“The great army fights for the nation. We men of the Great Tang even cast aside thoughts of life and death—how could something as trivial as the method of salt-making be worth mentioning?”

“Good man! Charles Brooks gave Edward Carter a heavy slap on the shoulder. ‘You, my brother, are now recognized by Old Brooks. When we return to Chang’an, I’ll introduce you to a few other brothers—they’re all first-rate men.’”

Taking a slap from Charles Brooks felt to Edward Carter no different from being hit with a hammer. Grimacing in pain, he still had to accept the goodwill. It was truly difficult.

Section Seven: Entering Officialdom

A pure silver flask was stuffed into Edward Carter’s hand. Under Charles Brooks’s winking and nudging, he pulled out the stopper and took a sniff. It turned out to be wine—not very strong. He took a small sip; the wine was rather harsh, about thirty degrees or so, not blended or aromatized. In the Tang era, the strongest was just sanlejiang, after all—three fermentations, and if the alcohol content reached over thirty degrees, that was already impressive. The wine was a bit cloudy, but never mind—drink while there’s wine today! Lifting the flask, he gulped down two mouthfuls. For Edward Carter, who was used to strong qingke barley liquor, this was nothing. Charles Brooks’s face twitched.

“Sanlejiang?”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“The Carter Brothers, you’re only fourteen or fifteen, right?”

“Fifteen.”

“How can you drink strong liquor like water, and name the wine in one go? Clearly, you’re a connoisseur—must drink this often. Sanlejiang comes from the Western Regions, famed in Chang’an, and is quite expensive. Ordinary people can’t even get a sip. Brother, you must have stolen this from your father’s collection. I originally wanted to show off in front of The Carter Brothers, but you drank it without batting an eye and named it instantly. I’m truly surprised. Brother, you must be from a noble family—so why are you down and out in this remote place?”

“There’s no need for such praise, Mr. Brooks. My story is hard to sum up in a few words. I was taken in by my mentor as a child. According to him, I should be a native of Chang’an. When he found me, I was still in swaddling clothes, with the character ‘Yun’ written on the cloth. So my mentor named me Edward Carter. It was a time of chaos, so he couldn’t search for my parents. He took me traveling all over the land, along the great rivers. When I was ten, my mentor’s health failed, so we settled by the river, far from people. Early this spring, my mentor passed away. I honored his last wish, cremated his body, and scattered the ashes in the river. I built a hut by the river to mourn him. But a spring flood destroyed my hut one night. I barely crawled ashore and wandered the wilderness for a month before meeting Uncle Bolton and his group, which led to this salt-gathering business.”

There was no choice but to fabricate a complete background. After all, the Yun clan had lived in Languan since the Sui dynasty. If I have to pay respects to my ancestors someday, this story won’t be a lie. My origins are so bizarre that if I told the truth, he’d think I was lying—just not even a clever lie.

“My story isn’t worth telling. The past is like smoke, impossible to trace. To have survived in this world is already Heaven’s blessing. Meeting Mr. Brooks today and hitting it off is the perfect occasion for a good drink.” With that, Edward Carter took another big swig.

“So, The Carter Brothers, you’re all alone now, with no attachments?”

“Exactly. A true man has no ties and should roam the world freely.” Edward Carter pretended not to see the eager look in Charles Brooks’s eyes.

“What do you think of the brothers in my camp?”

“They’re all men of chivalry, brave and skilled in battle.”

“Would joining us be beneath you, The Carter Brothers?”

“I’m new to the world. To be among such brothers is more than I could hope for. I only fear that, being of humble birth and unknown origin, I might bring trouble to Mr. Brooks.”

“Trouble? The Carter Brothers, you don’t know—my Old Brooks family never fears trouble.” Well, that’s true. Would a rascal fear trouble?

Ever since Edward Carter agreed last night to join up with the Old Brooks family, he hadn’t felt at ease—he was really worried about Charles Brooks’s character, feeling like he’d boarded a pirate ship. History is written by people; if the historian’s pen slips and uses the Spring and Autumn style, Edward Carter would feel wronged to death. They say sons take after their fathers—if Old Brooks is the same, who could I complain to? That’s why, ever since Edward Carter agreed to serve as Charles Brooks’s army secretary, the wine flask had been confiscated by Charles Brooks—a lingering side effect.

Edward Carter felt as if he was born to be a Tang dynasty man. After just one day, he’d blended in, gained a boss and little brothers, and had a group to share meals with. Life was going great. The past really was fading like mist. Only a vague ache remained. Life must go on—once begun, it must have an end. This was the worst of times, but also the best.

In the early years of the Zhenguan era, the young Tang Empire faced its most perilous moment. The Turks twice invaded the Central Plains; Jingzhou and Wugong were in crisis, and Jieli advanced straight to the banks of the Wei River. His Majesty Li Er, wielding the prestige of Yuchi Gong’s slaying of two thousand Turkic cavalry at Jingzhou, set out from Chang’an with only six riders to meet Jieli at the Wei River. The next day, on the pontoon bridge over the Wei, he made an alliance with the Turks, swore an oath over a white horse, and the Turks withdrew.

Edward Carter knew this was His Majesty Li Er’s delaying tactic. At this time, the Tang still had rebellious princes within, the people suffered, and the grain left by the Sui dynasty was exhausted. Eighteen rebel kings, seventy-two bands of smoke and dust, fighting each other—of every ten men, less than one survived. The population plummeted from over seventeen million households to just 6.4 million. The Han people survived, but had lost their former might. Neighboring tribes were restless: the Turks raided the borders incessantly, Tuyuhun tried to fish in troubled waters, and Songtsen Gampo of Tibet had grown up and begun his own campaigns. Silla and Goguryeo coveted the northeastern plains even more.