Sweep Yuan

Chapter 132 Bo Ren, a man of great benevolence, assists a wise ruler

The Yuan Dynasty had a vast territory with many ethnic groups living together, and the constraints of etiquette and law were relatively weak.

For example, it is clearly stipulated that weddings of various ethnic groups should "follow their own customs".

However, in the Jiangbei region, where Han and non-Han peoples have lived together for hundreds of years, all ethnic groups have inevitably been influenced by the customs of other ethnic groups.

The world changes slightly every twenty years and dramatically every hundred years.

There are no customs in the world that remain unchanged for thousands of years. For example, the six rites of marriage stipulated in the Zhou Rites, namely, betrothal, asking the name, accepting auspicious gifts, presenting betrothal gifts, setting the wedding date, and welcoming the bride, have been constantly changing throughout the dynasties. By the Yuan Dynasty, they had been simplified to only three rites: betrothal, presenting betrothal gifts, and welcoming the bride.

Although Shishan used "driving out the barbarians and restoring the Han" as his banner of rebellion, he scoffed at the suggestion that his wedding should restore the six rites of the Zhou dynasty.

The so-called rites and laws are originally meant to "distinguish between the noble and the lowly, and to regulate all things." They are a system designed to maintain the ruling order and constrain the relationships between people. Over the centuries, the nobles who are high above have changed one after another, and the rites and laws have been updated in countless versions.

As the world changes, so too do the rules of etiquette.

There are good reasons why outdated ideas should be discarded, and future generations should not and need not pick them up again.

Shishan is a rebel who breaks with the old and establishes the new, and also a superior who needs to uphold the new rites and laws. Therefore, future rites and laws should be formulated around his interests.

Shishan is pragmatic and capable. Since it was a marriage alliance, he naturally didn't want to go through a lot of trouble. If it weren't for the fact that the wedding ceremony could effectively boost the morale of the people under his jurisdiction, he could have completed all the procedures before the end of the year.

Tomorrow is the day of the wedding procession, and the Liu family has arranged for relatives to come to the Marshal's Mansion today to decorate the new house. This includes laying out red quilts, red carpets, and double-embroidered pillows, setting up tables facing each other on the east and west sides to place fruit platters, cups, and pots, and placing two washbasins on the north and south sides, all of which are quite characteristic of the era.

Shi Shan had no relatives around him, so Guo Zongli, the newly appointed head of the ceremonial affairs office, took care of the entire wedding ceremony, fearing that something might go wrong. Tong Si'er, along with Mu Ying and the other five little ones, dressed in new clothes, bustled about, adding a lot of liveliness to the Marshal's Mansion.

Shi Shan, the person in question, was unharmed. He received a report that Chang Yuchun had returned to the city. Since there were many female relatives coming and going in the backyard, it was not convenient to receive outsiders. So Shi Shan simply summoned Chang Yuchun in the front yard of the Marshal's Mansion.

"Marshal, this is a document that Commander Wu asked me to deliver."

When Chang Yuchun learned that Wu Liujin had sent a brief report on the Battle of Huaiyuan on the day the city fell, he did not know the specifics of the report and dared not boast about his achievements in the battle. Upon meeting Marshal Shi, he immediately and honestly handed over the document that Wu Liujin had asked him to bring back.

Guo Ying took the document and was about to pass it on to the marshal, but Shi Shan waved his hand, indicating that he should put it away first. He then approached Chang Yuchun and praised him:
"Recruiting prisoners, subduing mountain bandits, and defeating Huaiyuan—very good! I originally intended to appoint you as a second-class battalion commander after this battle, but now it seems a bit too low. I'll directly appoint you as a first-class battalion commander. Can you handle that?"

Apart from Sun Xun and Wu Liujin, who were stationed in Wuhe and Huaiyuan counties and were granted the position of garrison commander, the highest rank a first-class battalion commander could attain under Marshal Shi was already the highest-ranking officer.

Chang Yuchun was confident in his abilities and believed he would eventually become a commander of a first-class battalion. He never imagined he would rise so high in a single battle, but it was not in his nature to not claim credit for his achievements.

