Legend of Great Tang’s Twin Dragons

Kou Zhong took the teacup, sipped the hot tea, and spoke absent-mindedly, “This kid has just sent off Ba Fenghan. This is his usual style, he said he’d come and he did, he said he’d go and he went, like the solitary leopard on the grassland, he does not like community life.”

Song Que did not appear the slightest bit displeased just because Ba Fenghan did noy say goodbye to him. On the contrary, he spoke cheerfully, “Although I am the master of the Song Clan, but in my heart I like and miss the feeling of coming and going alone. I wonder if Shaoshuai is speaking your mind?”

Kou Zhong spoke dejectedly, “I feel so much in pain.”

Song Que was slightly startled, but then he laughed involuntarily, and spoke with emotion, “Who in the world does not bear the burden of pain in his heart? Even the strongest and most optimistic people might regret endlessly of certain things he did in the past, furthermore, he might wish that history can be changed, to give him another chance to correct it. Unfortunately, that is impossible to bring about. Life is like this, time is absolutely pitiless.”

Kou Zhong spoke in astonishment, “Unexpectedly Fazhu also have pain inside your heart?”

Song Que’s handsome-without-equal countenance revealed a hint of expression brimming with pain, he spoke softly, “The essence of life is like this, how can I, Song Que be lucky enough to be spared? Therefore, if you could decide far-reaching ideals and goals for yourself, and then strive and fight in that direction, set other things aside with all your might, it would make life easier to pass.”

Kou Zhong felt that he and this aloof and remote martial study giant have been pulled closer by quite some distance. He calmly expressed his inner feeling, saying, “When I was on the battlefield, the moment the two armies were facing off against each other, I could really enter the realm of apart from the saber, there was nothing else. I just hate it that once the sword and spear were laid down, wild imaginations might suddenly invade, making me hard to endure my emotion.”

Song Que returned to the ancient-well-without-any-ripple cool-headedness. He looked at him, his expression was immeasurably deep, he spoke indifferently, “Speak out the load on your mind!”

Kou Zhong said in anguish, “Zhizhi is unwilling to forgive my action! Ay! How do I say it? She doesn’t want to marry me, she …”

Song Que raised his hand to cut him off, getting straight to the point, he said, “Do you have another woman?”

Kou Zhong never expected that he would say those words. Staring blankly, he spoke with a bitter smile, “If I said no, then I would be lying to Fazhu, however, I have always been true, I never betray Zhizhi, I truly love Zhizhi deeply, I don’t want to hurt her, yet in reality, she is the person that I hurt the most.”

Song Que slapped the armrest and burst in loud laughter, he said, “That is already very rare. Who can move Shaoshuai’s heart?”

Kou Zhong replied, “It’s Shang Xiufang, who is known as the chief among talented women in the world. Ay!”

Song Que muttered to himself irresolutely without speaking, it was quite half a day later that he said, “The women you want to obtain the most is the one that you know you will never get. There will come a day you will understand what I said.”

Stunned, Kou Zhong asked, “Could it be that Fazhu also have regret in this aspect?”

Song Que smiled calmly, under the lantern light, the grizzled hair on his temples was glistening in silvery light. Tranquil and calm, as if he was recounting other people’s past events, he said, “How could life be completely satisfactory without anything lacking? When heaven and earth were first divided, yin and yang stood distinctly, male and female treat each other, all in imperfect spirit. Yang advancing, yin retreating. Yin grows, yang disappears. This side rises, the other side follows after. The pursuit is the perfection and equilibrium that can never be achieved. The same is true between men and women, between fame and profit, riches and honor, and power and wealth; the wealth and power that ordinary people strenuously pursue is no exception. In the end, it is all no more than this.”

When he spoke the last sentence ‘no more than this’, evidently he was expressing his feeling, deep and distant in some kind of inalterable emotional memory.

Kou Zhong wanted to say something but then hesitated.

Song Que smiled and said, “Does Shaoshuai

want to ask Laofu, since I have seen through that in the end, all the efforts and pursuits is no more than this, why do I still support you to go to war to contend for hegemony over the world?”

Kou Zhong said, “That is just one of the questions. The other question is I want to ask Fazhu about that unobtainable woman, was she Bi Xiuxin?”

