The Path of Li
Magomet Timov
This Historical Novel is set during the Great Chinese Rebellion in the years 1629-1644. We would be following the protagonist's life – the unique personality in this ancient and incredible history. A man of simple beginnings, against all odds, led the most significant rebellion in China's history. A man of courage and unstoppable will who took a chance to go against great Emperors. Our novel will take you this his life journey and military accomplishments. In this novel, you will discover not only how we were able to succeed but what his action brought to the state and how it shaped its future. Lose yourself in the journey to the forbidden world of a great Empire.
Magomet Timov
The Path of Li
Authors Notes
The vast majority of the novel's facts are retrieved from available educational sources and based on thorough research completed by the author himself. Academic works such as "Faces of the Middle Kingdom" by A. Bokshchanin and O. Nepomnin, "The History of China" (9 volumes, edited by O. Nepomnin), as well as famous Chinese works, such as "Tao Te Ching: The Book of the Way and Its Virtue", "Sun Tzu: The Art of War", "River Creek", have helped him to shape the story. The author has worked closely and wishes to express his gratitude to the Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of "Altaistics "Statisticsogy at Institute of International Relations of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Dmitry Evgenievich Martynov. Int, his book Author, wishes to portray China's History in the language that is acceptable and adaptable for Eastern European and Central European Cultures, which haven't been explored in those cultures. The author aim was to highlight the geopolitical situation in China, compared to the position of Easter Europe and Central Europe were. During this period in Russia father of Csar Peter the Great was born, and back in the United Kingdom, Carl the First has just reformed a parliament system. The new generation has been very well informed of what was happening during those time in western culture; however, they have minimal exposure to how fascinating it was in China during that period. With this book, the author aims to bring China's history closer to the everyday reader. A story of love, adventure, revenge filled with emotions and disasters will let you explore a forgotten world of China.
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In now distant 1606, a comet has risen above the Chinese Empire. An enormous unearthly object hanged itself upon great Empire, throwing its flames on the filled and bringing fear to the whole existence itself-a beginning of a legacy that will end the Empire. You could hear them whispering and mumbling that the earth would be gone and a great dynasty of Min would be destroyed. So who are the chosen ones? What could this unearthly object possibly mean for the current generation? On the same night, two boys were born, each of them been brought under the comet's existence. A boy in a rustic widowers family was born under this star, and following that, a boy was brought into light in merchants family. Less than a quarter of a century later, those boys' self-existence would spread fear among the Emperors great army and himself personally. This novel is dedicated to Li Zicheng, which changed history as we perceive now and proclaimed himself a great Emperor of China. This novel embarks on the story of an ancient philosopher meeting a young warrior. Li Zicheng was on his way to his native village while leaving all the wars behind him. He has recognised the philosopher on his journey and has favoured him to make him a company. Once Li reaches his village, the only thing he could witness is a pile of ashes and dirt. In light of anger and devastation, his heart is filled with revenge. He gives the oath to avenge his blood and join a rebellion. They were fearsome horseman who dared to rise against the great Emperor.
Our story is set in 1629, during a great droughts era, which led to hanger and devastation among its citizens. This catastrophic even lead to countless death and migration from the state. Locals have fled the state in the hope to find a new home and a better place to live in. Anyone who has left been suppressed by the Emperor's army. Those actions have let to the largest rebellion, which took a long life span between 1629 right till 1644. And at the end, it leads Dynasty Min to be overthrown from the throne, which ruled China for over 300 years. For the Great Chinese Empire, this war was proclaimed the most brutal in its history, which lasted for several decades.
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Prologue
The Sunset was hanging above the forest ranges of the Tai Hushan mountains with its last rays. And at the same moment, darkness was approaching from East. Shadows of night arrive quickly in highlands. And you can feel a whole scenery quiets down before the last ray of the sun disappears. Nights in the mountains are by no means a time of serene peace, no matter how hard the monotonous sounds of a nearby waterfall try to lull a casual traveller. During this time, spirits and animals take over the land. And perhaps with some o the creatures from a spirit world, you could find common ground, but never with the ruler of wilderness – Great Chinese Tiger. Tiger will never give up on his prey, whether it be a stray traveller or an antelope that has become separated from the flock. He walked along a mountain path, graceful and irresistible, like the Emperor himself. Beast was only five years old, in the prime of his strength and power.
He strolled around the land, as he was a house cat, with no eager of aggression. His indifference to his surrounding was incredible. In contrast to the cat, the Tiger had recently satisfied his belly with a farmers buffalo that inadvertently approached his possessions in search of food. Everything that happened later was familiar: a quick leap and a grip on the cervical artery. A few swift blows of mighty fangs warranted a well-fed life for at least a couple of days for the predator. And now he was walking through the summer forest, rubbing his glossy sides against the trunks of young trees, leaving flocks of royal fur as marks of his territory. It was his land, and all the creatures have felt his presence. His ears caught the slightest sound of the approaching night. While he majestically strolled around the wilderness, his subtle hearing caught an unusual dissonance in this familiar background, something unfamiliar and therefore alarming. He has gasped momentarily and roared softly into the darkness. He paced himself slowly through his land and was approaching slowly to the unfamiliar scent. He could resemble the scent, and it was human blood. The majestic creature was stung and rose immediately. Humans were around. He knows what it means to encounter humans-creatures who arrive at his land and act as lords. A couple of years ago, one Man left a scar on the Tiger's left side with his Claw when, being young and foolish, he approached the fire of several travellers who were putting up for the night on the mountain pass. Back then, he managed to escape, but he had to lick the wound in a thicket on the nearest plateau for a few weeks.
