Chapter 23: The grievances are cleared and Xiangyang is divided into the north and the south; the heroes are rectified and divided into the east and west.
Last time, it was mentioned that Meng Xian took Guo Polu as the vanguard and marched into Xiangyang City in two groups. Huang Rong used a clever plan to let Guo Jing lead the heroes of the Beggar Clan to sneak into Xiangyang City and attack the Mongolian army from both sides with Guo Polu. The Mongolian commander Zhang Rou was frightened and fled back to Mobei with his troops. The Song army successfully captured Xiangyang.
Let us also say that Meng Xian's army entered Xiangyang City, went out to calm the people, recruit surrendered troops, and reported success to the court. He believed that Xiangfan was the foundation of the court and should send heavy troops to manage it. He also attached a letter to express his merits to Guo Jing and avenge his injustice.
That night, Meng Xian held a banquet to celebrate his victory at the former commander's residence in Xiangyang City. The generals of the Song Army gathered together and it was very lively. Meng Xianyan, Guo Jing and his son took their seats. Guo Jingqian gave in repeatedly before he and Meng Xian sat on the main seat.
Lu Wenhuan moved forward, holding Guo Jing's hand with lingering fear, and said:
"Master Guo, it's not that I want to frame you, it's just the imperial decree that I have to obey."
Guo Jing laughed and said:
"Guo will take care of himself. General Lu, please just sit down."
As soon as everyone was seated, a group of imperial guards in rich uniforms escorted an emissary, riding a fast horse, galloping over. They came to the commander's house and shouted:
"The imperial edict arrives——."
When everyone heard this, they all knelt on the ground. Guo Jing wanted to evade, but Meng Xian forced him to pull him to his knees. The chamberlain dismounted, held the imperial edict in his hand, and, surrounded by two guards with swords, came to the hall and shouted:
"Marshal Marshal Meng Xian accepted the order."
Meng Xian and all the generals said in unison:
"I respectfully welcome the imperial edict!"
The chamberlain unfolded the imperial edict and read aloud:
"The Emperor Chengyun issued an edict: General Meng served the country and the people, drove out the barbarians, and recovered the city of Xiangyang. His heart is commendable. Now I will give the palace a bottle of jade wine, a war robe, and a sword. Others, etc., Everyone has been promoted. Thank you for this!"
After everyone shouted long live, Meng Xian stood up and received the imperial edict respectfully. His subordinates also received the imperial reward items and placed them on the desk.
Seeing that Guo Jing and Yelu Qi were not wearing battle robes, the envoy asked in a low voice:
"Is this Guo Jing, the hero known as 'Beixia'?"
Guo Jing stood up, saluted with his hands clasped in fists, and said:
"The culprit is Guo Jing!"
The emissary praised:
"The great hero Guo is well-known throughout the world, and is known to both the government and the public. He is getting stronger and stronger as time goes by, and he is still as powerful as a tiger. You are loyal to the country, and you are worthy of being a great hero in the world."
Guo Jing replied respectfully:
"Guo and others just couldn't bear the ravages of the Mongolian Tatars on the common people, so they just fulfilled their responsibilities for the people of the Song Dynasty."
The emissary sighed:
"If everyone can be as loyal to the country as Guo Daxia, then our Song Dynasty can be protected, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and the foreigners are convinced."
After saying that, he took out another piece of rice paper from his arms, clasped his fists and said:
"Guo Jing listens to the announcement!"
Guo Jing had no choice but to kneel on the ground again. The emissary read:
"General Meng's memorial to civilian Guo Jing has been found out by our lord. It is actually the fault of a treacherous villain. Guo Jing and others are loyal to the country and their ambitions are commendable. I am now allowed to report to General Meng. They are royally named 'Beixia' and will stay." Listen to it under the tent."
After saying that, he bowed to Guo Jing and saluted, and the two guards behind him also clasped their fists and saluted Guo Jing. Guo Jing hurriedly kowtowed in return, washing away his grievances. He felt grateful and could not help but burst into tears.
