The Music Emperor Li Zong celebrated the beginning of the yr, the ninth yr after Mengke (or Meng-ge) turned the Mongolian Khan. Within the early February spring on the tumultuous north financial institution of the Yellow River’s Fenglingdu space, the donkeys and the horses known as out blended with the sounds of individuals and carts. The climate was chilly then heat, the Yellow River had simply thawed, however the north wind blew on today and it began snowing, freezing the river’s water. The water floor didn’t allow the motion of boats whereas the carts couldn’t journey on the ice, forcing many guests heading south to be stranded within the Fenglingdu space. They’d be unable to proceed their journeys. Though the Fenglingdu space has a number of inns, vacationers arrived from the north constantly and in lower than half a day, the inns have been already absolutely occupied and the vacationers who arrived later had no place to remain.

Within the city the most important inn was the “An Du Previous Inn”, occupying a location supposedly bringing good luck. On this inn the guest-quarters have been spacious, all vacationers who couldn’t discover any lodging got here right here, and subsequently the inn was significantly crowded. The innkeeper tried his finest to rearrange issues and so every room was full of three to 4 people. Round twenty individuals who have been ready to get a room needed to sit in a circle within the nice corridor. The inn assistants moved the furnishings and lighted a hearth. Outdoors, the north wind howled, the chilly wind along with the snow managed to enter via a crack in a door, inflicting the fireplace to flicker constantly. It seemed like the numerous guests nonetheless wouldn’t have the ability to proceed their journey the subsequent day and so they have been filled with worries.

The sky turned darker, the snow obtained heavier and heavier. All of a sudden horses’ hoofs have been heard. Three riders anxiously rushed up and stopped on the inn entrance. Within the corridor an previous visitor frowned, saying, “Yet one more customer has come.”

A feminine voice stated, “Innkeeper, put together two good spacious and clear rooms.”

The innkeeper greeted her with a smile and stated, “Sorry, the inn is already absolutely occupied. I actually can’t put together rooms for you.”

That feminine stated, “OK, then one room will do.”

The innkeeper stated, “Actually sorry, honored visitor, however the inn should additionally please others and now guests actually have stuffed the inn’s rooms.”

That feminine swung her horse whip, making a “Pa!” sound and scolded, “Garbage! You run the inn, however won’t put together rooms, what sort of inn is that this? Cannot you ask somebody to offer means? I am going to pay you extra.” After saying that, she then rushed into the corridor.

The gang noticed this feminine determine turn out to be clearer and she or he seemed round 30 years previous, with a peach coloured cheeks, elegant look and carrying an costly blue coloured fur-lined coat. The neckband revealed easy pores and skin; all of the clothes seemed fairly costly. Behind this younger lady was a female and male of round fifteen or sixteen years previous. The male had thick eyebrows and massive eyes, and had an easy facial features. The feminine was vigorous wanting, elegant and delightful. The 2 youths wore gentle inexperienced satin fur-lined coats. Across the younger lady’s neck hung a string of pearls, with every one across the measurement of a small finger nail and displaying a lightweight halo. The numerous visitors noticed these three individuals’s imposing method and though they’d chatted all day they stopped speaking and stared silently on the three individuals.

The inn assistant bowed with a smile, saying, “Madam, look, these visitors can’t discover any lodging. In the event you three don’t thoughts the discomfort, I’ll let all people occupy this area and hold heat by the fireplace, comfortably passing the night time. If the river melts tomorrow, you possibly can cross the river.”

The younger lady obtained impatient, but it surely seemed like this was actuality, so she frowned wordlessly. A middle-aged lady sitting close to the fireplace stated, “Madam, sit right here, hold heat by the fireplace, eliminate the chilly air then discuss this once more.” The gorgeous lady stated: “Good, many because of you.” A male visitor to the aspect of that middle-aged lady hurriedly moved away, giving up his place.

The three individuals sat down, and shortly the inn assistant delivered their meals. The meals was luxurious, with hen and pork, and an enormous pot of wine. That stunning younger lady’s alcohol capability was excellent, having drunk bowl after bowl. The youth and the refined younger lady additionally accompanied her in ingesting; the three of them addressed one another as brother and sister. The youth seemed older than the refined lady, however known as her “elder sister”.

The individuals sat in a circle across the hearth, listening to the wind whistling exterior, none feeling sleepy in the meanwhile.

A person with a Shanxi accent stated, “This climate actually is unfavorable; it modifications quickly. God would not permit man to have even one good day.”

A brief particular person with a Hubei accent stated, “You possibly can’t blame Heaven and Earth; we’ve in right here a hearth to maintain heat, meals to eat, what else would you like? If in case you have lived within the besieged metropolis of Xiangyang, even the world’s most bitter locations will appear a comfortable nest.”

That stunning younger lady upon listening to “besieged metropolis of Xiangyang “, exchanged glances together with her brother and sister.

A customer with a Guangdong accent requested, “Excuse me, aged buddy, that besieged metropolis of Xiangyang – how is life there?”

The Hubei customer stated, “The Mongolians’ cruelty, of which all of you realize, needn’t be talked about. The yr the Mongolians’ 100,000-strong military attacked Xiangyang fiercely, the garrison was managed by Governor Lu, a silly and incompetent particular person. Fortuitously the heroic couple Mr. and Mrs. Guo bravely repelled the enemy forces…” The younger lady, upon listening to “heroic couple Mr. and Mrs. Guo”, began paying consideration. Listening to that Hubei customer proceed, “Xiangyang Metropolis’s a whole lot of hundreds of troopers and civilians additionally defended the town with their lives and none cowered from their responsibility. A small-time service provider like me, although solely capable of transfer earth and stones, additionally helped to defend the town. This previous arrow scar on my face was brought on by a Mongolian’s arrow.” The individuals checked out his face concurrently, noticed that below his left eye there actually was a teacup-size arrow scar and couldn’t assist however respect him.

That Guangdong visitor stated, “Our nice Music has a lot land and many individuals; if all people acts just like the previous buddy right here, even when the Mongolians have been ten instances fiercer, they could not conquer our lands.”

The Hubei man stated, “Sure. Look, the Mongolian military has been attacking Xiangyang for greater than ten years, however cannot take the town, whereas different cities fall simply. I heard dozens of nations within the western area obtained destroyed by the Mongolians, whereas our Xiangyang, all through, stood erect like a mountain. The Mongolian prince Khubilai Khan personally directed the fight, but additionally couldn’t overcome our Xiangyang individuals.” After saying that, he drastically felt glad.

The Guangdong visitor stated: “The frequent individuals will struggle the Mongolians with their lives; if the Mongolians come to Guangdong, our Guangdong males may also struggle them with all our would possibly.”

The Hubei man stated, “Even when we do not go all out with the Mongolians, we are going to nonetheless die. The Mongolians can’t take Xiangyang, in order that they seized the Han individuals exterior the town, tied them up subsequent to one another and beheaded them close to the town. Even some 4 or 5 year-old or six or seven year-old kids have been tied up, then pulled by horses in circles below the town wall, and normally in lower than half a circle, the kids would die. We may hear the kids crying loudly from the highest of the town wall, and it hurts the center drastically. The Mongolians use such merciless strategies, making an attempt to frighten us into surrendering, however the extra vicious they’re, the tougher we defend the town. That yr all of Xiangyang’s grain was eaten, the water provide used up, we even needed to drink the water condensed on tree bark, however the Mongolians may by no means power their means in. Afterwards the Mongolians gave up and withdrew the military.”