw such torrential spring rain. Coupled with the imposing rebel army outside the city, a sense of unease spread through them.
Along the Jin River, there were boatmen who lived by the water, residing on their boats and making a living by fishing and ferrying people across. Qian Ji was one such boatman.
With the continuous heavy rain, the water level in the city’s Jin River had risen considerably. As the rain fell, fewer people walked around the city. With nothing to do, Qian Ji would cast his net in the river every day, catching some fish to sell or eat, just to help make ends meet.
Today, the rain lessened. Qian Ji put on his raincoat and was about to pull his net from the water when he felt it was very heavy. A look of surprise immediately spread across his face — had he caught something big?
After Qian Ji exerted all his strength to drag the net ashore, he indeed saw fish of all sizes jumping within it, along with several wriggling water snakes. These snakes were entangled around an object about three feet tall. The sky was gloomy, and Qian Ji couldn’t clearly make out the object’s shape. He used a wooden stick to push away the water snakes and then flipped the object over. He was instantly so terrified that he stumbled back two steps, slipped, and he fell heavily onto his backside.
It was actually a deity statue.
Suddenly, a bolt of purple lightning struck down, illuminating half of the statue’s face. The statue stood tall on a lotus pedestal, its fingers pinching a mudra, its eyes lowered. It should have had a benevolent appearance, but instead, trails of crimson blood wept from its eyes, inexplicably exuding an eerie and malevolent aura.
Qian Ji stared blankly at the statue. He recognized it; many households in Anyang City enshrined this very Holy Lord statue.
But it definitely didn’t look like this.
With another deafening clap of thunder, Qian Ji shuddered and came back to his senses. He scrambled over on his hands and feet, carefully picked up the deity statue, and tried to wipe away the bloody tears. However, the tears seemed to be frozen onto the statue’s cheeks, making his heart palpitate with fear.
Without thinking about anything else, Qian Ji hugged the statue and ran towards his own boat. He ran so hastily that his elderly wife, seeing his ghost-like appearance, asked, “What are you running from?”
Qian Ji took several deep breaths and said, “Look.”
He thrust the statue forward. His wife hadn’t even finished saying ‘Look at what?’ when she was greatly startled by the statue and stammered, “This is… oh my heavens…”
The two of them looked at each other, both staring at the deity statue. Suddenly, another clap of thunder startled them, making them shiver. Qian Ji said, “I wonder who it was, daring to desecrate the Holy Lord like this…”
His elderly wife was also speechless.
But for some reason, they couldn’t help but think of the rebel army waiting in formation outside the city and the torrential rain that had been falling for days. The statue before them now seemed ominous.
This strange event was not the only one. At some point, a line of words appeared on the city wall of Anyang, as if struck by lightning. It said — “Acting perversely and defying what is right will be forsaken by Heaven.” Like a divine sign, it caused panic among the people within Anyang City.
On the 24th day of the third month of the second year of the Fengqi era, the Southern Army attacked Anyang City. Prior to this, Mu Peixuan had already ordered people to shout the imperial surrender edict outside the city gates for two days. Anyang City, which was already wavering, became even more precarious.
The cycle of cause and effect turned, and Anyang City seemed to have become Fengzhou under the shadow of the plague of that day.
On the second day after the heavy rain had stopped, the sounds of battle erupted at all four gates of Anyang. The clash of crossbows, weapons, and shields mixed with the shouts of charging soldiers, painting this rain-washed city with an added tinge of bloodshed.
That afternoon, Xu Ying, a Qianhu of the Southern Army, shot and killed the rebel garrison commander Ma An with a single arrow. The Eastern Gate of Anyang fell, and the Southern Army entered the city through it.
Liu Ziyi, along with his old troops, fled through the Northern Gate, escaping toward Longzhou.
On the same day, far away in Ganzhou, the Northern Army rose in arms under the banner of “cleansing the emperor’s court and punishing traitors.” Marquis Yongping, Qin Fengyuan, personally led two hundred thousand troops out of Longzhou in grand formation, with their blades pointed straight at Liangdu.
The author has something to say:
The war is about to end.