There was a man lying by the river shore, clutching the wound with his hands, almost invisible under his ropes. The Tiger stood and hung his paw in the air as his eyes focused deadly on the prey. But something was off about this prey. He could sense the smell of a man; it was strong and fearless; his scent wasn't an ordinary men's scent. It made him fear and respect a wounded man. He knew that is another alpha stands in front of him, perhaps not in the best physical shape, but his spirit has stood strong. They have gazed upon each other eyes, and a man has shown no fear. After a few long-lasting seconds, Tiger has roared at the stranger and disappeared into nearby bushes. The warrior exhaled with relief he couldn't understand. Death retreated, although he knew it would not be for long. His days were counted, and he perfectly knew that wounds such as that would lead to death. He could only praise the gods for letting him his last few moments at such a graceful place. He could feel the breath of death on his shoulder, and for the last moment of his existence, he wanted to gaze at the night sky, a sapphire coloured sky. His conscience was slowly slipping from his mind, and his vision was getting blurry. He shut his eyes, and with his last breath, he tried to think about something pleasant. Realising all his life have been filled with deaths, wars and brawls. The warrior shook his head, chasing away the obsession, and tried to capture the vision of sparkling clear mountain water, rushing by in a swift stream like the River of Time. But even this clear liquid was coloured by blood. The warrior sighed and closed his eyes again. After all, he had lived a decent life as a common man, a warrior, a military leader, and even an Emperor! He loved and was loved. The warrior raised the blade above his head, lifting it to heaven, and, closing his eyes, plunged into the crimson waters… The Tiger looked gloomily from the bushes on the opposite bank, watching the Man reach for his Claw and press it to his chest, his lips moving in an effort to utter something. Life was already leaving the tortured body. The Man opened his eyes for the last time to reflect the darkening sky, took a deep breath, stretched out and died… The Tiger shook his forehead, paying an involuntary tribute to the courage of an unknown creature, which did not beg for mercy in his last minutes and slipped into the thicket. The Man who found peace on the shore was the one who had been the hope and horror of the people of the Great Empire for the last decades. Now he went on his last Path beyond the Crimson Rivers.
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Chapter 1
Chao Li, better accepted in his circles as 'Stone Head', truly lived up to his nickname. As a matter of fact, during the patrol, he has let a traveller enter the camp-a camp whose sole purpose of being in distinguished. An old man has appeared in a hastily patched-up dress at the edge of the marge so that Livay He, the leader of the gang, was taken by surprise. A gang of robbers, who just moments ago were happily dining, froze in surprise, looking at the crooked figure of the stranger wandering towards their fires. Livay was the first to come to his senses as a true leader would. He put his bowl of rice on the flat stone that they had for the table, slowly got up to meet the old man and, stretching out his hand, and said:
"Stay where you are, old Man. I have no idea how you got into the camp, but the next step will be your last step," The old man froze. It seemed that he was frightened to the point of trembling in his knees, but the experienced eye of the leader caught a slight spark of mockery in the stranger's dim eyes.
"I am sorry if I bothered your morning feast" – an old man has spitted back at Livay He. His voice temper made the leader realise he might not be speaking just a too ordinary traveller. "I was not aware you have set up the camp here; perhaps if I knew, I would have taken another path." On the contrary, Livay put his hands on his hips and took a step towards the old man.
"Livay He does not fight with children or old people", the robber dropped casually, slightly bowing his head in front of the uninvited guest. "We only here to take what ours, right boys?" The "gang", who had previously listened cautiously to the dialogue between the leader and the strange guest, began to gurgle in relief, and the old man took this gurgle as a dull approval. He could sense the leadership of Livay He in the crowd. "As for this cunning rascal Shitou, who managed to sleep on you," he raised his voice in a dramatic manner, "he will get what he deserves as soon as he returns to the camp from his shift." "You are a cruel leader", the old man bowed. "…cruel but fair," the strange traveller finished his sentence, raising his eyes and looking straight at the bridge of He's nose. He recoiled involuntarily.
"Otherwise, how could you explain that you have massacred a family from Mozun village? Have they eaten from gold plates and wore silks?" A leader has frozen, same as his gang. They were uncertain what could have to lead a strange traveller to say those words. They have all glanced upon the path a man has taken to see whether he brought with him Emperor troops. Without any hesitation or shyness, an old man grabbed a lump of rice from Liveys bowl and squashed it a ball. He pushed a lump down his thought without any hesitation and started at the gang. "And you undoubtedly grew this rice yourself and did not take it in Gymea, burning down a dozen houses and leaving residents homeless on the eve of the spring rains?" An old man has leaned on his walking stick and glazed straight into the eyes of the most wanted robber of the Shaanxi province. Livay carefully tore his gaze from the old man's watery eyes and looked over his shoulder. The two of his stealth Warriors have jumped out of the bushes. "He killed A Stone head!" shouted one of the robbers, lifting Chao Lin's bloody robe above him. At the same moment, when he spoke those words, an arrow has pierced his throat.
