Heatwaves rolled close to the ground, and the shadows of distant dead trees swayed in the hazy heat.
A long line of ox and mule carts, laden with supplies, formed an extensive queue, slowly inching toward the city gates.
The draft animals panted heavily, white foam dripping from their mouths onto the scorching dirt road, drying up in the blink of an eye.
The conscripted laborers and soldiers escorting the carts were all drenched in sweat. Their coarse, short tunics clung tightly to their backs, forming a layer of stark white salt frost.
"Open the gates!"
A long shout echoed from the top of the city wall.
The heavy iron-clad gates were pushed open to both sides, the hinges grinding with a piercing screech.
The leading transport officer, riding a scrawny horse, gripped the travel pass in his hand and handed it to the approaching city guard captain.
The captain took the document, glanced over it, and waved his hand.
"Let them through, quickly!"
The convoy slowly entered the barbican.
The sacks on the carts were piled high, bound haphazardly with thick hemp ropes. Some sacks had small tears, leaking a few bright yellow grains of millet.
The soldiers guarding both sides of the gate craned their necks to look at the carts.
"Grain! It's grain!"
A young soldier pointed at the spilled millet, his voice cracking.
As soon as he spoke, the surrounding soldiers all crowded around.
They hadn't seen this much proper food in half a year. They had received their pay and eaten mutton a few days ago, but that was a windfall after all.
Right now, this was the real staple grain dispatched by the imperial court.
"It's all millet and coarse flour." An old veteran leaned in to sniff, smacking his lips. "Not a single vegetable leaf in sight."
"What kind of pipe dream are you having?" The squad leader next to him slapped the back of his head. "Transporting it from inside the pass to here takes over half a month; green vegetables would have rotted to mush long ago. Just burn some incense and be thankful you have this solid food to fill your belly!"
The Great Qian's logistics line was stretched too long. With men eating and horses chewing along the way, the attrition was immense.
Managing to transport this staple grain to Zhenbei City was already the absolute limit of what those stingy officials in the Ministry of Revenue could scrape together. As for those unfilling and perishable fruits and vegetables, they couldn't even make it onto the supply carts' manifests.
Tie Lanshan stood in the shadows of the gate tower, his hands resting on the low wall.
Tie Lanshan wasn't wearing armor, only draped in a half-old military official's everyday robe. Hearing the cheers of the soldiers below, the old commander-in-chief strode briskly down the horse ramp.
Upon reaching the barbican, Tie Lanshan walked straight to the first grain cart.
The transport officer hurriedly dismounted and bowed in greeting. Tie Lanshan ignored the pleasantries, reached out to untie a section of rope at the mouth of a sack, thrust his hand into the pile of millet, and scooped out a deep handful.
The old general pulled his hand out and opened his palm.
The millet grains were plump but dark in color, clearly old grain. Tie Lanshan pinched a few grains between his thumb and index finger and brought them to his nose to sniff.
There was no musty smell.
Then, Tie Lanshan poured the millet back into the sack and clapped the dust off his hands.
"The quality is passable, no sand mixed in." Tie Lanshan turned to look at the transport officer. "How much in total?"
"To answer the Commander, we actually received twenty thousand shi of millet and five thousand shi of coarse flour." The transport officer wiped his sweat and handed over the ledger.
Tie Lanshan took the ledger, flipped through two pages, and casually handed it to the registrar behind him. "Put it in the storehouse. Send men to keep an eye on it around the clock. If anyone dares to lay a hand on this batch of grain, behead them immediately."
The registrar took the order and left.
High up on the gate tower, Xu Qinghuan leaned against the railing, taking in all the commotion below.
The wind fluttered Xu Qinghuan's robes, bringing a rare touch of coolness.
Li Sheng stood to the side and slightly behind, watching cart after cart of grain being transported into the city, and grinned. "My Lord, the hearts of Zhenbei City are completely settled now. Twenty-five thousand shi, that's enough to eat for a while."
Xu Qinghuan did not reply.
Xu Qinghuan calculated in his mind. The Zhenbei Army had thirty thousand men. Add in the military households and artisans in the city, twenty-five thousand shi sounded like a lot, but if they ate freely, it would last three months at most.
And after three months?
Winter in the Northern Frontier came early. Once heavy snow sealed the mountains in October, the supply routes would be cut off.
