darknovel Chapter 44: Shangjun Fortress
Chapter 44: Shangjun Fortress
Go to the county fortress.
The north wind swept across the land, and yellow sand danced in the air.
The section of the Great Wall in front of us was first built during the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin.
After decades of weathering storms and wars, the walls are now mottled and dilapidated, with many sections collapsed. The exposed rammed earth stands out starkly against the open field, exuding a sense of vicissitude.
"Thump—!"
"Thump—!"
The dull yet penetrating sound of pounding echoed across the open field.
Dozens of heavy tamping pestles were lifted high by the bare-chested laborers, who then slammed them down onto the newly laid wet yellow soil with all their might.
Each time the tamping pestle fell, it was accompanied by a slight tremor in the ground beneath their feet.
And the deep, suppressed shouts of the laborers bursting from the depths of their chests.
"Heave-ho!"
The laborers who built the Great Wall were mostly convicts and conscripted laborers, dressed only in tattered coarse hemp robes with straw ropes haphazardly tied around their waists.
Sweat mixed with yellow dust, carving deep furrows into their dark backs.
Even after long hours of labor, many people had cuts and lacerations on their shoulders, and the blood seeping out stained the linen dark brown.
Originally, he was under the close watch of the soldiers with spears around him.
No one dared to slack off in the slightest; every strike of the tamping pestle was delivered with all their might.
However, at this moment, an unusual silence permeated the air.
Although the soldiers continued to patrol back and forth expressionlessly, anyone who moved even slightly slow would be met with a stern reprimand.
But the laborers' gazes always involuntarily drifted toward a certain direction on the west side of the construction site.
Even the patrolling soldiers had a lingering sense of helplessness hidden deep in their eyes.
On a high platform built of rammed earth.
"Reporting to the young lord."
The overseer was bowing anxiously to a handsome, upright figure.
"The laborers are often distracted and dejected, their morale is low. If this continues, I fear... I fear the project will be delayed, thus jeopardizing important national affairs!"
Fusu stood silently in the howling wind, his back to the officials.
His gaze first slowly swept over the figures of laborers below, working mechanically under the dust and pressure.
Every numb and weary face was a test of his heart.
His gaze then moved beyond the noisy construction site and landed on the low earthen slope to the west.
There was only one woman, standing alone on the hilltop.
She was dressed in a faded coarse cloth dress, her hair disheveled and hastily tied up with only a worn-out old wooden hairpin.
Like a frozen stone statue, it stares intently at the towering, continuous city wall.
Over and over again...
Over and over again...
Over and over again... she called her husband's name in the wind.
The mournful cries drifted intermittently through the howling sandstorm, creating a stark and cruel contrast with the bustling construction scene at the city site.
"My teacher once taught me, 'Shun...held both ends of the spectrum and applied the middle way to the people.'"
Fusu's voice was very soft... very soft... with a heavy bitterness, as if he were speaking to the supervisor, or as if he were talking to himself.
"How difficult it is to practice benevolence by upholding the middle way, so that both ends are in accordance with the proper order."
He shook his head slightly, his handsome profile appearing exceptionally pale in the wind and sand.
"Perhaps, no matter how hard I try in my life, I will never become a moderate and wise ruler like Shun."
Fusu murmured, with a deep sense of powerlessness, "Please allow me one more day to think it over."
"Young Master!"
The overseer shouted urgently.
"Young Master is benevolent. Seeing that both sides are innocent, he cannot bear to harm either side. This is truly the way of a gentleman, and I, your humble servant, am deeply moved."
The supervising official took a deep breath and bowed to acknowledge Fusu's sincere and benevolent heart.
But then he looked up, his tone becoming more urgent and worried, "But Young Master..."
The supervising official attempted to reiterate the advantages and disadvantages, emphasizing the urgency of the military situation and the authority of the law.
However, just like the previous days, before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a tired but firm wave of his hand from Fusu.
"I will make my decision tomorrow. You may leave."
Fusu's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable tone.
"......only!"
Benevolence and kindness are undoubtedly the most dazzling qualities of Fusu, and his most precious qualities as the crown prince.
Faced with injustice and tyranny, this heartfelt kindness will drive him to stand up and speak out for the people like a sharp sword.
However, when faced with this cruel dilemma of either/or...
This excessive benevolence, however, became a heavy shackle binding his hands and feet, preventing him from making that cold and 'qualified' decision.
Therefore, regarding this thorny issue at hand.
The indecisive Fusu, through unconscious procrastination, has chosen the wrong and most dangerous option.
The supervising official, watching Fusu's stubborn back, swallowed his unfinished words and bowed deeply.
He then slowly descended from the platform, leaving only a sigh that dissipated in the wind.
Just then, Zou Yun and his group, led by Meng Tian, finally arrived at the Shangjun Great Wall construction section, covered in dust from their journey.
They reined in their horses and stood still, gazing into the distance.
The sight that came into view shocked everyone.
The Great Wall, stretching like a giant dragon, extends across the vast land.
Dust billowed and swirled like a yellow mist, with countless ant-like figures toiling within it; Qin soldiers, clad in armor and armed with weapons, stood at attention like javelins, patrolling the area.
On the high platform, the gentle and refined young man was none other than Fusu, the supervisor of the project.
The most striking sight, however, was the weeping figure, appearing incredibly thin and frail amidst the wind and sand, nestled beneath the western slope.
She was like a tiny speck of sorrow in the vast yellow sand, insignificant yet carrying a heart-wrenching grief.
In this grand historical panorama, it appears particularly desolate and striking.
-----------------
On the high platform of Shangjun Pass.
Zou Yun moved slowly and silently toward Fusu on the high platform.
Seeing Fusu gently clutching the warm jade pendant at his waist, his brows furrowed with worry.
Zou Yun asked softly, "Young Master Fusu, is there something you're wondering about?"
That familiar voice exploded in Fusu's ears like a thunderclap!
He turned around abruptly, and when he saw who it was, an unbelievable look of surprise flashed in Fusu's eyes.
"The...Grand Master?!"
Zou Yun, dressed in a flowing black robe, stood between heaven and earth, smiling broadly as he looked at Fusu.
"Is Prince Fusu well?"
For some reason, Fusu suddenly blurted out, "It seems that a pitifully thick barrier has already separated us..."
"???"
Zou Yun was taken aback, then looked at Fu Su's teasing face, his tense posture instantly collapsed, and he actually chuckled softly.
"ha..."
"Pfft, hahaha..."
An irrepressible smile spread across his eyes, eventually turning into a clear, hearty laugh. Zou Yun's shoulders trembled slightly as he laughed, as if he had shed some kind of invisible disguise.
That hearty laughter was incredibly infectious.
Fusu stared at the corners of his mouth curving upwards, and the heaviness of the past few days seemed to be washed away, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.
The two of them stood on the high platform, expressing their joy at their reunion.
Laughter temporarily drowned out the sandstorm and sobs, drawing the attention of the armored guards in the distance.
"Is the Venerable Master well?"
Fusu suppressed his smile and asked again solemnly, his eyes filled with genuine concern.
"I am fine, but you seem to be..."
Zou Yun's gaze swept over Fu Su's slightly tired face, and he gently shook his head.
"But it's not very good."