Chapter 64
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With a burning brazier and a soft fox fur cloak, it was warm as spring inside the carriage. Liang Feng stared blankly at the scrolls in front of him. Cui You hadn’t summoned him again in the two days he’d stayed in the Cui Residence; only Cui Liang, the youthful simpleton, had sought him out to chat about Buddhism and metaphysics. But just before he left, he had received an unexpected parting gift: a copy of “Commentary of Gongyang on the Spring and Autumn Annals” that Cui You had personally annotated.
Liang Feng had been quite miffed when he’d taken the book out of its box. He wasn’t an expert on history, but he had enough general knowledge to know just what kind of text this was.
The three commentaries, the “Commentary of Zuo,” the “Commentary of Gongyang,” and the “Commentary of Guliang,” were written to convey the chief purpose of the Spring and Autumn Annals. The “Commentary of Zuo” had the more comprehensive historical record, while the “Commentary of Gongyang” and the “Commentary of Guliang” had the more comprehensive anthology of ancient classics. Liang Feng had read some of the “Commentary of Zuo” as of late since it was one of the quintessential history texts; the battles and stratagems it described were especially marvelous. Gongyang and Guliang, though, didn’t suit his interests. All he knew about them was that they’d once been a point of contention in the conflict over “modern texts” and “old texts,” and that it was Zheng Xuan’s standardization of “modern and old” that brought an end to the debate. Although later Confucian scholars would primarily focus their studies on the “Commentary of Zuo.”
If Cui You had gifted him all three commentaries or just the “Commentary of Zuo,” Liang Feng would assume the old fox was nagging him to study. But as he’d given him only the “Commentary of Gongyang,” Liang Feng couldn’t not read into his intentions. The most notable inheritor of its teachings during the Han Dynasty was Dong Zhongshu, who was backed by Liu Che. The “Commentary of Gongyang” was truly a complete collection of essential Confucian texts, with all the “profound teachings,” “honor the ruler and repel barbarians,” and “cultural Sinocentrism” – it was an honest to god book about the way of kings!
Why had Cui You given him such a book? They’d only spoken a few words to each other. Liang Feng didn’t even want to guess what the old fogey thought about him or wanted from him. And at the end of the day, he wasn’t even an official! He was just an insignificant marquess!
And yet, Cui You was a paragon of a Confucian scholar, the kind that didn’t vie for political power and was content to pursue his own studies. He’d only ever been a minor official during the Wei Dynasty, and had even refused Emperor Wu’s order of appointment. The Shangdang Cui family wasn’t the kind that pursued selfish gain either; their background was extremely ordinary. If it weren’t for Cui You, they wouldn’t even count as gentry. Even though he’d taught Liu Yuan, Liang Feng couldn’t honestly accuse him of harboring ulterior motives.
Then what had he seen in him?
After responding to an invitation, not only hadn’t he found out anything about Liu Yuan, he’d been completely seen through by someone else. Could he even live up to such great expectations?
His finger traced across a sentence, “… above, there is no Son of Heaven; below, there are no righteous officials; the nobles act immorally; subjects kill their lords; sons slay their fathers; all that can be obtained be through might, is.”
There was a neat, small column of words next to the sentence, “One can ignore internal strife, but cannot avoid external foes.”
The carriage wheels creaked; the northern winds whistled. The real world was beyond the brocade curtains. Liang Feng suddenly put down the book and swept the thick curtains aside, “Stop! Bring me a horse; I want to ride!”
Lüzhu gasped, “Master, it’s too cold, you can’t…”
But Liang Feng was already halfway out. Thankfully, the driver, Yiyan, pulled the reins in time. Liang Feng hopped off the carriage before it had fully come to a halt and marched up to a soldier on a large Wusun horse, “Get off,” he said.
