Chương 197: Victory Celebration Banquet, Monument to the Martyrs

That evening, the governor's mansion held a victory celebration banquet.

Dozens of tables were set up in the hall, where civil and military officials gathered.

Liu Ce, seated at the head of the table, raised his glass: "Gentlemen, this toast is to our fallen brothers!"

Everyone stood up solemnly, raised their glasses, and then slowly poured them onto the ground.

"The second cup," Liu Ce poured again, "is a toast to all the soldiers who participated in the battle!"

"Salute to our soldiers!" the crowd shouted in unison, and drank it all in one gulp.

"The third cup," Liu Ce poured again, "is a toast to everyone present, and to all those who have contributed to Youzhou!"

"Respect to Youzhou!"

After three drinks, the atmosphere became lively.

At the banquet, toasts were exchanged and laughter filled the air.

Cheng Yaojin boasted, "My Mo Dao (陌刀) can cleave a man and his horse in two with a single stroke! You didn't see it, the Wuhuan people treat me like they've seen the King of Hell!"

Dian Wei chuckled and said, "I've cut down quite a few too..."

Xu Chu ate his meat silently, without saying a word.

Guo Jia, holding a wine cup, staggered to the table of military officers: "Fengxian, I heard that in the Battle of Lulong Pass, you single-handedly killed more than seventy people? Impressive!"

Lü Bu said smugly, "No problem! If the Wuhuan people hadn't run away, I could have killed a hundred of them!"

Zhang Fei's eyes reddened with envy: "Brother! You must take me with you next time you go to war! Look at Fengxian, he's having a blast cutting down enemies, and I'm still here drinking alone!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and said, "Yun Chang is also willing to charge into battle for our lord."

Liu Ce laughed and scolded, "What's the rush? There's plenty of time for a war! After we've dealt with the Wuhuan territory, next... we'll deal with the other troublemakers."

The generals' eyes lit up.

Cheng Yaojin leaned closer and asked, "My lord, who should we attack next? The Xianbei? Or...?"

Liu Ce laughed, "You'll find out then. Now, let's drink!"

"drink wine!"

Cai Yong stroked his beard and exclaimed, "In this battle, Bo Lue not only quelled the border troubles but also seized so many supplies. With these, Youzhou's future development is limitless!"

Zhen Yi also laughed and said, "My Zhen family's caravan has been worried about a shortage of goods. Now that's great, we have enough furs, horses, cattle, and sheep to sell for several years."

Listening to the crowd's discussions and watching the lively scene, Liu Ce felt a warm feeling in his heart.

This is his Youzhou.

This is his team.

With these, what is there to worry about in a chaotic world?

He raised his glass and stood up.

The hall gradually quieted down, and everyone looked at him.

"Gentlemen," Liu Ce proclaimed, "today's victory is just the beginning. The strength of Youzhou is only just beginning to grow. In the future, there will be even more challenges and more achievements waiting for us to create!"

He paused, then said in a firm voice, "I, Liu Bolue, hereby swear: I will lead you all to a peaceful and prosperous life!"

"We are willing to follow our lord!" Everyone stood up, raised their glasses, and shouted.

The sound was deafening, piercing through the roof and soaring into the sky.

Outside the window, the night sky was clear and bright, dotted with countless stars.

The future of Youzhou is as vast and boundless as the night sky.

...

The next morning, outside Zhuoxian County.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, with only a hint of pale white showing through the gray-blue horizon.

The newly planned garden outside Zhuoxian County, which is usually filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, was so solemn today that even the wind dared not blow loudly. It's no exaggeration; the flags were drooping and the leaves of the trees were motionless.

This land was prepared by Liu Ce half a month ago. It is backed by green mountains and faces a river. The feng shui master who saw it said it was good: "It gathers energy and shelters from the wind, bringing blessings to future generations."

The grass in the garden was trimmed neatly, and the newly planted pines and cypresses were still covered with dew, gleaming with a verdant sheen in the morning light.

In the very center stands a blue stone tablet, taller than two people—made of fine stone, its surface polished smooth, gleaming with a bluish light in the morning sun.

There are no words on the monument yet, but we are waiting for today to carve those names that will be forever remembered.

Seventeen coffins were neatly arranged in front of the stone tablet. They were all made of the finest cypress wood, lacquered black and glossy, exuding solemnity and reverence.

Each coffin was covered with a banner of the Youzhou army—black with the golden character "Liu." In front of each coffin were placed a bowl of wine, a bowl of meat, and three sticks of incense.

Soldiers, clad in armor and armed, stood solemnly on both sides. From the Dragon Cavalry to the Mo Dao Cavalry, from the Elite Archers to the Black-Armored Iron Cavalry, each battalion sent representatives, totaling over ten thousand men, completely surrounding the garden. Each man stood ramrod straight, his eyes filled with respect—today, his comrades lay here; tomorrow, it could be him.

The families of the fallen soldiers stood on the other side. There were elderly parents with white hair, young widows holding infants, and teenagers holding their younger siblings. Some were silently wiping away tears, while others were trying to suppress their grief, clutching their loved ones' belongings tightly in their arms—an old piece of clothing, an empty wine jug, a gleaming dagger, or even just an unfinished letter home.

Liu Ce has arrived.

Today he wore a plain white robe, without his sword or armor, and even forgot his usual jade crown, simply tying his hair up with a wooden hairpin. He walked step by step through the passage cleared by the crowd, followed by civil officials such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Xun Yu, and military generals such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. His footsteps were particularly clear in the quiet morning.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and sunlight shone through the mist, gilding the entire scene with a soft golden edge.

Liu Ce stopped in front of the stone tablet and turned around.

His gaze swept across the crowd before him. Those red, swollen eyes, those tightly pursed lips, those clenched fists that had turned white.

He spoke, and his voice carried clearly to everyone's ears:

"Brothers, elders and fellow villagers."

He paused, then took a breath.

"This peaceful life," he pointed to the ground, "was bought with the lives of our seventeen brothers."

Suppressed sobs could be heard from the crowd.

Liu Ce paused, pointed to the blue stone tablet behind him, and continued, "I know some people are afraid. Afraid that if they die in battle, no one will remember them. Afraid that no one will care for their families. Afraid that even if they risk their lives, they will end up as a cold, lifeless name on the list of the dead."

He turned around and patted the stone tablet behind him.

The bluestone was cold, but his palms were warm.

"I'm making this clear here today."

"This monument is called the 'Monument to the Martyrs'," he said, emphasizing each word.

"The name of every brother will be engraved on it. His name, where he lived, when he enlisted, and when he died in battle. Every stroke will be clear and distinct. Today we'll engrave seventeen, then one hundred and seventy, then one thousand seven hundred... As long as they died for Youzhou, not one will be left out! Every year on Qingming Festival, I, Liu Ce, will personally come to pay my respects! Officials from the governor's office must come! The people of Zhuo County can all come!"

Liu Ce said with even greater solemnity, "From now on, when the children of Youzhou go to school, their teachers will point to this stone tablet and tell them: These people fought and died fighting the Wuhuan barbarians to defend the land and protect the people of Youzhou! They were not nameless people, but heroes of Youzhou!"