Xianglan

Sun Baiping climbed the city wall and looked out. Far away, the flickering lights of the Beiyang camp were visible. He silently gnawed on his pipe, hunched over in the heavy snow, gazing, lost in thought. Behind him, a little kid, five or six years old, was wrapped up like a small dumpling in furs. He was standing on tiptoes, reaching for the crenellations, and peering out with him.

Sun Baiping tapped the little kid's head with his pipe, muttering, "What are you looking at?"

The little kid blew on his frostbitten, red hands, propped himself against the crenellations with his arms, and stuck his head out into the heavy snow. His eyes were bright and spirited, showing no fear at all. He said, "Looking at the Beiyang Army." Then he tilted his head to look at Sun Baiping, "What are you looking at?"

Sun Baiping smacked his lips. "I'm also looking at the Beiyang Army." As he spoke, he tapped the kid again. "Be careful climbing like that, or you'll fall and shatter into eight pieces, and no one will be able to save you."

"Have you ever fallen?" the little kid persisted. "Will it really be eight pieces?"

Sun Baiping exhaled into the snow. "Let me tell you, if you fall into the Prince of Yan's hands," he pointed at the Beiyang Army, "—that person leading the troops in that camp—you just shut up and pretend to be mute."

"Why pretend to be mute?"

"Because pretending to be mute can save your life." Sun Baiping stretched his neck to look at the crossbow mounted nearby, then pulled back, saying, "Did you hear me?"

The little kid nodded. Seeing Sun Baiping about to descend, he quickly slid down the crenellations and followed. The snow below reached the bend of the kid's knees, and he kept sinking as he walked. Sun Baiping waited for him to sink, then turned around, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and lifted him out, making him walk again. This repeated over and over; he just wouldn't carry him.

The adult and child stumbled silently in the snow. In the shed to the west, all the Xianglan people who refused to cooperate were imprisoned. A young man climbed onto the scaffolding, revealing a pair of eyes. He saw Sun Baiping and spat.

Sun Baiping acted as if he didn't hear. The little kid stopped, turned his head to look, and asked Sun Baiping, "Why did he spit at you?"

Sun Baiping clasped his hands. He naturally had a somewhat shifty appearance, and doing this made him look even more detestable. He said, "Probably not full, who knows." Then he pulled back the little kid who was about to walk over, saying, "What are you doing?"

"Go reason with them," the little kid looked up at him. "Didn't you give them food?"

"They won't eat what I give them." Sun Baiping bent down as if to hug him, but for some reason, his hand stopped midway and retracted. He just said, "You don't understand." When the little kid tilted his head up, his eyes appeared enormous, incredibly dark and bright, making it impossible for someone with ulterior motives to look him directly in the eye. Sun Baiping didn't consider himself such a person, yet he couldn't bear being looked at like that. He could only take the child's hand and say, "This has nothing to do with you, don't worry about things you shouldn't."

The little kid caught the key phrase and asked, "What does 'worrying about things you shouldn't' mean?"

Sun Baiping led him, stepping deeply and lightly, and said, "It means eating too many radishes."

The little kid nodded, making a mental note. After a few steps, he remembered the young man from earlier, looked back, and seeing him still glaring at them hatefully, said, "He's still staring at you."

Sun Baiping grunted, saying, "Because I killed his parents."

"Why did you kill his parents?"

"Who knows." Sun Baiping clicked his tongue. "This road is really hard to walk."

"Don't kill people." The little kid stumbled with him, still pulling at him to reason, "Don't kill people."

Sun Baiping bent down to brush the snow off his legs, sighing, "What I say doesn't count. Nothing I say counts." A person walked over from that direction. Sun Baiping narrowed his eyes, pushed the little kid aside, and said, "Go back to the house, there are chestnuts inside, go eat them yourself."

The little kid still wanted to talk to him, but seeing his lazy expression, he knew this was a definite decision, so he retracted his hand, stepped onto the stairs, and ran off.

"Slow down!" Sun Baiping yelled after him, "Be careful not to slip!"

"Lord Sun." The man had already approached, following Sun Baiping's gaze up the stairs. He said, "Your son is adorable."

"It's a blessing he didn't grow up looking like me." Sun Baiping pulled out his pipe, put it in his mouth, and said, "What brings Young Master Liang here again?"

"To bid Lord Sun farewell." Liang Qing pulled his outer coat tighter. "The Prince has called me back. This place will now be under your lordship's command."

"What's wrong with the Prince?" Sun Baiping tapped his pipe. "Does he mean he doesn't want Xianglan?"

"The King of Hell has already left the capital. Xianglan cannot hold out through this winter, so there's no point in keeping it." Liang Qing smiled, his gaze cold. "Is it feasible to hand it over to Lord Sun?"

