Categories > Movies > Mulan > The Ballad of Li
Chapter 5
Shang scowled as his scouts came stumbling back into camp, weaving visibly and singing an odd song. They halted abruptly when they saw him standing there and ceased their singing.
"General Li."
The three of them attempted to bow and salute him with difficulty.
"You were supposed to be scouting the situation not having a time to yourselves," he reprimanded.
"We needed to blend in, General," Captain Mao, his second in command, slurred. He was supposed to be in charge and he seemed to be the most drunken of the three of them. "We couldn't go into a tavern and not drink anything all night. It would have looked suspicious. Anyway, we learned a new song."
Shang curtly dismissed the other two men, who went staggering off, then beckoned Captain Mao to follow him into his tent. He cursed under his breath as he took a seat inside and gestured for him to sit across from him.
Captain Mao had not been his choice of a second in command and Shang wondered once again exactly what his connection was to the Emperor that he'd ever received his rank. He had been assigned to Shang's troop a week before they left the Imperial City and Luo Di had ordered that he make him his second in command.
Mao was a good fighter, but he wasn't cut out for command. He was brave but reckless in his bravery. He wasn't structured at all; in fact he was irresponsible. He didn't seem to take anything seriously and he pulled the others that he surrounded himself with down.
"General, we found out a few things," Captain Mao began speaking formally, suddenly not slurring his words and appearing to be completely sober.
Shang stared at him in surprise. "Was that all an act?"
"I know my limits, General. The other two are a little worse for wear, however," he added with a laugh. "They're young still."
Shang shot him a scathing look and the laugh was cut off abruptly.
"What did you find out?" he pressed now that he'd made his disapproval clear to his captain.
"You would be quite impressed at how clever we were, General."
"Yes, I'm sure," the young general snapped, impatiently. "Get to the point, Captain. Did you find out anything about who might be involved?"
"No. But we found that there is a large amount of trading happening between this village and several others in the area, including the one we are headed to, Shangqiu."
"Trading of what?"
"Food and clothing mostly, but then there are odd, random items that they're trading, too. Silk banners. Ink. Even artwork. It just struck me as weird. These are poor villagers that barely have food and clothing, yet they're trading things like ink and artwork. It's bizarre."
"Yes," Shang replied thoughtfully. "How did you come by all of this information?"
"By listening to the patrons in the tavern talking."
"Wasn't anyone suspicious of you listening in on their conversations?"
"No. The three of us sat there drinking and blending in. By the way, this is the village that Shen Jing-hao lives in."
"The sword maker?"
He nodded. "One of the best, General."
"I know."
"We met him. He asked us who we were and we told him that we were travelers, looking to try to make a living. I believe that they all thought the three of us were bandits. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. It puts us on the opposite side of the law in their view, which should make us allies."
"That will be a good place to start, Captain. We will follow the trail of the villagers' trading. Maybe they're exchanging information as well; even weapons. Maybe Shen Jing-hao's new livelihood is supplying weapons to rebels."
"What are your orders, sir?"
Shang unrolled his map and held the lantern over it to illuminate it more, pointing as he spoke.
"You and the two others will return to Sui Xian on horseback early tomorrow morning and remain there. The rest of the troop will be moving out to Shangqiu. We will be camping in the forest here, and scouts will be sent to that village and to the village of Xiayi. When you have something to report, come to Shangqiu. If my suspicions are correct, following the trail of commerce in this area will bring you straight there anyway."
He set the lantern down beside him.
Captain Mao bowed and saluted him hand over fist. "Yes, General."
"Okay, Captain. You're dismissed."
"Goodnight, General."
"Goodnight."
Shang heard him outside the tent as he walked away singing again, the same song with strange lyrics about Mount Luo and plums.
xxxxxxx
"A swan flies around Mount Luo, where there grow peaches and plums. It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it."
Mulan listened to the pipa player as he sang this refrain, accompanying himself on his lute. The tune was melancholy and the man bowing the erhu made the instrument sound as if it were weeping. The early verses were about hardship and grief, the later ones about hope and change. Many of the men knew all of the verses and they sang along, some of them practically in tears. As the pipa player reached the refrain each time the rest of the crowd joined in.
She withdrew a piece of paper and a stiff brush from her pack and began to scratch out the words to the song. The lyrics were symbolic as were many poems and sayings that professed to be prophetic. The words Mount Luo in the repeated refrain had caught her attention and she knew they had to mean Luo Di; this was the ballad that her father had been talking about.
