Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 183 Immortality
When Yang Fuguang entered the training ground, it was already filled with bonfires, and dozens of soldiers dressed in colorful clothes were waiting with their musical instruments and bamboo pipes.

Nearly a thousand muscular men, dressed only in shorts, were rubbing each other's bodies with oil. In the freezing winter, their breaths formed clouds, making them look incredibly strong.

In front of the camp, there was a long table with sacrificial animals and grains laid out on it, and colorful flags from all five directions were planted on both sides, fluttering in the wind.

"Boom"

First came a thunderous drumbeat, and then, under the side tent, dozens of bare-armed, burly men, led by a warrior at the front, began to slowly beat a cowhide drum.

The sound of drums echoed along both banks of the Bian River, causing the various vassal armies in the surrounding camps to turn their heads and look around. Even the Xuanwu Army guards on the city walls of Bianzhou were pointing and shouting in panic from the corner towers.

It was amidst this slow drumbeat that a burly man, eight feet tall, wearing a bear-skin Nuo mask, emerged, holding a short halberd in his left hand and a shield in his right.

Behind him, dozens of warriors dressed in colorful clothes followed closely, all wearing black clothes and red skirts, wielding spears and shields.

Yang Fuguang, who was already sitting under the tent, recognized the person in front of him as Zhao Huai'an.

Looking at these strong and spirited martial artists, Yang Fuguang smiled.

At this moment, Zhang Guinian, holding a scroll and dressed in red, sang the "Song of Expelling Ghosts" amidst the roaring bonfire:
"Jia eats miscellaneous foods, Jiwei eats tigers, Xiongbo eats demons, Tengjian eats ominous things, Lanzhu eats bad things, Boqi eats dreams, Qiangliang and Zuming eat parasitic things together, Weisui eats food, Cuoduan eats giants, Qiongqi and Tenggen eat Gu together."

As Zhang Guinian finished singing, the nearly one thousand men in calf-nose trousers who had been standing there lined up according to their respective ranks, illuminated by the torches hanging on the camp walls.

They were all soldiers of the Eight Capitals of the Righteous Army, and at this moment, together with their lord and generals, they began to hold the Nuo opera on New Year's Eve.

As the drumbeats grew more rapid, Zhao Huai'an, standing at the forefront, suddenly struck his shield with his spear and shouted:
"what!"

Dozens of righteous generals struck their shields with their halberds in response, shouting in unison, while their staffs on both sides yelled:

"Let's dance!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Liu and Ding Hui blew their long horns, and the powerful and magnificent sound instantly transported everyone to the primitive era of their ancestors.

The small drums on both sides never stopped, and Zhao Huai'an and the others stepped to the beat, one step at a time, each step accompanied by a loud shout, a thousand people dancing together, with a magnificent and powerful spirit.

At this moment, Yang Fuguang, under the reed canopy, narrowed his eyes. He now understood why Zhao Huai'an had the confidence to climb the stairs alone, and why this man was so confident that he could help him return to Chang'an.

It was also during this war dance that Zhang Guinian, on the high platform, sang once again:

"Wielding spears, dancing in all directions, clad in black robes and crimson skirts, the wise king shines with golden light. Drums shake the fields, exorcism chants resound through the desolate heavens, driving away evil spirits from the nine realms, and suppressing misfortune from all eight directions!"

"Warriors, conquer the eight directions, as the year draws to a close, the candlelight flickers on the fence. With peachwood bows and thorny arrows, they pierce the vast night, banishing plague from the long river, and praying for a bountiful and prosperous year."

Amidst the melodious singing, Zhao Huai'an shouted loudly, his passionate spirit inspiring everyone, even the servants of the military supervisor who were quite dissatisfied with Zhao Da were amazed.

More than a thousand muscular warriors danced wildly and shouted loudly in the cold winter. Their spirit of fighting against heaven and earth and being the only ones who mattered made people feel as if they had returned to the Tianbao era.

The drumbeats grew more urgent, and Zhao Huai'an and the others jumped faster and faster. He even discarded his halberds and tapped the beat with his hands, his feet constantly moving, becoming increasingly enthusiastic.

Yang Fuguang grew increasingly intoxicated by the sight, almost wishing he could join in the dance. He took a glass of wine from the old Mexican man, downed it in one gulp, and then shouted:
"Drink for my glorious Tang Dynasty!"

The staff and officers roared loudly, then continued to revel in the singing and dancing of Zhao Huai'an and the others.

Of all human activities, only dance possesses the power to reach the human soul; it is a way for humans to communicate with the heavens and their ancestors.

