We Who Lived Had to Settle This Debt for Them

In the autumn of the thirteenth year of Great Qin's Yuan Kang era, the Qin-Yan War, which had lasted half a year, came to a brief end.

Great Qin fought Northern Yan on two fronts. Along the northwestern border, it captured five cities in succession and recovered three hundred li of lost territory.

Meanwhile, under the command of its young commander Ouyang Xu, Yan State's Western Suppression Army captured Great Qin's Fengtian County and faced the Crimson Scale Army across the river.

Both sides had their victories and defeats, and each withdrew its troops.

Emperor Yuan Kang of Qin offered the land of the five cities as a sacrifice to Heaven in the imperial capital, comforting the forebears of Great Qin. At the same time, he declared a general amnesty and richly rewarded meritorious officers and generals.

Among the Twelve Northwestern Guards, three generals and fifteen captains received honors.

Imperial Forest Captain Zhou Chang was promoted three ranks and transferred to the Ministry of War as a Subordinate Fourth Rank vice minister.

Yet among those rewarded were neither the hundred thousand Crimson Scale Army soldiers who had fought bitterly on the northwestern and western fronts, nor the three thousand soldiers who had fought to the death in Fengtian County City. Nor were Yu Lin and the others who had died fighting in Fengtian County City granted posthumous honors.

Although Yan State lost five cities and tens of thousands of troops, it had taken one city on the western front, which at least salvaged some face.

By imperial decree, the emperor commended Ouyang Shucai, commander of the Great Yan Western Suppression Army, rewarding him with a treasured sword and ten thousand taels of gold. He was named Principal Second Rank Great General of Western Suppression and Marquis of Western Suppression.

Luyang Prefecture, a post station pavilion outside the city.

Zhang Yuan, clad in the black robes of a Martial Guard, clasped his hands toward the people before him.

A month and a half had passed since the battle of Fengtian County City ended.

The young man in a moon-white scholar's robe sighed softly and looked at Zhang Yuan. "Everyone has their own aspirations. If you won't come with me to the imperial capital, so be it."

"If you wish to go someday, come directly to the Imperial City Academy and find me."

After a pause, he said quietly, "The entire Crimson Scale Army gave up its rewards in exchange for a general amnesty, so that the soldiers and civilians who held Fengtian County City to the end could receive an account. Teacher has already done all he could."

The teacher he spoke of was Zhou Chang, the only captain promoted three ranks during this Qin-Yan War.

A civil official holding a military post, entering the Ministry of War after a single battle.

Outsiders did not know that if not for the loss of three thousand soldiers in Fengtian County City, which had left a flaw in Zhou Chang's plans and prevented him from achieving complete success, Zhou Chang should have risen in one step to the position of Minister of War.

That was one of the Six Ministry High Officials, a third-rank grand minister.

Bai Shaoting, standing nearby, wore a complicated expression as his gaze fell on Zhang Yuan.

"Don't worry. The Crimson Scale Army will look after the families of the brothers from Yu Lin's unit who died in battle."

"We will also do everything we can to compensate the families of other soldiers who died after being conscripted by the Crimson Scale Army."

A hundred thousand Crimson Scale Army soldiers had forfeited their rewards, and Zhou Chang had accepted honors one rank lower, all in exchange for a general amnesty.

With that general amnesty, although the three thousand defenders of Fengtian County City had defied military orders by holding the city for three months, the soldiers who survived would not be punished under military law.

With that general amnesty, Crimson Scale Army Commander Yu Lin would not bear the infamy of defying orders.

A nation had its laws, and an army had its regulations. Zhang Yuan knew that both Zhou Chang and the Crimson Scale Army had already done all they could.

Yu Lin and the three thousand defenders not being held accountable was already the greatest dignity they could be granted.

For the emperor to preserve the honor of Fengtian County City's three thousand defenders under the name of a general amnesty was already the greatest leniency.

Even so, pensions for the soldiers who had died could only be raised by the Crimson Scale Army itself.

As for the military merit rewards promised when the soldiers had first been conscripted, they could no longer be honored.

In other words, the dense writing on Young Master Tao's roll of hemp cloth had all become empty words.

For this reason, Zhang Yuan had refused Han Xiao's invitation to go with him to the imperial capital, and also refused Bai Yu's invitation to join the Crimson Scale Army.

He was returning to Luyang Prefecture.

The names on that roll of hemp cloth needed an account.

Zhang Yuan nodded and clasped his hands. "Take care, everyone."

Zhang Yuan walked out of the post pavilion. Duan Hong, standing to one side, handed him the bundle and the long saber wrapped in hemp cloth. "Zhang Yuan, I'll leave the brothers of my Qingshan Village in your care."

This made Zhang Yuan grin.

Pointing at the black robes on his body, he took the saber and bundle. "You're asking a Black Robe Guard to look after a bunch of mountain bandits? Aren't you just sending merit my way?"

Though he said that, he and Duan Hong exchanged smiles.

Naturally, Zhang Yuan would not ignore Duan Hong's request.

Duan Hong's cultivation was fairly good, and Han Xiao had taken a liking to him. He would first serve as a guard and follow Han Xiao to the imperial capital.

Han Xiao came from a great family in the imperial capital. He was also Zhou Chang's disciple and a student of the Imperial City Academy. If Duan Hong followed him, he would have a future one way or another.

After three months of bloody fighting in Fengtian County City, Duan Hong no longer wanted to return to being a mountain bandit.

