When war came, people became like ants, dying in tens of thousands. Even in small battles with three hundred or four hundred people, blood would dye the grassland red. Originally green leaves were wrapped in rich red, which looked shocking and strangely enchanting under the sunset.
Fang Heng was holding a bloody long knife, sweeping over the bodies all over the ground, his expression somewhat numb, but also with some pity.
Someone was crying softly. It was the youngest Jiang Ba. He was crying for the horse he raised. "Don't die, don't die, okay?"
Next to him were the unclosed eyes of the Northern Nomads' corpses. Over four hundred strong Han men did not survive.
In this battle, the Dayu Dynasty used fifty horses and thirty young men's lives and over a hundred injured people to annihilate the other side's four hundred people. This was already considered a great victory.
But was this really a victory?
The Northern Nomads also had loved ones, children. There would also be people crying softly for them, heartbroken for their departure.
Little Fang Heng had been confused before. Why fight wars? Why did so many people have to die, so many families lose loved ones, and so many common people become displaced?
Later he understood that there was no absolute right or wrong between the two sides.
The Northern Nomads invaded Dayu for survival, to live on.
And Dayu resisted the Northern Nomads to guard their homeland, to protect the common people.
The positions were different, and the behaviors were different.
As a person, Fang Heng pitied all life. As a person of Dayu, he resented the Northern Nomads’ killing, looting and plundering.
When they were in different camps and born in different ethnic groups, fighting each other became destined.
"Don't cry. It's better to sacrifice a few dozen horses than people," Jiang Yi gently comforted Jiang Ba. "Cheer up, there are still battles behind."
Yes, there were still battles behind. Fang Heng shook away his previous complexity and got on the horse spiritedly. “Leave fifty people to clear up, the rest come with me to charge in!”
In this small tribe, the real elites of the Northern Nomads were already dead. What was left were only the old, the weak, the sick and the disabled, plus abundant cattle, sheep and goods.
When the two hundred Dayu men charged in with knives, the old and weak screamed in panic, horror, or resisted with knives, but all fell down stiff without exception.
Just like when the Northern Nomads had charged into the villages in Northern Border before.
Exactly the same.
"How cruel, how cruel!" Jiang Ba's eyes were filled with tears, his four fingers almost couldn’t hold the reins.
Jiang Yi scoffed. “This is cruel? The nomads are good at riding and shooting regardless of gender. If you give them a chance, the dead would be you.”
Jiang Ba didn't say anything.
He thought of the still infant in the swaddling clothes, then the girl in the snow, and the trembling grandparents.
Slaughter was of course cruel. Kind people would always hesitate.
But those who survived from the hands of the Northern Nomads, they didn't blink, they were full of resentment, they killed the most people, moved the fastest, and were the most vicious.
There was no right or wrong in the war.
Those with a soft heart had long fallen on the grass.
Fang Heng did not participate in the massacre. He held the knife at the gate of the tribe to keep watch, to prevent falling into a new encirclement.
After about half an hour, the entire Fifth Squad was fully loaded.
There was meat, vegetables, dairy cows and dozens of big sheep.
"Plus the dead horses outside, after drying the meat there would be enough to eat for two months,” Jiang Yi said joyfully.
They took the spoils back to the army and started tidying and washing carefully, calculating every detail.
Even the fifty coats that were previously discarded were picked up, mended and worn again.
"Keep the dairy cows for milk production, dry and store the horse meat, kill and eat the mutton," Jiang Er came to apply, drooling for the mutton.
Only when confiscating the spoils could they have days to eat meat in big mouthfuls.
Fang Heng was reviewing the key points and loopholes of the previous battle. He didn't stop it. But when Jiang Er was about to leave, he hesitated and said, “Leave me a few lambs.”
“What does the team leader want sheep for?" Jiang Er was puzzled.
He spoke lightly. “My sister likes them.”
