Chapter 719: Xu Wu

At dawn,

earlier that morning when Xu Zaijing and others left the city,

the sky was deep blue,

though the sun had not yet risen above the eastern horizon,

the heavens were already bright.

More than ten li outside the eastern gate of Bianjing,

in a spacious courtyard of a relay station, over a dozen carriages stood parked; before a row of side rooms, officials from the Ministry of Rites stood waiting,

around these Ministry officials, women came and went, some carrying wooden basins, others holding robes and dresses near the side rooms.

"Do you still have silver arm wraps? If so, send a pair over!" a woman called out from inside the room.

"We do."

As the voice spoke,

"Squeak."

a wooden door opened from within.

Seeing Zhao Weigan, now dressed in new attire with a headband tied, the Ministry official smiled and nodded: "This outfit fits you well, Brother Gan—looks better than your old one."

Zhao Weigan, who had once been arrogant when he came to Bianjing on his earlier mission to the Great Zhou, now bore an entirely different spirit—like a different man altogether.

"Thank you, my lord," Zhao Weigan bowed.

The Ministry official waved dismissively: "Nonsense, Brother Gan, you're too polite! The Northern Liao royal house allowed the Zhadalan clan to slaughter the innocent; you've turned from darkness to light—your future is bright."

Zhao Weigan forced a faint smile: "Then I accept your good wishes, my lord."

The Ministry official nodded with a smile, watching as newly dressed women and children stepped outside, and said: "Brother Gan, today we enter the capital. If any of your family can ride, they should ride."

Zhao Weigan blinked in confusion: "My lord, why is that?"

He glanced anxiously toward his female relatives, especially the young Zhao girls.

The Ministry official noticed his expression and smiled: "Don't worry, Brother Gan. Today, noble ladies from the capital will come out to greet you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Weigan nodded vigorously.

At that moment,

a nearby guard captain from the Imperial Army approached the Ministry official and bowed: "Your humble servant, Captain Tu Tu of the Imperial Army, greets you, my lord."

"Captain Tu, greetings. Is there something amiss?" asked the Ministry official.

Zhao Weigan quickly bowed: "My lord, please attend to your duties—I'll go urge the others along."

"Go ahead, Brother Gan."

With that, Zhao Weigan walked toward his family.

Before the side rooms stood an elderly woman with silver-streaked hair, dressed in a dignified new robe; seeing Zhao Weigan approach, she whispered: "Gan'er, what did that official say to you?"

After repeating a few phrases—"noble ladies will greet us," "let's get to know each other"—Zhao Weigan said: "Mother, I fear if my sisters and nieces show themselves, someone might harass them..."

Hearing her son's words, the woman glanced at the girls in the family, sighed softly, and whispered: "Gan'er, our Zhao family has been uprooted in Northern Liao."

"If you can marry into a prominent Bianjing household, you'll have roots here—it will benefit you and your nephews, with no harm."

Looking at her silent younger son, she whispered: "I know what you're thinking—you want to take up arms and avenge your father and brothers—but the time is not yet right..."

"I understand."

"Mm."

The Ministry official, having finished speaking, walked over and bowed to the mother and son: "Madam, Captain Tu of the Imperial Army has brought a batch of mounts—all gentle mares. Please let your family choose."

The old woman nodded in thanks: "Thank you, my lord."

The sun slanted across the land,

outside the city,

a long procession of carriages and horses moved along the broad road toward Xincaomen.

At the front rode the Imperial Army's cavalry escort; behind them came the Ministry officials, followed by two rows of mounted Zhao men and girls from the Luolong Zhao clan; further back, women and children rode in carriages.

Perhaps due to the journey's fatigue and the early rising, some of the women and children in the carriages had dozed off.

Zhao Weigan, riding ahead, gazed beyond the cavalry escort toward the distance.

He saw the trees lining the road thick and lush, casting ample shade.

After watching for only a moment,

faint figures began to stir along the road from the direction of Bianjing.

The two groups, dressed brightly in sunlight,

as they emerged from the shade and passed through sunlit patches, occasional glints flashed.

Seeing this, not only Zhao Weigan and his party were startled—even the lead Ministry official frowned and called ahead: "Captain Tu, go investigate!"

"My lord, wait!"

At Captain Tu's call, two Imperial cavalrymen spurred forward to inquire.

As they neared the two groups, they seemed to recognize something, then quickly wheeled their horses and rode back toward the procession.

After reporting, Zhao Weigan learned the two groups were nobles and noblewomen from the capital come to welcome his family.

Soon,

"Clop-clop, clop-clop,"

as the crowd drew nearer, the thunder of hooves grew louder.

Zhao Weigan and his party gradually made out the figures of the two groups.