She stuffed the paper with the lyrics into her pocket after the ink had dried. She would read them over later and try to make sense of them, and when she returned to Shangqiu she would show them to her father. He often spoke to her in this symbolic way, usually using blossoms to signify her; if there was anyone that would figure out the lyrics, it was him.
A barmaid approached their table and Ao-li ordered more rice wine for the two of them.
"We need to make sure we get to the prefect first thing tomorrow," he remarked, turning to her as the barmaid hurried off.
She nodded. They had foregone going to see him that evening, wanting to get inside and warm up quickly with a good meal and some wine. They had made it into the forest before the snowstorm hit, but it was still a treacherous, exhausting trek to get to Xiayi. The sun had long since set when they finally arrived at the village. After seeing to the care of their horses they immediately made their way to this crowded tavern and ordered dinner.
Loud applause broke out as the musicians finished the song. Mulan and Ao-li joined in and clapped for them.
"I'm not sure whether this is the song or not. It seems to be, but the lyrics are cryptic," Ao-li commented when the applause had died down.
"Well, Mount Luo has to mean the Emperor," she answered softly. "That's the only thing I recognize."
She withdrew the paper with the lyrics from her pocket again and they perused the words together as the musicians began to play and sing another tune.
"This is supposed to be prophetic," she remarked. "Oh, of course! In the refrain. Plums. Li. That must be where they're getting the Li part of the prophecy from."
"The people in here all seem to know the lyrics really well and what they mean, but I don't think it would be a good idea to ask them. They may not want to talk about it out in the open."
"No. And they may be suspicious of us for asking."
The door to the tavern opened and a blast of cold air hit them. Four Imperial soldiers stepped through the door and Mulan snatched up the paper and shoved it back into her pocket.
"Hey, I was still reading..."
"Imperial guards," she muttered gesturing toward the door with her eyes. "I don't want them to see it. Just in case they would recognize it."
The barmaid that had taken their order finally appeared with their drinks. Mulan had seen her fighting off one of the men and she looked flustered. She and Ao-li both reached into their pouches and pulled out some money, pushing it toward her.
The four soldiers swaggered through the tavern, stopping at the tables they passed and talking to the patrons. One of them headed straight for their table. Mulan cursed under her breath.
"Okay, just act naturally and drink your drink," Ao-li muttered. "He'll sense if you're nervous."
Mulan raised her cup and he followed suit.
"Drain your cup," she toasted him and took a gulp of the wine. It warmed her as it slid down her gullet and steadied her nerves a bit.
"Good evening," the soldier greeted them as he approached. By his uniform they saw that he was a general.
Mulan thought she recognized him from the Imperial City and it took every ounce of strength that she had inside of her to not panic. He didn't appear to recognize her, but he may have just been skilled at keeping his face expressionless. She nodded a greeting, setting her cup down on the table.
"Good evening, Honorable General," Ao-li answered.
"You two young men are travelers," the general remarked, not wasting time and getting right to the point. He gestured to their packs that lay on the bench beside them.
"Yes, Honorable General," Mulan answered, making sure to lower the pitch of her voice so she sounded like a young teenage boy instead of a woman. "We're from the next village."
"What are you doing here?"
"We're here on an errand for our school," Ao-li answered. "Are we doing something wrong, Honorable General?"
The general shook his head. "No. But there are many signs of trouble and unrest in our land. We are merely trying to keep order. What is your errand?"
"We are buying ink for our school and delivering banners that the prefect of this village ordered."
"Ink?"
"Yes, sir. We are studying at the calligraphy school in Shangqiu."
"I see. And you said you are delivering banners?"
"Yes, sir. The prefect ordered them from our master."
"Show me."
Mulan made every effort to appear nonchalant as she reached into her own pack and pulled one of the banners out with trembling hands. She handed it to the general and he unrolled it, laying it out on the table in front of him and scrutinizing it.
"Who is your master?" he asked, looking directly at her.
"Master Jiang," she answered. She swallowed quickly then added, "My father."
"He has a fine hand."
"Yes, sir."
"And you are following in his footsteps, young Master Jiang?"
"Yes, sir."
"This is Jiang Hu. And I'm Xu Ao-li."