He collapsed to his knees, clutching his neck and moments later, another arrow has struck another robber. Livay has pulled out his sword and shouted down at the man, 'Who are you and What do you want from us?'. An old man has glanced the surrounding and enjoyed the panic which runs through the crowd of robbers. One after another, a soldier we're dropping dead from flying arrows. They have run out like ants in a different direction, the smartest of them dashing to bushes to hide. "You haven't realised it yet? Didn't you?" The old man sighed while He shook his head in shock. "I am your punishment…"
The old man said it in a most convening and calming voice that Livay hasn't doubted his intentions. He dropped everything he had in his hands and dashed down towards the forest. But the arrows were faster. The same arrow that brought down his soldier has struck him right into the shoulder. Livay was shocked but couldn't feel the pain struggling through his body, and he took a few more steps before his legs lost all the power, and he has collapsed on the ground. A man full of indifference have grabbed Levay's bowl and sat on the grass next to this mascara, and ate the rice. One of the old man's soldiers has appeared from the bushes. He was a young man, in leather armour, walking slowly towards an old man. He hanged his bow on his back and stuck the arrows in the leather purse strapped to his belt. 'Master, you have started to dine without me', a young soldier spitted with humour at the old man. And in exchange, an old man has waved his hand and gestured for him to sit next to him. Once the young soldier stepped into the sun, we could clearly see he was just a youngster with a short, trimmed moustache. He had a sharp eye, and his glance was full of focus, which indicated him being an experienced warrior… He was an adult, not a youngster. He was wearing solid leather armour without metal linings, characteristic of wealthy warriors and soft boots. A lone archer's glove adorned his left hand, while the second glove was carelessly tucked into a typesetting belt, consisting of metal plaques with ornaments. His name was Li Zicheng, an excellent warrior and trusted Man of Luo Yang.
Once Li has taken sit next to the old man, he fearless grabbed the rice and started to devote it with no emotions towards the massacre he has created. They have been starving for the past few days, and the resources have finished. In addition, they had not eaten anything for a couple of days: the supplies have come to an end, and all the game in the vicinity was scared away by this robber gang, which, in a picturesque disorder, completely exterminated it across several dozen lis. The old man put down the empty bowl, took a handkerchief from his belt, and carefully wiped his lips and hands. Then he got up, walked slowly to the spring and, filling the empty bowl with water, thoroughly rinsed his mouth. He returned and sat down opposite Li Zicheng, affectionately looking at the young man devouring the dried roe deer meat found in the bag of the gang leader.
"Was I right?" The old man asked the warrior as if continuing the agreement begun earlier. He looked up for a second, distracting from his pleasant occupation for a moment, and shook his head. "No and no," he said. Luo Yang looked at the young man with interest. "But everything happened exactly as I predicted: they were stunned and puzzled by my sudden appearance. If we followed your tactics and simply attacked from an ambush, then most of them, accustomed to living in a state of constant danger, would quickly sort out the situation and strike back. It wouldn't be good for us…
"You see, Master Luo, all of them," Zicheng shook his head towards the bodies stretched out in the clearing, "we're ready to tear you apart at any moment. The only weak point in their gang was the leader himself. He shouldn't have been chatting with you about life, but just kill you right away, or at least cripple you, and then do the idle talks with you. The only thing that held them was his authority. And they repeated his mistake: they were distracted by you. Although… Three or four managed to escape," the young man laughed. Old Luo smiled as well.
The young warrior returned to his meal while Luo, looking at him, recalled their first meeting… It happened a moon and a half ago, almost on New Year's Eve. Old Tang's roadside tavern was full of customers. There were so many of them that his wife, Mrs Ki, had a hard time putting all the dishes on the tables. It seemed that the stomachs of the guests were bottomless like drunkard's wineskins! And the rain, mixed with snow, which had fallen for the second day in a row, did not allow travelling along the Northern Route, so all travellers, willing or not, ended up in this respected institution. All the king's men were there! Henchmen who went about their business; statesmen executing the orders of their prince or the Emperor himself; peasants going to the North or to the South, but always in search of a better life – all of them were held by the endless rain in the tavern that smelled of smoke from pipes and the aroma of hot stew. Companies formed at different tables according to interests, which was typical for bad days like this one. Someone gossiped about the lackeys of the young Emperor, who robbed the poor blind with their taxes. Others played mahjong, recklessly losing their last money and not really caring about how they would travel further, having lost their money and clothes here, at this table, and relying only on Luck, which they thought would certainly accompany them in the next game. Others sipped last year's sour wine and buzzing quietly about the last year's famine, which struck the southern provinces of the Celestial Empire and was about to strike the villages of the North. In the past year, there was no yield of wheat and rice, and the Jurchen raids have become increasingly impudent. This was facilitated by the great victory of their Khan Abahai, who invaded Korea with a huge army and forced it into a treaty beneficial to the Jurchens. Korea, however, generally remained loyal to the Celestial Empire and did not break its ancient ties, though it has become more alarming than ever on the northern borders. Hunger raged in the South. There were terrible rumours of mass infanticide and even acts of cannibalism. However, little trust was put into these. After all, South is South. It doesn't matter what they say about it. But the majority believed that it was the fault of the young emperor Chun Zhen, who ascended the throne a year ago and had not yet managed to halt the rampage organised by the court scoundrels.
