Chen Yu spent two months training the newly formed Bandit Suppression Army. With the army well-trained, the next step was to eradicate the bandits. The first thing Chen Yu wanted to do was to kill the gang of horse thieves who had murdered Cao De. However, their whereabouts were unknown, and they hid themselves very discreetly. It was challenging to find their hideout. However, as soon as Chen Yu arrived in Lanzhou, he sent people to gather information. With money, one could make a devil turn a millstone1, and Chen Yu's men were willing to pay a large sum, so naturally, someone sold the information to him.
Chen Jiu, who had gone out to gather information, returned and reported, "Lord Shizi2, we have found out. That group of horse thieves is hiding in Ning County."
Chen Yu was not satisfied with this answer. "Ning County is such a large county. Without a specific location, they will manage to escape if we don't find their hideout first. It would be as difficult as reaching the heavens to catch them later." These horse thieves, as the name suggested, were thieves who rode horses. Given enough time, they could disappear just within a shichen3.
Chen Jiu said, "We couldn't find their exact location."
Chen Yu stated, "Nothing in this world cannot be done; it depends on whether there is the determination to do it." He believed that as long as he had enough leverage, someone would definitely come forward.
Chen Jiu grumbled in his heart. "Lord Shizi2, these bandits always wear masks when committing crimes and never leave survivors after their robberies. Therefore, it's tough to determine their identities." The whereabouts of these bandits were unknown, and their identities were a mystery. Only after spending a large sum of money did they discover these people hiding in Ning County.
Chen Yu thought momentarily before responding, "If that's the case, we need to catch them off guard." If these people got wind of their plan beforehand, they would return empty-handed.
In the middle of the second month, Yun Qing received news that Chen Yu had won a great victory by wiping out a group of bandits who had been hiding in Ning County. Over lunch, Yun Qing told Yuxi this news: "That band of bandits had over 300 members, and there's no telling how many passers-by they've hurt over the years. This time, Chen Yu has eliminated them all, which will also deter the bandits in that area." Yun Qing had wanted to wipe out this group of savage horse thieves for a long time, but unfortunately, he couldn't send out troops without an official order.
Yuxi knew Chen Yu's abilities. This man was not only thoughtful and resourceful, but he also had excellent martial arts skills. Yuxi asked, "3,000 government soldiers surrounded more than 300 bandits—how many casualties were there?" The horse thieves were particularly fierce, even more so than the Dingbei Army. Chen Yu must have paid an enormous price to wipe them out.
Yun Qing replied, "The casualties reached over 1,600."🦊
Yuxi was extremely surprised and wondered, "As far as I know, the force sent to suppress the bandits consisted of only 3,000 soldiers. Did they suffer more than half of the casualties in this operation? How will they be able to deal with the bandits in the future?" Such significant casualties were not only a matter of loss of life but also a potential source of resistance among the soldiers. It was a grave mistake for a leader to allow such high casualties.
Yun Qing showed a hint of surprise when he asked, "Yuxi, do you understand military affairs?" Yuxi was known for her intelligence, but Yun Qing had not expected her to have knowledge of military matters.
Yuxi shook her head. "I don't know much about such things. It's just something my Er Ge5 mentioned before. By the way, it's already the middle of the second month. Have there been any unusual movements from the Northern Barbarians?" Every year, around the second and third months, the Northern Barbarians would become restless. However, Yuxi was not worried about the city being breached now. With Yun Qing around, the Northern Barbarians wouldn't be able to conquer Yu City. She deliberately brought up the topic of the Northern Barbarians to change the subject.
As Yun Qing was about to respond, he caught a faint, sweet scent. He furrowed his brows and asked, "What's been lit in the room?"
Yuxi was puzzled and asked, "I just had someone light some incense. Why? Don't you like the smell?" It was sent from the capital, and she hadn't used any incense since arriving in the northwest.
Yun Qing said, "Let's not burn incense in the room in the future." He had a deep aversion to aromatic substances, as assassins had often used them against him in the past.
Yuxi noticed the change in Yun Qing's expression and knew it wasn't good. Instead of calling for help, she went over and personally removed the three-legged cloisonné incense burner with floral patterns and a gilded bronze body that was sitting on the table. The incense was hard to find, and it would be a shame to waste it, so Yuxi placed it in the wing house.
Yun Qing waited for Yuxi to return from outside and explained, "I once smelled a peculiar incense, and it left me feeling weak and powerless. I would have died if it weren't for Uncle Huo's vigilance."
Yuxi felt a pang of heartache, not knowing how much torment Yun Qing had endured. It was no wonder that Yun Qing had lost control of his emotions. Anyone who lived in constant fear would eventually suffer from mental instability. "This will never happen again." She wouldn't light incense in their bedroom again.
That day, Yun Qing had some free time and played with Zaozao in the backyard. Yuxi sat on a soft couch near the south window, her head bent as she worked on a garment. Sunlight streamed in through the intricately carved window, bathing Yuxi in the warmth that made her drowsy.
Yun Qing leaned against the bed and watched Yuxi meticulously sew the garment. The sunlight on Yuxi seemed to drape her in a mysterious golden veil, making her look both enigmatic and beautiful.
"Waaah..." Zaozao's deafening cries immediately became the most prominent sound in the room.
Yun Qing looked at Zaozao, lying on the floor and crying loudly. He had no idea how she had ended up there when she had just been practising crawling on the bed moments ago!
Yuxi felt a mixture of anger and amusement. She walked over, picked up the crying Zaozao, and said, "What were you thinking about just now that made you so engrossed? Didn't I tell you before? You must watch the child closely, or she might easily roll off the bed." It was winter, and Zaozao was wearing several layers of clothing, plus there was a carpet on the floor, so as long as it wasn't a headfirst fall, there wouldn't be much harm. However, Yuxi still carefully checked Zaozao's entire body and head to ensure there were no injuries before feeling relieved.