That soul-stirring thrill is so powerful that even if you don't join in the dancing, just watching it is enough to be infectious.

"call"

"what"

A thousand men roared, their breath forming clouds, and boundless heat emanated from these strong warriors, dispelling the chill of New Year's Eve.

At this moment, Yang Fuguang was completely drunk. He no longer doubted Zhao Huai'an's strength, so he laughed loudly, placed the luminous cup on Lao Mo's tray, and then took a small drum.

After catching the beat of the drum, Yang Fuguang began to personally beat the drum to cheer on Zhao Da, shouting loudly every now and then, full of heroic spirit.

True heroes are naturally elegant and unconventional.

At this moment, shouts and noises also came from Bianzhou City in the distance, with countless people holding torches and shouting around the house.

They were loudly driving away the "wasteful ghosts" hiding among humans.

Meanwhile, some young boys from Bianzhou, dressed in red tunics and holding rattles, began to dress up as Nuo opera characters, beating gongs and drums, "jumping over the Kitchen God," and begging for food from their neighbors.

The whole city was filled with joy and merriment, their celebrations blending with the drums and horns of the camp to create a scene of universal happiness.

Finally, the Nuo opera came to an end.

……

Sweating profusely, Zhao Huai'an removed the Mingwang Nuo mask from his head and picked up a bowl of Tusu wine from the table.

Meanwhile, the officers and soldiers of the Baoyi Army, who had finished their dance and were laughing heartily, also received the exorcism cakes from their attendants and raised the Tusu wine to toast the magistrate from afar.

Zhao Huai'an calmed his breathing, then shouted at the top of his lungs:

“Brothers, this is the first time that I, Zhao Da, and my brothers have celebrated New Year’s Eve. Many of you have been with me since last year, but on New Year’s Eve that year, we were guarding the Jinma River stronghold when we were besieged by the Nanzhao army. Our lives were hanging by a thread, and we were in imminent danger.”

“That New Year’s Eve, I, Zhao Huai’an, secretly vowed that as long as we survive, we brothers will be together again next year at this time to celebrate New Year’s Eve.”

"Someone once asked me, what's so great about celebrating New Year's Eve? You just get a year older every time you celebrate it."

“I didn’t understand before, but now I do.”

"That is inheritance! For remembrance! For eternal existence!" "Thousands of years ago, our ancestors braved hardships to open up the mountains and forests. They also danced and fought under this bright moon, driving away evil spirits and praying for a bountiful and peaceful year to come."

"And thousands of years have passed, and we still stand under this bright moon on the land opened up by our ancestors, continuing to pass on this ritual. And when our descendants grow up, they will also, at this time of year, continue to wield weapons and dance, just like you and me."

"At this moment, here, our ancestors, we, and our descendants overlap. We are not alone, and our struggle is no longer just for ourselves, but connects us with our ancestors and our descendants."

"We warriors suffer greatly, enduring wind and rain, sleeping in the open, and risking our lives on the battlefield. Even at this time of family reunion, we've left our loved ones to fight against an enemy we've never seen before. Why? To repay me? To repay the court in Chang'an? Or because of the resentment in our hearts?"

"Perhaps all of these are true, but today I, Zhao Da, have an epiphany: aren't our efforts today a struggle for our ancestors and for our descendants?"

"We use the swords in our hands to tell our ancestors that we, their descendants, are still guarding the land they opened up. And we use the backs of our backs to tell our children and grandchildren, look, this is the peace and prosperity we have built for you!"

"Today, on this New Year's Eve, the city is brightly lit, a truly beautiful sight. But isn't it also a kind of fulfillment for us brothers to gather together to celebrate this New Year's Eve? What I hope for is that we will spend this year together, and we will spend it together again next year, five years, ten years, twenty years. When your children and grandchildren have all grown up, it will be my eldest son and grandson who will be there to celebrate with them!"

"On this day every year, under this bright moon, our descendants will dance the Nuo dance just like you and I do today, praying for peace and health in the coming year. Sitting around the campfire, they will talk about the affection and achievements of our fathers and grandfathers."

"By then, will you and I still feel any regret about today? At this moment, I, Zhao Da, will only feel that this is the beginning of a legend!"

At this point, Zhao Huai'an choked up a little. He looked at his brothers who had risked their lives with him, remained silent for a moment, and then said:
"Brothers, you followed me, Zhao Da, into this sea of ​​blood in the Central Plains, all with the ambition to achieve great deeds. But swords have no eyes on the battlefield, and even I, Zhao Da, don't know if I'll have a future. So how can I promise you anything about a good beginning and a good end, or a perfect ending?"

