LITMIR.BIZ

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vital, though cruel.

      The young Emperor accepted the country in a disgusting state: one crisis followed after another, as the weather seemed to take up arms against the Celestial Empire, as bad years repeated in succession. The Jurchens roamed in the North, and the Portuguese pirated in the South. Several provinces were constantly engulfed in flames of peasant rebels, which, however, were extinguished by his loyal generals for some time. Despite this, his army was still the strongest in the visible world and even its northern neighbours reckoned with it.

      And still, he had to do something with the dominance of eunuchs in power… These reformers from the Dunlin party invited him to familiarise himself with their proposal for state reorganisation. He had to choose the time and deal with this. It was also time to think about a child… He couldn't leave the country without an heir. You can't leave such questions unattended… So, he should forget about the chambers full of concubines for a while and pay more attention to his Empress at night.

      She has reproached him more than once lately for the fact that he has lost interest in her. Well, it's time to dissuade her. Imperceptibly, the Emperor went over to the window on the north side of the chambers. An amazing view of Jingshan, a beautiful mountain, opened before him. It stood out from the ridge that stretched North of the palace.

      Once upon a time, there were huge reserves of coal, brought here in case the city was besieged by enemies. The place was called Meishan – Coal Mountain. Then they dragged some soil there to create a man-made ridge of five peaks.

      Abundant pines and cypresses planted on the slopes made these mountains especially beautiful. It was a favourite place for children to play, and later on for the young Emperor to walk. This is where he was once introduced to his future wife.

      Great Huangdi sighed. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, there was a certain disturbing thought, but Zhu Youjian could not yet understand which one. The feeling of imminent trouble and tragedy did not let him go for several moons already.

      The Emperor moved away from the window, took a bottle of southern wine from the table, poured a little into a porcelain cup, and looked at it through the light. It played in the sun, as if transparent! Bravo Xing Wang, master craftsman among the makers of such imperial porcelain. He managed to create something close to perfection! The thin cup seemed to glow in the hands of the Emperor, letting in the rays of the setting sun.

      Huangdi slowly drank the tart wine, previously tested for poison by special people. He remembered very well how his predecessor passed away, poisoned by spiteful critics, and was not going to repeat his mistakes.

      His thoughts returned to the palace troubles that fell on him so unexpectedly at a young age. After all, are there any valid reasons for premature concern? He is the Ruler of a huge country, rich in people and resources. He has a four-million army at his disposal, ready to wipe out any enemy at his first command. As for internal problems that he inherited from the former inhabitants of the Imperial Palace, he can figure it out somehow. After all, he has a whole life ahead.

      So we'll execute the devas, together with these southern conspirators, confiscating the property in favour of the state treasury as usual. The corresponding decree will have to be prepared tomorrow. And today… Today he will visit his Empress after all…

      Zhu Youjian smiled thinly and, grabbing a vessel of wine, went to the female half of the palace.

      第三章

      Chapter 3

Mountain village. Liu Hei's rebel camp.

      It was the second quarter of the Dog month, but the weather was still relatively pleasant. More like summer, almost without rain, with light, weightless clouds against the all-enveloping dazzling blue sky. Li sat on a rock, watching life in the camp from the hill.

      He could see the smokes of the smithy, where Tang, who was the first to meet them on the forest path and who took them to the camp, has been working for several moons already. Even here, at the top of the hill, the smell of Aunt Mio's cakes could be detected. He could also hear children's merry voices somewhere on the edge of the nearby forest.

      Each tent had a fire on which they cooked their supper. Li remembered with a grin what it cost him to persuade Liu Hei to provide him with several people and plough the first wedge in the spring.

      At first, the tired rebel leader did not even understand what this strange warrior, so dissimilar to his fellow deserters, was talking about?

      "What do you mean by ploughing? What are you talking about?" The conversation took place in his tent after another successful skirmish. That spring, they managed to capture notable trophies and even the treasury of one of the governor's detachments. "The hands of these people (Liu waved his head towards the entrance to his tent) have long lost the habit of the plough. They are more accustomed to destruction. The creation will corrupt them, make them weak…"

      Li shrugged.

      "You are the commander, you decide. Just tell me, Chief, how are you going to feed your army, which is growing day by day? Your warriors show more and more strength in each battle, as the governor sends more and more soldiers against them. A couple more battles – and we'll have an army of skeletons, unable to lift Master Yang's staff from the ground.

      Liu Hei glanced at him in a squint manner and shifted some papers on the table.

      "What do you suggest? Say what you want to say; I am ready to listen to you."

      "We need to occupy a village abandoned by locals, and for some time, the soldiers will have to turn back into farmers. In the spring, we will plough as much land as we can and sow it with the grain.

      Our women and children will take care of the crops. There will also be a smithy and a forge. Our weapons need to be thoroughly revised after so many battles or even completely refurbished.

      A smile of understanding appeared on Liu Hei's face. A Man of war could see another man of war.

      "But where can we find so much land?"

      "I've got some thoughts," Li Zicheng replied evasively. He and the old man had already discussed everything more than once and had several good ideas for this case.

      Several men pointed out the location of the village at once. Someone went there on business, while others had relatives there. One way or another, but for the rebels, this was the ideal place for a long-term base: abandoned, with rich soil, several undamaged houses, an entire forge, barns and a nearby mountain river. A Great find!

      Another advantage of this village was that it was located far from the trade routes. It was this fact, and not the fear of an imminent war, that forced its inhabitants to leave the village. Someone moved to the South in search of a better life; someone moved to relatives in the surrounding villages. When Liu Hei's army came to the village, only two elderly people lived in it.

      Hei's fears turned out to be in vain: not being professional soldiers, the rebels were happy to return to peaceful labour. The hands of the farmers missed peaceful labour – things were set in motion.

      Luo Yang and Li Zicheng, with the permission of Liu Hei, decided to introduce the traditions of state military settlements in the newly formed army when almost full troops in the border areas were sent to cultivate the land. In military settlements, warriors were given land, inventory and working animals, assigning 50 mu.

      At the same time, Master Luo recalled a letter from Emperor Yongpe to Liu Yingu, head of military settlements in Henan: "If those tired and weakened people will again be forced to assist the soldiers who are now taking a break from military affairs, they will suffer even more, and the soldiers will remain idle. After all, the soldiers are kept to protect the people. How can they bring unnecessary suffering to the people?"

      Whereas the system of military settlements justified itself in the regular army due to its self-sufficiency, while raising certain questions about the combat effectiveness of those units in the rebel army, it was the self-employment of soldiers that became the way out of the food crisis. Now, after a while, there was no need to fear imminent famine.

      In their free time after fieldwork, the soldiers practised fighting and sword techniques under the leadership of Zicheng.

      Besides, Li introduced

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