With the bundle on his back and the long saber in hand, Zhang Yuan strode toward Luyang Prefecture City.

Behind him, Han Xiao and the others stood before the post pavilion, watching his departing back with complicated expressions.

"A sixteen-year-old Half-step Xiantian. Even in the imperial capital, this fellow would be counted among the chosen," Han Xiao murmured, his clasped hands tightening.

"Cutting down cavalry on foot, breaking through twenty riders alone with one man and one saber—if he could join my Crimson Scale Army, there would surely be a place for him..."

Luyang Prefecture, Ding Family Alley in West City.

The setting sun spilled like gold over the mottled streets and alleys. Fallen leaves carpeted the ground and stirred in the wind.

Returning after three months, Zhang Yuan found every blade of grass and every tree here incomparably dear.

The marks carved into the walls, the broken stone slab at the street corner, the rafters jutting from the left-hand eaves, the old tree beside the window on the right...

"Zhang Erhe? You—you didn't... You're back?" The woman carrying out a winnowing basket stared wide-eyed at Zhang Yuan.

"Erhe? Didn't you die in... It's good you're back, good you're back. Come drink at my house tonight—" Before the big man with a face full of stubble could finish, a hand reaching out from behind dragged him back inside.

In the streets and alleys, many households poked their heads out to look.

"Erhe, it's good you're back."

"Brother Erhe, there are bad people in your house."

Several children of eleven or twelve, waving wooden spears and clubs in their hands, crowded around him. As they spoke, their eyes kept drifting to the battle saber wrapped in hemp cloth in Zhang Yuan's hand and the black-sheathed long saber at his waist.

Those were clearly the real thing.

Most of Ding Family Alley's residents came from Martial Guard families. The children were familiar with weapons from an early age, and when they grew up, most would take over the military posts of their fathers and older brothers.

In the Great Qin Martial Guard, inheritance passed from father to son.

Hearing that there were bad people in his family home, Zhang Yuan raised his head and looked toward the small courtyard at the end of the alley.

Though the courtyard was not large, it was ancestral property of the Zhang family.

Had some rogue refugees occupied his home because he had been gone so long?

No.

Most families in Ding Family Alley were Martial Guard families. Ordinary people could not simply occupy the houses here.

A trace of chill showed in his eyes as Zhang Yuan advanced with his saber in hand.

The children all followed behind him curiously.

When Zhang Yuan arrived before the familiar gate, he pressed the long saber in his hand against the door and pushed lightly. The door opened.

The sight within the courtyard made him pause in slight surprise.

Clothes hanging out to dry, children scattered about, figures lying or sitting, and medicinal herbs spread out...

"Master Zhang!"

The middle-aged man by the door, holding a wooden club, looked at Zhang Yuan with a face full of excitement.

Zhang Yuan remembered this man. During the breakout from Fengtian County City, he had carried his old mother out of the city on his back.

"Master Zhang is alive!"

"Master Zhang has returned!"

Figures rushed toward him from all over the courtyard.

Some danced with excitement, while others kowtowed to Zhang Yuan.

These people were all civilians who had escaped from Fengtian County City.

Young Master Tao, seated against the side room wall, looked at Zhang Yuan and laughed as he cried, before breaking into a violent coughing fit.

Hu Chunniu, who had lost an arm, came out of the room with a basket of medicinal herbs in hand. He was cursing under his breath, but when he saw Zhang Yuan, his eyes reddened.

"It's good to be alive, good to be alive..."

Zhang Yuan walked over, reached out and squeezed Hu Chunniu's empty right sleeve, then turned and sat down before the side room.

"Young Master Tao, how many men from our camp are still alive?"

Young Master Tao covered his mouth and nose and coughed several times. Only after the flush faded from his face did he nod. "I don't know whether Leader Duan is still alive. Out of the hundred men in this camp, fewer than ten remain alive, counting you and me."

He pulled the hemp cloth roll, stained with black blood, from his chest and slowly unfolded it. His palm trembled slightly.

"I heard the court's edict."

"The battle to the death in Fengtian County City earned no merit. None of the military merits can be counted."

"If they died, they died for nothing."

His palm brushed over one name after another until it reached Zhang Yuan's name near the end of the roll.

A hurried line written by Charcoal.

"Zhang Yuan, of Ding Family Alley, Luyang Prefecture, born to a Martial Guard family. Accumulated military merit: twenty-three grades. Willing to use military merit in exchange for an opportunity at martial arts cultivation."

A smile appeared on Young Master Tao's face as he looked at the words on the cloth roll. "What a pity. It seems you won't be able to exchange for that opportunity at martial arts cultivation."

Zhang Yuan leaned against the doorframe and watched the lingering sunlight scattered across the courtyard.

"If I can't exchange for it, then I can't."

"Being alive is enough."

He reached out and gently rolled up the hemp cloth, his gaze resting on name after name.

"Zheng Jinwu, of Guangyuan County, Luyang Prefecture. Joined the army for three years, accumulated three grades. Wanted to exchange them for an ox for his family."

"Wang Mao, of Daping Township, Fengtian County, Luyang Prefecture. Joined the army for six years, accumulated military merit of eight grades. Wanted to exchange it for silver to build a courtyard for his family."

"Xu Huanshan, Chen Youde, Chen Wuxiong..."

Zhang Yuan pressed his palm over those names, a solemn expression appearing on his face.

"Our brothers earned every bit of their military merit with their lives."

"We who lived have to help them settle this debt."