Chapter Eleven: Frosty Cold (I)

“Good luck to you, gentlemen. You came early enough; the Shui River isn’t frozen yet. The border provinces aren’t like the capital—the climate is colder, and winter arrives sooner. Often, as soon as the first frost falls, snow follows right after. By the time the snow fills the valleys, the Shui River has already turned into a thick ice sheet!”
The old man untied the hemp rope tied to the wooden post by the shore, kicked the ferry away from the bank with force, propped it up with a pole, and chuckled.
“Elder, why is that? If the river is frozen, can’t we just ride our horses across it?” Li Kuo asked with a slight smile.
Everyone was in high spirits as they boarded the ferry. One ferry could carry over thirty people and horses, and this ferry operator had three such ferries. They had already made six or seven trips back and forth between the two banks, and this would be their last trip.
“Oh, that won’t do!” the old man quickly waved his hand. “Gentlemen, you don’t know—Minzhou isn’t like the lands beyond the passes. Although the climate is colder here, the ice isn’t very thick. It may look shiny, but stepping on it could lead to a hole beneath your feet. On the frozen surface of the Shui River in winter, there are deadly ice holes everywhere. I’ve seen many merchants traveling along the way try to cross quickly, and nine out of ten end up falling in, without even creating a ripple!”
“Oh!” Li Kuo replied softly and fell silent.
Gazing into the distance, the green mountains surrounded the valley, and the rushing waters stirred up a sense of ambition.
“Elder, after crossing this Shui River, how long will it take to reach Jincheng?” Li Kuo asked in a low voice.
“That depends on our pace,” the old man replied, rubbing his chin and thinking for a moment. “After crossing the next few valleys, we’ll reach Dalaigou. If it’s just one person and one horse, it might take a few days to reach Great Wall Fort. But since you’re traveling with a group of merchants, it’ll probably take longer.”
The old man didn’t want to be too definite and gave an ambiguous answer. He preferred not to make mistakes—should they miss their schedule, he didn’t dare take responsibility for it.
“Thank you,” Li Kuo said, bowing to the old man before turning to smile. “I heard from my men that you make a living by fishing. How did you end up running a ferry business as well?”

The old man sighed deeply upon hearing this: “Isn’t it all because of the pressures of life? My ancestors have lived in Kuozhou for generations, making a living by fishing. Though life was tough, it was fulfilling. But since the end of the Yuan dynasty, the Tibetans have been invading eastward and plundering. I have three sons; the eldest and the second were taken away by the Tibetans to become serfs herders. You have no idea—those Tibetans are like beasts. Han people there end up as the lowest of slaves, herding sheep and cattle for their Tibetan masters. The slightest mistake earns them whips; if they fall ill or try to resist, they’re executed on the spot, with their heads cut off and displayed on pole!”
The old man choked up and took some time to compose himself: “My youngest son managed to avoid disaster by joining the army in Shanzhou. But the year before last, their regimental officer sent over an urn with his ashes. At that time, General Wang Zhongsì fought a battle against the Tibetan barbarians at Suihe. When retreating, our unit was ordered to hold the rear. He was honest and didn’t know how to flee, so he died in a valley in Bayan Mountain. According to our unit leader, my son left wearing only half-used leather armor. In the end, my son and I never got to see each other one last time…”
As he spoke, tears streamed down the old man’s wrinkled cheeks.
Li Kuo felt his eyes blur, as if he could see hundreds of thousands of Tibetan cavalry charging eastward to confront the men of Longyou in the Tang dynasty. The war drums roared, the horns blared… The dust rising over thousands of miles couldn’t conceal the clash of steel and blood. When the two armies met, there was no hesitation—only the cruelest hand-to-hand combat. Scimitars were raised high, corpses lay everywhere.
Under the setting sun, blood stained the stone fortresses and soaked into the Huang River. A river of blood stretched for thousands of miles, with corpses everywhere. Even the swirling sand couldn’t hide those bones. Desolation and sorrow filled the air, with the west wind howling. Where could those lonely souls return to?
“I’m sorry!”
Li Kuo didn’t expect he’d touched the old man’s pain points and quickly apologized.
The old man wiped away the tears from his eyes and forced a smile. “It’s fine. It’s been two years now; I’ve cried all my tears. I don’t know why I suddenly became emotional today.”