Be that as it may, everyone agreed on one thing: one could not expect anything good in the near future. This means that, as is customary among poor people, you have to cut costs to the bone once again and hide goods in the mountains, away from greedy officials and grasping robbers. However, no one could say where the border between the first and the latter lied anymore. Luo Yang came in from the rain, brushing drops of cold water from his wide-brimmed straw hat. He could not wait to throw off his soaked raincoat. Old Tang rushed to meet him, habitually groaning about the nasty weather and the permanently bad roads. Luo listened to his lamentations and, catching a pause in the words of the eloquent master, quietly asked: "Is there a room for a lonely wanderer?" "A room? Yes, yes, of course, we've got several beautiful rooms to choose from," the innkeeper muttered as usual, but Luo stopped him with a gesture. "Several?" He asked incredulously, looking around the crowded hall. The innkeeper choked and stared at the old man, looking puzzled and then embarrassed. "Well, to be honest, I only have one, that is, just one mat in a room, and I rented it to that young warrior," the owner waved a towel, which he did not part with, regardless of being at the counter or in the hall, somewhere in the direction of the far corner of the hall. There, a silhouette of a man in leather armour was dimly visible. "Who is he?" Yang made sure that the interest in his voice didn't sound too obvious. The innkeeper shrugged.
"Well, a casual traveller. He says that he served a prince in the province of Gansu, where he fled from the tyranny of dignitaries." "A deserter?" The owner shrugged. "Doesn't look like one. Deserters are nervous, and they drink a lot; they constantly bully someone… I've seen many of them. But this one is calm and confident. He has money. He probably quit his job or is going home on vacation. Well, at least that's how it looks at first glance." Tang was embarrassed by his own self-confidence and began to fussily smile at Yang. The man nodded slowly.
"Bring me some stew and wine at his table. I am thinking of sharing a meal and shelter with him", said the wanderer and moved towards the young warrior's table. The owner rushed to fulfil the order of the honourable guest. There was hardly anyone in the northern provinces of the Celestial Empire who did not know the wandering philosopher Luo Yang! The warrior reacted to the old man's appearance with only a short nod and buried his face again in his cup of wine. Yang sat down on a bench that had been wiped down to the shine of ivory by the underpants of many guests and also nodded slowly to the warrior. The innkeeper brought a plate of steaming stew and a jug of wine. Luo slowly took the first sip straight from the jug without waiting for the cup to be placed in front of him. Burping contentedly, he proceeded to his stew. The warrior watched him mockingly. Yang pretended not to notice. When he emptied the bowl and wiped it thoroughly with his bread, putting the rest of the contents into his mouth, the warrior dared to ask the first question: "There are free seats in the hall. Why did you honour me with your attention?" Luo chuckled.
"Because of all those sitting in the hall, only you have what I desperately need." The warrior raised his eyebrows in surprise, which Yang liked – the guy was in no hurry with questions and was correct, as if he had received a court education. "Then maybe you could share with me what is this "valuable thing" that I have but don't know about? "The mat in your room that no one has occupied yet," Luo explained calmly. The young man chuckled. "What if I say no?" "You won't," Yang answered confidently and explained to the warrior's surprised look: "You need a calm neighbour today, and tomorrow you will need a reliable and wise companion and mentor at the same time. So why wait for another gift of fate?" "As far as I understand, you are the gift, old man?" "Exactly, young Man. Luo Yang, at your service…"
The warrior jumped up and bowed low: "Excuse me, sir! I have been on long hikes and have lost the last traces of courtesy while having to deal with the wild mountaineers!" Yang chuckled, stood up and put his hand on the warrior's shoulder, forcing him to sit back. "During my travels, I have met few interlocutors more courteous than you, someone who allegedly lost his courtesy", he laughed. The warrior forced himself to smile in response. The wise man sat down and continued: "Now that you know who I am let's figure out who you are… You served in the prince's army?" "Yes, sir." "Gansu province?" "Yes, sir." "And your name is…"
"Li Zicheng, sir…" "Stop calling me sir. To you, I'm just a Master Luo. Got it?" "Yes, sir… Master Luo… It will be an honour for me to share the shelter with you, just like I had shared my meal before!" Noticing that Li Zicheng was ready to bow down again, Luo Yang placed his hand in his palm, pressing it against the darkened tabletop. "I don't think we should attract too much attention now.
Too many different, sometimes even contradictory fellows have gathered on this patch of the great Empire. You can expect an explosion at any moment… Yes, yes, my young friend… The weather is not going to change, the winter roads will remain impassable forever, and I suggest we have a good rest in our room today, sleep well, and continue our journey tomorrow. After all, you are heading…" "North," Zicheng said quickly, sitting down on a bench, "to a small village in Shaanxi province. It's time to visit my nephew and help him with the housework. It's sowing time soon; someone needs to plough the land. After all, we are not a military settlement, and we have to not only cultivate someone else's land for a quitrent but also pay taxes. I used to tend sheep and plough the land, but my father could not support his family, so I had to get a job at the post office. Travelling across the vastness of the Celestial Empire, I managed to see a lot and change my mind. I was recruited into the army of a Gansu lord." Yang shook his head.
"A short but worthy journey, young Man… When are you going to return to the service?" Li sighed heavily and thought… "I don't know," he admitted honestly. "I haven't thought about it yet. I'd rather get home first, and then…" "Then, I propose a solution that will undoubtedly suit both of us." "I am listening, sir…" "Not again!" "Excuse me, my… Excuse me, Master Luo. What is your solution?" "We will go to the North together," Luo Yang nodded, full of himself.
