Chapter 40: Unity Is Strength

After a night of uproar, the Prefect's Residence of Ma Yi had returned to calm.

Dugu Ru, Liu Lingzhu, and She Di Gan sat in the room, watching Li Shuang dip a Hu flatbread into a bowl of lamb soup thick with oil and sprinkled with scallions, and ate it down — none of them uttered a word.

"Would you like some?"

Dugu Ru said nothing, Liu Lingzhu waved a hand dismissively, and She Di Gan just stared at Li Shuang eagerly, as if Li Shuang owed him money.

After finishing, Li Shuang wiped his mouth and spoke:

"I know you're all anxious, but don't be anxious yet!"

Dugu Ru slammed the table and said loudly:

"Just say it — do you want me or do you want him!"

Hearing Dugu Ru's words, Liu Lingzhu also took on the look of someone utterly irreconcilable with her.

"I feel exactly the same!"

Before Li Shuang could speak, Dugu Ru was already the first to start quoting her price.

"My side has three thousand elite cavalry, craftsmen numbering in the hundreds, and I just spent a fortune to swap in three hundred sets of armor and horse gear. Here on the northern frontier, that's a major tribe."

Liu Lingzhu, however, laughed coldly:

"Where did the money come from — swindled it, didn't you?"

It would have been better if Liu Lingzhu hadn't said anything; the moment he did, Dugu Ru flared up again:

"I was wondering how they found out — it must have been your doing!"

"If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place!"

Liu Lingzhu, looking quite the picture of righteous indignation, spoke:

"Commander, although I don't have three thousand elite cavalry, I do have plenty of eyes and ears! In these chaotic times, troops and horses can only solve a momentary problem; only well-placed eyes and ears can plan for the long term."

Dugu Ru mocked:

"Plan for the long term? You're about to be chased by debt collectors until you jump off a cliff."

Hearing this, Liu Lingzhu flew into a rage.

"I was saying — how did all those great merchants and moneylenders suddenly come demanding debts from me? It must have been you."

"Don't go framing others for the dirty deeds you've done yourself!"

The two of them were at daggers drawn, and Li Shuang turned his gaze to She Di Gan.

"Is there anything you want to say to me?"

She Di Gan put on an honest, simple smile.

Li Shuang looked at him — and to tell the truth, that honest, simple smile was rather deceptive.

"I don't have as many troops and horses as Dugu Ru, nor the far-reaching eyes and ears of Liu Lingzhu, but I do have a heart that is loyal to you!"

So you just want to freeload, huh?

Li Shuang rolled his eyes, ready to send him away, when he saw She Di Gan stand up and explain:

"Don't be like that. I'm an old Xianbei of this northern frontier myself — whose household is rich, whose household has many troops and horses, whose household has cattle and sheep and where, I know better than anyone. Besides, even though I got robbed, I still have horses in a small half-valley; if we scrape together, we can still scrape up two thousand elite cavalry and two hundred armored cavalry."

Seeing that She Di Gan had finally laid out his own assets, Li Shuang nodded in satisfaction.

"You are all my dearest kin and friends! How could we fall out of harmony over such a small matter?"

After Li Shuang finished speaking, he looked toward Dugu Ru and complained:

"Tell me, you're the holy maiden of the grasslands after all, the dream girl of so many men — how could you still grab a broom and beat an old man with it? Luckily I had people seal off the side courtyard in advance; otherwise, once word got out, how bad would that look!"

Dugu Ru listened, and said nothing.

Li Shuang then looked toward Liu Lingzhu.

"And you — at your age, don't spend every day thinking about practicing your bedroom arts; you've worn your body out, haven't you? Chased and beaten into this state by a girl barely in her teens."

Liu Lingzhu stammered, unable to get a word out.

"I… I…"

"Alright, everyone quiet down, all of you think — what is the most urgent thing right now?"

"Settle the matter!"

"Hide from debts!"

"Avenge ourselves!"

The three each gave their own answer, only to see Li Shuang shake his head.

"Wrong — it's that we're short of money!"