The general fell silent again, looking over the banner. "Master Jiang was in a somber mood when he created this," he remarked thoughtfully. He straightened up after a minute and rolled the banner up again, handing it to Mulan. "Let me see the other one."
Ao-li obeyed, reaching into his own pack and withdrawing the other banner. The general took it from him and unrolled it, laying it on the table and examining it.
"Ah, now here he was in a happier mood. So, these are both for the prefect's quarters?"
"Yes, sir."
"There is a woman from your village who has fled her service to Luo Di," the general abruptly changed the subject, rolling the second banner up and handing it back to Ao-li. "Her name is Hua Mulan."
"Ah, yes," Ao-li answered casually, nodding at Mulan. "We know her, of course."
Mulan nodded. "Yes, she became quite celebrated in our little village after she fought for the Emperor."
"She is a criminal now. When you return home be sure that the people of your village know that if they shelter her, they are harboring a traitor to the Emperor. He has sent out an order demanding her execution."
The general moved off and approached the next table. Mulan and Ao-li both raised their cups again and drained them dry.
xxxxxxx
Shang had ordered Captain Mao and the two scouts to leave for Sui Xian on horseback early the morning after they came back to camp drunk, though the other two men clearly had nasty hangovers. Now, several days later, he was still in the forest with his troop.
A snowstorm had hit, continuing for a couple of days, and the visibility was non-existent during it. He had therefore made the decision to hold the troop where they were camped instead of trying to move out to Shangqiu through such treacherous weather. Still, it was hard camping in weather like this, even with the shelter of the trees and the roaring fires that they kept going to warm them.
By now General Zhao would have made it to Xiayi. A scout would have to venture back from there to find him if there were going to be any message from him.
Shang stood up and walked to the tent opening, pushing the flap back and gazing out. The storm had stopped but there was a gale blowing, stirring up the snow and swirling it around.
His wife had gone into labor on a night like this the year before and a twinge of grief weighed heavily on his heart as he was suddenly taken back to that night. The midwife was staying with them at that point so she was right there when it happened. It had been a harrowing night. Mei-ling was in pain and agony for hours. He had stayed out of the room but he could hear her anguished cries. After what seemed an eternity an eerie silence had finally fallen. There wasn't even a groan from Mei-ling; no wail from the newborn infant.
She died shortly after the baby boy was taken from her womb still-born.
He sighed and closed his eyes, bracing himself against the wave of regret and sadness that threatened to overwhelm him. He would have had a son.
Mei-ling was a beautiful, delicate woman from a noble family who'd been picked out by his mother; and after the matchmaker approved of the proposed union the preparations went forward and he brought his new wife home a couple of months later.
He'd been able to gracefully put off getting married when he returned from the war with the understandable excuse that he was in mourning over his father. After a year, though, his mother pressed him to get on with getting married.
Mei-ling had been a sweet and obedient wife, pleasant to be around, her sole desire to make him comfortable and happy. He had no complaints about her; but he had never completely stopped wondering about Mulan. He felt somewhat guilty about that, more so after Mei-ling died.
"General Li."
Shang turned to the owner of the voice that had broken off his sad reminisce. It was a soldier that he didn't recognize.
"I have a message for you from General Zhao."
Shang took the dispatch from him.
"Thank you."
The soldier saluted him and Shang pointed him in the direction of the vacant tent that Captain Mao had been sleeping in.
"You can stay in that tent for the night."
"Thank you, General, but I must be getting back to Xiayi to meet up with General Zhao."
Shang went into his tent and sat by the lantern, unrolling the dispatch and reading it. General Zhao had reached Xiayi and they had already spoken to several of the people there, including two students from a Shangqiu calligraphy school.
'These two young students came to Xiayi to buy ink and to deliver banners to the prefect of this village, which he ordered,' General Zhao had written. 'I saw the banners. The prefect ordered them and, though artfully done, there is nothing remarkable about them. The words on the banners are poetic and signify nothing to me, but they may be a code and these students may have been used unwittingly to deliver a message. We can't be too careful. When you reach Shangqiu I would advise you to check out this calligraphy school as well as the rest of that village.'
"Ink and art work," Shang mused.
Captain Mao had reported the same thing about ink and artwork trading hands. It was possible that the school was merely continuing its operations, in which case the students would need to restock things like ink.
"There must be a shortage that they need to visit so many different villages to obtain it," he laughed to himself.
General Zhao was right. They couldn't be too careful and there may have been more to this school than was obvious.
