Chapter Five: A Warrior Pours His Hot Blood for His Country; A Faithful Woman Sacrifices Herself to Preserve the Orphaned Heir

Though Heaven blesses loyalty and fidelity, it works through human hands. Consider the case of Lady Sun: had Lady Gao not cultivated their friendship in peaceful times, had loyalty and righteousness not kindled in her spirit when the hour of crisis came — even then, captured by soldiers, her son entrusted to a fisherman, each finding refuge in a separate place — why would she have fled the army camp a second time? Why would she have stolen the child back from the fisherman's cottage? Why would she have clung to a floating plank and sunk with it rather than let go? Why would she have shared the lotus seeds and starved rather than live alone? Heaven ordains that loyal ministers shall leave descendants; human will sacrifices life to preserve the orphan. Yet it was the grace and friendship of Hua Dongqiu that made all this possible. Otherwise, what woman of ordinary station, without learning, without experience of the world, would understand what duty and righteous principle demand? How would she come to value the preservation of the orphan so dearly, and her own life so lightly?

Deep kindness makes one feel one's life is slight;

Weighty obligation makes the body seem a thing of little worth.

Had she not held the duty of preserving the heir,

The name of Gongsun would stand alone in glory.

These three episodes are remarkable tales of the Ming dynasty. There was yet another man, surnamed Yao, who held a hereditary military post. His founding ancestor had accompanied the Duke of Xinguo in the campaigns to take Fujian and the Two Guangs, earning distinction in many battles, and so the family had obtained the position of Garrison Commander of the Xinghua Guard. Most hereditary officers of that age were largely worthless men who clung to their official rank without caring to read or cultivate their understanding, so that coarse words filled their mouths and their conduct was rough and careless — they were despised by civil officials. Nor was their office honestly administered: they neglected their military duties, failed to train their troops, skimmed grain rations and claimed pay for phantom soldiers, and when inspected, received a beating or two at most, lost their active duties but not their stipend, and continued drawing their salary. It was easy to grow lazy in such circumstances. But this particular Yao was different: he had read something of military texts, practiced archery and horsemanship on the side, and took his duties to heart.

Through the watches of the night he studied the Dragon Tao;

His light bow brought down the eagle with ease.

His heroic heart would strike the oar and cry advance —

He likened himself to Huo Qubing and Ban Chao.

In times of peace, high-ranking military officers affected the ways of literati, composing poetry and discoursing on letters. Yao held that such things were no business of a soldier; it was enough to read the Military Classics, the Hundred Generals, and the Comprehensive Mirror of Governance. As for composing verse to drive back the enemy — what good was that? The lower sort of officers indulged in nothing but greed, lechery, and drink. He, by contrast, was exceptionally devoted to the welfare of his soldiers, and drank sparingly and kept his desires in check. He had married a military Lady of Honor, herself the daughter of an officer: gentle and good-natured, accommodating and mild in her ways, she treated her sisters-in-law as though they were her own sisters, and treated the servants and maids as though they were her own children. Between husband and wife, the bond was truly like that of fish in water. Through more than ten years, not a harsh word or displeased glance had passed between them.

Soft laughter and whispered words drift through the gauze window-screen;

A brush strokes spring mountains as the new moon tilts.

Their zither and lute accord like the seeking of the phoenix's mate —

They honor each other as guests, surpassing even the famous couples of Han and Liang.

