Chapter 497: Have you heard?

Upon hearing the order to fight at Shangfeng, Elder Shi struggled to overcome his fear of the charging cavalry, organizing his sub-unit to counterattack. The thunder of hooves, the smell of rust in his nostrils—everything happened too fast for him to react.

One second he drew his blade, the next the scorching breath of a Youzhou Iron Cavalry warhorse blew into his face. In that instant he actually thought, 'This horse is well‑kept—it hardly smells at all…'

He clearly saw the eyes hidden beneath the strange visor—empty, emotionless. The opponent casually flicked his sword at the arm holding the blade, splitting the leather armor; Lao Yu even thought he heard the sound of warm blood trickling down. The blade clanged to the ground, leaving him dazed.

That gleaming blade could have easily slit his throat…

He didn't reach for the sword with his other hand; he just staggered back a step. The next cavalryman riding by didn't finish him off, only shouting for him to retreat and squat down.

The Xiaoqi easily handled Gaoping Pass's level of resistance, quickly taking control of the situation.

Da Wang got annoyed for a while in the rear, and the column moved forward again.

When Zhou Ke came over to ask what to do with the prisoners, the original plan had been to let it go, but Da Wang changed his mind: "Ordinary soldiers will join the refugees behind us and be sent to the big cotton farm in Liangzhou's Xinjuan; the others… will be taken back to Youzhou."

When Da Wang passed by, Gaoping Pass was left with only desolate, ruined structures.

The next day the unit formally entered the Northern Border, and the aristocratic merchants trailing behind finally put their worries to rest.

Anyone who had seen the Northern Border cavalry's thunderous crushing force at Gaoping Pass would never doubt whether the Northern Border truly was a safe haven.

After crossing the border, Liang He led the refugees and prisoners west to hand them over to Tang Qian for the Liangzhou project; the remaining aristocrats could then disband on the spot.

Once inside the Northern Border they'd be safe, and Da Wang didn't want to worry about where they settled. Who would have thought they all demanded, in unison, to go to the capital, Youzhou? Since there was still money owed, Da Wang had no choice but to bring them along.

His VIP Zhou family kept sending the eldest son over and over to make sure 'Third Young Master Liang' wouldn't abandon them, and each time they rested they'd send food up to confirm that Da Wang and his brother hadn't fled.

Just then a light snow fell; Da Wang realized that even a single high‑intensity dash by the Xiaoqi would be costly, so he scrapped the plan to race back to Youzhou on fast horses.

When New Year's Eve finally arrived, they had only reached Hejian, and Da Wang simply laid back.

It was already late.

Da Wang kicked back, but the court couldn't!

Originally Da Wang was late returning, and even mid‑journey the Xiaoqi were diverted, so the court was buzzing with rumors. Later the Chancellor personally told his colleagues that Da Wang was fine—he'd just sent the Xiaoqi to guard the emperor—and the court fell quiet.

Who knew that even after the New Year there was still no word from Da Wang, and rumors flared up again. The imperial ancestral rites at New Year are a huge affair, yet Da Wang didn't make it back—surely some great force majeure had befallen him abroad.

Overnight the city was rife with gossip that Da Wang had been trapped in Jiangnan, while the elite cavalry had all marched out.

Coincidentally, over these days Youzhou saw an influx of people—whether exam‑takers or otherwise—so Dong Fu began tightening internal security, and patrol numbers swelled. The populace also sensed the tense atmosphere, and private rumors grew bolder.

At the year‑end feast Da Wang decided to have a good meal, he found the best restaurant in Hejian, and as soon as his party sat down they overheard the next table seemingly gossiping about him.

Da Wang leaned in to listen, then spat out a mouthful of tea…

"Have you heard? The King of Jiangxia seized the Northern Border King, and Youzhou's 100,000 iron cavalry have already marched south!"

"No way? His Highness isn't even in Youzhou?"

"Then the Jiangxia King is pretty formidable…"

Da Wang slammed the table and rose, intending to go clear his name—who did the Jiangxia King capture? This is pure slander!

Wei Ke calmly pressed him back down, saying, "Think about eight million taels."

Wei Shen stifled a laugh, "If you want money, drop the pride—return to Youzhou and the rumors will collapse on their own. Do you want people to keep gossiping, or do you want them to know you're personally leading a big haul, summoning the Xiaoqi as escorts, and even skipping the ancestral rites?"

Da Wang: ……

He spread out his two claws—one side his mighty, domineering image, the other solid silver…

Da Wang lamented, "Poverty has stripped this king of all dignity!"

Wei Ke: ……