166 It Is Enough! (1/2)
The old marshal was furious, his anger knew no bounds; his deafening growls were accompanied by rage and laced with helpless despair.
The old marshal’s current emotional state was similar to that of Shangguan Lingxiu and Yun Yang. However, his was even more volatile!
He could lead troops of a million men to defend against the enemies thousands of miles away; he could command these troops easily and carry out military strategies effortlessly; he could throw himself into the thick of warfare and overthrow the army without fear. Yet, facing these fools who were easily swayed, easily instigated, he was helpless!
To the old marshal, redressing Shangguan Family of Generals’ tainted name was a fortunate event. It was also a reminder, a reminder he could empathize with.
It could be the Shangguan Family of Generals today, it could be words that would bring about the fall Leng Daoyin or Qiu Jianhan tomorrow. They were all militants; the Shangguan Family of Generals who had been the epitome of patriotism, of historical merit, was almost wiped out just like that - he was definitely no safer than them!
In the backyard of the Shangguan residence, the widowed women stood quietly, their faces stoic.
Hearing the old marshal berating the people from afar, everyone in the family suddenly had their eyes rimmed red, their tears falling in streams with their fists tightening; the anger and despair they had been feeling could not be expressed by words.
They did not weep when they were wrongly accused, they only felt anger and resentment.
When the truth was unveiled, when their reputation was recovered, each of them could not help the tears the flowed freely down their faces.
The old mistress lit a joss stick with a trembling hand and raised it high over her head, softly sticking it into the censer before the ancestral tablets.
The smoke rose slowly.
The ancestral tablets were arranged neatly as they watched the rising smoke silently.
Both the living and the dead had nothing to say; all the women’s eyes were trained on the old mistress.
The old mistress’ face was expressionless, but her tears were endless. She quietly straightened her body and looked at the many tablets with moisture in her eyes.
After a very long time, she murmured, ”I know what you all want to say… You wish to ask forpeace of the heart and the presence of justice. This is what you all want to say, is it not? I knew it! The entire family, you are all wretched rotters! You wouldn't regret what you did, even if you had to die a hundred deaths!”
Her voice trembled as she spoke, ”You had your fun, didn't you? All of you roared and charged forward, dyingheroic deaths! Dying and leaving everything else behind, isn’t that easy? But all of you left us behind! The peace of heart and the presence of justice all of you wanted, the sacrifices you made for the nation without regret... but you left us – a family full of widowed wives and orphaned children! Do you not feel any guilt at all?”
”Your deaths are an end of everything you, all of you know nothing else. But we are all still alive here! I guess it just serves us right - we have to bear everything that has happened...”
The old mistress was sobbing. Suddenly, she hollered harshly, ”But what sins have we committed that we have to bear all these?”
Her skinny hand pointed towards the doors behind her as she shouted, ”Why must we bear all these! Come out, one of you, tell this old one, why is it so?”
The ancestral hall seemed to shudder slightly at the vehemence in her voice.
The women were all shaking with red rimmed eyes.
Outside the doors, Qiu Jianhan’s low voice resounded. ”Elder sister-in-law, we are here.”
Old Mistress said coldly, ”Both marshals’ arrival is honorable but this contemptible land is unworthy of your footprints. How can this old one afford such respect? This family is full of widows and orphans that don’t deserve the courtesy of a visit by two influential military officials. Please go back.”
Shadow flitted by the doors before Qiu Jianhan and Leng Daoyin’s tall forms appeared at the doors and walked over quickly.
Coming to the front of the old mistress, both men knelt on the ground. ”We are late. Elder sister-in-law, please forgive us!”
These two marshals of the imperial court, superiors of the military, old generals of theEmpire of Yutang that could shake the nation with one holler, had just gone on their knees before this old mistress subserviently, guilt and remorse colored their faces.
The old mistress’ anger clogged her throat then; the old lady did not speak a word for a long time. Finally, she exhaled a soft sigh; the crutch in her hand shook as she said, ”Get up.”
”Yes! Allow both of us to offer incense to the family of generals’ ancestors, brothers, and children, to at least show our sincerity.”
Qiu Jianhan and Leng Daoyin got up and went to get a joss stick each. They respectfully lit them and raised them up high before bowing; their expression solemn and serious.
There seemed to be a glint flashing across the marshals’ eyes, as if the long forgotten heroic scenes of the Shangguan Family of Generals dictating the battlefield flashed before their eyes.
The atmosphere was silent.
After some time, both the generals straightened up.
The old mistress was still standing straight. She suddenly gave a sigh and said softly, ”Young Qiu, Young Leng, let me ask the both of you…”
She wore no expression on her face and there was no emotion in her voice, there was not the slightest bit of feelings; her arm stretched out slowly, pointing towards the doors as she questioned faintly, ”Is… the generations of sacrifice of our family to protect… these people outside?”
Old Marshal Qiu and Leng Daoyin replied with their silence, unable to come up with a worthy answer.
A long time seemed to have passed when both men puffed their chests and said bitterly yet resolutely, ”We are Yutang’s soldiers, we take the imperial court’s salary and enjoy what the people give. The military food and pay are supplied by the nation as well.”
”We only ask for the peace of heart and the presence of justice! Nothing else!” Both old generals chanted the mantra simultaneously.
The peace of heart, the presence of justice!
It was these words again!
These two phrases were terribly convenient.
Old Mistress erupted into another fit of rage, tears gushing out of her eyes as she scolded them, ”Is this what you two ask for as well? The peace of heart and the presence of justice? Good, good. You are all-righteous with justice, you are all-passionate with generosity! Get out! Get out now! Go and get your peace of heart! Go find the presence of justice! Out, out, out!”
She sobbed as she berated them, the crutch in her hand landing harshly on the two old generals.
Both aged generals took it in their stride without a single movement, their gazes clouded with heartache and grief.
They shared the same sentiment about the treatment that the Shangguan Family faced, the bitter disappointment that was endless and the icy chill that went to the core.
Plop!