At the entrance of the Gourd’s Mouth (Hulu Kou), signal beacons stand densely. The maximum distance between two beacons is no more than thirty miles, and the closest is less than three miles. Hong Xinjia built each beacon with extreme precision and strictness in site selection. Standing on the watchtower of any beacon, one can certainly see at least two neighboring beacons. Among the numerous signal beacons stretching along the border, the Deer Tail Beacon, located on a Gobi corridor, is just an unremarkable one. According to standard arrangements, it has one Beacon Commander, two Deputy Commanders, and four beacon soldiers. After the Northern Wilderness (Bei Mang) attacked the border, the Deer Tail Beacon was additionally reinforced with five more beacon soldiers and one The Steed of the Posthouse (Yi Ma, courier horse).
The Deer Tail Beacon is situated on the left side of the Hulu Kou, subordinate to the fortress cluster centered around Zhonggu Village. Compared to Zaoma Village, it is more to the left and rearward. As the vanguard of the Northern Wilderness army advances deep into enemy territory, Zhonggu Village has not yet suffered large-scale attacks from Northern Wilderness cavalry. However, the beacon soldiers at the Deer Tail Beacon have already clearly sensed the approach of war. Northern Wilderness reconnaissance riders, clad in armor and cloaks, appear nearby, surveying the terrain. Yesterday, a dozen audacious Northern Wilderness scouts charged forward toward the Deer Tail Beacon, coming within less than eighty paces of the beacon. The dozen or so Youzhou soldiers stationed there, with excellent eyesight, could even clearly see the faces of the Northern Wilderness soldiers. The Beacon Commander, Sima Zhenming, drew his strong bow and shot the leading scout off his horse. The Northern Wilderness scout leader was evidently startled, retrieved the body, and left in anger, pointing and gesturing toward the Deer Tail Beacon with his sword before departing.
At dawn today, Sima Zhenming, personally responsible for the late-night watch, stood on the high platform, looking up at the cage named Duling hanging on the wooden beam. As the head of the Deer Tail Beacon, unlike most of the illiterate beacon soldiers, Sima Zhenming is a well-known scholar in Zhonggu Village. He writes official documents and correspondence beautifully. Sima Zhenming also possesses exceptional archery skills, which is why he was promoted to Beacon Commander in less than half a year after enlistment. The Sima family is a prestigious clan in Youzhou. Although Sima Zhenming is a concubine’s son, he could have relied on his family’s influence to work in the local government of neighboring counties, and could have transitioned from a clerk to an official in just a few years. The reason he came to the windswept, sun-scorched Hulu Kou was due to a momentary impulse. Everyone knows that in earlier years, the young prince had eight hundred personal guards known as the White Horse Guards, all riding horses from the Qianli Pasture (Qianli Ranch) in Liangbei, wielding swords, crossbows, and wearing white armor. A few years ago, the White Horse Guards were considered a waste by first-rate aristocratic families. Only third-rate and lower military families were willing to send their sons into their ranks. However, after Xu Fengnian calmly succeeded in inheriting his father’s position, the expanded White Horse Guards became something not everyone could join. Unfortunately, Sima Zhenming was not selected, while a close friend of the same age from a prominent family in the same county was. Last autumn, that friend proudly went to Liangzhou. It was said that several daughters from noble families in the county, who previously considered themselves above others, were practically throwing themselves at that young man. While Sima Zhenming was happy for his friend, he couldn’t help feeling humiliated. In a fit of anger, he ran to the northernmost border of the Hulu Kou. Initially, the veteran soldiers at the Deer Tail Beacon didn’t like him much, especially the former Beacon Commander, who particularly disliked him, a handsome “delicate scholar.” He even threatened him to wash his bottom clean at night. At that time, Sima Zhenming was furious and fought the old soldier fiercely. Later, he thought that he would surely be expelled for beating his superior, but to his surprise, the former Beacon Commander, who looked like a bear, was also tough. Although he never gave Sima Zhenming a good look afterward, he didn’t deliberately make things difficult for him, the troublemaker. Instead, he made Sima Zhenming work as a cook for two whole months. Sima Zhenming didn’t mind this, considering that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, and accepted it.
At the end of last year, when all the fortresses and signal beacons went to Zhonggu Village for martial arts training, the Deer Tail Beacon reluctantly sent Sima Zhenming. Unexpectedly, he received personal commendation from the deputy general of Youzhou. Sima Zhenming still remembers that on the way back to the Deer Tail Beacon with the former Beacon Commander, he often caught the burly man glancing at him with a flushed face, wanting to say something but holding back, like a shy woman. The little resentment Sima Zhenming had was swept away. At the beginning of this year, almost every day there were fierce clashes between the scouts of Beiliang and Bei Mang outside the Hulu Kou. At this time, their Deer Tail Beacon Commander was suddenly promoted to the head of Fengqi Fortress. Sima Zhenming heard from the old soldiers in the beacon that the former Beacon Commander and many fortress commanders from Zaoma Village and Jiming Village were old comrades-in-arms, having been through life and death together for more than twenty years. In their youth, they were all heroes who had killed Bei Mang barbarians in their territory.