A Zhao girl riding beside Zhao Weigan leaned forward, eyes wide with astonishment: "Fifth Uncle, how majestic is the horse that boy rides? Looks like a dragon steed from the Yelu royal house."

Zhao Weigan nodded: "Red-er, that's a dragon steed."

"Ah? Then he must be from the Xu family of the Brave and Resolute Marquis?"

"Yes! When I came to Bianjing before, I lost a polo match to him."

"Oh! Fifth Uncle, what about the woman leading them? Which family is she from?"

"Likely the Zhang family of the Duke of England."

Hearing the uncle-niece exchange, the Zhao family members behind them whispered among themselves, passing along the news.

As they spoke,

Xu Zaijing and the others riding toward them swept past the procession's flank and galloped toward its rear.

Once at the rear, the two columns circled half a turn along the wide road, then turned sharply and charged back forward.

Here and now, Xu Zaijing and his group were showing off their horsemanship.

But on a battlefield, Xu Zaijing and his men would have already reorganized for another assault.

The noblewomen leading the charge, accustomed to polo, swiftly turned their mounts amid crisp commands, catching up to the procession—only slightly slower than Xu Zaijing's group.

The lead Ministry official and Captain Tu understood perfectly.

As Xu Zaijing's group drew near, they spurred their horses forward, clearing the front position.

Amid the clatter of hooves, Xu Zaijing and Gu Tingye rode close to Zhao Weigan.

Seeing Zhao Weigan, one hand holding the reins as he bowed, Xu Zaijing smiled faintly.

Those behind Xu Zaijing also bowed, about to speak—

Suddenly!

"No!"

"Waaah!!!"

"Father!!!"

From within a carriage in the middle of the procession came a child's terrified, piercing scream, cutting through the surrounding noise.

Xu Zaijing and the others froze.

Then,

whether the child regained composure or was soothed, the screaming ceased quickly.

Zhao Weigan's eyes turned anxiously toward the rear.

Once the cries faded, he turned back, forcing a smile toward Xu Zaijing and the others: "The child was frightened during our escape. Please forgive him."

Xu Zaijing, Gu Tingye, and the others shook their heads, murmuring, "It's nothing," "The child has suffered."

On the other side, Zhang Wuniang, Gu Tingyi, and Chai Zhengzheng also turned to look back.

The noblewomen who had been speaking fell silent.

Though no one wept or turned red-eyed, many eyes held pity.

The Luolong Zhao clan had lost many kin; no one dared speak of laughter or joy, nor of the riches awaiting them in Bianjing.

So,

Xu Zaijing glanced around at those nearby, considered a moment, then said: "Brother Gan—is it alright if I call you that?"

Zhao Weigan smiled and shook his head.

Xu Zaijing nodded, continuing: "We know what happened before. I've always had one question."

Amid the rumble of wheels and hooves, Zhao Weigan replied: "Fifth Young Master, ask whatever you wish."

The sun rose higher, the temperature climbing with it.

From a tree by the roadside, a cicada chirped twice—"Bee-bii."

Xu Zaijing said solemnly: "The Luolong Zhao clan held great influence in Northern Liao's military, and Jin was closer from Luolong—why didn't you seek refuge with Jin?"

Upon hearing this,

Gu Tingye and others riding behind Xu Zaijing nodded in agreement, clearly also puzzled by this.

Zhao Weigan sighed and shook his head: "My family never entertained the idea of defecting to the Jin! We negotiated peace only because we were ordered to by the Yelu clan."

"At first, when we were attacked, my father thought the Zhadalan tribe had misunderstood something—he even planned to lead men to Zhongjing to clarify matters before His Majesty, the false emperor."

"But they gave us no chance. After cutting off all communication, they simply kept attacking and killing. Though some in our clan suggested defecting to the Jin, the Zhadalan tribe had clearly anticipated this—they had stationed heavy troops to the east."

"Fortunately, my second brother-in-law's maternal brother served in the navy; previously, Father had recommended him as a Captain commanding two warships. That's how we managed to slip into the naval encampment and escape on a warship—gaining just a sliver of hope."

"If we hadn't encountered the Great Zhou navy during our escape, our entire family would have been wiped out."

Gu Tingye and Liang Han exchanged a glance, then looked at the Zi family of the Duke of Xin, and nodded.

Xu Zaijing fell silent for a moment, then shook his head, surprising those around him: "But logically, sailing to the Jin should be closer and with the wind at our backs."

Zhao Weigan nodded: "I suppose the naval commander thought the same—so he sent a larger, faster warship to pursue the one carrying my father and elder brother."