Li Shuang looked toward Dugu Ru and said:

"You're in the prime of your youth — you should be galloping across the grasslands, riding and hunting to your heart's content. If you weren't short of money, would you still need to sit in a tent every day, write dozens of letters, drain the lifeblood out of yourself, just to deal with those simpering sycophants? Sometimes when I think about it for you, I feel it's unfair."

Dugu Ru looked at Li Shuang, and suddenly her voice caught a little.

He then looked toward Liu Lingzhu and said:

"At your age, you should be spoiling your grandchildren, living a carefree and happy life. If you weren't short of money, would you still need to run about among the powerful every day, putting on tricks and playing the sorcerer? Even if your heart is set entirely on your career, you still have to take care of your health."

Liu Lingzhu's eyes welled up with tears.

Finally, Li Shuang looked toward She Di Gan.

"And you — always on guard against me, never telling me how much you actually have, and now you've been robbed! If you'd moved those horses from that valley at Lawu Mountain over here long ago, would things still look like this?"

She Di Gan's voice was low.

"I was wrong!"

Li Shuang nodded.

"Now that you know where your problem lies, it's time to fix it. Tell me — in all of Hengzhou today, who is the richest person?"

Three pairs of eyes suddenly, in unison, turned to look at Li Shuang.

"Why are you looking at me with such shameless eyes?"

Li Shuang shrugged.

"I have no money!"

"I don't like money!"

"I'm not interested in money!"

After this trio of character-quality remarks, Li Shuang finally said:

"The troubles you face now can all be solved by earning enough money."

The three brushed their sleeves, very well-mannered.

"Nonsense!"

"You damn..."

"As if we need you to tell us!"

Li Shuang sensed their manners, but felt no anger at all; instead, he smiled.

"We all agree now, right? So the key now is: joining hands, from whom should we make money?"

The three looked at Li Shuang, falling into deep thought.

"Sister Ru has finally agreed to marry me!"

In Take Pingcheng, Yuan Shen looked at the letter, his face beaming with a happy smile.

Yu Jin stood nearby, merely watching silently, saying not a word.

"Ju Mi, take people to the Du Gu tribe immediately to propose marriage on my behalf."

Yu Jin shook his head and said:

"But Dugu Ru asked you for a huge betrothal gift. Your treasury is empty now; how can I go to deliver the betrothal gifts?"

Yuan Shen calmed down.

"What you say makes sense. What should be done then?"

Seeing his old friend in such a state, even though he had already switched camps, Yu Jin couldn't help but advise:

"Even if you spend a huge price to marry her back, what then?"

Yuan Shen didn't care.

"Ju Mi, how can you be so muddled? If I marry Dugu Ru back, then all the things I gave her before will come back to me, plus three thousand elite cavalry added on. What a profitable deal!"

Just then, the voice of a guard came from outside the room.

"Your Highness, Liu Lingzhuo requests an audience."

"Let him in!"

As soon as Liu Lingzhuo entered, Yuan Shen was startled.

"Mr., it's been a few days; why are you like this?"

"On my travels, I met bandits. I fought them fiercely and barely escaped disaster."

Yuan Shen offered comfort:

"The outside world is getting more chaotic; it's good that Mr. has returned!"

Liu Lingzhuo sighed.

"Yes, but the Rouran merchants traveling with me are not so lucky. Many of them died; they barely saved the cargo value. I don't even know how to explain when we return."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shen perked up.

"Rouran merchants? What do they want to buy?"

"Just common supplies on the grasslands: salt, iron, and..."

Liu Lingzhuo paused here, glanced at Yu Jin; Yuan Shen understood.

"Ju Mi, you go out first!"

Yu Jin sighed inwardly and walked out silently.

"--and armor and weapons!"

Yuan Shen's expression changed.

"So bold indeed!"

"Your Highness, a few days ago, the negotiations between Yuyu Luo Anagui and Poluhan Baling broke down. The Rouran Khan is preparing to use force against the rebels!"

"Is this true?"

"It is true!"

Yuan Shen nodded.

"In that case, if this King sells some armor and full suits of armor to the Rouran, it would also be helping the court suppress the rebellion!"

"Your Highness speaks correctly!"