Song Que put the tea cup back on the table and said indifferently, “Why do you want to know?”

Kou Zhong replied frankly, “A woman who can attract Fazhu, and you still keep her in mind constantly to this day, naturally she must be an out-of-the-ordinary woman. Although I do not have the karma to see Bi Xiuxin, but from Shi Qingxuan, I could infer her spirited elegance, hence I can’t help being curious and asked. Fazhu does not need to answer me.”

Song Que’s gaze fell on the Heavenly Saber hanging on the tent wall, he shook his head and said, “It was not Xiuxin, but I was indeed attracted by her. Were it not for her giving birth to a daughter for Shi Zhixuan, even if I, Song Que had to tread everywhere to the ends of the earth, I would never have let Shi Zhixuan, that fool, get away. Humph! What is Bu Si Yin Fa anyway? It’s only some kind of illusion technique, a variation of the demonic school’s gong fa [power/skill method], not something worthy in Laofu’s eyes. I have been waiting painstakingly for Shi Zhixuan in Lingnan for eighteen years, too bad he has always disappointed Laofu. Shi Zhixuan is too cowardly!”

Hearing that, Kou Zhong felt deep veneration for him. Shi Zhixuan once told Xu Ziling personally that Bu Si Yin Fa was some kind of illusion technique, while Song Que, who had never fought with Shi Zhixuan before, was able to point to the truth like he had seen it for himself, he was able to see through Bu Si Yin Fa’s deceitful trick, so brilliant that it was difficult for others to believe. It was clear that Song Que has reached the pinnacle of the martial way, able to see the mystery of Bu Si Yin Fa from spider’s thread and horse track.

He couldn’t help asking, “I heard that Ci Hang Jing Zhai has a treasured book called ‘Ci Hang Sword Canon’, that before he finished reading it, Ning Daoqi vomited blood and suffered injury. Isn’t Fazhu’s heart moved by it?”

Contrary to expectation, Song Que’s powerful body trembled slightly. It was quite half a day later that his expression turned back to normal. Smiling bitterly, he said, “The reason I did not dare to go was not because I was afraid to look at the sword canon, but because I was afraid to see someone.”

Stunned, Kou Zhong said, “Unexpectedly there is someone in the world that makes Fazhu afraid?”

Song Que sighed and said, “What’s so strange about that, you are not afraid to see Shang Xiufang?”

Shaken, Kou Zhong said, “Turns out the person who can move Fazhu’s heart is Fan Qinghui.”

Instead of answering him directly, Song Que returned to the previous topic, saying, “Rumors are exaggerated, how can it be fully trusted? Laofu will be the first one not to believe that Ning Lao would be injured because of reading ‘Ci Hang Sword Canon’; however, sounding out the difficulties and retreating to avoid defeat was the truth. The Sword Canon was created by Buddhist Nun. It was specially designed for women to use the way of the sword to cultivate the way of heaven, unfathomably mysterious. For the masculine male to look at, the danger is heavy. Moreover, because it is wide-ranging and profound, it is wonderful and mysterious, difficult to understand. The more brilliant the person, the easier it is to be deeply engrossed in it and cannot extricate himself from it, which could lead to fire deviation at the slightest pretext. Ning Lao could rein in the horse at the edge of the precipice, it was extremely hard to come by.”

His excitement overflowing, Kou Zhong asked, “It is rumored that at that time Ning Daoqi was going to Jingzhai to challenge Fan Qinghui. I don’t believe this is the case. Ning Daoqi is that kind of person who stand aloof from worldly affairs, how could he create a disturbance everywhere and in all directions?”

Song Que turned his head around to look at him up and down for half a day, and then he smiled and said, “You are no longer distressed by the pain, are you?”

Stunned, Kou Zhong said, “Am I a person with many hearts? When talking about these fascinating things, other things are all set aside at the back of my mind.”

Song Que cheerfully said, “Hence the reason you are the person with qualifications to strive for the world against Li Shimin. Ning Lao came to Jingzhai only because he wanted to talk to Qinghui about Buddhism and discuss Taoism. Whoever hung the bell on the tiger’s neck must untie it. About Yuzhi, it’s inappropriate for me to get involved, it must be you who think of a way to resolve it. Is there anything else?”

