Chapter 4: Seven Percent Is Theirs

Beixiurong.

Early that morning, Er Zhu Zhao assembled his most elite Qihu warriors and armed them.

Today, Er Zhu Rong ordered him to welcome Li Shuang, the leader of the Taiping Zhai who had surrendered.

When daylight fully broke, Er Zhu Zhao arrived at the agreed location with a hundred cavalry.

The men and horses paused to rest.

Er Zhu Zhao raised his voice to the Qihu warriors:

“Listen up, stay alert! Whoever slacks off and lets these Han barbarians look down on us will feel my whip!”

Er Zhu Zhao commanded immense authority among Er Zhu’s subordinates in Beixiurong.

Why? Because he could fight.

His orders were met with eager compliance from the Qihu warriors.

Nearby, one of Er Zhu Zhao’s trusted attendants stepped forward and handed him water.

“The General sent you to welcome Li Shuang—why are you doing this?”

“What do you know? This is a show of force! We must crush his arrogance, or how will we command him later?”

“But won’t this provoke conflict?”

Er Zhu Zhao dismissed the concern, pointing his whip at his riders.

“See these men? Clothes make the man, saddle makes the horse—I’ve dressed all hundred Qihu warriors in our finest gear and armed them with our best equipment.”

As he spoke, Er Zhu Zhao grinned proudly.

“This is how you overwhelm with power. What dignity can a bandit possibly have?”

“Your Excellency is brilliant!”

Before he had finished speaking, dust rolled in from afar.

As they drew nearer, Er Zhu Zhao squinted—and turned pale.

“Damn it—is this Po Liu Han Baling’s army coming?”

Hundreds of fully armored cavalry advanced toward them, radiating lethal intent.

Er Zhu Zhao froze—had they clashed, his hundred riders would have been annihilated.

Just as Er Zhu Zhao was paralyzed with indecision, the hundreds of riders suddenly halted. Their leader, with a few companions, rode forward with a smile.

“I am Li Shuang, invited by General Er Zhu—could you tell me where your headquarters are?”

Li Shuang?

Er Zhu Zhao was stunned. This bandit had better equipment than his own regular troops!

Before Er Zhu Zhao could speak, the attendant who had just handed him water, terrified by Li Shuang’s force, pointed silently down the road.

“Thank you!”

Li Shuang and his men rode off. As they left, Er Zhu Zhao still heard Li Shuang’s sigh.

“I heard Beixiurong was wealthy—how come the herders here dress so shabbily?”

Er Zhu Zhao froze, his face flushing red.

Did a bandit just look down on me?

Before the Northern Wei moved its capital, Beixiurong, as the Er Zhu clan’s fief, supplied horses to the army in Pingcheng.

The entire Beixiurong region was crisscrossed by mountains.

To manage their cattle, sheep, and camels, most Er Zhu clan members lived nomadically, pitching tents in the wild; only the core of their territory held a few buildings.

Er Zhu Rong’s mansion stood right there.

At this moment, Er Zhu Rong was speaking with Yuan Tianmu, who brought fresh news.

“Someone leaked the news of Ying’e’s abduction to Luoyang—the court has ordered us to delay sending her there.”

Er Zhu Rong narrowed his eyes; his handsome, pale face darkened with gloom.

“What did General Wei say?”

“Yuan Yi claims he can handle it—but he advises we send another Er Zhu woman instead.”

“So we’ll have to send even more gold and jewels!”

At that moment, a voice called from outside.

“General, a man calling himself Li Shuang has arrived.”

Yuan Tianmu beamed.

“Our young friend has come!”

Er Zhu Rong knew Yuan Tianmu’s high regard for Li Shuang—and he was curious: what manner of man could earn such praise?

“Where is Er Zhu Zhao?”

“The Commander hasn’t returned yet!”

“What’s this brat up to?”

Slightly displeased, Er Zhu Rong went outside with Yuan Tianmu to greet him.

At this time, Er Zhu Rong was merely a regional warlord in Xiurong—he had military merit, but far from the later might of the Heavenly Pillar Grand General.