He decided that he would make sure the school was scouted carefully.
xxxxxxx
Background of the Ballad
There are many stories about various omens and prophecies that foretold the fall of the Sui Dynasty and the rise of the Tang. Along with these, there is an account of a ballad that appeared in the last years of Yang Di's rule that also foretold the fall of the house of Sui and the ascent of a man named Li as Emperor. It was a Daoist nursery rhyme that translated as follows: "A swan flies around Mount Yang, where there grow peaches ("Tao") and plums ("Li"). It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it."
It was considered prophetic and interpreted as such: "Li" suggested that someone surnamed Li would rise to be the Emperor. "Tao" signified Tao, which meant the surname "Taotang". Tao was omitted, leaving "Tang" and signifying that the Tang dynasty would replace the Sui Dynasty and the "Li" who ascended to the throne would promote Daoism. "Mount Yang" meant Yang Di.
The ballad became immensely popular among the disaffected subjects under Yang Di's rule. According to this legend, Yang Di, being superstitious and believing in the prophecy, began a campaign to search out and execute anyone of importance with the surname Li because of it. He had numerous ministers and officials and their entire families put to death.
Li Yuan, a minor official who served in one of the provinces, was summoned to the court (along with the other Li's summoned), but failed to appear, claiming poor health. He knew that if he obeyed the summons to court he would never return. He feigned madness and pretended to become an incorrigible drunk. When the Imperial spies reported Li Yuan's behavior to Emperor Yang, the Emperor thought that a madman could never fulfill the prophecy and he was no longer suspicious of Li Yuan. A couple of years later Emperor Yang placed him in charge of a field army to defend the Empire against incursions from the north. Li Yuan fought bravely, won the respect of his troops and marched on the capital. He placed a new Emperor on the throne and Yang Di fled to Jiangdu where he was eventually assassinated by one of his aides. Li Yuan then deposed the puppet Emperor that he had placed on the throne and went on to become Emperor, founding the illustrious Tang Dynasty, thus fulfilling the prophecy (and he did promote Daoism in his rule - in fact, a Daoist priest named Li Chun-feng was said to have helped him attain the throne and Li Chun-feng then served in his court).
Sources: chinastrategies website, wanderingtaoist website.
Shang scowled as his scouts came stumbling back into camp, weaving visibly and singing an odd song. They halted abruptly when they saw him standing there and ceased their singing.
"General Li."
The three of them attempted to bow and salute him with difficulty.
"You were supposed to be scouting the situation not having a time to yourselves," he reprimanded.
"We needed to blend in, General," Captain Mao, his second in command, slurred. He was supposed to be in charge and he seemed to be the most drunken of the three of them. "We couldn't go into a tavern and not drink anything all night. It would have looked suspicious. Anyway, we learned a new song."
Shang curtly dismissed the other two men, who went staggering off, then beckoned Captain Mao to follow him into his tent. He cursed under his breath as he took a seat inside and gestured for him to sit across from him.
Captain Mao had not been his choice of a second in command and Shang wondered once again exactly what his connection was to the Emperor that he'd ever received his rank. He had been assigned to Shang's troop a week before they left the Imperial City and Luo Di had ordered that he make him his second in command.
Mao was a good fighter, but he wasn't cut out for command. He was brave but reckless in his bravery. He wasn't structured at all; in fact he was irresponsible. He didn't seem to take anything seriously and he pulled the others that he surrounded himself with down.
"General, we found out a few things," Captain Mao began speaking formally, suddenly not slurring his words and appearing to be completely sober.
Shang stared at him in surprise. "Was that all an act?"
"I know my limits, General. The other two are a little worse for wear, however," he added with a laugh. "They're young still."
Shang shot him a scathing look and the laugh was cut off abruptly.
"What did you find out?" he pressed now that he'd made his disapproval clear to his captain.
"You would be quite impressed at how clever we were, General."
"Yes, I'm sure," the young general snapped, impatiently. "Get to the point, Captain. Did you find out anything about who might be involved?"
"No. But we found that there is a large amount of trading happening between this village and several others in the area, including the one we are headed to, Shangqiu."
"Trading of what?"
"Food and clothing mostly, but then there are odd, random items that they're trading, too. Silk banners. Ink. Even artwork. It just struck me as weird. These are poor villagers that barely have food and clothing, yet they're trading things like ink and artwork. It's bizarre."
