Chapter 98: In the Name of a Radish |
"Commander, Pingshui Town is just ahead."
A staff officer holding a simplified military map pointed to a location on it and said.
Huang Qi waved his hand and said, "I am more familiar with this place than you are, no need to look. Order the vanguard camp to occupy the Zhangnan County Yamen, and send a few teams of scouts to figure out the movements in Fenggu City. Do not engage in prolonged battles."
Pausing for a moment, Huang Qi said, "No plundering is allowed in Pingshui Town and the surrounding villages. Violators will be executed!"
The staff officer was slightly taken aback and said, "Commander, striking the local gentry and distributing wealth, this is your..."
Huang Qi's eyes swept over. After years of campaigning, although he came from a salt worker background, he had also cultivated an aura of decisiveness in killing.
The staff officer hurriedly lowered his head and cupped his hands, "Subordinate obeys, I will go inform them right away."
"Please, Commander, proceed to the County Yamen to rest first."
Huang Qi thought for a moment and spurred his horse forward.
The County Yamen had already been breached. The yamen runners and constables, along with those officials, had all been locked in the prison.
Huang Qi did not go to rest, but went straight to the county's public school.
In times of war and chaos, the students who received the news had long since fled for refuge.
The school was completely empty.
When he was still a hundred paces away from the school, Huang Qi had already dismounted.
Walking slowly forward, in a nearby cottage, he saw a middle-aged man pinned to the ground.
He waved his hand, signaling to bring the person over.
After entering the school, Huang Qi scanned the surroundings.
The desks and chairs had been replaced with new ones a few years ago.
Only the plaque reading "Apply What You Learn" still hung right in the middle.
Huang Qi walked under the plaque and looked up at it.
The plaque was written personally by the Old Master. After so many years, it could be considered to have weathered many vicissitudes.
It couldn't help but remind him of when he came here to secretly learn, still an eight or nine-year-old child.
Often having his palms beaten by the Old Master and being laughed at by the students.
Back then, because he offended the Education Intendant, he went to Changming Prefecture to take the exam instead.
Once he left, it was nearly twenty years.
When he returned, he was already a middle-aged man with graying temples.
The middle-aged man living in the cottage was escorted over.
Although wretched, there was no panic in his eyes, only indignation.
Huang Qi didn't look at him, only asking, "Where is the original Old Master here?"
"What does it matter to you! Rebellious subjects and traitorous sons, everyone has the right to execute them!"
A soldier picked up his saber and was about to smash it over, "Bastard, how dare you speak to our Commander like this!"
The middle-aged man was completely unafraid and sneered, "What Commander, just a bandit leader bringing chaos to the world! If you want to kill, then kill, why all this nonsense!"
He had a fierce and unyielding temperament, unafraid of life and death.
Huang Qi signaled the soldier to release the man, then turned to look and said, "I used to be a student here, and the Master was my mentor."
The middle-aged man was stunned. The leader of the refugee army bringing chaos to the world was from Zhangnan County?
He suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "You are Ah Qiao?"
Huang Qi raised his eyebrows. This nickname hadn't been called by anyone since his parents passed away.
"I am Qiao Ziyan," the middle-aged man said, then spat and said, "To think that before the Master passed away, he even said that if you returned in the future, you could stay here to do scholarly work."
"I didn't expect that you secretly learned when you were young, and when you grew up, not only did you not change, but you intensified your efforts to steal the country!"
Only then did Huang Qi remember that the other party was one of the students back then.
Just a few years older than him. Before he left, he was already a Juren.
And his words made Huang Qi's eyes sink slightly.
The Master had already passed away...
Thinking about it, when he left, the Master was already old and decrepit.
After so many years, it was indeed reasonable that he was no longer in this world.
Turning his head again to look at the "Apply What You Learn" plaque hanging in the school, a bit of sorrow welled up in Huang Qi's heart.
He sighed and said, "I will order people not to disturb you. The students who should come to class can continue."
Qiao Ziyan's face was full of indifference, ignoring him.
Huang Qi didn't stay any longer, turned and left, with Qiao Ziyan's fierce curses coming from behind his ears.
"Taking up arms to bring chaos to the world, wolfish ambition, intolerable to heaven and earth!"
"With such behavior, how can you face the Master's teachings! Traitor!"
The soldiers listened with murderous intent, ran over, and said to Huang Qi, "Commander, this person's mouth is full of foul language, why not just kill him as a warning to others!"
Huang Qi still shook his head. He knew that his current actions were considered heinous crimes by many people.
Qiao Ziyan had the strength of character of a Confucian scholar, preferring death to submission, so it was normal for him to curse him.
"Commander, you should go to the County Yamen to rest," someone advised.
Huang Qi didn't respond, but rode his horse towards Pingshui Town.
Here, every household had their doors and windows tightly shut. Although orders had been given not to harass them, the stalls left outside that hadn't been taken away were still robbed clean.
