Upon arriving at the council hall, Ji Duoyan took the towel handed to him by a palace eunuch and wiped his face, forcing himself awake before asking, “What happened? Did you find anything unusual?”
He had discovered that Han emperors truly knew how to enjoy themselves, so he had adopted many Han institutions.
For instance, the palace eunuchs used by Han emperors. He found them far more interesting to have around than ordinary servants.
Thus, he had seized several hundred handsome Han men and had them all castrated. Unfortunately, only a hundred had survived, though that was more than enough for his needs.
Then there were the three palaces and six courts. It was said that the Emperor of Yan had hundreds of women: an empress, countless consorts, and all manner of titles.
He had imitated the arrangement, appointing an empress and establishing ranks such as Noble Consort, Lady, Virtuous Consort, Virtuous Lady, and more.
Ji Huairen shook his head. “Judging by the direction, they should have gone west. But the trail disappeared quickly, so we cannot be certain.”
Though nothing seemed out of the ordinary, a lingering unease remained in his heart, as if he had overlooked something.
Ji Duoyan glanced at him. “Do you have anyone in mind?”
Ji Huairen pondered for a moment. “It resembles the work of bandits who roam from place to place. But since when have there been bandits in Chongzhou capable of this?”
Ji Duoyan frowned. “Could they have come from outside?”
Ji Huairen considered it, but answered uncertainly, “I do not know.”
Their Ji troops guarded every major road leading into Chongzhou. Yet if the other side knew the terrain well and had entered Chongzhou through some mountain route, there would be no way for them to know. That was simply impossible to investigate.
Ever since they had seized Chongzhou, the Ji tribe had largely remained in a state of “closed borders.” They seldom went out, and outsiders rarely came in.
Ji Duoyan had no great ambitions. He was perfectly content to be the local emperor of Chongzhou.
Here, the land was fertile, and Han slaves could be exploited, beaten, or killed at his whim. Life was incomparably better than it had been on the grasslands.
All those decades of his and his father’s raids and attacks upon Chongzhou had not been in vain. At last, they had taken the entire prefecture.
Unfortunately, his father had died several years earlier and had not lived to enjoy these good days for long.
Ji Duoyan changed the subject. “Any movement in Fengzhou or Juanzhou?”
Ji Huairen shook his head. “None for now.”
Then, recalling something, he added, “Lin County has changed hands. The new force seems to call itself the Jinyang Army.”
Ji Duoyan frowned. “When did that happen?”
“At the beginning of winter last year.” Ji Huairen looked somewhat nervous. “Does the Grand Chanyu think there is something suspicious about them?”
Ji Duoyan did not answer. Instead, he asked, “A newly risen force? I do not recall there being a Jinyang Army before.”
Ji Huairen thought for a moment. “Most likely. After taking Lin County, the Jinyang Army made no further moves and did not expand its territory. That suggests its strength is limited. It should be a small force.”
That was why he had not reported it to the Grand Chanyu. Lin County had been in Han hands before anyway; it was merely a change from one group of Han people to another.
After hearing this, Ji Duoyan did not pursue the matter. “Strengthen the patrols. And eliminate the bandits in the surrounding mountains as soon as possible.”
He had effectively accepted that wandering bandits were responsible.
It was not unreasonable for him to think so. Chongzhou had a great many mountain bandits, and they knew the terrain intimately, occupying strategic and defensible positions. Taking them down was truly difficult.
By the time the Ji troops had fought their way up a mountain, most of the bandits had already fled. Then the troops had to scour the mountains for them, a task so miserable it was almost unbearable.
That was why, even after so long, they had been unable to wipe out all the mountain bandits in Chongzhou.
This time, Jiang Jin had shown Tang Tishou considerable respect. Nearly all of her elite troops were present, solely for the assault on Heichun County.
That was the advantage of taking control of the entire region. Yun Ci guarded the entrance at Gefeng, while Xie Nanxiao kept watch over any landing from the coast.
Apart from Heichun County, the entire central region was under her control, so she did not need to station too many troops elsewhere.
In the mountains, seven or eight li from Heichun County, Jiang Jin pointed to a military deployment map of Heichun County laid across a large boulder.
“Hua Ruo, Yun Yu, Zhao Feng—you three will be responsible for the west gate, north gate, and east gate respectively. I do not want a single one of Qu Zhao’s people escaping.”
In the past, with Heichun County still available to them, Qu Zhao would naturally flee there whenever he was trying to save his life. She could predict their likely route and mindset.
But now, there was nowhere left for Qu Zhao to flee within Donghu Prefecture.
