The Whole Country's People Work Hard Together
(6)
The square was located on the inner side of the east gate of the city, about a square mile in size. The main road from the east gate passed through the center of the square and reached the palace on the west side of the square. This palace was built when King Wen was still alive. It was a symbolic building and also a symbol of the luxurious life of the royal family. From a distance, the square in front of the palace was wide, and the low buildings around the palace added to the feeling that the palace was like a tiger. Up close, it was tall and majestic. The palace was built on a high platform with dozens of steps. The first thing to enter the palace was to climb up the steps step by step, giving people a feeling of being promoted. The roof of the palace was covered with light red mud tiles. This material was the latest invention of craftsmen in recent years and was very expensive. Ordinary houses were still difficult to use and could only be made of grass and mud. After the new palace was built, it was only used for special purposes. King Wen still lived in his old residence. Usually, the rows of rooms in the back hall of the palace were used as the country's linen weaving workshop, where young women from the country were gathered to work. The royal palace was also used to welcome the envoys of the Shang Dynasty, but this kind of national event was very rare. It was held once a year, or once every two or three years. The palace was idle most of the time. When King Wen was alive, his wish was to wait for the Zhou Country to become strong enough to defeat King Zhou of Shang. When the Zhou Country became a powerful country, he would hold a celebration and move into the new palace.
Now, the King Wu's convoy had arrived at the side of the square. Looking at the towering figure of the palace from afar, the King Wu thought of the Zhou Country that his father had worked hard to become stronger. The grand undertaking that his father had spent his entire life planning-the Zhou Country Building. It occurred to him that the action he had taken today was a step towards fulfilling the ideals of this building. Just as he was thinking, the carriages circled around the edge of the square and arrived in front of the palace. When he turned around to look at the palace, he saw dozens of steps stacked quietly in front of him. No one was moving on them. When would he be able to move into the new palace and walk up and down these steps every day? Yes, after this operation was completed, he would first move the location of the government affairs meeting from the old hall and use it. The relatives and others will move into the palace to live in the future. If he were to manage political affairs here, every time he looked at the palace, he would be inspired to strive to realize his father's ambition as soon as possible. As the Martial King thought of this, the convoy had already circled around the palace and arrived at the altar in the center of the southern end of the square.
Lu Shang could guess what the King Wu was thinking when he saw the King Wu's gaze and expression. He understood the Martial King. He had a temperament and was ambitious. King Wu was his monarch, the successor of King Wen, and also his son-in-law and student. When he was invited to the capital of Zhou by King Wen, although King Wu was a young man who was close to twenty years old, the real rapid growth of King Wu was in the thirty years of hard work that he followed King Wen. He had watched the Martial King grow from an innocent youth to a wise and experienced monarch. Of course, he had also put in a lot of effort for the growth of the Martial King. However, he did not claim credit for it and attributed it to King Wen's guidance and nurturing. From the respect that the Martial King showed him, it was obvious that he was a virtuous person. While the Martial King was examining the palace, he was examining the Martial King. King Wen's disposal of the palace had its own reasons and significance. Now that a long time had passed and things had changed, King Wu might have new plans. When the convoy turned a corner, in order to remind King Wu of his thoughts, he said,""We have arrived at the altar."
"Oh.”The Martial King came back to his senses and nodded at Lu Shang. He then turned around and looked around the square. The square was already crowded with people and vehicles. When they saw the Martial King's convoy arrive, they immediately fell silent, and the atmosphere became solemn. Most of the people and cars were standing and watching. Occasionally, when a car passed by, the rumbling sound was especially loud.
The convoy slowly stopped under the altar. This altar was the place where the Zhou Country worshiped the Heaven and the God of Agriculture every year. It was built under a small mountain. In front of the altar was an open land, which was the square where thousands of troops gathered today. Behind the altar was King Wen's grave. According to King Wen's will, he was buried here. He intended that he would not be able to advance eastward as he wished when he was alive. After his death, the spirit of heaven would urge the Eastern Expedition Army to hope for an early victory.
King Wu took King Wen's memorial tablet from the carriage and climbed up a small step on the left side of the altar. The relatives who got out of the car one after another also followed closely behind and began to step up the stairs one by one.
