Chapter 1

It was night. The heavy rain was pouring down like a waterfall. The dense curtain of rain obscured the thin halo of the moon. The inner section of Guangning Wei* was lighted with lanterns and dark clouds bearing down on the city, threatening to overwhelm it.

3am just passed. It was the time when people were asleep. Suddenly, the sound of a door slamming chiseled through the rain curtain. Uncle Chen, who was nodding his head due to sleepiness, jolted from fear. He tensed up his body at once.

He came back to his senses, picked up his lamp, carried an umbrella, and ran to the door with small steps. Before he could ask, the person who smashed the door already shouted with a loud voice: "Lord Qianhu, I am Hu Baicheng. There are refugees in the city!

Uncle Chen opened the door: "Lord Hu…”

Hu Baicheng's voice was rough and valorous like him. His beard was covered with beads of rain, and his voice trembled: "Go and wake your master up!"

"Yes, yes." Uncle Chen nodded repeatedly and turned to walk inside the house. He hobbled a little as he was over the age of the majority, and he had to be careful to avoid the puddles on the ground.

"Heiya*!" Hu Baicheng was anxious to see his manner. He did not care about the etiquette and rushed to the room with big steps.

Just as he reached below the eaves, the bedroom door opened with a creak, and a tall, upright man stood in the doorway only wearing his loincloth. He asked in a deep voice, "What is the matter that is so alarming?"

It’s dark everywhere and his appearance couldn’t be seen clearly, but in the autumn equinox, cold and rainy night, dressed so thin yet not trembling at all, his voice did not show decadence despite getting startled at midnight. Just by standing, he gave people the stability like a mountain. He was the Military Officer of Guangning Wei, Qianhu - Yuan Mao.

Hu Baicheng arched his hand and said, "Lord Yuan, there is a mob in the city, near Lord Qian's government office."

"Let’s go and see." Yuan Mao turned around and went back into the house.

A lantern was lit inside the house. A gentle and beautiful woman came over with a jacket in her hand, "My Lord, is there something happening in the city?"

Yuan Mao turned his face while putting on his clothes: "It’s Taining’s refugees again." He was in his early thirties, with a broad forehead, high nose, sword eyebrows, and starry eyes. He was very handsome, but he had a distinguished aura of sharpness too.

She sighed quietly, "These days, there is a constant influx of refugees coming into Guangning, causing the city to be unsettled. I don't know when it will end." She draped her jacket over Yuan Mao's body and carefully fastened the buttons, "The rainy night is very cold. Just add an extra garment."

Yuan Mao said seriously, "Now is only a small disaster. If it’s not dealt with properly and refugees become roving bandits, that will be a big disaster."

She looked worried.

Yuan Mao tightened her shawl: "Qingshuang, quickly go back and rest. Don't catch a cold."

Yue Qingshuang nodded: "Be careful, my Lord."

Yuan Mao smiled gently and stroked her hair, "Don't worry, dear." He put on a rain hat and went out the door.

The door of the side bedroom suddenly opened, and the doorway revealed a half delicate face and a big quick-witted eye and called out "Father" in a small voice.

Yuan Mao said: "Yu'er? Why did you wake up? Go back to sleep."

"When will father come back?" There was a deep sense of sleepiness in that voice.

"I'll be back by dawn." Yuan Mao took a step forward and then stopped, "Father will bring you all the buns made by blind man Zhang."

That eye slightly curved: "Ok." And then gently closed the door.

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A burst of frenzied horses’ hooves leaped over the water and splashed more than 33.3cm. The cavalry, led by Yuan Mao, galloped in silence in the heavy rain. Each of them wore a straw hat and a treasured sword at their waists. Their hats were lowered, and their expressions couldn’t be seen, but they must be extremely serious.

Not long ago, the Jin people defeated the Sheng’s army, and the state fell. Surprisingly, the court ordered to give up the seven states in Liaobei. The troops and citizens withdrew and defended the south of Huangshui tenaciously.

The seven states in Liaobei were the natural barrier in the north during Sheng dynasty. Since ancient times, it had been a natural protection for the people of the Central Plains against nomads. Once they’re abandoned, the northern border was almost defenseless. Even if they betrayed their country, they dared not be so blatant.

Yuan Mao and the governor of Guangning, Qian Anrong, secretly discussed this matter before. Lord Qian thought that the imperial court's approach was afraid that the national treasury was going to be dragged down by the two, the Wala* and Jin people. The fall of Qingzhou was the last straw to break a camel’s back*, so the shrinking of the defensive line was also a desperate move. Plus, there was definitely a dim-witted person who disturbed the holy hearings to make such a shallow decision.

