Chapter 737: A Junior Soldier of the Daling River Border Army
Puzhou City's militia expanded rapidly.
The common people enthusiastically enlisted!
Hearing this news, Li Daoxuan inwardly chuckled with satisfaction: *Excellent! It seems the combined effect of Gao Yiye's speech and the "Mu Guiying" movie is starting to show results.*
Gao Yiye's speech had laid the groundwork for recruitment by emphasizing "welfare," "benefits," and "social standing." "Mu Guiying," on the other hand, had created the emotional backdrop for enlistment, appealing to "spirit" and "sentiment."
Thus, it was only natural that people eagerly signed up to join the army.
*Excellent, "Mu Guiying" was definitely worth making,* Li Daoxuan thought. *But relying solely on "Mu Guiying" isn't enough. It's a story from the Song Dynasty, not the current one, and it's still quite far removed from people's daily lives. If we could create stories about the present dynasty, or recent events, that would probably be incredibly impactful.*
So...
Where could he find material for stories about the current dynasty, or recent events?
A person's image suddenly flashed through Li Daoxuan's mind—someone who loved writing short essays about border affairs. This individual was intimately familiar with everything that happened along the frontier, diligently inquiring about every detail, big or small.
Sun Chuanting!—
In Daizhou, Shanxi.
Sun Chuanting sat at home, a melancholy expression on his face as he wrote a short treatise titled "A Memorial on the Vulnerabilities of the Manchu Invaders."
In this article, he meticulously enumerated the weaknesses of the Manchu invaders and the strengths of the Great Ming, planning to leverage the latter against the former...
"Master!" an attendant reported, entering the room. "That merchant, Tie Niaofei, is here again."
Sun Chuanting's eyes brightened. "Oh? Show him in at once!"
Whenever Tie Niaofei passed through Daizhou while delivering supplies to the border army, he would always pay a visit to Sun's residence. Sun Chuanting consistently treated Tie Niaofei as an honored guest, and over time, a genuine friendship had blossomed between them.
Soon, Tie Niaofei entered, accompanied by Zao Ying and Zheng Daniu.
A smile touched Sun Chuanting's lips the moment he saw Zheng Daniu. He waved to his attendant. "Go and bring out our famous Daizhou snacks—Baode Bowl Tofu, Sorghum Noodle-Fish, and Daizhou Sesame Noodles—to entertain our guests."
Before he had even finished speaking, and before the snacks were brought out, Zheng Daniu's drool was already puddling on the floor.
Zao Ying quickly pulled out a handkerchief and dotingly wiped Zheng Daniu's mouth. "Daniu, don't be like that. If others see you, they'll think our family is poor and you've never seen good food."
Zheng Daniu mumbled, "I really am poor; I can barely afford to eat."
Zao Ying chuckled. "Don't worry, don't worry, I have plenty of money. Look, if you sleep in my tent tonight, all my money will go towards buying you food."
Zheng Daniu looked surprised. "Huh? I thought of you as a buddy, and you actually want to sleep with me?"
Zao Ying playfully thumped Zheng Daniu's chest. "What nonsense are you spouting? That's not very 'buddy-like' of you. Are you and Gao Chuwu buddies? Have you two ever shared a bunk in the barracks?"
Zheng Daniu scratched his head. "Yeah, we have."
Zao Ying spread her hands. "Well, there you go! So why can't you sleep with me? Don't you consider me a buddy too?"
Zheng Daniu's face brightened. "You're absolutely right! Let's do that then."
Sun Chuanting snorted with laughter.
Tie Niaofei smiled. "Mr. Sun, pay them no mind. Those two are bound to marry eventually. I've come to visit you this time because there's a matter I'd like your help with."
Sun Chuanting nodded. "Oh? What is it?"
Tie Niaofei presented him with several books, holding them in both hands.
Sun Chuanting took them, scanning the titles: "Soaring High" and "Tale of a Mortal's Cultivation."
He flipped through a few pages. "These books are interesting," he remarked. "What's the sudden reason for showing them to me?"
Tie Niaofei explained, "To be frank, the artist behind these two books has made a fortune, earned a great deal of money. After all, I am a merchant... I'm a little envious, and I'd like to create some books like these to make money myself."
Sun Chuanting chuckled. "If you want to publish books for profit, just do it. What good is asking me? I know nothing about such endeavors."
Tie Niaofei sighed. "I'm not a very cultured man; I can't think of any compelling stories to tell. After much thought, I feel like I could illustrate stories about border affairs."
"Border affairs?" Sun Chuanting's eyes lit up; his spirits immediately lifted at the mention of the frontier.
Tie Niaofei elaborated, "I want the protagonist of the story to be a minor Ming soldier from Daling River, participating in the Battle of Daling River from a soldier's perspective. It would be similar to 'Soaring High,' which tells of Gao Family Village's development through the eyes of an ordinary person."
Sun Chuanting's expression darkened at the three words "Daling River."
The Battle of Daling River!
It was a profound disgrace for the Ming army.
Sun Chuanting whispered, "The Battle of Daling River was a shame for our Great Ming. Wouldn't depicting this story simply invite ridicule?"
Tie Niaofei countered, "Precisely because it was shameful, it needs to be depicted, to warn the world, wouldn't you agree?"
Sun Chuanting considered this. "That's true enough!"
Tie Niaofei continued, "I certainly don't know as much about the Battle of Daling River as you do, Mr. Sun. So, when writing this story, I hope you can help me by detailing the course of the battle and assisting me with the plot arrangement."
Sun Chuanting's eyes gleamed. "Very well!"
The two men huddled together, discussing everything from the protagonist's character design to the story's plot direction, talking for what felt like ages.
Meanwhile, the attendant soon brought out the delicious food. Zheng Daniu devoured pastries on one side and specialty snacks on the other, eating heartily. Zao Ying, bustling around him, helped by handing him drinks and wiping his mouth.
After a long while, Tie Niaofei rose to take his leave.
Zao Ying and Zheng Daniu followed him out of Sun's residence. After they had walked a considerable distance, the golden Heavenly Lord emblem on Tie Niaofei's chest spoke aloud: "Well? How has the story been arranged?"
Tie Niaofei's spirits lifted. "Reporting, Heavenly Lord, our story has been finalized. The title is 'A Junior Soldier of the Daling River Border Army.' It tells of a protagonist who is a soldier under He Kegang, fighting desperately against the Manchu invaders. His comrades die one by one, and though the young soldier is terrified, he still gathers his courage and fights to the death against the Manchu invaders, for he must defend his homeland, his wife, and his children."
"However, the battle went very poorly; the Ming army was at a disadvantage, and the Manchu invaders were relentlessly aggressive. Daling River was eventually besieged, and Zu Dashou, wishing to surrender, even killed He Kegang, who refused to yield."
"Our protagonist, the young soldier, also refused to surrender. He fought with all his might to reclaim He Kegang's body, and alone, he cut his way through the encirclement."
"Finally, he buried He Kegang's body within the passes, but he himself, gravely wounded and having lost too much blood, collapsed forever."
Li Daoxuan replied, "Oh, this plot is quite inspiring, I like it! But the ending isn't great. Don't just kill off the protagonist so readily; that'll leave a bad taste in the audience's mouth, and they'll be furious. Let's change it. In the end, the protagonist, bearing his injuries, joins Gao Family Village, dons a mask, lives anonymously, organizes a militia, and vows to once again kill the enemy and repay his country."
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