Chapter 9 Wu Chengen’s tragedy

The singing gradually subsided, and the night in late spring was still a little chilly. There was always a time when the song would end, and all that was left was silence. The moonlight became pale, and it looked like a ghost on everyone’s face. If the atmosphere was not adjusted, the camp might develop into a ghostly realm.

Yun Ye cleared his throat: “Brothers, come sit over here. Since no one wants to sleep anyway, and since we’re all bored, I have a story to tell you. Do you want to hear it?”

Everyone joined in the fun, and it didn’t matter whether the story was good or bad. It was important to flatter first, and it was new for an officer to tell a story to the soldiers. These guys are all experts at being soldiers.

Yun Ye quickly thought of a story he knew. Okay, that’s it. Tang Xuanzang. This guy probably hasn’t even gone to India yet. The epic journey to the West has yet to be filmed. The Journey to the West, which I’ve read since I was a child, can’t let Wu Chengen have all the glory. I’ll just make it up now. Who dares to accuse me of plagiarism? Wu Chengen? His great-grandfather wasn’t even born yet. He’s it.

“According to legend, after Pangu opened the heavens and the earth, the Three Emperors ruled the world, and the Five Emperors established the order. The world was divided into: Dongsheng Shenzhou, Xiniuhezhou, Nanzhanzhou, and Beijuluzhou. Legend has it that Dongsheng Shenzhou has a country called Aolai, which is close to the sea. There is an island in the sea, and on the island is a mountain called Huaguo Mountain. This mountain is extraordinary. It is the ancestral root of the ten continents and the dragon of the four seas…”

Under the cold moonlight, the men on the riverbank were filled with anger. Such a peerless hero was crushed by the cold rules of the world, with no way up or down. Watching the cowherd boy from the mountain turn from a young boy into an old man in an instant, he could only look at the hawk in the sky and long for freedom. Cheng Chumo clenched his fists and slammed them into the sand, unable to dispel the anger in his heart. “Why?” Cheng Chumo glared at Yun Ye, as if he were the culprit who had pressed the Monkey King down under the mountain.

“Power needs to be restrained. Unrestrained power is a double-edged sword that hurts others and oneself. The fate of the Monkey King was sealed the moment he gained power. Cheng, it’s just a story. Why take it seriously? Tonight, the moon is bright and the stars are few. You and I might as well have a long talk. I haven’t been in the world for a long time, so I don’t know the world’s customs and etiquette at all. I’m afraid I won’t have a place to stand in the world’s prosperity. I hope Cheng can teach me.”

Yun Ye’s smiling, heartless appearance made Cheng Chumo full of anger and nowhere to vent, and he waved his hand fiercely. In an instant, he laughed again, feeling embarrassed about his loss of temper. He lay down next to Yun Ye and poked Yun Ye’s arm: “Tell me another story. This is such a good story that it makes people itch. How can you sleep without listening to it? Ask the brothers if they want to hear it again.”

The voice of this guy’s charm just fell. The surrounding sergeants surrounded him with a loud noise, staring at Yun Ye with a thief’s eyes, and they were all covered with goosebumps. In the low and soothing voice, the sad monkey continued to wait helplessly for the monk who was about to arrive in Chang’an.

As the days passed, the salt bags piled higher and higher, and the story time after dinner became longer and longer, and Yun Ye’s Guanzhong dialect became more and more familiar.

General Cheng Yaojin of the Zuowei army has been grinning from ear to ear these days, and his laughter has been hovering over the camp like a night owl. Especially after sending off the young Prince Wuji, who had helped to put down the rebellion of the Prince of Changle, he was even more boisterous. He had traded 500 jin of salt for 50 horses from the Western Regions. This was a good deal, especially since he had taken the food from the mouth of the Paiyou.

Old Cheng patted his belly contentedly. For the past three months, poor old Cheng has been eating vinegar cloth every day, and it has made my teeth fall out. I think a sour smell is still coming out of my stomach. It’s not that I lack the salt I eat, but the whole army is soaked in vinegar cloth. Do I eat salt alone? Do you still want the army’s heart?