Giving up the seven states in Liaobei would harm more than one country and one dynasty in the Central Plains and they would be scorned forever.

It's just a pity that the people of the seven states, led by Taining, had been ploughing that land for hundreds of years. Now, they were forced to leave their ancestral land and move south in large numbers. It was heard that on the day they moved south, they were wailing in the wild. How could the word "cruel" be used?

Most of the refugees flowed into Guangning, and Guangning Wei, which was originally a strategic logistics area for the seven states in Liaobei, was only separated from the Jin by Huangshui at this moment.

Yuan Mao had not been able to sleep peacefully for a long time in order to control the unrest from the refugees. The refugees were certainly a headache, but what worried him the most were those barbarians who were like wolves and tigers…

He was lost in thought for a moment that he did not notice a black thing coming out in front of him. When his eyes focused and saw that it looked like a child, his horse was already very close. His mind shuddered and he yanked the reins. His horse was frightened that a long, sharp whistle cut through the rainy night. Its front hooves kicked in the air and its body was almost upright.

Yuan Mao was thrown down and fell heavily into the cold rain.

The followers behind tugged at their reins too. If they weren't well-trained, they would have crashed into a lump.

"My Lord!" Hu Baicheng hurriedly jumped off his horse and went to help Yuan Mao, "Are you all right, my Lord?"

"I’m alright…” Yuan Mao's hat fell off. The rain splashed onto his head and face. He wiped the water off his face, squinted his eyes to look at the small ball of black shadows in front of him.

Hu Baicheng cursed: "How bold of you. How dare you rush and disturb Lord Qianhu's saddle horse!"

Yuan Mao waved his hand, "It looks like a child." He stood up and walked towards the black shadow. His attendant ran over with a lamp. When the light shone, it was indeed a child, whose head was buried into the knees, squatting in ankle-deep water barefooted, and shivering.

In such a cold and rainy night, his clothes were ragged. He was thin and frail. The ribs on the back were like a comb. Each shaft was very distinct.

Hu Baicheng frowned: "What is your motive for suddenly rushing out?"

He couldn’t be blamed for making a big deal out of it. This child was most likely a refugee. They were already suffering from all the mischief caused by the refugees. Who knew if this child was instructed to cause trouble?

That child trembled and stretched out his hand. His thin finger pointed at Yuan Mao's feet, and he whispered, “…Fish."

The voice was extremely weak.

Yuan Mao looked down. How was this a fish? It was just a slightly fish-shaped piece of broken wood.

This child was probably so hungry that his vision was blurred. Yuan Mao sighed in his heart. Too many refugees came from the seven states in Liaobei. The food allocated by the court was exploited from top to bottom at every level, until there was not enough in Guangning. He wanted to sympathize yet he couldn’t do it. He heard that many refugees died on the roads because of the plague, and those who could reach Guangning City alive were considered lucky. But winter was approaching, and he’s afraid that a small child like this would not be able to survive.

Yuan Mao instructed his attendant, "Give him something to eat. Let's go."

The attendant fished out the solid food from his body and threw it over. The child pounced into the rain, grabbed the solid food, and frenziedly tore it up.

"Get out of the way." The attendant chided.

He gnawed as he stepped back to one side.

Yuan Mao walked toward his horse.

"…The horse has a leg disease."

Yuan Mao froze and turned to look at the child, "What did you say?" He thought he had heard wrong.

"The left front heel is swollen. It feels pain when it touches the ground, and when it is in pain, it will cause restlessness and disorder." That child's voice was still weak, but Yuan Mao heard it. He observed that his horse had been treading on the water and did look disturbed.

"What nonsense are you sprouting, you small child!" Hu Baicheng rebuked.

Yuan Mao asked, "How do you know it has a leg disease?"

The child stopped talking and continued to nibble on the dried food. He was just trying to return the favor of this biscuit.

"Lift up your head." Yuan Mao raised his voice.

The child paused and slowly lifted his face.

The rain fell with a swish, forming a blurred wall of water between Yuan Mao and the child. The firelight was weak, and his face was hidden in the shadows, but at this exact moment, a lightning bolt exploded in mid-air and accompanied by muffled thunder rolls. The horses were frightened, and the surrounding area was suddenly as bright as day. It was at this moment that Yuan Mao saw the child's face clearly.

His heart thumped.

The child's small and pale face was washed clean by the rain. Despite the sunken cheeks caused by hunger and two spiritless eyes, yet his features could still be seen, which were extremely delicate and beautiful.

