Chapter 1069

Qiqi, feeling embarrassed and unable to bear it, spat: "You're not a good person, simply the worst, the worst big bad egg." After saying that she added: "What's wrong with my small chest? I like it!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "I like it too!"

Qiqi shouted loudly: "Stop the carriage!" The driver heard her shout and stopped the carriage.

Qiqi was also somewhat reluctant, but Hu Xiaotian had already pushed open the carriage door and jumped down.

Qiqi lifted the carriage curtain and gazed at him, two points of crystal shimmering in her beautiful eyes; she bit her cherry lips and said: "Remember what you said."

Hu Xiaotian crooked his finger at her, signaling her to come closer, then leaned near Qiqi's ear to whisper secretly: "Next time I come back, I'll marry you with gongs and drums!"

Qiqi's pretty face flushed again, but this time she didn't hesitate, she nodded firmly and whispered: "Okay!"

After bidding farewell to Qiqi, Hu Xiaotian went to Fengyi Shan Zhuang, met up with his retinue, then went to his mother's grave to burn incense and paper offerings; after finishing the rites, he immediately set off northward. He did not want to attract too much attention along the way; given his current status, passing through prefectures would inevitably receive hospitality from local officials, so Hu Xiaotian chose to conceal his identity, and his party tried to stay outside towns, avoiding stopping in them. Winter had already arrived, and as they traveled north the temperature kept dropping. Along the way they encountered countless displaced refugees, seeing the fields barren, villages abandoned, the whole of Dakang presenting a desolate, dilapidated appearance.

They traveled quickly, reaching Wuxing Jun in about half a month; from here they could take a boat across the Yong River to reach the northern bank's Dongliang Jun.

The last time Hu Xiaotian came to Wuxing Jun, Naval Commander Zhao Dengyun had plotted to frame him; fortunately Zhao Wusheng helped, allowing them to capture Zhao Dengyun, and using Zhao Dengyun as a hostage they managed to leave Wuxing Jun. From that time on, Hu Xiaotian resolved that one day he would give Zhao Dengyun a harsh lesson. However, they are now neighbors, including the naval garrison of Dongliang Jun, which is under Zhao Dengyun's command; arriving at Wuxing Jun, one cannot simply pass by without entering.

The garrison at Wuxing Jun's gate grew increasingly listless; the weather was bitterly cold. The north wind, mixed with the damp chill from the Yong River, swept mercilessly across this desolate northern city; the damp cold air seeped through their icy armor and penetrated their skin via the worn cotton clothing. The guards gathered in small groups, constantly stamping their feet on the ground; each, malnourished, looked sallow and thin, many having frostbite on ears and hands. The harsh environment and precarious livelihood caused the once-proud Dakang navy, which had numbered fifty thousand at its peak, to dwindle to only thirty-two thousand. Many even fled across to Da Yong; although Da Yong refused to shelter Dakang refugees, it was very lenient toward Dakang navy soldiers: any young, strong soldier who escaped there would be treated well, at least guaranteed food and clothing.

Hu Xiaotian's party entered Wuxing Jun. He headed straight for the commander's residence.

To Hu Xiaotian's disappointment, Zhao Dengyun was not in Wuxing Jun; he had gone to Qinglong Bay to drill the navy and would not return for about seven days. On the other hand, this was also good: it avoided an awkward meeting. The one now in charge of Wuxing Jun was Zhao Wusheng, who, upon hearing that Hu Xiaotian was coming, hurried out to greet him.

Zhao Wusheng and Hu Xiaotian also had a tacit understanding; in a sense they had once belonged to Ji Feihua's camp. He invited Hu Xiaotian into the rear courtyard of the commander's residence, and Zhao Wusheng smiled: "I had already heard that Sir Hu would be coming to Dongliang Jun; I reckon you should arrive these two days."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "This time I came specially to greet the Commander, and also to apologize for my previous offense."

When the matter of kidnapping Zhao Dengyun last time was brought up, Zhao Wusheng and Hu Xiaotian glanced at each other and burst out laughing in unison.

Zhao Wusheng had people prepare a banquet, then he and Hu Xiaotian went alone to the lecture hall to sit down; since there was no one else around, they could speak freely. Zhao Wusheng sighed: "Sir Hu, your arrival now is hardly timely; the situation in Dongliang Jun is not good."

Hu Xiaotian, wanting to learn about Dongliang Jun from him, said softly: "Xiaotian has just come from Dakang here; I am not familiar with the northern situation, and I hope Elder Brother Zhao can give me some guidance."

Zhao Wusheng said: "You should know best why Dongliang Jun returned to Dakang. The Da Yong Emperor said it was to compensate for Princess Anping's death in Yongdu, so he gave a city to Dakang. Although nominally the city now belongs to Dakang, we have not actually stationed troops there formally, because Dongliang Jun's position is special—it is Dakang's sole city on the north bank of the Yong River; Da Yong is essentially handing Dakang a hot potato. If we didn't take it, it would be a pity, but we dare not commit heavy forces, for Dongliang Jun lies within Da Yong's encirclement; sending any number of troops there would be like throwing them into someone else's encirclement, and should the two states go to war, those soldiers would die pointlessly."