Lowering his voice, Kou Zhong spoke heavily, “If we can capture Hanzhong, I have an easy as blowing off dust secret method to capture Chang’an.”

Emotionally moved, Song Que said, “Tell me!”

Kou Zhong explained the secret of the Duke Yang’s Treasure systematically and in full detail, finally he said, “As long as we catch them off guard, we move inside and outside the city at the same time, attacking Li Yuan that he has no time to deal with it, I have the confidence that we will be able to control Chang’an within one night.”

The refined light in Song Que’s pair of eyes flashing, but his expression was even more calm and collected than any other times; he spoke slowly, “You know the situation inside Chang’an better than I do. In your opinion, how many troops we will need to be able to capture Chang’an in one night?”

Kou Zhong said, “If Li Shimin stays to defend Luoyang, Guanzhong will be empty. At most thirty thousand elite troops, we will have the ability to put Li Yuan in order. Ha! It’s really good to have you, the Senior in here. You can make decisions for me.”

It was as if Song Que did not hear his last two sentences, revealing a contemplative expression, he shook his head and said, “It’s extremely likely that you underestimate Chang’an’s defensive power. Because Yang Guang, that muddleheaded ruler, was afraid that his men might rebel, he was even more afraid that his men will open the door to welcome the enemy, not only he built numerous ramparts in the city, the city gates have ramparts within ramparts even more. Even if you launch an attack in the city, you can forget about controlling any gate for a period of time or three moments. Moreover, in order to guard against Li Shimin’s betrayal, Li Yuan has stationed massive military force that could open and enter the city, in the vicinity of Chang’an for a long time. Furthermore, among the three capital cities, the Tang Palace is the most solid and difficult to conquer Palace City. In my opinion, the military strength must be doubled to sixty thousand men, only then will we have the chance to establish a strong stronghold in the city within one night effort. The street fighting to fight over every cun of land will take a few more days. Victory is definitely not going to be easy.”

Kou Zhong submitted in admiration, he said, “Fazhu’s thinking is more cautious and thorough than mine.”

Song Que smiled and said, “The reason is that you are accustomed to using the few to defeat the many, to use the weak to defeat the strong [both are idioms]. But now that you have Laofu to help you, there is no need to risk ruining the enterprise for the sake of one basketful. Now that you have this brilliant scheme to capture Chang’an, Laofu will redeploy the attack and defense strategies, to allocate manpower to firmly impede Li Shimin’s main forces in Luoyang, and the attack on Hanzhong must be carried out in secret. When Li Shimin knows that Hanzhong is fallen, he will be on guard. The City of Chang’an already send fire beacon everywhere, no one could change the misfortune of the Li Tang’s demise.”

Kou Zhong modestly ask for instruction, “Then what should I do now?”

Laughing involuntarily, Song Que said, “Aren’t you the commander-in-chief? Unexpectedly you come to ask me?”

Laughing apologetically, Kou Zhong said, “That is for others to hear. Now that there are only this kid and you, the Senior, naturally Fazhu is in charge. Ay! Life as a leader is really not easy to pass.”

Song Que looked closely at him for a moment, he glibly said, “There are three things that you must do by yourself, you can’t rely on other people’s hands.”

Kou Zhong respectfully said, “Fazhu, please bestow instructions.”

Song Que picked up the teacup, he took two sips in a leisurely manner, and said, “Kou Zhong! You know that Laofu‘s love and cherish for you is constantly increasing. In terms of prestige, today’s Kou Zhong is not under me, Song Que, and you still have the heart like the pure and innocent heart of a newborn. I can’t detect any ambition in you. This is impossible, yet clearly you can do it. You are not afraid that I am just using you while actually I myself want to sit on the emperor’s throne.”

Kou Zhong smiled and said, “Thank you very much for Fazhu’s praise. Frankly speaking, there is no pleasure in being an emperor. If Fazhu is willing to do it for me, I will be very grateful.”

Song Que laughed heartily and said, “Don’t ever think that I will agree.” And then he spoke with serious expression, “The first thing: Shaoshuai must immediately rush back to Chenliu, announce to your subordinates that I, Song Que will help you to ascend the emperor’s throne with all my strength, and Yuzhi will become your future empress. Don’t underestimate this matter, it is very important, not only it can stabilize the troops’ heart, it will also make the authority and duty clear, there won’t be any question of who is in charge and who is the deputy. Only the two armies that can be turned into one army and work together in one mind can display the formidable power of our joint cooperation.”

