Chapter 80

（Sorry for sending it so late...）

In the afternoon, Chen Ke and the others found an inn to stay at. Perhaps because they had grown accustomed to falling asleep amidst the swaying of the past month, the lack of movement made it hard for them to sleep; or perhaps they were still shaken by the public memorial for Fan Gong. Despite feeling extremely tired, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

In a daze, he could faintly hear the sound of stringed instruments. Chen Ke was now completely awake. He put on his shoes, got out of bed, and opened the door. He then heard the voice of a female singer:

"The scenery changes as autumn comes to the border, the geese flying south from Hengyang show no intention to stay.

The sounds of the border rise from all sides, the long smoke and setting sun close the lonely city.

A cup of turbid wine, a home ten thousand miles away, no way to return until the Yanran stele is inscribed.

The Qiang flute plays softly, the frost covers the ground. People cannot sleep, the general's white hair, the tears of the soldiers..."

In this era, the prevailing style was the soft and elegant 'Flower Between' school. The poem Chen Ke heard, despite being sung by a woman, had a tragic and grand momentum, a robust and fierce atmosphere, completely different from the decadent tunes of the 'Flower Between' school. It was the 'Fisherman's Pride - When Autumn Comes to the Border,' a pioneering work of the bold and unrestrained style of the Northern Song Dynasty, written by Fan Zhongyan.

It is said that Ouyang Xiu once teased Fan Gong, saying, "Xiwén, you always talk about 'When Autumn Comes to the Border,' truly a poor and hard border lord!" Even close friends said such things, so Fan Zhongyan's style, which was out of step with the times, naturally did not win the favor of the masses. Chen Ke had lived in Shu for so many years and had never heard anyone sing it.

Now, perhaps to commemorate Fan Gong, it was being sung. It was much more invigorating than those 'leaning on red and green' or 'chilly cicadas' songs. Chen Ke followed the sound of the song and walked to the inn's front hall. Indeed, he saw a female singer playing the lute and singing to herself.

It was not yet dinnertime, and a few scattered guests were sitting in the front hall, drinking and listening to the music.

Chen Ke quietly entered. He was a social person and looked around, seeing a middle-aged guest with long, fine eyebrows and a unique appearance drinking alone in a corner. He walked over and gestured to ask if he could sit down.

The man looked up at him, his deep eyes seemingly able to see into one's soul. Chen Ke was greatly surprised but did not avoid his sharp gaze, staring back.

The man, seeing such an interesting person for the first time, almost couldn't help but laugh, nodded, and invited him to sit down. The waiter thought they were traveling together and added a set of chopsticks and bowls... Neither of them objected, both focusing on the singer's performance.

When the song ended, the singer bowed and temporarily went to rest, and the hall became lively again. The middle-aged man at Chen Ke's table raised his wine cup and offered it to him, then drank it himself.

Chen Ke, with his thick skin, was good at getting close to people. He quickly poured the man a drink and said, "Senior, are you alone?"

"There's a companion sleeping in the room," the man looked at him and smiled faintly, "Little brother seems to have a Sichuan accent."

Chen Ke was depressed. After living in Qingshen County for eight years, his speech had a Sichuan flavor. He nodded and said, "Yes, I just got off the boat."

"Did you come out with your elders?"

"No, I'm traveling with a few younger brothers."

"Oh?" The man was slightly surprised, "At such a young age, to leave the Land of Abundance and cross the perilous Three Gorges, it's rare."

"Well, here I am," Chen Ke chuckled.

"Oh..." The man laughed, "Interesting, interesting," but then his smile faded, and he said slowly, "But now is not a good time for traveling."

"Why?" Chen Ke was surprised.

"Didn't you know?" The man was a bit puzzled, then realized, "It's no wonder. Sichuan is isolated, and you've been on the boat for a month. It's normal not to know that Lingnan has fallen."

"Lingnan has fallen?" Chen Ke's mouth opened wide, "How could that be?"

"Yes, how could that be," the man smiled bitterly, "I believe everyone, upon hearing this news, would react the same way." His face turned serious, "But it did happen! In April this year, the Nong Zhigao of Guangyuan State led a large army down the Yu River, breaking through the Hengshan Fort, and the generals Zhang Rixin, Gao Shian, and Wu Xiang were martyred."

"On the first day of the fifth month, the first major town in the southwest, Yongzhou, fell, with over a thousand Song soldiers killed and officials executed. After capturing Yongzhou, Nong Zhigao established the Great Southern Kingdom, claiming the title of Benevolent and Benevolent Emperor, and appointed many officials."

"After capturing Yongzhou, Nong Zhigao led his army eastward, quickly capturing Hengzhou, Guizhou, Tengzhou, Wuzhou, Fengzhou, Kangzhou, and Duanzhou. In just over ten days, he reached the walls of Guangzhou, surrounding the capital of Guangnan East Road." The man's face showed concern, "I wonder how Guangzhou is doing, whether it has held out or fallen like Yongzhou."

Chen Ke was stunned. He never imagined that during his time out of Sichuan, the prosperous and peaceful Song Dynasty had experienced such a terrible rebellion.

