Chapter Sixty-Seven: Spring Hunt

Zhong Mountain lay to the northeast of Jinling, and it was the favored hunting ground of the power that ruled from Jinling as its capital. When Yang Lian received the order that, five days hence, the Son of Heaven would go hunting on Zhong Mountain, and his suggestion to send troops into the Central Plains had been flatly rejected, he could only let out a faint sigh.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. As commander of the Divine Martial Army, Yang Lian was naturally responsible for guarding the royal family’s safety. This spring hunt included not only members of the imperial house, but also many high officials of the court. On the day of the hunt, the place was packed to overflowing. Li Jing left Li Jingtui behind in Jinling to hold the city, and led the Divine Martial Army, the Heavenly Might Army, the Jiankang Army, and others out on the excursion. Together with maids and eunuchs, the procession numbered more than thirty thousand people, a vast and mighty host streaming toward Zhong Mountain.

In the Southern Tang era, Zhong Mountain lay outside Jinling, about twenty li away. They traveled the whole morning before those more than thirty thousand people finally reached it, then pressed on for another dozen li and set camp on a relatively level stretch in the mountain’s interior. The army stretched for miles, banners flying high, a truly magnificent sight.

The Divine Martial Army’s camp lay more than three li from the imperial encampment. After what had happened in Changzhou, the emperor’s trust in the Divine Martial Army and the Heavenly Might Army had greatly diminished. In the past, it had always been the Divine Martial Army that guarded the imperial quarters; this time, that duty had been transferred to the Jiankang Army. Yang Lian did not mind. After arriving at the camp, he ordered the troops under his command not to wander about carelessly, so that no one with ulterior motives might misunderstand.

Li Ping, Lu Mengjun, Chen Tie, and the others all served under Yang Lian. After he gave them a few instructions, they dispersed to lead the soldiers in pitching tents and erecting palisades. By dusk, the Divine Martial Army’s encampment had taken shape. Since the army’s commander, Gao Shensi, had retired and returned home, the court had undergone a series of changes, and Bian Gao had become the Divine Martial Army’s new commander.

Yang Lian had met Bian Gao and remembered him vividly. In truth, Bian Gao had led troops on several occasions and each time had ended in failure. It was clear enough that he was not skilled at command, yet the emperor trusted him deeply.

Bian Gao issued a string of orders, and all the commanding officers took their leave. With nothing better to do, Yang Lian wandered leisurely around the camp. Zhong Mountain covered a vast area, and since the emperor had brought more than thirty thousand men on this spring hunt, it was also because he feared a rebellion and wanted to keep those troops firmly under control.

Yang Lian’s camp was near Xuanwu Lake, only seven or eight li away, and before long, as he rode along absentmindedly, he found himself at the lakeshore. In the distance, the water glittered in the light, green trees shaded the banks, and faintly visible within Xuanwu Lake were several small islands, all of it breathtakingly beautiful.

Yang Lian paced alone along the shore. Lately, he had been utterly powerless in court affairs. It was not only the endless struggle between the two factions, but also the campaign to recover the Central Plains that chilled him to the bone. Liu Zhiyuan had established Later Han with nothing more than the single territory of Taiyuan; the Tang’s strength was by no means weak, yet Li Jing had been frightened by the people of Wuyue and had developed a deep, almost instinctive dread of the northern Central Plains regime, refusing to accept Yang Lian’s soundest counsel. Yang Lian could not help clenching his fist. There would be one more chance to seize the Central Plains; it all depended on whether that chance could be grasped. If they waited until Later Zhou was established, then that opponent would be far too formidable.

As Yang Lian was thinking, he suddenly heard footsteps ahead. Looking up, he saw that it was Zhou Zong. At this time Zhou Zong held the post of Military Governor of Xuanzhou. Having returned to the capital just in time to encounter the emperor’s spring hunt, he had been invited to attend. In earlier years Zhou Zong had been suppressed by Song Qiqiu and at one point even demoted; only after the emperor’s accession, especially after the reign of the founding emperor, had the situation begun to improve.

