The Roman Saga. Behind The Great Wall

The Empress’s brother walked accompanied by Bao Shi and the head of the guard, who told him in a loud voice how everything happened. They stopped only once – in front of the burning gate. But from the expression on the high – ranking visitor’s face it was not clear whether he liked this picture or not. Having reached the Romans, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked around the first rank with an attentive gaze. Lacius intercepted Fu Xing’s nod and nodded to the musicians. Everything was repeated, as with Bao Shi – music, singing and closing of shields. However, the face of the Empress’s brother remained motionless. In this way he reminded Lacius of the Luli – Prince Tai Sin.

– What is this? – the guest asked a short and very unpleasant question. Governor Bao Shi shuddered and seemed to become smaller in stature, the chief of the guard looked confusedly first at the Romans, then at Wang Mang, then back at the Romans, thinking that he had missed something, but did not speak before the governor.

– Yes, what is it? – the Empress’s brother suddenly turned to him and looked with such a naive expression on his face, as if he himself had seen the Romans with his own eyes for the first time. Yong Fu Xing sighed with relief – now he could answer.

– These are Luoma Ren, inhabitants of a distant country. They fought with the Parthians. Zhi Zhi bought them. They protected him.

– Why are they here then? – without changing his intonation, the narrow-bearded man asked the second question.

– They are very strong and skilled warriors, – Fu Xing said less confidently, not knowing what to say next. Apparently, he had no more explanations for what almost a hundred people were doing here, fighting on the side of the Emperor’s sworn enemy.

– Can they teach us anything? They have blue faces and hairy arms. They look like corpses from old graves. What can these dead people teach us, Fu Xing?

– Ahh… I don’t even know… – the young security chief stammered. Lacius could see his face turn red and a dark vein twitch on his neck.

– We can teach you how to hold a sword, – he said loudly and clearly so that the guest could understand his words. Judging by the way this formidable courtier spoke, his speech was different from Chow Li and he spoke a little differently. There was such a tense silence under the canopy that it seemed as if a thunderstorm was about to break out or someone would lose their life. Seeing that everyone was petrified, Lacius added: – And not only the sword. We know how to fight with a sword and a spear, – he lowered his chin to his chest, feeling that the torn lining of the helmet was putting a lot of pressure on the back of his head and he should take it off to fix it, but…

– Does he speak our language?! Who is this? – Wang Mang asked as sharply as the first time, looking at the servants.

– This is the best warrior I have ever seen, – the chief of the guard unexpectedly answered loudly. The Empress’s brother looked at him as if an enemy was standing in front of him and he wanted to kill him with his evil, soul-penetrating gaze.

– Call Yu Lai! – he ordered in a calm voice, but from his words the crowd of servants swayed to the side with such force, as if a hurricane had hit them. Everyone whispered, turning their heads towards the horses on which Wang Mang and his men had arrived.

– Yu Lai, Yu Lai, Yu Lai… – echoed under the canopy roof, and a tall, broad – shouldered Chinese man in a black robe with yellow inserts appeared in the aisle.

– Give him a sword! – ordered the Empress’s brother. Fu Xing handed his weapon to the approaching warrior and stepped aside. The servant in the black robe, who followed him, unwound the white belt and pressed one edge to the ground with his toe. He held the other in his outstretched hand.

There was a short exhalation, and four white pieces of silk fell at his feet, and Yu Lai was already standing, leaning on his sword, smiling as if it wasn’t him who did it. And although this warrior did not allow himself to show feelings in front of his master, it was clear that he was full of confidence in his superiority over any opponent. Lacius heard Zeno chuckle in surprise from behind. A smile touched his lips, and he, trying to remain calm, said:

– We don’t kill the air. We are killing the enemy, – these words made more of an impression on the self-confident warrior than on his master. He was taken aback not only by what he heard, but also by the fact that the barbarian spoke to him in his language. Yu Lai asked the Empress’s brother something, he nodded in response, and then he approached Lacius and angrily tore the shield out of his hands. Then he threw it to the ground and cut it with one blow. Chips and copper plates flew to the sides. The shield was no longer there, and an oblong line from the blade remained on the dry, clayey ground.

– Give the sword to the slave! – Wang Mang ordered.

