Chapter 82: The Colorful Whip and the Spring Ox (Part 1)

The sky was somewhat overcast, and Han Gang looked up, sensing that it might snow or rain. He didn't know if the ox-whipping ceremony had any weather taboos, but it seemed there were none. The ceremony was held in the open fields, with no shelter, so rain or snow would be quite unpleasant. Moreover, he was heading to the capital city the next day and certainly didn't want to encounter rain or snow.

Early in the morning, Han Gang arrived at an open field outside the south gate of Qin Prefecture. The area was already crowded with people. In the center of the crowd, Li Shizhong, along with a group of civil and military officials from Qin Prefecture, stood solemnly. Each of them held a colorful staff wrapped in five-colored silk, surrounding a mud ox adorned with red and green decorations. Beside the ox were clay farmers and farming tools.

The mud ox, as large as a real one, was intricately crafted. The posture of the ox pulling a plow, with the muscles on its shoulders clearly depicted, was lifelike. The ox's tail swayed gently, as if driving away flies, making it appear very realistic. Such craftsmanship made Han Gang very curious about who had created it.

In today's ceremony, this mud ox was the main character.

Amidst the drum and music, Li Shizhong led the way, circling the ox once and then lashing it three times. Each official followed in turn, circling the ox and lashing it three times. Two clerks on the side chanted agricultural songs in the Qin dialect, a performance that left Han Gang in awe of its authentic and raw style.

This ceremony, known as the "Whipping of the Spring Ox" or "Beating of the Spring," was intended to pray for a bountiful year. Not only in Qin Prefecture, but in the eighteen circuits, four hundred military prefectures, and thousands of counties across the empire, as well as in the imperial palace, officials and even the emperor would come out on the day of the Start of Spring to lash the mud ox three times. The emperor would also perform the "Field Plowing Ceremony," pushing the plow nine times to encourage agriculture.

Han Gang had not yet obtained an official position and was not qualified to participate in the ox-whipping. However, his status allowed him to stand at the front and observe. His tall stature made the people behind him quite angry, and he could hear them grumbling.

Many itinerant merchants were also moving through the crowd, loudly selling small, colorful mud oxen. These oxen, about the size of a palm, were exquisitely crafted. The most elaborate ones came in a finely carved wooden cage, with a row of clay figurines of acrobats on top. Such a small ox could be worth four to five guan.

Ignoring the commotion behind him, Han Gang focused on the officials holding the colorful whips. It was rare to see dozens of civil and military officials from Qin Prefecture gathered together in one place.

Unlike the Ming and Qing dynasties, where officials' attire distinguished civil from military, the officials here wore similar clothing, and their identities could only be discerned by their physique. Han Gang identified each of them, recognizing most by name but seeing them for the first time.

"Among so many officials, why isn't there a single person from Guanxi?" someone in the crowd suddenly said.

Several people immediately countered, "Xiang Qian is from Guanxi!"

Thanks to their reminder, Han Gang observed again. Xiang Bao was indeed from Guanxi, but among the dozens of civil and military officials present, there was not a single one from Shaanxi. For civil officials, this was not unusual, as they often served in various regions. However, for military officials guarding the borders, it was different; there should be some from the local area who were familiar with the people and geography.

Han Gang's eyes scanned the military officials present, noticing that they were mostly between forty and sixty years old. The younger officers in their twenties and thirties were of lower rank and not qualified to participate in the ceremony. Realizing this, Han Gang felt relieved. It was not surprising, as the same issue existed in other circuits in Guanxi. There was a noticeable gap in the ranks of the Shaanxi army between forty and sixty years old.

Among the middle-ranking officers in the Guanxi army, including many city, fort, and stronghold commanders, most of those between forty and sixty were not native to Guanxi or were not considered part of the Western Army.

For example, Xiang Bao was from Zhenrong, but he started his career in the capital and was not considered part of the Western Army. Guo Kui, Yang Wenguang, and Zhang Shouyue had served in Guanxi for many years, but they were not from Shaanxi.

The reason for this situation was the consecutive defeats of the Song army in the Three Gorges, Hao Shui River, and Dingchuan Fort battles over twenty years ago, as well as the continuous losses in the subsequent years of conflict with Western Xia.