Yet both were now past thirty. Commander Yao harbored no fear of the matter, only affection for his wife; he never once raised the subject of taking a concubine to produce an heir. It was Lady Wu herself who urged him to take one. Commander Yao said: "What moment is this to speak of taking a concubine? People all say we live in peace, while the civil officials look down on us military men, and we military men do not know how to honor ourselves. I don't even know how many soldiers are under my command, nor which ones are truly assigned to me. When a soldier goes missing, I have a bushel of grain to spare yet will not go to fill the vacancy. Those still on the rolls refuse to drill; the saltpeter and sulfur for the weapons are pilfered and sold. Should anyone speak of filling vacancies or drilling, they accuse me of making too much trouble. Then there are the wealthy gentry and merchants who, knowing nothing of the dangers, hear that silk and fine cloth can fetch five times the price in Japan, while porcelain, curios, and books bring in easy money — and so destitute men and rascals come to them for capital and protection. These merchants then build ships, load goods, and coerce the coastal defense officers and soldiers not to interfere. Do they not know: if I can go, so can they? Have they not simply opened a road straight to the foreign barbarians? One day those merchant ships will be loaded with Japanese pirates who will burst into the interior and unleash unforeseen violence — how then shall we defend against them? Moreover, once this sea road is established and merchant vessels pass back and forth, poor men and criminals will begin to think of plunder — and those are your sea pirates. The sea is already troubled. And inland, the harvests have failed year after year; the magistrates press their tax collection relentlessly; the people cannot sustain themselves. An internal uprising cannot be ruled out. Should internal and external threats combine and respond to each other, the whole coastal hinterland will know no peace. Is this a time for a military officer to rest easy on his pillow? Speak no more of taking a concubine!"

Affairs of state are embers piled beneath our feet;

A wise man fears to sleep above that smoldering tinder.

How could he steep himself in the pleasures of the inner chamber

And forget the dust of war rising from the sea?

Lady Wu said: "That is indeed a matter of state, and you alone cannot bear the worry. But you are thirty years old with no son — surely you do not intend to let your ancestors' golden belt pass to some kinsman?" Commander Yao replied: "We love each other deeply; you are still young. How can we know that we shall have no child? As for taking a concubine — whether she proves suitable or not for bearing children, we cannot know what her nature will be. Even though your own disposition is gentle and magnanimous, and I am certain you would not be jealous, still — what if that woman does not know her place? That alone would bring complications. Moreover, you and I are husband and wife alone, with no suspicion or jealousy between us: how free and content is that! With another woman in the house, one might think I favor her, the other might think I neglect her — what compels me to stand between two such suspicions? Therefore, not taking a concubine is the better course."

Alone, there is no rivalry; with two, suspicion is born.

Let us grow old composing verses in peace,

And so cut off at the root every cause of resentment.

Lady Wu said: "You say what you will; I shall do what I think best." She quietly instructed a matchmaker to search everywhere for a suitable concubine. She reflected: since no one is without an appreciation for beauty, if the woman's looks were not somewhat better than her own, her husband would surely remain attached to her and pay no attention to the newcomer. So she must be beautiful. Yet beauty often comes with an unstable nature, and his frank, untroubled temperament would almost certainly not suit a difficult woman — so the girl's character must be inquired after. She searched extensively, but found few who met her exacting standards. Even after looking at a candidate's appearance and investigating her character, she had her horoscope cast and sought oracular guidance as to whether the girl was likely to bear children. So it took some time, and she spent seventy or eighty taels of silver in the search, before she found a concubine for him.

Her beauty rivals the brilliance of flowers;

Her fragrant heart is pliant as the willow.

Still in her tender youth — scarce sixteen —

Her every movement breathes an easy grace.

Before the girl had even entered the household, Lady Wu had found her a maidservant, and had the girl's room made clean and neat, its furnishings no different from her own. Commander Yao protested: "Do not be too lavish — we must still maintain the proper distinction between wife and concubine." Among friends and relations, the women all said: "How wonderful this is — wonderful enough that one hopes it lasts." Others said: "Those who are jealous by nature always put on a great show of magnanimity to earn people's trust — but the poison lurks inside."

