"The army of the Prince[1] of Jianxing, Shen Wei, suffered a crushing defeat at the Chashi River in the Northeast. The Dunzhou front line has fallen into enemy hands. Thirty thousand soldiers have been buried alive in the Chashi sinkhole. You were one of them, but why are you the only one who escaped unscathed?"
[1 ] 王 Princes, or nobles, during the Ming dynasty were titled and salaried members of the imperial bureaucracy with nominal power over various regions throughout China.
Shen Zechuan's eyes were glazed and unfocused. He didn't answer.
The interrogator fiercely banged on the table and leaned forward to question him with a malicious gaze. "Because Shen Wei was in secret communication with the Biansha of the Twelve Tribes[2] and had the intention of presenting the Six Prefectures of Zhongbo to our external enemies. You wanted to collude with the enemy to break through Qudu's defenses from the inside and outside. That's why the Biansha Cavalry didn't kill you. Am I right?"
[2] Name of enemy tribe in the desert on the border / frontier line
Shen Zechuan moved his dry, chapped lips. He tried hard to listen to the interrogator's questions. His Adam's apple throbbed as he stuttered. "No… no."
The interrogator slammed the table with a loud bang. "Shen Wei sacrificed himself out of fear of punishment. The Imperial Guards[3] have already submitted the evidence of their secret liaison documents to the Emperor. Yet, kid, here you are and still dare to deny it. How utterly lost you are!"
[3] 锦衣卫 Jin Yi Wei, or literally Brocade (-robed ) Guards , were elite bodyguards and secret police who directly served the Ming Emperor. They were authorized to overturn judicial proceedings in prosecutions, with full autonomy granted in arresting, interrogating and punishing anyone, including nobles and relatives of the Emperor.
Shen Zechuan felt as if he was in a daze. He didn't know how long it had been since he had slept. It was as if he was suspended by a thread that hung thousands of zhang[4] high in the air. If he let go of his hand so much as a moment of negligence, he would fall and smash into pieces on the ground.
[4] zhang; Chinese measure of length, ten Chinese feet (1 zhang = 3.3m)
The interrogator opened the confession statement and glanced at it before saying, "You said last night that you were able to emerge unharmed from the Chashi sinkhole alive because your brother saved you. Is that true?"
The scene of that day vaguely materialized before Shen Zechuan's eyes. They had been trapped so deep in the sinkhole that no matter what they did, they couldn't get out of it even with countless soldiers all crammed inside. The pile of corpses beneath their feet grew thicker and thicker, but it still wasn't enough for them to reach the edge of the hole. The Biansha cavalry surrounded the sinkhole, and the sound of flying arrows sliced through the cold night wind. Blood flooded his calves as the miserable wails and gasps of people on their deathbeds clung to his ears.
Shen Zechuan began to show symptoms of hyperventilation (difficulty breathing with an abnormally fast breathing rate) and trembled as he sat in the chair. He lost control of himself and clutched his hair, unable to stop the sobs that were choking out of his throat.
"You lie."
The Interrogator Officer raised the confession statement document and held it in his hand as he faced Shen Zechuan.
"Your elder brother is Shen Zhouji, the eldest son[5] of the Prince of Jianxing. He left thirty thousand soldiers before the Chashi sinkhole and fled secretly with his own personal soldiers. However, the Biansha Cavalry caught him and then tied him with ropes and dragged him along the road by the Chashi River to his death. He was already dead when the Biansha Twelve Tribes slaughtered[6] the soldiers. There was no way he could have saved you."
[5] Children at that time agreed whether they were Di or Shu children. A Di (嫡子) son was born by the first legitimate wife (this was the wife who was officially married into the family, also known as zhengshi (正室)). Being the children of the legitimate wife made them the legitimate heirs. They also had a higher social status and more often received better favors compared to Shu (庶子) sons born by concubines. It is advisable to keep this in mind, as it will be a recurring theme in the novel.
[6]To be more specific, kill enemies and then pile their bodies on top of towers, etc., to show off their prowess and victory.
Shen Zechuan's mind was spinning. The interrogator's voice was getting farther and farther away. All he could hear now was endless wailing.
Where was the way out? Where was the help? The dead were squeezed to fight the dead. The rotten, shapeless flesh pressed against his hands. Mu-ge[7] shielded it above his head, while he lay face down on the bloody carcasses. He listened to Mu-ge's rapid breathing. But the cries that came from his throat were of despair.