– My lord, I ask you, – the voice of the head of security was heard behind him…

The Empress’s brother turned his head and looked at him.

– What?

– He killed Zi Yue. He is very dangerous.

Wang Mang snorted disdainfully and shook his head.

– Give him the sword! – he repeated again and added, turning to the frightened governor: – Are your warriors afraid even of a chained enemy?

There was no answer. The head of the guard, Fu Xing, was subordinate to the governor, and Bao Shi frowned menacingly, looking at him with disapproval. After the Empress’s brother left, he could remember this self-will and punish him.

A servant named Yu Lai handed Lacius a sword and, taking a step back, leaned against the pillar, crossing his arms over his chest and spreading his legs to the sides. He nodded to the servant, who stretched the remaining part of the belt in front of Lacius.

The sword was already jagged, and with such a blade, even with a very strong desire, it was impossible to cut the hanging silk. Moreover, the servant did not pull the ribbon tight. It was loose. Lacius saw this. But he also felt that he simply did not have the strength to make four quick, deft movements.

– Well? Can you repeat it? – Wang Mang asked him calmly and without irony.

– I don’t kill the air. I already said, – he repeated.

– Then kill him! Kill Yu Lai! – the Empress’s brother nodded towards the warrior leaning against the pillar. He grinned arrogantly. It was no more than three steps away. It was impossible to overcome them in one jump. Lacius’ legs were chained. There was only one thing left to do – resort to the old proven technique.

– There are no enemies here. He is not my enemy, – he said, placing his hand on the blade. Now he held it like a spear, but no one paid attention to it. – I can’t kill a man without a weapon, – finishing these words, Lacius saw the strong Han warrior turn his head to the side disdainfully and the Empress’s brother frown, the fat governor Bao Shi shrink into a ball behind him and the chief of security Fu Xing straighten up, apparently having guessed his intention; the servants made a noise behind the shed, conveying these words to each other.

But when the “thunderstorm of silk belts” turned his face, hearing the sound of a blade piercing the wood, it was already too late. He saw the sword sticking out of the post, right between his legs. Having pierced the robe, it stuck into the wood at a palm’s distance from the source of his male power. Lacius swayed. Even such a simple throw required a lot of strength. Everything swam in a circle again in his eyes: the face of the guard chief Fu Xing, distorted with annoyance and resentment, the frightened face of Governor Bao Shi with trembling lips and a half – open mouth, the helpless and confused expression on the face of the “thunderstorm of silk belt” Yu Lai and the unexpected smile on Wang Mang’s face, the Empress’s brother.

– Good shot, – he replied, shaking his head. – Smart move. You could have killed him.

– He is not my enemy, – Lacius repeated once again. – I don’t kill people.

– Okay… Everyone can learn this. But we don’t need that. Why do we need this? Three warriors are still stronger than one. We don’t need these people, – he said again, turning to Bao Shi.

– They built a big city and stone walls, – the old Governor said not very confidently, hiding his eyes.

– We can build a thousand such cities! – Wang Mang proudly threw at him.

– But you don’t have bridges, – Lacius finally remembered what Chow Li told him. – There are no bridges in your mountains. – You can’t build stone bridges in the mountains, – he added. The Empress’s brother frowned and looked at the governor. He raised his eyebrows, as if to say “Well, yes, he’s right,” and Wang Mang immediately responded with a question:

– Can you build it?

– Yes.

– Show me right here!

– I’ll need stones and boards, – Lacius shrugged.

– Show me! Hey Yu Lai! Take out your sword and drag stones and two boards here! Dig the earth, pick the stones out of the road. If he is lying, you will put his head instead of one stone!

The warrior, red with indignation and anger, bowed and immediately rushed to carry out the order. However, there was gloating in his eyes, because in his soul he hoped that he would be able to cut off the offender’s head when he failed to build his stone bridge, as he promised his owner. A dozen servants poured out about forty stones, slightly larger than a palm, in front of Lacius, and he whispered praise to all the gods for the fact that they were not round.

– The boards are mountains. Make a bridge between them! – Wang Mang ordered.