When the girl was about to come in, she arrived wrapped in embroidered silks and gold and jade ornaments, radiant as a celestial being. Commander Yao said: "Too dazzling — she is a ravishing creature." Yet he was already pleased in his heart. He was even more pleased to find that the girl came from a respectable family. Her surname was Cao and she was called Ruizhen. Young as she was, her bearing was composed and dignified, with no silliness or coquetry about her. She was exceedingly quiet and still in her manner, with a warm and gentle nature. She served Lady Wu with the greatest care and attentiveness, and Lady Wu was extremely fond of her. Each evening, Commander Yao felt awkward about going to the girl's room directly; it was Lady Wu herself who lit the lamp and personally accompanied him there, as one might escort a child. In the mornings, she told the household not to disturb the girl's sleep. And Cao Ruizhen, for her part, was very proper in her conduct: after the Commander spent one night in her room, she would invariably send him back to Lady Wu's chamber the next night, and would not let him stay with her a second time. Lady Wu, thoughtful woman that she was, kept careful track of Ruizhen's monthly cycle and would always urge the Commander to visit the girl at the appropriate time, so that she might conceive. Ruizhen was young and a little naive, and the Commander was a plain soldier — when passion was at its height, a measure of carelessness was only to be expected. Lady Wu paid it no mind at all. Among the servants and maids there were those who liked to stir up trouble by teasing and insinuating — she met it all with a smile.

Her heart is vast as a great river;

Her ears are firm as bronze and stone.

Clever words may be honey-sweet as tongues of bells,

But a still and settled spirit sees through them all.

She regularly gave Commander Yao his seed-nourishing pills and Cao Ruizhen her cycle-regulating pills. Before half a year had passed, Ruizhen was with child. Lady Wu was overjoyed; she found a wet-nurse in advance and made all preparations for the birth. When the month arrived, a son was born. Lady Wu said: "Today the Yao family has an heir!" Commander Yao was beside himself with happiness.

In a dream at night the fragrant orchid appeared —

And in the morning this fine, auspicious child was born.

In time he shall raise the battle-staff and seal of command,

And shed splendor on the family like the sacred fungus of the Xie.

Lady Wu, from the day of the birth, counted the days to the one-month celebration; from that passed to the hundred-day celebration; she could hardly breathe for eagerness to see the child grow up all at once.

But then, as he had foreseen, trouble came from the sea. In Zhejiang there were Wang Zhi and Xu Hai; in Fujian, Xiao Xian; in Guangdong, Zeng Yiqing — some were brokers who traded with foreign nations, some were great pirates who seized the sea lanes, some rallied the desperate poor around them. All had drawn the Japanese pirates into alliance to ravage China. Along the coast there were patrol boats of various kinds, but they had long gone unrepaired and could not weather the waves. The coastal watch-posts had their assigned soldiers, squad leaders, and platoon leaders, but nine in ten were not at their stations. Even in a key stronghold that had originally been garrisoned by a Guard with a full complement of officers and men, in practice fewer than half were actually on the rolls, and those were old and weak, untrained and incapable of fighting. The officers from the top down, each in his own way, were parasites draining the state and fleecing the soldiers; none could do any good. Vessels reported to be weak, so reinforcement funds were appropriated but only increased rations — still no comprehensive coastal defense was organized. The various military commanders were no better than each other. When enemy ships were encountered at sea, guns and fire-bricks might be fired — but by the time the enemy closed in, the ammunition was spent and their fire-weapons were still ready to burn our ships. On land, troops would shout and line up on hillsides and banks — but the moment the pirates landed, one man coming ashore, all the soldiers fled and their officers could not stop them. So the Japanese pirates and sea rovers first plundered the coast, and gradually, seeing what the government troops were worth, grew bold enough to thrust deep into the interior, even reaching Xinghua.

In peaceful days, the world has grown too at ease;

Men's hearts have lost the instinct to defend.

The raiders drove unopposed as they pleased —

Vain were the armies, numerous as the trees.

Commander Yao, at home, watched the fighting spread day by day and often said to his wife: "Thank Heaven, the Yao family now has a heir. But this hot blood of mine — where shall I spill it?" When the Japanese pirates came, the prefectural and county magistrates were thrown into a panic. Together with the Guard officers they drafted soldiers and civilians alike, assigned each section of the wall to be defended, sent urgent dispatches begging for relief, and eventually obtained the services of a General, surnamed Liu, who led three thousand infantry and encamped fifteen li from the city. His sole purpose was to terrify the enemy with the phrase "relief troops have arrived" and induce them to withdraw elsewhere. The Japanese paid no attention and continued to plunder outside the city walls, seizing men to guide them, violating women, and impaling small children on their spears to watch them struggle and cry as a form of amusement.