Ktf mjnjigswjc byfvlfcais rmgjwyifv vbkc. Qlatbea jcs jrrlrajcmf, Oljcu Mfcu ugjyyfv atf rjvvif jcv rkecu tlwrfio eq. Tlsjc gertfv bnfg, “Zs ibgv! Rba atja tbgrf!”
“Qts cba?!” Oljcu Mfcu rdeffhfv atf tbgrf’r rlvfr jcv sfiifv, “Xlvvseq!”
Mbiibklcu bgvfgr, atf raffv ybiafv boo, abb delmxis obg Tlsjc ab rabq. Lf tjv cb mtblmf yea ab tegglfvis wbeca tlr bkc tbgrf jcv rtbea, “Jjamt eq, delmxis!”
Then he took off after him before anyone else had time to react.
The roaring winds blew Liang Feng’s fox fur coat askew, stabbing through his clothes and into his bones like icy daggers. The wind was bitingly cold, but Liang Feng felt like a kettle about to boil over. There was something trying to emerge from his throat, struggling to be heard. But what should he shout? What could he shout? One estate was not enough, of course it wasn’t enough! But what Cui You was hoping of him – could he really shoulder it?
“My lord!” An anxious cry reached his ears along with the sound of galloping hooves. Yiyan trailed closely behind him with a panic-stricken expression. He’d never seen his lord act this way before. He had always been calm and collected, just what could anger him so much that he had to ride so wildly?
But the person in front of him didn’t seem to hear. If a high-quality steed like that kept racing away at full speed, they’d shortly shake off the carriage train. But they were in the middle of the wilderness, what if they ran into roaming bandits?!
Yiyan gritted his teeth and leaned forward, urging his horse to go faster. His mount surged forth like a dark tornado, drawing closer to Liang Feng. But before he could grab him, his horse whinnied and reared up on its hind legs!
“My lord!”
Liang Feng heard his worried shout, but it was too late for him to do anything but clutch the horse’s mane and press himself against its back. A wild rabbit had suddenly run out into the road and spooked the horse. His equestrianism wasn’t good enough to handle unexpected situations. He could only barely keep his balance.
A large hand reached over, veins bulging from strain, and seized the reins forcefully yet skillfully. The horse bucked futilely before its forehooves slammed heavily on the ground. Before he knew it, Liang Feng felt himself lighten as he left the horse’s back and landed in someone’s embrace.
“My lord, are you alright?”
A pair of eyes, gray-blue like a frozen lake, stared straight into his. Liang Feng took a deep breath, “I’m fine. The horse was spooked just now.”
“We’re out in the wilderness! How can you ride so recklessly!” Yiyan was about to say more, but Liang Feng steadied himself and walked over to the bushes by the road.
Then, Yiyan noticed two shivering figures huddled in the underbrush. Immediately, Yiyan was on high alert again. He drew his saber and roared, “Who goes there?!”
Liang Feng gestured for him to stand down. Two refugees, a man and a woman, kneeled in the underbrush. They were frighteningly haggard and their clothes were barely more than rags. There was a toddler in the woman’s arms, wrapped in two large outer garments, probably the family’s only winter clothes. The woman held a hand tightly over the child’s mouth, pressing him tightly against her chest, muffling his cries for fear of luring danger.
Knowing that they couldn’t hide any longer, the man sheltered his wife behind him, “It’s not their fault. If you’re gonna kill anyone, kill me. I beg yous spare the mother and child…”
Liang Feng guessed that the couple had been trying to hunt the wild rabbit and accidentally herded it to the road, where it then startled his horse. If they ran across real soldiers or nobles, would they get away with their lives?
“Where are you from? Why are you escaping famine?”
“We, we’re from Liaoyang. There’s… there’s nothin’ left to eat, so we, we were gonna head to Si Province to find my… cousin,” the man stuttered.
“There’s a war going on in Si Province. Rebel armies have surrounded Luoyang,” Liang Feng said.