The emissary helped Guo Jing up and comforted him. Meng Xian poured a glass of wine, presented his hands to the envoy, and said:
"Please, sir, after you return to Beijing, tell me about the innocent feelings of Guo Jing and other righteous men who have served the country and the people. Guo Daxia does not want to be an official. I hope he will not suffer such injustice from now on."
The emissary took the wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and agreed with his mouthful.
Meng Xian said again:
"The palace in Xiangyang City was originally given to Guo Yishi to live in. The general is planning to re-allocate it to him. I don't need to write a memorial to report to the court, right?"
The chamberlain smiled and said:
"General Meng can make the decision on his own regarding such trivial matters." After saying that, he pulled Meng Xian and Lu Wenhuan to his side and secretly said:
"The prime minister has reported to the emperor that General Lu has made meritorious deeds and will be reinstated soon. In addition, the Mongolian army returned to the north. Today, between Song and Mongolia, the Yangtze River is used as the boundary and Xiangyang City is the midpoint. The river is divided into north and south to govern. From now on, the Han and Mongolian peoples will live in harmony from generation to generation, and must not stir up trouble! Remember! Remember!!"
Meng Xian, Lu Wenhuan and others thanked them, and Guo Jing thanked them again.
Meng Xian and other high-ranking officials had dinner with the envoy and his party. The emissary took his leave and left. Meng Xian led the generals to the gate of Xiangyang City before riding back home.
As soon as the edict was announced and the servants left, everyone cheered. Meng Xian ordered the cups and plates to be rearranged and the banquet started again.
Everyone toasted to Guo Jing and his son, celebrating that Guo Jing had finally cleared the air and had his grievances washed away. Praise Guo Polu for being a hero, and he made the first contribution in the battle to recapture Xiangyang.
Guo Jing was in high spirits because his injustice had been vindicated. Everyone toasted him with a smile. After a few rounds, he was already very drunk. He still held up his own cup and repeatedly paid tribute to the generals. Yeluqi was afraid that he would lose his moral integrity after drinking, so he hurriedly helped him return to Guo Mansion with Guo Polu.
After the Guo Mansion fell in Xiangyang, Zhang Rou sent people to protect it and it was not destroyed. After Meng Xian captured Xiangyang, he had already arranged for the engineering battalion to renovate the Guo Mansion. When the drunken and dim-eyed Guo Jing returned to the mansion, he saw the brand-new mansion. Huang Rong had already led the female family members to move in and sent people to clean it thoroughly. Guo Jing saw things and missed people, and inevitably felt grateful again. He mumbled and said:
"Marshal Meng's kindness of being reborn can't be repaid by being shattered into pieces!"
Huang Rong was angry and funny, so she asked her maid to serve Guo Jing and rest.
Early the next morning, while Guo Jing was still sleeping, Meng Xian had sent someone to Guo Mansion to greet him. When Guo Jing heard the sound, he turned over and got up. When the maid dressed him, there was still a strong smell of alcohol on her body. Guo Jing was quite apologetic and said to the envoy sent by Meng Xian:
"I am very grateful to Marshal Meng for taking care of my family. I was about to go to the Marshal's Mansion to pay my respects to Marshal Meng."
The visitor said respectfully:
"Marshal Meng ordered that if something happens to Hero Guo's house, please take care of him first. The Mongolian soldiers have recently retreated and will not come back for a while. Please be sure to recharge your batteries and restore your skills as soon as possible."
Guo Jing chuckled and said:
"Thanks to Marshal Meng Hongfu, the young man has fully recovered and his family, old and young, has settled down properly."
The visitor was about to say goodbye. Huang Rong felt rude when she saw that Guo Jing was only happy and didn't even invite anyone to take a sip of tea. He hurriedly ordered his maid to bring out a piece of grained silver and asked Guo Jing to reward it to him. The visitor thanked him and left.
Just as he was seeing the person away, he heard another knock on the door. When he opened the door, he saw another person from the government, and he was surprised. Upon further inquiry, it turned out that Meng Xian sent someone to invite Guo Jing, Yeluqi and Guo Polu to come to the Commander's Mansion to discuss matters.
