Chapter 123: The Flux of Life Flows Like Water

The eighth volume of the "Illustrated Commentary on the Records of the Three Kingdoms," containing the plot where Cao Cao uses a scheme to lure away Xu Shu (Xu Yuanzhi), lay discarded beside Ye Chang. Wei Niang's intent was clear: if Ye Chang did not comply, she would emulate Cao Cao and use his family as leverage against him. Although she had only threatened him with words, she had crossed a line that Ye Chang considered taboo, and his gaze instantly turned cold. Having stated her intentions, Wei Niang did not bother to persuade him further and exited the cabin.

Ye Chang looked toward the ends of the cabin and saw two barbarians guarding each side. Shortly after, a burly barbarian entered, staring at him with a predatory gaze; if he tried to force his way out or shout, he would likely be cut down. "Quite cautious, aren't they..." Ye Chang dared not take such a risk.

There were likely more than one boat. Following that, Wei Niang did not appear again. Although this was the height of the Great Tang, the administration had already decayed, so throughout their journey, Wei Niang’s group encountered river patrol inspectors whom they simply bribed with copper coins. They were also very cautious when docking, mostly choosing desolate villages or wild areas to replenish food and firewood.

Ye Chang had left Chang'an after the municipal competition concluded on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. He estimated that it was now the seventh day. The boat rocked violently, the cabin was stifling, and the reed curtain acting as a screen remained motionless. Ye Chang was sitting against the bulkhead catching his breath when suddenly, a thunderous crash rang out.

It was thundering.

Ye Chang did not know that a bolt of lightning had struck the Chaotian Gate in Chang'an, igniting a raging inferno. This event became an excuse for certain people in the imperial court to attack him, especially Zhang Pei, who directly claimed that Ye Chang’s sorcery had provoked the heavens' wrath. However, Ye Chang had no time to worry about that for now; his focus was on how to escape these barbarians.

Following that thunderclap, the peals became continuous, and soon the pitter-patter of raindrops could be heard hitting the boat's roof. The boat began to sway violently, and Ye Chang could hear the howling wind outside.

"Dock! Dock!" Someone shouted in the wind and rain, likely a boatman from the other vessel relaying Wei Niang’s orders.

The waves raised by such a gale were enough to capsize their small boat. Ye Chang felt a secret worry; if he lost his life in a shipwreck, it would be a truly unjust end. The boat struggled through the wind and waves, and before long, Ye Chang heard the boatman’s tearful voice: "Oh no... it’s over! Quick, come and help me!"

Ye Chang bolted upright, but the barbarian before him drew his blade without hesitation.

"You fool, do you want to die here together?" Ye Chang shouted sternly. This barbarian was a confidant of Wei Niang and had been by her side constantly, so Ye Chang knew he could speak the Tang dialect.

"Don't move," the burly barbarian said coldly.

"Fine, if the boat capsizes, it capsizes. I am an expert swimmer; I won't be the only one to drown," Ye Chang said with a grim laugh. "I just wonder, how many of you know how to swim?"

This question left the barbarian stunned. They all knew how to swim; the White and Black Man tribes lived by the water, so of course they were skilled in it. But this was not the mountain stream they were used to—this was the vast, surging river.

"Especially your Princess—if she falls into the water, I wonder if she can save herself?"

This remark shook the barbarian. While he did not fear for himself, he could not help but worry for Wei Niang.

"Besides, we are on the boat now, surrounded by such wind and waves—are you still afraid I’ll jump into the river and run away?"

The last sentence made the barbarian nod. He asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Whatever the boatman says, we do. On this boat, no one knows better than him," Ye Chang said decisively.

"Come and help me, come and help me! Dock quickly!" Just then, the boatman shouted again.

This time, the barbarian did not stop him. Ye Chang exited the cabin and was instantly drenched by the rain. Looking out, he saw silver lines falling from the sky into the churning river, not even splashing because the wind was whipping up such massive waves. Their two small boats were like leaves drifting in the storm. Given the width of the river and the muddy, turbulent waves, Ye Chang judged they were still on the Yellow River.