For the refugee army, which had fought and robbed all the way here, not kicking down doors to enter houses was already the greatest restraint.
After taking a turn around Pingshui Town, the houses from back then no longer existed, having been occupied by other families.
The only things still somewhat familiar were a few shops.
Hesitating slightly, Huang Qi took a few guards and headed towards Pinecone Village.
The Master had already passed away, he didn't know if the Mister was still there.
If not, there would be nothing worth caring about here.
Pinecone Village had also received news of the refugee army's attack. The villagers all hid in their homes, not daring to come out.
Hearing the sound of horse hooves outside, some were so scared they hid under their beds.
Huang Qi had been here many times. Compared to his memory, the changes were not very big.
Gradually approaching the familiar courtyard, he also dismounted in advance.
Tying the horse to a nearby tree, Huang Qi strode over.
The closer he got, the faster his heartbeat became.
The Master taught him a lot of knowledge, recognized many characters, and understood many principles.
But his enlightenment in life came from this Mister in Pinecone Village.
Huang Qi's respect for Chu Xun was no less than his respect for the Master.
Arriving in front of the courtyard, the courtyard door was not closed, but left ajar.
The soldiers behind him looked up at the row of crows squatting on the eaves, all with horrified expressions.
Such big crows, almost as tall as a person!
Huang Qi wasn't too surprised; instead, looking at those crows, he felt very intimate in his heart.
Just as he raised his hand to push the door, he seemed to remember something.
He immediately took half a step back, took off his armor along with his weapons, straightened his clothes, and smoothed his hair.
Only then did he take a deep breath and lightly knock on the door panel, "Ah Qiao, has come to pay respects to the Mister."
The soldiers holding the armor and weapons looked at each other in dismay.
Does the Commander actually respect the people here so much?
A young man's voice came from the courtyard, "The door isn't locked, come in."
Huang Qi didn't hesitate anymore and pushed the door to enter.
He saw a seventeen or eighteen-year-old young man sitting by the vegetable patch in the courtyard, picking vegetables.
By his feet were two green radishes that had just been pulled up, carrying fresh dirt.
Huang Qi looked at him, hesitating, not knowing how to speak.
Chu Xun turned to look at him and asked, "Why aren't you speaking?"
Huang Qi could be certain that this was not the person he was looking for.
If he remembered correctly, the Mister should be almost seventy years old. Even if he hadn't passed away, he should be too old to walk.
This person in front of him was so young, looking more like a grandson's generation.
Even a great-grandson wouldn't be surprising.
But when Chu Xun spoke to him, not only was there no fear, but it brought an illusion of an elder speaking casually.
Huang Qi asked, "Mister Chu Xun, who is he to you?"
"He is my grandfather."
"Where is he?"
"He went wandering the four directions and won't be coming back."
Huang Qi was stunned upon hearing this. At such an old age, the Mister still went wandering the four directions?
If he said he had passed away, it would actually be easier to accept.
Chu Xun knew he didn't quite believe it and said, "I know you, Ah Qiao. You used to be a tenant farmer for my family. Later, you failed the imperial examination and went to become a salt worker."
The few soldiers were even more puzzled upon hearing this. The Commander was a tenant farmer for this family?
Then shouldn't he hate them even more?
Huang Qi's eyes lit up slightly upon hearing this, "The Mister mentioned me to you?"
"Naturally."
Chu Xun walked to the water vat, scooped water to wash the dirt off the radishes, and then walked over and handed one to Huang Qi.
"Try it, it's very delicious."
His actions were so casual that Huang Qi subconsciously took it with both hands. After reacting, he felt surprised in his heart again.
This kid...
A few weasels dragged a stool over. Chu Xun sat down and said, "You've walked so far, sit down."
The soldiers looked at the weasels that pushed the stool over, then ran to the vegetable patch to pull a few radishes, carried them to the water vat, and stood on their tiptoes to wash them.
Their eyeballs were about to pop out.
Are these things about to become spirits?
Huang Qi had seen the weasels in the courtyard before, just not as intelligent as they were now.
His respect for the young Chu Xun instantly increased a bit in his heart.
He immediately sat down, then turned his head and said, "You all go out first."
The soldiers didn't dare to disobey and hurriedly exited the courtyard.
Chu Xun smiled and said, "It seems you govern your subordinates very strictly. If you really became a civil official, it would be a pity."
Huang Qi held the radish with both hands and involuntarily sat up straight.
He didn't know why he sat so upright and proper in front of this young man, he just did it subconsciously.
Chu Xun asked, "You have already fought your way here and occupied half of the Jing Kingdom's territory. What do you plan to do next? Do you really want to be Emperor yourself?"
Huang Qi didn't answer immediately. After breaching Red Maple Pass, there were indeed many people below saying they wanted him to overthrow the Jing Kingdom and establish a new dynasty.
Some of them genuinely supported him, and some had selfish motives.
While the Jing Kingdom still existed, they were rebels.