"Yes," Shang replied thoughtfully. "How did you come by all of this information?"
"By listening to the patrons in the tavern talking."
"Wasn't anyone suspicious of you listening in on their conversations?"
"No. The three of us sat there drinking and blending in. By the way, this is the village that Shen Jing-hao lives in."
"The sword maker?"
He nodded. "One of the best, General."
"I know."
"We met him. He asked us who we were and we told him that we were travelers, looking to try to make a living. I believe that they all thought the three of us were bandits. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. It puts us on the opposite side of the law in their view, which should make us allies."
"That will be a good place to start, Captain. We will follow the trail of the villagers' trading. Maybe they're exchanging information as well; even weapons. Maybe Shen Jing-hao's new livelihood is supplying weapons to rebels."
"What are your orders, sir?"
Shang unrolled his map and held the lantern over it to illuminate it more, pointing as he spoke.
"You and the two others will return to Sui Xian on horseback early tomorrow morning and remain there. The rest of the troop will be moving out to Shangqiu. We will be camping in the forest here, and scouts will be sent to that village and to the village of Xiayi. When you have something to report, come to Shangqiu. If my suspicions are correct, following the trail of commerce in this area will bring you straight there anyway."
He set the lantern down beside him.
Captain Mao bowed and saluted him hand over fist. "Yes, General."
"Okay, Captain. You're dismissed."
"Goodnight, General."
"Goodnight."
Shang heard him outside the tent as he walked away singing again, the same song with strange lyrics about Mount Luo and plums.
xxxxxxx
"A swan flies around Mount Luo, where there grow peaches and plums. It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it."
Mulan listened to the pipa player as he sang this refrain, accompanying himself on his lute. The tune was melancholy and the man bowing the erhu made the instrument sound as if it were weeping. The early verses were about hardship and grief, the later ones about hope and change. Many of the men knew all of the verses and they sang along, some of them practically in tears. As the pipa player reached the refrain each time the rest of the crowd joined in.
She withdrew a piece of paper and a stiff brush from her pack and began to scratch out the words to the song. The lyrics were symbolic as were many poems and sayings that professed to be prophetic. The words Mount Luo in the repeated refrain had caught her attention and she knew they had to mean Luo Di; this was the ballad that her father had been talking about.
She stuffed the paper with the lyrics into her pocket after the ink had dried. She would read them over later and try to make sense of them, and when she returned to Shangqiu she would show them to her father. He often spoke to her in this symbolic way, usually using blossoms to signify her; if there was anyone that would figure out the lyrics, it was him.
A barmaid approached their table and Ao-li ordered more rice wine for the two of them.
"We need to make sure we get to the prefect first thing tomorrow," he remarked, turning to her as the barmaid hurried off.
She nodded. They had foregone going to see him that evening, wanting to get inside and warm up quickly with a good meal and some wine. They had made it into the forest before the snowstorm hit, but it was still a treacherous, exhausting trek to get to Xiayi. The sun had long since set when they finally arrived at the village. After seeing to the care of their horses they immediately made their way to this crowded tavern and ordered dinner.
Loud applause broke out as the musicians finished the song. Mulan and Ao-li joined in and clapped for them.
"I'm not sure whether this is the song or not. It seems to be, but the lyrics are cryptic," Ao-li commented when the applause had died down.
"Well, Mount Luo has to mean the Emperor," she answered softly. "That's the only thing I recognize."
She withdrew the paper with the lyrics from her pocket again and they perused the words together as the musicians began to play and sing another tune.
"This is supposed to be prophetic," she remarked. "Oh, of course! In the refrain. Plums. Li. That must be where they're getting the Li part of the prophecy from."
"The people in here all seem to know the lyrics really well and what they mean, but I don't think it would be a good idea to ask them. They may not want to talk about it out in the open."
"No. And they may be suspicious of us for asking."
The door to the tavern opened and a blast of cold air hit them. Four Imperial soldiers stepped through the door and Mulan snatched up the paper and shoved it back into her pocket.
"Hey, I was still reading..."
"Imperial guards," she muttered gesturing toward the door with her eyes. "I don't want them to see it. Just in case they would recognize it."
The barmaid that had taken their order finally appeared with their drinks. Mulan had seen her fighting off one of the men and she looked flustered. She and Ao-li both reached into their pouches and pulled out some money, pushing it toward her.