Fire and carnage spread through every village;

Blood flowed until it fouled the ponds.

Across the wilderness, wailing — not one family left whole.

The shepherds of the people — where were they now?

General Liu was a capable commander, but he understood that the Japanese were skilled fighters who excelled at ambush, and he dared not venture an attack that might blunt his strength. Out in the open field, he feared a night raid on his camp; his supplies depended on the city, and he feared the enemy might intercept them. He sent a sealed dispatch proposing that at the signal of a beacon fire, he would advance his troops into the city, and the city would open its gates to receive him. He sent five strong soldiers in disguise to slip into the city and deliver the message. But as they were approaching the city, they ran into Japanese pirates; outnumbered, they were captured. When the message was found on them and questioned, all five were killed. The Japanese chieftain then devised a scheme to lure open the city gates. From among the Chinese men who had been serving the Japanese camp and who were bold, capable, and persuasive, five were selected, dressed in the uniforms of the five dead soldiers, and sent hurrying in apparent confusion to the gates, shouting and crying out. The dispatch was hoisted up first for inspection, then the men were hauled up over the wall. The officials read the dispatch, which said the General was entering the city to reinforce the defense, and every one of them was overjoyed.

The lonely city feared it could not hold —

But now a royal army came with punishing might!

As drought-parched grain seemed about to wither,

Clouds and rain descended, filling all the sky.

Only Commander Yao spoke against it: "This must not be done. With General Liu's troops outside the city, the Japanese dare not attack us from the front lest he fall upon them from behind; and they dare not attack the General lest we sally out and catch them between two fires. Today we maintain this mutual reliance. If the troops move from their position, the enemy will have nothing to fear. If they enter the city today, they will have the city surrounded tomorrow — we will have invited the wolf inside. This must absolutely not be allowed." A military officer's words, of course, carried little weight with civil officials; and even among military officers, those who could argue clearly were resented. Someone objected: "The city is weak and isolated — we need troops to come in. If we refuse them entry and something should go wrong with the city's defense afterward, they will have grounds for blame. And if the grain supply is cut off, who will bear the responsibility? Better to let them in to share the defense — that way we share the burden equally."

Soldiers derive their strength from mutual support at the flanks;

Lips and teeth must not allow the cold to enter.

To join together defending this lonely city —

Was it not the hawk who bent his wing and snapped it?

Commander Yao argued further: "Visiting troops strong, local troops weak — a powerful guest will overwhelm the host, and over time we shall find ourselves consuming our resources in futility." The other officers replied: "As long as they hold the city with us, we can afford to feed them even if they cause some disorder." The return message was sent. The signal — a beacon on the wall outside answered by one on the wall inside — was agreed upon, and the gates would be opened. Commander Yao had argued only that the move was unwise; he had not foreseen an outright deception. The next evening, no messenger returned from General Liu's camp, and no one dared move. Meanwhile, in the Japanese camp, the plan was being put into motion: a vanguard of Chinese collaborators dressed as soldiers, with the main Japanese force following behind, set fire to a pile of straw. The city saw the signal and lit their own beacon. The soldiers approached and the gates were opened. When two or three hundred had entered and a conch shell sounded, the vanguard troops drew their blades and cut down the defenders — and the Japanese force was already inside.

From their sleeves they released wasps and scorpions;

All who saw them were seized with terror.

No need for blood flowing from pestles —

With a single expectoration they brought the famous city to ruin.