After thinking for a moment, Xu Zaijing looked at Zhao Weigan and said: "If the two ships separated, there may still be some chance of survival."

Zhao Weigan shook his head: "According to the captured Northern Liao naval officers, the ships pursuing my father and elder brother were elite troops of the Zhadalan tribe. How could they let them live?"

Xu Zaijing looked at Zhao Weigan with regret in his eyes and said: "Don't worry—you'll have a chance to seek revenge someday."

"The Fifth Young Master speaks true."

"Yes! You'll have a chance to avenge them!"

Those around them echoed in agreement.

On the other side, the noble ladies riding horses, hearing the commotion, glanced toward Xu Zaijing and the others.

Then,

Zhao Weigan's niece turned back and, spotting the Great Zhou noblewoman wearing an unusual veil, asked curiously: "So you've seen the Yelu emperor and that Zhadalan tribe's Khatun too?"

Pearl-tasselled gold threads swayed along the veil's edge; beneath it, Rong Feiyan said: "Not just me—all these ladies here were in the palace back then and saw those two wrestle and shoot arrows."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded along mechanically, thinking to herself: "I've only seen the Yelu emperor."

The group rode and rode in carriages,

moving at no slow pace,

and soon saw the towering outer city wall.

Houses beneath the roadside trees gradually grew more numerous.

As the surrounding noise grew louder,

a young girl from the Luolong Zhao family, seated in a carriage, curiously leaned out, rubbing her eyes as she gazed outside—she seemed to have just woken up.

After a few glances, she turned her head and asked: "Mother, this area looks so lively—are we in the Great Zhou capital now?"

A noblewoman from Bianjing, riding beside the carriage, laughed: "We haven't entered the city yet—look, the wall's still far off."

"Oh, thank you, sister."

At the front, the imperial guard cavalry led the way,

and the noble young men riding behind now began speaking with the Luolong Zhao family's youths.

Xu Zaijing pointed to rooftops visible beside the road and said to Zhao Weigan: "That's a royal garden."

Soon,

the large caravan approached Xincao Gate.

That morning,

many carriages and horses from high-ranking families of the capital had already gathered outside Xincao Gate, drawing extra glances from passersby.

After asking the drivers and servants, everyone learned it was to welcome those who had defected from Northern Liao to Great Zhou.

These days had no festivals or celebrations, so there was little excitement.

With such an event at Xincao Gate today, naturally more people came to watch.

After all, aside from anything else, one rarely got the chance to see so many noble young men and ladies from the capital all at once.

As Xu Zaijing and the others drew near,

the leading imperial guards began blocking the road to maintain order.

More people, unable to pass due to the roadblock, gathered to watch.

After crossing the wide wooden bridge over Hulong River, the group entered the inner city through Xincao Gate.

The crowds lining the streets inside the city were even larger than outside.

Many people on the wooden balconies along the road pointed and whispered at Xu Zaijing and the others.

Inside the inner city,

along the roadside,

in a brothel,

the courtesans, who usually rested at this hour after a long night's work,

were suddenly alerted by a loafer who had heard of the commotion outside Xincao Gate and ran to report it.

After tossing a string of silver coins, the brothel madam ordered the maids to wake the girls in each room.

Inside the brothel,

amid a chorus of complaints,

a beautiful courtesan with a lovely face and half-exposed shoulders lazily leaned on the second-floor railing and purred: "Madam, what time is it? This chaos—will we even have time to receive clients tonight?"

The madam stood in the first-floor hall, one hand on her hip, and shouted: "Daughters, hurry and wash and dress! That loafer said every noble young man in Bianjing will escort those Northern Liao refugees right past our brothel!"

Bai Yaner on the second floor tossed her head: "Madam, if something like this were happening, shouldn't the owner or a wealthy patron's servant have come to warn us earlier? Why did we find out so late?"

"Don't ask questions—hurry up!" the madam yelled.

As the caravan entered the inner city,

Xu Zaijing looked up at the city wall,

and in his line of sight,

imperial guards carrying flower baskets tossed handfuls of petals from atop the inner city tower.

Petals drifted in the wind,

drawing gasps of awe from the crowds lining the streets.

After entering the inner city,

flower-decorated carriages occasionally stopped by the roadside, each holding a beautiful woman dressed in light, dazzling attire, seated or standing.

The young men glanced occasionally; the noble ladies tossed them scornful looks.

As they drew closer to Donghuamen,

the number of imperial guards increased.

Soon,

Xu Zaijing and the others dismounted before the palace gate,

and accompanied the Luolong Zhao family's party into the palace with officials from the Ministry of Rites.

This unusually grand and distinctive reception spread rapidly northward through the Great Zhou bureaucracy and merchants.

(End of Chapter)