The four soldiers swaggered through the tavern, stopping at the tables they passed and talking to the patrons. One of them headed straight for their table. Mulan cursed under her breath.
"Okay, just act naturally and drink your drink," Ao-li muttered. "He'll sense if you're nervous."
Mulan raised her cup and he followed suit.
"Drain your cup," she toasted him and took a gulp of the wine. It warmed her as it slid down her gullet and steadied her nerves a bit.
"Good evening," the soldier greeted them as he approached. By his uniform they saw that he was a general.
Mulan thought she recognized him from the Imperial City and it took every ounce of strength that she had inside of her to not panic. He didn't appear to recognize her, but he may have just been skilled at keeping his face expressionless. She nodded a greeting, setting her cup down on the table.
"Good evening, Honorable General," Ao-li answered.
"You two young men are travelers," the general remarked, not wasting time and getting right to the point. He gestured to their packs that lay on the bench beside them.
"Yes, Honorable General," Mulan answered, making sure to lower the pitch of her voice so she sounded like a young teenage boy instead of a woman. "We're from the next village."
"What are you doing here?"
"We're here on an errand for our school," Ao-li answered. "Are we doing something wrong, Honorable General?"
The general shook his head. "No. But there are many signs of trouble and unrest in our land. We are merely trying to keep order. What is your errand?"
"We are buying ink for our school and delivering banners that the prefect of this village ordered."
"Ink?"
"Yes, sir. We are studying at the calligraphy school in Shangqiu."
"I see. And you said you are delivering banners?"
"Yes, sir. The prefect ordered them from our master."
"Show me."
Mulan made every effort to appear nonchalant as she reached into her own pack and pulled one of the banners out with trembling hands. She handed it to the general and he unrolled it, laying it out on the table in front of him and scrutinizing it.
"Who is your master?" he asked, looking directly at her.
"Master Jiang," she answered. She swallowed quickly then added, "My father."
"He has a fine hand."
"Yes, sir."
"And you are following in his footsteps, young Master Jiang?"
"Yes, sir."
"This is Jiang Hu. And I'm Xu Ao-li."
The general fell silent again, looking over the banner. "Master Jiang was in a somber mood when he created this," he remarked thoughtfully. He straightened up after a minute and rolled the banner up again, handing it to Mulan. "Let me see the other one."
Ao-li obeyed, reaching into his own pack and withdrawing the other banner. The general took it from him and unrolled it, laying it on the table and examining it.
"Ah, now here he was in a happier mood. So, these are both for the prefect's quarters?"
"Yes, sir."
"There is a woman from your village who has fled her service to Luo Di," the general abruptly changed the subject, rolling the second banner up and handing it back to Ao-li. "Her name is Hua Mulan."
"Ah, yes," Ao-li answered casually, nodding at Mulan. "We know her, of course."
Mulan nodded. "Yes, she became quite celebrated in our little village after she fought for the Emperor."
"She is a criminal now. When you return home be sure that the people of your village know that if they shelter her, they are harboring a traitor to the Emperor. He has sent out an order demanding her execution."
The general moved off and approached the next table. Mulan and Ao-li both raised their cups again and drained them dry.
xxxxxxx
Shang had ordered Captain Mao and the two scouts to leave for Sui Xian on horseback early the morning after they came back to camp drunk, though the other two men clearly had nasty hangovers. Now, several days later, he was still in the forest with his troop.
A snowstorm had hit, continuing for a couple of days, and the visibility was non-existent during it. He had therefore made the decision to hold the troop where they were camped instead of trying to move out to Shangqiu through such treacherous weather. Still, it was hard camping in weather like this, even with the shelter of the trees and the roaring fires that they kept going to warm them.
By now General Zhao would have made it to Xiayi. A scout would have to venture back from there to find him if there were going to be any message from him.
Shang stood up and walked to the tent opening, pushing the flap back and gazing out. The storm had stopped but there was a gale blowing, stirring up the snow and swirling it around.
His wife had gone into labor on a night like this the year before and a twinge of grief weighed heavily on his heart as he was suddenly taken back to that night. The midwife was staying with them at that point so she was right there when it happened. It had been a harrowing night. Mei-ling was in pain and agony for hours. He had stayed out of the room but he could hear her anguished cries. After what seemed an eternity an eerie silence had finally fallen. There wasn't even a groan from Mei-ling; no wail from the newborn infant.
