Zhaoluan and Cainan glared at Yu Jiuling. If this had been their own territory, they might already be contemplating how to dismember him piece by piece.

On their territory, he’d already be in pieces.

First he’d said he was fetching horses — no horses. Then he’d produced a carriage that looked perfectly decent on the outside but was so decrepit it snapped its axle after barely a short distance.

Then he’d said he’d sent someone for horses — and now more than half a shichen had passed, without so much as a shadow of one.

“General Yu.”

Zhaoluan held her temper in check and managed a measured tone. “You said earlier that the Ning army has tens of thousands of cavalry and a hundred thousand horses. Why is it that after all this time, you cannot produce a single one?”

Yu Jiuling: “I’m frustrated too.”

Zhaoluan: “You’re frus—”

Yu Jiuling: “Let me explain. The thing is…” He looked at Zhaoluan. “I represent the Prince of Ning in receiving you, but even to borrow horses, I still have to notify the supply office of the cavalry camp first. They report it up through the chain of command, which approves it and sends the approval back down. Let me tell you something you probably won’t even believe.”

“Last year, the Prince of Ning sent me to deliver a gift to a good friend of his. It happened to be around the Mid-Autumn Festival, so I bought some mooncakes to bring along. Then I went to requisition a war horse. By the time the approval came through and I rushed over, it was just in time for this year’s Dragon Boat Festival — I ate zongzi at the friend’s house.”

Zhaoluan: “General Yu… do not take us for fools.”

Yu Jiuling let out a sheepish laugh. “I thought the atmosphere was a bit stiff so I was trying to tell a joke. It’s exaggerated, obviously — but a fair critique of certain people who occupy positions without doing any work.”

As they spoke, a group of riders came into view — several dozen men, led by none other than Xiahou Zhuo.

Yu Jiuling rushed over to greet him, asked where he was going. Xiahou Zhuo said he was heading to check on the Mangdang Mountain camp. Yu Jiuling jumped at the chance: “We’re heading to Mangdang Mountain too! Grand Marshal, could you spare us a few horses?”

Xiahou Zhuo nodded. “Simple enough.” He ordered some of his men to give Yu Jiuling’s party a few horses.

Zhaoluan and Cainan both exhaled in relief at last. A normal person, finally.

The breath was barely out before Xiahou Zhuo said: “Write me a receipt. I’ll need the horses back.”

Yu Jiuling: “No problem, no problem.” He turned to Zhaoluan and Cainan. “Either of you happen to have paper and brush on you?”

Zhaoluan and Cainan felt on the verge of tears. They were here to see the Wu Prince. Everything they’d been carrying had been thoroughly searched by the Ning army — not so much as a scrap of paper was allowed through. How could they possibly have ink and brush?

“Never mind, never mind.” Yu Jiuling: “I’ll go borrow some. Won’t take long.”

Cainan exploded: “You’re both servants of the Prince of Ning — why does borrowing horses require a written receipt between you?”

Xiahou Zhuo, utterly serious: “We serve the same master, but we’re different departments. Of course there must be a receipt. What if accounts don’t balance later?”

Cainan: “But you’re family!”

Xiahou Zhuo: “Family, yes — but does that mean family members never borrow things without returning them? If you want to stand as guarantor, that would work.”

Cainan: “I’m not even a member of your Ning army — how can I stand as guarantor?”

Xiahou Zhuo: “Exactly. You’re not family, so you can’t guarantee anything.”

Yu Jiuling stepped in as peacemaker. “No quarreling, no quarreling. I’ll go borrow paper.”

And off he ran, with every appearance of genuine effort.

After a while he came back with a completed receipt and handed it to Xiahou Zhuo. “Grand Marshal, please look it over.”

Xiahou Zhuo examined it and shook his head. “The format is wrong.”

Yu Jiuling: “It’s…”

Xiahou Zhuo: “Here, let me show you. This is how the format should go.”

Zhaoluan and Cainan looked at each other. Both were on the edge of truly losing their composure. They’d left the Chu army camp before dawn, crossed the river before the sun was even up.

By rights, even a hundred-odd li to Mangdang Mountain should have been easy to cover before dark. And yet nearly half a day had passed and they hadn’t moved an inch.

They both knew the Ning army was deliberately stalling. But in enemy territory, there was nothing they could do.

If they made a scene, they risked the Ning army losing patience and sending them back — which would delay things even more.

Zhaoluan breathed low to Cainan: “Even if it drags to nightfall, we ride through the night. We cannot delay further.”