Having laid them out so that under his hands there were stones with beveled edges, reminiscent of triangles, and the rest a little further away, Lacius took up the wood boards. He tilted them towards each other at a distance of an elbow and placed two stones under them. Then he took the first triangular stone and pressed it to the board. The second one goes to it. To the second – the third… As a result, he got an arch of stones, which rested its ends on the inclined edges of the boards. After this, he took several narrow stones and inserted them into the cracks, strengthening the first row. He placed smoother pebbles on top and added a few more pieces around the edges.

Now there was an arch below and an almost flat road above. Calling Lucro and Zeno, he asked them to hold the boards, and he, taking an iron ball and chain in his hands so as not to interfere, carefully stood with his feet on the top of the small stone bridge. If these people knew that any legion had to be able to build not only cities and roads, but also stone bridges and sewers, they would not be so surprised. However, the Han people did not know this and therefore exclamations of surprise and joy were heard from all sides. They liked the strange barbarian from a distant unknown country.

When Lacius came down, the Empress’s brother came up and took his place. Small stones supported his weight. Lacius smiled wearily.

– You will teach our people this, – Wang Mang said very calmly and evenly, as if this was nothing surprising to him. – Yu Lai, horse! – he shouted and quickly walked out from under the canopy. Everyone froze in confusion, not knowing what to do. Only Governor Bao Shi smiled and joyfully rubbed his palms, hiding them on his stomach under wide, long sleeves.

The young head of the security, Fu Xing, approached him and, bowing, asked something. The Governor patted him on the shoulder in a fatherly manner and began to explain. Lacius did not hear anything, since there were many servants around, each of whom now wanted to stand on his small bridge, and poor Zeno and Lucro were forced to try their best to keep the boards motionless. The Han people rejoiced and laughed like children, but Lacius felt that this was not the end yet. Confirmation came a little later.

CHAPTER IV. CONVERSATION WITH CHOU LI

The rest of the day passed in complete silence. The Romans lay like empty, dusty bags, abandoned on the road as unnecessary. Towards evening they were taken outside the city, to the river. This was a real reward for their dirty, exhausted bodies. On the way, Lacius noticed that dozens of carts with barrels were constantly moving from there to the city. Apparently, this was the only way to transport water to the city. It was very strange. And there were no sewers visible in this city, although it was clearly very large. Everything drained into ditches near houses or into large holes. Then barefoot poor people carried them out with buckets.

When they returned to the city, it was already dark. A stretcher and two dozen servants were visible at the canopy. Lacius’s heart skipped a beat when he noticed them. It was Chow Li. Without waiting for the guards to come for him, he, with difficulty holding the chain with the ball, came closer and identified himself. A woman’s voice was heard from inside, and the porters stepped aside.

– The Empress’s brother was here today. Terrible Wang Mang, – he said with a tired sigh, as if they were continuing a conversation they had started long ago.

– I know. Everyone in the court knows. But that doesn’t change anything. The Emperor has not yet changed his decision. He doesn’t yet know that the Empress’s brother was here.

– Everyone knows, but he doesn’t! It’s strange somehow…

Chow said that the Empress’s brother was a secretive person. He didn’t like to share his thoughts with anyone except his sister. Besides, the Emperor spent the whole day with his concubines in the distant garden of the palace, so no one saw him. In the evening, the Emperor’s wife called the senior eunuch and ordered him to prepare for her exit outside the palace walls the next morning.

– Here? – Lacius asked. – So has she managed to talk to her brother? —

– Yes, – Chow confirmed.

– You bet! She sent him to us on purpose. She was checking us out.

– You’re probably right. But now she wants to see everything for herself. The ministers’ wives will be with her. If they tell their husbands about the paintings, they can convince the Emperor…

– Chow, I’ll do my best. You need to get to the Emperor’s concubines. You say he doesn’t know anything because he was with them. This means they are more important than everyone else. Even more important than his wife!

– What are you talking about! You shouldn’t say so. You shouldn’t. The Yellow River flows slowly.

– What? Are you up to your old tricks? I can’t take in your sayings. Look, today this Wang Mang or whatever his name is, said that we’d be sent to build bridges. Do you understand there is no time?

– How come? What bridges? What are you talking about? – Chow was scared.

– I showed him how to build bridges, and he promised to send us somewhere. – To the mountains or somewhere else. You understand? If you don’t have time to get to the concubines, then that’s it, it’s over. The Emperor will not forgive Tang, and you will die. And we won’t be here anymore.