The woman began to weep. The man became even more flustered, “It’s alright, it’s alright. I’m sure my cousin’s alright…”
Looking at the couple and the terrified child, Liang Feng sighed, “If you’re willing, you can follow me to my estate. You can work there to pass the winter.”
Shocked, the couple fell silent and didn’t reply. Liang Feng knew what they were afraid of, and said, “My surname is Liang.”
The woman suddenly raised her bowed head, and upon seeing his face, fell into a trance. She grabbed her husband’s arm, “Liang, Master Liang! Bodhisattva! You’re the…”
“I am that Master Liang,” Liang Feng said straightly.
The woman covered her mouth and started sobbing. Seeing to forget her child, she prostrated to the ground, “Bodhisattva, please save us, Bodhisattva…”
There was no fear or hesitation left in her voice, only sincerity and hope. It wasn’t the first time he’d been called Bodhisattva, nor was it the first time he’d heard such pleas, but this time, her cries passed through the gloom pent up inside him and pricked his heart.
Liang Feng closed his eyes for a moment, “Let’s return then.”
He didn’t know what Cui You saw in him, but he knew that he couldn’t turn away from this burden. Faced with these vibrant lives, he couldn’t say no.
With the irritating wailing in the background, Yiyan saw him regain serenity. Something in his chest constricted painfully. He inhaled and lowered his head.
※
“That idiot Zhang Fang lost again!” Sima Teng fumed at the report and jumped to his feet, “Why is that person so good at fighting!”
“That person,” was, of course, the protector of Luoyang, Sima Ai. Ever since the Battle of Fuping Ford Bridge, Sima Ai had not lost a single battle. He went so far as to personally bring the captured emperor to the front lines to boost morale. According to rumors, the invading army had already lost forty to fifty thousand men. With a few more soldiers and horses, would he triumph over two princes’ allied armies?
Sima Yue, sitting in his seat, was just as displeased. Though Sima Ai had won, Sima Ying still had no intention of retreating. Luoyang was still encircled. There wasn’t much grain in the city to begin with, but now Zhang Fang had captured the granary outside the city and dug a dam, nearly cutting off Luoyang’s water supply. If this went on for another month or a half, famine would occur.
Sima Yue thought for a while but still shook his head, “Shidu has requested aid from the armies of Yong Province. It’s not yet clear who will prevail, we mustn’t act rashly.”
It wouldn’t be worth it to turn traitor now if forces from Yong Province might arrive and defeat Sima Ying. Sima Ying was a moron, but Sima Ai resembled their ancestor. If he won and consolidated his power in the court, would there be any opportunity left to him?
Sima Yue sneered and said, “For now, do whatever Shidu orders! Don’t give him anything to use against us. It’ll be winter soon – surely this war is nearly at an end!”
Being brothers by blood, Sima Teng instantly caught his Sima Yue’s hint. He nodded and grinned viciously, “Of course, brother!”
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With a burning brazier and a soft fox fur cloak, it was warm as spring inside the carriage. Liang Feng stared blankly at the scrolls in front of him. Cui You hadn’t summoned him again in the two days he’d stayed in the Cui Residence; only Cui Liang, the youthful simpleton, had sought him out to chat about Buddhism and metaphysics. But just before he left, he had received an unexpected parting gift: a copy of “Commentary of Gongyang on the Spring and Autumn Annals” that Cui You had personally annotated.
Liang Feng had been quite miffed when he’d taken the book out of its box. He wasn’t an expert on history, but he had enough general knowledge to know just what kind of text this was.
The three commentaries, the “Commentary of Zuo,” the “Commentary of Gongyang,” and the “Commentary of Guliang,” were written to convey the chief purpose of the Spring and Autumn Annals. The “Commentary of Zuo” had the more comprehensive historical record, while the “Commentary of Gongyang” and the “Commentary of Guliang” had the more comprehensive anthology of ancient classics. Liang Feng had read some of the “Commentary of Zuo” as of late since it was one of the quintessential history texts; the battles and stratagems it described were especially marvelous. Gongyang and Guliang, though, didn’t suit his interests. All he knew about them was that they’d once been a point of contention in the conflict over “modern texts” and “old texts,” and that it was Zheng Xuan’s standardization of “modern and old” that brought an end to the debate. Although later Confucian scholars would primarily focus their studies on the “Commentary of Zuo.”
If Cui You had gifted him all three commentaries or just the “Commentary of Zuo,” Liang Feng would assume the old fox was nagging him to study. But as he’d given him only the “Commentary of Gongyang,” Liang Feng couldn’t not read into his intentions. The most notable inheritor of its teachings during the Han Dynasty was Dong Zhongshu, who was backed by Liu Che. The “Commentary of Gongyang” was truly a complete collection of essential Confucian texts, with all the “profound teachings,” “honor the ruler and repel barbarians,” and “cultural Sinocentrism” – it was an honest to god book about the way of kings!
Why had Cui You given him such a book? They’d only spoken a few words to each other. Liang Feng didn’t even want to guess what the old fogey thought about him or wanted from him. And at the end of the day, he wasn’t even an official! He was just an insignificant marquess!
And yet, Cui You was a paragon of a Confucian scholar, the kind that didn’t vie for political power and was content to pursue his own studies. He’d only ever been a minor official during the Wei Dynasty, and had even refused Emperor Wu’s order of appointment. The Shangdang Cui family wasn’t the kind that pursued selfish gain either; their background was extremely ordinary. If it weren’t for Cui You, they wouldn’t even count as gentry. Even though he’d taught Liu Yuan, Liang Feng couldn’t honestly accuse him of harboring ulterior motives.
Then what had he seen in him?
After responding to an invitation, not only hadn’t he found out anything about Liu Yuan, he’d been completely seen through by someone else. Could he even live up to such great expectations?
His finger traced across a sentence, “… above, there is no Son of Heaven; below, there are no righteous officials; the nobles act immorally; subjects kill their lords; sons slay their fathers; all that can be obtained be through might, is.”
There was a neat, small column of words next to the sentence, “One can ignore internal strife, but cannot avoid external foes.”
The carriage wheels creaked; the northern winds whistled. The real world was beyond the brocade curtains. Liang Feng suddenly put down the book and swept the thick curtains aside, “Stop! Bring me a horse; I want to ride!”
Lüzhu gasped, “Master, it’s too cold, you can’t…”
But Liang Feng was already halfway out. Thankfully, the driver, Yiyan, pulled the reins in time. Liang Feng hopped off the carriage before it had fully come to a halt and marched up to a soldier on a large Wusun horse, “Get off,” he said.
Ktf mjnjigswjc byfvlfcais rmgjwyifv vbkc. Qlatbea jcs jrrlrajcmf, Oljcu Mfcu ugjyyfv atf rjvvif jcv rkecu tlwrfio eq. Tlsjc gertfv bnfg, “Zs ibgv! Rba atja tbgrf!”
“Qts cba?!” Oljcu Mfcu rdeffhfv atf tbgrf’r rlvfr jcv sfiifv, “Xlvvseq!”
Mbiibklcu bgvfgr, atf raffv ybiafv boo, abb delmxis obg Tlsjc ab rabq. Lf tjv cb mtblmf yea ab tegglfvis wbeca tlr bkc tbgrf jcv rtbea, “Jjamt eq, delmxis!”
Then he took off after him before anyone else had time to react.
The roaring winds blew Liang Feng’s fox fur coat askew, stabbing through his clothes and into his bones like icy daggers. The wind was bitingly cold, but Liang Feng felt like a kettle about to boil over. There was something trying to emerge from his throat, struggling to be heard. But what should he shout? What could he shout? One estate was not enough, of course it wasn’t enough! But what Cui You was hoping of him – could he really shoulder it?
