129: The Long Winter Held
The eleventh moon of the twentieth year of Da-ye gave way to the twelfth. The twelfth gave way to the first moon of the twenty-first year.
The winter was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months at the master's hut — at the small accumulating *cold-and-long* shape Ah Chou had named. The snow at the small clear ground laid in at perhaps the small accumulating *knee-deep* shape at the worst weeks of the twelfth moon. The wind at the small accumulating *upper-hills' accumulating north face* came in at the small accumulating *real bite* shape at most dusks. The small accumulating *fire-stock* the *nineteen* had laid in at the past autumn was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the second week of the twelfth moon — at the small accumulating *real* shape but at the small accumulating *more-than-half-burned* state by the small accumulating midwinter.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three weeks' Ah Chou's accumulating careful eye — the master held.
The combined tea — by the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's accumulating preparation at every three hours through the worst weeks — held the cough at the small accumulating *deep-but-not-rending* shape. The master coughed perhaps ten or eleven times an hour at the worst dusks. He did not cough blood. By the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's accumulating eye — the small accumulating *not-coughing-blood* was, by the small specific reading I am giving, the small accumulating *crucial* reading.
The master at the cot read.
He had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months — completed the *Daxue's* twelfth round and had begun the *Zhongyong's* third round. He had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past month — laid in further the *Liji's accumulating Royal Regulations*' accumulating *taxation chapter* with Heizi at the small wooden stool's-side at the late mornings of the fair-weather days.
The taxation chapter was — by the small specific reading at Lao Wen's accumulating saying at the dusk of the third week of the twelfth moon — the small accumulating *one chapter* of the *Royal Regulations* the lad would need at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *new-state's accumulating early-officer's accumulating first-year decision*.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the first moon of the twenty-first year of Da-ye, the small accumulating *new year* came.
The household laid in the small accumulating *small specific quiet new-year* shape. There were no small accumulating *real festivities* — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past five years' upper-hills' shape, the household had not laid the small accumulating *real festivities* at the new year since the small accumulating *master's accumulating real political reading at the past country's accumulating failure*. They laid a small accumulating *small specific morning meal* with a small accumulating *northern dumpling* the boy An Ashi had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past week — folded at the small accumulating clear ground's accumulating fire. The master at the cot ate two of the dumplings. The brothers ate at the small accumulating evening fire.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the seventh day of the first moon, a peddler came up the path with the small accumulating *winter's news*.
He carried the small specific accumulating *country-wide* shape of the past four months.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — Yang Guang at Jiangdu had, at the past tenth moon of the twentieth year, been at the small accumulating *real assassination* shape. A small accumulating *captain of the personal court* — a man called *Yuwen Huaji*, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — had, at the small accumulating *court's accumulating internal disorder*, taken Yang Guang at a small accumulating *coup* and had killed him. Yang Guang was — by the small specific reading at the past peddler at the past tenth moon — dead.
The Sui-court had — at the small accumulating *post-Yang-Guang* shape — laid in the small accumulating *Yang Tong* (a small accumulating Yang-clan grandson of perhaps fourteen) at the small accumulating *new emperor* shape at the small accumulating *Luoyang* (the eastern capital). The accumulating *Yang Tong* court at Luoyang was — by the small specific reading at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *Sui-loyalist-faction's accumulating last stand* shape against the small accumulating Wagang's accumulating *real-control-of-the-east* and against Li Yuan's accumulating *Tang banner* at the west.
By the small specific reading at the past peddler — Li Yuan had, at the past eleventh moon, taken Chang'an. He had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — laid in a small accumulating *Yang You* (a Yang-clan grandson of perhaps thirteen) as a small accumulating *puppet emperor* at Chang'an at the small accumulating *Sui-name's accumulating fictional continuance*. By the small specific reading at the past peddler — Li Yuan was, at the small accumulating *real* shape, the small accumulating *real* power at Chang'an.
