Chapter 22: It

The three-story building still stood tall amid the bustling marketplace.

Yu Jin, dressed in full attire, was led by a servant into this music-and-dance house, famed throughout Ma Yi and the entire northern frontier.

It was daytime, and the building was silent.

Li Shuang sat in the warm chamber on the eastern side of the third floor.

The warm chamber was exquisitely decorated.

The floor was covered with a wool carpet from the Western Regions, bearing a diamond-pattern weave; in the center stood two short redwood tables from Bingzhou, inlaid with gold, upon which silver-painted lacquer boxes held baked bread, dried meat, cheese, and dried fruit.

Li Shuang sat behind the table, leaning against soft cushions, relaxed, occasionally gazing out the window at the scenery of Ma Yi.

Beneath the vast sky, beside green hills, cattle and sheep dotted the fields, and lush grass cast deep shade.

At his arrival, the other man turned his gaze from the window and looked at him.

Even though Yu Jin had anticipated it, he still had not expected the military commander to be so young.

The man had firm skin, a sturdy frame, a handsome face, bright eyes—perhaps because he had spent too long in the wilds, his skin was somewhat dark.

Yu Jin first learned of Li Shuang when Li Chong’s northern campaign suffered repeated raids, losing thousands of sets of armor and hundreds of horse barding.

When Li Chong returned south, he launched a special expedition, but returned empty-handed.

Li Chong was punished for this, but Yu Jin had accidentally overheard Li Chong’s evaluation of Li Shuang.

“Who would have thought that even in the mountains and wilds, there could be dragons!”

Yu Jin had not understood it then, but now, looking at Li Shuang, he seemed to grasp it.

“Are you here to demand qian liang?”

“Precisely!”

“Unfortunately, there is none left.”

“The imperial court stored enough qian liang in Ma Yi to supply a hundred-thousand-man army for three months. How could such a vast quantity simply vanish?”

Yu Jin did not forget his duty: to recover the qian liang for Wang Yuanshen.

“What else?”

Li Shuang’s brief sentence said much, yet seemed to say nothing at all.

Yu Jin was left speechless, choked into silence.

“If I were you, I would not rush to demand this qian liang—I would imagine how the northern frontier would fare without it.”

How would the northern frontier fare?

Yu Jin had served under Wang Yuanshen and arrived in the north not long ago, yet he knew well the root of the Liuzhen rebellion.

The court had no money, and no longer wished to invest in the northern frontier.

With no new inflow, the existing stock became the target of everyone’s gaze.

Hengzhou will fall into chaos!

This was what Yu Jin could foresee.

“If not for commanders like you, who rise at the crow of the rooster, Hengzhou might remain far more stable.”

“You are mistaken. This situation in the northern frontier is precisely what everyone hopes for. The Liuzhen rebels, the Eastern and Western Chile, even the Rouran of the northern deserts—all desire it. Can a single Prince of Guangyang hold it back?”

Two armored warriors entered the chamber, causing Yu Jin’s expression to change.

“What does the commander intend?”

Yu Jin feared Li Shuang meant to kill him, but the man merely replied calmly:

“The mountains are high, the roads long, and the northern frontier is unsettled. You’d best remain in Ma Yi for a while.”

Hulü Bu.

“It’s all fallen apart—everything’s in chaos!”

Hulü Jin heard the clamor within his tribe, stepped out of his great tent, and shouted:

“What are you all yelling about? What’s happened?”

A warrior from Hulü Bu ran over and explained the situation.

“Several tribes around Pingcheng, denied this month’s qian liang and beaten by Pingcheng’s imperial troops, have vowed to defect to the True King!”

“And what of Pingcheng?”

“Prince of Guangyang has sealed the city gates, barring all outsiders.”

After hearing this, Hulü Jin’s face darkened, and he ordered:

“Don’t concern yourselves with others. For now, pacify your people, guard the animal pens closely, keep armor ready at all times, and prepare for the unexpected.”

“But our own qian liang is running low—we won’t last much longer.”

“I know. I’ll find a way.”

Hulü Jin temporarily calmed his people with his authority.

But authority cannot produce grain. In today’s northern frontier, who has surplus food? Even borrowing is impossible!

As Hulü Jin fretted, Hulü Guang approached him.

“Father, I have a plan!”

Inheriting the superior genes of his ancestors, the young Hulü Guang already possessed an impressive physique and appearance.

“You’re just a child—what plan could you possibly have?”

“We have no grain, but other places do: Pingcheng, Ma Yi, or Wo Ye Zhen.”

Hulü Jin listened, startled.

He had not expected such insight from someone so young.

Pingcheng was out of the question.

Hulü Jin recalled the recent delivery from Yu Jin: one cart of grain and a dozen cattle and sheep. Even the envoy of the Prince of Guangyang offered such meager gifts—what chance did he have now if he went to beg?

But Ma Yi and Wo Ye Zhen? Hulü Jin truly did not wish to entangle himself with either.

Wo Ye Zhen need not be mentioned; going to Ma Yi meant offending Wang Yuanshen. Besides, Hulü Jin had no ties to Li Shuang.

“Gather the clan, go up the mountain to dig for wild greens, bring back anything edible. Once spring comes, things will improve.”

Hulü Jin could only hope for this.

Nightfall.

In the Red Mansions, lanterns glowed dimly, singing and dancing filled the air.

A gathering of Hu leaders from around Ma Yi sat in the warm hall, drinking wine, singing songs, and laughing as they embraced girls.

Suddenly, someone burst in from outside.

Then more and more arrived.

At first, no one noticed the change, assuming it was merely someone’s cattle stolen, wife eloped, or news of a child born a year ago in the homeland… until the matter touched everyone directly.

“Commander, our tribe was raided!”

After their fury, the tribes around Pingcheng dared not attack the well-fortified city, nor dared to turn west toward Po Liu Han Baling, so they all moved south.

Li Shuang listened, his expression grim.

“Could there be some misunderstanding? These tribes are generations of loyal subjects, eligible to serve in Luoyang’s palace guard—how could they suddenly defy imperial orders and raid southward?”

“Commander, no misunderstanding—they are outright rebels!”

Li Shuang shook his head.

“Even so, I cannot intervene. I am merely the minor commander of Ma Yi—what can I do when even the Prince of Guangyang refuses to act?”

At that moment, Liu Gui entered, frantic.

“Commander, disaster!”

“What’s happened that’s so urgent?”

“The large shipment we brought from Liaodong has been seized by those tribes!”

Li Shuang’s heart sank.

“It seems you’re right—these are no ordinary peasants. We must strike hard.”

“We all follow your command, Commander!”