These three major defeats, while not exceeding ten thousand in total casualties, almost wiped out the elite soldiers and officers of the Guanxi army, especially the young officers with promising futures. This left the Western Army severely weakened, leading to a passive defense for nearly two decades.

Even the outstanding Western Army leaders like Di Qing and Zhong Shiheng were mostly defensive against the Tangut. Now, with Di Qing and Zhong Shiheng deceased, only Guo Kui and Yang Wenguang remain among the veteran generals, and they rely on old hands like Zhang Shouyue to hold the border.

As for Liu Changzuo, although his ancestral home was in Zhen Ding, Hebei, his family had moved to Shaanxi to serve as generals, making him a standard member of the Western Army. Despite being in his forties, Liu Changzuo is considered part of the new generation, as he inherited his position from his father, who died in the Dingchuan Fort battle.

However, since the Qingli Peace Treaty, the Western Army officers who have grown up are now in their prime. Liu Changzuo, Wang Junwan, and the recently favored Liu Zhongwu are all examples. There are countless excellent officers in their twenties and thirties in Guanxi. If Wang Shao were to select officers for the expansion into the Hehuang region, he would have many more options than Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi did when they came to Guanxi for emergency relief.

Turning back to Wang Shao, who was standing in the line of officials, the strategist who had been galloping on horseback the previous day was now holding a colorful staff and moving forward in line. The usually well-dressed officials, waving their staffs, seemed somewhat boring to Han Gang, even as entertainment.

But the participants, including Li Shizhong and Wang Shao, were all serious. Agriculture is the foundation of the state, and any mistake in the ceremony could lead to poor harvests and the resentment of the people. If reported to the court, it could be a serious offense.

Li Shizhong had returned to his position as the main host, standing solemnly with his hands clasped, his expression grave, a skill he had honed after years in the court. The officials from the Qin-Feng Military Commission and the Qin Prefecture administration were taking turns to whip the ox, and it would take some time to finish.

Li Shizhong maintained his solemn expression but his gaze was fixed on someone in the crowd. The person who caught the attention of the Qin-Feng Military Commissioner was a tall young man standing at the front of the crowd.

'Is this Han Gang?'

Although Li Shizhong had read the recommendations from Wang Shao, Wu Yan, and Zhang Shouyue, which praised Han Gang's talents and virtues, this was the first time he had seen Han Gang in person.

Indeed, he is outstanding!

Li Shizhong had to admit that Han Gang's appearance and demeanor were exceptional, even in the talent-rich capital. Standing among thousands of spectators, he stood out like a crane among chickens.

Li Shizhong chuckled to himself. After all, Han Gang was a disciple of Zhang Hengqu. It was no wonder that Han Gang, who had inherited Zhang Hengqu's teachings, found the ceremony amusing and paid no attention to it. The current spring ox ceremony was very different from ancient rituals and had many changes to cater to popular tastes.

"Such a rare talent..." Li Shizhong's sigh finally escaped his lips, drawing the attention of a few people standing beside him. Li Shizhong's stern gaze made them quickly lower their heads.

His gaze returned to Han Gang. The regulations for the sick and wounded camp that Han Gang had compiled were presented to Li Shizhong in early December of the previous year.

Li Shizhong guessed that Han Gang might have followed the principle of "better to be overly detailed than overly simple." The regulations he compiled had six major sections, over seventy detailed rules, and more than twenty thousand words, spanning fifty to sixty pages. The regulations covered every aspect of the sick and wounded camp, from external structures to internal arrangements, from daily meals to medical care, from daily routines to safety measures.

Li Shizhong casually flipped through the document, and the sheer number of words surprised him. In the Northern Song Dynasty, articles of a thousand words were common, and anything over ten thousand words was considered a major document, not something an ordinary scholar could write easily. Han Gang had written over twenty thousand words in just over a month, and he explicitly stated in the preface that these were trial regulations to be revised during implementation.

Although the regulations seemed somewhat cumbersome, each rule had its own logic and could not be omitted. The fact that Han Gang could consider all these aspects made Li Shizhong doubt that he was only eighteen. A seasoned official of forty-eight would be more likely to have such comprehensive knowledge and leave room for revisions. It was impossible for a young man with no practical experience to have done this.