Uncle Guan, who was at the back, was about to step up the stairs when he heard someone shouting behind him,"Brother Wang, please wait a moment." When Uncle Guan turned around, he saw a middle-aged woman running over. She was a little out of breath. Behind her was a young man and a middle-aged armored soldier. The three of them stood in front of Uncle Guan. The woman said,"Brother Wang, this son of mine can already fight. Please bring him along and let him serve the country like his father.”
Uncle Guan looked at the young man in front of him. He was about seventeen or eighteen years old, but he had a thick waist and strong arms. He was eager to fight, and his childish face could not hide his hidden heroic spirit. He was smiling at Uncle Guan with a pleading expression. His father had gone to war several times before his death, and only mobilized the young men of the country to go out. A few years ago, when he went to war against Chong Country, he could not take it down for a while, so he had to mobilize the young men of the country to go to the battlefield together. And for this expedition, King Wu reiterated the rule that those who had not reached the age of 18 could stay in the country and could not follow the army to battle. War was a big matter, and it was related to the survival of the country. Every war had to take into account that the reserve forces of the country would not be lost. Other than the elderly and women, even the young people were left behind. This was no longer like the ancient tribal wars, where everyone, regardless of age, fought together.
"How old is he this year?" asked Uncle Guan.”
"I just turned eighteen," the woman answered quickly.”He added," His father was only sixteen years old when he fought with King Wen. His father often trained him in martial arts since he was young. Look.”The woman patted her son's shoulder." He's so strong. He's already stronger than a middle-aged man. Isn't it a pity to keep such a body? One more person on the battlefield meant one more point of strength. He was already eighteen years old.”She emphasized the phrase 'eighteen years'.
At this moment, the man who was silent behind him interrupted and said,"He's only seventeen years old. He's still a few months away, so we can't go against the rules and bring him out…”
The woman rushed to say,"It's only a few months away. If you want to calculate, you'll be eighteen." As long as his little brother agreed, he could make an exception and bring him along.”The woman pleaded sincerely.
Uncle Guan looked at the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man quickly added,"His father died on the battlefield, and he's still the eldest son…”
"His father died a glorious death and sacrificed his life for Zhou." Make a contribution. As a son, he had to work hard and go to war as soon as possible…”
"I'm here to represent my father.”
The few of them were entangled. Uncle Guan turned around to look at the team that had already climbed the steps, but he couldn't free himself to follow. There was really no other way.
Seeing that Uncle Guan was silent, the woman added, her voice even louder than before," The child's father used to say this when he was alive: "If it weren't for King Wen, we wouldn't be where we are today. It's all thanks to King Wen's benevolent politics that our family can live a good life." The child's father also said that in this life, the whole family would serve King Wen.”
When Uncle Guan heard this, he seemed to have found a reason and asked,"Your family came from the east?"
"That's right. We were escaped slaves, and it's all thanks to King Wen's love. Now that we're human, we're even living a good life. Tell me, should we serve the Zhou Country, King Wen, oh, King Wu?”The woman spoke proudly, not feeling inferior about her background at all." Bring him along. One more person is one more point of strength.”This last sentence was especially emphasized.
When the middle-aged man saw Uncle Guan staring at him, he quickly said,"As long as my younger brother agrees, I will accept it and bring him to war.”
"You are…?" Uncle Guan asked.
"I'm the centurion of the village, I'm just following the rules.”
Uncle Guan waved his hand." You can change the rules. Take him in first. His mother and son's dedication to serving the country is admirable." Just take good care of him."
When the woman heard this, she quickly pulled her son's hand and said,"Quickly thank my brother Wang, he finally agreed.”The young man smiled and bowed shyly.
This dispute ended here. Uncle Guan had fallen behind by a large section after this commotion. He was catching up with the team in front of him. The three people who were left behind were all smiling happily, filled with the joy of victory.
Today was mainly to pay homage to King Wen. The servants had tidied up the altar in front of King Wen's tomb and laid out the offerings of grain and livestock. King Wu respectfully held King Wen's memorial tablet and carefully placed it on the altar. Then, he picked up a handful of Song Mingzi and threw them into the cauldron in the center of the altar. As a thick smoke rose, the flame in the cauldron burned even more vigorously.