– You won’t? – she echoed, feverishly thinking about his words. Was she losing control over events? This white slave was slipping away from her influence, and there was nothing she could do about it. But he was still on her side. – Today the day is over. Tomorrow can’t be changed. Try to impress the Emperor’s wife, – she said quietly.

– Listen, I can only give commands, while standing under a canopy!

– I heard that you can do more… – a plea was heard in her voice.

– Rubbish. You and I have agreed. If I pull it off, you will help me get to the sea!

– I remember that. But it will be a miracle if we survive at all.

– I’ll ask the gods about this. You better think about how to get across to the concubines’ ears that there is something strange here. Think of it! You know them better than me. Make up a story of something horrible. Tell them we have two heads and three legs each.

– It’s been told, don’t worry. The only thing their maids are talking about is pale slaves. Just don’t tell anyone. Never, – Chow warned him.

They discussed the details of the meeting for some time. Chow wanted to know every detail – what each of the participants in the morning skirmish between Lacius and Yu Lai said and where they stood. When the stretcher set off on its way back, the huge moon had already risen above the walls of the inner palace, and the servants did not have to light the torches.

Lacius looked at the barefoot porters and put his hands on the iron ball. It was time to return to the canopy. He noticed that there were no smells in this city either. Even at night. The heat killed everything around, and only in the early morning or late evening, when the coolness descended on the hot ground, did the smell of wet dust and dampness briefly appear in the air.

CHAPTER V. VISIT OF THE EMPEROR’S WIFE

When the sun had already passed halfway across the sky, the lingering sounds of trumpets and the ringing of kettledrums at the palace gates announced the appearance of the Empress. Servants in multi – coloured robes with large umbrellas stood all the way from the gate to the barn. They created a shadow where the stretcher of the Emperor’s wife would pass. But even umbrellas could not save some – the servants fell, they were lifted and carried to the side, pouring water.

When several stretchers approached the shed, five people in identical gray robes and with identical white tower – caps on their heads came out. Lacius looked at them and it seemed to him that behind every movement, glance, gait, gesture, and inclination he saw the characters of these people, their thoughts and desires, as if he had known them for many years. And not only them, but everyone, who stood around. In general, he divided them into dark gray and light gray, as if he was now dividing them all into two parts thanks to intuition. Lined up in front of the canopy, the new guests froze.

– Paul, I think I’m going blind, – Lacius muttered. – They all became light and dark.

– No, this is a sign of the gods, – Domician’s voice was heard from behind. – You become sighted, even more sighted than everyone else. I also see only black and white spots, as if these are not people at all.

– But it seems to me that I know them all. There, standing there in worn out white sandals. Feet inward, stooped, head to one side. Cowardly, pathetic, afraid of everything, looks like a rotten fish.

– Oh! You are becoming wise, – the old friend remarked thoughtfully. – You learnt to distinguish people by their faces and clothes. Tsar Theodosius, by the way…

– Wait with your Theodosius, – Lacius interrupted him. – Another one has appeared. I see him.

– What colour is it? – Paul asked with liveliness.

– He seems purple to me, although his clothes are light…

– Yes, he’s all purple, like a ripe fig, – muttered Paul. – There is a red light coming from inside him. Watch out for him! He is very dangerous. I feel his strength.

– Yes, it puts pressure on me too, – Lacius muttered, narrowing his eyes.

A man in a light sand – coloured robe slowly moved away from the large stretcher and stopped at the first painting. A tiny shiny blue turret on his head froze and began to slowly move towards the Romans. The young chief of security walked nearby and talked about the battle. This time, Fu Xing spoke more calmly and confidently. When they came closer, everything happened again, and the embroidered long – legged crane on the robe of an important official froze, enjoying the song.

– What a freak, – he suddenly said and pointed the chopsticks clutched in his hand into Lacius’s chest. – We’ll have to take him to guard the distant tower of voluptuous mood, – his round yellow face bore no traces of paint, and there was no visible beard or mustache on him, like other servants and assistants. – By the way, – he continued, – be sure to send these two singers to us later. What magical voices! I hope they can sing like that after tshiesiong10, as now.

– Yes, wise Shi Xian, you are right, as always, – the head of the security agreed with him. When they went further, Lacius turned to Paul and asked what he meant.