"If the Marshal dares to offer it, I dare to accept it!"

"Hahaha, good!"

Shi Shan beckoned, and Guo Ying understood. She took out a bronze token from her bosom and handed it to Shi Shan with both hands.

"Commander of the Eighth Battalion, Chang Yuchun, receive the order!"

Chang Yuchun only recognized the character "八" (eight) on top, but he knew that becoming the commander of a first-class battalion meant he was a core subordinate of the marshal. Deeply grateful for this opportunity, and overwhelmed with emotion, he immediately knelt down, presented the token, and kowtowed, saying:

"I am willing to die for the Marshal!"

Chang Yuchun's statement was very sincere, and Shishan was quite pleased with it. He helped him up and said:

"You are injured, so please don't perform such a grand ceremony."

People often have a good constitution in spring. After these few days, the wound has begun to heal, so it's not a big deal.

However, he knew that Bu Ciyuan's ability to accompany the Western Expeditionary Army and personally treat his injuries was entirely due to the Marshal's care, so he still had to express his opinion.

"With the Marshal's personal arrangements and Doctor Bu's dedication, using only the best medicine, my injury is recovering very quickly and is almost healed! If there is a major battle, I can charge into battle for the Marshal right now!"

Having said that, Chang Yuchun made a move to swing his arm, but Shishan quickly held him down, saying:
"Even if you weren't injured, there's been fighting recently, so you won't be sent into battle again."

Even if there is a war, we must not fight!

Chang Yuchun immediately panicked and blurted out:

"Why?"

Seeing his impatient demeanor, Shi Shan thought of Xue Xian, whose bravery was no less than Chang Yuchun's, and instead of answering the question immediately, he asked him:

"Can you read?"

"I——"

Shi Shan required all his officers to be literate, and Chang Yuchun, having spent a few days in the training battalion, naturally knew this.

He may not be literate, but does that mean he can't lead troops into battle?

Although he was somewhat resentful, he had just declared his willingness to die for the marshal, and now he was acting out, which made him too proud to admit.

"I can learn!"

Shi Shan was very satisfied with Chang Yuchun's attitude and earnestly advised him: "The bravery of one man can often achieve success in small-scale battles or when charging into a rabble, but in a large-scale battle involving more than 10,000 or even 100,000 enemy troops, with their well-organized long and short weapons, no matter how brave you are, how many battles can you break through?"

Chang Yuchun was not a mindless brute. He knew that whether it was subduing the bandits of Dahong Mountain or being the first to breach the city, it was not solely his achievement.

Without the prestige earned by the Red Flag Battalion, it would have been impossible for him to subdue Liu Ju on his own; without the concerted efforts of the soldiers of the "Labor Camp" and allied forces, it is questionable whether he could even have stormed the city walls.

He is only commanding a first-class battalion now, and the marshal has already mentioned a major battle involving 100,000 men, which clearly shows that he has higher expectations for him.

"Does the Marshal want me to train the troops first?"

"Correct!"

Shi Shan was quite pleased to see that Chang Yuchun was so responsive, and said:
"The courage of one man has its limits; the combined strength of an army is limitless. Your achievements depend on how many soldiers you can command."

When a military commander leads troops, who would complain about having too few soldiers?
The more the better!
However, although Chang Yuchun had never witnessed a battle involving more than 10,000 people, the Battle of Huaiyuan only involved an attack and defense of about a thousand people, and the battlefield was already very chaotic. He knew that he could only command a hundred or two people at most.

Furthermore, relying solely on shouting loudly makes it difficult to guarantee that all soldiers can hear one's commands in the noisy battlefield.

But no one is born capable of commanding tens of thousands of troops. It's nothing more than flags, drums, and signals—can those be harder to learn than various weapons? Just practice!
Chang Yuchun quickly regained his fighting spirit and said:
"I can only command a few hundred soldiers now, but I'm sure I'll be able to command thousands or even tens of thousands in the future!"

"Ambitious!"

Shishan first praised and then criticized, saying:

"You're not the only one in the army who can fight. If you want more soldiers, train them well."

