141: The Watching Laid In
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the fifth moon of the twenty-second year of Da-ye, Heizi laid the small specific accumulating *real watching* arrangement at the brothers' accumulating evening fire.
He said in the small low voice: *brothers. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two weeks at the bounty's accumulating regional posting — the *one-thousand strings of cash* at the small accumulating *living capture of the master* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, prompt the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *informer-or-bandit-or-Sui-loyalist's accumulating real-living-cost* attempt at the master's hut at the small specific accumulating *real* moments of the next moons.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — we will, by the small specific accumulating reading at this dusk, lay in the small accumulating *real-watching* arrangement at the master's hut. The arrangement will, by the small specific reading at the past four years' accumulating *moment*-teaching, lay at the small accumulating *three-tier* shape:"
He laid out the arrangement.
The first tier was — by the small specific reading at this dusk — the small accumulating *outer eye* at the small accumulating *path-up-from-the-foot-of-the-bear-back's-southern-arm* at the small accumulating *real watch* shape, with the lame brother (still at the small specific accumulating *real eye* shape since the past tenth year) and one further brother (Sun Jingsheng of the past replacement-recruits) rotating at the small accumulating *every-three-days* shape at the small specific accumulating *eye-station* of the past nine years' accumulating reading.
The second tier was — by the small specific reading — the small accumulating *middle-watch* at the small accumulating *upper-bend's accumulating outer arrangement* at the small specific accumulating *real bottlenecking-watch* shape, with two brothers at the small accumulating *every-day* shape (rotating across the *nineteen* less the lame and Sun Jingsheng) at the small specific accumulating *thrust-and-set-readiness* shape.
The third tier was — by the small specific reading — the small accumulating *inner-watch* at the master's hut's accumulating *small clear ground* and at the small accumulating *path's last fifty bu* at the small specific accumulating *real watch* shape, with one brother at the small specific accumulating *every-watch* shape (Heizi, Wang Er, An Ashi, Ah Chou, Lu Jingzhi, and the senior veterans rotating at the small accumulating *senior watch* shape).
The brothers nodded.
Wang Er at the small accumulating *thrust-and-set* position said in the small low voice: *brother. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the *three-tier* arrangement is, by the small specific reading at the past four years' accumulating *moment*-teaching, at the small accumulating *real working* shape against an accumulating *one-or-two informer-or-bandit-attempt* at the small specific accumulating *real-living-cost* shape. By the small specific reading I am giving — the master will, at the small specific accumulating *informer-or-attempt* moment, be at the small accumulating *holding* shape at the small accumulating *inner-watch's accumulating *real-watch*.*
He paused.
"And by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *real-attempt-by-Sui-loyalist-of-perhaps-five-or-ten-strong* shape, the *three-tier* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, lay in the small accumulating *real engagement* at the *upper-bend's accumulating bottleneck*. The Sui-loyalist-attempt will, by the small specific reading I am giving, be taken at the small accumulating *real engagement-cost-of-perhaps-zero-of-nineteen* shape."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
The arrangement laid in at the small accumulating *first day of the fifth moon's accumulating watch* shape.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the third week of the fifth moon, the small accumulating *first attempt* came.
It came at the dusk at the small accumulating *upper-bend's accumulating outer arrangement* at the small accumulating *six-or-seven-strong informer-and-bandit-coalition* shape (by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two days' lame brother's accumulating eye-station's reading at the path's accumulating coming-up). The six-or-seven were — by the small specific accumulating reading at the lame brother's eye on them at the foot of the path — at the small accumulating *real bandit* shape: dirty, not Sui-disciplined, with perhaps three small accumulating short-spears and three or four small accumulating *real bandit-knives* shape.
They came up at the dusk.
The middle-watch's two brothers (Sun Erlin's accumulating *runner-shape* of the past three years, plus a younger brother of the *fifty's* original — a man called *Cao Quzhi*, perhaps thirty, six years at the rebellion) laid the small accumulating *thrust-and-set's accumulating bottleneck-engagement* at the *upper-bend's accumulating arrangement* at the moment of the bandits' accumulating arrival.
The engagement laid in at perhaps three minutes.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk's accumulating count — the six-or-seven were — at the third minute — at the small accumulating *real defeat* shape. Two of them were dead at the *upper-bend*. Two were wounded at the small accumulating *real wounds* of the *thrust-and-set's* accumulating arms. Three withdrew at the small accumulating *real flight* shape down the path.