At this moment, Bi Gonggao, who was standing at the side, reported the situation on the square to the Martial King. He was the day shift officer on the square today and had been busy arranging the positions of the various troops. When the Martial King arrived, he had already arranged the troops of the chiliarchs. Then, he followed him to the altar.
After hearing the report, the Martial King whispered to Lu Shang.
Then, the Martial King stood in the middle of the altar and faced the thousands of troops in the square. He said loudly,""My fellow countrymen, the citizens of Zhou Country. King Wen had devoted himself to the development of the country. After more than 30 years, with the joint efforts of the whole country, he had achieved great results. Our Zhou Country has already become a powerful country in the western border. The country was strong and the people were rich. When we were expanding eastward, King Wen unfortunately passed away and left his career to us. Ever since I inherited the throne, I have carried out my father's will and the wishes of the people, working hard to realize King Wen's great wish. Today, they were acting according to King Wen's last wishes.”Martial King paused for a moment and looked at the quiet square below the stage. He said,"Today is a auspicious day. Last night, the results of the divination in the ancestral temple were already obtained. It's a good sign that my royal teacher is going to war. Now, we are here to offer sacrifices to King Wen and ask the gods of King Wen to protect us, follow us to the battlefield, and urge us to fight for victory.”
When the Martial King said this, the square echoed with cheers.
A wizard in a gray robe walked to the altar with a bamboo stick in his hand. He chanted and walked around the big cauldron three times before walking to the altar. Two young wizards carried two trays and walked to the wizard. The wizard placed the wheat stalks, soil, and water on the altar in front of the offerings. Then he picked up a turtle shell bone and placed it on top. He used a copper chisel to chisel the turtle bone a few times. After he finished these actions, he retreated to the side of the altar. King Wu walked to the side of the cauldron and picked up a burning Songminggen torch. He used the burning end of the torch to burn the turtle shell that the shaman had carved just now. The turtle shell emitted light smoke and sizzled. Then, the Martial King retreated to the other side. The wizard returned to the altar, picked up the turtle shell, and examined it carefully. After a while, he took the turtle shell to the altar and showed it to the square."Ask the God of King Wen to reply with the word 'king'. With the blessing of the heavens, the God of King Wen has agreed.”
"Phew.”Then, there were shouts from below the stage,"Merit!”"Victory!" The shouts reverberated in the sky above the square. The armored soldiers raised their weapons and waved them, cheering for the smooth process of inviting the gods and cheering for the expedition. No one cared how the wizard on the stage ended up. After everyone cheered, they looked up at the stage and saw the Martial King standing upright on the stage, waiting for the square to quiet down.
The Martial King waited excitedly. When the crowd had basically quieted down, he announced loudly,"Today, we are going to pay our respects to King Wen. Now, please retreat to the side and mobilize the soldiers to reorganize the team.”
The square became lively again. The people who had just calmed down from the cheers finally realized that the expedition was about to begin and they were about to be separated from their families. The armorers responded loudly. A wave of excited voices swept across the entire square. Then, there was a commotion. The crowd became chaotic. The conscription-givers retreated from the field and gathered at the edge of the square. The remaining participants began to gather together and line up. Not long after, an orderly team appeared in the square. At a glance, the chariots were lined up in rows, and behind each chariot was a small square formation of soldiers, five people in a row. Some chariots had a small square formation, some had two or three square formations, and some had five square formations. The soldiers of this formation were all servants from the families of the soldiers. The square was silent. The red flag slowly floated in the breeze. All the soldiers stood tall and mighty, and the armorers standing on the carriages looked even more upright and strong. They were waiting for the Martial King's final order.
King Wu looked around at the army formation and raised a one-and-a-half-foot-long scepter with an eagle's head in his right hand. He announced,""All soldiers, this king obeys the will of the heavens to honor the former king and lead the army to the east. From now on, everything will be done according to military orders.”He paused and then said,"Please announce the military discipline."”King Wu took two steps back as he spoke.