Li Zicheng jumped up in enthusiasm: "It'll be an honour!" Yang got outright angry. "Did I say something wrong, or were you not listening? Sit down, to begin with", and, after waiting for the young man to take his place, he continued. "I'm not doing you a favour, it's just that our paths coincide for a while, and we can be useful to each other. My wisdom and age, combined with your military talents, will be the key to the successful completion of our journey. It is from this point of view that I see our cooperation. Is that clear?" "Yes, Master Luo." "Great!" The wise man rubbed his hands.
"Hey, innkeeper, bring me and my friend more of your wonderful wine! The travellers are tired of the journey and want to get their throats wet… You want to get your throat wet, don't you?" He leaned over to Li. The young man chuckled. "Even during your long life, It is unlikely that you, Master Luo, have met many people who would refuse wine at someone else's expense." The old man chuckled.
"Actually, I thought that it was you who would pay… But if things are heading this way… I'm ready. Then you will pay for the room." The warrior laughed: "Deal. But your wisdom has failed you this time. Or you're cunning. Or your power of prediction." "In what?" The old man squinted. Zicheng threw up his hands. "There is a fixed fee for the rent, but I can drink indefinitely," the young man explained his thought. The elder shook his head. "You will not take more liquids than the volume of your stomach, and knowing old Tang, I can assure you that you will need even less wine – it will knock you off your feet. Plus, you don't sound like a drunkard. So we are quits," he threw up his hands.
Meanwhile, the owner brought more jugs, so there was no time for empty talks anymore. It was on the third day when they finally managed to set off on the road. The disgusting weather was partly to blame for this. It rained and snowed all the time. The mud that was freezing overnight was turning into an impenetrable mess in the morning, making not only the wheels of the carts but also the hooves of horses stuck, not to mention the travellers, who were mostly barefoot.
There were, however, a few daredevils who decided to continue their journey in these disgusting conditions, but almost all of them returned back after half a day, and those who did not return probably perished in this half-snow-half-rain. On the third day, the sky became clearer; the sun came out and managed to dry the road slightly. The roadside got covered with ice, which was much nicer than having to travel the muddy roads. Li Zicheng walked fast but had a hard time trying to keep pace with his elderly companion. To his surprise, Luo Yang was almost as good as him in stamina and speed, thanks to many years of hiking and amazing health, which the old man retained thanks to a healthy lifestyle and regular tai chi exercises, which he repeated with amazing persistence every morning, as soon as the sun rose above the horizon. Throughout the first moon, they walked slowly, stopping at rare inns or installing a shed in the open field that the prudent Luo Yang always carried with him. The provisions they bought in small villages were usually enough for long journeys, and when it ran out, Li Zincheng took out his magic bow and went hunting. While the old man was cooking rice or millet, the warrior already returned with a pheasant or guinea fowl, a rabbit or a black grouse, which he immediately baked in clay or roasted on a spit. In general, the travellers did not starve, and if we also take into account the fact that their daily afternoon or evening dialogues often developed into philosophical disputes, the journey could even be called a walk of two bosom friends. Everything changed as soon as they crossed the border of Shaanxi province…
It looked like the same old hills and small woods, rivers and lakes, but a kind of wary silence hung over everything. At first, Li Zicheng convinced himself that it was just his excitement before seeing a home he had not seen for several years… How would his family react to his appearance? After all, last time, he practically escaped… But gradually, as they were passing several villages and found only boarded up doors of inns and taverns, they understood it was serious. Lonely passers-by, barely seeing the two travellers, one of whom had a changdao thrown over a sipu and a large bow gleaming with a dull metallic sheen in his hands, immediately rushed to get out of their way. Master Luo tried a couple of times to knock on other people's fanzas, but the answer was only silence: if the owners were inside, they always tried to carefully hide this fact, as well as the fact of their existence in general. The reason for this became clear only on the second day of travel through the province, when the travellers, entering a small village, stumbled upon a woman sobbing, stained with blood, sitting on the porch of a burnt house. She madly looked at two strangers emerging from the forest. The woman was hugged by a girl of five or six years old, wrapped in some incredibly dirty piece of cloth.
A huge shaggy dog sprawled at their feet. It threw out its hot tongue and looked at the newcomers with a calm look, which, however, could not deceive sophisticated travellers: the dog was mortally dangerous and just as devoted to its owner. Luo Yang stopped at a respectful distance and slowed down Li Zicheng with a movement of his hand. Taking a deep breath, he quietly called out to the woman: "Honorable mistress, will I be allowed to know what happened in your village? Where is everyone?" At the sound of his voice, a moment of understanding flashed in the eyes of the woman. However, it was instantly replaced by the former madness. The dog twitched its ears, listening. Letting go of her mother's neck for a moment, the child rustled in a thin voice:
"People, many people… They came and killed my friends, their dads and mothers… Then they burned everything here… My mother and I sat in the cellar and heard them screaming… They were screaming… Then everything burned… And it started to rain. The rain put out the fire, so we got out of the pit… And then Thunder came running from the forest… It was probably hiding from those with spears…" "Spears?" Li Zicheng asked incredulously. The girl nodded. "Yes, long bamboo spears with dark tips…" "Black iron," Luo Yang muttered. "This is not an imperial army." "And not the princely squads – those have excellent equipment, no worse than the regular army," Li added thoughtfully. "Robbers? But since when do they rob common people?" The old man, meanwhile, leaned towards the girl who let him in.
