Chapter 369 Four Petitions

The reinforcements who had pursued the Northern Rong trickled back one after another.

As they entered Crouching Tiger City, they immediately sensed that something about the city had changed.

At first they thought it was only because the corpses inside and outside the walls had been gathered up, and the whole city was draped in white mourning cloth.

The farther in they went, the more obvious that change became.

By the time they reached the Government Office, that feeling reached its peak.

This city, bearing death and grief on its not-so-broad back, had shouldered everything, borne it all.

Silently licking its wounds, it laid its half-healed scars bare for all to see.

They still hurt, the pain cutting straight to the heart.

Only the pretense of busyness allowed them to forget their wounds for a while.

Every person of Crouching Tiger was busy and had very little time to indulge their sorrow.

There were family members at home in need of treatment, children lost in the chaos…

The city guard from Gufeng had all but become Crouching Tiger’s own city guard. They went from house to house to check on people, tally the numbers, escort hidden civilians back home, and tirelessly shouted up and down the streets, passing along the Government Office’s proclamations one by one.

Those voices repeated the same words again and again, slowly calming those who had been terrified and adrift.

The more the people hated the Northern Rong, the gentler they were toward the Crouching Tiger city guard who had fought to their final breath to protect them.

Some stayed beside the bodies of the city guards, cleaning them and waiting for people from the Government Office to come, all so they could report everything they had seen.

“…He shielded us as we escaped. He killed several enemies. This commoner knows of at least three. Please record his merits, my lord!”

Every person who died for Crouching Tiger deserved to be remembered. Their achievements and their glory would become the power that guarded their families.

…

The Heir to Prince Ying stepped into the Government Office and immediately saw several clerks surrounded by people.

Among them, Yan Huaiwen was the most conspicuous. Not only did he have the largest crowd around him, but his state was also the most astonishing.

His right hand was bandaged, so he wrote with his left.

His writing was incredibly fast, never pausing.

He handled matters without a moment’s hesitation.

His wording was concise and sharp, not a single useless character.

Only today did the Heir to Prince Ying finally put a face to the term “capable official.” In his mind, it now had a shadow, the figure of this Registrar Yan of Crouching Tiger City…

Seeing him enter, Registrar Yan handed off the matters in his hands to others and led him into the main hall.

Tables and chairs had been set out in the hall, and the vacant seat at the head of the room was clearly reserved for him.

The moment the Heir to Prince Ying sat down, a cup of scalding strong tea was set at his elbow.

He took a mouthful, and more than half his exhaustion melted away.

He had not expected Crouching Tiger to have even prepared breakfast for them.

The vegetable pancakes were crisp to the bite, served with plain porridge and pickles. Elsewhere such a meal would have seemed rather simple.

But in Crouching Tiger as it was today, it was already extremely rare.

After they finished breakfast, Magistrate Tian of Crouching Tiger City was helped in.

After exchanging courtesies with everyone, he first thanked Xizhou, expressing his gratitude for their timely aid.

He then said that breakfast had been arranged for the soldiers of Xizhou as well, since they could not allow their neighbors and friends to ride back on empty stomachs and so on.

His words were earnest, gratitude welling straight from his chest.

To those from Gufeng and Yongning, he only briefly said that food had already been prepared and would be sent over.

It was obvious he drew a very clear line between outsiders and insiders.

The Heir to Prince Ying thought silently to himself: So he means to settle external affairs first, then internal ones…

No one on Guanzhou’s side spoke up. They simply watched Xizhou and Crouching Tiger go back and forth.

The general from Xizhou felt no need to be particularly restrained just because he had eaten someone else’s food.

They had ridden hard to come to the rescue and were being treated with courtesy. Was that not only right?

Still, Crouching Tiger City’s attitude was properly measured, which made one feel at ease.

Magistrate Tian lowered himself as far as he could, laying out his difficulties with painful frankness, pleading in a soft voice, tears falling again and again…

Faced with this old man who had just lost his city, whose whole body reeked of medicine as he forced himself to stand, even a heart of iron would soften a little.

In the end, Xizhou agreed to a figure that was at least somewhat reasonable.

Magistrate Tian wept with gratitude.

On the spot he said, “Huai’an, help your teacher see the General out.”

The Xizhou general: …

That sudden?

No more polite words?

But he also knew Crouching Tiger still had a mountain of work to do, so he took his leave and departed.