“My lord!” An anxious cry reached his ears along with the sound of galloping hooves. Yiyan trailed closely behind him with a panic-stricken expression. He’d never seen his lord act this way before. He had always been calm and collected, just what could anger him so much that he had to ride so wildly?
But the person in front of him didn’t seem to hear. If a high-quality steed like that kept racing away at full speed, they’d shortly shake off the carriage train. But they were in the middle of the wilderness, what if they ran into roaming bandits?!
Yiyan gritted his teeth and leaned forward, urging his horse to go faster. His mount surged forth like a dark tornado, drawing closer to Liang Feng. But before he could grab him, his horse whinnied and reared up on its hind legs!
“My lord!”
Liang Feng heard his worried shout, but it was too late for him to do anything but clutch the horse’s mane and press himself against its back. A wild rabbit had suddenly run out into the road and spooked the horse. His equestrianism wasn’t good enough to handle unexpected situations. He could only barely keep his balance.
A large hand reached over, veins bulging from strain, and seized the reins forcefully yet skillfully. The horse bucked futilely before its forehooves slammed heavily on the ground. Before he knew it, Liang Feng felt himself lighten as he left the horse’s back and landed in someone’s embrace.
“My lord, are you alright?”
A pair of eyes, gray-blue like a frozen lake, stared straight into his. Liang Feng took a deep breath, “I’m fine. The horse was spooked just now.”
“We’re out in the wilderness! How can you ride so recklessly!” Yiyan was about to say more, but Liang Feng steadied himself and walked over to the bushes by the road.
Then, Yiyan noticed two shivering figures huddled in the underbrush. Immediately, Yiyan was on high alert again. He drew his saber and roared, “Who goes there?!”
Liang Feng gestured for him to stand down. Two refugees, a man and a woman, kneeled in the underbrush. They were frighteningly haggard and their clothes were barely more than rags. There was a toddler in the woman’s arms, wrapped in two large outer garments, probably the family’s only winter clothes. The woman held a hand tightly over the child’s mouth, pressing him tightly against her chest, muffling his cries for fear of luring danger.
Knowing that they couldn’t hide any longer, the man sheltered his wife behind him, “It’s not their fault. If you’re gonna kill anyone, kill me. I beg yous spare the mother and child…”
Liang Feng guessed that the couple had been trying to hunt the wild rabbit and accidentally herded it to the road, where it then startled his horse. If they ran across real soldiers or nobles, would they get away with their lives?
“Where are you from? Why are you escaping famine?”
“We, we’re from Liaoyang. There’s… there’s nothin’ left to eat, so we, we were gonna head to Si Province to find my… cousin,” the man stuttered.
“There’s a war going on in Si Province. Rebel armies have surrounded Luoyang,” Liang Feng said.
The woman began to weep. The man became even more flustered, “It’s alright, it’s alright. I’m sure my cousin’s alright…”
Looking at the couple and the terrified child, Liang Feng sighed, “If you’re willing, you can follow me to my estate. You can work there to pass the winter.”
Shocked, the couple fell silent and didn’t reply. Liang Feng knew what they were afraid of, and said, “My surname is Liang.”
The woman suddenly raised her bowed head, and upon seeing his face, fell into a trance. She grabbed her husband’s arm, “Liang, Master Liang! Bodhisattva! You’re the…”
“I am that Master Liang,” Liang Feng said straightly.
The woman covered her mouth and started sobbing. Seeing to forget her child, she prostrated to the ground, “Bodhisattva, please save us, Bodhisattva…”
There was no fear or hesitation left in her voice, only sincerity and hope. It wasn’t the first time he’d been called Bodhisattva, nor was it the first time he’d heard such pleas, but this time, her cries passed through the gloom pent up inside him and pricked his heart.
Liang Feng closed his eyes for a moment, “Let’s return then.”
He didn’t know what Cui You saw in him, but he knew that he couldn’t turn away from this burden. Faced with these vibrant lives, he couldn’t say no.
With the irritating wailing in the background, Yiyan saw him regain serenity. Something in his chest constricted painfully. He inhaled and lowered his head.
※
“That idiot Zhang Fang lost again!” Sima Teng fumed at the report and jumped to his feet, “Why is that person so good at fighting!”
“That person,” was, of course, the protector of Luoyang, Sima Ai. Ever since the Battle of Fuping Ford Bridge, Sima Ai had not lost a single battle. He went so far as to personally bring the captured emperor to the front lines to boost morale. According to rumors, the invading army had already lost forty to fifty thousand men. With a few more soldiers and horses, would he triumph over two princes’ allied armies?
Sima Yue, sitting in his seat, was just as displeased. Though Sima Ai had won, Sima Ying still had no intention of retreating. Luoyang was still encircled. There wasn’t much grain in the city to begin with, but now Zhang Fang had captured the granary outside the city and dug a dam, nearly cutting off Luoyang’s water supply. If this went on for another month or a half, famine would occur.
Sima Yue thought for a while but still shook his head, “Shidu has requested aid from the armies of Yong Province. It’s not yet clear who will prevail, we mustn’t act rashly.”
It wouldn’t be worth it to turn traitor now if forces from Yong Province might arrive and defeat Sima Ying. Sima Ying was a moron, but Sima Ai resembled their ancestor. If he won and consolidated his power in the court, would there be any opportunity left to him?
Sima Yue sneered and said, “For now, do whatever Shidu orders! Don’t give him anything to use against us. It’ll be winter soon – surely this war is nearly at an end!”
Being brothers by blood, Sima Teng instantly caught his Sima Yue’s hint. He nodded and grinned viciously, “Of course, brother!”
With a burning brazier and a soft fox fur cloak, it was warm as spring inside the carriage. Liang Feng stared blankly at the scrolls in front of him. Cui You hadn't summoned him again in the two days he'd stayed in the Cui Residence; only Cui Liang, the youthful simpleton, had sought him out to chat about Buddhism and metaphysics. But just before he left, he had received an unexpected parting gift: a copy of Commentary of Gongyang on the Spring and Autumn Annals that Cui You had personally annotated.Liang Feng had been quite miffed when he'd taken the book out of its box. He wasn't an expert on history, but he had enough general knowledge to know just what kind of text this was.The three commentaries, the Commentary of Zuo, the Commentary of Gongyang, and the Commentary of Guliang, were written to convey the chief purpose of the Spring and Autumn Annals. The Commentary of Zuo had the more comprehensive historical record, while the Commentary of Gongyang and the Commentary of Guliang had the more comprehensive anthology of ancient classics. Liang Feng had read some of the Commentary of Zuo as of late since it was one of the quintessential history texts; the battles and stratagems it described were especially marvelous. Gongyang and Guliang, though, didn't suit his interests. All he knew about them was that they'd once been a point of contention in the conflict over modern texts and old texts, and that it was Zheng Xuan's standardization of modern and old that brought an end to the debate. Although later Confucian scholars would primarily focus their studies on the Commentary of Zuo.If Cui You had gifted him all three commentaries or just the Commentary of Zuo, Liang Feng would assume the old fox was nagging him to study. But as he'd given him only the Commentary of Gongyang, Liang Feng couldn't not read into his intentions. The most notable inheritor of its teachings during the Han Dynasty wasDong Zhongshu, who was backed byLiu Che. The Commentary of Gongyang was truly a complete collection of essential Confucian texts, with all the profound teachings, honor the ruler and repel barbarians, and cultural Sinocentrism it was an honest to god book about the way of kings!Why had Cui You given him such a book? They'd only spoken a few words to each other. Liang Feng didn't even want to guess what the old fogey thought about him or wanted from him. And at the end of the day, he wasn't even an official! He was just an insignificant marquess!And yet, Cui You was a paragon of a Confucian scholar, the kind that didn't vie for political power and was content to pursue his own studies. He'd only ever been a minor official during the Wei Dynasty, and had even refusedEmperor Wu's order of appointment. The Shangdang Cui family wasn't the kind that pursued selfish gain either; their background was extremely ordinary. If it weren't for Cui You, they wouldn't even count as gentry. Even though he'd taught Liu Yuan, Liang Feng couldn't honestly accuse him of harboring ulterior motives.Then what had he seen in him?After responding to an invitation, not only hadn't he found out anything about Liu Yuan, he'd been completely seen through by someone else. Could he even live up to such great expectations?His finger traced across a sentence, above, there is no Son of Heaven; below, there are no righteous officials; the nobles act immorally; subjects kill their lords; sons slay their fathers; all that can be obtained be through might, is.There was a neat, small column of words next to the sentence, One can ignore internal strife, but cannot avoid external foes.The carriage wheels creaked; the northern winds whistled. The real world was beyond the brocade curtains. Liang Feng suddenly put down the book and swept the thick curtains aside, Stop! Bring me a horse; I want to ride!Lzhu gasped, Master, it's too cold, you can'tBut Liang Feng was already halfway out. Thankfully, the driver, Yiyan, pulled the reins in time. Liang Feng hopped off the carriage before it had fully come to a halt and marched up to a soldier on a large Wusun horse, Get off, he said.Ktf mjnjigswjc byfvlfcais rmgjwyifv vbkc. Qlatbea jcs jrrlrajcmf, Oljcu Mfcu ugjyyfv atf rjvvif jcv rkecu tlwrfio eq. Tlsjc gertfv bnfg, Zs ibgv! Rba atja tbgrf!Qts cba?! Oljcu Mfcu rdeffhfv atf tbgrf'r rlvfr jcv sfiifv, Xlvvseq!Mbiibklcu bgvfgr, atf raffv ybiafv boo, abb delmxis obg Tlsjc ab rabq. Lf tjv cb mtblmf yea ab tegglfvis wbeca tlr bkc tbgrf jcv rtbea, Jjamt eq, delmxis!Then he took off after him before anyone else had time to react.The roaring winds blew Liang Feng's fox fur coat askew, stabbing through his clothes and into his bones like icy daggers. The wind was bitingly cold, but Liang Feng felt like a kettle about to boil over. There was something trying to emerge from his throat, struggling to be heard. But what should he shout? What could he shout? One estate was not enough, of course it wasn't enough! But what Cui You was hoping of him could he really shoulder it?My lord! An anxious cry reached his ears along with the sound of galloping hooves. Yiyan trailed closely behind him with a panic-stricken expression. He'd never seen his lord act this way before. He had always been calm and collected, just what could anger him so much that he had to ride so wildly?But the person in front of him didn't seem to hear. If a high-quality steed like that kept racing away at full speed, they'd shortly shake off the carriage train. But they were in the middle of the wilderness, what if they ran into roaming bandits?!Yiyan gritted his teeth and leaned forward, urging his horse to go faster. His mount surged forth like a dark tornado, drawing closer to Liang Feng. But before he could grab him, his horse whinnied and reared up on its hind legs!My lord!Liang Feng heard his worried shout, but it was too late for him to do anything but clutch the horse's mane and press himself against its back. A wild rabbit had suddenly run out into the road and spooked the horse. His equestrianism wasn't good enough to handle unexpected situations. He could only barely keep his balance.A large hand reached over, veins bulging from strain, and seized the reins forcefully yet skillfully. The horse bucked futilely before its forehooves slammed heavily on the ground. Before he knew it, Liang Feng felt himself lighten as he left the horse's back and landed in someone's embrace.My lord, are you alright?A pair of eyes, gray-blue like a frozen lake, stared straight into his. Liang Feng took a deep breath, I'm fine. The horse was spooked just now.We're out in the wilderness! How can you ride so recklessly! Yiyan was about to say more, but Liang Feng steadied himself and walked over to the bushes by the road.Then, Yiyan noticed two shivering