"When was the last time you ate?" The girl shrugged her shoulders. "I don't remember, sir…" "When did the bad people come?" Master Luo continued. The girl pondered, wrinkling her forehead. Then she lifted three fingers. "Three days ago?" Luo Yang tried to guess. The girl nodded. The old man turned to the warrior: "Give them our supplies. We can survive with our rice… They need it more." Li nodded in understanding and pulled the bag off his shoulder…
Capital. Forbidden City. Lake Palace.
The Son of Heaven and the Autocrat of All Under Heaven, Huangdi Zhu Youjian, was in a disgusting mood. Vile weather and incessant cold rain did not contribute to the mental balance of the Great Emperor of the Celestial Empire. Somewhere out there, outside of his island Palace, the Capital was noisy, and the life of a big city was in full swing, but here, in the Palace, his jinshi Deming Liang filled the ruler of the Celestial Empire in on the horrific details of the famine in the Shaanxi province. According to him, the things were really bad, much worse than what Ji Chao, the eternal know-it-all, the head of the eunuchs, whispered about. "In Yan'an county, there was practically no rain during the year, and the ground dried up to a state of the stone. Last fall, people ate wormwood in the cities, and towards the end, they began to eat the bark from the trees. By the end of the year, when all the bark had already been peeled off, people began to eat chalk. A few days after that, their bellies swelled, people fell, and they were doomed to death… In all the districts outside the city, huge holes were dug where the city authorities buried several hundred people. In general, hunger is very strong in the north of Qingyang and Yan'an." Liang finished reading, carefully folded the scroll, put it in a buffalo tube and stared at the Emperor with devotion. Zhu Youjian listened to the official with an impenetrable face, for the Son of Heaven could not express his feelings in front of mere mortals. But deep in his soul, fear began to arise. He could not help but understand what would follow: turmoil, peasant riots, robbery on state roads or unrest in large cities. To worsen things, right there in the North, the Jurchens are waiting for an excuse to cross the border and besiege Beijing. And it is still unclear how the army will behave in such a situation… Generals are also people, and although they don't really care how many peasants will die out in this or that district, none of them will miss an opportunity to take over the reins of the sovereign's chariot. Of course, there are troops loyal to the "dragon throne" – there have to be some, but you never know… For almost a century, there have been continuous revolts here and there, and the army never has enough time to extinguish these centres of popular discontent. And, most importantly, no one can offer specific advice on what to do and how to deal with hunger. Even the great wise men have not yet learned how to deal with drought! Monks pray day and night in their temples, but it does not help much… "So the things are that bad," Zhu Youjian said in a cold voice. The official bowed even lower. The emperor sighed. He should have invited some of the highest dignitaries, find out what measures they were ready to take, but how could he discuss his decisions with these jinshis? With a slight nod, the Emperor dismissed the Liang, who left the reception hall backing away and constantly bowing. Zhu Youjian frowned. Now alone with himself, he could give in to anger. From the outside, this was expressed by the fact that he brought his eyebrows together. Being an intelligent man, the Emperor understood that a vicious atmosphere of lies and general distrust surrounded him in the Palace. More than one worthy person has cautiously hinted that power in the Celestial Empire was gradually flowing from the sovereign to his eunuchs, who constituted a great political force. From the "night guards" and the rulers of the secret city, these blameless creatures gradually took the role of "ear" advisers to almost every government official and even tried to influence the decisions of the Emperor himself, although so far they hardly succeeded. Now, alone with himself, the Emperor could admit that things in the country were getting worse and worse. A year ago, this damned drought in the South drove people to the point of devouring their own kind. There are no funds in the treasury to fight this force majeure since the damned ships of the Portuguese practically nullified the sea trade of the Celestial Empire, and in this situation, internal reserves would not last long. Riots in the country have become a common thing, the only redeeming thing being that the peasants will never find a single leader who could unite all the dissatisfied under his banner. On the one hand, this is excellent, as it will not be difficult for regular units to break up these disjointed forces. On the other hand, you could at least negotiate with the leader, discuss something, play for time, and then either the change in weather would help, or the "leader" would sell himself to the authorities in the most usual way and slay yesterday's associates with the same enthusiasm. This has happened many times before, so why wouldn't it repeat in modern history? Zhu Youjian chuckled with the corners of his lips. He wouldn't allow himself more than that, even when he was alone. But then he checked himself. Something is clearly going wrong today. This Deming Liang showed only the very top of the tree, but its roots remained invisible, even in such a detailed report. The bottom line is hundreds of villages were dying of hunger, millions of disgruntled peasants eking out a terrible existence, hundreds or even thousands of robbers blocking postal and trade routes, killing not only merchants and their servicemen but also senior government officials. Among the robbers, there are a lot of people with experience in military service, and although the peasants are mostly disorganised and not prepared for a war with the imperial army, nothing prevents them from doing this seriously in the very near future. The Emperor took a golden bell from the table near the throne and waved it once. Before the ringing of the bell had time to dissolve under the arches of the reception hall, the "nightingale floors" sang softly, almost inaudibly in the hallway. It was Ji Chao, the devoted dog and chief eunuch of the Emperor, who is hurrying up to attend the call. When his corpulent silhouette appeared on the doorstep, Huangdi had already put on a mask of "sovereign concern" and was ready to talk. Ji Chao habitually dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against the floor. The Emperor chuckled. "Easy, Chao. This way, you will either split your forehead or damage the floor… Both are dear to me… for now…" "I'm all attention, my lord." Chao