The city erupted into chaos. Word spread that the troops of General Liu were in fact Japanese pirates, already inside the walls. Commander Yao was up on the city tower; he had no time to put on his armor. He shouted: "Soldiers, follow me quickly to resist the enemy!" But the soldiers were already scattering to look after their own families. Commander Yao drew his sword and led the way, with two household retainers at his back. Only a handful of others followed. Along the road he called out: "Soldiers and civilians, unite your hearts and kill the enemy!" He ran toward the fire and met the Japanese troops head-on. He lunged into the fray and cut down one or two of them. But with no troops following, he was surrounded and killed by the Japanese.

Dead, his fury still blazes fierce;

Alone, outnumbered, fighting was desperate.

His body laid across the road — an offering to the Ming Emperor —

His hot blood shared the same scarlet loyalty of his heart.

Lady Wu, at home, had heard that the Japanese were inside the city and was still uncertain whether to believe it, when a family servant came running: "The Japanese are in the city — the Master has gone out alone to fight them!" Lady Wu said: "He has gone to his death. He is an officer of the court; I am his honored wife. I will die with him." But Cao Ruizhen said: "Mistress, the Master has surely gone to be loyal to the end. But today your duty is above all to preserve the Yao family's line of succession." This remark pierced Lady Wu's heart like an awakening. "You are right, you are right," she said, and quickly gathered some silver, gold, and jewels, and changed into plain, worn clothing. Ruizhen carried the infant in her arms. The household's men servants were all up on the walls or had followed the Commander into battle. The one who had come with news was sent back to discover what had become of the master, and was gone. So it was just the two women, with a few maids, who pressed their way out of the city with the crowd of refugees. Two of the maids were lost almost immediately in the crush. Barely two or three li out of the city, they were caught in the stream of fleeing people. Some desperate, destitute refugees who had nothing of their own set up a cry of "the Japanese are coming!" and in the confusion that followed, a mob rushed in and snatched away the bundles being carried by the wet-nurse and a serving-woman. The serving-woman herself was lost in the chaos.

When chaos reigns, wickedness flourishes;

Plunder and violence cover the roads.

One barely escapes with one's life —

And can no longer think of gold and jewels.

Cao Ruizhen's feet were small and bound in the fashion of the day; she could not walk fast, and carrying the child made it worse with every step. This was no time for sedan chairs or pack animals. Lady Wu had no choice but to take the wet-nurse and support Ruizhen as they walked. Not a li further on, a band of Japanese troops came rushing toward them, scattering the crowd — but they were not killing anyone or seizing women; they were only snatching bundles and bags. These were actually local ruffians disguised as Japanese, robbing people of their luggage, and since they were not actually Japanese, they did not kill or abduct anyone. Not that anyone knew this — who did not flee and hide? Lady Wu's remaining baggage was now entirely stripped away. The crowd was dispersed, and only Ruizhen, the child, and Lady Wu were left. Lady Wu said: "In this state, how can we continue forward? It might be better to go back into the city and find a way to end things there — to die alongside my husband." Ruizhen said: "Mistress, your servant is not clinging to life out of cowardice. But this child is the Master's flesh and blood, the continuation or extinction of the Yao line. Your love for me in ordinary times was on account of this very child. Now that the Master has given his life for loyalty, the child's importance has only increased. Mistress and servant — if we die, to whom shall this flesh and blood be entrusted? We must force ourselves to live, if only for a little while — even a little while of life means we can look after him a little while longer. Everything is for the sake of preserving the orphan."

Who would have thought that women in skirts

Could harbor the steadfast spirit of Cheng Ying and Gongsun Chujiu?

In the midst of sobbing, mournful words,

Clear tears soaked their gowns, drop by drop.

