Chapter 1699: Stirring Restlessly

Unlike the ordinary laborers in the manor, the burly men on the training ground were fierce and brave warriors carefully selected by Yuan Ke—his trusted retainers, men he could entrust with his life.

Naturally, they enjoyed better treatment, but their training was also harsher, and recently, it had become even more frequent. The air over Yulin was thick with a feeling called unrest, and everyone in the midst of it could sense it—these men were no exception. Only, they didn't need to think too much about it; all they had to do was follow Manor Lord Yuan.

Each one trained with great effort, sweat pouring down like rain, not daring to slack off or let their minds wander. Yuan Ke's mere presence was a deterrent. Watching these dozens of retainers, Yuan Ke wore a satisfied expression, nodding from time to time. In his eyes, should an emergency arise, these few dozen men were worth more than the several hundred manor laborers.

After watching for a while, Yuan Ke beckoned to a young man training at the side who looked extremely sturdy. Seeing this, the man quickly stopped his shouting, ran over, and said with a smile, "Big brother, what are your orders?"

"Second brother, keep an eye on things. Tell the brothers not to let their guard down. I can see the situation in Yanzhou growing ever more treacherous. If anything happens, we'll be counting on you all to protect our homes and defend our land!" Yuan Ke admonished.

The young man immediately said, "Big brother, rest assured, I'll keep a close watch. Anyone who tries to slack off or play tricks, I'll whip him!"

Of course, those Yuan Ke chose as his confidants were all people he considered reliable. Honor came first; since he had given the word, it would be heeded. In this regard, Yuan Ke had great confidence.

"You all keep training!" Yuan Ke said with a light laugh, then turned and left.

"Go slowly, big brother!"

This young man was named Yuan Tai, Yuan Ke's second brother, just twenty years of age. His mother was a Tangut. Perhaps it was due to feng shui that his offspring were few; deeply troubled by this, Yuan Zhen, after moving to the northwest, had taken a Tangut beauty as a concubine and fathered a son in his middle years—and then another in succession.

A hero needs three helpers. Yuan Ke harbored great ambitions and wished to achieve something. Besides courting fame, entertaining guests, and winning people's hearts, what he relied on even more were close brothers like Yuan Tai.

The manor gates swung wide open, and a wagon convoy slowly drove in. There weren't many wagons—only seven or eight—and the drivers wore the clothing of Yuan family manor laborers. On the wagons, bulging burlap sacks were bound with straw rope.

Following the small street, passing through the market stalls and shops, although everyone knew this was Manor Lord Yuan's goods-collecting caravan, curious, peering glances were still unavoidable.

It went all the way into the Yuan residence. Yuan Ke, having received word, was already waiting early. Leading the group was a young man with dark skin and thick eyebrows and big eyes—Yuan Ke's third brother, Yuan Zhen.

"How was the harvest?" Yuan Ke patted Yuan Zhen's shoulder and asked.

Yuan Zhen wore a clearly dissatisfied expression and replied, "Only these few wagons. The prefecture is unsettled now—the officials guard against the Tangut like thieves, and the Tangut's eyes don't look right either. This time, if it weren't for big brother's connections and prestige among the Tangut, our group wouldn't have been able to collect any goods at all—whether we could have even made it back alive would have been the question."

Saying this, Yuan Zhen revealed a somewhat simple, honest smile, clearly very proud of his elder brother's reputation.

Hearing Yuan Zhen's words, Yuan Ke's brows rose slightly, and he said in comfort, "You've worked hard!"

As he spoke, Yuan Ke ordered someone to open a burlap sack, took out a piece of fur from within, felt it, rubbed it, and said, "Fine goods! The more times like these, the more valuable these goods become!"

Yanzhou had three local treasures: besides the green-white salt, there were furs and licorice, and the local tan sheepskin was a top-grade material for making leather goods and leatherware.

The Yuan family manor sent people out every month to collect fur goods, but this time, the harvest was clearly below expectations. The tension in Yanzhou had evidently already reached the point of affecting normal trade and daily life.

"Put them in storage for now! The brothers who went out to collect goods this time, each gets a reward of money and wine!" Yuan Ke instructed Yuan Zhen. "From now on, suspend goods collection for the time being and see how things develop. Notify the common folk and manor laborers—unless necessary, try not to go out. Have the manor guards strengthen their patrols. The Yanzhou of today is no longer peaceful either..."

Perhaps it was an illusion, but when Yuan Ke spoke those final words, he always gave others the feeling he was smiling.

"Yes!" Yuan Zhen acknowledged. The other dozen or so men who had accompanied him also broke into wide smiles upon hearing this, saying outright that the manor lord was generous.

"Manor lord, Master Zhang has returned!" After making some arrangements, a middle-aged man with the bearing of a steward ran to Yuan Ke's side and whispered quietly to him.

Hearing this, Yuan Ke's expression immediately tensed, and he promptly ordered, "Lead him to the study to wait for me!"

"Yes!" The steward accepted the order and left.

Wiping the unusual look from his face, Yuan Ke said cheerfully to Yuan Zhen, "Third brother, you've had a tiring journey. Go rest for now! We'll talk more in the evening!"

