Chapter 736: Blocking the Prince's Horse

Count's Mansion, Jia Cong's courtyard.

As the year-end approached, the north wind began to rise, and the weather turned cold.

In recent years, the weather in the Love Shenjing had been strange; every year winter arrived early and spring was late. By the end of the tenth month, the cold was already biting, yet even by the end of the third month, the lingering chill was hard to shake.

The flowering trees in the courtyard were desolate, most of their green leaves withered and fallen; only the low-growing shrubs remained lush and verdant, becoming a rare splash of brightness in the late autumn.

In the main house and the side wings of the courtyard, the thin spring and autumn curtains had been replaced with red brocade cotton curtains to block the wind and retain heat, and slender figures could often be seen lifting the curtains to come and go.

The south-facing window of the study was half-open; although crisp, cold air poured in, there was no sense of damp chill inside the room.

In front of the desk sat a cloisonné incense cage with a "Toad Palace Moon Shadow" design, burning a small amount of silver frost charcoal and sprinkled with lily incense flakes, slowly exhaling a gentle, fragrant scent.

Ying Lian sat in front of the bookshelf reading a casual book. On the shelf sat a white ceramic nut jar; every few pages she turned, she would take a snack from the jar and stuff it into her small mouth.

Ling Guan sat upright at the desk, wearing a pale green embroidered jacket with a front opening, a powder-white undershirt, and a pale purplish-red long skirt. Her eyes were moist and clear, her hair like clouds; she was delicate, pretty, and lovable.

She was holding a brush, concentrating on copying a calligraphy model, while Jia Cong sat beside her, fiddling with a map and occasionally offering her a few pointers.

Ling Guan had been following Jia Cong to learn characters and read for nearly two years. She was clever and studied very diligently; she had long since learned over a thousand characters and could flip through books and scrolls without difficulty.

Although her brush calligraphy still had a touch of immaturity, it already possessed a foundation and skill; Tan Chun and Daiyu had both seen it and said it was quite good.

Because she frequently came and went from Jia Cong's study, she had become, in Qing Wen's words, the second "bookworm" after Ying Lian.

……

By the time the sun had risen a bit higher, Ling Guan had already finished copying two large sheets of paper, but she still felt unsatisfied and spread out a third sheet to write on.

Seeing her so attentive to practicing calligraphy, Jia Cong smiled slightly, put down the map in his hand, stepped forward to support Ling Guan's small hand, guided her through the turns and strokes, and pointed out various areas for improvement.

Because Ling Guan was still young, she was not as "enlightened" as Qing Wen; she would blush whenever Jia Cong touched her, feeling only that having her small hand held in Jia Cong's palm was extremely pleasant.

Each stroke became increasingly fluid, and a faint smile appeared on her small face—she was young, beautiful, and obedient, truly moving.

The two were immersed in their writing when they heard footsteps at the study door, and Daiyu walked in, all smiles.

She wore a pale blue jacket embroidered with plum blossoms, a white cross-collared inner garment, and a light yellow pleated skirt. A blue gemstone dangling hairpin was inserted into her cloud-like hair; her bearing was graceful, swaying like an immortal.

Seeing Jia Cong teaching Ling Guan to write hand-in-hand, their heads close together, she found it somewhat intimate.

She laughed, "Oh, I've come at an inconvenient time, delaying Third Brother from teaching his female disciple."

"It's rare for Third Brother to have a day off, yet you're busy starting a female school. Isn't being a Hanlin scholar enough? Do you have to teach the maids around you to become female scholars before you're satisfied?"

Jia Cong laughed, "I don't have that kind of ability to easily and casually teach someone to be a scholar. They've just learned a few more characters and can read a few more books, that's all."

"Little Sister is the daughter of a Tanhua, enlightened by a Jinshi, well-read in poetry and books, and can compose poems in seven steps. You are far more than a female scholar; at the very least, you're a female Jinshi."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Third Brother really knows how to coax people. Sweet words come right off your tongue, so smoothly spoken—I don't know if you're being sincere."

……

Jia Cong asked, "Little Sister, why are you alone? Where have the other sisters gone?"

Daiyu laughed, "Second Sister took Fourth Sister to the South Slope Courtyard to play chess with Miao Yu."

"Little Sister Xiangyun is also a chess lover, so naturally, she had to join the fun, and she even dragged Little Sister Xing Xiuyan along."

"I went to Third Sister's courtyard just now, and the maid said she went to the East Road Courtyard early this morning."

"I thought Third Brother had the day off today, so I came over to chat with you."

……

Jia Cong was not surprised to hear this. Since Miao Yu and her disciple moved into the East Prefecture, they had gotten along well with Daiyu and Baochai.

