The twelfth moon of the twenty-second year of Da-ye gave way to the first moon of the twenty-third.
The winter held at the small accumulating *cold-and-long* shape of Ah Chou's accumulating naming. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months at the master's hut — the master had — by the small specific reading at the past two months' combined tea at the every-three-hours shape — held the *fifth winter at the cot* at the small accumulating *real-but-tiring* shape.
By the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's accumulating careful eye at the dusk of the third week of the first moon of the twenty-third year — the master had, in the past two weeks, taken at the small accumulating *small-specific-improvement* the new winter's accumulating *small specific further addition* of Ah Chou's accumulating *combined tea*: a small accumulating *western-bark powder's accumulating extra dose* the herb-trader at the past peddler's saying had named at the small accumulating *late-winter's accumulating cough-stabilizer* shape. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two weeks — the cough was, at this dusk, at the small accumulating *eleven-or-twelve-times-an-hour* shape rather than at the small accumulating *fourteen-or-fifteen* shape Ah Chou had read at the past second week of the twelfth moon.
The master held.
By the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's revised reading at the dusk of the third week of the first moon: *Heizi-zhang. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two weeks at the small accumulating *western-bark powder's extra dose* — the master will, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps hold to the small accumulating *whole next year* at the small accumulating *probable-but-fragile* shape. By the small specific reading I am giving — the master is, at this dusk, no longer at the small accumulating *winter's-end-not-the-patrol* shape of the past two months. By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *real moment* is, at this dusk, the small accumulating *patrol-or-something-like-it* shape rather than the small accumulating *winter-and-not-the-patrol*.*
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler at the dusk of the third week of the first moon — the *Mangshan-line's accumulating real engagement* was at perhaps four to six weeks ahead. Wang Shichong had — at the past three weeks — laid in the small accumulating *full mobilization* of his accumulating *fifteen thousand troops* at the *real-imperial-guard's accumulating real campaign-shape*. Li Mi had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — laid in the small accumulating *full mobilization* of the Wagang's *eight thousand or nine thousand* and was — at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *real preparation* shape.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the second week of the second moon of the twenty-third year, the *Mangshan-line's accumulating engagement* came.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three peddlers' accumulating saying through the third week and the fourth week of the second moon — the engagement laid in across nine days at the small accumulating *Mangshan's accumulating ridge-and-stream's accumulating real terrain*. Wang Shichong's *fifteen thousand* engaged Li Mi's *eight thousand* at the small accumulating *real campaign* shape. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler at the dusk of the third week of the second moon — Wang Shichong had, at the small accumulating *third day's accumulating real-engagement-veterans' accumulating decisive shape*, broken Li Mi's accumulating *real engagement-strength*. The Wagang had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler at the past three weeks — taken the small accumulating *real defeat* at the *Mangshan-line*.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — Li Mi had, at the small accumulating *fourth day's accumulating partial withdrawal*, laid the small accumulating *real fugitive* shape with perhaps two thousand troops at the small accumulating *western escape-route* shape. He had — by the small specific reading at the past peddler — fled west at the small accumulating *perhaps-toward-Li-Yuan's-Tang-at-Chang'an* shape.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — the Wagang's accumulating *six thousand or seven thousand* remaining had, at the small accumulating *post-Mangshan-defeat*, fragmented at the small specific accumulating *real* shape:
- Perhaps three thousand had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — surrendered to Wang Shichong at the small accumulating *real surrender* shape. - Perhaps two thousand had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — gone with Li Mi at the small accumulating *western escape*. - Perhaps two thousand had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — held at the eastern marshes at the small accumulating *splintered remnant* shape, with the small accumulating *new* leadership of a man called *Xu Shiji* (a senior Wagang sub-officer of perhaps thirty, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler).
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — the Wagang's accumulating *new headquarters* at Wagang-zhai had, by the small specific reading at the past three weeks, been at the small accumulating *real abandonment* shape. The cold-spring brigade's accumulating *Wagang-recognized upper-hills sub-base* had — at the small specific accumulating *post-Mangshan* moment — lost its accumulating *real* parent organization. The cold-spring brigade was, at this dusk, at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *splintered remnant's accumulating outer wing* under no longer Li Mi's accumulating headquarters but rather — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler at the past two weeks — at the small accumulating *Xu Shiji's accumulating eastern marshes' splintered remnant* shape, if the cold-spring brigade chose to lay in there.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — Yan Wenshu had, at the past two weeks, sent a small accumulating runner to Xu Shiji's accumulating eastern marshes asking for the small specific accumulating *coordinated reading* of the *post-Mangshan* shape. The runner had, at the past peddler, perhaps not yet returned.
Heizi at the small clear ground at the dusk of the third week of the second moon read the peddler's accumulating saying twice.
He filed it.
He went to the cot's-side at the dusk.
He said in the small low voice: *master. Mangshan-line's nine days. Wang Shichong took it. Li Mi fled west, perhaps to Li Yuan's Tang. The Wagang fragmented. Xu Shiji holds the eastern marshes' splintered remnant. The cold-spring brigade's accumulating parent organization is, at this dusk, gone.*
Lao Wen at the cot looked up.
He laid the *Zhongyong's* fifth round at the cot.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad.*
He paused for a long beat.
"By the small specific accumulating reading at the past forty years' political reading — the small specific accumulating *Mangshan-line's accumulating defeat* of Li Mi has, at the past three weeks, become the *single most-important political event* of the past four years. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the eastern Mandate has, at the past three weeks, been at the small specific accumulating *real Wang-Shichong's accumulating shape* at Luoyang. The country is, at this dusk, at the small accumulating *Wang-Shichong-at-Luoyang* and *Li-Yuan-at-Chang'an* shape. The Wagang is — by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *splintered* shape rather than at the small accumulating *contender* shape."
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad's accumulating *moment after the master's accumulating end* will, at its accumulating arrival, lay at the small accumulating *real Tang-or-splintered-remnant-or-something-else* decision. By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad's accumulating *complete apprenticeship* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, be at the small accumulating *Tang* shape at the small specific accumulating *real* reading. The Tang at Chang'an is — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past forty years' Sui-court reading — the small accumulating *real* successor shape of an accumulating *failing Sui-court* whose accumulating Mandate has, at the *Mangshan-line*, withdrawn at the small accumulating *real political-shape* shape."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — Wang Shichong at Luoyang is — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past forty years — the small accumulating *late-Sui-political-shape* of an accumulating *successful coup-officer* whose accumulating *real political shape* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, last perhaps the small accumulating *one or two years* before the *Tang at Chang'an's accumulating real western advance* takes Luoyang at the small accumulating *real* unification. By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad will, at the *post-master* shape, perhaps not lay in at the *Wang-Shichong* shape (which would be at the small accumulating *short-term* and at the small accumulating *Wang-Shichong-as-coup-officer-not-classicist's accumulating non-real-political-shape*). By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad will lay in at the *Tang*."
He looked at Heizi.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad's accumulating *moment after the master's accumulating end* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, take the *Tang* at Chang'an. The Tang's accumulating *real* shape is, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past forty years, the small accumulating *real* successor of the small accumulating *Sui's accumulating real political tradition* the master is at the small accumulating *late classicist* of."
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 *senior sub-officer-and-apprentice* whose accumulating *moment after the master's accumulating end* would, by the small accumulating *Mangshan-line* and the master's accumulating *post-Mangshan* reading, lay at the small accumulating *Tang at Chang'an* rather than at the small accumulating *Wagang's accumulating splintered remnant*.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.
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