Ashes to Crown

Chapter 232: Chapter 52: Going Forth, Part 2

The notice proclaimed the Chu Family’s Daughter to be brave and intelligent, protecting the Imperial Grandson with a blade from horseback.

He could almost see her, that girl, fighting her way out of the darkness, just as she had faced the scholars incited by the Third Prince, never retreating, never flinching—

In truth, his memories of her were few. The main one was from a tavern, watching the commotion, when she had suddenly looked at him and said, ”Young Master Liang Qiang isn’t afraid of hardship. Dismounted, he can wield a brush and write; mounted, he can wield a blade and shoot an arrow—”

In that moment, the girl had become sharp and clear in his eyes, growing ever more distinct, until—

The Imperial Grandson, with his Xie family blood, became the Emperor. And the Chu Family’s Daughter, an ally of the Xie family, became the Empress.

’How wonderful. How wonderful to be on good terms with the Xie family.’

Befriend the Xie family, and you can enjoy a meteoric rise to power. Oppose them, and you’re convicted, disgraced, exiled, and cast into the deepest mire.

He crushed the tattered notice in his hand, leaving it even more fragmented.

A sudden rap sounded on the dilapidated door. The young man inside startled and spun around.

”Ah Qiang.” It was his father’s voice from outside.

’Why is Father here?’

Liang Qiang quickly opened the door to find Second Master Liang standing outside, the smoky aroma of roast chicken still clinging to him.

”Father, what is it?” Liang Qiang asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Second Master Liang looked hesitant. ”There’s something I can’t decide on. I wanted to discuss it with you.”

Liang Qiang urged, ”Please, Father, tell me.”

Second Master Liang said quietly, ”I ran into an old acquaintance. He has some power in Yunzhong County now and is willing to offer me a position.”

He paused, looking at Liang Qiang.

”It’s not a position I got by selling a daughter.”

”Nor one from fawning over a superior.”

”And it’s definitely not a position earned with a brush and ink.”

Those few sentences alone sent a chill down Liang Qiang’s spine. He asked, ”Then what is it earned with?”

Second Master Liang looked at him. ”Our lives.”

...

...

The night was heavy. Second Master Liang’s earthen hut was once again filled with family members. This time, however, there was no roast chicken to eat, and the lingering aroma of meat in the air didn’t make anyone’s mouth water.

”He wants us to enlist?” a young man exclaimed in a low voice, shivering slightly from either cold or fear. ”He’s sending us to our deaths, isn’t he?”

Liang Qiang said, ”Enlisting doesn’t necessarily mean death. Look at how many other people are soldiers.”

Another young man gave a bitter laugh. ”Ah Qiang, it’s different for them. We are the Liang Family. We’re criminals. And we have a feud with the Xie family, the clan of the current Imperial Uncle.”

The law might not be able to kill them, but the Xie family had a thousand ways to do it.

”We’d be fighting to protect our homes and defend the nation. Even if a Xie is the Imperial Uncle, he can’t trouble us over a personal grudge,” Liang Qiang said. ”Besides, even if we die, our crimes will be absolved.”

The young men laughed bitterly. ’What good is being absolved of our crimes if we’re already dead?’

When they were first convicted and exiled, they had all claimed they would rather die than suffer such humiliation. But in the end, no one had chosen death.

Life was bitter, yes, but if they endured, at least they were alive. Being alive meant eating thin porridge for a month, but with the occasional day where they might even get roast chicken. If they were dead, they couldn’t eat anything at all. Besides, it seemed like things were slowly getting better—

”How is it better?” Liang Qiang’s voice rose. ”By sending our girls to be playthings for decrepit old men? By men of great learning becoming mere Clerks? By us becoming live-in sons-in-law? Is that the ’good life’ you want? Don’t you forget, we are the Liangshan Liang Family!”

Perhaps unable to withstand the force of his voice, the paper pasted over the broken window RATTLED.

A shout came from outside. ”Go to sleep! Who’s making all that noise!”

With a PUFF, Second Master Liang blew out the oil lamp. The room plunged into darkness, and only the sound of heavy breathing remained.

”Ah Qiang,” an older clan uncle from a collateral branch said softly, ”all things in this world rise and fall, live and die. The Liangshan Liang Family also started from nothing. As long as our people survive—you, and your children’s generation—there will still be a Liang Family in the future—”

Liang Qiang scoffed. ”That won’t be the Liangshan Liang Family. That will just be Liang the commoner, unworthy of the title of ’Family.’”

His words plunged the room into silence once more.

”Since our Liang Family is still of some use, it means we have another chance, another path,” Liang Qiang said, standing up. ”If we go, we either win glory and restore the Liang Family’s honor, or we die in battle—”

He looked at the other young men in the darkness.

”Those of you whose lives here are worse than death, come with us.”

”Those of you who can still bear to live here, stay behind and look after the women and children.”

...

...

Because of the war, the night was devoid of any light. Standing outside the Fort, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

”Sir,” a voice asked from the darkness, ”do you think those cowards from the Liang Family will dare to show up?”

A figure, face hidden by a large, hooded cloak, cupped his hands to his mouth to warm them with his breath. ”Whether they come or not, it’s no loss to us. If not them, we’ll just find someone else.”