Because she was also good at chess and her skill was not inferior, she was a match for Ying Chun. The two shared similar interests and often played against each other for fun.

Because Xing Xiuyan had a semi-master-disciple relationship with Miao Yu, she also often went to the South Slope Courtyard. Where there was Xing Xiuyan, naturally, there was Shi Xiangyun.

Jia Cong was at court or the office during the day and not at home, so the sisters had gained an extra place to go.

As for Tan Chun, she had been going to the East Road Courtyard frequently lately because she was worried about her own Yiniang and brother, fearing they lacked proper conduct or would make slips of the tongue, leading to some disaster.

Daiyu walked to the desk to observe Ling Guan's calligraphy. The structure was balanced and the brushwork was expansive; although there was a touch of softness, there was a solid foundation, and she couldn't help but offer a few words of praise.

She then saw the map on the desk and said, "Third Brother gave me a copy of this map, but it's the map of the distribution of the Jiuzhen of the Great Zhou. Why is Third Brother pondering this?"

Jia Cong said, "In the last two years, the Remnant Mongols have been reviving, stationing troops in the Mobei and controlling the Hetao. The north is not peaceful right now, so I just took it out to flip through while I had some leisure."

Daiyu asked curiously, "The imperial court pacified Liaodong two years ago. Now that Third Brother is looking at the map, is there going to be another war?"

Jia Cong laughed, "It's hard to say right now. The various tribes of the Remnant Mongols have already sent people to the capital to pay tribute and seek peace. Solving problems without war is naturally the best."

……

As the two were chatting, they suddenly heard Qing Wen outside saying, "Miss Bao is here. Third Master and Lin Meimei are in the study."

Jia Cong heard the sound of jade pendants clinking and the hem of a skirt fluttering at the door, and saw Baochai walk in with Jin Chuan.

He laughed, "Little Lin Meimei is here too. What are you two talking about? I could hear your voices from far away."

Daiyu laughed, "We were just talking about a good thing—Third Brother has opened a library and is taking in female disciples."

Baochai was a bit confused upon hearing this, and Jia Cong laughed, "Don't listen to Little Lin Meimei's teasing. Why does Sister Bao have time to come over?"

Baochai said, "I was originally free and went to find Second Sister to talk, but only after entering the garden did I learn she had gone to the South Slope Courtyard; she must have gone to play chess with Miao Yu."

"I had intended to go over there too, but I calculated that today is Brother Cong's day off, and there is a matter that concerns you, so I came over to speak with you before going."

Jia Cong laughed, "I didn't think of it for a moment—what matter could pass through Sister Bao's hands?"

Baochai laughed, "Brother Cong, how could you forget? Yesterday you asked Lin Zhixiao to purchase ten bags of rice and grain, saying you had a use for them yourself."

"Nowadays, the price of grain outside is rising more and more, so Lin Zhixiao had someone pass the word to my brother to continue purchasing from the Duan Family Grain Shop in the north of the city."

"My brother went out early this morning, and I don't know where he went wandering, but the grain shop just delivered ten bags of rice."

"I sent the grain shop people away and have already loaded it onto our own carriage."

"I figured that both the East and West Prefectures have already purchased enough grain until next spring, and Brother Cong wouldn't buy these ten bags for no reason; they must be for use outside."

"So the grain carriage is just parked under the eaves of the East Corner Gate and hasn't entered the East Prefecture, making it convenient for Brother Cong to arrange them yourself."

Jia Cong laughed, "Sister Bao is still as meticulous as ever. This grain is indeed not for home use; I have another use for it."

He then asked, "I have too many miscellaneous matters on weekdays and haven't paid much attention to grain prices. Sister Bao, you say the price of grain has risen again recently?"

Baochai said, "The price of grain this month has risen by a full half-percent compared to last month. I heard my brother say that there are many more Mongols in the city recently."

"They say they are a delegation from the northern grasslands. After these people arrived in the Love Shenjing, they wandered everywhere buying grain, stirring up the city's grain prices even higher."

"Later, the government stepped in to interfere, and the foreign barbarians were not allowed to purchase grain at will; they needed official documents as proof to avoid causing fluctuations in the city's grain prices."

"Brother Cong walks in the imperial court and has more knowledge than us women in the deep mansions. What is the background of the Mongols in the city recently?"

……

Jia Cong felt a slight chill in his heart upon hearing that the Mongols were buying grain in the city on a large scale. Although the government had stepped in to stop it, the hidden worries of this matter were still not small.

The people of the grasslands lived by nomadic herding. Compared to the Han people of the Central Plains who farmed, they relied even more thoroughly on the heavens for their food. A single snow disaster could wipe out their entire tribe.

