Chapter Six: Alliance
"If there are no experts or magical artifacts capable of defeating Su Yan, how would the monarch dare to provoke the Su Kingdom?" In Ju Ye's eyes, there was clearly a flicker of excitement; he lowered his voice, "Because the monarch has made the acquaintance of a remarkable person wielding the 'Thunder Staff'..."
That young man, the son of Shi Qing Jutang, is named Ju Ye. He purchased me from Chuo Shang using a beautiful servant girl. To my disappointment, he had no intention of restoring my freedom; I merely transitioned from a miserable peasant to a slightly better-off household servant.
Every morning, I still get up before dawn. I now live with a dozen or so single house servants, all of whom are human, in a relatively spacious earthen house. First, we clean the courtyard, and then we follow the troupe to the construction site. Occasionally, my meals include some fine grains and vegetables, but I can never hope to touch any meat. Watching the troupe savoring roasted meat, I can only swallow my saliva in silence.
I have never forgotten the look in Kun's eyes just before his death. Taking advantage of a moment when he was in a relatively good mood, I brought it up to him. "Do you perhaps have feelings for that slave widow?" As expected, a person like him would not understand what it means to repay kindness. "I can give her to you, but the child is out of the question; the child is of no use." I explained repeatedly, but he not only did not believe me, but also the veins on his forehead gradually bulged, and he ordered that I receive three lashes as a form of punishment. I had no choice but to temporarily abandon this thought. He not only did not believe me, but also the veins on his forehead gradually bulged, and he ordered that I receive three lashes as a form of punishment. I had no choice but to temporarily abandon this thought.
I was greatly startled. Both jade and jade artifacts possess the magical power that connects heaven and earth, and among them, the four most powerful divine artifacts in the world are: the "Rain Jade" that I have seen before, the "Thunder Scepter" mentioned in the drama, as well as the "Wind Pendant" and the "Cloud Pendant". It is said that when the four divine artifacts of wind, rain, cloud, and thunder gather, they can destroy the sun and moon and overturn the heavens and the earth. Among them, the "Rain Jade" was bestowed upon our Peng Kingdom by the Hu King seven hundred years ago to pacify the west; at the same time, the "Cloud Pendant" was granted to the Su Kingdom to pacify the east, the "Wind Pendant" to the Han Kingdom to pacify the south, and the "Thunder Scepter" to the Lian Kingdom to pacify the north. Due to the wars over the centuries, these divine artifacts, except for the "Rain Jade" which remains in the hands of Lord Peng, have changed hands repeatedly and even been lost. The "Thunder Scepter" was also lost over a hundred years ago when the Lian Kingdom was breached by the dog people, and Lord Lian Zhi burned himself, leaving no trace.
The stone platform is rising day by day, but it appears somewhat precarious. The pillars at the base are too slender and insufficient in number; once the second layer is completed, it is bound to collapse. I have had a fondness for various eclectic subjects since childhood, and I have also studied some architectural knowledge. For the sake of my personal safety, I brought this matter to the attention of the supervisor.
While I was working, someone suddenly called my name. I looked up in a daze and saw a tall horse standing beside the foreman, on its back was a handsome young man dressed in a magnificent robe, his lips revealing a smile that mocked everything.
Moreover, the overseers are very strict, and I have not found any opportunity at all—such overseers, if they were under my command in the past, would certainly have received my rewards. Reflecting on the past and then looking at my current situation, I want to cry, yet there are no tears. ... I miss my hometown, I miss my mother and younger brother far away, and I do not know how they are doing now ...
Then, I quickly turned and fled, escaping this endless entanglement of tenderness
This stone platform, upon completion, will measure thirty zhang on each side and stand seven zhang high with five tiers, making it a remarkably grand structure. From this design, I estimate that Chen Zi intends not merely to defend passively, but rather to take the opportunity to directly challenge the authority of the "Eastern Bo".
The authority of Dongbo is indeed in decline, and it truly surprised me that Ju Xie would discuss such national affairs with me. The feathered edicts have been transmitted four times, yet only six attendants have gathered. Perhaps defeating the Su Kingdom is not just a dream. However, he seems to be filled with ambition, while I am filled with concern, for the Su Kingdom has Su Yan!