"Surprised, aren't you? The emperor and the entire court didn't expect it either," the man sneered, "Every action is determined by heaven, and now they are reaping what they sowed!"

"What do you mean, Senior?"

"Do you know that before the rebellion, Nong Zhigao actually wanted to submit to the Song?" the man said solemnly, "According to the emperor and the ministers' habits, they would have welcomed him with open arms upon receiving his letter."

"Right," Chen Ke had long heard of the Song rulers' and ministers' philosophy of 'endurance is the highest virtue, harmony is the greatest good,' "So, did Bianliang not receive his letter?"

"Correct, because his several letters were intercepted by the Yongzhou Prefect, Chen Gong," the man was furious, "Chen Gong's reasoning was, 'Better to do nothing than to do something.' The chieftain, enraged, led his army to the walls of Yongzhou, originally just to pressure Chen Gong to act faster, but the paper-thin defenses were easily breached, and he captured Yongzhou without much effort." Yongzhou is now the capital of Guangxi, Nanning.

"Thanks to the well-developed postal system of the Song Dynasty, the news of Yongzhou's fall quickly shocked the emperor and ministers in Bianliang. They ordered the troops in Guangnan East Road to be commanded by the Inspector of Guangdong Criminal Affairs, Li Shu, and the Commander of Guangdong Military, Chen Shu, to gather from Shaozhou and move towards Guangzhou to intercept Nong Zhigao."

"The response was timely," Chen Ke realized.

"The orders were issued quickly, but the army's actions are another matter..." the man sneered, "Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, in the eyes of the northern court, the people of Lingnan have been seen as sheep that will never rebel. They arrogantly believed that the people of Lingnan could endure even the brutal Han of the South, so how could anyone think of rebelling under the enlightened and gentle Song Dynasty?"

"The Battle of Chanyuan was only fifty years ago, and the empire's most elite troops and strongest fortresses have become weak. After the conquest of the Southern Han, the army in Lingnan, which had not seen war for a hundred years, had become corrupt to an unimaginable degree!" The man was deeply distressed, "In my view, the military and political system in Lingnan has completely decayed. Relying on them to quell the rebellion will likely result in another Western Xia."

"The incompetence of the officials and military in Lingnan," Chen Ke said, "The court should replace them."

"Good point," the man nodded coldly, "But the most suitable person for the job has just passed away..."

"You mean, Fan Gong?"

"Exactly," the man said with a bitter smile, "The Song Dynasty, in its time of need, realized that its loyal and capable officials had been exhausted... What else could this be but reaping what they sowed?!" He sneered, "Now, do you understand why the court and the people are so nostalgic for Fan Zhongyan? The reason is simple: in times of national crisis, they think of capable officials!"

Saying this, he picked up the wine pot, shook it, and asked the waiter to bring another pot and some hot dishes, smiling at Chen Ke, "These grievances, if not expressed, are painful, but expressing them is also uncomfortable." He smiled wryly, "Only Du Kang can relieve the worries. Today, let's drink until we are thoroughly drunk."

"I will follow your lead."

After drinking for a while, Chen Ke asked, "Seeing your plain clothes, it seems you came to mourn Fan Gong."

"I came to the Yueyang Tower to mourn Fan Zhongyan," the man said, "But I didn't expect to encounter such a grand public memorial."

Chen Ke, hearing his tone, was moved and asked, "Senior, you seem to have known Fan Gong well?"

"Not well, but I've met him a few times," the man looked at Chen Ke, "Young man, not meeting Fan Zhongyan is your loss." He sighed softly, "Fan Gong, pure and upright, almost reaching the Dao, can be considered the first in three hundred years, the most virtuous after Confucius!"

"Ah..." Chen Ke sighed, "Actually, we planned to visit Fan Gong in Yingzhou."

"Oh..." the man said, "That's a pity." Then he suddenly said, "Young man, meeting is a form of destiny. Let me read your fortune."

"Uh..." Chen Ke thought, "You can read fortunes?" But he politely declined, "No, no, if the reading is bad, it just causes trouble. I'll worry when the time comes."

"Ha ha ha..." The man found it amusing and laughed loudly, "So many nobles and officials have sought my fortune-telling in vain, but you refuse it outright."

"Shao..." Chen Ke suddenly thought of someone, "Are you that, that..." He wanted to say 'Shao Yong,' but calling someone by their name was impolite, and he couldn't remember the person's courtesy name, so he was stuck.

"Shh..." The man made a gesture to be quiet and smiled, "If you don't let me read your fortune, I won't tell you my name."

"Then forget it." Although this person might be the first great figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, known as the 'god of fortune-telling,' Chen Ke always resisted such mysterious things, fearing they might reveal his abnormalities.

"Today, it's over. But sooner or later, I will read your fortune!" The man narrowed his eyes and stared at Chen Ke, saying word by word, "Because you are a person who disrupts the natural order!" He then threw a string of coins to him, "Now, the government is investigating spies. You Sichuan people are moving around everywhere, be careful not to get caught."

"What is this?" Chen Ke looked at the exquisite coins, each with a seal script 'Shao' on it.

"The tools I use for fortune-telling," the man smiled faintly, "If you meet someone who recognizes them, they will give you some respect."

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