The two pressed on. Before long they heard a shout, and several men came rushing out, blocking their path — government soldiers. Seeing the two women with nothing but their clothing, yet still presentable in appearance, the soldiers said: "No need to go anywhere else — there are Japanese and robbers ahead. Come enjoy yourselves in our camp!" And they began pushing the two women along. Cao Ruizhen said: "You are government soldiers — how dare you act so outrageously! This is Commander Yao's Lady!" The soldiers replied: "Commander Yao's Lady indeed! The ladies and young misses we sleep with in camp — there are plenty of them, nothing special. Walk, if you're willing; if not, we'll tie you up. Give us any more trouble and we have swords — it's nothing to cut you down." And they drew their blades. Lady Wu said: "Then cut me down! I am an appointed noblewoman of the court. I came to die in the city — I am not afraid." The soldiers were about to bind her. Then Cao Ruizhen said, calmly and without haste: "There is no need to be in such a hurry. This lady will absolutely not submit to dishonor. Better to release her and let me go with you instead." The soldiers said: "We don't care if she's a noblewoman — we want both of you." One of them said: "I'm afraid once she comes with us to enjoy herself, we'll be chasing her away and she still won't leave!" Another said: "This young one — she's small, pretty, and her voice is soft. Let her come with us. What do we want with the old one?"

No Lü Meng exists among these troops —

Military discipline has blown away like smoke.

Timid in battle, their only skill is plunder —

Fierce as tigers and leopards — what a boast!

The soldiers shoved Lady Wu a few times: "Go on, go! We'll let you off, you old thing!" Then Cao Ruizhen said: "I must say a few words to my mistress." She stepped forward, took the child from her own arms, and handed him to Lady Wu. "I entrust this flesh and blood to your care, Mistress. Go quickly — I will never shame myself and betray the Master, and betray you." She knelt on the ground and bowed down before Lady Wu, then said again: "Go quickly, Mistress. For us to die together serves no purpose. The little one will have no one to look after him." Lady Wu already understood her intention. Both shed a few tears; then Lady Wu turned and walked away, glancing back with every step.

This parting — was it not a parting of the living?

Yet both feared it must be the final words before death.

The tears they shed fell into the grass below —

Each drop was blood.

Ruizhen deliberately sat down and said: "I am tired — let me rest a moment." The soldiers, finding her young and fine-looking, treated her gently enough, letting her rest without pressing her. She sat a long time, until Lady Wu had gone perhaps three or four li away, and could not be known to have taken any particular road — it was too late to pursue her. The soldiers had been standing and sitting there a long while. One of them said "let's go," and came to urge Ruizhen. Ruizhen said: "Go where?" The soldiers said: "To our camp, of course." Ruizhen said: "I won't go. I will die right here." The men said: "You said yourself: let her go, and you'd come with us. Now you're changing your mind? This is not a game — your life is at stake!" Ruizhen said: "Do you think I cling to life? My only wish was that the three of us should not all die together. Now I am content to die." One stepped forward and said: "Stop this nonsense — get up and walk!" Ruizhen lifted both eyebrows and fixed them with her gaze: "The court feeds you so that you may defend the walls and protect the people. The city has already fallen and you have not protected anyone — instead you plunder and prey upon the very people you were meant to save. Where is the law of the realm? I will die today. I will never submit to you." The men cajoled and threatened by turns: "Fine words like this — nobody's listening. You're coming with us, no question." And they came to drag her away. Ruizhen had resolved to die, and the words poured from her lips: "You slaves and bandits! Was there ever an officer's concubine who followed the likes of you?"

To die in honor is my appointed lot;

Let no reckless man dream of profiting from me.

I give this one body's worth of blood,

That it may turn to jade-green on the long road.

The soldiers, captivated by her beauty, had only wanted to intimidate her into compliance; not one of them had any intention of killing her. But they could not endure her calling them bandits and slaves, over and over, without ceasing. They could not have her walk and would not let her go; they had wasted half the day to no purpose. Then one of them let cruelty rise suddenly in his heart, and brought a sword down upon her head. The lovely Ruizhen died cursing her enemies.

Jade bones will not accept defilement —

Better to shatter against the hard column.

The body breaks, but the name remains whole;

For a thousand autumns, there shall be beauty still.