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Yun Qing felt somewhat embarrassed. He couldn't possibly admit that he was so captivated by his wife that he neglected their daughter and let her fall off the bed! It would be too shameful to confess such a thing.
Yuxi hummed a soothing tune for Zaozao for a while until she finally calmed down, and Yuxi's ears were finally relieved of the torment.
Yun Qing looked at the sleeping Zaozao and whispered, "She's asleep." It had to be said, their daughter had quite a loud voice! Even louder than his.
Yuxi said, "Please call Mama Lan." They still needed Mama Lan to take a look at Zaozao and make sure everything was fine before they could truly relax.
Mama Lan was speechless when she learned Zaozao had fallen off the bed. With both parents present, it was incredibly unreliable of them to let their eldest daughter fall. Mama Lan made up her mind not to leave Zaozao's side again, even if it meant disobeying the General's orders.
After Mama Lan took the child away, Yuxi smiled and said, "I wonder who she takes after? Her voice is so loud." When Zaozao cried, Yuxi felt like stuffing cotton into her ears.
Yun Qing touched his nose. "It's probably like me, right? My grandfather told me I had a loud voice when I was a child." A boy with a loud voice was considered powerful, but for a girl, it was a disaster.
Yuxi laughed and walked over, bringing a half-finished garment with her. "Have a look at this. Do you like it?" This time, Yuxi chose a stone-blue fabric. Yun Qing didn't like clothes in bright colours like moon white or vibrant red; even if they were made by Yuxi, he rarely wore them more than twice. Yuxi had no choice but to accommodate Yun Qing's preferences.🦊
Upon seeing the stone-blue colour, Yun Qing nodded. "It's fine." As long as it wasn't colourful and gaudy, he liked any clothes made by Yuxi.
Xu Wu shouted loudly from outside, "General, Du Wenshu wants to see you." The position of military supervisor was generally disliked by everyone, as no one liked having someone constantly watching them and possibly reporting on their actions. However, apart from that, Du Wenshu wasn't particularly detested. After all, he wasn't lecherous or greedy. Although he had ulterior motives, as long as he didn't cross the line, Yun Qing was willing to turn a blind eye.
The noise woke Zaozao, and she started crying again. Yuxi, who had a headache hearing her crying, took Zaozao from Mama Lan's arms and comforted her in a soft voice.
Yun Qing walked out and reprimanded Xu Wu, telling him not to shout so loudly in the future. It would only make Zaozao cry more, and there would be no peace in the residence.
In the evening, Yun Qing discussed the purpose of Du Wenshu's visit with Yuxi. "He came as the Emperor's lobbyist."
The Crown Prince had ascended the throne on the sixth day of the second lunar month and was now the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Yuxi found it amusing that even though the Emperor wanted her dead, he still wanted to win over Yun Qing. Did he think they were fools, or did he believe everyone would bow down to him once he became Emperor? "He hasn't even warmed the seat under his butt yet, and he already wants to win you over. He Rui, how did you respond to him?" Du Wenshu wasn't a bad person; in fact, compared to other officials, he was considered a good one. Officials who weren't greedy or lecherous were rare these days. However, Du Wenshu was a die-hard supporter of the Crown Prince, making him their enemy.
Yun Qing replied, "I am a general of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Of course, I must be loyal to the Emperor and protect the people." This statement implied that he would be loyal to the Emperor.
Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Yuxi's face as she said, "I'm sure Du Wenshu would be delighted to hear you say that."
Du Wenshu was delighted, but Yun Qing was not. However, Yuxi had analysed the pros and cons of this matter with him beforehand, and for now, he could only express his loyalty to the Emperor. After all, the lives of the 100,000 soldiers in Yu City depended on it. Yun Qing had money, but it was far from enough, not even enough to last a year. And that didn't include military equipment and other supplies; it only covered food and salaries. If he didn't show his submission to the Emperor, he wouldn't receive a single penny.
There was an old saying: 'A single copper coin could defeat a hero7'. Now, for the sake of money, Yun Qing had to learn how to be a snake8.
Knowing Yun Qing's discomfort, Yuxi comforted him, "For the sake of the 100,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians in Yu City, please bear with it."
Yun Qing grunted and asked, "I wonder if Han Ji and the others are safe on their journey?" With so much gold and silver at stake, Yun Qing couldn't help but worry.
Yuxi replied, "Han Ji has brought many guards with him, so there shouldn't be any problems. Hey Rui, I sent Han Ji to Jiangnan to purchase grain as a precaution." It was the first time Yuxi had seen Yun Qing so anxious about something.
Yun Qing smiled wryly. "You have no idea what it's like to eat tree bark and roots." He had eaten them, and the experience was something he never wanted to relive. He certainly didn't want the soldiers and civilians of Yu City to go through that again.
Yuxi was utterly surprised and asked, "Why would Uncle Huo let you eat tree bark and roots?" Besides, Huo Changqing had money, and even if he had to buy grain at a high price, there was no reason for him to let Yun Qing go hungry.
Yun Qing explained, "Uncle Huo told me to figure out my own food supply." Simply put, Huo Changqing was training Yun Qing.
Footnotes Full List
- Chinese idiom: with money, you can do anything; money talks
- heir to a noble house
- 2 hours
- Wow, Chen Yu has lost over half of his army.
- er=second, ge=elder brother, short form for Gege
- Moon white is a bright colour? Really, Yun Qing?
- Chinese proverb: Even a heroic man can do nothing without money.
- metaphor: malevolence, embodying slyness and hidden unfriendly intentions
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi