As mentioned before, Ye Wang was raised being doted upon. Not only did the Duke's household indulge him, but because of Lady Yin, the Yin family also showed him great affection. The Yin family's roots were in Yunrong, but as the two families were connected by marriage, they often visited each other.
One year, when Ye Wang went to visit the Yin family in Yunrong, he brought back a falcon with a pale white neck and back and a light brown crown. This falcon was robust and majestic, clever yet fiercely temperamental, originally the king of the falcons in the Yin family's falconry.
In Beizhao, martial prowess was esteemed, and fierce falcons were highly popular among noble families. The region where falcons thrived was Weizhou, and most of the falcons in the Yin family's falconry came from there.
The falcon Ye Wang brought back was even more special; it was personally hunted by Ye Wang's eldest cousin on the grasslands at the border between Weizhou and Xihuang. This falcon was originally one of a pair of brothers. One was taken back to Yunrong by Ye Wang's cousin to be tamed, while the other, it was said, was sent to the Northern Frontier Command.
These were all stories Ye Wang told when he brought the falcon before him to show off. Ye Yunting had almost forgotten this detail, but upon seeing Ye Wang, he suddenly remembered.
Nowadays, guards were heavily stationed at checkpoints and courier stations across the provinces, making passage difficult. But this falcon—no one would inspect it.
He remembered Ye Wang boasting that when he asked for this falcon, his eldest cousin was very reluctant to part with it. This was because the falcon king was not only an excellent hunter; it could also travel alone between Weizhou and Yunrong. It would often go to Weizhou for one or two months at a time, staying with its brother at the Northern Frontier Command, freeloading food and drink. When it had enough, it would return to Yunrong on its own.
Later, however, Ye Wang took the falcon back to Shangjing, meticulously keeping it in the residence and never letting it go out alone again.
Ye Yunting calculated the possibility of using the falcon to deliver a message.
Yunrong belonged to Jizhou, which bordered Weizhou to the west. The two places were not far apart. By human effort, taking the official road with fast horses and traveling day and night, it would take about half a month. If replaced by the falcon, it should take at most seven or eight days.
The only issue was ensuring the falcon could accurately deliver the secret letter to Zhu Wen.
Ye Yunting's mind turned over several possibilities. When he looked at Ye Wang again, his expression grew even gentler. He picked up the teapot from the small table, poured two cups of hot tea, placed one in front of Ye Wang, and held the other himself, taking a slow, deliberate sip.
Ye Wang looked at the tea before him and shifted uncomfortably.
This was the first time the two brothers had sat together drinking tea so calmly. In the past, it was always him who arrogantly sought Ye Yunting out to pick fights. Ye Yunting usually let him finish his tantrum, then politely saw him off. His temper was like clay—no matter what he did, it seemed to stir not a ripple in the other's heart. In the end, he would always leave in a rage after uttering some harsh words.
Rarely had there been such a moment of fraternal harmony.
The Second Young Master Ye was quite unaccustomed to it and also felt... somewhat flattered.
But he didn't show it on his face at all. Picking up the tea, he drank it in one gulp, then lifted his chin proudly and said, "Has the Prince of Yong'an been bullying you? And why didn't you come home for the third-day return visit?"
"His Highness treats me very well," Ye Yunting set down his teacup, speaking softly and slowly. "As for the third-day return visit, both the Prince and I are men. We didn't follow the old customs for marriages between men and women. Besides, I caught a slight chill. Going back would likely worry Father and Mother, so I didn't return."
His face was paler than snow. These days, taking medicine had spoiled his appetite, and he had grown thinner than when he was at the Duke's residence. This explanation was quite convincing.
Ye Wang didn't doubt it in the slightest.
"When will you come back then?"
Ye Yunting smiled, "At least after I recover from my illness."
Ye Wang frowned, barely satisfied with this answer. "Then find a time to come back once you're better. Father and Mother both miss you very much." After speaking, he shifted again, as if there were thorns under his seat.
"Alright," Ye Yunting agreed, feeling the timing was about right. He refilled Ye Wang's teacup before broaching the main topic. "By the way, is that falcon of yours still kept at the residence?"
Ye Wang said, "It is." That falcon was his precious treasure. He had specially borrowed two servants skilled in falconry from the Yin family to care for it.
“Why are you suddenly asking about it?” Ye Wang looked at Ye Yunting suspiciously. Seeing him lower his eyes with a somewhat embarrassed expression, a sudden understanding dawned on him, and his eyes lit up with pride. “Do you fancy my falcon?”
He was even more perceptive than Ye Yunting had anticipated. Naturally, Ye Yunting readily agreed, "Yes. While recuperating, I read some leisure books and suddenly wanted to try taming a falcon."
"I could lend it to you to raise for a while," Ye Wang said with a look of smug satisfaction, glancing at him sideways. "But you have to trade something for it."
"What?"
Ye Wang pointed to a jade pendant at his waist. "This. I want this jade pendant."
Ye Yunting looked down at his waist, where only an inexpensive gourd-shaped jade pendant hung. This pendant was a birthday gift from his wet nurse when she was still around, bought for him and Ji Lian. It wasn't made of good jade, and the carving was ordinary—just for the auspicious meaning of the gourd ("fu lu," blessings and prosperity). He and Ji Lian each had one. There was nothing special about it, and it wasn't worth much money.
"Are you sure you want this?" Ye Yunting frowned, unable to guess his younger brother's intention for the moment.
"Not yours," Ye Wang's eyes shifted. "A gentleman doesn't take what others cherish. Doesn't your page boy have one too? Give me his."
Ye Yunting was even more puzzled. But since the pendants were gifts from the wet nurse, giving his own to Ye Wang was one thing, but Ji Lian's was not acceptable.