The boatman rowed desperately, but it had little effect. The waves swept the boat downstream, and they were no closer to the shore. Seeing Ye Chang and the barbarians emerge, the boatman shouted. With seven or eight people working together, the boat finally drew closer to the bank. The other boat followed suit, but because the storm was so severe, the distance between them grew, and by the time they reached the shore, the two boats were no longer visible to each other.

***

By now, Ye Chang was exhausted; fighting the wind and waves was no easy task, and the torrential rain obscured their vision. After landing, Ye Chang scanned the surroundings. There seemed to be a small village in the distance, but it was not clear.

"I don't know when the rain will stop. Shall we go there to take shelter?" Ye Chang said to the barbarians.

"No, we must find our Princess first."

The barbarians were anxious. Without Wei Niang, they were like headless flies, yet they kept one thing in mind: they would not let Ye Chang go. The boatman, wearing a straw raincoat, looked at his boat with a mournful face, indifferent to everything else. Ye Chang sighed, "Fine, then let’s follow the riverbank and search. Perhaps we can reunite with them."

Leaving one barbarian to watch the boat, the rest headed downstream along the bank. Halfway there, they heard someone shouting behind them. Ye Chang turned and saw the boatman and the barbarian running toward them, slipping and falling in the muddy rain, yet not daring to stop.

"What happened?" Ye Chang asked.

"Run! Run! The levee is breaking!"

The boatman’s terrified words made Ye Chang’s hair stand on end. In his memory, there was no record of a Yellow River flood during the Tang Dynasty, so he could not be sure if this was a major levee breach, nor if he could survive it. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had to run to higher ground immediately.

"Run!" Ye Chang yelled. Just as he was about to dash toward a nearby slope, he heard a metallic *clang* beside him; the barbarian’s blade had slashed past his forehead.

"Find our Princess!" the barbarian growled.

"Go find her yourselves! What does that have to do with me?" Ye Chang was anxious and could no longer care about anything else. He had no affection for Wei Niang; originally, he had only intended to use her to obtain cotton. Once she tried to abduct him and even threatened his family, his opinion of her turned from indifference to hostility. In this moment of crisis, he simply could not risk his life to save her.

"The Princess said, you are not allowed to leave. If you want to leave, you will die!"

Ye Chang was speechless. Why was this barbarian so stubborn? However, facing the gleaming blade and such a simple-minded person, Ye Chang’s eloquence and schemes were useless in the heat of the moment. He had no choice but to be forced along by the man.

The boatman had run far ahead. Behind them, a line of water was gradually approaching. It wasn't moving very fast, suggesting it wasn't a major collapse, but rather water overtopping the levee. The Central Plains had suffered from a long drought, and the municipal competition in Chang'an had been, to some extent, a ritual to beg for rain. The sudden downpour caught many places off guard. With the soil cracked and hardened, it was easily softened by the water, leading to landslides and piping. In places with poor preparation, water overtopping the levee was inevitable.

Realizing it was only an overflow, Ye Chang felt a little more at ease. It seemed that if he didn't find Wei Niang, these barbarians wouldn't let him go, so he had to find the barbarian woman.

Along the levee, there were several places where the water was overflowing, and they had to wade through. Seeing this, Ye Chang grew even more worried.

"Ahead... found her!"

The barbarian had sharp eyes; seeing a boat ahead, he cheered. Ye Chang looked at the boat but felt no joy. There was no one in sight, and more importantly, the boat had been pushed onto the levee by the waves.

"There's no one here."

Approaching the boat, the barbarians were stunned. It was indeed Wei Niang’s boat, but it was empty. Ye Chang stepped onto the boat, not to look for people, but to grab a bundle he saw—it contained the dry rations the barbarians had prepared.

"Follow this way!" Ye Chang tied the rations to his body and pointed toward the village he had seen earlier. "Hurry!"

"We need to find the Princess!"