She is merely an ordinary servant woman, bestowed upon me by the theater, and I have never regarded her as an important part of my life. A wife? My wife should be a lady of noble birth, beautiful, graceful, and proud, well-versed in the etiquette of the aristocracy, yet filled with jealousy. For over a decade, I have held this belief, and although recent circumstances have changed drastically, they have not altered my perspective in the slightest
More than a year of hard labor has left my skin dark and rough, and my hands are covered with calluses. I have thought about escaping, but I know the fate of a failed slave escape. If it were in Peng State, they would surely bind the escaped slave under the scorching sun until they died of exposure or thirst. In Chen State, which cares even less for the lives of slaves, I can only imagine that the punishment would be even more horrific
"This is the person." The supervisor pulled me in front of the young man. The young man lowered his head and said, "I heard that you once predicted the possibility of a collapse?" I nodded, and he continued with a smile, "If you are indeed a spy, then enduring a miserable life as a slave for a year and a half without any misconduct is commendable..." "I am not a spy," I argued, my tone flat and hopeless. He continued to smile and said, "If you are indeed a spy, then enduring a miserable life as a slave for a year and a half without any misconduct is commendable..." "I am not a spy," I argued, my tone flat and hopeless.
According to historical records: In the fifteenth year of King Tan's reign, in the winter of October, Chenzi built a platform in the outskirts to convene the feudal lords.
She cooks for me, cleans the house, sleeps with me, and perhaps in the future will help me bear children. But will I truly love children who have half the blood of a slave? ... I detest the idea of viewing her as a tool, to be used and discarded, casually given to the household slaves. Yet, deep down, I have always regarded her merely as a tool, a tool bestowed by a master.
As he lay dying, he stared at me intently, and then, without closing his eyes, he left me forever. I understood his meaning; he wanted me to take care of his wife and children. ... Perhaps, I hope to fulfill his last wish, but given my current situation, I truly do not know if I can accomplish it ...
The progress of the project went very smoothly, and by January of the following year, it was finally completed successfully. It is said that King Chen generously rewarded Ju Tang, who in turn granted Ju Ye fifty slaves and one hundred acres of land. Overjoyed, Ju Ye called me before him and asked what rewards I desired. Seizing the opportunity, I timidly brought up my previous request. "Do you like slave women?" He completely ignored my request and instead selected a young slave from the group of female slaves and assigned her to me as a wife
What other means are there, as a slave, to still dare to desire anything? I encountered a woman for the first time, yet my mind is filled with the burning image and smile. When I kissed that pale, tender skin, I closed my eyes, imagining that I was kissing the burning one—kissing her ears, face, neck, and breasts... and her beautiful wings... When I kissed that pale, tender skin, I closed my eyes, imagining that I was kissing the burning one—kissing her ears, face, neck, and breasts... and her beautiful wings...
I have just realized that my fortunes have turned; I have finally gained the favor of a noble and may soon regain my freedom, perhaps even restore my status as a scholar. My heart is filled with joy, yet I dare not show it on my face. Looking in the mirror, I shave off the thick, tangled beard. My beardless face still seems to have aged a full ten years compared to before my exile—could this still be me? This face, lined with deep creases and marked by the passage of time, is it truly me? My beardless face still seems to have aged a full ten years compared to before my exile—could this still be me? This face, lined with deep creases and marked by the passage of time, is it truly me?
Su Yan was the illegitimate son of the previous Su Gong and the first adept of the Yuanwu Sect. After long efforts, he finally succeeded in having the majority of Eastern countries adopt the Yuanwu Sect, subsequently changing his name to Su Wushi. Although the Yuanwu Sect does not have a nominal leader, the influence of Su Wushi in the East and Shen Wuzhong in the West far surpasses that of other adepts; they are the de facto leaders. Moreover, the profundity of their teachings is beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Although the Yuanwu Sect does not have a nominal leader, the influence of Su Wushi in the East and Shen Wuzhong in the West far surpasses that of other adepts; they are the de facto leaders. Moreover, the profundity of their teachings is beyond the imagination of ordinary people
I assisted him in redesigning the stone platform, and to my surprise, my mind, which has always been deemed impoverished, could actually be of use in the distant East. Having already failed once, the project was urgent, and Ju Tang mobilized more slaves to participate in the labor, significantly increasing the intensity of the work. Every day, dozens of slaves were worked to death. "Unfortunately, when the Su Kingdom helped us eliminate the dogmen, they took all the captives with them. If there were more dogmen involved, the pace of the project could have been greatly accelerated," Ju Ye once said to me with some regret.
***
In the following two days, the surviving slaves, driven by the whip, moved the boulders and collected the bodies that had been reduced to unrecognizable forms, piling them together and setting them ablaze. I had never witnessed such a horrifying scene; my stomach convulsed, and I could not help but feel nauseous. After bending over for a while, I could only bring up some bile. This delay resulted in yet another round of lashes.