"So today, many of us will eventually fall on the road, fall beside us, or even fall on the day we succeed."

"It's one thing to become just a handful of dust, after all, everyone dies eventually, but what if no one remembers us anymore, remembers everything we fought for? How can we be content with that?"

"And by then, who will remember us? Will it be a writer's pen? Will it be a sentence in a book? Neither!"

"These are our brothers who have shared life and death, who have entrusted their lives to each other. The bond we forged on the battlefield is stronger than that between father and son, between husband and wife, and stronger than any other emotion!"

"Only we, brothers who have been through thick and thin together, will forever remember everything we fought for, and every New Year's Eve, when we look up at the bright moon overhead, will remember this day!"

"On New Year's Eve of the second year of Qianfu, my brothers and I danced and played with weapons outside the Bian River all night long. On that same day, Old Zhang was sitting next to me, and Old Li was standing over there."

"Therefore, we have never left, because we live forever in the memories of our brothers and in the great achievements we have made in our struggle."

"Here, I want to ask my brothers to remember this night forever, and to remember the brothers who sang and danced with you tonight, because you and they will be each other's eternal witnesses!"

Zhao Huai'an finished speaking, but no one else spoke.

Yang Fuguang had already stood up. He stared blankly at Zhao Huai'an in front of the crowd, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

"You're just a spineless eunuch. Even in death, you'll be nothing more than a lonely ghost with no one to offer sacrifices. Why not just live for today and enjoy the moment? Why do you care about anything else?"

This was the same sentence he had heard countless husbands say since he was a child in the palace.

Therefore, eunuchs were greedy, wicked, and cunning; therefore, no one respected them, even though they held immense power in the court.

Even Yang Fuguang himself, as a eunuch, looked down on these people. His adoptive father rose to prominence by framing a border general.

He had told himself countless times that betrayal was the only way to become a superior person, and that he should stop being so naive.

What sense of loyalty or affection can you have with a eunuch?
Yang Fuguang also had his doubts. He just instinctively disliked the way his adoptive father and cousin handled things, the kind of people who, no matter how much money and power they had, were ultimately like rats in a ditch in Chang'an.

But he didn't know where the road was.

But tonight, he saw it in Zhao Huai'an.

It turns out that a person's immortality can be remembered by the brothers who have entrusted their lives to them, and can be achieved through great achievements.

At that moment, Yang Fuguang also gazed at the bright moon in the sky.

Centuries from now, will future generations remember me, Yang Fuguang? Will they remember my loves and hates? Will they remember that I wasn't a muddle-headed eunuch? Or that I was also full of lofty ambitions and heroic spirit?

No, because I haven't achieved that great feat yet!
At that moment, a raging fire ignited in Yang Fuguang's heart, and he knew his mission!
On the field, as countless officers and soldiers of Baoyidu listened to Zhao Huai'an's words, their breathing became increasingly rapid. Their simple emotions told them that they were witnessing a great moment.

Because the envoy before them, and all these nameless people, were standing at the threshold of a great undertaking, they grew increasingly anxious, and finally someone led the cheers:
"Where righteousness lies, I will follow you to the death!"

"Where righteousness lies, I will follow you to the death!"

……

Humanity's most sincere and fervent emotions erupted at this moment, spreading throughout the ever-flowing Bian River, passing through the myriad folk performances in Bianzhou City, and reaching all the way to the bright moon.

This day was New Year's Eve of the second year of the Qianfu era.

Under the bright moon, the Guang and Shou armies camped south of the Bian River, singing and laughing all night long until dawn.

All regrets and misfortunes were laid bare on this day; tomorrow would be the third year of the Qianfu era.

An even more tragic year.

　The second year of the Qianfu era ended, and the even more magnificent and turbulent third year of the Qianfu era began.

　　Those who live in chaotic times are unfortunate. Everything they were once familiar with will be completely buried. Death is one thing, but the psychological state of those who survive will be left with huge trauma, which will remain in the hearts of everyone for the next five generations.

　　It is difficult for one person to save a nation from peril, and it is still difficult for a group of people to save a nation from peril, but it is not as difficult.

　　However, if these people do not have a burning passion to correctly understand their relationship with their brothers and the apocalypse, then they still cannot shoulder such a historical mission!

　　Ideals are hidden in times of peace, but shine in times of apocalypse. There has never been such a group of people in history, but now they have Zhao Huai'an, a brother they can entrust their lives to, and that great cause!
　　Please look forward to the story of the third year of Qianfu, which will be even more exciting.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)