"You wish to march north to reclaim the Central Plains, to recover our ancestral lands. So do I, but if Heaven does not allow it, what can we do?" Zhang Huchen said to Min Wuyan in Wuyou Valley.
"Heaven does not allow it? Why so?" Min Wuyan asked. "Is this Great Xia not ruled by the Yang family?"
"It is indeed ruled by the Yang family, but he is not a ruler with ambition," Zhang Huchen replied. "A divinely gifted wise ruler should be diligent, thrifty, pure, and abstemious, resolute and decisive, with aspirations to restore and achieve great things. But he... alas..."
Zhang Huchen sighed and shook his head.
"Old General, the court has issued a decree for the selection of consorts... alas..." Min Wuyan also sighed deeply.
The two men sighed in unison, falling into silence.
Faced with such an indolent ruler who only cared for pleasure, what could they do with their burning passion? To speak too much, to submit too many memorials, would be seen as harboring ulterior motives and might even bring disaster. Yet, to remain silent, to not submit memorials, to pretend they saw or heard nothing, when their hearts ached for their broken land and suffering populace, how could they bear it?
"Wuyan, how long have you been the Governor of Xiangfan?" Zhang Huchen asked after a long pause.
"Over three years, Old General. What do you mean by that?" Min Wuyan asked, puzzled.
"Hmm, three years, too long," Zhang Huchen nodded.
Min Wuyan looked at Zhang Huchen with surprise.
"I suspect you will be transferred elsewhere soon," Zhang Huchen said.
"Transferred elsewhere...? Could it be they... they?" Min Wuyan asked, both angry and surprised.
Min Wuyan had been diligently reorganizing and preparing for war in Xiangfan, and just as things were starting to show progress, he was to be transferred to command elsewhere. Wouldn't that mean starting everything over again?
According to Xia law, when a commander is transferred, their troops do not follow; they essentially go to the new post alone.
Training an army is not a task of a single day or evening. It requires years, even longer, to achieve results and form a fighting force. Xiangfan's seven prefectures are strategic locations, vital for military campaigns.
Throughout ancient wars, the struggle for control of the Huai River region, Xiangfan, Qin-Luo, and Hanzhong was constant, and Xiangfan was one of these key areas.
Xiangfan, to the north, commanded Han and Mian, facilitating access to the southern seas. To the east, it connected to Wu and Kuaiji, and to the west, it reached Ba and Shu, making it a prime location for military action. Xiangfan, with its mountains and waters, possessed a formidable terrain. While northerners were skilled horsemen, southerners excelled in naval warfare. Thus, Xia could utilize its navy to defend against the southern advance of the Hu and Di. Xia's ability to reside peacefully in Jiangnan was due to Xiangfan and the Yangtze River. If the court were to truly act on this plan and transfer the brave and skilled Min Wuyan elsewhere, it would be akin to destroying their own Great Wall.
Not all Xia generals were as valiant and skilled as Min Wuyan. If a mediocre general were to be stationed in Xiangfan, would not the seven prefectures of Xiangfan be in peril?
Moreover, Min Wuyan had dedicated years of hard work to this region, only for the court to transfer him elsewhere. Would not all his years of effort be wasted?
"Wuyan, I have a saying for you: do not harbor ill intentions towards others, but always be on guard against them!" Zhang Huchen then said to Min Wuyan.
Zhang Huchen was a living example for Min Wuyan. Those with great achievements often incurred the suspicion of their sovereign, and not all rulers possessed hearts as vast as the sea.
In fact, Zhang Huchen's fate was still relatively good; he was merely retired and living in seclusion. If Zhang Huchen had been less discerning, what awaited him might have been the fate of a bird captured when its purpose was served, its bow then discarded.
Min Wuyan nodded.
Not long after, the Xia court indeed issued an imperial decree, ordering Min Wuyan to be transferred to another official post. This, of course, is a matter for later discussion and will not be elaborated upon for now.
...
"Chunniang, why are you here?"
Min Wuyan's residence was located within Xiangyang city. The house was not large, with only four or five rooms. When Min Wuyan returned to his residence, he saw a young woman named Chunniang waiting at the gate and asked.
"General..." Chunniang replied. "Master Ge has arrived..."
"Oh, what has he come for?" Min Wuyan nodded and asked.
Min Wuyan had an uncle named Min Ge, also from Yang County in Hedong Commandery. When the Hu cavalry swept south, Min Ge also fled to Jiangdong.
Min Ge was a merchant who ran a considerable business in Hedong Commandery. The southward advance of the Hu cavalry shattered all of it. Upon arriving in Jiangdong, he was destitute. Later, as Min Wuyan achieved remarkable successes and was promoted by the Xia court to a high-ranking official, Min Ge leveraged Min Wuyan's power and reputation to re-establish himself in Jiangdong, running businesses like rice shops and pawnshops. His businesses gradually grew larger, earning him the moniker "Min Half-City" among the people of Wu.
"Min Half-City" was a term of both admiration and derision.
Min Ge, using Min Wuyan's power and reputation, disregarded the law, bullied the common people, and showed no concern for the humble folk, profiting from their loans. Thus, he rapidly accumulated considerable wealth in a short period, becoming as wealthy as half the city.
Min Wuyan deeply disliked this uncle who acted so outrageously. However, he was Min Wuyan's only elder, and Min Wuyan was helpless.
Now, with Min Ge arriving in Xiangyang, Min Wuyan could not simply refuse to see him and send him away. Thus, muttering softly, Min Wuyan walked inside.