[7] 暮哥, brother Mu
"I am a man[8] with great abilities." In front of him Ji Mu struggled to smile, but tears were already streaming down his face. He continued in a sobbing voice, "I am an impregnable fortress! I will be fine after hanging there. By then, reinforcements will have arrived to save us. When the time comes, I will return home with you to join Father and Mother. I still have to look for your Sister-in-law…"
[8]He refers to himself as 哥 or ge or eldest brother. This is Shen Zechuan's address for him as well.
The interrogator banged the table with a "bang" and shouted, "Let's get this straight!"
Shen Zechuan began to struggle. He looked like he wanted to break free from the invisible shackles, but the Imperial Guards surrounded him and pinned him to the table.
"You are in our imperial prison[9] I have not carried out extreme torture on you until now because of your young age. But since you do not know what is good for you, then don't blame us for being a little cruel to you. Men, apply the torture!"
[9] 诏狱 Imperial prison, a high-level prison in ancient China where most of the criminals were senior officials or high-ranking officials involved in cases that required the Emperor to issue imperial edicts to punish them.
Shen Zechuan's arms were tied with ropes before he was dragged to an open space in the room. Someone placed a stool with a "clatter" and tied his feet to it. A burly man beside him raised a prison stick[10], weighed it in his hand, and swung it down.
[10] 狱杖 a long stick or paddle used to whip someone.
"I will ask you one more time." The interrogator removed the foam on the surface of the tea with his lid. Only after he took a sip did he ask, "Did Shen Wei collude with the enemy to commit treason?"
Shen Zechuan refused to give in. He shouted intermittently between the whips[11]. "No, no!"
[11]杖 刑 Physical punishment or torture by whipping the back, buttocks, or legs with a long stick or paddle as above.
The Interrogator Officer put aside the teacup and said, "The Shen Clan would not be here today if you had used this fortitude on the battlefield. Keep whipping him!"
Shen Zechuan gradually couldn't accept it. He lowered his head and said hoarsely, "Shen Wei never colluded with the enemy..."
"We suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Chashi River because Shen Wei fought the enemy recklessly. After the defeat at Chashi River, there was still a chance to redeem the situation on the Dunzhou front lines. However, he withdrew his troops without reason despite the great disparity between our forces and theirs. Because of this, the Three Cities of Duanzhou fell into enemy hands. Tens of thousands of commoners in those cities lost their lives to the Biansha machete. [12]" At this point, the interrogator took a deep breath and continued bitterly. "It was a bloodbath in the Six Prefectures of Zhongbo. Shen Wei led his troops and retreated south. The battle in Dengzhou was the most suspicious! The Qidong Red Commando garrison had already passed through Tianfei Watchtower to provide assistance. But he abandoned the pincer attack strategy and instead deployed thousands of cavalry to escort his own family to Dancheng. This caused the entire defense line in Dengzhou to collapse- Wasn't this all done on purpose? If it weren't for the Libei Armored Cavalry[13] who galloped across the icy river for three nights, the Biansha Cavalry would have already arrived at the gates of Qudu!"
[12] Biansha Cavalry Weapons .
[13] Armored cavalry (铁骑) is a type of cavalry that carries heavy weapons while fighting on armored horses. They were one of the most powerful forces in ancient warfare. Meanwhile, general cavalry (骑兵) or horsemen are simply soldiers who fight on horseback.
Shen Zechuan felt dizzy and dazed. He broke out in a cold sweat. The interrogator cursed him in disgust. It slapped the back of his head.
"You would rather be a dog than a man from Zhongbo. And this time, Shen Wei is a sinner of Dazhou[14]. You still want to deny it? You have no choice but to admit your guilt!"
[14] 大周 Dazhou or Great Zhou. Dazhou here refers to the name of the empire in this novel.
Shen Zechuan was in so much pain that half of his body was numb. He lay on the bench, staring at the confession document in front of him. The ink writing on it was clear. Each character was like a humiliating lash on his face as it was announced to everyone in the world:
Shen Wei betrayed his country. He is not even worthy of being a dog.
He had left the Six Prefectures of Zhongbo to live inundated with corpses. No one had gone to collect the bodies buried in the Chashi sinkhole, because everyone in Dunzhou city had been slaughtered.
