s when he was busy shoving rice into his mouth, he did not forget to extend his chopsticks and hit Qiao Tianya’s chopsticks back. He said in a muffled voice, “You need a spanking or something? Why do you have to insist on bullying a kid?”

“Your share of the food during the journey was never deducted.” Chen Yang said as he sat and drank the wine. “So why are you still this hungry?

“Brother Gu gave out all his food to the children begging along the way.” It was then Fei Sheng socialized with them. He knew that everyone would be fellow comrades in the future, so he chose his words and picked the nice things to say, “Brother Gu is quite the chivalrous one to dig out a good amount of copper coins to buy steamed buns for them.”

“Help others in an emergency, but not if they are in constant poverty,” Chen Yang said earnestly with good intentions. “You really have to change that habit of yours where you go all soft-hearted when you see others weep. There’s a shortage of food everywhere now. I’m not telling you to refrain from doing kind deeds, but you really need to know your limits.”

“You spent all your money?” Ding Lai sprawled over the side of the table and said, “Jin-ge, didn’t you say the last time that you would hand it over to me? I’ll save it all up for you to marry a wife. I’ve long said to leave it with me. I remember it very clearly.” As he spoke, he fished out his little book. “It’s still written here that you drank wine and borrowed three copper coins from me during the spring festival three years ago. Of course, I don’t care about this bit of money. I don’t care. Really,?ge, I’m just..”

Gu Jin ate to his heart’s content. He stuffed the cotton he always brought along with him into his right ear, then turned to the left and said, “Wine from back home? Give me a jar.”

“Only three cups.” Qiao Tianya had already stopped eating earlier. He said, “You have to go with me to report to my master in a moment. Look at you drinking yourself drunk. Are you forgetting how His Lordship punished you the last time? At this time, I’d advise you to act with prudence.”

He was usually laughing and joking. But he was the Vice Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard in the past, and he really gave off an imposing air when he played the part now. His tone was mild, but his words were not as pleasant to the ears.

Gu Jin frowned in irritation, but he still nodded his head and said, “It’s just a craving; I haven’t had a drink for months.”

Gradually, Ding Tao stopped chattering. He was the youngest among these people, and they usually saw and treated him as a younger brother. None of the elder brothers had ever been stingy in buying him candy. As such, he was not afraid of anyone and would dare to get close with everyone. He was born a discerning person, one who was particularly sensitive to the exchange of emotions between people. He could sense that the various older brothers did not seem to be as relaxed as they looked on the surface, so he held his little sparrow in both hands and behaved himself while he sat at the side, making neither noise nor fuss.

When they were almost done with their meals, Kong Ling arranged for some people to clear out the courtyard so that the guests who had been on the road all this while could rest. As it was already midnight, Shen Zechuan sent Ding Tao to lead Ji Gang away for a rest. The few at the head all had matters to report, and so they stood in successive order on the veranda and prepared to take turns to enter.

“Come on in all at once and take a seat. We can discuss it together if there’s something you need to say.” After all of them had entered, Shen Zechuan sat in the main seat and asked Chen Yang first, “Did the preparation of the military provisions go smoothly?”

Chen Yang sat upright and organized his choice of words for a moment before he said, “No. As Young Master had expected before I left, the officials of Huaizhou tried every means and way to stonewall and stall the preparations. The war in Libei was intense at that time, and Master’s two-days deadline was just around the corner. I was burning with anxiety. It was a guard of Luoxia Pass, His Excellency Jiang, who stepped forth to vouch for me that Huaizhou was finally willing to release the grains. Fortunately, we made it in time for the deadline, and the Provisions Bridle Path leads right to Libei, so the military affairs were not held up.” At this point, he fell silent for a moment before he continued, “I saw the?Hereditary Prince?back in Libei. He’s severely injured. When he heard that Master was caught in a heavy siege back in?Qudu, he wanted to lead the troops over to receive him. Unfortunately, His Lordship the Prince overruled him.”

Shen Zechuan did not ask for further details. Instead, he turned to Gu Jin and said, “You came to Cizhou to transfer grains back then. Zhou Gui isn’t that hard to deal with compared to the Huaizhou Prefectural Prefect. So why are you still looking troubled now?”

Gu Jin looked somewhat taken aback to be called. Everyone present could notice his absent-mindedness. Shen Zechuan looked at him. Gu Jin replied, “.. It’s true that I did not encounter any difficulties when I came to Cizhou to supervise the preparation of military provisions. I went along with the troops to deliver it to the frontline well in advance, and I even saw His Lordship the Prince at the eastern range of Hongyan Mountains.”

He did not speak quickly, and when he stopped, he hesitated for a very long time.

“I heard that Master had left?Qudu, so I’ve been waiting for him to return home. It was when I saw Chen Yang in the army later that I knew Master had stopped over in Cizhou. And so I rushed over.”

Libei was just to the north of Cizhou. By all reasoning, they should have been faster than Qiao Tianya.