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "The Emperor wouldn't just hand me a great advantage for nothing."

Zhao Wusheng added: "Moreover, Dakang is suffering continual famine; many people risk crossing the Yong River to Dongliang Jun, turning what was once a prosperous and stable Dongliang Jun into chaos and misery. The original residents complain bitterly, and recently many have petitioned Da Yong to return, requesting reintegration. If it weren't for the Da Yong Emperor Xue Shengkang happening to die just now, the reversion would likely have become fact."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Not only that; if Xue Shengkang hadn't died, he might well have crossed the Yong River next spring to invade the heartland of Jiangnan."

Zhao Wusheng sighed: "Dakang's fate is spent; anyone with clear eyes can see that. What point is there for Sir Hu to go to Dongliang Jun at such a time?" He was not optimistic about Hu Xiaotian's prospects in Dongliang Jun.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Having come, we should make the best of it. Elder Brother Zhao, I alone may not be able to stabilize Dongliang Jun's situation, but if we join forces we might yet succeed, provided Wuxing Jun can support us; with the two cities watching over each other, perhaps we can gain a foothold in these extraordinary times."

Zhao Wusheng said: "Sir Hu should know that it's not yet my turn to be master of Wuxing Jun."

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Is Commander Zhao still resenting me because I once kidnapped him?"

Zhao Wusheng smiled faintly: "His grudge against you probably won't be so easily resolved."

From Zhao Wusheng's various expressions, Hu Xiaotian inferred that although Zhao Wusheng and Zhao Dengyun are uncle and nephew, their relationship is not as harmonious as it appears. Hu Xiaotian said: "Since Elder Brother Zhao has already seen that Dakang's fate is spent and the collapse of the state is merely a matter of time, why not make a decision early?"

Zhao Wusheng's eyes brightened; he suddenly realized that Hu Xiaotian must have come prepared, yet why did he choose to seek survival in a cleft? Given Zhao Wusheng's knowledge of Dongliang Jun, it is hardly an ideal place to achieve great undertakings. Zhao Wusheng said: "If Sir Hu has any use for me, I will certainly do my utmost."

Hu Xiaotian naturally could hear that Zhao Wusheng's words were mere pleasantries; Zhao Wusheng is a calm and rational person, and to have him wholeheartedly serve oneself requires sufficient convincing reasons. This time Hu Xiaotian came to Dongliang Jun with only seven or eight followers, practically a bare-pole commander, making it hard to inspire confidence in him, let alone expect a bright future.

Hu Xiaotian said no more, smiling: "Thank you, Elder Brother Zhao, for your righteousness; please trouble you to arrange a boat for us to cross the river."

Zhao Wusheng smiled: "It's a trivial matter; I'll have someone take care of it right away."

Hu Xiaotian did not stay overnight in Wuxing Jun; after finishing his meal, he boarded the large ship Zhao Wusheng had arranged for him, sailing upstream from Wuxing Jun, and reached the Xia Sha port of Dongliang Jun by the next morning. Upon disembarking, Hu Xiaotian's party saw the port heavily guarded, with nearly a hundred warriors conducting inspections. Because Dakang has suffered continual famine, many refugees try to pass through Dongliang Jun to enter Da Yong territory to make a living, but these warriors are not part of Dakang's military establishment; they are a civilian guard organized and funded jointly by Dongliang Jun's wealthy merchants and magnates. Since Dongliang Jun was annexed to Dakang, Dakang has merely sent a token magistrate and a few clerks, with no intention of stationing troops. Previously Dongliang Jun's garrison had withdrawn entirely into Da Yong territory; relying on just these few civil officials is obviously insufficient to govern such a vast Dongliang Jun.

If a city lacks a garrison, its public order cannot be secured. Although Da Yong has consistently honored its promise and not taken back Dongliang Jun, the city's interior has begun to suffer successive disorder: locals sneak across the border to flee to Da Yong, and disaster victims from Dakang cross the Yong River to Dongliang Jun to seek livelihood. What was once an orderly city quickly descended into chaos. Magistrate Li Chengming is basically deaf; he merely muddles through with a "get by" attitude.

Finally, some merchants and notables of Dongliang Jun could no longer tolerate the city's chaos; they pooled funds to create this guard unit to maintain Dongliang Jun's security: one purpose is to stop the city's residents from sneaking into Da Yong, the other is to prevent continual illegal crossing of Dakang refugees into Dongliang Jun. The guard started with only fifty men, but as illegal border-crossing intensified and competition among urban refugees worsened security, the guard's numbers have now risen to a thousand, yet even so they still feel short-handed.

After Hu Xiaotian's party went ashore, they were immediately stopped and inspected by the guard; Xiong Tianba rolled his weird eyes and bellowed: "Damn it! You blind fools, this is His Majesty's son-in-law, Sir Hu Xiaotian; he has come this time to take over Dongliang Jun!"

His shout rang like thunder across the sky, instantly drawing the gazes of countless people at Xia Sha port.

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