"You fools! Your Princess is not as stupid as you are. Seeing the rain and rising water, she must have gone to higher ground to take shelter. That village is on higher ground! Are you not going yet?" Ye Chang shouted.

The barbarian guarding him was still skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"Why did your Princess invite me to Yuexi Zhao? Isn't it because I am smarter than you?" Ye Chang had to play the "Wei Niang" card. "At a time like this, if you don't listen to me, who are you going to listen to?"

Hearing this, the barbarians agreed. Seeing the guard's hesitation, Ye Chang took the lead and ran toward the village.

***

Before he had gone a few steps, the barbarian caught up, brandishing his blade. "If the Princess isn't there, I will cut you down!"

"You idiot! Your Princess left in such a hurry she didn't even bring the grain from the boat. Why don't you go back and carry some? Do you want her to go hungry later?" Seeing him trailing closely, Ye Chang felt uncomfortable and snapped at him.

The barbarian was indeed a bit dim-witted, but he was incredibly loyal to Wei Niang. Thinking Ye Chang’s words made sense, he turned back to fetch the grain. When he returned to look for Ye Chang, his figure had already vanished into the rain.

"Oh no, I’ve been tricked!" The barbarian realized he had been duped. He was furious; he had been watching him so closely, and he never thought Ye Chang could trick him with a few words. He didn't realize this was a psychological suggestion Ye Chang had planted.

Ye Chang had no idea where Wei Niang was; he chose the village simply because it was close, and the villagers would surely know where was safer. In the wind and rain, walking was difficult, let alone running. By the time Ye Chang reached the village, he was covered in mud, and looking back, not a single barbarian was in sight.

*Bang, bang, bang!*

He rushed to the first house at the edge of the village and pounded on the door. A nervous voice called from inside: "Who is it?"

"The levee is overflowing! It’s overflowing!" Ye Chang shouted. Beyond saving his own life, he could not watch the villagers remain oblivious to the coming danger.

"What?" The door opened, and a man emerged looking flustered. "What did you say?"

"The river is overtopping the levee!" Ye Chang pointed behind him.

He didn't even need to point; the man walked a few steps into the rain and clearly saw the water rising toward the village. He turned pale and ran back inside, shouting, "Get out! Everyone run! The water is rising, the levee is breaking!"

In the blink of an eye, the household was in chaos. Ye Chang spotted a copper gong hanging in the hall, grabbed it, and snatched up a stick to beat it with all his might.

*Clang, clang, clang!*

The piercing sound of the gong cut through the wind and rain. Startled, the entire village was roused. People hiding from the rain pushed open their doors to look, and soon, cries of panic erupted from house to house.

"Who is in charge of this village?" Seeing the chaos, Ye Chang grabbed a villager and demanded.

"It's Fifth Uncle."

"Take me to him."

"I..."

"If you want the village to survive, take me to him!" Ye Chang stared into his eyes and said every word clearly.

He had originally thought this was just a remote village with few people, but it seemed there were forty or fifty households—at least two or three hundred people. A village like this, without a leader, would only look out for themselves in the face of danger, leading to unnecessary casualties.

Intimidated by his intensity, the man led him to the only decent-looking house in the village. Although this was supposed to be a "prosperous age," the common people were far from wealthy; studies later showed that at least twenty percent lived in hunger. The household was in a panic, with an old man directing five strong men to carry their belongings. Ye Chang stepped forward and shouted, "Old man, are you the one in charge here?"

The old man glanced at him. "You outsider, stay away and go save yourself!"

"You're only thinking of your own family, but what about the dozens of households in the village? Are you going to ignore them?"

"How can I worry about all that?" The old man pushed Ye Chang away. "If you don't get out of here, I'll have my five sons give you a beating!"

Ye Chang suddenly remembered that this was not the modern era with organized social structures; this was the Tang Dynasty. It was perfectly normal for the old man to prioritize his own survival, and even if the village suffered heavy casualties, no one would hold him responsible.

Seeing that he wouldn't leave, two of the old man’s sons stepped forward with folded arms, glaring. The more hot-tempered one reached out to shove Ye Chang.