Yang Lian narrowed his eyes and recognized Zhou Zong at once, though Zhou Zong did not recognize him. Zhou Zong continued walking as before, savoring the gentle warmth of the evening sun. Beside him was a woman in a long pink dress, a hairpin in her hair. Her dress was plain enough, yet her face was extraordinarily lovely.

At the sight of her, Yang Lian could not help but stare, looking at her twice more.

From not far away, Zhou Zong noticed this and immediately frowned. “You soldier, which army are you from?”

As a minister who had served under the founding emperor, he naturally carried the bearing of one accustomed to authority. Besides, as Military Governor of Xuanzhou and a second-rank official, he had no reason to place some insignificant soldier in his eyes.

Yang Lian narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhou Zong coolly, pretending not to know him. “You old fellow, where did you come from?”

Zhou Zong was not wearing official robes, only plain clothes, and with his long beard under his chin, calling him an old fellow was not exactly unjust.

At this, Zhou Zong flew into a rage. Since when had anyone dared speak to him like this? Even the emperor treated him with courtesy; this little soldier was truly insolent. With a cold snort, Zhou Zong fixed Yang Lian with a sharp gaze, and Yang Lian met it without flinching.

At that moment, the woman beside Zhou Zong leaned close and whispered something in his ear. A moment later, Zhou Zong gave a cold laugh. “So you are Yang Lian, the one who has been so much in the spotlight lately?”

“I am indeed Yang Lian, though I do not know what you mean by being in the spotlight.”

“Heh.” Zhou Zong smiled contemptuously. “A tree that stands taller than the forest will be the first to be destroyed by the wind. At such a young age, you have already risen five ranks and become the commander of an army. Your luck has truly reached extraordinary heights. Remember this: when you meet others, you should always be respectful and prudent. Otherwise, you will not even know where you die.”

“Thank you for the reminder, sir. It is only that I am still young, and I certainly will not die before certain people.”

Zhou Zong’s nose practically twisted in anger. Was this “certain people” not referring to him? He gave a cold snort and could not be bothered to argue with Yang Lian any further. After all, he was a second-rank official, while Yang Lian was only of the fifth rank. There was a wide gulf between them; to lower himself and quarrel over this would only diminish his own standing.

Zhou Zong stormed off in a huff. As the woman passed Yang Lian, she slightly bent in a respectful salute. “It has been some time, and already, sir, you have risen to command. Ehuang offers her congratulations.”

Yang Lian was momentarily taken aback. Time could truly transform a girl. Only a few months earlier, when he had seen Zhou Ehuang, she had already been a strikingly beautiful woman, with a face of such devastating loveliness that it could overturn a kingdom and bring down a city, leaving Li Congjia utterly bewitched and unable to free himself. He had not expected that only a few months later, Zhou Ehuang would have become even more beautiful, so much so that he had failed to recognize her at first glance.

“Sir, you have truly no memory. Could it be that Ehuang is so ugly she is not worth remembering?”

As she spoke, a slight crease formed between her brows, and her large eyes shone with a misty sheen, making her look pitiful and delicate.

Though Yang Lian was displeased with Zhou Zong, he had no objection to Zhou Ehuang. Seeing her like this, he smiled and said, “Miss Zhou is gifted in both appearance and talent. Even if Xi Shi were reborn, she would not compare with even a fraction of Miss Zhou.”

Zhou Ehuang was secretly delighted and was just about to reply when Zhou Zong, still nearby, said with some displeasure, “Ehuang, are you not leaving yet?”

“I have been rude, Master Yang. If I have the chance, I would gladly seek your guidance in music and melody.” Without waiting for Yang Lian’s reply, she hurried away.