Kou Zhong said, “I wonder if you, the Senior would reconsider this kid’s proposal just now, that is my real desire.”

Song Que smiled calmly and said, “From now on, stop bringing up this matter again. When you become the true master that unify the world, looking at how all the people live a blessed and happy life under your benevolent governance, all personal sacrifices will be worth it.”

Kou Zhong dejectedly asked, “What about the second thing?”

Song Que said, “The reason I want you to immediate return to Chenliu this very night is because the second matter is extremely urgent. After returning to Chenliu, Shaoshuai

must, without stopping to rest – go straight to Liyang to persuade Du Fuwei to announce his full support for you. As long as he gives you a nod, we could control the Great River without spending a single soldier a single troop. At that time, whether we want to attack Xiangyang or launch surprise attack to Hanzhong, it will be just the exertion of lifting our hand. When Li Shimin hears the news, his only choice is to hold fast to Luoyang, giving us the big advantage that we could march the troops into Shu [Sichuan] and capture Guanzhong.”

Kou Zhong nodded and said, “I do have that intention. Fazhu, please instruct the third matter that must be done.”

Song Que replied, “You must sneak into Chang’an the gods do not know, the ghosts do not perceive, to draw the most accurate detailed map of the entire City of Chang’an’s security measures and fortifications and the military strength distribution, for my reference. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. In Chang’an’s street fighting, nothing is to be lost. How to lower our casualties to the minimum and save our strength to deal with Li Shimin, both are big issues bearing upon to whom the final victory will belong. This matter must be handled by you personally, even if your identity is exposed, I believe that with your Moon in the Well, you can still easily leave.”

Submitting cheerfully, Kou Zhong said, “I really don’t have such a careful and thorough thinking like Fazhu. I will take care of all three matters, I will definitely not let Fazhu down. I am going to go back and leave them a couple of instructions, and then will immediately return to Chenliu!”

Song Que threw his head back in laughter and said, “Good! This is more like my, Song Que’s soon-to-be son-in-law. Other things, no need for you to spare your time to deal with, Laofu is going to create the best situation for you before charging into Guanzhong.”

Chenliu’s defending troops saw Kou Zhong coming back suddenly and calmly, the entire city’s army and civilians were ecstatic. Xuan Yong, Xu Xingzhi, Jiao Hongjin, Zuo Xiaoyou, Luo Qifei, Chen Changlin, Gao Zhandao, Niu Fengyi, and the others welcomed him into the city, common people lined the streets to greet him, the sound of their cheer rose up and down like the tide, the atmosphere was blazing and boiling over like fire.

Naturally Kou Zhong put on an in-touch-with-the-people attitude, he waved his hands and smiled back to the residents who regarded him as a deity. Actually, even he himself did not quite understand why Chenliu’s whole city regarded the Tang Army as a severe floods and fierce beasts?

Entering the main gate outside the Shao Shuai mansion, Xuan Yong immediately reported, “We received news from Xu Ye, he is on his way on a boat going up the river to the north with Hou Gongzi and a friend surnamed Yin, they might arrive any moment.”

Severely shaken, Kou Zhong halted his steps and said, “My luck is beginning to come! Nothing is better than this news, even the Yin kid, whose track has been missing, is found. His granny’s bear, do you know that my future father-in-law has shown Li Shimin his stance, scaring him that he slipped away back to Luoyang with his tail between his legs?”

Everybody stopped behind him, hearing him, a burst of cheers exploded. Everybody knew about Song Que’s main forces’ arrival, which totally reversed the situation. The difficult-to-endure days of taking the beatings were finally over.

Kou Zhong has successfully established an unrivalled image within the Shao Shuai Army. More importantly, Shao Shuai Army no longer had the slightest fear of the Great Tang Army, Kou Zhong was precisely Li Shimin’s nemesis. The hard-won joy of victory deeply affects every officer and soldier on the public square in front of the Shao Shuai mansion.

Kou Zhong shouted, “The first thing I have to do is to evaluate the merit and bestow reward. That is to say, everyone will be heavily rewarded, not only recounting the merits, but there’s also monetary reward. If I, Kou Zhong, do not have enough money to pay, my future Lao Yue [old wife’s parents] will pay out of his pocket. You may not believe me, but you should believe him.”

