Chapter Forty: Diluted Soup of Forgetfulness

"Master Shi is in the prefectural capital, and his connections within the imperial court are quite extensive. You surely won't be able to hold onto the gold, silver, treasures, and other goods you looted from Futou Village."

Dongmei glanced at Zhang Chen, a half-smile playing on her lips. "Young Master Zhang, our young lady’s dowry is truly generous. Won't you reconsider?"

"Gold, silver, treasures, silks, iron—those valuable items are minor matters. Zhang Chen, last night you allowed your militia to rape, kill, and plunder in Futou Village. It is true that Futou Village has many pirates, and almost all the able-bodied men there are pirates."

Tian Yajun scolded Zhang Chen, "But the government has not officially designated Futou Village as a den of thieves. The actions of the Zhangzhuang Militia in Futou Village last night were equivalent to those of bandits. The imperial court will certainly demand an explanation from Shi Keren. Zhang Chen, you are in big trouble!"

"It wasn't our Zhangzhuang Militia. Our village is far too poor. Last night, our militia merely borrowed some grain, cloth, and local products from the folks in Futou Village. At the stroke of the hour of the Ox, our comrades bade a tearful farewell to the villagers and left." Zhang Chen’s tone lacked conviction. "Not long after we left, five hundred members of the Futou Village guard force stormed in, burning, killing, and looting. They raped the women of the village. Last night, Futou Village was wiped out—killed, looted, and burned—and it has nothing to do with the Zhangzhuang Militia. My comrades, like me, are good people!"

The eight hundred men of the Zhangzhuang Militia were all former refugees who had joined only days prior. The crux of the problem was that the militia lacked a complete and scientific code of military discipline. Last night, Wang Shumeng and Zhang Da’an led over three hundred men into Futou Village, acting on Zhang Chen’s orders to confiscate the village's ill-gotten wealth. During those few hours of action, the militia killed fifty-six villagers and wounded over two hundred. More than thirty militia members raped over thirty women. Zhang Chen had arrived in Zhangzhuang only recently and had been busy with warfare, leaving him no time to establish proper discipline.

This morning, the scouts from the Zhangzhuang Intelligence Division had reported the details of the situation to Zhang Chen. Regarding the events in Futou Village, Zhang Chen could only express deep regret; he had no intention of punishing the militia members who had killed and raped the night before.

***

"The Fushan County office has the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Just now, Hundred-Man Commander Yang Fuli informed my father about what happened in Futou Village last night. Knowing the truth, my father is surely angry with you, which is why he gave you the cold shoulder."

Tian Yajun stepped closer to Zhang Chen. "Zhang Chen, I was too willful before and made many mistakes, but I won't anymore. After we marry on the twenty-eighth of August, my father told me to settle down and live a good life with you. Chuyang, please send someone to my house to propose. My father will certainly be willing to let me marry you as your legal wife."

"This, well... Little Tian, let's put it this way. The Mengpo soup I drank after my previous life ended must have been watered down. After I was knocked unconscious by Dongmei at your gate the other day, I remembered things from my past life. I remembered my wife from that life."

Zhang Chen glared at Dongmei and continued his nonsense. "My wife in my previous life was named Tian Yajun. She was a beautiful and kind girl, and I loved her dearly. Little Tian, if your father hadn't written that separation agreement, even if I became wealthy later, I wouldn't have written a divorce letter out of respect for my former wife."

Shaking his head, Zhang Chen walked toward Xia Hua’s small courtyard. "Though the names are the same, you are not my wife from my past life. Since we are divorced, I do not wish to marry you again. Little Tian, I hope you understand; there is no emotional foundation between us. Stop dwelling on this, stop pestering me, and return to the county seat."

"This concubine understands. Since Futou Village has been razed, the gold, silver, silks, and iron you transported to Zhangzhuang are now ownerless goods." Tian Yajun cursed Zhang Chen inwardly. "The officials in Dengzhou City will surely send men to seize them. They will use the investigation into the Futou Village incident as a pretext to force you to surrender the wealth from the village and the Qishan Thousand-Man Battalion. Even if they don't arrive tomorrow, they will certainly come to make trouble for you the day after."

"Everyone in Fushan County knows Futou Village is a pirate den. Are we to believe that only Japanese pirates and bandits are allowed to burn, kill, and loot ordinary villages, but I, a good man, am not allowed to do the same to a pirate village?" Zhang Chen scoffed. "As the poem goes: 'Fate is against me, what can I seek? I’ve barely turned around before I hit a wall. With a broken hat, I cross the bustling market; on a leaking boat, I sail with wine in hand. I glare with cold eyes at the pointing of a thousand fingers, yet bow my head like an ox for the children. I hide in my small tower to find my own peace, ignoring the changing seasons of the world.'"

Zhang Chen spat out these words as he walked into Xia Hua’s courtyard, his voice trailing behind him. "As for that, I won't 'hide in my small tower to find my own peace.' If you want money, I have none. If you want my life, you won't get that either. At worst, Fatty Niu and I will take Xia Hua and five hundred strong men from the refugees to become bandits at Cishan."

"Zhang Chen wants to be a bandit? Young Miss, Zhang Chen has composed another excellent poem." Dongmei cursed him under her breath. Zhang Chen was highly talented; he would surely pass the imperial examinations next autumn. It was a pity he had made up his mind not to marry the Young Miss. *Sigh.*

***

At the start of the noon hour, the Xu siblings arrived at Zhangzhuang to change their dressings. By this time, the news that over two thousand Japanese pirates from Zhifu Island had breached the Qishan Thousand-Man Battalion the night before, massacring, looting, and burning everything, had spread throughout Fushan County and beyond. The news that those same pirates and nine hundred pirates from Futou Village had been ambushed and decimated by the Zhangzhuang Militia and the arriving Fushan County local guards had also spread. Likewise, the news of Zhang Chen’s indulgence of his militia’s atrocities in Futou Village had reached every corner.

"Eight hundred men from the Zhangzhuang Militia defeated two thousand Japanese pirates and nine hundred pirates from Futou Village. Zhang Chen, you’re impressive!" Xu Zize gave Zhang Chen a thumbs-up, then shook his head. "The matter of your militia raping and looting in Futou Village can be big or small. Old Zhang, remember: claim it was done by a few rebellious elements in the militia, that you were unaware, and that afterward, you severely punished those who committed the crimes."

"The Zhangzhuang Militia has only eight hundred men—far too few. Yesterday afternoon, I had someone urgently recruit temporary workers. All those who committed atrocities in Futou Village last night were temporary workers." Zhang Chen shot a flirtatious wink at Zhu Weijin, who was walking over, and laughed, "This morning, I fired all those temporary workers."

"'Temporary workers'—that is a good term, a good excuse. Brother Zhang, you are truly shameless... and truly talented!" Xu Zize clapped Zhang Chen on the shoulder, though he cursed him inwardly. In the small woods north of Zhangzhuang, Zhang Chen had led five hundred militia members with primitive cannons and hand grenades to rout over two thousand pirates. This fellow was truly formidable!