Yang Lian gave a wry smile. He knew nothing of music and melody, only a few famous tunes from a later age, and those simply did not exist in this era. Watching Zhou Ehuang’s retreating figure, he suddenly felt a deep sadness. Whether it was the elder Lady Zhou or the younger Lady Zhou, neither of their endings had been very good. The elder Lady Zhou fell ill and died young, yet even before she had died, Li Yu had already begun an affair with the younger Lady Zhou, proof enough that the celebrated poet Li Yu was in truth a rather faithless man.

After the fall of the state, Li Yu was unable to protect his wife. The younger Lady Zhou was humiliated by Zhao Guangyi on several occasions, and upon returning home would curse Li Yu to his face, while Li Yu could only endure it in silence. He was truly a useless man. One wondered whether Zhou Ehuang would still end up marrying Li Yu.

The thought flashed by in an instant. Yang Lian smiled and continued strolling slowly along the shore of Xuanwu Lake. After walking some five hundred paces, the setting sun had already settled atop the mountain peak. Yang Lian turned to go back when, suddenly, screams rose from ahead.

“What has happened?” Yang Lian hurried over.

Beside Xuanwu Lake was the adjoining Zhong Mountain forest. In the Southern Tang period it had not yet been fully developed, so the mountains were high and the woods dense, with many animals inside: rabbits, deer, sheep, of course, but also wolves, snakes, tigers, and the like.

When Yang Lian rushed over, he saw a giant python as thick as a rice bowl, its tongue flicking in and out. Zhou Zong stood in front of Zhou Ehuang, guarding her with a tense expression. He had merely brought his daughter out for a stroll and had not brought any guards; who could have guessed they would encounter such a thing? Looking at the python, thick as a bowl and spitting a crimson tongue with a nauseating stench, Zhou Zong regretted his decision bitterly.

But regret was useless now. If they tried to flee, they would have almost no chance before such a swift python. Zhou Zong was not worried for himself; he was worried about his daughter. Zhou Ehuang was so frightened that her face turned deathly pale, her large eyes full of terror. They said the spring hunt was great fun, but how could this python look so utterly terrifying? Its huge head opened its mouth, as though it might swallow her at any moment.

After flicking its tongue for a long while, the python seemed to sense that Zhou Zong was weak and easy prey. Its body coiled, then suddenly sprang forward, the tongue thrashing wildly in midair, a truly frightening sight.

“Monster!”

Yang Lian came charging from an angle behind them and happened to catch this scene. The long blade in his hand was already drawn. Seeing this, he hurried forward several paces and brought the blade down squarely on the python. The creature’s body was covered in scales, and it seemed to have lived for many years.

There was a sharp clang as the blade struck the scales. Yang Lian felt the sword in his hand grow heavy at the impact, and immediately he added more force.

Though the python’s scales were tough, they could not compare with iron. Blood burst forth as the blade came down, and the python twisted in pain, nearly flipping over. Yang Lian’s strike had been too fast, and because the creature’s attention had been fixed on Zhou Zong and his daughter, it had not been on guard.

One slash fell, then another. Snakes were exceedingly tenacious; even after death, they could still writhe and kill, so Yang Lian dared not be careless. With both hands gripping the blade, he hacked down again and again. After taking two blows, the python was not yet cut in half, but it was badly wounded. It turned its head to glance at Yang Lian, the tongue whipping wildly, and had already locked onto his position.

Its huge maw opened at once, seeking to swallow Yang Lian whole. Fine drops of venom sprayed through the air.

Hearing the sound, Zhou Ehuang opened her eyes, which she had shut in fear, and just in time saw this scene. She turned pale with alarm and worried for Yang Lian.

Yang Lian gave a cold smile. He raised the long blade before his chest and stood unmoving, as though he were already terrified stiff. The python let out a dry hiss and was now no more than two feet from him. Zhou Zong, seeing this, was also startled. He had no particular liking for Yang Lian, but Yang Lian had come to save him; now that the young man stood between life and death, how could he remain unmoved?

Just as both Zhou Zong and Zhou Ehuang cried out in alarm, Yang Lian moved. With all his strength he brought the blade down, striking the snake’s head dead center. There was a wet crack, and the head was split cleanly in two.