"Isn't that just telling me to lead the people of this city to their deaths?" Sun Baiping also smiled. "It's no big deal."

Liang Qing gave a slight nod. "Then, farewell, Lord Sun." The man didn't wait for a reply, turning and leaving. The heavy snow obscured his vision, and his retreating figure revealed a hint of arrogance.

Sun Baiping watched him go, pipe still clenched in his mouth. Just as the man was about to disappear, Sun Baiping suddenly sighed, saying, "Although I have no reputation for virtue, nor am I a hero. Yet, in the end, I still want to taste the feeling of loyalty to my sovereign and service to my country, Young Master Liang. What do you say, what should I do? I can't control myself."

Liang Qing suddenly turned back. "What are you going to do?"

Sun Baiping pointed to the sky with his pipe. "Accumulate some hidden virtue."

The surrounding guards suddenly turned their heads, drawing their swords and pointing them at Liang Qing, completely surrounding him.

"Sun Baiping." Liang Qing's expression gradually darkened. "You've killed many people along the way, and now you want to whitewash yourself with this last act?"

Sun Baiping numbly bit his pipe again. "The Prince told me to rebel, and I rebelled. But from Dezhou to here, Young Master Liang's orders held more sway than mine. I've killed many people, but surely half of the blame falls on Young Master Liang's head, right? The Prince wanted me to defend Xianglan to the death to hold back the Beiyang Army, so Prince of Pingding could leave the capital. I thought about it and did as told. The Prince intends to unify the realm, and he's using me as a cover. But now, to maintain this cover, he wants me to slaughter an entire city, leaving no witnesses. This, I cannot do."

"What?" Liang Qing sneered. "Are you going to lay down your butcher's knife and immediately become a Buddha? Even if you don't kill today, will the King of Hell spare you? Don't forget, Prince of Ping burned Posa City for three days."

"That's not it," Sun Baiping smiled. "My death alone would be called just deserts." In the future, when the Prince of Yan pacifies Jiangtang, perhaps I can even earn a posthumous reputation."

"The Prince of Yan?" Liang Qing laughed in extreme anger. "Even a mute can catch your eye now? The Prince treated you well."

"Indeed, he treated me well," Sun Baiping said blandly. "He killed my wife, children, and old mother, and squeezed me in his palm. Young Master Liang, you've gone to great lengths to provide cover here, but I'm no fool. Couldn't I tell what my wife and children's family letters were really like? The Prince wanted me to serve him faithfully, and he would clear away all my worries from behind. With such deep kindness and righteousness, how could I not repay him?"

Liang Qing flicked his sleeve coldly. "I'm afraid it won't be as you wish."

A faint scraping sound echoed through the heavy snow. Sparks flew from the crenellations, and the smell of hot oil and gunpowder filled the entire city.

"Since you won't leave, then I shall send you off!"

The Xianglan city wall exploded with a roar first. Xin Yi abruptly threw open the curtain, took a few steps outside, and saw the blinding, deafening burst of fire in the heavy snow.

"Why did it explode?" Meng Chen also ran out, saying, "Wu Yu probably just reached the foot of Wuhan Mountain now; it's not yet time for a fight to the death." Why did he blow it up himself?"

Half of the city wall had already collapsed, but the explosions continued. From the look of it, gunpowder had been buried both on top of and beneath the city wall long ago. But the Beiyang Army hadn't even attacked yet, why would he blow it up himself?

Xin Yi whistled to call Chiye, swung onto his horse, and said, "Go take a look."

Something had happened in Xianglan City.

By the time Xin Yi arrived at the foot of Xianglan City, the tall walls, accumulated over many days, had collapsed beyond recognition, and even the city gate was gone. Before Chiye could step inside, an overwhelming, choking stench, mixed with the smell of scorched human flesh, assaulted their nostrils. Xin Yi was startled; he indeed saw traces of boiling hot oil flowing down from the city wall. In the distance, fires burned, vaguely accompanied by cries. Xin Yi spurred his horse inside. The long sheds engulfed in flames were nailed shut with wooden planks. Struggling human hands were visible, and the closer they got, the more terrifying the wails became.

The gunpowder had exploded the hot oil on the city wall. The oil poured straight down from above, cascading into these inescapable long sheds, and the smell of scorched flesh was nauseating.

"Open it up! Extinguish the fire!" Meng Chen shouted loudly. "The Prince's order: save people first!"

But how could they be in time? No matter how wildly the heavy snow fell, the scalding continued amidst the wails. The Beiyang Army's efforts only managed to tear open the seals, pulling out nothing but bloody, mutilated corpses. Meng Chen let out a loud roar, lifted a broken handcart from beside the shed, and with a few steps, smashed it against the wooden planks. Xin Yi immediately reached in, grabbed a flailing person, and dragged him out.