Shen Zechuan tapped his fingertips lightly on the tabletop. He skipped over it and said to Qiao Tianya. “How about you? Tell me the details.”

Qiao Tianya propped up his arm on the chair handle and answered very quickly, “I hurried on my way to search for?shifu?and teacher on Master’s order. I traced the trail in the inner chamber of the? Xue’s residence and discovered that Xue Xiuzhuo had moved?shifu?over to the Donglong’s broker house, but there was no trace of Mister. We were a step late.. and we could not get out of the city gate, so we could only go into hiding in?Qudu.” As he spoke, he looked at Fei Sheng. “It just happened that he was also leading his men to hide from the noble clans’ searches. We tried every means possible to get out of the city, but Han Cheng had the city so tightly guarded that not even a drop of water could get through. We really had nowhere to go, so we hid at His Lordship’s Plum Blossom Residence. As luck would have it, it was in the Plum Blossom Residence that I found the layout blueprint of?Qudu’s public ditches that His Lordship had tricked out of the Pan clan.”

This item was obtained by Xiao Chiye from Pan Lin when he had hosted a banquet after being promoted to a nobility rank. At that time, he was prepared to keep it for himself as a contingency measure. But by some unexpected turn of events, it became the key for Qiao Tianya and the rest’s escape from?Qudu.

“We crawled our way out from the public ditches.” As Fei Sheng spoke, he reached a hand out to gesture with his fingers. “The public ditches in the various streets are all newly dug. I don’t know if this was His Lordship’s intent, but they are all narrow on the outside and wide inside. There are even candles and field rations stored in the dry spots. Over fifty of us relied on these field rations to circle around the Eight Great Training Divisions for more than ten days before we finally came out of?Qudu?at a place near Mount Feng.”

“After we emerged, we realized that there were strictly enforced checks on public roads between?Qudu?and the eight cities. So we pawned off the gold, silver, and jade pendants on us and disguised ourselves as traveling merchants. We made a detour from the south of Chuancheng to Chazhou, then hurried from Chazhou over to Cizhou.” Qiao Tianya said. “When we arrived at Chazhou half a month earlier, we heard that Han Cheng had already sent the imperial heir into the palace. But news was sparse after leaving Chazhou, so we lost track of what happened after. As for other details, we’ll have to wait for Ge Qingqing’s letter.”

No one disturbed Shen Zechuan as he contemplated it over. He heard the sound of Ding Tao walking on the veranda and waited until Ding Tao walked to the door before he said, “Both of you are tired. So go with Ding Tao and take a rest for tonight.”

Fei Sheng was a discerning man who could take his cues. He was not in a hurry to lay his loyalty bare tonight either, so he rose in one smooth move, took his leave of the master together with Qiao Tianya, and withdrew out of the room.

?????????????

The candle flame flared a little and flickered for a moment.

Gu Jin never lifted his head to utter another sound. He sank in the darkness, with the shadows from the candle flame cast upon the side of his face like two ? of? villains scuffling with one another.

Shen Zechuan was surprisingly cool-headed as he said, “Did something happen to both of you in Libei?”

Chen Yang lifted a hand to partially cover his face and propped up his elbow on the chair handle. He said, “.. I’ve been staying close to the?Hereditary Prince, so nothing really happened to me. It’s Gu Jin.”

Gu Jin undid his clasps in the unbearable silence, took off his upper garment, and turned around, thereby exposing his entire back right before Shen Zechuan. He said, “These matters should have been reported directly to Master, but Master will only be back a few days later. As per Master’s instruction back in?Qudu, I can report to Young Master’s first. I arrived at the area where the war was the most intense. His Lordship and Commander-in-Chief Zuo are both safe. After the conclusion of the military provisions investigation, I temporarily took up my original position as the vanguard of the reconnaissance squad, dealing with the cavalry of the Hanshe Tribe every day. I can’t remember which day, but we ran into an ambush when I was leading the squad back from the eastern mountain ranges.”

That back was already festered. The more severe spots had already been scraped away. Blood could still be seen seeping through the bandaged areas.

“I was hit by an arrow, but I managed to escape. I initially thought it was someone from the Hanshe Tribe, so I led the remaining 200 men and skirted around the grasslands where the Hanshe Tribe lurks to make our way back through the Tudalong Banner’s7?swamps. But who knew, we got ambushed again that very night at Tudalong Banner.” Gu Jin pulled up his clothes over him. As he secured the clasps, he said, “Young Master, I was initially a scout. It’s because of this pair of eyes and ears that I could be chosen by His Lordship the Prince as a guard. I may not be as good as I was before in all these years I’ve stayed in?Qudu, but after Master’s admonition, I no longer dared to be negligent, especially on the battlefield where I tread with a lot more caution. That night, my marching route order was directly issued. I’ve never discussed it with anyone. Yet we got ambushed both times. So I started to suspect that there’s a spy from the Hanshe Tribe in the squad.”