still did not look up from the floor. Chung Zhen chuckled. For a long time, he had no illusions about the obedience of the chief eunuch, but there was nothing that could be done – one has to live with what one has… "Tell me, my dear, putting away all these grimaces of increased love and respect: is it that bad in the provinces?" "Which ones, my Emperor?" said the chief eunuch, slipping away from the topic of hunger, but the Emperor did not give him the freedom to manoeuvre. "For example, in Shaanxi…" "Should I tell the truth, my Lord?" "Does a servant have the right to lie to his Emperor?" The Lord of the Celestial Empire answered with a question. The eunuch sighed, still not lifting his face from the floor. "This province is like a wineskin full of gunpowder, with unreasonable boys trying to make a fire under it." The emperor was alert. "Who do you mean? I mean, what boys…" The eunuch got frightened to death: the young Emperor was only seventeen! The eunuch knew that he already said too much and had to correct the awkward situation. "Your Imperial Majesty, mighty Huangdi, you perfectly understand that all uprisings begin in the provinces, but the fuse is set on fire in the capital…" "Well, go on…" "In my humble understanding, the Jurchen leaders are behind all this, my Lord. They have already approached the walls of the Forbidden City and entered Korea. What prevents them from setting a camp near the Capital once again? Or even take charge of the rebel troops?" "The capital is impregnable," the Emperor objected, without being too confident. The eunuch grinned at the floor. "The gates that a great army cannot break open can be easily opened by a donkey laden with gold. Do you think that all people surrounding you have no interest, my Emperor?" "I have never made wrong choices about my entourage," the Emperor said brusquely. "Do you have something reasonable to offer, or you will get off with quotations from the treatises of wise men again?" Ji Chao finally lifted his face from the floor and looked into the Emperor's eyes. "Yes, my Lord and Emperor. Otherwise, what else is an old eunuch needed for if not to give good advice on time?" Yujiao nodded brusquely and turned to the window.
Somewhere in the North of Shaanxi Province.
…Livay He's gang turned out to be the first gang of robbers on the path of Zicheng and old Luo. The travellers quickly found it, following the smell of fire and delicious cooking, and it turned out that it was not difficult for Li to neutralise the bandits. And now, having eaten around the campfire of the robbers, the travellers had to decide what to do next. To begin with, Zicheng dug a large hole with a Dao sword found in the bale of one of the robbers and dumped the bodies. "So that wild animals do not tear them to pieces," he explained to his companion, somehow embarrassed. Luo Yang nodded in approval. Slightly bewildered, he asked: "Do you feel pity for them?" Li shrugged. "Hardly… It is a pity that it was I who killed them." "This is not quite typical of a warrior. A warrior would have been proud of such an impressive victory." "I am a peasant who became a warrior by the will of fate. If I have the choice, I try not to shed too much blood. And they are also not to blame for the fact that I got in their way. Everyone has their own path. Our paths crossed here by chance." "A nobleman blames himself, a small man blames others," Luo muttered. Zicheng looked at him with interest. "Is that yours?" "It's a Confucius. I am not a source of wisdom, I only bring someone else's wisdom to the ears of those who have a desire to learn about it." Li nodded in understanding, put aside the robber's sword, and looked around. "Looks like that's it. We can go." "Well, then point the direction." Zicheng waved his hand north towards the distant mountains. "There, a couple of days away is the village where I was born. Be my guest, wise Man." "Thank you, valiant Li, that will be an honour for me. Shall we go?" "Yes. I'd like to leave this place as soon as possible," Li Zicheng nodded and grabbed his travel bag from the ground. The old man picked up his staff, and the travellers headed north to the distant village of Michzhi that the young warrior talked about all the time to the wandering philosopher. They didn't make it. Later, Luo Yang reproached himself more than once for making long stops, allowing himself and his companion to relax, admiring the picturesque views for a long time. But deep inside, the old man understood that they still could not have prevented the tragedy, the consequences of which they had witnessed. When the last ascent was overcome, a view of the Michzhi valley and the village opened in front of them. The young warrior wanted to say something sublime, something appropriate for the moment, but the words froze in his throat… The old man also froze at the top of the hill. What they saw in the valley was truly terrible! There was no village. That is, it was absolutely gone… Here and there, they saw scattered fragments of pitchforks and spears, jagged sickles, and arrowheads in the posts that had remained in the place of the fences. They could find whole arrows with white plumage in the grass, with excellent hardened tips. Li Zicheng, who had not said a single word during the entire time that they had been examining the ashes, dropped a short word – "army", and continued searching. Luo stood aside and tried to understand what was that unusual sweetish smell over the ashes, a smell so unpleasant and annoying. Tired of waiting for his young companion to finish his examination, he called him with a nod. "What do you think happened here? And where have all the villagers gone?" He looked up at Li and staggered back: there were so much pain and despair in him. The warrior closed his eyelids slightly and said hoarsely: "They all died…" "But where are the bodies then?" Zicheng shook his head to the side, and only then the old man saw something similar to the ashes of a huge fire, with a faint smoke still rising…Then the old man understood what that sweetish aroma over the village: it was the smell of burnt human flesh was… Li fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands… Old Luo Yang slowly walked up to him and sank down beside him… He put his hand on his shoulder, covered with rough leather armour. "Cry, warrior, weep, for your soul being purified, and your tears washing away their sins," the wise man shook his head towards the funeral pyre. Li looked up at the old man, his eyes dry and full of hidden pain. "I have long ceased to cry, wise Man. Even as a child when my mother was taken by the almighty Heaven. Or in my youth, when Heaven called my father. Can you explain to me why everyone was killed? They did not harm anyone! And they were attacked not by robbers, but by a detachment of the regular army!" "I don't know yet," Luo said dully.