Yan Huaiwen had been playing along with the old master the whole time.

How many men Xizhou had brought, whether or not they had horses…

The breakfast hospitality had been for this.

The number of reinforcements and mounts was now perfectly clear.

It would not do to simply accept whatever number Xizhou claimed.

Crouching Tiger had suffered disaster, its plight plain to see.

They absolutely had to provide this grain and fodder. Xizhou had come, after all, and could not be sent home empty handed.

This was not the time to bring up that they’d contributed men but not effort. The fact that they had come at all was already a great favor. One had to show full courtesy and negotiate a figure both sides could accept. That was what mattered.

For Crouching Tiger, of course, the smaller the better.

Magistrate Tian had only just managed to get out of bed and knew nothing of the details, but clever men did not need many words. A few small gestures, a meeting of eyes, and they understood each other.

Yan Huaiwen had been pondering how to deal with the envoys from the Prefectural City when he suddenly heard that “your teacher”…

And his younger brother accepted the order and went, then returned to report…

That Huai’an, it really was this Huai’an!

When had he become a disciple? How had he not known?

Yan Huaiwen cast him a cool glance, then withdrew his gaze.

Yan Lao’er did not notice anything odd about his older brother.

In such a solemn setting, he really was summoning up all his energy, striving to make himself look a bit steadier.

When the teacher’s tea cooled, he topped it up.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he took the teapot and went around, pouring a little for everyone.

His older brother, like him, had no seat and was standing not far away.

Catching a moment when no one was paying attention, Yan Lao’er quickly tugged at him.

Yan Huaiwen raised a brow at him.

His foolish younger brother gestured for him to step back a bit, planning to pour him a cup as well so he could sneak a sip.

Yan Huaiwen closed his eyes briefly and shook his head at him.

Yan Lao’er did not give up. He gestured again, asking if he had eaten.

Yan Huaiwen felt both exasperated and amused. Helpless, he nodded.

Only then was Yan Lao’er at ease. He stood behind Magistrate Tian with a strained face, wearing a most proper and solemn expression…

The Heir to Prince Ying nearly spat out his tea.

He had an excellent memory. The moment Magistrate Tian said “Huai’an,” he matched it with the Yan Huaian Xiao Er had mentioned.

He thought to himself that Xiao Er had not mentioned the teacher-student relationship between them, which was rather modest of her.

The two brothers looked somewhat alike. You would not notice it if you saw each alone, but side by side it was easy to see their relationship.

Since he was paying attention, he watched them a little more closely.

And in watching, he was treated to a full display of what “brotherly affection” meant.

Yan Huaian’s behavior was simply too easy to read. His brows and eyes all but spoke aloud.

As for Registrar Yan, who looked somewhat cold and stern, he was actually this… tender toward his younger brother.

As soon as the people from Xizhou left, Magistrate Tian shakily stood up and gave a deep bow.

He set aside the earlier appearance of weakness and helplessness. His expression became solemn and grave as he said, in a voice heavy with sorrow:

“This humble official is incompetent. I failed to fulfill my duties and lost the land I was supposed to defend.

I have shamed the people of Crouching Tiger, shamed the Prince. I ought to have gone with the two officials before me.

Yet Crouching Tiger has suffered such a calamity that I cannot act recklessly at this time.

I beg the Heir Apparent to present four petitions:

First, the granaries of Crouching Tiger have been plundered, the grain stored in the countryside seized. This winter will be hard to endure. I beg the Prince to grant Crouching Tiger a postponement on paying taxes.

Second, the failure of the border garrison is suspicious. I beg the Prince to send capable men to investigate, to question, to punish with the utmost strictness.

Third, although the border garrison failed, they fought bravely and rushed to the front to kill the enemy. In this battle, Crouching Tiger’s city guard has been… completely wiped out. Only a handful of the wounded and weak remain. The people of Crouching Tiger have not lost their blood and spirit and fought to the death to slay the foe. For these three, I beg for merit to be recorded. I beg the Prince to reward them richly, and to send new troops to garrison Crouching Tiger.

Fourth, officials Xiao and Zhang were unmatched in loyalty and righteousness. Facing a powerful enemy, they showed no fear. They went willingly to their deaths, displaying the unbroken backbone of our great dynasty. I beg the Prince to grant them posthumous honors^[1] and have their deeds reported to the court to be proclaimed!”

(End of chapter)