Once a new dynasty was established, they would be founding meritorious subjects.
The difference was huge!
"Hesitation means you want to," Chu Xun said.
Huang Qi looked at him, still not answering, but asked a seemingly irrelevant question, "How old are you this year?"
"Seventeen."
A trace of admiration flashed in Huang Qi's eyes, and he said, "When I was your age, I didn't have such a demeanor. Truly worthy of being the Mister's grandson."
He slowly took a breath, then slowly exhaled it.
Then his eyes gradually became firm, and he said, "You are right, I indeed want to."
"In the beginning, the salt workers' uprising was to relieve the people's hardships and equalize wealth."
"But along the way, the corruption and perversion of the law I've seen are countless."
Chu Xun interrupted him, "So if you become Emperor, will these things no longer exist?"
Huang Qi said, "I have also asked myself this question. The answer is perhaps there will be, but definitely not as many as now."
"How do you know?"
"I believe in myself."
Chu Xun shook his head, "You are too idealistic. Just like when you took the imperial examination back then, you thought that with talent, you should pass. But you forgot that many things in this world are not decided by talent alone."
"Just like the radish in your hand. It is fresh now, but it won't be long before it rots."
"The same goes for dynasties. No matter how many times they change, they are just fresh radishes that haven't rotted yet."
"It's nothing more than some radishes rotting fast, and some radishes rotting slow."
Huang Qi understood the reasoning behind this metaphor.
But he didn't agree.
"This radish of the Jing Kingdom has already rotted."
"The Minister of Revenue, Zhang Jingheng, has proposed a national policy that can save it."
"If I become Emperor, I will also implement his national policy."
"Emperor Chongming is also implementing it, so what difference does it make who is Emperor?"
Huang Qi was stumped by the question, not knowing how to answer it.
Chu Xun said, "If you have other reasons, I can ignore it."
"But if it's just to be Emperor, then no."
"So, do you have other reasons?"
Guarding Fenggu City was Shitou.
Guarding Hulao Pass was Huan'er.
Furthermore, Tang Shijun had risked his life and died for the world of the Jing Kingdom.
The Jing Kingdom was indeed like a rotten radish, but there was a knife cutting away the rotten parts.
As for the refugee army, judging from the news heard over the years, they were not suitable to create a new dynasty.
There were too many selfish people, having already lost that belief for the people of the world.
If it weren't for them, Chu Xun would actually be quite happy to see Huang Qi become Emperor; after all, he could be considered one of their own.
Unfortunately, he had known Huan'er and Shitou earlier and was more familiar with them.
Huang Qi slowly stood up, staring at Chu Xun.
He indeed had a reason that had faded, which was triggered to be remembered again at this moment.
But he didn't want to say that reason.
Or rather, he understood in his heart that that reason was no longer the main cause.
He just stared at Chu Xun and said, "You want to interfere? How will you interfere?"
A trace of anger gradually rose in his eyes.
Even if he was the Mister's grandson, he shouldn't speak to him like this!
Theoretically speaking, the other party was a junior.
Chu Xun could feel his anger. A person who had experienced war and occupied a huge advantage would not listen to advice.
He sighed and said, "You can go."
Huang Qi didn't lose his temper, calming down after a few breaths.
He patted the radish in his hand and said, "When I become Emperor in the future, I will come find you again. At that time, I will give you radishes to eat."
After saying that, he turned and walked out the door.
The soldiers outside the door hurriedly came forward to meet him. Huang Qi casually tossed the radish to one of them, "Rewarding you to eat."
The soldier hurriedly caught it, "Thank you, Commander, for the reward!"
Huang Qi put on his armor, mounted his horse, and then took his weapons.
Turning his head to glance at the crows on the eaves, his gaze sank slightly, and then without a word, he pulled the reins and rode away whipping his horse.
The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away. Chu Xun, sitting in the courtyard, shook his head slightly.
This Ah Qiao was indeed just like when he was young, not listening to advice.
A few weasels hugged radishes, leaning beside him, gnawing happily.
The radish skin was slightly spicy. As they ate, they wagged their tails.
Chu Xun patted the weasels' heads, "Being gluttonous is not good."
Returning to the county city, Huang Qi took charge of the Zhangnan County Yamen.
"Fetch the military map, the whole army will rest for three days. Once the vanguard scouts report back, immediately attack Fenggu City!"
"Taking down Fenggu City, I want to settle the universe in one battle!"
Inside the County Yamen, the soldier who was rewarded with the radish was pestered by the other three, insisting on sharing a bite.
They had all eaten radishes, but this was rewarded by the Commander, how could it be the same.
The soldier had no choice but to get a knife and cut the radish open.
However, with one cut, he exclaimed in surprise.
"Huh, why is this radish bad."
He saw that the radish, which looked bright and fresh on the outside, was already hollow and shriveled on the inside, as if its moisture had been drained dry.
[End of Chapter]