In early March, Chenzi convened a grand assembly of the Eastern lords on the stone platform, including marquis and viscount states, with a total of twelve monarchs reportedly in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to "honor the royal family, coexist harmoniously, and resist foreign invaders." Undoubtedly, the foreign invaders referred to here were the "Dongbo" of the Su state. The assembly elected Jianghou as the leader of the alliance, while Chenzi, as the initiator and host, was awarded the title of deputy leader. In April, news arrived that Duke Su had rallied the six states of Wei, Rong, and Luo, among others, to launch an attack.
This female slave, named Wan, is short and frail, yet her appearance is somewhat acceptable. After repeated questioning, she finally admitted that she had once served a theatrical patron—nobles would not engage in such a loss-making affair as sending a reasonably attractive female slave to a household servant before they had even laid hands on her; I understand this very well.
On April 16, the troops entered the outskirts of Chen. The commander demanded that we immediately assemble for deployment. I exchanged a brief greeting with Wan, picked up my spear, and prepared to leave. It was fine to depart like this; I should not have looked back at her. In her gaze, I saw an overwhelming sense of concern, worry, sorrow, and an unfathomable loneliness.
After the autumn harvest in the second year, most of us were taken to the western suburbs to construct a massive stone platform. It is said that the power of the Chen state has rapidly expanded in recent years, even beginning to threaten the status of Su state's "Eastern Bo." It seems that the Duke of Su is planning a large-scale attack, and in response to his strategy, the Chen prince has decided to contact the nearby feudal lords to convene a meeting on this platform and form an alliance to resist.
However, in that moment, a feeling unprecedented in my heart suddenly emerged. Her gaze indicated that she did not see me as a master, nor as a mere user of tools; she regarded me as her husband, as her lifelong support. ... Suddenly, I began to feel a sense of attachment to this cold, dark home. I looked at the low bed, at the dirty stove, at the small window, and then at the servant woman before me
Among them was Kun Yuan, who was struck in the thigh by a boulder while trying to save me, groaning a few times before falling silent. At that moment, the place where I was standing was extremely dangerous; I was so frightened that my legs went weak, and I could not move. Kun Yuan rushed over and pushed me away, but he himself faced disaster.
I recall during the campaign against Peng, standing atop the lookout tower in Tong Town, witnessing the earth-shattering Daoist principles of Shen Wuzhong. If the second achiever, Shen Wuzhong, has already instilled such awe in the universe, how could the first achiever, Su Wushi, be easily defeated?
Now, I have my own separate earthen house. The house is very low and narrow, with only a small window opened on the south wall, making it perpetually dim and damp inside. The house is located in the backyard of the Shiqing Ju Tang mansion, making it convenient for Ju Ye to summon me at any time. I never imagined that I would have my own family under such circumstances
"That would be best." The young man on horseback departed. I turned to continue back to my post, but was stopped by the overseer. Shortly thereafter, a soldier led me into the city, into a grand mansion, and instructed the servants to assist me in bathing and changing my clothes to rid myself of the foul odor
Among the remaining eleven states of the Shitai Alliance, only seven sent troops to join Chenzi in repelling the Su army. Such is politics; treaties are mere pieces of paper, easily abandoned at any moment. Ju Ye gathered all the adult men among his household servants and demanded that they all join the battle—of course, this included me. He provided me with a coarse leather armor and a spear two zhang long.
Shiqing Jutang is in charge of this great project; he is more brutal than others and shows no mercy for the lives of the slaves. Many have collapsed at my feet from exhaustion. In such heavy labor, I have not perished, which is truly a miracle—perhaps it is all thanks to Kun Yuan's care, as he always rushes to take on the heaviest tasks, allowing me brief moments to rest.
However, the result of my warning was merely a beating, and the project continued as usual. Of course, who would heed the advice of a slave? Yet, as I had feared, misfortune finally struck; the entire stone platform collapsed in an instant, and amidst the thick clouds of dust, massive stones came crashing down from above. The slaves fled in all directions, and many were struck by the boulders, dying in a horrific manner.
I never expected that this miraculous artifact would now be brought to the Kingdom of Chen by someone—what kind of person could that be? I inquired about it from Ju Ye, but he also knew little. "He is a very mysterious figure; probably only the monarch has seen him," he shook his head, "and 'Lei Chong' must also have only been seen by the monarch."
If that were a master of a certain sect, wielding the "Thunder Staff," it would be possible to defeat Su Yan. In truth, the outcome of the battle is of no concern to me; however, if the Su Kingdom were to achieve a great victory and I were unfortunate enough to be captured, my life would be in jeopardy. Even if I were not killed, I would certainly be taken away and forced to become a serf once again. ... Remembering the terrifying days and nights of the past year and a half, I couldn't help but shudder ...