Although he hadn't found a suitable place to raise sheep or a way to send them to the capital city yet, the few casual words mentioned by Jiang Sheng in her letter still hung in her eldest brother's heart.
The person who even split out jerky coats for everyone secretly planned some private interests with his authority, just to make his younger sister happy.
"She'll be happy, right, little Jiang Sheng?" Fang Heng murmured. His tone floated with the wind toward the distance, floated to the capital city, drifted into Jiang Sheng's ears.
She was dressing up solemnly and suddenly sneezed several times, almost hitting the hairpin on her head to fly.
Who would have thought that the girl who always wore the simplest buns would also have a day wearing hairpins and jeweled rings.
Although the price was her scalp being almost torn off.
"Auntie Zhang, forget the hairpins and complicated hairstyles. The bun is good enough,” Jiang Sheng pleaded as she sniffed her nose. “I haven't gone back to the Jiang family yet, and you’re dressing me up like a lantern.”
From head to toe, there were new clothes, silver hairpins, and beaded necklaces. She was afraid she wasn't rich enough.
"Be good, Jiang Sheng. You have to dress up," Zhang Xianglian coaxed gently, but her hands were merciless, twisting her black hair into flowers.
The three elder brothers watched from the side, feeling lingering fear, yet helpless.
And a little sad too.
After the fraud case in the imperial examination ended, the Jiang family did not immediately take Jiang Sheng away, but vaguely revealed the news that "the legitimate daughter who fell ill and stayed outside would be taken back."
Of course this was an excuse. People with eyes could see clearly that Jiang Sheng, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, was currently just an adopted daughter.
Auntie Zhang had just found out that the little beggar she had casually helped turned out to have such an astonishing identity.
She felt distressed and indignant. After cursing the Jiang family for two days, she decided to dress up Jiang Sheng carefully to show their current status and position——although your Jiang family is very capable, we are not bad either.
"You don't understand,” Zhang Xianglian grumbled. “The relationship between people cannot be completely tied by blood. Even the closest parents look at the abilities of the children. Smart and capable children will always get more favor."
If Jiang Sheng was still the beggar without the Jiuzhengzhai, the workshop, and the five excellent elder brothers,
the Jiang family might have looked down upon her in disdain.
"You're the darling of our family. If the Jiang family is willing to dote on you then let them. If not, we won't be humiliated there,” Zhang Xianglian said with tears streaming down her face. “...How could such good six children be separated?"
They walked all the way from difficulties to where they were now. It was not easy for the warm spring flowers to bloom. How could they separate?
Jiang Sheng also felt awful, but the Jiang family had helped her eldest brother, so she had to stand up for both emotional and moral reasons.
The little girl just had a sweet tooth and liked to throw tantrums in front of her brothers. This didn't mean she didn't know propriety or didn't understand when to advance and when to retreat, and how to get along well with others.
The Jiang family was also having a hard time.
Not inviting her back would seem cold-blooded and indifferent to blood ties.
Forcibly inviting her back would not consider her feelings and would be too overbearing.
After thinking it over and over, the only way was for Jiang Sheng herself to voluntarily go back.
She was a sensible child. She wanted to thank the Jiang family and pave the way for her big brother's future.
"Auntie, no more hairpins.” The little girl stood up, took off all the jewelry, and changed into simple clothes. “This is good enough."
She went to her brothers and looked up to instruct, “Eldest brother must study hard and prepare for the imperial examination. If the Fang family makes troubles, tell me and I’ll ask the Jiang family for help.”
“Fourth brother must practice medicine well. Don't cry all day. It's bad for your eyes.”
“Fifth brother, why not take an exam and get a title? Before I had time to idle away with you. In the future when I’m not around, you’ll get bored by yourself.”
Finally she looked at Zhang Xiang Lian. “Auntie, you still have to cook pork elbows often. Master said cooking skills will deteriorate without practice.”
After the instructions, she walked calmly to He Rui. “Take me to the Jiang family.”