Sun Erlin and Cao Quzhi had taken — by the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk — the small accumulating *cost-of-zero* (Sun Erlin had a small accumulating *non-fatal cut* at the left forearm at the bandits' accumulating *first thrust*; not at the small accumulating *real wound* shape).
Heizi at the *inner watch* came up to the *upper-bend* at the dusk.
He filed.
The two dead at the *upper-bend* were — by the small specific accumulating reading at the small accumulating *bandit-and-informer-coalition's accumulating *real* shape — laid at the small specific accumulating *unmarked outer slope* of the bear-back's accumulating *southern arm*. The two wounded were — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two minutes — taken to the small accumulating *prisoner-arrangement* of the master's hut.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past hour at the small accumulating *prisoner-arrangement* — Heizi laid the small accumulating *small specific question* at the two wounded.
The first wounded — by the small specific accumulating reading at his accumulating saying — was a small accumulating *southern-fold's accumulating tavern's villager* who had, at the past two weeks, heard the small accumulating *bounty's regional reading* at the small accumulating *real-living-cost* shape and had — at the past five days — laid the small accumulating *real attempt* with five further men at the small accumulating *small specific eight-day-walking-up-to-the-master's-hut* shape.
The second wounded — by the small specific accumulating reading at his accumulating saying — was a small accumulating *bandit* of the lower country's accumulating *real bandit* shape who had, at the past four days, met the southern-fold's accumulating *real-living-cost-villager* at a small accumulating *southern-fold's accumulating tavern* and had laid the *real attempt* with him.
Heizi laid the *small specific question* at the small accumulating *whole shape*.
He filed it.
He laid the two wounded — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two days' arrangement at the small accumulating *real political reading* of the bounty — at the small specific accumulating *prisoner-and-release* shape: Ah Chou laid the *real salve* at the wounds; the two wounded were, at the small specific accumulating *third day after the engagement*, released at the small accumulating *down-the-path* shape with the small specific accumulating *master's accumulating saying-on-the-paper-at-the-prisoner's-hand*.
The master had laid — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two days at the cot — the small accumulating *small specific saying* at perhaps forty characters at a small slip of paper:
*To the regional Sui-loyalist posts, by the accumulating peddler-relay. The accumulating Wén Déxiū holds the upper-hills sub-base at the small specific accumulating *real political reading* of an accumulating *failing Sui-court's accumulating recognized late-classicist*. The bounty is, by the small specific reading I am giving, at the small accumulating *real political-shape*'s accumulating *Sui-court's accumulating death-throes*. The accumulating *real-living-cost-attempts* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, take the small specific accumulating *small-engagement-cost* and will be released at the small accumulating *living* shape with this slip. — Wén Déxiū, the formerly-Sui-magistrate-of-Hanzhou-prefecture.*
The two wounded carried the slip down the path at the small accumulating *real political* shape.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler at the dusk of the second week of the sixth moon — the small accumulating *master's slip* had, at the past three weeks, been at the small accumulating *real political reading* at the regional Sui-loyalist posts. By the small specific reading at the past peddler — the bounty's accumulating *real-living-cost-attempts* had, at the past two weeks, dropped at the small accumulating *real* shape. The peddler said: *Heizi-zhang. By the small specific reading at the past two weeks at the regional posts — the accumulating *Wén Déxiū's accumulating slip* has, by the small specific reading at the past three weeks, been at the small accumulating *real reading* at the regional villagers and at the regional Sui-loyalist sub-officers. By the small specific reading at the past two weeks — the accumulating *small specific real-living-cost-attempts* have, at the past two weeks, gone from the small accumulating *real* shape to the small accumulating *quiet* shape. The bounty has, by the small specific reading at the past two weeks, become at the small accumulating *political-shape-without-the-real-attempts* — at the small accumulating *failing Sui-court's accumulating *paper-shape* of an accumulating *recognized rebel* without the small accumulating *real* takers.*
Heizi at the small clear ground at the dusk of the second week of the sixth moon nodded.
He filed it.
That night at the small banked fire he sat at his watch.
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 *senior sub-officer-and-apprentice* whose accumulating master had, by the small accumulating *small specific saying-on-the-slip*, taken the small accumulating *bounty's accumulating real-living-cost-attempts* at the small accumulating *political shape* and had laid them at the small accumulating *quiet*.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.