Hot oil had scalded this person's legs and feet, wrinkling the skin.

Xin Yi was unusually calm. He said, "Carry out those who can still live." For those who cannot, give them a swift end. Search other corners of the city; if there's gunpowder, deal with it on the spot. Uncle Meng, take people inside, find the granary and any secret passages leading outside, but do not pursue anyone within. Finally," he said coldly, "find Sun Baiping!"

Amidst the ruins, Sun Baiping was surprisingly still alive, though he had lost both his legs. His pipe had been blown onto the steps, its stem broken. He crawled up the steps, reached for his pipe, and vigorously tapped it against a corridor pillar.

After countless taps, a head emerged from the corridor entrance. The little kid was looking at him.

Sun Baiping dropped the pipe, taking a few violent gasps to recover. He said, "Come here."

The little kid ran over like a blur.

Sun Baiping forcefully squeezed the little kid's cheek, smearing blood all over his face. The old man laughed, a sound like wind leaking from his throat. He gasped roughly a few more times and said hoarsely, "Did you get a good look at that bastard's face?"

The little kid tightened his small face and nodded vigorously.

"Then remember it clearly." He pressed the little kid's head against his cheek, rubbing it with effort. "Remember it clearly." Then, somehow, tears began to fall, mixing with blood to smear the little kid's face. He sobbed, "To hell with heroes! I still... I still killed people!" He embraced the little kid's head, crying like a child, "Worthless coward! Didn't save anything!"

The little kid bit his lip, letting himself be held. Sun Baiping said, "You follow that person. Do you understand?"

The little kid nodded.

Sun Baiping didn't acknowledge, saying fiercely, "Follow who?"

"The Prince of Yan." The little kid finally burst into tears, sniffling and sobbing, "Follow the Prince of Yan."

"Good, good." Sun Baiping closed his eyes and swallowed hard, then abruptly pushed him away, saying, "Now get out of here."

The little kid wiped his eyes, stumbled, and cried beside him. Sun Baiping cursed, "Get out! Don't be an eyesore here!" He cursed, lying on the ground. Blood dripped steadily from his sleeve down to his hand. He pressed his head against the ground, his vision blurred by tears, not daring to look back at the source of the wails.

The little kid kowtowed beside him. Sun Baiping sobbed, pushing the kid again, saying, "Why are you kneeling to me! You mustn't kneel to anyone! You, ha, you." He laughed through his tears, "You're not my son, why are you kneeling to me?"

The little kid didn't call him 'father', only kept kowtowing.

Sun Baiping sat dejectedly in the snow, his mind hazy, thinking. What was to be done? His life held nothing worth mentioning. He was a shifty, cowardly person, only able to lord it over the tiny area of Dezhou and put on a show of power. The day he stepped out of Dezhou, he knew this matter wouldn't pass him by, nor would it spare him.

But what could he do?

He feared Prince of Tang, he feared the Crown Prince, he feared Yan Jueshu, and he even feared Wu Yu from Xiajin, whose words were deadly. Surrounded by tigers on all sides, what could he do?

The two boldest things he had done in his life were both today: first, cursing Prince of Tang, and second, saving this little kid's life.

Before he even arrived, joy turned to sorrow.

The little kid cried for an unknown amount of time. By the time Meng Chen found them, Sun Baiping was already cold. He picked up the little kid, and seeing him crying so hard he was about to suffocate, quickly patted his back.

"Drag him out." He frowned, looking at Sun Baiping. "This man brought disaster to an entire city, he cannot be tolerated."

As Sun Baiping's body was carried out, many of the Beiyang Army rushing to save people spat. Even Xin Yi turned back for a glance, his expression indifferent and unfeeling.

Xianglan City finally fell, but it wasn't conquered; it was destroyed by gunpowder. Wu Yu found a secret passage at the foot of Wuhan Mountain, with the other end inside Xianglan City. Unexpectedly, the granary was not well-stocked; someone must have anticipated this and moved the grain in advance.

Few of the ten thousand Dezhou garrison soldiers were alive, but the more than forty thousand other men Sun Baiping had accumulated when he entered Yuanji and Xianglan had all disappeared.

Xin Yi hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when, at the same time Xianglan City fell, the Great Yuan army attacked Rouhui.

Xu Hu refused to yield an inch. The troops Xin Yi had insisted on keeping at Lijin and Xiajin finally proved useful, and Ji Baiyue immediately reinforced Rouhui.

It was not yet dawn, and the snow had not stopped.

Heavenly Dao felt cold at Xin Yi's waist. His face was expressionless, completely unaffected by the regrouping of Beiyang nor joyful at the Prince of Yan regaining command. For in the smell of scorched flesh, he sensed another storm of blood and gore.

Five years later.

Great Yuan had made a comeback. This time, who would fall before Jianan Mountain?