123: The Long Year
The nineteenth year of Da-ye went by, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past twelve months, at the small accumulating *long-year's accumulating quiet* shape.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past twelve months' peddler-saying — Pei Renji's accumulating *new offensive* at the eastern marshes had, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past nine months, been at the small accumulating *prolonged engagement* shape against Li Mi's accumulating *headquarters defense*. The accumulating *flank counter-attack* the Wagang had laid at the past third moon had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — held Pei Renji's accumulating advance at the small accumulating *outer perimeter* through the spring and the summer. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three months — Pei Renji had, at the past tenth moon, taken a small accumulating *partial victory* at a small accumulating *secondary line* perhaps fifty *li* west of the headquarters; the Wagang had withdrawn further. By the small specific reading at the past peddler — the Wagang's accumulating *real shape* was, at this winter, at the small accumulating *holding-the-headquarters-only* shape with perhaps the small accumulating four thousand troops remaining.
The country was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past twelve months — at the small accumulating *real-failure-of-Da-ye* the master had, at the past four years, been predicting. By the small specific reading at the past peddler at the past month — the Sui-court at Chang'an had, at the past second moon, been at the small accumulating *internal disorder* shape: the accumulating *Yang Guang's accumulating personal court* was, by the small specific reading at the past peddler, at the small accumulating *paranoia* shape of an accumulating ruler whose accumulating Mandate was — by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *withdrawing*.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler at the dusk of the first day of the eleventh moon of the nineteenth year — there were, at the past three months, accumulating *other rebellions* at the small accumulating *winning* shape across the country. *Dou Jiande's* movement in southern Hebei had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — taken three further small accumulating Sui-loyal towns. *Liang Shidu's* movement in the western Loess Plateau had — by the small specific accumulating reading — at the past month, declared a small accumulating *new-name* (the *Liang* dynasty) and was at the small accumulating *real* shape of a regional power. *Li Yuan* — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at Taiyuan in the small accumulating northern lands had been, in the past two months, at the small accumulating *staging* shape that, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler's accumulating informed saying, was the small accumulating *real* preparation of a small accumulating *third real-rebellion* the Sui-court at Chang'an would, by the small specific reading at the past peddler, perhaps not be able to hold against.
The country was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *fracturing* shape.
The master at the cot — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past twelve months — held. The cough was, at the past twelve months, at the small accumulating *stable* shape under Ah Chou's accumulating *combined tea*. The master had, at the past twelve months, sat at the small wooden stool at most fair-weather mornings; at the cot at the afternoons. He had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past month — read the *Daxue's* ninth round at the cot.
He had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past month — slowed.
The cough was, by the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's careful eye at the past month, perhaps a fraction more frequent. The master at the small wooden stool's accumulating beside-the-cot's-arrangement had, at certain mornings of the past month, perhaps coughed five or six times an hour where, at the past two years, he had at most coughed three.
By the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's saying at the past two weeks — the master was, at this winter, perhaps at the small accumulating *another-spring-or-perhaps-not* shape.
The household at the master's hut was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past twelve months — still at the small accumulating *nineteen-and-master* shape. By the small specific reading at the past month, two of the recruits had — at the past spring's accumulating Liyang-relay — returned to Liyang at the small accumulating *family-call* shape (a small accumulating *family-illness* and a small accumulating *family-marriage* respectively). They had been replaced by two further recruits — *Wei Lianzi* (Henan, twenty-four, two years at the rebellion) and *Sun Jingsheng* (Hebei, twenty-six, three years).
The accumulating *nineteen* held.
By the small specific accumulating reading at Heizi's accumulating *one-mark-knowing* of the past twelve months, the *nineteen* — at the small accumulating *seven-of-ten* against the Sui-veteran-shape — had become, at the past twelve months' accumulating training, at the small accumulating *seven-and-a-half-of-ten* shape, by the small specific accumulating reading at the master's accumulating eye. They were — by the small specific reading at the master's saying at the past month — at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *small specific seasoned* unit.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the second moon of the twentieth year of Da-ye, a peddler came up the path with the small accumulating *winter's news*.
Pei Renji had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months — been recalled to Chang'an at the past month at the small accumulating *Sui-court's accumulating internal disorder*. The southern command had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — been laid in the small accumulating *acting* shape of a small accumulating *junior sub-officer* who was, by the small specific reading at the past peddler, perhaps a man called *Qu Tutong*. Qu Tutong had not — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months — laid any small accumulating *new offensive* against the Wagang. He had — by the small specific accumulating reading — been at the small accumulating *holding* shape of the southern command's accumulating defensive.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — Qu Tutong had, at the past month, addressed the small accumulating *Wén Déxiū slip* at last.
He had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at the past two weeks, sent a small accumulating *real* patrol of perhaps five hundred Sui troops south from the southern garrison toward the bear-back's foot.
Five hundred.
The small accumulating *Pei Renji's three-hundred* had been at the small accumulating *recalled* shape. The small accumulating *Qu Tutong's five-hundred* was, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler, the small accumulating *not-recalled* shape.
The patrol was, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler, perhaps eight days from the foot.
Lao Wen at the cot — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler's saying — nodded.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *Qu Tutong's five-hundred* are, at this dusk, at eight days. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — five hundred is, by the small specific reading at the master's accumulating saying at the past year, the small accumulating *real-end* shape. The *nineteen* will not, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, hold against five hundred.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the *drawing-away* the master named at the past year is, at this dusk, at hand."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the master will, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, in eight days, walk down the path with the old militia officer's spear."
Heizi looked at him.
He nodded — slowly.
He could not — at the small wooden stool at the cot's-side — speak.
He filed.
He said in the small low voice, finally: *yes, master.*
He laid one hand once at the master's accumulating hand at the cot — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three years' cot's-side, the second time the lad had laid the gesture (the first being at the master's accumulating *one hand at the lad's hand at the cot* of the past first time at the cot's *real-end's saying*).
He held it for one beat.
He let go.
He went out of the hut.
He stood at the small clear ground for a long beat.
He filed.
That night he laid the small accumulating *eight-day-preparation* at the brothers' accumulating evening fire.
The brothers were quiet.
Wang Er at the small accumulating *thrust-and-set* position said in the small low voice: *brother. By the small specific reading I am giving — the household will, in eight days, hold against five hundred at the small accumulating *first wave of bottlenecking* and at the *grove*. The *nineteen* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, take perhaps the small accumulating *cost-of-eight or ten*. The brothers will, by the small specific reading I am giving, fall back to the *upper hills' accumulating northern country* at the moment of the master's accumulating *drawing-away*.*
Heizi nodded.
He filed.
That night at his watch he sat at the small banked fire.
He listened.
The shape of the silence on this watch was — by the small specific reading at this evening — the shape of a small specific *staff-officer-and-apprentice* whose accumulating master would, in eight days, walk down the path alone with the old militia officer's spear and not return.
He did not weep.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.