He scanned the ashes once more. "And I don't even have any thoughts about this. But once you are able to assess the situation soberly, we will talk about everything. And we will take the only correct decision." Li Zicheng's eyes suddenly froze. "I'll take revenge," he muttered dully.
The philosopher shrugged his shoulders. "It's your right and your choice. Just remember that the one who is going to take revenge must dig two graves first…" "Why two?" "For your enemy and for yourself. Because everything that you do in this world comes back to you sooner or later." Luo rose from his knees and slowly walked away from the burned village. "Where are you going?" Li called him over his shoulder, without turning around. Yang stopped and said in a deliberately calm voice: "It's time to think about an overnight stay. Trust me, friend, the dead are not the best neighbours for this. Or am I wrong?" Nodding his head to some of his own thoughts, he walked towards the road. Li Zicheng gazed after him for a while, silent, then got up, grabbing a handful of earth mixed with ash in his glove, pulled out a piece of canvas from his bosom and wrapped the earth in it. He put the bag behind the lapel of his robe and looked once again around the burned village with a cold glance. His distracted attention was suddenly riveted by a hawk flying over the road. The bird of prey gave a shrill, sharp cry and rushed into the sky with lightning speed. Li Zicheng watched the predator carefully. What he saw instilled a vague premonition in the young man's heart: now his life will be somewhat similar to the life of a hawk, filled with the same tiresome stalking of prey.
第二з«
Chapter 2
The messenger arrived early in the morning, and by lunchtime, the camp of the rebellion fleet looked like a disturbed hive.
A diverse rebel army was preparing for its first battle. Ragged, starved and exhausted by long walks and anxious, sleepless nights, they were still preparing to fight.
Li came out of the tent of Liu Hei, the Chief of this army, with an ambiguous feeling. Li was torn between anger and empathy. He couldn't bear the thought of the savageness of his enemy, but he felt a warriors sadness, knowing that most of his troops wouldn't survive the next battle. Only a person who was ignorant of military affairs could be intimidated by this horde. And how can several dozen hastily armed and barely trained common man and herders could even be called an army? Li shook his head and went to his fire to convey the words of the rebel leader to his companion and teacher Luo Yang. Old Luo was dozing, sitting in a meditative pose in front of almost extinguished fire embers. It seemed that the general turmoil was passing unnoticed by his consciousness.
As soon as Zicheng approached the fire, the old man opened his eyes and waved a welcoming gesture to Li. Li placed himself on the mat that was replacing both a tent and a bed for him in recent days.
They came to Liu Hei's detachment ten days ago, after almost a month of wandering through the nearby deserted villages in search of someone who could bring light on what happened in Mizhi. However, all the villages they visited along the way were either empty or turned into the same ashes. At the same time, Luo noted that not only citizens have been missing. Livestock, food, personal belongings were scattered around the area. It was a ghost town after a ghost town.
Old Luo stood on the outskirts of one of these villages, indulged in some kind of meditation known only to him. Zicheng, accustomed to such moments with their mentor, waited patiently for the old man to get back to him. Finally, Luo opened his eyes and said:
"It was bad timing on our behalf. I wouldn't mind being somewhere on the opposite borders of the Celestial Empire."
"Why is that?" Li asked. The old man chuckled.
"Can't you see for yourself?"
"I can only see deserted village."
Luo sighed.
"We need to harry up."
Zicheng was filled with anger. An empty village was no better than a village that had just been burned down: the smell of fear hung over everything, an elusive veil of hopelessness and imminent death. He grabbed his sword, but the old man held his hand.
"There's no one nearby," he grunted soothingly. "Only death and emptiness. We must search for survivors," the old man suddenly uttered. Li shook himself, throwing off the obsession with his last words and looked up at Luo Yang.
He continued to stroke his long moustache, thinking and finally, he said:
"Let's follow the footsteps of those who left the village. I think it will not be difficult for you: your army is chasing after cattle; they should be chasing after their people."
Li nodded. Indeed, he noticed the footsteps of the villagers immediately, as soon as he saw that the village was empty, and proceeded to inspect the area. Those tracks led to the spurs of the nearest mountains.
"What else do you think all this smells like, except death and desolation?" He muttered gloomily.
They came across the front pickets of the rebels the very next day. The sun was going down, and Li was already looking for a place to sleep when two men armed with pikes came out onto the trail. It took less than a second for Li to realise that he was not a trained man.
"Who are you?" One of the armed men cried out with a guttural voice. It was a tall, middle-aged man in shabby, patched-up clothes. He pointed his spike right at the old man. However, he hasn't received any reaction from Luo.
"We are peaceful travellers, good man," Luo's voice was filled with humility and obedience. Zicheng followed the example of his mentor and bowed to the second stranger, a young man of no more than seventeen, from whose eys you sense fear.
The older man broke the silence and said:
"Follow me."
Li shrugged his shoulders, exchanged glances with the old man, and stepped off the path. The young man followed, nearly touching Luo Yang's back with his long spear.
