The Roman Saga. Behind The Great Wall

– Don’t move! – he heard Lacius’s voice, who pulled off his medallion from him and quickly returned it to his neck. All the warriors stopped and stepped back hesitantly. They looked at the tall slave, who held the sword at their comrade’s throat. – Hey, Wang Mang! The medallion didn’t help him. But he is not my enemy. I don’t want to kill him.

There was some excitement near the Emperor’s stretcher. Several servants ran up and fell on their faces, then crawled back and ran up to Wang Mang.

– The son of heaven saw everything, – he said gloomily, turning to Lacius. Let him go! – he waited until Yu Lai angrily pushed Lacius away from him and returned to him. Then he continued: – Our warrior did not kill you. Our warrior could have killed you. You didn’t kill him. But you could have killed him. The Emperor says you will fight again. Hey! – he clapped his hands, calling the servants, – remove the chain from him and give him a stick.

– This is unfair! Give me the sword! – Lacius shouted, feeling that he had been deceived again.

– Let your medallion help you, – the Empress’s brother answered mockingly.

– I can’t fight with a medallion! Give me the sword!

– You know how to build bridges from stones. Make yourself a sword! Ask your gods to help you, – Wang Mang advised just as calmly and gave the command to the warriors to disperse in different directions. Two servants were already removing the iron ball from his feet, placing stones under the chain and hitting it with hammers, but Lacius still felt the tension. The black knife was securely attached under the leather breastplate, which had already become wet and was beginning to rub the skin under his hands.

When the chains were removed, he lowered himself down to rub his legs and to transfer it unnoticed to his belt. Then everything ceased to exist. He remembered only the feeling of extreme tension, when the body relaxes and the eyes follow only the movements of the enemy standing in front. Yu Lai was younger than him and stronger. And although Lacius was a head taller in stature, the warrior was broad – shouldered, fast, agile and, perhaps, in no way inferior to him, except experience. In addition, he was very angry and burned with the desire to humiliate and trample the rebellious slave.

When the command was given, Yu Lai immediately rushed forward, furiously swinging his sword from side to side, struck from above several times, then began to wave it in front of him, as if he was trying to cut a silk ribbon, but his blows did not reach the target. With pleasure and surprise, Lacius felt light in his legs and very skillfully moved to the right and left, avoiding the furious attacks of his angry enemy. From time to time, he had to deflect the dangerous sword with a stick, but he tried not to expose the bamboo to a direct blow, because the blade would immediately cut it in half.

For the spectators, this running in a circle looked boring and monotonous, and only the Romans, who understood what he was doing, stood motionless, leaning their backs against the wall and without taking their eyes off, watched his deft movements. Yu Lai began to get tired and stopped a few times to catch his breath.

– Help him! – ordered the dissatisfied brother of the Empress, noticing the sign of one of the servants near the Emperor’s stretcher – the Emperor yawned. The Wise Ruler loved joyful holidays, but not long and tedious journeys. Now he was starting to get bored. A hundred warriors sat down on the ground and began to knock their swords, lingering on the last movement: one, two, three! One, two, three! The pace of the blows increased, the Han warriors themselves began to experience nervous excitement, and Lacius noticed that this support gave his enemy strength. It was necessary to withstand this final onslaught at all costs. He did not intend to kill Yu Lai. He lost a lot of strength and soon had to fall to the ground from fatigue. It was necessary to play along with him, and Lacius again used the technique that he had caught Yu Lai before: he began to move a little slower, stopped in place more often, breathed heavily and with his whole appearance showed the enemy that he was tired.

At this moment, the drums began to sound. It seems that the Han people also believed that the end was near and decided to support their warrior with all their might. Seeing that Yu Lai’s blows had become very slow and long, Lacius began to let him closer and at some point, paid for it – the man chopped off most of the stick with one blow, leaving only a short stump in his hands.