Shen Wei burned himself to death. But this blood-soaked debt had to be paid by someone alive. Shen Wei had a harem of wives and concubines, along with many sons. But they all perished when the Biansha Cavalry invaded Dunzhou. It was only because Shen Zechuan was of low birth and raised outside that he was able to escape unscathed.
Shen Zechuan was dragged back, his heels leaving a trail of blood in his path. He faced the wall and stared out the narrow window. The cold wind howled, and the snow poured down. The pitch-black night stretched on endlessly.
It was a complete mess in his head. Amidst the sound of the wind, his mind went back to the time in the sinkhole.
Ji Mu was dying. His breathing had grown slow and ragged. Blood dripped down his armor and onto the back of Shen Zechuan's neck and quickly turned cold. The wails around him disappeared. All that was left were the unbearable groans of pain and the biting, deadly wind.
Shen Zechuan came face to face with a dead man who was no longer recognizable. His legs were pinned under a heavy human body, while the shield pressed painfully into his stomach. All he could smell as he breathed was the thick stench of blood. He gritted his teeth as tears streamed down his face, but he had to stop crying. Feeling desperate, he stared at the face trampled beneath his feet, but he could not see whether this was a soldier he had seen before or not.
"Brother." Shen Zechuan sobbed softly. "I, I'm afraid…"
Ji Mu's throat tightened. He gently patted Shen Zechuan's head with his palm and said, "It's okay… we'll be fine."
Shen Zechuan heard the soldiers singing at death's door. The strong wind tore apart the sound of the song and sent the tattered pieces flying far into the cold night.
"Battle in the southern city… Death north of the city walls… Left in the open, unburied… Free for all the crows to feed."[15]
[15] "铙歌十八曲 ·战城南"literally The Eighteen Cymbal Songs – Battle in the South City, is a folk song written for those who died on the battlefield. It depicts the cruelty of war and expresses the poet's opposition to it, stating that the common people were merely sacrifices of war.
"Big Brother." Shen Zechuan whispered beneath him. "I'll carry you on my back… Big Brother."
Ji Mu's body was like a shield that diverged. He smiled and said in a hoarse voice, "I can walk by myself."
"Were you hit by an arrow?"
"No." Ji Mu's tears had dried. He said casually, "… Those bald Biansha guys can't even shoot beans."
Shen Zechuan's fingers were soaked in flesh and blood. With great effort, he wiped his face and said, "Shiniang[16] will definitely make lots of dumplings[17] for us. Once we return home, we will eat many bowls."
[16] Terms and forms of address for one's shifu's wife.
Ji Mu sighed and said, "… Your brother is a slow eater. Don't… snatch."
Shen Zechuan gave a firm nod below.
Snow gradually covered Ji Mu's body. He looked tired and sleepy. His voice was very, very small. He didn't even have the energy to move his fingers. The song was sung very slowly. When it reached the line "the valiant cavalry died in battle", Ji Mu closed his eyes.
Shen Zechuan said, "I… I will also give my money to big brother, to marry sister-in-law…"
"Older brother."
"Older brother."
Ji Mu remained silent. It was as if he was tired of listening to her words and couldn't resist the urge to fall asleep.
Shen Zechuan began to tremble all over. He forgot when the Biansha Cavalry left and how he climbed his way out of the hole. When he supported himself with his hands to lift his body, there was only silence in the thick snow. The corpses piled up under his knees all looked like old, discarded sacks.
Shen Zechuan looked back. And began to choke on sobs.
Ji Mu's back had been pierced with such a dense cluster of arrows that his entire body had turned into a twisted hedgehog. So much of his blood dripped onto Shen Zechuan's back, but Shen Zechuan never noticed.
The sound of horse hooves came swiftly in pursuit like a rumbling thunder. Shen Zechuan suddenly started in shock as he jolted awake.
He felt like vomiting, but then he realized that both his wrists had been tied tightly, and there was a burlap sack filled with soil on his body.
The sack became heavier as it weighed down on his chest. He couldn't even make a sound. This was a technique of inflicting "death by crushing with an earthen sack" commonly used in prisons on prisoners they didn't want to survive the assassination attempt or leave any traces of injuries behind. If Shen Zechuan hadn't woken up early, he would have been a cold corpse by dawn.
Someone wants to kill him!