Chapter 38: The Spring Breeze is Warm on the Face and Never Cold

The Duke of Chengguo's army entering Yizhou was naturally something the dynasty became aware of.

Such a blatant act of defiance against the imperial edict was something Huang Cheng would never cover up for the Duke of Chengguo. He exaggerated the report to the emperor, and the Jurchen envoys for the peace negotiations caused a huge uproar as well.

At first, there was no news of the Duke of Chengguo. Then came the report that he had perished in battle, taking his entire army with him.

The nation was in an uproar.

Although the Duke of Chengguo hadn't returned to the capital for many years, the people weren't unfamiliar with him. After all, he had first driven out the Jin thieves, rescuing the people of the northern lands from peril, and then stationed himself at the border to guard against further incursions, ensuring their peace.

For the past decade, the populace had grown accustomed to stability and tranquility. At times, it might even seem as though the Duke of Chengguo had been forgotten. But upon hearing the news of his death, panic swept through everyone.

What would happen to the borderlands?

The negotiations meant no more war.

No more war? How could the Jurchens be trusted?

Twenty years ago, they had also negotiated peace. Thirty years ago, they were even vassals of Great Qi. And what happened? They destroyed Great Qi, pillaged the northern lands, and abducted the emperor of Zhou Country.

How could the words of these barbarians be trusted?

What's more, three counties had been ceded to them, bringing the Jurchens even closer to the heartland. Where once vast rivers and open expanses had made incursions difficult, they were now practically neighbors. Just a single step could bring them into the capital—it was no longer an insurmountable task.

Grief for the Duke of Chengguo's death, combined with anxiety over the future, moved many to tears upon hearing the news.

Adults wept; children wept too. For a while, it seemed as though all under the heavens shared in the sorrow.

The magnitude of this scene took the dynasty by surprise.

Who could have predicted the outpouring of grief and distress caused by the news of the Duke of Chengguo's death?

Rumors began to spread. Some said the dynasty had orchestrated the Duke's demise—sacrificing him in order to negotiate peace and ingratiate themselves with the Jurchens.

Of course, contradictory rumors soon followed, accusing the Duke of Chengguo of arrogance and insubordination. It was said that his refusal to return and his ambition had led to the loss of elite soldiers and warhorses. Others even claimed that the Duke hadn't died at all, but had instead defected to the enemy.

This last rumor quickly swept through the capital, drowning out the earlier ones.

"Why did His Majesty repeatedly give the order to retreat, yet only the Duke of Chengguo refused to comply?"

In a riverside teahouse, a gaunt man gesticulated wildly as he spoke.

Surrounding him were people sitting or standing, their expressions laden with conflicting emotions.

"The Duke of Chengguo had the northern lands in his heart..." one man ventured.

But before he could finish, the gaunt man spat in contempt.

"What nonsense! He just cared about himself. If he pulled back the troops and agreed to peace, how would he continue to strut around the northern lands showing off his power?" the man sneered. "Let me tell you, no one loves war more than the Duke of Chengguo. If he doesn't fight, how can he flaunt his prowess in the northern lands?"

It seemed plausible, and low murmurs of discussion began to rise from the crowd.

Seventh Chen glanced at the river, shivering as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"It's so cold," he muttered.

Across from him, Manager Liu's expression was equally complex.

"Yes, so cold. And yet it's already the Spring of March. Why does it still chill the heart?"

Nearby, noticing his growing audience, the gaunt man grew emboldened. He placed one foot on a bench for added effect and proclaimed, "That's why I'm saying the Duke of Chengguo went to Yizhou on purpose! To sabotage the peace negotiations..."

But before he could finish, a startled cry rose from outside, followed by an object hurled toward him.

The man felt a filthy stench assault him, nearly causing him to gag, followed by a sharp jolt of pain.

He let out a cry and stumbled backward, intending to lean against a table, but his foot caught on something, sending him sprawling to the ground.

The crowd gasped in shock.

"What's going on? What's going on?" Seventh Chen jumped up and hurriedly tried to help him.

The man clambered to his feet, angrily kicking away the dirty shoe that had struck his face.

"Thank you, brother," he muttered with gratitude as he regained his composure, only to glare furiously in the direction the shoe had come from. "Who did this?"

Everyone turned to look and saw four or five ragged beggars. The leader, a scrawny beggar, stood with only one shoe on.

Beggars?

Beggars not begging for alms—could they be robbing people?

The beggars, ordinarily meek and subservient in the capital, now appeared incensed, even fierce.

"What's the meaning of this?" the man stormed toward them, filled with indignation.

"You! Why did you insult the Duke of Chengguo?" the leading beggar demanded, his voice raspy and unpolished, carrying the unmistakable accent of the northern lands.

The man snorted in disdain.

"The Duke of Chengguo has brought calamity upon the nation..."

Before he could finish, the beggars roared in unison.

"You dare speak ill of the Duke of Chengguo!"

Not content with mere words, they lunged at him, raining blows upon him until he fell to the ground.

Crying, shouting, and chaos erupted in the teahouse.

"Don't hit him! Don't hit him! If there's something to say, say it properly!" Seventh Chen yelled, hopping around and pushing people aside under the guise of stopping the fight, inadvertently blocking others from intervening.

But this was still the capital, and with the northern lands in turmoil, the Five Cities Military Department had ramped up patrols. Soldiers quickly arrived and detained both parties.