Lady Wu, carrying the child in her arms, did not know which direction to go; she could only ask passersby to guide her toward some road free of Japanese and soldiers. She also feared being misled, and found that old men and women gave the most honest answers — though she had to recite countless polite forms of address for grandfathers and grandmothers as she went. The child had not yet completed his first year; without the breast, he wailed without stopping. She took out the gold and jewels she had hidden on her body and exchanged them with old village women or young children for a little cooked rice — chewing it fine herself and feeding it to him in her mouth. She kept some back to stave off hunger on the road ahead. Among all the confused reports drifting on the road, she kept hearing accounts of an unknown woman, very beautiful, with small bound feet, wearing such-and-such above and such-and-such below, who had been killed by soldiers. Lady Wu knew it was Ruizhen. Tears poured from her eyes. She murmured: "You have truly done right by both of us. You are done with it all. But you gave your life to save me and then left this child in my arms — so I cannot die even if I wish to. There is nothing to be said. You told me: live a little while, and you can care for him a little while." She could not carry the child for long in her arms, so she tied him onto her back. With no baggage and a child on her back, she looked like a beggar. So no one on the road gave her a second glance.

Dressed in rags, she walks begging on the road —

Alas, a wanderer lost from her path!

Wind and frost have withered the green of her hair;

Nothing remains of her former vitality.

She stumbled on for several days, drifting here and there. Heaven did not abandon her: she suddenly stumbled into a village, and in a bamboo cottage she saw a woman who looked exactly like the wife of her family's servant Yao Jing. When she went to look more closely, the woman had already run out calling: "Is this not my mistress?" They fell into each other's arms and wept.

In poverty and low estate, one body is light —

What place can she not go in poverty and low estate?

As for wealth and station — what has become of that now?

They looked at each other, tears flowing like threads.

Yao Jing's wife said: "Thanks be to Heaven that you and the young master are safe. The Master truly died in battle." Lady Wu then wept again for her husband. She had known, since he went out to fight, that he would almost certainly die; but she had still held a thread of doubt. Now that doubt was cut. How could she not weep? She asked where the news had come from. The woman said: "When Yao Jing came home, you had sent him to find news of the Master. By the time he arrived, the Master was already dead. Yao Jing and Yao Bao, in trying to save the Master, were also gravely wounded and died. When Yao Jing came back to report to you, you had already left. He chased after you along the road, but ran into me instead. He told me to come to my mother's home for the time being while he went to look for you and to see to the Master's proper burial." Then the woman asked: "The young master is here — but where is the young mistress?" Lady Wu told her everything: how on the road they had been set upon by soldiers who wanted to take them to their camp, how Ruizhen had sworn to die rather than comply, how she had handed the child over and let Lady Wu go free, how afterward word came of a beautiful young woman with small feet killed by soldiers, and how that was certainly her. Yao Jing's wife took the young master in her arms, saying: "There is still the gold belt." As she spoke, a woman came out of the cottage — Yao Jing's wife's mother, who invited them inside.

Once we dwelt in splendid halls —

Today we shelter beneath a thatched eave.

The bitterness of the world's turning wells up in the heart,

And sorrow draws the brows together at both corners.

Their household had few people — only one old man of sixty or seventy who lived separately in another part of the dwelling. Lady Wu asked Yao Jing's wife to gather some wild vegetables and buy a jar of village wine, with which she offered sacrifices and libations to Commander Yao and Cao Ruizhen. Happily, Yao Jing's wife, though living in the wilds, had not forgotten the proper observances between master and servant. A few days later, Yao Jing himself arrived. He said to his wife: "I searched all along the road for Mistress but could not find her. I did come upon the young mistress's body. They say soldiers wanted to abduct her; she refused and cursed them, and was killed. I found some people nearby and had her buried properly, though simply, under the circumstances. The Japanese in the city have now withdrawn; the acting magistrate's office has already laid the Master out in his coffin. I came here to bring you both back to the city. I had heard that Mistress was already here and that the young master was here too — this is still a blessing for the Yao family."

The great tree of the General has fallen —

Yet one still sees new shoots springing from the roots.

The ancestral halls have joy, for there is one to inherit —

Heaven does not abandon the faithful and true.