Everybody exploded in laughter, not only because they were happy of being praised, but more than that, because the way Kou Zhong spoke was very amusing.

Fiddling with his beard, Xu Xingzhi smiled and said, “Reward is generous and trustworthy, punishment is heavy and is a must. As the old saying goes, with trust in reward there must also be trust in punishment, hence if there’s reward, there must also be punishment. Book of the art of war also says, ‘The reason why ordinary person, in the face of unyielding disposition of troops – forgetting self, touching naked blade and not overcome with dread, first, is to seek honor and fame, second, is to covet heavy reward, third, is because of fear of punishment, and fourth, to escape disaster and distress’. Xingzhi has established a system of rewards and punishments for our army. As long as Shaoshuai gives your nod of agreement, you can then evaluate the merit and bestow the reward, also inspect and punish. Shaoshuai, please note clearly.”

Greatly delighted, Kou Zhong said, “Xingzhi has indeed developed policy without omission. With you helping me, why worry that our great endeavor would not succeed?”

Xuan Yong wanted to say something but then hesitated.

Xu Xingzhi said, “Shaoshuai, please move your honored-self to the main hall.”

Kou Zhong sighed inwardly, Song Que was indeed able to prophesy with supernatural accuracy. Shao Shuai Army’s officers and soldiers were concerned about the emperor’s throne. Because there was only one seat, and in terms of strength, status, and position, Song Que was above Kou Zhong. Therefore, if he did not clear up this ambiguous situation, the troops’ heart would be greatly affected, and Xuan Yong and the others have clearly discussed this matter, therefore, when they heard the sentence ‘why worry that the great endeavor would not succeed’, they reacted this way.

Knowing that he could not avoid this issue, he spoke with serious expression, “I have one more thing to announce. Song Fazhu has decided to give his full support to me to unify the world. The Song Family Army is the Shao Shuai Army. Someday, if Kou Zhong is lucky enough to ascend onto the throne, Song Yuzhi will be my empress.”

Hearing that, all the officers and soldiers’ concern and doubt were swept clean. Amidst the thunderous cheers, they crowded around Kou Zhong as they entered the Shao Shuai Mansion.

Kou Zhong had bitter knowledge that before Song Que Army beating back Li Shimin’s main forces, the throne of the emperor was just an out-of-reach dream, but now the situation has changed drastically. The world has become two opposing fractions, and that he had more confidence to win the final victory. Becoming the emperor has become a possibility, which made him immediately feel the urgency and pressure of this issue. In his mind, the most ideal solution was naturally to choose another virtuous person to be the emperor, and when his work succeeded, he would retreat, meet with Xu Ziling to wander the world and enjoy life. The problem was that he had no choice but to respect Song Que’s intentions, and Song Que has made it clear that he only supported him to ascend to the throne, not any other person.

Things have come to this, there was no leeway for any other choices.

The sailboat slowly docked at the river bank, they finally reached Chenliu.

Just by looking at Chenliu’s defending troops’ mood and their situation, they knew that Kou Zhong was still in the world of the living, so that the army and civilians in the city were brimming with the joy and excitement of victory.

The pier and the top of the city wall were full of the Shao Shuai Army’s pair of dragons’ banners, flapping and fluttering in the wind, the army’s appearance at its peak, their might spread to eight sides, so that Xu Ziling deeply felt that Shao Shuai Army was no longer a weak brigade of army struggling to survive under the enemy occupying the absolute upper hands, but a powerful army division able to aspire to the throne of the world.

When the troops guarding the pier arranged themselves in formation to welcome them, thunderous drum beats arose from the top of the city wall, more than a thousand riders rushed out of the city gate like a whirlwind, fast as lightning galloped toward the pier. It was only natural that Kou Zhong was taking the lead.

The three men did not have the patience to wait for the boat to touch the dock, they flew toward the shore.

Kou Zhong has already flown off the horseback, he swiftly covered the remaining hundred or so steps. Disregarding everything, he hugged Xu Ziling firmly, tears streaming down his face, he blurted out loudly, “Thank the firmament! He really did not treat us, two brothers, meagerly. Ling Shao is finally coming back!”