– Glory… to the Ruler… of Heaven… – he tried to shout out, barely catching his breath. But it would be better if Yu Lai did not do this, because his breathing became unsteady from those shouts and, when he lunged forward, Lacius easily pulled his sword aside. However, the blow was so strong that the piece of bamboo stick flew out of his hands and fell to the ground. Yu Lai, unable to resist, jumped forward, their bodies collided and both, taken aback by such an unexpected movement, jumped back a step. Lacius dropped to one knee to raise his stick, continuing to watch his opponent out of the corner of his eye. He was breathing heavily, but his eyes burned with such fire that if he could, he would have incinerated him with one glance.

Seeing Lacius so close and still on his knees, Yu Lai completely lost his mind. He grabbed the sword with both hands to deliver the final decisive blow from above. However, Lacius guessed his plan. They were separated by only two steps… And instead of moving away, he stepped towards the Han warrior…

Yu Lai swung, already seeing how he would cut the stubborn enemy in half, but he suddenly appeared right in front of him – his face was at a palm’s distance and he could even feel his breathing, hot and even, as if the shaved fair-skinned slave was not at all tired… A desperate cry of rage broke out from Yu Lai’s dry throat, he tried to lower his hands to complete the blow, but could only push Lacius in the chest. Unable to resist, he began to fall back. Joy flashed in the eyes of the Han warrior for a moment; he already saw himself as a winner, because the slave in a white robe was falling on his back and was about to die… But something was in the middle of his chest, preventing him from breathing. And it was also very painful. It hurt so much that he couldn’t even move. And the slave looked into his eyes so calmly that…

Yu Lai did not have time to understand this. He fell with all his might onto Lacius from above and froze. For some time, both bodies lay motionless on the ground, as if they had died by the will of the gods at the same instant – black and white, with small spots of red…

Everyone around fell silent. The drums stopped, the black-robed warriors lowered their swords, and the Romans leaned forward, trying to see what would happen next. A dark red puddle began to blur next to the bodies. But then they moved, and the body lying on top in a black robe slowly rolled to the side. A slave in a white cape stood up, holding a bloody piece of bamboo stick in his hands, and coughed from the dust. The fabric on the chest and shoulders of his robe was red. He stood up, and at that moment everyone came to their senses.

The Romans shouted joyfully, and the Han rushed towards him with cries of rage. They surrounded Lacius, who was forced to raise the enemy’s sword and defend himself from the blows raining down on him. He was lucky that the attackers got in the way of themselves, so he could knock off two or three swords extended in his direction with one blow. In his heart, Lacius once again thanked the gods for the fact that he did not have chains on his feet. Now he feared only one thing – the spear. He could be pelted with spears, and then he would not be able to fight them off as well as swords.

A step back and a lunge forward, a step back and a strike on the swords, and then a lunge forward again – he delivered only stabbing blows, trying not to let the attackers go behind his back. One too-hot warrior rushed forward and immediately fell, holding his side, then another grabbed his thigh and sank to one knee, unable to stand on his feet. When the third, having received a blow to the lower abdomen, fell face down into the dust, the others retreated back for a moment and stopped.

– Stop! – the Empress’s brother raised his hand. He again, fearing nothing, approached Lacius and looked intently into his eyes, then returned to the body of his warrior and sat down next to him. He turned him over and put his hand on his chest. Blood oozed from a wound right in the middle of his chest, between his ribs and stomach. Returning to the Emperor’s bier, he knelt down again and touched his forehead to the ground three times. Lacius did not hear what they were talking about; there were many short warriors in black robes around, who could not understand, why the invincible Yu Lai was lying dead, and this disgusting tall slave with a scar on his face was standing in front of them alive.

Sharp, guttural commands were heard, and the courtyard servants ran up to the Romans. Without explaining anything, they began to take them out of the gate. The sounds of music were heard from behind, stretchers in the shape of ships and boats appeared from somewhere, hundreds of barefoot people with sticks raised above their heads carried decorations, others carried ribbons of blue fabric depicting water, and all this began to float in in an endless stream, as if into a large mouth fish.

Bao Shi’s guards, along with a frowning Fu Xing, led the Romans back to the governor’s house. It seemed impossible. There, they again put the chain with the ball on Lacius and took away the bloody robe. In the barn, everyone began to shout and ask him how it all happened, especially Paul Domician. The blind man, with the rights of an injured and deprived spectator, sat next to Lacius and held his hand throughout the evening, while the others exchanged impressions.