Therefore, they had to be like grassland wolves; in times of difficult livelihood, they could only survive by plundering, killing, and fighting.

Their cunning and ruthlessness were by no means inferior to the people of the Central Plains who were steeped in military strategy and proficient in deceitful tactics.

If the imperial court didn't allow them to purchase grain at will, couldn't they use other channels...

Jia Cong heard Baochai's question and said, "Because I have a classmate who passed the second rank in this spring examination and was selected by the Ministry of Personnel to observe government affairs at the Court of State Ceremonial."

"We had a small gathering at Chunhua Tower the day before yesterday, and he happened to tell me about this, so I happen to know the root of it."

"In the last two years, the strength of the Mongol Anda Khan has been constantly growing. Besides the strong troops and sturdy horses of his subordinate Tuman tribe, with tens of thousands of households, he possesses nearly one hundred thousand troops."

"He has also used marriage alliances and military suppression to control and restrain the two major tribes, the Yongxielun tribe and the Ordos tribe, claiming a force of two hundred thousand."

"For the past two years, Anda Khan's troops have been harassing Datong, Xuanfu, and other places, burning, killing, and plundering, causing countless deaths and injuries among soldiers and civilians."

"His Majesty was furious because of this and issued an edict to ban border trade in the Jiuzhen. Although the tea-horse trade was not closed, it has existed in name only."

"Although Anda Khan has strong troops and sturdy horses, the severe winter of the Mobei is approaching. With border trade banned, he cannot obtain winter supplies like rice, grain, and cloth from within the passes through the tea-horse trade."

"His tens of thousands of households of subjects will also fall into a survival crisis, so he has no choice but to bow his head."

"In the last month or so, the Remnant Mongols' harassment of the border has significantly decreased. The Remnant Mongol Tuman tribe, Yongxielun tribe, and Ordos tribe have each sent envoys to the capital to pay tribute."

"One is to exchange grassland items like fine horses, furs, and animal tendons for rewards like rice, grain, salt, iron, and cloth to serve as winter supplies for the tribes."

"The second is to seek peace with the imperial court, hoping His Majesty will open up border trade and reopen the tea-horse market."

"This time, the three major Mongol tribes, plus some smaller tribes, have sent over two thousand people to the capital to pay tribute in order to seek more rewards, creating a massive momentum."

"The imperial court is worried that the number of people in the Remnant Mongol delegation entering the city is too large, bringing unpredictable hidden dangers, so they only allowed the leaders and their attendants to enter the city, while the rest are stationed twenty miles outside the city."

"Even so, the tribal delegation entering the city still has five or six hundred people, so naturally, one will see many Mongols in the city."

"These people came to the capital to pay tribute just to obtain winter supplies, so naturally, they won't miss the opportunity to purchase rice and grain in the market, it's just that it won't be that easy to succeed."

Daiyu and Baochai were both young ladies of high birth, living in deep mansions, stable and peaceful; where would they know about such major events happening outside?

Although they found it strange and shocking, these matters were too far away from the inner chambers, so they just listened and didn't take them to heart.

……

But Jia Cong was certain in his heart that despite the massive momentum of this Remnant Mongol tribute, they would likely return in defeat, achieving nothing.

Ever since the Jurchens in Liaodong were pacified and the imperial court expanded its territory in Northern Liaoning by a thousand miles, the popularity of firearms had ignited Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's burning ambition for territorial expansion.

Anda Khan was a hero of the Mobei, powerful and ambitious. Occupying the Hetao in the south, he restrained Yulin and Ningxia and confronted Datong and Xuanfu, having become a major threat to the Great Zhou.

For the past half-year, the imperial court had responded to the harassment of the border by Anda Khan's troops by constantly tightening the scale of border trade and banning the outflow of supplies from within the passes, gradually creating a situation of a trapped beast.

It was also the arrival of the severe winter in the Mobei grasslands. In Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's eyes, Anda Khan was like a starving wolf that had stepped into a beast trap, deeply mired in dire straits, which was why he was paying tribute and seeking peace.

At such a time, how could the Emperor easily loosen the shackles and let this grassland wolf catch its breath...

……

East of the Love Shenjing, in an exquisite two-courtyard small residence, this was the home of Ai Li and her mother, Lady Xu.

An inconspicuous carriage drove into the alley and stopped at the gate of the small courtyard. Jia Cong did not bring any retainers from the mansion, only letting Jiang Liu drive the carriage.

After knocking on the door knocker of the small courtyard, the gate opened after a while, and a slender girl with snow-white skin and bright eyes emerged.