A cornered dog would leap over a wall; even a rabbit would bite when driven desperate. And Qu Zhao was no rabbit. If his people fled, they were very likely to harm the people of Donghu Prefecture.
Jiang Jin was unwilling to see that happen. Therefore, tonight, every one of Qu Zhao’s men had to be annihilated.
The three accepted their orders. “Yes. We will complete the mission.”
Jiang Jin nodded. “The rest of you will attack the south gate with me. Once the south gate is taken, Lu Ping, you will be responsible for…”
All arrangements were made. They only had to wait for nightfall.
In the dim twilight, in a dilapidated courtyard, a woman sat on a wooden stump, staring blankly outside. Her tears had long since run dry.
A boy of two or three rested in her arms, sucking on his dirt-stained fingers. His little body was so thin that his head seemed disproportionately large.
Beside her stood a girl of seven or eight. Leaning against the woman, the child said nothing, merely remaining at her side.
With a creak, the wooden door opened. An elderly woman emerged, hobbling forward. She kept her voice low. “Come inside.”
The woman did not move, as though she had heard nothing.
The old woman sighed. “My son has been taken away. I fear there is little chance he will survive. Even if you will not think of him, you must think of your children.”
Today, Qu Zhao’s soldiers had suddenly begun rounding people up. Fortunately, they had not yet come to this area. But her son had happened to go out and had been taken.
When her daughter-in-law learned of it, she felt as though the sky had fallen. She had been dazed ever since.
Seeing that her daughter-in-law still did not move, the old woman felt only despair. A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she had to steady herself to keep from collapsing.
Normally, so that her son and grandchildren could have more to eat, she ate only a little grain each day and survived almost entirely on water.
When she learned that her son had been seized, she had fainted on the spot. By the time she finally woke, only her granddaughter was crying beside her, while her daughter-in-law seemed to have lost her soul.
At that moment, she had known their family was finished. Her daughter-in-law could not hold herself together, and she herself was old. What would become of her two poor grandchildren?
The old woman took her younger grandson from the woman’s arms. Yet even the frail, skinny little boy seemed exceedingly heavy to her weakened body. Fortunately, her granddaughter stepped forward to help.
“Grandmother.”
The old woman’s face was pale and grim. She set her grandson down and looked at the woman, speaking each word slowly and clearly. “My son is gone. Do you think I am not grieving more deeply than you?”
“If you truly loved my son, then you should pull yourself together now and raise your two children to adulthood.”
She bent closer, lowering her voice even further. “The neighbors said something is going to happen tonight. We must keep the doors tightly shut and not open them no matter who calls.”
“I am taking the children inside now. I will wait for you for two ke. If you do not come in, I will bar the door.”
Straightening up, she sighed. “Think of the children. I am old. I cannot look after them for much longer.”
With that, she led her grandson and granddaughter inside.
The girl looked back at her motionless mother, tears falling from her eyes. “Mother.”
As if awakened by her daughter’s voice, the woman’s eyes moved. After a long while, she lowered her head and looked at her hands.
She wanted to live for her children too. But how could a widow and her orphaned children survive in times like these?
After an unknown length of time, she clenched her hands, rose to her feet, and went inside.
Before long, the sound of bolts sliding into place came from every direction.
Tonight was destined to be an uneasy one. Nearly every Han household had retreated indoors early, their doors and windows barred tight.
Whether or not there were able-bodied men in the family, every home had prepared “weapons” such as wooden clubs and shoulder poles. Those fortunate enough to own woodcutting knives or hoes gripped those tools even more tightly.
Du Huang had been tied up and suspended outside the city. He felt that he might die. His entire body had gone numb. When the wind blew, strands of hair drifted before his eyes, yet he could feel neither cold nor pain.
In the distance, he watched Fire Pass. Beside him came the feeble cry of a child: “Mama, I’m cold… Mama, it hurts…”
Without turning his head, he knew that a child of three or four was tied to his left. Such a tiny child had been crying weakly, on and off, all afternoon.
At first, because he had cried too loudly, a Qu Zhao soldier above lashed him with a whip. The child fainted on the spot.
Farther away was the child’s mother. Du Huang remembered how she had cried out herself hoarse. Even after receiving several lashes, she had continued calling her child’s name. Heaven had not been entirely merciless—the child had finally awakened.
Her disheveled hair covered her cheeks, but she had no thought for it. In a soft voice, she comforted him: “Treasure, don’t be afraid. Mama is right here. Don’t be afraid… Mama will stay with you. Always…”
Du Huang closed his eyes.
Those beasts!