– They call it yange11, – the blind man answered in a fallen voice. – In our opinion, this is execando virilia12. Deprivation of reproductive organs. It seems that we are finished. This is the senior eunuch.

– Is the one with wisdom the chief eunuch? What nonsense!

– Don’t shout. My heart felt that this would not end well. The gods told me that the road ahead would be in the darkness of suffering… We would be castrated.

– What? Again? – Lacius remembered the city of Ecbatana in Parthia, the palace with coloured walls, disgusting fat eunuchs, and the horror he experienced when he was almost turned into one of them.

– Oh, omnipotent gods, Phoebus the patron, have mercy on me. I don’t have much left now… – Paul Domician whispered, having lost his composure, being on the verge of hysteria.

– Paul, Paul, calm down! – Zeno shook him by the shoulders. – What’s wrong with you?

– A? – he suddenly heard. – Zeno, son, and you, too! Why such injustice? After all, you haven’t seen anything in this life yet!

Lacius muttered through his teeth:

– Shut up! All is not lost yet. They also threatened to cut everything off for me. If it comes to that, I will kill you first. Do you hear? – these words brought the blind singer to his senses, but did not add joy.

– No, don’t kill me… Maybe it will work out… – he muttered and fell silent.

– Get yourself together, you’ll have to sing better than Phoebe now. – Zeno, give him some water, let him clear his throat. Paul, – Lacius took his old friend by the hand, – do you feel me?

– Yes, – he whispered. – You’re hot and… You’re all red. You are dangerous, too. There is fire in you.

– That’s good. Better think about it. And calm down. Wow!.. Look what’s happening! – Lacius even raised his helmet in surprise to better see the approaching procession. The servants formed a path from the stretcher to the shed, where the head eunuch and the head of the guard, Fu Xing, stood. Next to each umbrella they placed large baskets filled with something white.

– Is this the Emperor? – Zeno asked quietly behind him.

– It doesn’t look like him, – Lacius muttered. – We were waiting for his wife…

– Peach colour. And a little blue. There is red, but peach is everywhere, – Paul Domician suddenly whispered feverishly, but then sadly added: – This is a woman. – A worthy woman, but my heart is restless.

When a female figure appeared from the stretcher in a shiny robe of pink silk with a yellow fan with which she covered her face, loud exclamations were heard from all sides:

– A thousand years of life! A thousand years of life!13

The soldiers began to hit the shields and backs of the legionnaires with sticks, shouting:

– Ditto! Ditto!14

– Bu kan!15

– Xialai!16

Lacius fell to his knees and managed to throw over his shoulder to Paul Domician:

– She’s wearing a pink robe with red stripes on the edges of the sleeves.

– Well, I told you so! – the blind man answered with satisfaction, touching his forehead to the ground.

– How did you know this? – Zeno asked him, but received a stick on the shoulders from an approaching soldier and, screaming, fell silent.

The insinuating voice of the senior eunuch was heard in the distance, but no words were heard. Then Fu Xing’s trembling voice sounded louder:

– Mistress of the Twelve Moons, this is a gift from General Chen Tang. He killed the insulter of the great Emperor, the insignificant Xiongnu Zhi Zhi, and gives these paintings to Emperor Yuan Di as a sign of the greatest gratitude to his heavenly power, – he fell silent, and for some time nothing was heard.

Lacius clutched his helmet with his palms and slowly turned his head to the side. Now he could watch what was happening with one eye, although from the outside it seemed that his helmet and head were pointing directly at the ground. He did not hear what the Emperor’s wife was saying, but her voice seemed low and chesty to him, although all the Han women he had heard before had thin, almost childish voices. Finally, continuing to stand in a half – bent position, Fu Xing moved on to describe the capture of the fortress, and his voice immediately sounded much more confident and louder. Lacius heard every word.

The security chief’s story was more colourful and exaggerated. In the most terrible, exciting moments, the frightened exclamations of the women accompanying the Empress were heard. Finally, the tiny sandals approached the final part of the picture, and Fu Xing began to talk about the battle with the invincible barbarians from the distant country of Luoma. An impressive basket dropped next to Lacius’s head, from under which water flowed in a thin stream. He touched it with his fingers and felt that the water was cold.