The man, beaten into a sorry state with scratches across his face, wiped at his bloody nose and loudly demanded the beggars' arrest.

Beggars attacking someone, of course, meant arrest. The soldiers prepared to move forward.

"Why did they attack him? Beggars randomly assaulting people?" Seventh Chen shouted, adding, "If this isn't explained, all the beggars in the city should be driven out."

"He's right! Explain why they attacked!" another voice echoed in agreement.

Indeed, with the growing numbers of beggars and vagrants in the capital, any unrest would affect everyone.

More voices joined in, and the growing clamor caused the soldiers to pause, their actions suspended. The beggars, meanwhile, began speaking up, their air of grievance and anger apparent.

"Because he insulted the Duke of Chengguo," one of them said, his reddened eyes still burning with fury. "If not for the Duke of Chengguo, we wouldn't even have made it to the capital as beggars; we'd have starved or died in the northern lands. And yet you claim the Duke of Chengguo has brought disaster upon the nation? Such nonsense!"

For this?

The crowd hesitated, dumbfounded. These beggars had resorted to violence simply because someone had spoken ill of the Duke of Chengguo.

Was this sheer foolishness, or was their reverence for the Duke rooted so deeply it consumed them?

"You're the ones spouting nonsense! What does my criticism of the Duke have to do with you?" the man retorted angrily.

"It has everything to do with us!"

The beggars shouted in unison, their faces full of grief and rage.

"You're not from the northern lands, are you? What qualifies you to denounce the Duke of Chengguo?"

"We're from the northern lands. Does anyone here understand the kind of lives we've lived?"

"If not for the Duke of Chengguo protecting us, we'd all have died at the hands of the Jurchen soldiers! He shielded the people from the Jin thieves. And yet you accuse him of grabbing power and glory? If it's so easy, why don't you go grab some yourself? Go on! See how simple it is!"

"To ensure the safe evacuation of the three counties' residents, the Duke sent his heir and the heir's wife with troops to assist. And you say he loves war? How would we survive if he didn't fight? Without fighting, we'd all be dead!"

As they spoke, some women began to cry.

"You live comfortable lives, free from hardship, and then you dare to slander him. This is too much," an elderly beggar choked out, his voice thick with indignation and sorrow.

These beggars, refugees from the northern lands, vividly described their experiences, and their words carried undeniable conviction when recounting the Duke's deeds.

Their argument silenced the crowd for a moment.

Indeed, the Duke of Chengguo had done so much for the people—being reduced to such baseless speculation felt like an injustice.

Seeing the tide turn against him, the man grew frustrated and embarrassed.

"Don't listen to their nonsense," he snapped, then turned to the soldiers. "Arrest them at once!"

The soldiers cast him a frigid glance.

"No causing a disturbance in the streets," their leader said sternly. "If it happens again, you'll be jailed."

Then, turning toward the beggars, he added, "Why are you still here? Get lost!"

The beggars froze for a moment. Though their outburst had been impulsive, they were still wracked with fear. To their surprise, the officers didn't detain them, and they hurriedly helped each other leave, supporting the elderly and the weak.

The man was stunned.

What's the meaning of this? Who were they warning? Why let them go?

"Hey, you..." he called, preparing to follow, when someone jostled him hard from behind.

Caught off guard, he stumbled forward, banging his leg painfully against the edge of a table. His cries of pain left him unable to continue protesting.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" Seventh Chen exclaimed, rushing out anxiously. "I'm going to be late!"

Manager Liu suppressed a laugh as he followed.

The soldiers remained stoic, addressing the teahouse patrons with icy glares.

"If there's nothing else, disperse," their leader ordered. "No spreading false rumors or disturbing public order."

Such offenses carried severe penalties, frightening the teahouse crowd, who quickly scattered like startled birds.

Soon enough, only the beaten man was left in the teahouse, clutching his leg, his nose bleeding and one eye swollen shut. His anger mingled with shame as he grumbled curses under his breath.

As they exited, Seventh Chen and Manager Liu exchanged a glance, their smiles faint.

They turned their gaze to the group of beggars slowly disappearing down the street and both sighed softly.

"It's spring, after all—it won't stay cold forever," Manager Liu remarked.

"What the Duke of Chengguo has done may not be seen by the people in the capital, but everyone in the northern lands knows," Seventh Chen replied. "Heaven and earth have their own sense of justice."

As his words fell, the sound of hooves galloping rapidly broke the usual din of activity in the street.

A commotion stirred, but everyone was familiar with such deliveries of urgent news in the capital nowadays.

Seventh Chen and Manager Liu stepped aside to the edge of the street, turning to look. A soldier on horseback rode swiftly toward them.

But this time, he did something different—he raised a silk flag that was usually carried behind him.

"Urgent news!" the soldier shouted with excitement. "The Duke of Chengguo has returned with his army from Yizhou!"

The Duke of Chengguo!

The shout froze the street in silence for an instant before erupting into chaos.

The Duke of Chengguo! He wasn't dead!

Seventh Chen clenched his fists, surprise flashing in his expression.

"I was just saying this casually—turns out there really is justice in the world," he said.

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Thank you to contributors Yicun Chenxiang, ?Last Shot?, Southern Bing Yi, MAX Shitou, and Jing Sanshao for your rewards of He's Bi (*^__^*)

The double rewards have ended. Thank you all! My gratitude and deepest bow.