Chapter 98: The Little General (3)
News of Hanzhong’s mobilization soon reached the Hui Dynasty. With their army of over a hundred thousand already wiped out, how could they hope to stop them with a mere twenty thousand? They intended to wage a defensive siege behind their thick, sturdy fortress walls.
The Hanzhong army passed through Yang County and marched relentlessly toward Hu County. The Wolf Fang Squad was nowhere to be seen in the main column.
At the front, Lieutenant Yang Yeon-jeong let out a deep, sorrowful sigh.
“Sigh… What on earth did those bastards do here?”
Everywhere they looked, the scenes were too horrific to bear. Decaying corpses lay unburied, and the roads were flooded with beggars.
Riding alongside Yang Yeon-jeong at the front, Jang-yang choked up, looking up at the sky in grief.
‘Before the war broke out, were they not just like the people of Hanzhong? What sin did they commit to deserve such suffering…?’
Sighing as they marched, Jang-yang’s horse suddenly came to a halt. Noticing this, Yang Yeon-jeong signaled the rear to stop the march.
“Phew…”
A deep sigh escaped Jang-yang’s lips. A group of five or six children was blocking the road ahead, holding out empty bowls.
From toddlers who looked barely five to children of about six or seven, they were all so malnourished that their bones were visible. Normally, children would run away in fear at the sight of soldiers, but their hands holding out the bowls did not waver. Their hunger had overcome their fear.
Dismounting, Jang-yang patted the children’s shoulders and asked gently, “When was the last time… you ate?”
The children looked at each other, silent. They did not seem to remember.
“Where are your parents? Why are you out here begging…?”
Instead of an answer, tears welled in the children’s eyes. There was no need to ask what had happened.
Jang-yang gave a nod, and Yang Yeon-jeong shouted to the supply officer, “Bring some food!”
A moment later, the children’s bowls were piled high with dry rations and rice balls.
Clutching the food, the children looked around warily, then scurried away to hide. It was a reaction born from experience—they had likely had their food stolen before.
“Centurion Han Baek.”
At Jang-yang’s call, Han Baek of the cavalry dismounted and stood at attention.
“Yes, General!”
“Send a rider to the relief squad immediately. Tell them to gather every single orphan they find in the villages.”
As Han Baek bowed and withdrew, Yang Yeon-jeong asked in confusion, “General… What do you plan to do with them? Our army does not have the capacity to care for children.”
With bloodshot eyes, Jang-yang squeezed out a trembling reply.
“If there is no place in this world to care for these poor children… we can build one ourselves.”
After a brief hesitation, Yang Yeon-jeong stood straight and said, “Understood, General.”
The army resumed its relentless march toward Chang’an.
After marching for a while, Yang Yeon-jeong asked with curiosity, “General, building a professional facility to care for children is indeed a noble deed. We can fund it through donations and administrative budgets, and volunteer caretakers can be recruited. However, to accommodate all the orphans in northern Shaanxi, we will need a massive facility.”
The Jang-yang she knew was not someone who acted on a whim. She was deeply curious about what the General was planning.
A moment later, the answer he received completely defied his expectations.
“Are not our citizens, who were captured by the enemy, currently forced to labor on the restoration of the Daming Palace?”
The Daming Palace of Chang’an. It was one of the largest and most magnificent imperial palaces in history, where the emperors of the Tang Dynasty had resided for over two hundred years. Rumors were rampant that over ten thousand citizens had been dragged there to perform forced labor.
“Could it be…?”
“I am simply returning the palace built by the labor of the people back to them.”
It was something she had never imagined. Using the largest and most luxurious palace in the country as an orphanage—it was unprecedented in history, something one could scarcely even dream of.
“But…”
“Now that the Emperor and the corrupt ministers are all dead, who can object?”
With the imperial family defunct, the ones holding the greatest power in the land were none other than the governors-general, as they now controlled the military, finance, and administration of their respective regions.
Nodding, Yang Yeon-jeong spoke again.
“Even if the restoration is incomplete, we won’t even use ten percent of the palace for the orphanage.”
“Indeed. I plan to use a portion of the palace as a large-scale medical facility. A facility that can be used by both civilians and the military. The poor must not be denied treatment because they lack money.”
“That is an excellent idea. That is why you ordered us to expand the medical staff.”
“Yes. I have been thinking about it for a long time. And as for the remaining space in the palace, how about turning it into a public park to generate revenue? A place where people can come to sightsee, eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. The profits generated can then be reinvested into public welfare.”
Jang-yang’s face brightened at the thought. Seeing the General look as happy as a child, a smile also appeared on Yang Yeon-jeong’s face.
“The wealthy will line up to invest. If the palace is opened to the public, crowds will gather from all over, breathing life into the city and boosting population growth.”