My own son is so lucky, he’s already done a great job with a 14-year-old boy. He’s not even a full-fledged soldier yet, and the professor’s capable master has already died. This is the only heir, so when the emperor’s edict arrives from the capital, the boy’s official position will be finalized and he’ll be tied to my old cart. My own son is also a man with eyes in his head. If he can see it, it must not be too bad. A person who hands over a priceless secret recipe without even thinking about it, how bad can his character be? For a soldier who has not even met for a day, he is willing to bet his head. If my son does not quickly get the left guard, then my old Cheng’s head will be kicked by a donkey.

It’s just a pity that my boy has to get beaten up every time he helps out. Who cares? The two boys have been together for a long time, so I’m sure it won’t happen again. He’s covered in all kinds of strange things, and none of the things he’s brought out are ordinary. I’m afraid this boy’s background isn’t as simple as it seems. Most ordinary boys would be happy to see a large army standing up, let alone argue with them. Well, when this boy has collected 100,000 catties of salt, I’ll have to call him over to take a look. I, Cheng, can’t stand people who only know the sayings of Confucius and the poetry of the Tang Dynasty. A guy like this, who can read and solve big problems, is the treasure of treasures.

Xu Maogong, no, now called Li Ji, is the kind of person who is full of bad ideas and knows everything. His brother has been able to see through him for many years, and the little guy his son picked up won’t be simple. First tie him up as a seventh-rank marching secretary. After seeing him, as long as he has real skills, isn’t the Zuowei so big that it’s not enough to toss it around?

Cheng Chumo delivers salt to the camp every ten days, ten thousand catties each time. This is already the sixth time, and four more trips will complete the task assigned by his father. The thought that the court only allows the mining of 100,000 catties, and that the salt fields must be handed over to the local government at the end of July, makes his heart ache. As soon as he entered the general’s tent, he saw his father sitting alone behind the desk, his fingers knocking on the desk. I don’t know what he’s thinking, so I quickly bowed and said, “Commander Cheng Chumo greets the general. I have paid the full amount of ten thousand catties of salt for this week and am now ready to return to the salt farm. I wonder what the general commands?”

There are no fathers and sons in the barracks, only generals and officers.

Old Cheng looked up at his son and felt that something was wrong. Usually, his son was a messy little boy, but now he was clean and tidy, his eyebrows were more attractive than usual, and there were no lice crawling out of his hair. He was his own son, after all, and he was full of spirit.

Cheng Chumo saw his father staring at him without saying a word, so he quickly took out an oil paper package from his bosom and walked up to his father.

Cheng Yaojin opened the paper package with a puzzled look, but saw that it contained a large piece of bread, baked golden brown. It exuded the fragrance of wheat. Old Cheng was relieved to see this, knowing that he had honored his father. He picked up the large piece of bread and took a big bite. The bread tasted very good, crisp and fragrant. It was different from the bread he usually ate.

When Cheng Chumo saw his father eating the cake, he poured a cup of tea and respectfully offered it to him. After the old man finished eating the cake and had a few sips of tea, he opened his mouth and said, “Dad, how is this cake?”

Lao Cheng said casually, “Not bad. The cook in the camp should be fed to the dogs. Did Yun make this big cake? I’m not saying this because you’re my father, but if you don’t make two extra pounds of salt, the Zuowei will be short one pound of salt. What’s the point of making this fancy food?

Cheng Chumo hurriedly explained, “Father, this is a special military ration made by Yun. When our army is on the move, if we are in a hurry and don’t have time to eat, we can just eat a few bites of this bread. This bread is cold and hard, and many soldiers who eat it get a stomachache and abdominal pain. It is unwise to lose military strength before a battle. So Yun specially made this kind of bread. Hurry up, eat a few bites and drink some water, and you can fill your stomach. It is the best military food, and what’s more, this kind of bread can stay fresh for a month in the middle of July.

“What? It doesn’t go bad for a month? Really?”

“It’s true. I tried it myself. It didn’t go bad for a whole month in a cloth bag, and it didn’t smell bad either.”

“Did Yun Boy offer this method to the imperial court? Did he ask for anything in return?”

“Dad, Yun is my brother. I only mentioned it when you had a stomach problem. He also said that in the army, everyone is either a good fighter or a fool. They knew the food was bad, but they didn’t change it. They deserve to suffer for so long.”

Cheng Yaojin remained silent, and after a moment of deep thought, he made a decision: “Send a message to Yun Ye, ordering him to come to the camp to see me immediately.”