However, the incomprehensible silence of the guards did not bode well, and the Romans gradually began to speculate, realising that all this would not end just like that. When, having taken off their leather breastplates, everyone lay down in the corners and there was silence in the barn, Paul Domician quietly asked him:

– How did this happen? Did you really kill him with a piece of bamboo?

– Of course not. With a knife. But before that, the medallion saved me. It should have pierced me right through, but it hit him. Like once in Emilia…

– Yes… – the blind singer said thoughtfully. – Tell me, do you want to return to Rome? – Lacius shuddered in surprise and turned to him, although he knew that the old singer still couldn’t see him. – I feel like you do, – he added with a smile and firmly squeezed his shoulder with his hand. – The gods protect you. I see the spear of Mars that has pierced the enemy. He was the one who helped you.

– Thank you, Paul, – Lacius whispered in response and took a deep breath.

Today he survived, although Chow didn’t believe it. But the next day everything could be different. This country was dangerous for him, for all Romans. The people here did not say what they thought, and they did not think at all what they did. And Lacius understood that no one could be trusted. Although in his heart he really wanted Chow Li to keep her promise.

CHAPTER XI. UGLY GUARD FOR THE LAST CONCUBINE

In the concubines’ rooms that evening it was fun and festive. It smelled of musk and sandalwood, which was incompatible for the emperor in other circumstances, and which his wife would never have allowed, as she distributed the fragrances among the different rooms, leaving only a light scent of “lan”, a delicate lily, for the bedroom.

Sandalwood and aloe reigned in the preliminary room, personifying the strength and power of the Son of Heaven.

The concubines did not know how to do this. Just as the eunuchs who served them did not know how. However, he did not come to them for this.

The Emperor spent with them the third day in a row. Everyone was talking only about the death of the unfortunate Yu Lai, whom all the women considered handsome and noble. The concubines pleased the Emperor by telling him incredible stories and their fears about the huge white slave, who scared them to death.

– He is so terrible that he must be sent to guard “the last concubine”. They suit each other! – Fu said with a laugh, hinting that the last concubine was always the ugliest girl in the Emperor’s harem, whom he usually never visited. Such concubines always ended their lives either as old maids or by drinking poison, unable to bear the torture of loneliness.

– There are also such terrible Xiongnu women working in the garden that we are afraid to go out there, – Feng complained, pouting her lips offendedly. – They say they hate us because we killed their husbands.

They talked all sorts of nonsense for a long time, entertaining the Ruler of the Empire with jokes and old funny stories, then played musical instruments and sang. Another night passed pleasantly and unnoticed. Everyone was happy.

The next day, the Emperor announced his decision to General Chen Tang and Governor Xiao, who had arrived in the capital shortly before. Both were surprised and could hardly mutter words of gratitude. But if Xiao was glad not only that he was alive, but also that nothing had changed in his fate, then Chen Tang, encouraged by pleasant rumours about the Emperor’s favour, was depressed and gloomy.

– You are young and do not value life, – sighed the old governor, tired of explaining to him what the advantage of living in a distant province is. – There you are free to do whatever you want, but in the center or in the east – you aren’t! In the center, informers of the chief ministers are everywhere. But the most important thing is that you are alive! So rejoice! Such an opportunity may never arise again.

– I’m afraid, it won’t, for sure, – Chen Tang said gloomily, realising that they had simply gotten rid of him. The enemy was too strong, and he could not do anything.

In the evening the emperor suddenly felt a vague anxiety. After some time, without warning, he stood up and went to his wife in the women’s half o the palace. His wife, Yu Wang, greeted him with a reserved smile, she was unhappy as she had expected him to spend the night of the holiday with her. But he was gone for three whole nights. She already knew everything he talked about with the concubines, but she waited for her husband to start the conversation himself.

Several times Yu Wan tried to remind him about his son, asking him to meet with him more often, at least once a week. However, all her requests only irritated the Emperor. The eunuchs were involved in raising the young man, and Yu Wang saw that they did nothing except have fun. It was easy to play because their son liked it and he did not get upset, as he did during the meeting with the numeracy and calligraphy teachers.