Lu Shang walked into the altar with strong steps. He first bowed to King Wen's memorial tablet, then turned around and stood on the other side of the altar where King Wu sat. With his hands on his hips, he raised his head and announced,"" King Wu has inherited his father's will to lead the army to the east. He respects the will of the heavens and the hearts of the people. I am under the command of the former king. Now, I announce that the entire army will focus on killing the enemy and obey all orders. During the march, no one is allowed to leave the army, damage the farmland and houses on both sides of the road, disturb the residents passing through the border, or retreat. Anyone who violates the order will be punished according to military law.”Lu Shang paused for a moment, and his loud voice traveled far away in the quiet square. He continued to announce,"Commanders, centurions, lead the troops according to your orders.”
Then, Bi Gonggao announced the order of the teams. Then, Martial King announced loudly,""Let's go!" The war drums began to beat, and the bells in the palace also began to ring. The bells and drums rang, and the sound was vigorous and impassioned, stirring people's blood. The orange sunlight added to the spectacular atmosphere.
King Wu walked down from the altar with King Wen's memorial tablet in front of his chest and placed it in the carriage. Bi Gonggao stayed on the altar to command the departure team. Uncle Guan led the team as the vanguard and set off first. The team began to wriggle out of the square, turning right and left, walking out of the city's east gate and onto the Eastern Expedition Avenue. Groups of people set off in order. King Wu of Zhou held the tablet of King Wen of Zhou as the central army, and Cao Shuang, Duke of Zhao, and Cao Dan, Duke of Zhou, brought up the rear to supervise the army. As the convoy set off, the people at the side of the square, including the elderly, women, and children, shouted and followed the convoy forward. The east gate opened and people poured out. The convoy grew longer and longer, and the stream of people lining the road also extended. A rolling dragon rolled eastward. When King Wen's hearse and King Wu's carriage drove out of the east gate, the whistling sound became louder and more vigorous.
The army in the square was like a dragon stretching out, slowly turning into a long dragon that drove out of the east gate. The cheers of the people mixed with the rumbling of chariots, the sound of hooves, the sound of footsteps, and the sound of drums formed a battle song, urging the soldiers to go out and encouraging their morale.
Zhou Gongdan and Zhao Gongshuang's chariots had just driven out of the east gate when Bi Gonggao, who had caught up, shouted in unison with the two of them and chased after the central army.
At this moment, the human wall not far ahead was suddenly pushed open, and a young woman squeezed out. Behind her was an eleven-or twelve-year-old girl. The girl was carrying a one-year-old child with a tuft of hair tied up. The woman held a bundle in both hands and staggered forward, chasing after a chariot in front of her. As she ran, she shouted," Father of the child, father of the child." Her voice was drowned out by the noise. She could not hear it if she was a little further away. She had no choice but to run a distance. She did not shorten the distance. She began to pant and continued to chase.
Bi Gonggao, who was rushing forward, saw her and braked beside her. He bent over and asked,"What do you want to send for the bus you're on? I'll bring it for you.”
The woman looked up and saw Bi Gonggao. She revealed a happy expression and said,"Give it to the car in front,"
"What's the name of the child's father?"
"It's called Chuyi." The woman handed the bundle to Bi Gonggao.”Standing inside the human wall, she watched Bi Gonggao's car rush forward. When she saw Bi Gonggao's car catch up with the chariot in front and throw the bag, a sweet smile appeared on her face. Then, she turned around and took the child from the arms of the girl who had rushed up. She held the child's hand and waved it around." Little baby, you've grown up. You'll go to the battlefield with your father and make contributions to the Martial King," he mumbled and waved his hands vigorously.
Zhao Gongshuang and Zhou Gongdan, who were behind, were very touched when they saw this scene. When their car drove past her. The two of them cupped their hands at her. When the woman saw Zhou Gongdan and Zhao Gongshuang waving at her, she waved back at them.
The army had left, leaving behind only a quiet, crisscrossed road. The farewell crowd outside the east gate was still standing in the lane, watching the departing team. Under the sunlight, the light dust and fog above the main road appeared hazy, and the team was hidden in the haze.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。