figures huddled in the underbrush. Immediately, Yiyan was on high alert again. He drew his saber and roared, Who goes there?!Liang Feng gestured for him to stand down. Two refugees, a man and a woman, kneeled in the underbrush. They were frighteningly haggard and their clothes were barely more than rags. There was a toddler in the woman's arms, wrapped in two large outer garments, probably the family's only winter clothes. The woman held a hand tightly over the child's mouth, pressing him tightly against her chest, muffling his cries for fear of luring danger.Knowing that they couldn't hide any longer, the man sheltered his wife behind him, It's not their fault. If you're gonna kill anyone, kill me. I beg yous spare the mother and childLiang Feng guessed that the couple had been trying to hunt the wild rabbit and accidentally herded it to the road, where it then startled his horse. If they ran across real soldiers or nobles, would they get away with their lives?Where are you from? Why are you escaping famine?We, we're from Liaoyang. There's there's nothin' left to eat, so we, we were gonna head to Si Province to find my cousin, the man stuttered.There's a war going on in Si Province. Rebel armies have surrounded Luoyang, Liang Feng said.The woman began to weep. The man became even more flustered, It's alright, it's alright. I'm sure my cousin's alrightLooking at the couple and the terrified child, Liang Feng sighed, If you're willing, you can follow me to my estate. You can work there to pass the winter.Shocked, the couple fell silent and didn't reply. Liang Feng knew what they were afraid of, and said, My surname is Liang.The woman suddenly raised her bowed head, and upon seeing his face, fell into a trance. She grabbed her husband's arm, Liang, Master Liang! Bodhisattva! You're theI am that Master Liang, Liang Feng said straightly.The woman covered her mouth and started sobbing. Seeing to forget her child, she prostrated to the ground, Bodhisattva, please save us, BodhisattvaThere was no fear or hesitation left in her voice, only sincerity and hope. It wasn't the first time he'd been called Bodhisattva, nor was it the first time he'd heard such pleas, but this time, her cries passed through the gloom pent up inside him and pricked his heart.Liang Feng closed his eyes for a moment, Let's return then.He didn't know what Cui You saw in him, but he knew that he couldn't turn away from this burden. Faced with these vibrant lives, he couldn't say no.With the irritating wailing in the background, Yiyan saw him regain serenity. Something in his chest constricted painfully. He inhaled and lowered his head.That idiot Zhang Fang lost again! Sima Teng fumed at the report and jumped to his feet, Why is that person so good at fighting!That person, was, of course, the protector of Luoyang, Sima Ai. Ever since the Battle of Fuping Ford Bridge, Sima Ai had not lost a single battle. He went so far as to personally bring the captured emperor to the front lines to boost morale. According to rumors, the invading army had already lost forty to fifty thousand men. With a few more soldiers and horses, would he triumph over two princes' allied armies?Sima Yue, sitting in his seat, was just as displeased. Though Sima Ai had won, Sima Ying still had no intention of retreating. Luoyang was still encircled. There wasn't much grain in the city to begin with, but now Zhang Fang had captured the granary outside the city and dug a dam, nearly cutting off Luoyang's water supply. If this went on for another month or a half, famine would occur.Sima Yue thought for a while but still shook his head, Shiduhas requested aid from the armies of Yong Province. It's not yet clear who will prevail, we mustn't act rashly.It wouldn't be worth it to turn traitor now if forces from Yong Province might arrive and defeat Sima Ying. Sima Ying was a moron, but Sima Ai resembled their ancestor. If he won and consolidated his power in the court, would there be any opportunity left to him?Sima Yue sneered and said, For now, do whatever Shidu orders! Don't give him anything to use against us. It'll be winter soon surely this war is nearly at an end!Being brothers by blood, Sima Teng instantly caught his Sima Yue's hint. He nodded and grinned viciously, Of course, brother!