“While escaping the second time, I discovered there was snake venom on the arrow. This poison had been smeared on Ding Tao’s steel needles in the past. It’s something that came from the Hongyan western mountain range. My back was festering pretty badly, and we were being closely pursued through the swamps. Then I was also bitten by some poisonous bugs. I couldn’t hold out, and a fever broke out at dawn.”

At this point, Gu Jin stopped.

He spoke dully, and he paused many times as if repeatedly confirming to himself in case he said one word wrong. He knew the implications of his upcoming words.

“Our horses all drowned in the swamp. I couldn’t walk on anymore. The Libei Armored Cavalry’s Changzhu camp lies about ten?li?or so south of Tudalong Banner. Strangely enough, no one was on patrol that day. I had my trusted junior general head back first while I remained where I was to wait for reinforcements. But no one came even after I waited from dusk to dawn the next day. I was worried that the spy would make use of this chance to enter Changzhu camp, so I pushed myself to hurry back. I barely escaped by the skin of my teeth back to the camp, but I was stripped of my blade and held in custody. I spent the entire night in the prison shack where the Biansha prisoners-of-war were detained. On the second day, I was taken to the front tent to be put on trial with the general of Changzhu camp, Guo Weili, presiding over it.”

Gu Jin omitted the details of the trial. He had no wish to recall it either. That was, to him, not physical pain, but a mental collapse of sorts.

He continued in a very, very soft voice. “They said I was in covert communication with the Hanshe Tribe to wipe out the vanguard squad even further east in the Tudalong Banner. They stripped me of my rank in the military and wanted me to confess if I had done so on someone else’s instructions. I can’t confess to something I have never done. I questioned Changzhu camp why they overlooked both of my consecutive requests for reinforcements, and they claimed that they never received it. According to military law, I would have to undergo a joint trial by three generals and have the current commander-in-chief give the go-ahead in person before I can be executed. But Guo Weili kept insisting that the?Hereditary Prince?have yet to recover from his severe injuries, and they had the authority to act on his behalf. If not for Chen Yang arriving in time that day, I would not be standing here before Young Master now.”

Shen Zechuan picked out the candle wick with a silver needle, and the flame extinguished. He stared at that candle, which seemed to be shedding tears. In just an instant, countless thoughts had already flashed through his mind. He did not even need to be reminded by Chen Yang and Gu Jin to remember, from the letter of appointment by the Ministry of War, that this Guo Weili was a person Xiao Jiming had single-handedly promoted.

?????????????

Xiao Chiye followed the trail left by Lei Jingzhe and pursued him all the way to the north of the old camping grounds. He dismounted to grab a handful of soil, then looked ahead and slightly narrowed his eyes.

Tantai Hu surveyed the mountain range and said, “They are going to step across Libei’s boundary line if they continue on north; they won’t dare to head there, so they can only split up and flee. Master, I suspect he is leading us on a wild goose chase. It’s too strenuous to keep chasing after them like this.”

“He’s indeed doing just that.” Xiao Chiye loosened his grip. “And they are fleeing in small groups. Naturally, we can’t catch them all in one fell swoop with a large net. But if we split up now, we will fall into the other party’s trap. He’s unwilling to fight me head-on because he can’t handle the momentum of the?Imperial Army. He’s worried that his own men will lose focus and morale. They are familiar with this area, so they try every means possible to lure us into splitting up into small groups so that they can break through our defenses one by one.”

“We don’t have enough cavalry.” Tantai Hu examined the terrains. “This brigand is really too crafty!”

“No rush.” Xiao Chiye stood up.

Meng returned from his patrol and landed on Xiao Chiye’s shoulder. It stood together with Xiao Chiye in the night breeze. The wind rustled the grass, scattering a few strands of willow leaves before him.

“Of the five arms, only fire is the most intense.”8?Once again, Xiao Chiye got on his horse. “I want a fire so blazing that he has nowhere to hide.”

Tantai Hu followed suit and got on his horse. He said, “But there are more lands than trees here. If set aflame, I fear the fire will spread to the grasslands of Libei.

Xiao Chiye laughed out loud on the horse and said to Tantai Hu, “I’m not asking you to burn this place down. Go to the big towns and small villages along the way and get them to put up bulletins announcing that whoever harbors the bandits will be executed with immediate effect. If they inform the?Imperial Army, they will be rewarded copper coins per bandit reported. I’ll pay as much as they report. And tell them too, Cizhou is about to issue a conscription notice. If they go, three meals a day will be provided if nothing else, and informants who have been rewarded cash from the?Imperial Army?will be given priority. Since Lei Jingzhe doesn’t want to be found by us, I’ll make him expose himself.”

Tantai Hu was hesitant, but still said, “But didn’t we run out of money..”

“Go report the figures to Lanzhou.” Xiao Chiye urged his horse on, then reined it in and looked back to say, “This Second Young Master can’t even dig out some copper coins?”

Tantai Hu looked embarrassed.

Xiao Chiye twirled his thumb ring and said with an unfeeling expression, “Oh.”