– We sent Chen Tang to serve in the province with Governor Xiao. But now we began to worry about these Xiongnu women, who work in the gardens. They’re disturbing us… – the Emperor fell silent, thinking of what else to say. His wife was also silent, with her head down. A barely noticeable smile touched her lips, since she knew, who really cared about this problem, but she waited for her husband to offer her a solution. The problem was so insignificant and stupid and was not worthy of his attention. But he was a man and wanted to please his soul. She kept waiting. However, Yuan Di remained silent, walking from corner to corner.

– Maybe we should send them away, too? – she suggested carefully. The Emperor stopped and looked at her with an attentive gaze. He was waiting for the continuation. She added: – Along with the pale slaves. They are also not needed here. By the way, that year the water destroyed all the bridges and many villages on the Wo River. Let Bao Shi send them all there. There’s a lot of work for them there. Men need women, so they won’t disturb the locals.

– Perhaps, it can work. We’ll think about it.

– The Son of Heaven solved the problem with General Tang so wisely, but Zhi Zhi’s brother is still alive. He can become dangerous, too… Not now, but one day…

– Huhanye? But he signed the agreement and is now our servant, – the Emperor objected dissatisfied.

– You’re right, Ruler of Heaven. Previously, his older brother held him back. Now he’s gone. And Huhanye is free. During this time, the Xiongnu tribes had many children. One of them may attack the Empire, which is protected by the Wise Ruler.

– It might attack… – Yuan Di frowned in puzzlement and sat down in a chair. Yu Wan waited patiently. Two days ago, when the maids informed her that concubines Fu and Fang reminded the Emperor about the last concubine, she was seriously scared.

It was a terrible secret. And now she was threatening her directly. When two years ago a fifteen – year – old girl named Wang Zhaojun was brought into the Emperor’s harem28, Yu Wang was one of the first to hear and appreciate her playing the seven – stringed qixianqin instrument. Even then, this girl made a strong impression on the Empress. This young creature was the ideal of harmony and beauty.

Unable to restrain herself, Yu Wan told her about this with moved feelings. Apparently, taking the Empress’s words as the highest praise, the girl flatly refused to pay the senior eunuch Shi Xian a large sum for helping him present her to the Emperor. Everyone paid, so such behaviour was an unheard – of impudence and violation of the unwritten rules of the harem. And, naturally, punishment had to follow.

It so happened that after a few days the Empress cooled down and realised the threat that the beauty of the new concubine posed. And the offended senior eunuch Shi Xian was seething with anger, coming up with one punishment more terrible than the other, but they were all too straightforward and ended in death. However, there was one maid in the harem who, as if by chance, complained that no one depicted her beauty in paintings, and yet she was in no way inferior to this new young concubine. And if she were an artist, she would definitely disfigure her face.

Shi Xian was distinguished by a cunning mind, so a plan of insidious revenge immediately arose in his imagination, and he was sure that he had come up with it himself. He immediately visited the court artist, who, according to custom, painted pictures of all the new concubines for subsequent presentation to the Emperor. He drew the young beauty Wang Zhaojun with moles on her cheeks and neck. Therefore, when the senior eunuch brought her portrait to the Emperor, he turned away with disgust and never again remembered “the last concubine”. She was given the name Mingfei, after which she was completely forgotten. The girl did not know about this, but she was so pride that did not tell anybody of herself and did not turn to the eunuchs to correct her situation, believing that the Emperor would sooner or later remember her. The Emperor’s wife sighed with relief and also forgot about her. And now, having heard about the “last concubine”, she was afraid again.

– But Huhanye doesn’t bother us yet, – the Emperor finally said and turned his gaze to her.

– The Son of Heaven is right, as always, – Yu Wang answered tenderly and bowed her head. – The last time Huhanye came here, he asked to become related to the Emperor…

– Yes, we remember.

– Why not give him one of the concubines as a sign of highest gratitude? – — her cooing intonation did not lull him to sleep, and Yuan Di immediately asked warily:

– Who do you mean?

– Mingfei. “The last concubine.”

– Let them bring her portrait! – he ordered and, waiting for the eunuch with the picture. As the paining was brought, he grinned disdainfully. – Huhanye will not be very happy about such a gift.