Chang Yuchun initially wanted to say that no one else could compare to him, but then he remembered that the commanders of each battalion had some skills, so he didn't dare to boast and said:

"In battle, everyone relies on their own abilities! Once I've trained my troops well, I'll serve as the Marshal's vanguard again."

"it is good!"

Who wouldn't like a soldier who is both brave and capable? Such a promising talent must not turn into another Xue Xian!
Shishan turned twenty this year and just a few days ago gave himself the courtesy name "Jingxing" (note), saying:

"You haven't chosen a courtesy name yet, have you?"

At that time, people were supposed to be capped at the age of twenty and needed to have a courtesy name added to their name. But that was the rule for scholars and wealthy families. Chang Yuchun was a poor, rough man from the lower class who had to work hard to earn money to learn martial arts. He couldn't even write his own name. What courtesy name did he have?

The marshal's sudden question clearly indicated he wanted a courtesy name for him. "A noble person bestowing such a gift, I dare not refuse," Chang Yuchun bowed again and said.
"My family is poor and I have no courtesy name. I beg the Marshal to give me one."

Shi Shan stepped forward, pondered for a moment, and said:
"Although it is said that the rise of a general is built on the bones of ten thousand, killing is for the purpose of protecting life, and cutting off karma is not the same as killing people. Since you like to be the vanguard and charge into battle, you must understand that killing the enemy on the battlefield is to seize territory and win hearts and minds, to stop killing with killing, not to kill for the sake of killing."

A general should wield the sword while harboring benevolence in his heart. Therefore, I will name you 'Ren' (仁), meaning benevolence. As the eldest son in your family, let's add 'Bo' (伯), making us Bo Ren (伯仁). Bo Ren signifies great benevolence. With great benevolence, one can quell chaos and save the people! Bo Ren, are you worthy of this name?

Shishan's original intention was for Chang Yuchun to study hard, understand principles, and strictly discipline the army, so as not to indulge his murderous thoughts and make a grave mistake.

But to Chang Yuchun, it was a completely different experience.

Bo Ren?

My name is Bo Ren!

A gentle breeze stirred the dark clouds in the sky, and golden sunlight shone through the gaps in the clouds, slanting down and enveloping the stone mountain. From Chang Yuchun's perspective, it seemed as if some kind of divine light was shining on the marshal.

He couldn't fully understand what Shishan was saying, but a fire seemed to be rising in his heart.

Chang Yuchun was born into a poor farming family, but he was born with a strong physique that far surpassed that of ordinary people. He also possessed superhuman strength and amazing endurance. Moreover, while others would panic at the sight of blood, he would become excited at the sight of blood.

What's even more bizarre is that he can learn all kinds of weapons in no time and become proficient in them.

Possessing extraordinary abilities, one's destiny is predetermined.

Chang Yuchun realized early on that he was no ordinary person and could never live a mediocre life.

Over the years, he worked odd jobs and traveled around learning skills, both to prepare for the chaos of the world and to use his own courage to gain wealth and honor for generations to come, and to meet his destiny.

But he was born at the bottom of society and had limited experience. He didn't have a clear goal about what he could achieve in his life, nor did he know the path to achieve it.

After hearing the Marshal's words today, my doubts were immediately resolved.

A few days ago, Bu Ciyuan said that Marshal Shi was "learned about both heaven and man," and Chang Yuchun disdained that the man was shameless in flattering him.

Only today do I realize that the Marshal is not a learned scholar, but a true dragon descended from heaven!
At this moment, Chang Yuchun completely believed in his destiny. The marshal was a true dragon born to end the chaos, and he himself was a general sent to assist the true dragon. He immediately prostrated himself and bowed deeply, saying:
"By the Marshal's word, my courtesy name is Bo Ren, meaning to be benevolent, assist a wise ruler, quell chaos, and save the people!"

……

P.S.: "景行" comes from the poem "车辖" in the Book of Songs (specifically, the Lesser Odes of the Kingdom). "高山仰止，景行行止" originally means "a broad road," and is used metaphorically to describe upright and honorable conduct.

(End of this chapter)