She wore a moon-white embroidered Shu brocade Hu-style robe, slender and tall, with a dark blue fragrant sweat towel tied around her waist. Her waist was slender enough to be held in one hand, her figure was graceful, and her bearing was elegant.

Seeing Jia Cong, her expression was joyful, and she said, "How do you have time to come over today?"

Seeing Jia Cong beckoning Jiang Liu to move many bags of rice and grain from the carriage, Ai Li's expression was somewhat surprised.

Jia Cong laughed, "Rice and grain are in short supply in the Love Shenjing right now. I'm afraid it won't be easy to purchase as the year-end approaches. You and your mother are both women, so it would be quite inconvenient to carry bags of rice."

"I have a source for rice and grain in my mansion, so I've prepared ten bags for you, enough for you and your mother to use until the end of next spring, so you can worry less during the New Year."

Ai Li smiled prettily and said, "Thank you for thinking of everything. Although my mother is old and can't do it, I'm not that delicate."

As she spoke, she took a bag of rice from the carriage, exerted a little force with her slender waist, shouldered the rice bag, and walked into the courtyard with long strides.

……

Jia Cong smiled slightly. Among the women he knew, Ai Li had the most "ancient yet modern" quality—generous, open, and unrestrained.

They had once charged on horseback together, fighting in enemy formations, entrusting their lives to each other.

She lacked the reserve of ordinary women; her joys and sorrows were spontaneous, her love and hate came from the heart, and she didn't know how to hide them.

Sometimes he even forgot Ai Li's feminine attributes, even though she was a very beautiful woman.

Jia Cong followed and shouldered another bag of rice. In just a few trips, the three of them carried the ten bags of rice into an empty side room in the courtyard.

Ever since Jia Cong entered the Hanlin Academy, he had been busy with official duties every day, and his daily visits to Ai Li's home had become much fewer than before.

Seeing him come during the day today, Ai Li knew it must be a day off from the office, and she always hoped he could stay a little longer.

But before she could say it, Jia Cong said he wanted to take her to Liu Fang Ju for tea, and she couldn't help but smile, exactly as she had hoped.

Jia Cong let Jiang Liu return the carriage to the Xue family, went in to pay his respects to Lady Xu, and then took Ai Li out.

……

As the year-end approached, the streets became increasingly bustling with people, and carriages and horses flowed endlessly.

Because the eleventh and twelfth months were the days for the people of the Love Shenjing to prepare New Year goods, the market business was very prosperous.

Wealthy families spent money like water, hoarding New Year goods, needless to say; ordinary people also didn't stint on their savings, adding various items, trying their best to have a good New Year.

The Love Shenjing was the capital of the Great Zhou, a prosperous and wealthy city under heaven. Such year-end business opportunities had always been eyed by traveling merchants and wealthy traders.

In the last half-month, traveling merchants from all over had been gathering in the Love Shenjing, setting up shops and stalls, dumping goods, hoping to make a fortune and have a prosperous New Year.

Therefore, one could see convoys loaded with commercial goods everywhere on the streets, and the business of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues in the market was becoming increasingly booming.

In the past, when Jia Cong and Ai Li went out, they were accustomed to riding together, wearing through streets and alleys, wandering at will, fast and convenient.

But with the bustling crowds on the streets at year-end, walking was actually more convenient than riding.

The two walked all the way to Hanzheng Street, only to see heads moving and the street scene prosperous and noisy. Fearing they would get separated, Jia Cong grabbed Ai Li's palm.

Ai Li's pretty face flushed, but she didn't dodge. Feeling warm and beautiful in her heart, she held Jia Cong's palm tightly in return.

She followed Jia Cong through the crowd, occasionally lifting her veil to watch the lively street scene, her expression joyful and happy, becoming even more beautiful and moving.

……

At this moment, rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from ahead. Ai Li was born in the north and had almost grown up on horseback. Her riding skills were superb, and she was very familiar with the habits of horses.

Hearing the dense hoofbeats, she lifted her veil and said, "Yuzhang, these people are riding so fast. Riding like this on the streets of the Love Shenjing, aren't they afraid of hitting someone?"

Jia Cong heard the hoofbeats were far away at first, but they approached rapidly in a moment. The sound was noisy and chaotic, as if it wasn't just a single rider galloping, but a fairly large cavalry troop.

In just a moment, he saw pedestrians on the road constantly exclaiming, dodging to both sides like a tide.

Many peddlers and stall owners couldn't dodge in time, and were knocked over by the crowd running for cover, causing a chorus of complaints and curses.

As the crowd on the road cleared a space, Jia Cong saw more than a dozen riders, all mounted on tall horses, galloping over like clouds.