She died shortly after the baby boy was taken from her womb still-born.
He sighed and closed his eyes, bracing himself against the wave of regret and sadness that threatened to overwhelm him. He would have had a son.
Mei-ling was a beautiful, delicate woman from a noble family who'd been picked out by his mother; and after the matchmaker approved of the proposed union the preparations went forward and he brought his new wife home a couple of months later.
He'd been able to gracefully put off getting married when he returned from the war with the understandable excuse that he was in mourning over his father. After a year, though, his mother pressed him to get on with getting married.
Mei-ling had been a sweet and obedient wife, pleasant to be around, her sole desire to make him comfortable and happy. He had no complaints about her; but he had never completely stopped wondering about Mulan. He felt somewhat guilty about that, more so after Mei-ling died.
"General Li."
Shang turned to the owner of the voice that had broken off his sad reminisce. It was a soldier that he didn't recognize.
"I have a message for you from General Zhao."
Shang took the dispatch from him.
"Thank you."
The soldier saluted him and Shang pointed him in the direction of the vacant tent that Captain Mao had been sleeping in.
"You can stay in that tent for the night."
"Thank you, General, but I must be getting back to Xiayi to meet up with General Zhao."
Shang went into his tent and sat by the lantern, unrolling the dispatch and reading it. General Zhao had reached Xiayi and they had already spoken to several of the people there, including two students from a Shangqiu calligraphy school.
'These two young students came to Xiayi to buy ink and to deliver banners to the prefect of this village, which he ordered,' General Zhao had written. 'I saw the banners. The prefect ordered them and, though artfully done, there is nothing remarkable about them. The words on the banners are poetic and signify nothing to me, but they may be a code and these students may have been used unwittingly to deliver a message. We can't be too careful. When you reach Shangqiu I would advise you to check out this calligraphy school as well as the rest of that village.'
"Ink and art work," Shang mused.
Captain Mao had reported the same thing about ink and artwork trading hands. It was possible that the school was merely continuing its operations, in which case the students would need to restock things like ink.
"There must be a shortage that they need to visit so many different villages to obtain it," he laughed to himself.
General Zhao was right. They couldn't be too careful and there may have been more to this school than was obvious.
He decided that he would make sure the school was scouted carefully.
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Background of the Ballad
There are many stories about various omens and prophecies that foretold the fall of the Sui Dynasty and the rise of the Tang. Along with these, there is an account of a ballad that appeared in the last years of Yang Di's rule that also foretold the fall of the house of Sui and the ascent of a man named Li as Emperor. It was a Daoist nursery rhyme that translated as follows: "A swan flies around Mount Yang, where there grow peaches ("Tao") and plums ("Li"). It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it."
It was considered prophetic and interpreted as such: "Li" suggested that someone surnamed Li would rise to be the Emperor. "Tao" signified Tao, which meant the surname "Taotang". Tao was omitted, leaving "Tang" and signifying that the Tang dynasty would replace the Sui Dynasty and the "Li" who ascended to the throne would promote Daoism. "Mount Yang" meant Yang Di.
The ballad became immensely popular among the disaffected subjects under Yang Di's rule. According to this legend, Yang Di, being superstitious and believing in the prophecy, began a campaign to search out and execute anyone of importance with the surname Li because of it. He had numerous ministers and officials and their entire families put to death.
Li Yuan, a minor official who served in one of the provinces, was summoned to the court (along with the other Li's summoned), but failed to appear, claiming poor health. He knew that if he obeyed the summons to court he would never return. He feigned madness and pretended to become an incorrigible drunk. When the Imperial spies reported Li Yuan's behavior to Emperor Yang, the Emperor thought that a madman could never fulfill the prophecy and he was no longer suspicious of Li Yuan. A couple of years later Emperor Yang placed him in charge of a field army to defend the Empire against incursions from the north. Li Yuan fought bravely, won the respect of his troops and marched on the capital. He placed a new Emperor on the throne and Yang Di fled to Jiangdu where he was eventually assassinated by one of his aides. Li Yuan then deposed the puppet Emperor that he had placed on the throne and went on to become Emperor, founding the illustrious Tang Dynasty, thus fulfilling the prophecy (and he did promote Daoism in his rule - in fact, a Daoist priest named Li Chun-feng was said to have helped him attain the throne and Li Chun-feng then served in his court).
Sources: chinastrategies website, wanderingtaoist website.
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