He bowed his head before the mistress at the door. The next morning they set out to return home. Their road passed by Cao Ruizhen's grave, and they all wept again bitterly — for she had given her life to protect her mistress, and then given her life again to preserve her honor. When they reached home, they were relieved to find the house still standing, with one or two pieces out of ten of the household belongings remaining. Lady Wu went to where Commander Yao lay in his coffin, and there she wept again. Coming home to this was more desolate than words could say.

Cobwebs seal the eaves; the four walls stand empty.

Through empty windows a mournful wind rises in the stillness.

On the idle steps, no footfall from morning to dusk;

Rain and wind, day after day, breed the short wild grass.

Lady Wu, when she had fled in the chaos, had managed to hide a few hundred taels worth of gold, silver, and precious stones on her person. When the soldiers had threatened her, they had been intent only on taking her away — they had never searched her. She had not spent any of it on the road, and had brought it all back. But in the devastated city, who had any use for gold and jewels? She sent Yao Jing to another prefecture to exchange them for silver, with which she purchased a proper coffin for Cao Ruizhen. Together with Commander Yao's coffin, the two were moved to the family ancestral burial ground and interred together. She also had Yao Jing submit petitions to the prefecture and county authorities, detailing Commander Yao's loyal death in battle, the deaths of Yao Jing and Yao Bao in defense of their master, and Cao Ruizhen's death in preservation of her chastity, requesting that these be forwarded with recommendations to the imperial court. For ordinary acts of filial piety or wifely virtue, a few taels of silver might obtain a vague and unverified commendation. But dying for loyalty and dying for honor could not be fabricated — nor could they be suppressed. Here was a real military officer who died on the battlefield, and a real woman who was killed on the road. Why? Commander Yao's case required no special pleading. As for Cao Ruizhen, the county official feared it would reflect poorly on General Liu if it were known that soldiers had killed a woman, and so the documentation stated only that she had encountered the enemy, cursed them, and refused to yield. The distinction between soldiers and Japanese pirates, it was argued, was thin as a thread; the testimonies were consistent. The joint memorial from the Circuit Intendant and Regional Inspector was submitted to the Board of Rites, which recommended: Commander Yao to be promoted posthumously to Guard Commander, with a shrine to be built for annual spring and autumn sacrifices, and a posthumous ennoblement of one rank. For Cao Ruizhen, an archway of honor to be erected in her name, a posthumous title of Lady to be conferred, and she to be included in the shrine's sacrifices. The imperial rescript approved all of this. Commander Yao's son received the hereditary stipend; Lady Wu devoted herself wholeheartedly to nurturing him, and when he was grown she sent him to study under a teacher. At sixteen, he went to the capital with a hereditary appointment, succeeding to the rank of Guard Deputy Commander. And so the story of Lady Wu taking a concubine for Commander Yao, and then in the midst of chaos carrying the child on her back — that story found its fitting end. The young Commander showed her every filial attention, asking after her health, serving her at table, and caring for her happiness in every possible way. Lady Wu lived to eighty years of age before she died.

Her heart was clear and free of grasping;

Suspicion and jealousy never troubled her.

Blessed with long life and serenity —

Such is the fitting reward of a woman of true virtue.

This episode of Commander Yao is worthy to stand beside that of General Hua. If someone objects that he lost the city — General Hua did not manage to maintain peace either. The role of Lady Sun in preserving the orphan was here played by Lady Wu, under hardships no less severe, and with a spirit free of jealousy that surpassed even Lady Sun's. The role of Lady Gao was here played by Cao Ruizhen, and her death was the same; moreover, Ruizhen had the additional virtue of finding a way, through her own self-sacrifice, to ensure the safety of her mistress. Both of these stories are among the greatest wonders of the Ming dynasty, and both deserve to shine as models for all ages. Had Lady Wu harbored jealousy and delayed in providing a concubine, the Yao line would have ended; had she not carried the child on her back and fed him through the chaos of flight, the Yao line would also have come to an end. Thus it is Lady Wu who is the most worthy of emulation. The single word "free of jealousy" — its capacity to create blessings is without limit.