Although it was only a dozen or so riders, they seemed to run with the momentum of a thousand troops. Each person was wrapped in furs, carrying swords and bows, their momentum fierce—they were all dressed as Mongols.

The person in front rode a piebald horse, his figure burly. His horse was faster than the others, and he waved his whip left and right, driving away the crowd along the way, his expression extremely arrogant.

Jia Cong's face darkened slightly. In the capital of the Great Zhou, these Mongols were merely beggars seeking tribute; riding and shouting in the market like this was too overbearing.

……

At this moment, the leading rider was still galloping wildly. Seeing they were about to rush in front of them, Jia Cong pulled Ai Li to dodge to the side of the road.

He happened to see an old woman pulling a young boy, dodging the cavalry in a panic. The child tripped and fell to the ground in his urgency, crying in fear, and the old woman turned around in a hurry to help him up.

Jia Cong saw that the leading rider didn't seem to notice, his speed not slowing down at all. Seeing that the old woman and the child were about to be trampled by the horse's hooves, he couldn't help but change his expression.

He had nothing in his hands. In his urgency, he took off the veil from Ai Li's head, gathered his arm strength, aimed, and threw it with force.

The veil was round and made of high-quality fine bamboo. Thrown by Jia Cong with force, borrowing the wind and a clever technique, it spun and flew rapidly through the air.

The white gauze on the brim fluttered in the wind, like a swift, clean white cloud, instantly hitting the horse's head heavily.

The galloping horse, suddenly receiving a heavy blow to its head, immediately neighed in fright, its front hooves rearing up.

Although the burly man on the horse had superb riding skills, he was caught off guard and was thrown off by the startled horse, falling to the ground with a "plop," looking quite disheveled.

The following cavalry were all shocked to see this and shouted to rein in their horses to avoid trampling their own people.

At this moment, Ai Li seized the opportunity to step forward quickly and help the old woman and the child to the side of the road.

……

Jia Cong saw that this troop of nearly twenty people were all fierce and brave, their momentum not small, and their saddles were hung with many hunting trophies like birds, rabbits, and pheasants.

After the cavalry was forced to stop by him, the riders seemed to have a formation, invisibly leading the horses to position themselves, guarding a young rider in the center.

Jia Cong saw that the youth was the leader. He looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old, with broad shoulders and a straight back, his posture upright and quite heroic.

He wore a pitch-black sable fur long coat, with an exquisite, form-fitting leather armor underneath, his hair braided and hanging behind his temples and head.

He wore a black-based, gold-embroidered forehead band, with a large dragon-eye blue gemstone embedded in the middle, sparkling and shining.

This person had a light complexion, flushed cheeks, and carried the characteristics of a grassland person.

His nose bridge was high, his eyebrows thick and black, the corners of his eyebrows slightly raised, revealing a bit of decisiveness and composure. His eyes were black and white, clear and piercing.

A heavy curved sword hung at his waist, with a dark fish-skin scabbard, dotted with red and yellow gemstones. The brass hilt had been polished through long use, shining brightly.

He rode a grass-yellow horse, snorting and kicking, very spirited. The saddle and reins were inlaid with gold and silver, exquisite and luxurious.

……

Jia Cong could conclude that this troop of people must be from the Remnant Mongol delegation.

The leading youth was dressed in brocade, his bearing was gorgeous and extraordinary, and his attendants were elite. He was likely an important figure in the delegation, and he couldn't help but frown slightly.

The rider who fell off the horse climbed up with some difficulty, feeling sore all over, and couldn't help but be furious.

He waved his whip and shouted, "What a blind thing, daring to startle my Hu Er Gan's horse! Are you tired of living?"

The youth with gorgeous clothing seemed not to hear Hu Er Gan's actions, only curiously sizing up Jia Cong.

Seeing his attire was not ordinary, his appearance handsome, and his expression composed, facing his subordinate's scolding without a hint of fear, he couldn't help but look a few more times.

He unintentionally looked at Ai Li beside Jia Cong, his eyes lighting up slightly, and he laughed softly, "What a beautiful little lady."

Jia Cong's face darkened slightly upon hearing this. In later generations, being praised for having a beautiful female companion was somewhat of a compliment.

In this era, with strict gender boundaries and rigorous etiquette, this was by no means a good word.

Moreover, the youth's words were frivolous and improper, making Jia Cong feel the urge to punch him in the face.

Hu Er Gan heard the youth's words and said, "You white-faced rabbit, you startled my horse. I was going to cut you down with one sword."

"Today, I, Hu Er Gan, am showing kindness. As long as you give this little lady to my master, I will spare your little life..." (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 737 =====