"Uncle has arrived; you should be attending to him. Why wait at the gate?" Min Wuyan asked Chunniang as he walked.
"General, I am afraid..." Chunniang replied in a low voice, following behind Min Wuyan.
Chunniang was a woman of the world from Shangdang Commandery. She had thought she would spend her bleak life in a brothel. When the Hu cavalry swept south and the land was shattered, the brothels were not spared. Min Wuyan, leading a righteous army near Shangdang Commandery to resist the Yan, encountered Chunniang by chance. Seeing her pitiable situation, he rescued her. Chunniang then followed Min Wuyan, fighting north and south, all the way to Jiangdong. Min Wuyan neither married Chunniang nor took her as a concubine; they simply lived together in this undefined relationship.
Min Wuyan was focused on resisting the Yan and had not yet married. Ten years of military life had passed, with Chunniang being the only woman by his side.
"Chunniang, with me here, there is nothing to fear," Min Wuyan comforted her and then strode into the residence.
"Mm..." Chunniang nodded and followed Min Wuyan inside.
Chunniang was petite and delicate, unable to keep pace with Min Wuyan. She could only gaze at his tall, receding figure.
Looking at Min Wuyan's tall back, Chunniang felt both sweetness and a pang of sadness.
Min Wuyan was a man of few words and knew little of romantic affection, or rather, his heart was not on such matters. His ability to utter such a sentence today indicated that Min Wuyan cared for Chunniang. Chunniang did not aspire to be Min Wuyan's wife or concubine; she would be content to serve him by his side for a lifetime.
Indeed, in this era of prevalent aristocratic families, it was harder than climbing to heaven for a woman of the world, a humble woman, to become the wife or concubine of a noble clan. Although Min Wuyan's parents were farmers, the Min clan was a prominent aristocratic family in Hedong Commandery.
...
"Uncle, what are you doing?" Min Wuyan asked in surprise as he entered a small room and saw a plump figure pacing back and forth, looking around.
"Chengzong, you're back?" Min Wuyan's uncle, Min Ge, turned upon hearing the voice and said, "The dignified Grand Governor of Xiangfan, and your home is so shabby? I have failed my brother; I did not take good care of you."
Min Ge said this while wiping away tears.
The small room used for receiving guests was extremely sparsely furnished. In the center of the room was a wooden desk with a chipped corner, beneath which were two rush mats for kneeling. On the desk were ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones. On the wall hung a scroll of calligraphy and painting, the painting being "On the Policy of Pacification." Other than these, there was nothing else.
"Uncle, what are you saying?" Min Wuyan replied. "The land is broken, and the nation's affairs are difficult. As a subject, one should be diligent, frugal, respectful, and humble. Moreover, the national shame has not yet been avenged; how can a great general afford to indulge in leisure and pleasure?"
Min Wuyan, as the Governor of Xiangfan, not only received ample additional income but also a very generous salary. Regardless, Min Wuyan's residence should not have been so impoverished. The reason was that Min Wuyan had allocated a large portion of his salary to military funds.
"Heh heh..." Min Ge sneered upon hearing this. "The great generals in the country are all engaged in managing estates, accumulating wealth into the hundreds of millions, keeping singing girls and dancing women, indulging in extravagance. Only you, Governor Min, worry about state affairs and are so incorruptible? Alas, Chengzong, your arrogance will arouse suspicion from above!"
Beyond the mountains, green mountains; outside the towers, outer towers. When will the singing and dancing by West Lake cease? The warm breeze intoxicates the travelers, making them mistake Hangzhou for Bianzhou.
Min Ge's words reflected the truth. After the peace treaty between Xia and Yan, when the fighting briefly subsided, a host of ministers, generals, provincial officials, and military commanders began to acquire private property, build grand mansions, engage in overseas trade, and take in concubines, all busy as bees. Generals like Min Wuyan, who did not engage in commerce, acquire property, or build grand mansions, would instead arouse suspicion or jealousy from the court.
Wielding great military power, yet disliking wealth and not marrying or taking concubines, if you want nothing, are incorruptible, then what do you need? Do you need my empire?
Min Ge's words left Min Wuyan speechless. He wanted to retort but didn't know where to begin. After a long silence, he asked Min Ge faintly, "Uncle, what business brings you here today? Have you come just to say these few words?"
The pure will be pure, the impure will be impure. What they think is their own concern; I will not concern myself with it, Min Wuyan thought to himself.
"Chengzong, marriage is a major life event. Your parents died early, so your uncle has found a suitable match for you. I have come specifically to inquire today." Min Ge said with a smile.
In fact, Min Ge had two purposes in coming today. First, he had found a marriage match for Min Wuyan. The matter of marriage is dictated by parents and arranged by a matchmaker. Min Wuyan's parents died early, so his uncle was now the paramount elder. Theoretically, Min Ge could make the decision for Min Wuyan. However, Min Wuyan was the Grand Governor and Great General of Xia in Xiangfan, and he possessed such integrity that Min Ge was somewhat intimidated by him, hence his deliberate visit today to seek his opinion. Second, Min Ge intended to persuade Min Wuyan to "hold his own territory and build his own strength."
In this world, whoever possesses territory and troops is feared even by the emperor. Yet Min Wuyan disdained such matters and was loyal to the Great Xia court.
"The Xiongnu have not been extinguished; how can I think of marriage? Uncle, please return," Min Wuyan replied indifferently.