He shook his head, smiling as he took off the pendant from his own waist. "The two pendants are identical. Since you like it, you can have mine." With that, he handed the removed pendant to Ye Wang.
"..." Ye Wang's eyes widened. He became angry without warning. "I want his! They're not the same!"
"How are they different?" Ye Yunting asked.
"They just are!" Ye Wang's expression grew even more furious. He glared angrily at Ye Yunting but couldn't articulate exactly what the difference was. In the end, he could only snatch the pendant, stuff it haphazardly into his robe, and say, "Forget it, I won't argue with you. I'll send the falcon to you later!"
Then he glared at Ye Yunting with a look that clearly said, "Hurry up and leave, I don't want to see you."
Ye Yunting didn't understand why he had gotten angry again, but Ye Wang's temper had always been unpredictable, flaring up without reason. Since he had already agreed to send the falcon, Ye Yunting didn't want to provoke further conflict. He simply said, "Thank you," and added, "Then I'll return to the residence first."
Ye Wang watched as he lifted the carriage curtain, stepped down from the carriage with complete composure, and was supported by Ji Lian, who had been waiting outside. Master and servant entered the prince's residence through the side gate.
Ye Wang grew even angrier. He flung the carriage curtain down with a crash and shouted, "Back to the residence! Back to the residence!"
Supported by Ji Lian, Ye Yunting walked towards the main courtyard. The two guards, seeing his sickly appearance seemed genuine and that he had remained well-behaved throughout, finally relaxed.
Only after the master and servant entered the room did Ye Yunting drop his weak, sickly demeanor. He instructed Ji Lian to close the door securely and quickly walked into the inner chamber himself.
Inside the room, Li Fengqi was poring over a medical book when suddenly Ye Yunting swept in like a gust of wind, his eyes shining with excitement. "I've found a way to send a message to the Northern Frontier," he said.
Under Li Fengqi's steady gaze, Ye Yunting explained the connection between falcons and the Northern Frontier. "But I can't guarantee it'll reach the Deputy Governor exactly," he added.
"It'll get there," Li Fengqi replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tapped his finger on the page. "If I'm not mistaken, the other falcon belongs to Zhu Wen."
Weizhou was famous for its falcons, and since the Northern Frontier Governor's Office was located there, they kept quite a few of them. Li Fengqi didn't have the leisure for such things, but Zhu Wen was extremely fond of training falcons and had even boasted about his very fierce one to Li Fengqi several times.
"That makes things easier," Ye Yunting smiled, but then his brow furrowed with worry. "The falcon can deliver the letter, but just in case, the secret message can't be too explicit. I've read about some encryption methods in books, but I'm not sure if the Deputy Governor can decipher them..."
He frowned in deep thought, his expression extremely serious. Li Fengqi glanced at him once, then again. Seeing that Ye Yunting had already fetched paper and pen and was about to try writing out the secret code, Li Fengqi finally spoke up. "Zhu Wen and I have our own set of secret codes that no one else can understand."
With that, he took the pen from Ye Yunting's hand and started writing on the blank space of the page. "There are many confidential military matters in the army. There's a risk of letters being intercepted and secrets being leaked. So, every time I lead troops out, we'd agree on a set of secret codes for communication."
As he spoke, he wrote a poem, "Marching to War," on the blank space of the page.
The beacon fires light up the western capital,
My heart is stirred with indignation.
The general leaves the imperial palace,
The iron cavalry surrounds the dragon city.
In the snow, the flags' designs fade,
Amid the wind, the drumbeats mingle.
I'd rather be a petty officer,
Than a mere scholar.
Ye Yunting was puzzled. "How do we decipher this?"
"This was the key code we agreed on before I came to the capital," Li Fengqi put down the pen and tapped the poem with his finger. "The generals of the Black Armored Army also have forty other military affairs, each corresponding to one character in this poem."
Hearing this, Ye Yunting sensibly said, "In that case, I'll leave the secret message to Your Highness." Then, as if to avoid suspicion, he took a step back, lowered his eyes, and didn't look anymore.
However, Li Fengqi raised an eyebrow. "Don't you want to know?"
Ye Yunting wasn't fooled. With his head down and eyes averted, he said, "Since it's a military secret, it naturally can't be revealed to outsiders."
"You're not an outsider," Li Fengqi let out a very faint and quick smile, then quickly composed his expression and waved at Ye Yunting. "Come here. I'll tell you."
Ye Yunting looked up in surprise. Seeing that Li Fengqi was serious, he bit his lip. Finally, unable to resist his curiosity, he leaned forward and sat on the edge of the bed to listen intently.
Ye Yunting had some knowledge of the character verification method used for military communication as he had read about it in books, but he had never applied it in practice.
"There are forty military affairs. The first is to request bows, the second is to request arrows, the third is to request knives... The eighteenth is to request to hold the position firmly... The thirty - ninth is that the general is ill, and the fortieth is a small victory in battle," Li Fengqi said, lowering his eyes. As he mentioned each item, he added it to the page. His handwriting was as tiny as a fly's head, but it still showed a strong and vigorous style.
"Each of these corresponds to a character in the poem in order," Li Fengqi circled the characters "rao" and "wei" in the poem.
"Do you understand?" He looked up at Ye Yunting. His phoenix - shaped eyes were deep and calm. Even though he was confined to the bed, he was still the King of Yong'an who planned strategies and determined victories from afar.
Ye Yunting followed the forty military affairs he had written and made the corresponding matches: The eighteenth, to request to hold the position firmly; the thirty - second, the enemy's siege is lifted. It meant that the crisis was over and they should hold their position.