Guo Jing, Yeluqi and Guo Polu followed the visitors and rushed to the commander's residence. In the meeting hall of the Commander's Mansion, all the generals were neatly dressed. Meng Xian was sitting on the commander's seat with a majestic look. The commander's seal was wrapped in red silk, which was extremely bright.
With the sound of "Guo Daxia, Yelu Gang Leader, Guo Shaoxia are here——"
Guo Jing led Guo Polu and Yeluqi into the meeting hall. When Meng Xian saw them, he hurriedly stood up to greet them. Guo Jing and the others had already moved forward with clasped fists in salute. Meng Xian waved his hand and said:
"The three heroes are exempt from the gift, please sit down."
His subordinates brought three brocade-covered chairs for Guo Jing and the others to sit on.
Meng Xian clasped his fists, saluted to the south, and said:
"I have just received an imperial edict from the imperial court. The imperial court believes that the Mongolian army will definitely invade again within three or two years after it has recently retreated. Therefore, it has strictly ordered the border guards to reinforce the city and train diligently."
Meng Xian glanced at the people below the steps and said:
"The imperial court has given high rewards to all the soldiers who recaptured Xiangyang this time, and has made other arrangements for border defense. I have been specifically ordered to make arrangements based on the actual situation. After my careful consideration, the arrangements for Xiangfan are as follows..."
When everyone heard this, they all whispered, wondering what new measures the court would take.
Meng Xian said:
"According to the decree of the imperial court, I ordered my commander to lead the army to Xishu, to appoint an envoy to the Jinghu pacification system, and to also know Kuizhou. General Lu Wenhuan was restored to his original post, and still to know Xiangyang Prefecture, and to appoint an envoy to the Jinghu system, and to pacify the west of Jingzhou. The deputy envoy is based in Xiangyang. The two generals Fan Tianshun and Niu Fu are stationed in Fancheng, and they are the horns of Xiangyang, taking care of each other."
Then troops were stationed between Fancheng, Xinye, Tang and Deng, and the guards of important cities such as Fangzhou, Jiangling and Junzhou were arranged in an orderly manner. Guo Jing, who was familiar with the topography of Xiangyang, couldn't help but admire Meng Xian's thoughtfulness and thoughtful arrangements.
After Meng Xian finished the assignment, he said to Guo Jing in a consultative tone:
"Master Guo, I have an unkind request. I wonder if Master Guo can agree to it?"
Guo Jing stood up and said:
"If Marshal Meng has any request, just state it clearly. As long as I, Guo Jing, are useful, the common people will be shattered to pieces without any complaints."
Meng Xian chuckled and said:
"Guo Daxia is serious. Guo Daxia is loyal to the people. Meng admires him very much."
Guo Jingxun thanked him, and Meng Xian said seriously:
"Guo Daxia was wronged before because he was loyal to the people and became a thorn in the side of the Mongols and a thorn in the side of some traitors and glory seekers in the court. After this battle, it is enough to prove that Guo Daxia is actually the pillar of Xiangyang City. With Guo Daxia stationed here, The city of Xiangyang will definitely be impregnable. Therefore, Meng has a heartless request. He would like to respectfully ask Guo Daxia to lead the heroes of the Beggar Clan to assist General Lu Wenhuan in defending Xiangyang. He also invites Guo Polu and Guo Shaoxia to go to Xishu with a certain person. Is that okay?"
Guo Jing nodded in agreement, and Meng Xian said to Yeluqi:
"The Beggar Clan disciples and martial arts heroes led by Gang Leader Yelu are full of talents, hiding dragons and crouching tigers. I also ask you to assign some heroes to secretly assist the Song Army in guarding the states and counties near Xiangyang City."
Upon hearing this, Guo Jing, Guo Polu and Yeluqi stood up together, cupped their fists and saluted:
"I sincerely obey Marshal Meng's wishes. The common people are willing to obey Marshal Meng's orders and wait for arrangements!"
Meng Xian was overjoyed. The distribution had been decided and everyone was ordered to follow it.
It's exactly this: prepare for a rainy day to guard against enemies, clear the clouds and mist, and reveal the blue sky. If you want to know how the heroes will go to all directions after Xiangyang City is recovered, and how it will end, please read the breakdown in the next chapter.