After a brief pause, the old man continued, “The people of Kuozhou were in panic. Even those farmers who were deeply attached to their small plots of land had no choice but to move their families elsewhere. I took my grandson and followed the fleeing crowd downstream along the Huang River, running and running until we finally settled by this Shui River. I looked around, but all I saw was the surging river and the misty green mountains. With no relatives anywhere, I was heartbroken and cried bitterly while holding my grandson. But no matter how difficult it was, life had to go on. So I wove fishing nets and built rafts, resuming my old trade. But this Shui River isn’t like the stagnant waters of Kuozhou; the current is too strong, and my harvest isn’t good even after a whole day’s work. Fortunately, there are often caravans passing by here. To survive, I thought about starting a ferry business.”
“I see. You must have had it very hard.”
Li Kuo felt as if something was blocking his heart, causing unbearable pressure.
“Who doesn’t have it hard? It’s already good enough to survive in these times. What more could this old man ask for? If not pushed to the brink, who would ever want to leave the land beneath their feet?”
The old man waved his hand contentedly and smiled reassuringly.
Indeed, Li Kuo thought to himself. Everyone in this world has responsibilities to bear—emperors and generals, merchants and commoners. It’s hard to say who is happier than whom, but as long as everyone does their duty and performs their roles well, the country will thrive and its dynasty will endure.
“Don’t the imperial troops care? Do they just stand by while the Tubo barbarians raise their knives to slaughter their own people?”
Pu Da Chui was furious, his voice almost a roar.
The old man’s Adam’s apple moved as if he wanted to say something, but he eventually sighed and said, “They too have their difficulties. There are less than eight hundred thousand soldiers in total, and they have to defend twelve provinces—how can they cover everything?” (Note 5)
“Damn it! If they can’t defend it, then they shouldn’t! Eating the grain provided by the court while watching foreigners slaughter their own people—aren’t they even men?”
Pu Da Chui couldn’t care less and kept cursing. After a pause, he realized that the old man’s third son was also in the army in Longyou. He wanted to say something to make amends but ultimately remained silent.
“Elder sir, don’t worry. The court is about to send troops against the Tubo. Those barbarians will be driven out of our Tang land forever. Whatever they took from us, they’ll have to return it; whatever they ate from us, they’ll have to spit it out. The emperor remembers this, General Geshu remembers this, and every Tang soldier in Longyou and Hexi remembers this. One day, they will pay for their crimes with blood!”
The young man’s eyes flashed with cold light as he spoke slowly and deliberately.
Those who offend our nation’s dignity will be struck; those who humiliate our people will be avenged; those who invade our territory will be attacked; those who disrupt our dynasty will be punished!

This is the military code of the Tang Dynasty, this is the state policy of the Tang Dynasty. It is a promise—a promise from the men of the Tang Dynasty.
How can our great Tang Dynasty, whose influence spreads across the four seas and whose prestige reaches every nation, tolerate such humiliation at the hands of barbarian tribes?
Looking westward, among the 140,000 men in military uniforms from He Long, surely there are one or two standing there?……
Note 1: Beyond the passes: Refers to Yumen Pass, located west of today’s Yumen Town.
Note 2: Jincheng: Refers to today’s Lanzhou City.
Note 3: Great Wall Forts: Important fortresses located in the Linzhao area today.
Note 4: Kuozhou: Located in the Guide area today; it was a key town on the border with Tubo during the Tang Dynasty’s Tianbao era.
Note 5: The garrison in Longyou consisted of 75,000 soldiers and 10,600 horses, with its main task being to defend against Tubo’s invasions from the east. Think about it—how can such a small force spread across the vast territory of Longyou be sufficient?