What they didn’t know was that Xiahou Zhuo was dragging it out precisely so they would arrive under cover of darkness.

Xiahou Zhuo patiently taught Yu Jiuling the proper format, then said: “Go write it out fresh.”

Yu Jiuling trotted off again.

This time he came back reasonably quickly, presenting a freshly written receipt to Xiahou Zhuo. “Grand Marshal — does this format work?”

Xiahou Zhuo examined it and nodded with satisfaction. “That’s right. This is correct.”

Yu Jiuling: “Then could the Grand Marshal issue the horses?”

Xiahou Zhuo shook his head again. “The format is correct, but you haven’t affixed a seal. A receipt without a seal has no legal force. If you refused to return the horses and we argued about it in front of the Prince of Ning later, this receipt wouldn’t be worth anything.”

Yu Jiuling smacked his own forehead. “How did I forget that?”

Cainan had truly reached her limit. She turned to Xiahou Zhuo, furious. “Grand Marshal, there are limits to how far you should push people.”

Xiahou Zhuo turned equally furious. “How is this pushing you? You’re the ones pushing me! I am the Grand Marshal of the Ning army. If I start bending the rules, how do I maintain military discipline? How can I be impartial in all things?”

Cainan was about to retort; Zhaoluan pulled her back and shook her head.

Cainan breathed. Deep breaths. Many deep breaths.

Xiahou Zhuo: “Why do you both look so unhappy? Is this not how the Chu imperial court conducts business? Is this not how Chu local offices conduct business?”

Yu Jiuling: “Grand Marshal, don’t be upset. I’ll go get the seal affixed now.”

At that moment, a few more figures approached. When Yu Jiuling and Xiahou Zhuo saw the man leading them was Gui Yuanshu, they knew things on Li Chi’s end had been taken care of.

Gui Yuanshu trotted over, looking apologetic. “Forgive the wait, forgive the wait. I’m Gui Yuanshu, supply officer of the cavalry camp. We have handled this as a matter involving foreign guests — a special expedited case — and went directly to the Prince of Ning for approval. The Prince has personally authorized the horses.”

Cainan pointed at Yu Jiuling and shouted: “He came directly from the Prince of Ning! Why does he still have to go to the Prince of Ning to get horses approved?”

Gui Yuanshu said pleasantly: “My lady, let me explain patiently…”

Zhaoluan immediately cut in: “No need. Please just give us the horses. We have no time for explanations.”

Gui Yuanshu: “Please don’t be offended, my lady. The thing is, we’re separate departments, so naturally we have to go and report…”

Zhaoluan: “Sir, we truly do not need you to explain. We must be on our way. Please give us the horses.”

Gui Yuanshu: “Very well, very well. Someone — bring out the horses.”

Then he looked at Zhaoluan: “Now, allow me to briefly walk you through the proper use and care of the horses — a simple overview of the rules for riding and the maintenance arrangements afterward.”

Somewhere to the side, Yu Jiuling couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

Xiahou Zhuo turned his face away, mouth twitching in a controlled suppression of a grin, thinking: Gui Yuanshu, Gui Yuanshu — you are truly the most vicious one.

Zhaoluan: “We both know how to ride. We know they need to be fed. You need say nothing further.”

Gui Yuanshu: “Oh, is that so? Well, that saves me some effort. You even know how to ride on your side? Is it because it’s dangerous there — so that if trouble comes, you can ride to safety quickly?”

Zhaoluan let out a controlled breath: “Yes. Bandits everywhere. Step out the door without a horse and you’re dead before you’ve taken three steps.”

Gui Yuanshu: “How terrifying!”

Cainan: “Sir, the horses, please!”

Gui Yuanshu nodded. “Yes, yes, I won’t delay you ladies further. You have far to go.”

“Oh — one more thing. Ladies, please sign here.”

He produced several sheets of paper from his bag and handed them to Zhaoluan one by one.

“This one is the Informed Hazard Notice for Horse Riding. Please read carefully.”

“This one is the Overdue Penalty Notice for Late Return of Borrowed Horses. Please read carefully.”

“This one is the…”

Before he could finish, Cainan snatched the papers out of his hands. “Give them here!”

Both women leapt onto their horses. One more second in this place and they truly would be driven out of their minds.

As they spurred their horses forward, Yu Jiuling mounted as well and caught up, calling out: “Ladies — you’re going the wrong way! I said you’re going the wrong way!”

Visible in the distance, the two women visibly jolted in their saddles.

—