Two beacon soldiers on shift change arrived at the watchtower on time. Hearing their footsteps, Sima Zhenming turned to look at the two different faces. One was young and vibrant, clearly a child of only sixteen or seventeen years old. The other was aged and ordinary. The former was one of the newly added beacon soldiers, described by the old soldiers as a fresh recruit from Youzhou, whose every fart smelled sweet, unlike the old soldiers, who had been around so long that even their shit had no smell. The latter was an old veteran of the Deer Tail Beacon, surnamed Xue. It was said that he was one of the earliest beacon soldiers in the Hulu Kou. After the Deer Tail Beacon was built, the old man was among the first to be stationed there. He had endured many years before becoming a deputy commander. However, the younger generation of beacon soldiers liked to call him Xiao Xue (Little Xue). Even the former Beacon Commander said he didn’t know how this nickname came about. Old Master Xue had a good temper and never cared, always nodding with a smile after being called that. The other deputy commander of the Deer Tail Beacon, Guo Xi, was in his prime. He was the only one who called the old man Master Xue and was also a strange person, never smiling. There were many large, round wooden beams drilled through the beacon. Guo Xi practiced a set of boxing on the beams every day, which could last for half an hour. When on night duty, he would practice boxing on the edge of the high platform. Sima Zhenming had practiced martial arts since childhood under a famous boxing master in Youzhou and roughly understood Guo Xi’s skill level. Although his moves were not pretty, his foundation was solid. Therefore, after becoming the Beacon Commander, Sima Zhenming always treated Guo Xi with respect and regarded him as an elder brother.
Sima Zhenming smiled at the young beacon soldier and said, “It’s hard to sleep in spring. You go back to sleep for a while. I’ll take over the watch.”
The young soldier shook his head and smiled brightly, “No, the snoring of Shao San and the others is like thunder. Beacon Commander, you should go and rest. With me and Master Xue on duty, there won’t be any mistakes!”
The old man smiled kindly.
Sima Zhenming had obviously already experienced the thunderous snoring of those men and smiled with understanding, “Then I’ll stay with you for a while. I’m not sleepy anyway.”
There was something Sima Zhenming kept to himself but didn’t say out loud—maybe there would be time to sleep in the future.
The young beacon soldier stood like a long spear at the edge of the watchtower, gazing into the distance.
The short-statured deputy commander, Old Master Xue, walked to Sima Zhenming’s side and silently pinched the worn cotton collar of his old coat.
Sima Zhenming whispered with a sigh, “Deputy Commander Xue, judging from the situation, our Deer Tail Beacon won’t have many more peaceful nights. Although the vanguard of the Bei Mang army may not consider this area worth their attention, even if they rush to the Lie Camp outside the Wo Gong City, as long as they still covet the Lu Hua and Xia Guang cities behind the Wo Gong City, Zhong Ming Village will inevitably become their thorn in the eye. Now it’s just a matter of who will lead the troops to attack.”
The old man with dull and gloomy eyes nodded and rubbed his hands, asking softly, “Commander Sima, let me speak frankly. You shouldn’t be here waiting to die. Your family can use money and connections to transfer you back to a safer place within Youzhou. Commander, are you really not afraid of death, or are you just desperate for military merit?”
Sima Zhenming did not get angry but smiled bitterly, “I have thought about this matter, but a letter from home last month made me stop thinking about it. Although the Sima family is a prestigious clan in Youzhou, even without mentioning the previous generation, there are four Sima clan members serving in the Youzhou army in my generation. Including me, three of us are stationed at the Hulu Kou. I joined the army the latest, and my position as a beacon commander is not impressive. My eldest brother, the legitimate grandson, is now a deputy officer in Xia Guang City, just one step away from becoming a junior officer. The family originally intended to do everything possible to find a reasonable excuse to transfer him back inland. However, my eldest brother is stubborn and refuses to leave. The family had no choice but to settle for transferring my younger brother, who holds a slightly lower rank, back to Youzhou. However, the generals in the Youzhou border army are not blind, and the Sima family is not truly omnipotent. With my younger brother from the main branch leaving, of course, I, the third brother, must stay. My father’s letter was full of vague words, but the meaning was roughly this. I think it’s better this way. At least my ten-year-old half-brother can stay with our mother. In four or five years, he will be able to support the family. If I stubbornly return to Youzhou, my parents and younger brother will never be able to hold their heads up again.”
