Chapter 41: The Hero (IV)

“Brother Lin, please get up quickly!”
Li Kuo stepped forward to help Lin Feng up, sighing.
“I’m ashamed to admit it, but I grew up in Chang’an. All I heard were praises like ‘The champion faces the vast sea; the winds of Changping howl strong. Clouds cover the battlefield as tigers fall; the aura surrounds Dragon City like a rainbow.’ I had no idea our comrades had suffered so much hardship and injustice.”
Tears welled in the young man’s eyes as he shook his head.
Lin Feng said in a trembling voice, “It’s fine for us to suffer a bit. As long as we can protect our wives and children, even dying is worth it. But for our brothers to risk their lives on the front lines while those who dance in the moonlight are treated better—it’s truly heart-breaking!”
Speak not of conquest’s tears, nor of soldiers’ hardships.
For these tears and hardships are born from drops of blood, carrying sorrow beyond what ordinary people can bear.
“Brother Lin, don’t worry! Since I, Li Kuo, met you today, it means we’re destined to be together. I swear to heaven that I will never abandon a single comrade.”
The young man’s eyes were filled with determination, gradually becoming moving.
Lin Feng instinctively stepped back a few steps. Such a casual promise made him feel a hint of fear. Back then, General Gai Jiayun had done the same—patting his shoulder and entrusting the lives of hundreds of comrades to him, as well as the Jishi Army. That standard smile was so approachable, that gentle gaze so trustworthy. But in the face of the fierce Tibetan army, that kind smile twisted into a demonic grin, and that gentle gaze turned into a clownish mockery.
The feeling of being abandoned by one’s own people was indescribable—because at that moment, everyone’s heart had died!
Noticing Lin Feng’s deep-seated resistance, Li Kuo was slightly stunned.
“Brother Lin, what’s wrong?”
Lin Feng shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t trust the general. It’s just that we’ve become too disheartened, afraid of being treated as disposable pawns again!”
Dou Qing could no longer hold back her anger. She rushed forward, grabbed Lin Feng by the collar, and scolded, “What the hell are you talking about? Do you think all men of the Tang Dynasty are as worthless as you? Do you think my commander is as heartless as that worthless General Gai?”
Provoked by Dou Qing, Lin Feng’s pride surged. He pushed her hand away and said coldly, “I only believe what my own eyes and ears see! In the Great Fei River Valley, the heads of tens of thousands of comrades formed the walls of the capital! On the Nine-Bend Ancient Road, the whips of the Tibetan barbarians rang loudly!” (Note 1)
“Sigh!”

Upon hearing this, Dou Qing felt it was better not to argue further. With a sigh, she stepped aside.
Li Kuo knew he couldn’t fully trust him in the short term, so he didn’t press him.
“Brother Lin, I’ll give you time. I’ll prove to you through my actions that I’m a man who will share life and death with his comrades!”
Li Kuo raised his voice; his somewhat youthful tone carried a hint of stubbornness.
He was unwilling to accept that his former comrades were now so distant from the generals and commanders of Longyou, treating them like strangers. He couldn’t bear to see that spirit of loyalty vanish from the Tang army, with everyone becoming mere profit-seekers.
“General, look! Captain Xianyu and the others are back!”
One of the bodyguards pointed north and shouted excitedly.
“Hmm.”
The young man calmed himself down and strode forward.
“Yucheng, you’ve worked hard.”
Li Kuo wiped the sweat from Xianyu Yucheng’s cheek and smiled.
“Thank you, General, for your concern!”
Xianyu Yucheng, not daring to take credit, bowed deeply in return.
“So, have you found out anything?”
Young Master Xianyu patted his chest and said, “Since we left Great Wall Fort, have my reports disappointed you, General?”
Li Kuo clapped his hands and laughed, “Interesting, very interesting. I never would’ve thought Yucheng was such a clever man.”
Xianyu Yucheng, of course, knew when to step back. After joking around, he immediately became serious and said, “I led my men to explore along the island’s edge, and we indeed found a lot. The island is strip-shaped, lower in the north and higher in the south. There’s only a shallow, spoon-shaped bay on the south side where ships can dock.”
Li Kuo tapped him on the head and scolded jokingly, “We already know all that. Get to the point.”
Xianyu Yucheng rubbed his head and said, “The island isn’t large—just a few dozen mu. In the south, there are granite-covered hills that form a small peak; nothing useful there. Further north, the terrain becomes flatter. There are large areas of lush grass right at the northern end—our warhorses will have plenty to eat!”
Hearing this, Li Kuo was overjoyed. His horses were exhausted from continuous battles, and now that there were vast grasslands, the problem of feeding them was solved—another worry taken off his shoulders.
Xianyu Yucheng continued, “To the west, there’s a dense forest. It seems to be filled with fruit trees. I don’t know what kind of fruit they bear, but they’re about the size of persimmons and bright red!”
“That’s mountain persimmons!”
Lin Feng, who had remained silent until then, suddenly stepped forward and spoke.

“The soil on this island is all formed from the weathering of granite; it’s thin and unable to support delicate fruit trees. Only the plants in the mountains are hardy enough to withstand cold and drought, thriving with just a little water.”
Seeing everyone’s puzzled looks, Lin Feng said, “With a few hundred of us on this island, aside from fishing, we rely on these fruits to stave off hunger. If it weren’t for them, who knows how many of us would have starved to death!”
A glint appeared in Li Kuo’s eyes as he said, “Brother Lin, haven’t you considered growing wheat?”
“Wheat?”
Lin Feng was shocked and blurted out.
“Yes, wheat!”
The young man said cheerfully, “Just now, Yu Cheng and the others brought back news that there’s a large meadow to the north. If it can be turned into farmland, we’ll have enough food for everyone!”
“But that meadow is only a few dozen mu large. Even if it’s fully converted into farmland, it will barely suffice to feed us. Besides, where would we get the seeds?”
Li Kuo nodded and said, “Brother Lin is right—the yield of food is indeed not promising. But the seeds aren’t hard to obtain. Shenwei City is only a few hundred miles away from this island. It’s easy to get some seeds, isn’t it?”
“What? You still want to come back?”
Lin Feng was shocked. He really didn’t understand why the young man would return to the heart of Qinghai, which was under actual Tibetan control. Wasn’t this like a drummer going to the market—looking for trouble for no reason?
Seeing everyone’s confusion, Li Kuo smiled and said, “I not only want to come back, but I also want to build a fortress on Longju Island! Longju Island is right in the center of Qinghai. From there, we can launch surprise attacks on the Tibetan supply lines in the rear, and in retreat, we can support Shenwei City. Wouldn’t that be like having a sharp blade pointed at the Tibetans from behind?”
Everyone suddenly understood. So, the purpose of the commander opening up farmland on Longju Island was to build a fortress!
If we build a fortress on this island and combine it with Shenwei City’s power to intimidate the troops in the Datong Valley, wouldn’t the Tibetan barbarians be trapped in a difficult situation?…
Note 1: Jingguan: Jingguan was an ancient mound built to showcase military achievements by gathering enemy corpses and covering them with soil. In Chapter 54 of “The Romance of the States of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty,” Feng Menglong of the Ming Dynasty wrote, “The Pan faction requested that the corpses of the Jin be collected and used to build ‘Jingguans’ to showcase their military achievements for eternity.”
Note 2: In the Tang Dynasty, one mu was defined as one step and a quarter wide.