By the small specific reading at the past peddler — there were, at this dusk, *three* accumulating Sui-and-not-Sui claims to the Mandate: the small accumulating *Yang Tong court at Luoyang* (the small accumulating *Sui-loyalist's-last*), Li Yuan's accumulating *Tang at Chang'an* (the small accumulating *real* western power), and the small accumulating *Wagang under Li Mi at the eastern marshes* (the small accumulating *real* eastern rebellion).
The country was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *three-way fracture*.
Heizi laid the small accumulating *peddler's saying* at the cot's-side at the dusk.
He read it to the master.
Lao Wen at the cot looked up.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. By the small specific accumulating reading at this dusk — the country has, in the past four months, moved from the small accumulating *late stage of the failure of Da-ye* to the small accumulating *post-Da-ye three-way* shape. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the small accumulating *unification* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps be at the next five to ten years. The small accumulating *real* contest is, by the small specific reading I am giving, between Li Yuan's accumulating *Tang* and Li Mi's accumulating *Wagang*.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad will, at the small accumulating *moment after the master's accumulating end*, choose between these. The Wagang is, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past four years' accumulating reading, the small accumulating *closer* — the lad's accumulating brothers are at the small accumulating *Wagang's accumulating sub-base*; the lad has, by the small specific reading at the past two years' accumulating Li Mi correspondence, an accumulating *welcome* at the new headquarters; the small accumulating *full commitment* is, by the small specific reading I am giving, the small accumulating *Wagang's accumulating shape*."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past four years' political philosophy, choose the Wagang at the small accumulating *real* shape. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps later — perhaps at a small accumulating *political moment* of the next few years — read the *Tang* at the small accumulating *real* shape and consider the small accumulating *transition*. By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad will, by the small specific reading at the past four years' accumulating *small-specific-shape-of-an-officer-whose-hand-is-in-the-country's-failure-but-not-of-it*, hold the *officer-shape* across the small accumulating *real* contest. The accumulating *one* state will, by the small specific reading I am giving, take the lad's accumulating service. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, see at the small accumulating *real* moments which one."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the third week of the second moon of the twenty-first year, the snow began to melt. By the small specific reading at the past two weeks — the worst of the cold had, by the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's accumulating eye, passed. The master had — by the small specific accumulating reading — held the small accumulating *winter*.
Ah Chou said in the small low voice at the dusk of the first day of the third moon: *Heizi-zhang. The master has held. By the small specific reading I am giving — the master will, by the small specific accumulating reading at this past winter, perhaps hold to the *spring after the next* — the small accumulating *Da-ye twenty-second's spring* — at the small accumulating *real-medical* shape. The combined tea is, by the small specific reading I am giving, at the small accumulating *real working* shape against an accumulating *cold-and-long winter*. The next winter will, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps be at the small accumulating *cold-but-not-as-long* shape; the master will, by the small specific reading I am giving, hold it.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *unfound moment* the master had named at the past *fourth moon of the fourteenth year* is, at this dusk, perhaps moved at the small accumulating *next winter's accumulating end*, perhaps at the small accumulating *spring of Da-ye twenty-second*. Or — by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *next major Sui patrol*, whichever comes first."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
He went to the cot's-side that evening.
He said in the small low voice: *master. Ah Chou's spring reading. The master has held the winter.*
Lao Wen looked up from the *Zhongyong*.
He laid the book at the cot.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three months' accumulating winter — the master has held. The master is — by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *grateful* shape. The master had not, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three months, expected to hold.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *Royal Regulations*' accumulating *taxation chapter* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, be completed at the lad's accumulating *response-piece* at the late spring. The next chapter — the small accumulating *Education chapter* — will, by the small specific reading I am giving, lay in at the summer. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, complete the *Royal Regulations* at perhaps the small accumulating *autumn of this year* or the *winter*."
He looked at Heizi.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad will, at the small specific accumulating *Da-ye twenty-second's spring*, perhaps be at the small accumulating *finished apprenticeship* shape."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
That night Heizi at his watch 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 had, by the small accumulating *cold-and-long winter's accumulating combined tea*, held — and whose accumulating *unfound moment* had, at the dusk, perhaps moved at the small accumulating *next winter's end* or *the next major Sui patrol*.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.