“To make that happen, we must win this campaign. We are not far, so let us do our best.”
***
The relief squad, which had departed half a day late, was resting in Fuping County. They had finally crossed the border. From this point on, the state of the villages was on a different level of devastation. The sight cast a heavy gloom over the relief workers.
Just then, a military rider arrived, carrying Jang-yang’s orders.
“The General commands that you bring back every orphan you find!”
The constables of the Guard Battalion dispersed to spread the word.
“Everyone! If you find any children, gather them here!”
The relief workers, who had already been feeling heavy-hearted, readily agreed and noted the instructions.
However, it was not as easy as it sounded. How could young children cope with the trauma of war? Most of them were in no state to maintain their sanity. Even when the relief workers tried to help them, they refused to follow.
Yoo Gyeong, a military farm worker who had lost his son during the war, had joined the relief squad with his wife. Seeing the orphans, who felt like his own children, broke his heart.
“Look carefully. I heard children’s voices nearby.”
His wife looked around and replied, “I heard it too. It definitely came from around here.”
“I think… it’s over there.”
Where Yoo Gyeong pointed, a few shabby huts stood clustered together. Inside, starving children were shivering in fear.
“There are five children over here!” Yoo Gyeong shouted.
Hearing his shout, a dozen relief workers gathered.
“How much you must have suffered…”
“Come, follow us, children.”
The adults reached out their hands, but the children only looked for a way to escape.
“We are not bad people.”
“We will feed you, so come with us.”
Even when offered food, they did not budge. The children’s eyes were filled with betrayal toward the world and distrust of adults.
“We cannot force them…”
“Sigh. What should we do…?”
A middle-aged woman stamped her feet. Deep sorrow was written on the faces of the relief workers.
It was then. A loud, rumbling sound of wooden wheels echoed from behind.
Rumble!
The workers turned their heads in unison.
A young girl was running toward them, pulling an empty wagon. No, it was not empty—four children were already sitting inside.
It was So-so, the daughter of the Wolf Fang Squad commander and the famous ‘little general’ of Hanzhong. A bundle as large as her own torso was slung diagonally across her shoulder. Seeing her, curiosity appeared on the children’s faces for the first time. Since she was of their own age, they felt no wariness.
Setting the wagon down, So-so pulled steamed buns from her bundle one by one.
“You’re hungry, right? Do you want to eat this?”
The children, who had been motionless, finally moved. A girl of about five hesitantly accepted a bun.
“Thank you, Sister…”
“Hehe. It’s delicious, right?”
“Yes!”
The other children also accepted the buns without wariness and began to devour them hungrily. Watching them with a proud look, So-so took hold of the wagon again and said, “My grandfather told me to bring you. If you come, you can eat delicious food.”
“Where are we going…?”
“I don’t know either! Hehe.”
Eating their buns, the children climbed into the wagon without hesitation.
“Hold on tight!”
The relief workers watched in disbelief as So-so darted away with the children.
Before long, So-so stopped her wagon in front of another child. The boy, who looked about six, was sitting on the road. His eyes were dull, as if he had lost everything, and his face was smudged with dried tears.
“I am So-so. What is your name?”
“So-bong…”
So-so’s expression darkened. It was the same name as the friend she had lost when Uncle Il-gwang threw a snowball at him. Snowman So-bong was gone, but here was another friend.
After a moment’s thought, So-so smiled and asked, “Do you want to go see my friend Dae-bong?”
“Yes… Sister…”
Handing So-bong a bun, she helped him onto the wagon.
Once the wagon was full, she parked it in the center of the village square.
“Wait here! I’ll bring more friends.”
The children waved to So-so as she pulled another empty wagon away. After three or four trips, she had gathered all the orphans in the village.
Once the work was finished, Commander Hwang Gae-chil of the Guard Battalion shouted, “Alright, let’s move to the next village!”
In the wagons where grain had been loaded, orphans began to take their place instead.
The atmosphere of the column remained somber, as witnessing so many parentless children filled the air with pity. So-so also seemed concerned about the sad children, frequently looking back as she pulled her wagon.
Just then, a familiar voice drifted into her ears via sound transmission.
The Sea of Heart’s Laughter would be good.
The Sea of Heart’s Laughter. It was a melody that brought peace and joy to the mind. Hearing her master’s voice, So-so looked around, but she could not find where she was.
No matter. So-so shouted to the constables guarding the vicinity.
“Uncles, please hold this for a moment!”
Three startled constables took over the wagon she had been pulling.
Drawing her tung flute from her waist, So-so walked to the center of the column and began to play The Sea of Heart’s Laughter. A clear, cheerful melody carrying her heavy internal energy echoed grandly across the column, spreading far and wide. A moment later, smiles finally bloomed on the faces of the orphans.