Sima Zhenming’s originally bitter smile began to show a touch of ease. Glancing at the young beacon soldier, he looked at the old man and said, “I dare not ask the young soldiers, nor do I have the heart to ask. But I am curious about what you, Deputy Commander Xue, and Commander Guo think. Before I arrived at the Hulu Kou, I heard that you old soldiers were the most skilled in battle. Regardless of military merit, the first thing is to protect your lives.”
Old Master Xue placed his hand on the cold wooden beam, his aged face wrinkled like a withered tree, each furrow filled with countless joys and sorrows. This old deputy commander said calmly, “Commander Sima, to be honest, I have never been on the battlefield in my life. I have never experienced battle. I have only seen it from afar a few times many years ago. Since I came to the Hulu Kou seventeen or eighteen years ago, I have never thought I would see the Bei Mang army in my lifetime. Dying in battle, I have lived so long that I don’t know which day I will fall asleep and never wake up. It’s not a matter of fear, but I remember many tragic things after the war, and I dare not think about them. Many years ago, before coming to Beiliang, I saw roadside vendors selling two-legged sheep, sold by weight, with butchers holding knives and large pots of boiling water nearby. Dog meat was worth five hundred coins a catty, while this lamb was only a hundred coins a catty.”
Commander Sima looked puzzled, not understanding what was so special about selling and eating lamb.
The old man’s fingers trembled slightly as he spoke softly, “That ‘two-legged sheep’ is human, with only two legs. Women were called ‘lower soup sheep,’ and thin, young children were called ‘small bone rotten.’ Some rare scholars, as long as they weren’t too emaciated, could fetch a higher price, called ‘scholarly lamb.'”
Commander Sima nearly vomited, but at the same time his scalp tingled. The commander narrowed his eyes, staring intently at this old deputy commander, whose household register clearly stated he was from She Liu County in Youzhou, and placed one hand on the hilt of his cool knife.
At this moment, the deputy commander Guo Xi, who had just finished practicing his boxing, quietly arrived, looked at Commander Sima, and silently walked to the old man’s side.
Old Master Xue said calmly, “At a time like this, in front of the Bei Mang army, whether one is a local of Beiliang or a refugee from the Central Plains, does it matter? Don’t worry, old man, I am not a Bei Mang spy. I would not dare to disgrace the face of the Xue family ancestors.”
Commander Sima sneered and retorted, “Is it really not important?”
The old man suddenly laughed happily, pointing at the always silent deputy commander Guo Xi, “Commander, your archery skills are on par with his, but in a one-on-one fight, you are far behind.”
Then this old man, who had always been teased and mocked by everyone in the beacon, no longer paid attention to Commander Sima. His face showed a deep sense of nostalgia as he continued speaking to himself, “Back then, in the cold office of Western Shu’s Zhongshu Department, I was just copying scriptures and engraving official seals. My annual salary was less than a hundred dan. I was a Zhongshu She Ren, a petty official of the seventh rank. Of course, there was no ice or charcoal money. So how did we make a living? There was a way. During festivals in the palace, many Spring Festival couplets needed to be pasted. That was when we Zhongshu She Ren got to work. Before writing the couplets, eunuchs would bring vermilion and gold powder for ink preparation. At that time, I took out a large writing brush from my sleeve and dipped it heavily into the gold powder tray. Oh no, the brush was broken. I put it back into my sleeve and changed to another brush. Oh no, it was broken again. Thus, I ‘broke’ more than ten brushes in a row before finally finding a good one to start writing properly. After leaving the palace with my sleeves bulging, I quickly and carefully shook off the gold powder. It weighed at least two taels. Taking it to a money shop to melt it down, it became a small gold ingot that looked festive.”
The old man, completely immersed in his memories, chuckled, “Back then, I bought and collected books with these little gold ingots.”
Commander Sima was stunned, not knowing how to deal with this Western Shu remnant who had been hiding in Beiliang for many years. Could he really draw his sword and confront him?
Guo Xi said calmly, “Commander Sima, after the war is over, if you and I and Master Xue survive, you can report the truth. In the second year of Yonghui, I Guo Xi was the assassin who shot six consecutive arrows at the Great General outside the Liangzhou Pass. But if both Master Xue and I die and you survive, I hope you won’t mention this. Since the sixth year of Yonghui, I Guo Xi have given up the idea of revenge, of course, whether you believe it or not is up to you.”
Suddenly, the young beacon soldier on watch duty shouted in panic, “The enemy is coming! More than a hundred and twenty riders!”
Without hesitation, Commander Sima ordered, “Prepare for battle!”
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