"Yes! Big brother, you go attend to your affairs—don't worry about us!"

In the study in the central courtyard, a scholar in a blue robe was sitting in the guest seat, pouring tea for himself. His gaunt face was full of exhaustion, his appearance travel-worn, with a bit of dust even staining his beard. This man was none other than Yuan Ke's dog-headed strategist, Zhang Hong.

Yuan Ke strode quickly inside, and Zhang Hong immediately set down his teacup, rose, and bowed: "I pay my respects to the manor lord!"

"How goes the situation?" Yuan Ke wasted no words, staring intently at Zhang Hong, a hint of expectation in his gaze.

Zhang Hong said solemnly, "I have not failed your trust!"

Zhang Hong had been away for over a month on this trip, bearing Yuan Ke's commission to secretly head north, seeking out the rebel Li Jiqian to make contact with him on Yuan Ke's behalf.

Ever since slipping back into Yanzhou from the Helan Mountains last year, Yuan Ke and his group had gone completely to ground, reducing their activities, secretly severing their ties with the Mingsha bandits, and carefully avoiding the authorities' crackdowns.

But a man like Yuan Ke, having come this far, had long since lost any retreat, and could never truly settle down. Li Jiqian's rebellion had clearly given him an opportunity to fish in troubled waters. Of course, being cautious and careful, he had been suppressing his inner impulses, and up until now had not formally stepped into the fray, merely observing the situation in silence.

It wasn't until this summer, when the atmosphere in Yulin grew increasingly tense, that he sensed something unusual and finally could no longer hold back his inner ambitions, making substantive moves. In Yuan Ke's view, Li Jiqian was clearly a good partner to cooperate with, and for him, the Tangut were also a useful arm to leverage. With his years of management and his prestige among the Tangut, he was fully capable of raising a force.

In ordinary times, Yuan Ke wouldn't have had this confidence, but who could blame him—the situation throughout the entire Yulin circuit was so bizarre, and the Tangut's growing estrangement had clearly made him smell an opportunity.

Of course, at a time like this, Li Jiqian's role was significant—at the very least, the man was drawing most of the Yulin authorities' attention. Therefore, aside from the Tangut themselves, Yuan Ke was probably the one who least wanted Li Jiqian to be destroyed by the imperial court.

"I successfully met with Li Jiqian, delivered the manor lord's greetings, and expressed the intent of alliance. Li Jiqian's current situation is very difficult—the government troops' searches and encirclements are very tight. As for the manor lord's sincerity, Li Jiqian is also very interested!" Zhang Hong reported.

"Of course he'd be interested. At a time like this, if someone responds and shares the pressure he's facing, he'd naturally be more than happy to have it!" Yuan Ke said, letting out a sigh of relief as he spoke, then laughed lightly, looking as if he had everything under control.

Zhang Hong continued, "Li Jiqian heaped praise on our Mingsha righteous men, expressed willingness to unite against the Han, and hopes the manor lord can raise the banner of righteousness as soon as possible. He will also make moves in Xiazhou to respond. Furthermore, he said that after success, he only wants the old Tangut lands of Xia, Sui, and Yin—the remaining prefectures and counties, the manor lord may seize as he pleases."

As he said this, Zhang Hong couldn't help but laugh, as if he'd encountered something amusing. Yuan Ke also laughed upon hearing it: "This Li Jiqian really talks big. Right now, under the government troops' encirclement, he's like a homeless dog—a mere few hundred men who can't even break out of Xiazhou, and yet he's already dividing up territory and painting us a pie in the sky!"

"One could only say that Li Jiqian and his group's situation is indeed dire right now. Facing the manor lord's goodwill, he naturally accepts it gladly—even if he doesn't hold much hope, he's willing to give it a try!" Zhang Hong shook his head and sighed.

"Where did you find Li Jiqian?" Yuan Ke thought for a moment, then asked.

At this mention, Zhang Hong couldn't help but marvel: "Not only would the government troops never have guessed, the manor lord probably wouldn't have either—Li Jiqian is still camped at Dijin Marsh!"

"Wasn't that place destroyed by the government troops?" Yuan Ke exclaimed in surprise, then quickly recovered and clicked his tongue in admiration: "This man can stir up such a storm in Xiazhou—he truly has extraordinary qualities. Just for this courage alone, I admire him!"

Zhang Hong nodded, looked at Yuan Ke, and noticing his contemplative expression, hesitated briefly before finally unable to hold back: "Manor lord, are you truly planning to raise troops and respond to Li Jiqian?"

Sensing Zhang Hong's doubt, Yuan Ke glanced at him and said flatly, "You and I have known each other for many years, and you've followed me all the way to where we are now. In your view, do we still have a path of retreat?"

Zhang Hong was momentarily stunned by the words, then shook his head and sighed, "If we are to raise troops, we must plan meticulously and await a better opportunity. Do not act unless necessary—but when we act, strike like thunder!"

"With the situation in Yulin as it is now, it grows ever more favorable for us. Those Tangut are now a pile of dry firewood. Li Jiqian has already lit a fire—we can add another basin of oil to it."