Li Shuang commanded over ten thousand men.

Such a force joining him warranted serious attention.

Outside the General’s mansion, on the open plain, hundreds of cavalry stood in formation.

Er Zhu Rong, seeing Li Shuang’s troops’ bearing, lit up with admiration.

Er Zhu Rong was a master of warfare—he instantly knew Yuan Tianmu’s praise was no exaggeration.

As he drew closer and saw the quality of Li Shuang’s cavalry armor, his heart swelled with joy.

Unlike Er Zhu Rong, Li Shuang had his own calculations.

He had expected that joining Er Zhu Rong’s official army would bring him a dramatic upgrade in life.

But the buildings in the heart of Beixiurong and the clothing of the Qihu people looked no better than his own Taiping Zhai .

Before surrender, my Taiping Zhai people lived in mud huts and wore hemp clothes; after surrender, they still live in mud huts and wear hemp clothes—is this surrender worth anything?

“Young friend, this is General Er Zhu!”

Yuan Tianmu pulled Li Shuang forward to meet Er Zhu Rong.

“I pay my respects to General Er Zhu!”

Li Shuang bowed.

This legendary “Champion of Heyin’s Waters” was nothing like the monstrous Dong Taishi of later tales—he was a handsome, vigorous man of noble bearing.

“No need for formalities—come with me to the feast.”

In this era, people judged others by two criteria:

First, lineage; second, heroic spirit!

“Are kings and generals born of noble blood?”—that was nonsense here.

Any true hero must come from a prestigious clan.

From Yuan Tianmu, Er Zhu Rong already knew Li Shuang was from the Longxi Li clan.

During the peak of the Six Garrisons, many Han aristocratic families had settled there. After the Northern Wei moved its capital, the garrisons lost their status, and desertions became common.

Er Zhu Rong did not doubt it.

After all, most Six Garrisons people were now branded rebels by the Luoyang court—no one could verify their origins anyway.

Let him be Longxi Li!

As for heroic spirit—look at the hundreds of armored cavalry behind him—who could say he lacked it?

Thus, Er Zhu Rong held Li Shuang in high esteem.

During the feast, as wine flowed freely, Er Zhu Rong even called Li Shuang “younger brother.”

“Younger brother, you have no idea the trouble you’ve caused me.”

Li Shuang knew it was about Ying’e—he feigned ignorance.

“What trouble could possibly trouble you so?”

“Because of Ying’e, I must send a fortune to Luoyang.”

Li Shuang waved his hand.

“The Er Zhu clan’s wealth is known across the land—how could you possibly lack money?”

Whether from grievance or too much wine, the mighty Er Zhu Rong’s eyes glistened with tears.

“Why are you so sorrowful?”

“Everyone thinks the Er Zhu clan is as rich as mountains—but who knows our wealth is constantly watched? Every gain must be sent yearly to the capital to feed Luoyang’s officials and nobles—only then can my humble Beixiurong remain peaceful.”

“How much is left?”

As Li Shuang spoke, Er Zhu Rong grew even more despondent; Yuan Tianmu explained:

“In good years, three out of ten is already generous.”

Clearly, Yuan Tianmu was well familiar with this system.

Er Zhu Rong wiped his tears and waved his hand.

“Enough of this—I hear you manage affairs well, and now I see it’s true. Your cavalry armor is finer than my own bodyguards’. Could you share your secret?”

“Nothing but good raiding!”

Li Shuang’s reply was blunt—and even Er Zhu Rong, a man who had seen great battles, was stunned.

“The Six Garrisons lie far in the northern wilds, with no foundation—they will inevitably fail. The court defends the north against the Six Garrisons, the south against Liang, faces a witch-empress within, and powerful enemies without. After this war, it will be severely weakened—this is the time for heroes to rise. Seize land, recruit heroes, strengthen yourself. If you lag behind, others will strike first.”

Yuan Tianmu seemed lost in thought, while Er Zhu Rong listened with eyes gleaming.