Xu Qinghuan folded the sheepskin map depicting the terrain of Yehu Beach and tucked it deep into her sleeve pocket.
The prolonged planning left her eyes feeling a bit dry. She raised a hand and firmly pressed the space between her eyebrows, temporarily suppressing the complicated details in her mind. Then, she let out a breath, stood up, and pushed the door open to walk toward the backyard of the posthouse.
Just as she stepped through the moon gate into the backyard, a heavy whooshing sound rushed toward her face.
Xu Qinghuan paused, her gaze piercing through the flying dust to look at the center of the courtyard.
Xu Zhan was bare-chested. His empty right sleeve was tucked into his belt, but the muscles on his left arm bulged. Sweat dripped down his back, glistening in the early summer sun.
His left hand gripped the pitch-black single mace forged from meteoric iron, a gift sent from the Commander-in-Chief's mansion.
Xu Qinghuan did not make a sound; she merely watched quietly.
Xu Zhan took a deep breath, his chest expanding, and his left foot suddenly stepped half a pace forward.
Immediately following that, he twisted his waist and hips, channeling his entire body's strength down his left arm and into the heavy, pitch-black mace.
The mace traced an arc in mid-air and, with a sharp whistle, smashed into a bluestone lock weighing over a hundred pounds in the yard.
Accompanied by an explosive crack, the bluestone lock split open with a fissure under the heavy blow. In just a single breath, the crack spread rapidly, and the entire hundred-pound bluestone exploded right down the middle.
Shards of stone, both large and small, shot out in all directions. They struck the blue bricks of the courtyard wall with a dense pattering sound. A large cloud of stone dust billowed into the air, shrouding Xu Zhan's burly figure within it.
Xu Zhan withdrew the mace, his chest heaving violently. He panted heavily, raised his left hand, and casually wiped the sweat and stone dust from his face.
When he turned his head and saw Xu Qinghuan standing by the door, a bright smile immediately bloomed on his face.
"Exhilarating!" He grinned, revealing his teeth, and laughed loudly, "Little sister, this lump of iron is much handier than a saber!"
Before his voice faded, Xu Zhan casually swung it a few more times.
"He-yah!"
Xu Qinghuan looked at him, then glanced at the scabbed stump of his severed arm at his shoulder, and her days of exhaustion seemed to lighten considerably.
It seemed the penicillin was incredibly effective, forcefully snatching her second brother back from the hands of the King of Hell.
She was amused by Xu Zhan's appearance. Her tone was unusually relaxed, carrying a hint of affectionate teasing: "Alright, Second Brother, you are just like Eldest Brother, you must have read too many martial arts novels. How has your body been recovering lately?"
Xu Zhan held the mace with one hand, raised his left hand into a fist, and forcefully thumped his own chest.
Thump, thump.
The dull thumping sound was full of vigor. Xu Zhan replied, "After a few days, I am already full of life and energy! It is truly all thanks to your peerless miracle medicine! Although it will take a long time to heal completely, it no longer hinders my daily martial arts practice."
Seeing his renewed vigor, Xu Qinghuan's heart also settled. As long as the blood and courage of the Xu family were not broken, there was still much that could be done about the situation in the Northern Frontier.
Much could be done indeed!
...
Thousands of miles away, in the capital.
The early summer sunlight filtered through the lush branches and leaves of the Imperial Garden. A gentle breeze brushed by, carrying bursts of the rich fragrance of peonies.
But it was obvious that the air in the garden felt somewhat oppressive.
The Emperor of Great Qian, dressed in bright yellow everyday attire, walked slowly in front with his hands clasped behind his back. He was fingering a string of red sandalwood prayer beads, the wooden beads clinking together with a faint clicking sound.
The chief eunuch, Eunuch Li, bowed deeply, his hands tucked into his sleeves. He followed closely behind the Emperor on the right, even carefully matching the rhythm of his breathing to the Emperor's footsteps.
the First Prince, wearing a python robe, trailed half a step behind. He walked on the left with a solemn expression. The surrounding maids and eunuchs had retreated far away, leaving the entire Imperial Garden so quiet that only the footsteps of the three could be heard.
Even the birds appropriately kept their beaks shut.
The Emperor stopped in front of a blooming Weizi peony.
His gaze fell on the overlapping petals, and his tone was flat: "That girl from the Xu family has been gone to the Northern Frontier for more than half a month now. I wonder if this Imperial Envoy will be able to solve the problem of provisions and pay for Zhenbei City?"
Hearing this, Eunuch Li immediately bent his waist even lower. A smile instantly piled up on his wrinkled face as he bowed slightly and replied, "Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune."
"Lord Xu holds the Son of Heaven's sword and patrols on behalf of the heavens. She will surely comprehend the divine will and achieve instant success!"
"This old servant congratulates Your Majesty in advance; the worries of the Northern Frontier will be resolved any day now."
the First Prince stood to the side. The corner of his eye quickly swept across the side of the Emperor's face, and a thought stirred in his mind:
Marquis Muyang of Xuanfu is close to Second Brother. If I can use the matter of provisions to implicate him, it would not only cater to Imperial Father's suspicion of military generals but also weaken Third Brother's power.
Having made up his mind, the First Prince stepped forward slightly by half a pace, lowered his head slightly, and opportunely added, "Imperial Father, speaking of the provisions, your son feels..."
Seeing his hesitation, the Emperor said, "Speak your mind."
the First Prince said in a low voice, "Your son believes that Marquis Muyang of Xuanfu requires special concern."
The Emperor's fingers, which were rolling the prayer beads, paused slightly. He turned around, shifted his gaze from the peony flower, and looked directly at the First Prince.
the First Prince instantly felt as if he had thorns in his back.
After a moment of dead silence, the Emperor withdrew his gaze. He gave a cold snort and continued, "This man was conferred a title back then due to his military merits. Considering his contributions to guarding the border, I gave him immense face."
The Emperor turned back around and continued to step forward, but his mind had already turned several circles—
Marquis Muyang is blocking the supply route of Xuanfu. Reprimanding him directly might incite a mutiny, but letting it go unpunished would damage imperial prestige. Someone must be found to give him a warning.
Furthermore, it cannot be a military general. Letting civil officials go, letting the Grand Secretariat go, letting them fight with the border generals—that is the true art of checks and balances. Grand Secretary Xu of the Grand Secretariat... If he succeeds, he will offend the military generals of the Northern Frontier. If he fails, I can take the opportunity to reprimand the Grand Secretariat.
The Emperor stopped walking and turned to look at Eunuch Li: "Pass down my decree. Write that Grand Secretary Xu, the Senior Grand Secretary, is of high moral standing and prestige, and is deeply versed in state affairs."
"The soldiers of the Northern Frontier are crying out for food. The dispatching of this batch of rations and fodder shall be personally handled by Grand Secretary Xu. Should there be any delay..."
"He, Xu Jie, naturally understands the stakes involved in his heart."