Yuan Mao grabbed the attendant's lantern excitedly, strode up to the child, and examined that face carefully. He asked in a trembling voice: "What...is your name?"

"Yan Sikong." The child's voice was as faint as a mosquito.

Yuan Mao pricked up his ears to identify: "Si…Kong, what does this name mean?"

When the name was mentioned, a faint light flashed in the child's eyes. He straightened his back as much as he could, wiped off the rain on his face, looked at the tall, heroic man in front of him, and replied without being condescending: "Think big and see far, no desire and no hard feelings." The water dropped, hit the ground, and made crackling sounds. The child's voice was like a clear string, faintly resounding in the crowd’s ears.

“…Your father was a scholar?"

"My father was a juren* in the 9th year of Zhaowu."

"You study too?"

"My father taught me."

"How do you know that my horse has a leg disease?"

"My mother is a doctor."

"She heals horses?"

"Heals people." The child lowered his head. He was thinking of the coarse and hard solid food in his hand and was perfunctory sentence by sentence.

"If she heals people, how can a horse be diagnosed?"

"They are all made of bones with flesh attached. Thus, they have something in common." The child could not resist anymore and took a big bite of the solid food.

Hu Baicheng urged, "My Lord, it is inadvisable to delay here."

Yuan Mao took a deep breath. His heart was beating like a drum. His brain was warming. For a moment, he made a decision that changed the fate of many people and even the fate of Dasheng: "You come with me."

The child was bewildered.

Yuan Mao looked at him from above: "If you come with me, you won't have to starve, but from today onwards, I'm your father, and your surname will be Yuan, Yuan Sikong."

The child was still confused. Perhaps because he was hungry, and perhaps because the words came too sudden that he did not know how to react.

Yuan Mao stretched out his hand.

The child hesitated for a moment, only for a moment, and then held the big hand. The temptation of not having to starve was too great. Then his body became light, and he was held in Yuan Mao's arms. His thin and cold body was wrapped with the straw hat.

The child's mind went blank. That chest was thick and warm, and the arms around him were stiff and strong, just like the safest place in the world, which made him even doubt that he was in a dream.

A journey of a thousand miles from Taining to Guangning, he watched his familiar neighbors fell one by one, then his family, and finally his parents. His peaceful and prosperous life was turned into a bubble overnight, and he, who had never suffered since childhood, was far from his hometown, living on the streets, and suffering from hunger and cold, which was worse than a wild dog…

But he wanted to live. His father's wise words were still ringing in his ears. His mother's gentle comfort was forever imprinted in his muscles. They all wanted him to live. He wanted to live.

The horse ran again. He carefully grabbed Yuan Mao's clothes. He coveted the warmth that had not been touched for a long time but did not dare to get too close and could only tense his body.

Suddenly, a large hand caressed his wet hair. He was slightly stunned. His eyes became hot, and hot tears flowed down in silence.

He dropped his guard, nestled in Yuan Mao's arms full of dependence and fell asleep due to drowsiness.

Yuan Mao’s hand fell from the top of his head to his thin back. For a moment, he had mixed feelings.

The child could not remember much of what happened afterwards. After all, he was only nine years old and was so hungry that his vision blurred. In a trance, he seemed to see soldiers with swords driving away the refugees.

Only the name "Yuan Sikong" wavered in between the blurred consciousness and became increasingly clear.

Yuan Sikong… From today onwards, his name is Yuan Sikong.

 

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PS: Seeing so many readers appreciating my translation work for WCJ made me have the motivation to translate another novel called Zhu Wang, ENJOY~~Take note that some of the footnotes contain links which will direct you to a source when you click it. 

PSS：空儿 (Kong'er) is an informal way to address Yuan/Yan Sikong, 聿儿 (Yu'er) is an informal way to address Yuan Nanyu -------I indicate these here because these terms will frequently appear in every chapter after chapter 1.

 

Guangning Wei*[广宁卫]---click here to see The Blood Crown's map

Heiya*[嘿呀]---it's an expression like sighing with frustration or anxiousness

Wala*[瓦剌]--- name used for western Mongolian tribes during the Ming Dynasty

last straw to break a camel’s back* [压倒骆驼的最后一根稻草] --- the owner wanted to see how much cargo the old camel could carry, so he kept adding and adding, but the old camel did not collapse, so the owner thought it had reached its limit, and he gently threw a straw on its back, but the straw made the old camel collapse. (poor camel ☹)

juren*[举人] --- a qualified graduate who passed the triennial provincial exam.

 

Edited on 17 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

Edited on 27 Jun. 21 (Ari)

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