148: The Splintered Remnant

By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the third moon of the twenty-third year of Da-ye, the runner from Yan Wenshu's *runner-to-Xu-Shiji* returned at the cold-spring camp.

By the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating letter at the past day's relay — Xu Shiji's accumulating *splintered remnant* at the eastern marshes was, at the past two weeks, at the small accumulating *real holding* shape of perhaps two thousand troops. Xu Shiji had — by the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — laid in the small specific accumulating *real-political-decision*: the splintered remnant would, at the small specific accumulating *post-Mangshan* moment, lay in the small accumulating *real surrender* to Li Yuan's *Tang* at Chang'an, by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — *not* to Wang Shichong at Luoyang.

Xu Shiji had — by the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — sent a small accumulating *runner-with-letter* west to Li Yuan's accumulating Tang court at Chang'an at the past two weeks. By the small specific reading at the past two weeks — Li Yuan's accumulating Tang would, at the small specific accumulating *real political reading*, perhaps accept Xu Shiji's accumulating *real surrender* at the small accumulating *real* welcome shape and would, by the small specific reading at the past forty years' Tang's accumulating *real political-recruiting* shape, lay Xu Shiji at the small accumulating *senior-sub-officer-of-the-Tang's-eastern-arm* shape.

By the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — the cold-spring brigade was, at the small specific accumulating *coordinated reading* with Xu Shiji, at the small accumulating *real choice* shape:

The first choice — by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — would be to lay in with Xu Shiji's accumulating *real surrender to the Tang*. The cold-spring brigade would, at the *post-Mangshan* moment, walk east at the small accumulating *real* march to the eastern marshes and would, with Xu Shiji's accumulating two thousand, walk west to the *Tang* at Chang'an at the small specific accumulating *real coordinated surrender* shape.

The second choice — by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — would be to hold the cold-spring camp at the small accumulating *upper-hills sub-base's accumulating independent shape* through the next year, at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *splintered remnant of the splintered remnant*. The brigade would, at the small specific accumulating *real* moments, lay in the small accumulating *real engagement* against whatever Sui-equivalent (Wang Shichong's accumulating real-engagement-shape, perhaps) sent patrols at the small accumulating *upper-hills' accumulating real shape*. The brigade would, by the small specific reading at the past four years' arithmetic, hold against perhaps the small accumulating *one or two real Sui-equivalent patrols* before being broken at the *real* third.

The third choice — by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — would be to disperse the brigade at the small accumulating *real disbanding* shape. Each brother would, by the small specific reading at the past four years' accumulating *one-mark-knowing* of his own accumulating *village or family or trade*, return at the small specific accumulating *post-Wagang* shape. The cold-spring camp would lay at the small accumulating *empty* shape it had been at the past two years before the brothers had laid in the *forty* of the past tenth year.

Yan Wenshu's accumulating reading — by the small specific reading at his letter — was that the *first choice* (joining Xu Shiji's accumulating *coordinated surrender to the Tang*) was, at the small specific accumulating *real political reading*, the *real* choice. The cold-spring brigade had, at the past four years, become at the small accumulating *real seasoned brigade* of an accumulating *winning-but-now-losing-rebellion's accumulating northern wing*; the *real* shape would, at the small accumulating *post-Mangshan*, lay in the *real surrender to the Tang* with Xu Shiji.

By the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — the cold-spring brigade would, at the small accumulating *real coordinated surrender's accumulating departure*, leave the cold-spring camp at perhaps the small accumulating *fourth or fifth moon* of the twenty-third year — perhaps two months ahead.

Yan Wenshu had — by the small specific reading at his letter — laid the small accumulating *real political question* at Heizi: would Heizi and the *nineteen-and-master* lay in with the cold-spring brigade's accumulating *real coordinated surrender* and walk east-then-west with the brigade?

Or would Heizi hold the master's hut at the small accumulating *separate independent shape* through the small accumulating *master's accumulating end* and then, at the small specific accumulating *post-master* moment, walk to the Tang at the lad's accumulating *separate* shape?

Heizi at the small clear ground at the dusk of the first day of the third moon read Yan Wenshu's letter twice.

He filed it.

He went to the cot's-side at the dusk.

He said in the small low voice: *master. Yan Wenshu's three choices. The cold-spring brigade's coordinated surrender to the Tang via Xu Shiji. The brigade leaves at perhaps the fourth or fifth moon. The lad's choice — to walk with the brigade or to hold the hut.*

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.

"By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — the lad will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past five years and ten months at the cot, hold the master's hut at the small specific accumulating *separate independent shape* through the master's accumulating end. The *nineteen-and-master* will not, at this dusk, walk with the cold-spring brigade. The lad will — by the small specific reading I am giving — lay the *separate* shape at Yan Wenshu at the small specific accumulating *real-political-reading* answer.*

He paused.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the cold-spring brigade's accumulating *real coordinated surrender* is, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past four years, the *real* choice for the brigade. The lad's accumulating *holding-of-the-master* is, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past five years and ten months, the *real* choice for the *nineteen-and-master*. The two choices are — by the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *one and the same correct* answer, at the small accumulating *small-specific real-shape* of two different accumulating *one-mark-knowing*'s accumulating *real responsibility*."

He paused once more.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the cold-spring brigade's accumulating *departure at the fourth or fifth moon* will, at the small specific accumulating moment, leave the *nineteen-and-master* at the small accumulating *upper-hills sub-base's accumulating real-isolation* shape. By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *isolation* will be — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler's accumulating reading of Wang Shichong's accumulating *post-Mangshan* shape — at the small accumulating *real-but-not-for-long* shape. Wang Shichong will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler, lay in the small accumulating *real consolidation* of the regional commands at perhaps the *summer* of this year. Pang Yu will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler, perhaps be restored to the *real campaign* at the small specific accumulating *real moment* — perhaps at the *late summer* or the *autumn*. The *nineteen-and-master* will not, at the small specific accumulating *real* shape, hold against Pang Yu's accumulating *restored real campaign*."

He paused.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *real moment* of the master's accumulating end will, at this dusk, be at the small accumulating *late summer* or the *autumn* of this year — at the small specific accumulating *Pang Yu's accumulating restored campaign* against the *isolated upper-hills sub-base*."

He looked at Heizi.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad and the *nineteen-and-master* will, by the small specific reading at this dusk, hold the small accumulating *holding* at the master's hut from the small accumulating *fourth or fifth moon's accumulating brigade-departure* through the small accumulating *late summer or autumn's accumulating Pang-Yu's-restored-real-moment*. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, lay in the *Zhongyong's* fifth round and the *expanded memorial's accumulating completion* through the small accumulating *late spring* and the *summer*. The lad will, at the small accumulating *real moment*, be at the small accumulating *complete apprenticeship*."

Heizi nodded.

He filed it.

He could not — at the small wooden stool — say more.

He laid one hand briefly at the master's accumulating hand at the cot.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three years' cot's-side — this was the sixth time the lad had laid the gesture.

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 cold-spring brigade would, at the *fourth or fifth moon*, depart at the small accumulating *real coordinated surrender to the Tang*, and whose accumulating *real moment* would, at the small accumulating *late summer or autumn*, lay at Pang Yu's accumulating *restored real campaign* against the *isolated nineteen-and-master*.

He filed.

He sat his watch through.