"This bit of grain is only enough to fill the gaps between their teeth." Xu Qinghuan turned around and walked toward the tea table placed in the center of the watchtower. "The Great Qian's logistics are like a sieve. To transport ten shi of grain to the border, six shi are consumed on the way. Relying on the imperial court to feed these thirty thousand men will starve them to death sooner or later."
Li Sheng put away his smile and followed him. "Then what does My Lord mean..."
Xu Qinghuan, however, left a hook, letting Li Sheng figure it out himself.
...
At the other end of the city wall, in the shadows near the western corner tower, stood two people.
He Minghu stared intently at Tie Lanshan, who was surrounded by soldiers in the barbican, the flesh on his cheeks twitching.
"Old fox." He Minghu squeezed the words through his teeth. "Earlier he used my money and grain to do a favor, and now that the court's provisions have arrived, Tie Lanshan's prestige in the army has hit the roof. The soldiers only recognize him as the commander-in-chief. Who still puts the deputy general's office in their eyes?"
Ma Jin'an fanned himself with a folding fan, standing half a step to He Minghu's side.
Ma Jin'an didn't look down at the city; his gaze fell on the rolling Yin Mountains in the distance.
"Lord He, why fight over this momentary gain or loss." Ma Jin'an closed his folding fan and tapped it twice against his palm. "No matter how high Tie Lanshan's prestige is, he needs to be alive to enjoy it."
He Minghu turned his head, lowering his voice. "What do you mean?"
Ma Jin'an leaned in closer, his voice extremely low. "Huyan Chi has already sent word. Ashina Gudu is very interested in the appetite of our Imperial Envoy. Snow marten pelts and Akhal-Teke horses are already on the way."
He Minghu furrowed his brows tightly. "That woman wants seventy percent of the profit, and Ashina Gudu is willing to give it?"
"He will, why wouldn't he?" Ma Jin'an chuckled.
Ma Jin'an tapped He Minghu's chest with the ribs of his fan. "Endure it. Don't forget our scheme!"
He Minghu released his grip on the wall bricks, clapped the dust off his hands, snorted coldly, and turned to descend the city wall.
Half an hour later, after settling the storage of the grain and provisions, Tie Lanshan walked up the horse ramp to the watchtower.
Xu Qinghuan was sitting at the tea table, flipping through a military text.
Hearing footsteps, Xu Qinghuan put down the scroll and stretched his tired neck.
Tie Lanshan walked to the opposite side of the tea table, cupped his hands together, and gave a solid military salute.
"Lord Xu!" Tie Lanshan spoke. "On behalf of the thirty thousand soldiers of the Zhenbei Army, this old man thanks Your Excellency."
Xu Qinghuan sat upright and unmoving, accepting the bow.
"Commander, you thank me too early." Xu Qinghuan pointed to the empty seat opposite him. "Sit down and talk."
Tie Lanshan pulled out the chair and sat down, his back straight.
"A few days ago, Your Excellency let me distribute those hundred thousand taels of silver on the drill ground, giving all the good reputation for winning people's hearts to the commander-in-chief's office." Tie Lanshan looked at Xu Qinghuan, his tone sincere. "Today the court's provisions have arrived again, and the army's morale is completely stabilized. This old man will remember this favor."
Xu Qinghuan lifted the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Tie Lanshan.
The tea was clear, exuding a faint bitter aroma.
"I'm not doing a favor." Xu Qinghuan put down the teapot. "Zhenbei City is a floodgate. If the floodgate is unstable, the floods inside the pass will pour backward."
"I gave you the reputation because you need it to suppress those soldiers below who are about to go mad with hunger. Only when you suppress the soldiers can I free my hands to handle my affairs..."
"When the Commander handles things, I am at ease."
Xu Qinghuan picked up his teacup and, using tea in place of wine, offered Tie Lanshan a toast.
...
Night fell.
A silhouette stood beneath a withered tree in the corner of the courtyard, cradling a gray homing pigeon in their hands.
With practiced ease, the figure tied a tiny bamboo tube to the bird's leg, carefully checking the security of the binding.
Lifting the pigeon with both hands, the figure tossed it into the air.
Flapping its wings to the occasional, distant rhythm of the night watchman's drum, the pigeon caught the evening breeze and swiftly ascended into the dark sky.
It circled halfway above Zhenbei City, found its bearings, and flew straight into the boundless night north of the Yin Mountains.