– A gift from the Emperor is always a great honour. Especially the concubine from his harem, – Yu Wang added in tone with him, with slight irony.

– By the way, that ugly barbarian with the scar suits her face very well. – There’s a threat coming from him. I can feel it. He killed your brother’s servant… and I don’t like him. Like those singers, who sang under the canopy. Blind and young. They are strangers. And unpleasant ones. Yes, you are right, all these terrible slaves are similar to each other and may appeal to the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu love everything scary, – Yuan Di laughed for the first time in a long time, and his wife decided to remain silent so as not to influence the decision made.

Immediately after this conversation, a messenger was sent to Governor Bao Shi. He was ordered to take all the slave women from the gardens of the inner city and remove them from the capital Chang’an along with the pale slaves. A second messenger was sent to the Great Wall, to the north, to notify the new Chanyu Huhanye about the great gift from the Emperor.

CHAPTER XII. MEETING CONCUBINE MING FEI

The Romans were glad when they learnt that they were being sent to build a city. The news that all the surviving Xiongnu women would be brought there, among whom they hoped to find their wives, caused indescribable delight – everyone excitedly told each other where and when they left women in the capital of Zhi Zhi, who they saw during the transfer, and life now seemed to them not as terrible as a few days ago.

About thirty people were unable to move due to wounds received in the inner city, but no one was killed. This also seemed like a miracle. However, a day later another news came – Lacius, Paul Domician, and Zeno were left in the capital. They were supposed to be sent to the new Chanyu Huhanye. Nothing more was known yet. However, that same night the old guide Goju appeared again. He told Lacius what awaited him.

The Emperor’s order stated that he would give a slave with a scar and two singers to the new Chanyu of the Xiongnu along with one of the concubines, as a sign of the greatest mercy. The woman will have to become Huhanye’s wife and strengthen the peace. There were many rumours about this, but they were all strange. One thing was clear – the Emperor wanted to bring the new Chanyu closer and avoid attacks on the Han Empire. But why he gave three Romans along with the concubine, no one knew.

The old nomad could not help yet, because at the request of the governor he was leaving to the west, to the valley of the wayward river Wo. There it was necessary to find a convenient place to build a city. But he promised that he would find out where the three Romans would be taken and where they would live behind the Great Wall. Then it will be possible to buy them back, so he said. The young brothers were so upset by this news that they burst into tears and hid in a corner.

Lacius was also worried. He could not talk to Chow, he did not know whether his Saet had survived, and if so, how she would put up with the separation from her son Zeno. It was difficult for him to understand why Fortune had first lured him with hope, and now decided to punish him again.

Blind Paul Domician took this blow of fate steadfastly. He understood Lacius, but he hoped that the new Chanyu of Xiongnu tribes would like his songs and he would be able to survive there. He did not believe the old nomad Goju, considering him a traitor. Young Zeno cried and tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Mark reassured him, but it was not easy for him to comprehend this thought, too.

Lacius heard all this and could not fall asleep for a long time. Only at dawn did he fall into a short, anxious sleep. He dreamt of Zhi Zhi with an arrow in his nose. Chanyu laughed all the time, gurgling blood bubbles from his open mouth, and the arrow was twitching in time with his laughter. Then the senior Han eunuch appeared, he was replaced by the dead warrior in the black robe with surprise frozen in his eyes, he was replaced by Emilia, but for some reason her face was covered by a cloud. Lacius heard her crying. Her figure floated past and disappeared. The last to appear was the chief of the guard, Fu Xing. But he never disappeared. He just shook his shoulder harder and harder, repeating some words with displeasure.

Finally, Lacius woke up and realised that the chief of the guard was not dreaming and was trying to wake him up. Saying goodbye to my comrades was difficult. Lacius and young Zeno dragged their iron shackles as if doomed to death. Paul held on to the rope tied to Lacius’s belt. The Romans lowered their gaze, many had tears in their eyes. Their chains had already been removed and replaced with ropes that did not rub their legs as much as iron. Mark and Zenon hugged and could not part for a long time. They were forcibly torn away from each other and hit several times with a stick.